Paul Schmelzer

RNC’s Steele ‘deeply disappointed’ by court ruling, Coleman concession

Michael Steele, chair of the Republican National Committee, said in a statement late Tuesday that he’s “deeply disappointed” about the Minnesota Supreme Court’s ruling on the state’s U.S. Senate race and Norm Coleman’s concession. Echoing the local GOP, he went on to state that in the contested election, Minnesota didn’t adhere to two principles that [...]

Coleman calls for prayers for Franken; GOP decries state’s ‘flawed’ election

Former Sen. Norm Coleman’s message of cooperation and support, intoned during his concession Tuesday afternoon, was repeated in an email to supporters. But while he was calling for prayers for Franken, his party was taking a different tack: The Minnesota GOP released a statement decrying the state’s “deeply flawed election system” and the state Supreme [...]

Live stream: Sen.-elect Franken’s press conference

After former Sen. Norm Coleman conceded defeat in Minnesota’s Senate election this afternoon, Al Franken and his wife Franni will hold a press conference on the steps of their downtown Minneapolis home. The UpTake will provide live video of the 4:15 CDT speech:

Obama congratulates Franken

President Barack Obama just released a statement congratulating Al Franken on today’s state Supreme Court ruling, which found the Democrat the winner of the Senate race.
“I look forward to working with Senator-Elect Franken to build a new foundation for growth and prosperity by lowering health care costs and investing in the kind of clean energy [...]

Rukavina suggests Pawlenty presidential campaign slogan

Last summer, Britt Robson used some 2,600 words to argue at MnIndy that Gov. Tim Pawlenty made his case for the vice presidency by wrecking Minnesota’s economy, but yesterday potential Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Rukavina whittled it down to just 11 words.

Bachmann links Census to 1940s Japanese internment

Rep. Michele Bachmann, who may be redistricted out of a job based on next year’s Census findings, has already stated she won’t respond to certain Census questions required by law for fear that ACORN will get its hands on the info. Now she’s working to spread the fear — by conjuring the internment of Japanese-Americans [...]

Media Monitor: Q is for ‘question’ in MPR’s new brand

Minnesota Public Radio rolls out its new integrated news page under the MPRnewsQ brand, prompting questions about the “Q.” Former KARE anchor Rick Kupchella launches a healthcare reform PR project, with a key Republican as his partner. And Fargo’s Roxana Saberi calls for the release of her former cellmate in Iran.

Media Monitor: Seeing double on daily covers

Identical shots of Sunday’s implosion of Minneapolis’ Lowry Avenue bridge grace the covers of both dailies… just a day before both papers run the same New York Times story on Iran on their covers. Plus, Fargo’s Roxana Saberi inks a book deal, and the Examiner(s) examined, inside.

Coleman, sore loser or artful politician?

Norm Coleman was compared — unfavorably, as I read it — to Richard Nixon in Sunday’s New York Times Magazine. Reporter Matt Bai writes that when Nixon foresaw a trouncing in 1960 he “exited quickly to begin plotting his return to office.” Not so with Coleman, whose concession holdout in the Minnesota Senate race now [...]

MnIndy’s Steller to discuss Minnesota politics on The Guy James Show

With all eyes on Minnesota these days thanks to Al Franken, Norm Coleman and Michele Bachmann, Minnesota Independent reporter Chris Steller returns to The Guy James Show, an online radio program based in Florida, this afternoon to discuss local politics. Last week, Steller spoke with James about Rep. Bachmann’s characterization of the Obama administration’s dealings [...]