Minnesota Independent

Breitbart, RightOnline coming to Minneapolis

By Andy Birkey | 04.13.11 | 3:36 pm

Billed as a “counter to the leftwing Netroots Nation Convention” being hosted by Minneapolis in June, RightOnline has announced it’ll also be coming to Minnesota’s largest city this summer. The conference will feature Andrew Breitbart, a blogger whose selective editing of video has generated heated criticism, along with conservative blogger Michelle Malkin, Glenn Beck protege S.E. Cupp, and Minnesota blogger Ed Morrissey. The convention is a project of Americans for Prosperity Foundation, which was founded by the Koch brothers.

Norm Coleman: Right to vote is a ‘privilege’

By Andy Birkey | 03.30.11 | 8:12 am

Former Sen. Norm Coleman stopped to talk with Pajamas Media at last weekend’s True the Vote conference hosted by the King Street Patriots in Houston. The conference trains conservative activists in how to monitor polls and push for tighter voter ID laws. In the interview, Coleman downplayed assertions that voter fraud cost him the election against Sen. Al Franken in 2008 but called voting “one of the greatest privileges that democracy affords,” comparing voter ID to showing an identification card when writing a check at McDonald’s.

As Ellison decries tea party ‘voter intimidation’ efforts, data shows fraud is rare

By Andy Birkey | 10.27.10 | 9:30 am

“Voter fraud. It’s a felony.” So reads the “wanted” poster–style type on new posters being distributed by Republican and tea party groups ahead of election day. What they don’t say is it’s also exceedingly rare. As Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison decries such efforts at attempts to intimidate voters, Hennepin County provides the Minnesota Independent with data that shows only .00006 percent of votes cast in 2008 were done so fraudulently.

Basel, O’Keefe plead guilty in Landrieu office caper

By Paul Schmelzer | 05.26.10 | 11:55 am

Minnesota native Joe Basel, along with conservative activist James O’Keefe and two others, pleaded guilty this morning in a New Orleans court to charges of entering federal property in January under false pretenses. O’Keefe, who’s best…

Twitter too suggests Minnesota link to alleged Landrieu phone tamper

By Chris Steller | 01.26.10 | 6:25 pm

Updated: A Joseph Basel — possibly of Minnesota and involved in an alleged phone-tampering against Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana — follows veteran rightwing prankster James O’Keefe on Twitter.

O’Keefe accomplice a Minnesotan?

By Paul Schmelzer | 01.26.10 | 5:45 pm

Gawker’s been googling and finds that Joseph Basel, who was arrested with ACORN gotcha guy James O’Keefe yesterday, may be the same Joseph Basel who attended the University of Minnesota – Morris.

Kline co-sponsored resolution honoring the ‘exemplary’ James O’Keefe

By Andy Birkey | 01.26.10 | 5:23 pm

Rep. John Kline was among several members of Congress who signed a resolution praising the work of James O’Keefe, who was arrested Monday for using false pretenses to enter a federal office with intent of interfering with…

‘Brilliant’: Once lauded by Bachmann for ACORN sting, O’Keefe arrested by FBI

By Paul Schmelzer | 01.26.10 | 4:54 pm

In September, Rep. Michele Bachmann hailed as “brilliant” James O’Keefe, who with Hannah Giles orchestrated a sting operation at a Philadelphia ACORN office, posing as a pimp and a prostitute. Today, it appears that may have been an overestimation. Days…

FEMA to Bachmann: Yes, you’re ‘missing something here’

By Chris Steller | 10.07.09 | 3:32 pm

“Am i missing something here?” reads a Twitter message from U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann questioning why ACORN got fire-prevention funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA’s answer: Yes, you are.

AM.MN: Twins owner to have Biden over

By Chris Steller | 10.07.09 | 8:30 am

Can the Twins beat the New York Yankees? We’ll know the answer by the time Vice President Biden arrives for an Oct. 15 Democratic Party fundraiser at the Edina home of a member of the…