On the objectivity paradigm: The Star Tribune’s Bill Ward asks Arianna Huffington if “solid, impartial coverage” is a “thing of the past.” Her reply: “I think impartial coverage is coverage that is accurate, fact-based and fair. It does not mean you give equal weight to both sides of each story or issues when one of the two sides is wrong: the idea that you talk about the war and have full coverage include Richard Perle or Bill Kristol or other people who basically lied to us to get us into this war and continue lying to us to keep us from getting out, and yet these are the people that the mainstream media are looking to.” [via]

The pervasive Obama-Muslim meme: It’s not exactly a news flash, but as Wired writes, hoax emails about Barack Obama being a clandestine Muslim “still fool dumb white guys, a point made by the New York Daily News. As Cursor notes, four major papers — The Washington Times, The Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Baltimore Sun — have recently mentioned the false Obama/Muslim link without correction.

The group had much to celebrate.  In attendance was Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota’s first woman elected to U.S. senate, Lori Swanson, the first woman elected Attorney General, and Patricia Torres Ray, the first Latina elected to Minnesota state senate.  The women were joined by a number of seconds; second female State Auditor Rebecca Otto and second female speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Keillor.

The focus of the luncheon was the key role women play in politics – both as candidate and their supporters.  In her opening remarks, MWPC President Becky Montgomery quoted Auditor-Elect Otto, who stated it was the support she received from other women that helped her win her race, defeating sitting State Auditor Patricia Anderson.  Those sentiments were echoed in the speeches of Klobuchar, Swanson, and Torres Ray.

This idea of women choosing their leaders was continued by keynote speaker Arianna Huffington. Pundit, author, and owner of the Huffington Post, called one of the world’s most influential media outlets by The Observer Magazine, Huffington stated that the cause of the Democratic tide in 2006 was that women had stopped being played by their fears of 2004. “Women are more fearless now,” she said. “Before, they voted for Bush because they though the would keep them safe.  They gave into the fear mongering.”

more inside“I said support fearlessness, not fanaticism…”

More a chat with the audience than a formal speech, Huffington’s topics ranged from her new book On Becoming Fearless, her contempt for pollsters and political consultants, her thoughts on the Presidential frontrunners for 2008, and her conversion from Republican to Democrat.

Becoming a Democrat was less about changing her stance on issues, and more about who she believed could make things happen.  “I have always been pro-choice and pro-gay rights,” she explained.  “But I used to think the private sector would step up to fix our problems with healthcare, poverty and education.  Now I know they won’t and the government needs to step in and be active.”

Despite her transformation from one side to the other, her convictions never changed, a key element in becoming fearless.  “You should always support women candidates who are fearless,” she advised. “You may not agree with every issue that she stands for, but you should support her for having the courage to stand by her convictions, which will help more women feel strong enough to do the same.”

But Huffington recognized there are some cases where fearlessness just isn’t enough.  While taking questions from the audience, one member asked whether women should still stand with a candidate if her stances were in complete opposition to yours but she quite obviously stood strong in her beliefs, not so subtly alluding to Congresswoman-elect Michele Bachmann. “I think I know who you are not naming,” Huffington replied as the audience laughed.  “And I said we should support fearlessness, not fanaticism.”

But Bachmann wasn’t the only candidate to be discussed, as Huffington also provided her prognostication on the 2008 frontrunners.  She saw Arizona Senator John McCain wrestling for the nomination against an “anti-McCain” candidate who would be against the Iraq war such as Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska), and Senator Hillary Clinton fighting against an anti-war candidate like Barack Obama (D – Illinois) or John Edwards (D – N. Carolina).  Huffington recognized the great desire of the room for a woman president but was unsure if Clinton was the one to support.  “She has to be a hawk on the war because she fears otherwise no one will consider a woman as Commander in Chief,” Huffington said. But that position makes her unpalatable by many members of her own party, painting Clinton in a corner she may not be able to escape.

more insideFirst, the story of Congressman-elect Keith Ellison swearing on the Qu’ran has moved into the rural papers. The New Ulm Journal, the only paper in the 1st District to endorse the Republican Congresional candidate in the last election, has written an op/ed piece supporting Ellison’s right to swear by whatever is sacred to him.  And according to the new blog Forum Focus, which is dedicated to tracking the 20 Forum papers located in Minnesota, Dennis Prager’s original column attacking Ellison ran last week in the Morris Sun Tribune but none of the AP or MCclatchy wire follow-ups ever ran.

Moving out of Minnesota and on to Washington, Michele Bachmann has picked her new Chief of Staff , choosing Brooks Kochvar, the formerly the Chief of Staff for Chris Chocola, the defeated Representative from Indiana.  Congressman John Kline (R -MN 2), has been named to the transitional team for the new chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Congressman Tom Cole of Okalahoma, a move that makes sense with the 2008 GOP convention being held in Minnesota.

And a reminder that Arianna Huffington will be in town on Friday to speak at the Minnesota Women’s Political Caucus, and tickets can be purchased until the end of the day.  We will have our interview with Ms. Huffington later this week.