The Minnesota Independent

2010 - Latest Stories

Rep. Michele Bachmann. Photo: Lynda Waddington, Iowa Independent

Bachmann: Franken stole election, gave us ‘Obamacare’

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By Andy Birkey | 04.12.11 | 1:29 pm

During her speech at the Iowa-based Family Leader on Friday, potential presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann made a bold claim before the gathering of social conservatives: Sen. Al Franken, she said, stole the election against Sen. Norm Coleman, and that election is to blame for the passage of the national healthcare reform law.

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Emmer team: Frivolous challenges could reach 8,700

By Andy Birkey | 12.03.10 | 8:01 am

By Thursday evening, 93 percent of ballots had been counted in the Minnesota gubernatorial recount, but the State Canvassing Board will meet on Friday to deal with thousands of frivolous ballot challenges made by the team of Republican Tom Emmer, whose lawyer said the number could reach 8,700 by 2 pm today. Dayton’s team withdrew all its frivolous challenges and in a letter to the canvassing board chastised Emmer.

Gov. Mark Dayton. Photo: Kathy Easthagen, Minnesota Independent

Mark Dayton picks up votes on first day of gubernatorial recount

By Andy Birkey | 11.30.10 | 9:02 am

By the end of the first day of the recount in Minnesota’s gubernatorial race, DFLer Mark Dayton picked up 20 votes while Republican Tom Emmer lost four after less than half of ballots were recounted Monday. The Emmer team launched an aggressive campaign to challenge ballots, although many challenges were rejected as “frivolous” by election officials. The recount was not without humor, though, as some voters made some interesting write-in choices. One voter, for instance, wrote in “Who farted?” for Ramsey County Sheriff — sure to be the recount’s version of the infamous 2008 write-in candidate “Lizard People.”

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar was defeated Tuesday.

Where do Minnesota’s transit projects stand without Oberstar?

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By Andy Birkey | 11.10.10 | 12:14 pm

Rep. James Oberstar, chair of the powerful House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, had big plans for transportation in the nation, and in Minnesota in particular: a proposed high-speed rail line from St. Paul to Chicago and a high speed rail line from Minneapolis to Duluth, to name but two. But how well will these projects fare after the 18-term congressman’s defeat last week and a shifting of leadership in Congress?

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Pawlenty fifth in new Rasmussen presidential poll

By Andy Birkey | 11.04.10 | 12:59 pm

Gov. Tim Pawlenty rated fifth among likely Republican primary voters, according to a Rasmussen poll released on Thursday. Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich placed in the top four, followed by Pawlenty, who has lagged in virtually every professional poll and straw poll over the last year. Pawlenty has said his decision on a presidential run will be made this spring.

Horner relases first TV ad: Eyeballs

By Andy Birkey | 08.20.10 | 4:00 pm

Independence Party candidate for governor Tom Horner has released his first ad of the 2010 campaign cycle. Titled “Eyeballs,” the ad will run during the Sunday morning political shows, MinnPost reports. It’s the first of three ads…

New Kelliher ad dings ‘Pawlenty for President’; Emmer gets TV time

By Andy Birkey | 07.19.10 | 7:07 am

Margaret Anderson Kelliher released her second television ad on YouTube Sunday, and it’s set to bring its jabs at Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s presidential aspirations to the air today. And on Saturday, the corporate-backed GOP group MN Forward announced an…

Clark, Franken headed to Vegas for Netroots Nation

By Andy Birkey | 07.19.10 | 7:03 am

Tarryl Clark, the DFLer challenging U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in November, is headed to Las Vegas on Saturday to attend Netroots Nation, an annual gathering of progressive bloggers and candidates which spun off from YearlyKos, a get-together of…

Restaurant owner says Emmer misspoke on $100k waiter pay

By Andy Birkey | 07.07.10 | 12:39 pm

The owner of the Eagle Street Grill told a Star Tribune columnist on Tuesday that none of his servers make $100,000 a year. Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer used an example of Eagle Street servers making that kind of…

Horner agrees with Emmer on server pay — sort of

By Andy Birkey | 07.07.10 | 12:25 pm

Updated: Independence Party candidate Tom Horner told MinnPost on Wednesday that he agreed that a tip credit would be “part of the solution” in the hospitality industry. GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer has been taking flack from unions and DFLers…