Only one thing is certain about the 2010 gubernatorial contest: It will be crowded field. Some three dozen politicians are thinking about climbing into the race. Here’s a look at the crop of DFL contenders.
Ominous news about job losses and financial woes at Minnesota hospitals over the last week coincide with Gov. Pawlenty’s line-item veto of $381 million in General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) grants and his vow to make more cuts by unallotment. But as bad as the doomsday scenarios are, they shouldn’t include St. Paul’s Regions Hospital closing — a prospect that a DFL press release warned of over the weekend.
When union workers at Regina Medical Center in Hastings walked off the job for two days last month to highlight a contract dispute, their cause drew a few noteworthy supporters. On day one the workers were joined by St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, Assistant Senate Majority Leader Tarryl Clark (pictured) and House Speaker Margaret Anderson-Kelliher. The next day Rep. Paul Thissen and former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton helped rally support for their cause. While the Democratic pols were no doubt sincere in their support for the workers, their presence was conspicuous for another reason: each are on the (not-so-short) list of potential 2010 gubernatorial candidates.
In 2006 Gov. Tim Pawlenty defied the political odds. Despite wide gains by Democrats in state legislative races, a resounding victory by Amy Klobuchar in the U.S. Senate race and a sweep of the other state…
A relatively unheard of plant is being targeted by Minnesota lawmakers for prohibition because of its psychoactive properties. Possession of Salvia divinorum would become a crime if a bill by Rep. Joe Atkins,…
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