The Minnesota Independent

Stimulus - Latest Stories

Model business heralded by Emmer benefited from Bush, Obama stimuli

By Andy Birkey | 09.08.10 | 12:18 pm

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer is taking a bit of heat for hosting his jobs plan announcement at a small business, Permac Industries, that benefited from stimulus spending, which Emmer has criticized. The issue has several media outlets chasing…

Some deal hunters stung in ‘Clunkers’ program

By Mike Lillis | 08.24.09 | 9:27 am

Horror stories about “Cash for Clunkers” have consumer advocates worried the fallout will continue for months.

Capitol Catchall: Back to work for most, first day for Franken

By Andy Birkey | 07.10.09 | 12:54 pm

This week Minnesota’s members of Congress went back to work after the July 4 break, except for Sen. Al Franken who was showing up — finally — for the first time. Rep. Keith Ellison put forward a credit reform bill, Rep. Betty McCollum announced her plan to expand the Peace Corps, and Republicans criticized the Democrats’ energy and stimulus policies. Here’s how the week shook down…

Half is the new black: Like AIG bonus babies, Palin wants half of stimulus cash

By Chris Steller | 03.20.09 | 2:54 pm

palinpodiumAlaska Gov. Sarah Palin faced a dilemma. Should she keep the federal stimulus funding her state is due or give it up? One rival for the helm of the Republican Party, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, chose to keep it. Another,…

Paulsen’s stimulus claims show political prevaricating didn’t stay in Vegas

By Chris Steller | 02.25.09 | 12:14 pm

False political smears involving Las Vegas? You’d think U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen wouldn’t want to go there after being on the receiving end of a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ad last year that took a tortured, six-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon route to link

Obama’s speech pours praise on Minneapolis with 57-cops sauce

By Chris Steller | 02.24.09 | 9:10 pm

mpls-57-sauceMinneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak finally got a big public payback for his early backing of Barack Obama as candidate for president when Obama gave the city a shout-out in his address before Congress tonight. Speaking about the…

Bachmann lashes out at critics

By Andy Birkey | 02.24.09 | 12:14 am

bachmann-still“The DCCC is after me again!” read a fund-raising e-mail Rep. Michele Bachmann sent to supporters Monday afternoon. It’s the first time Bachmann has acknowledged — at least implicitly — the…

Pawlenty on ‘Hardball’: I’ll chow down at stimulus plan’s ‘meandering buffet’

By Chris Steller | 02.20.09 | 8:54 am

tpaw-msnbc2MSNBC must stand for Minnesotans Speak Nightly By Cable. For the fourth straight night, the TV news channel carried a segment featuring a prominent elected official from the state. Thursday it was again Gov. Tim Pawlenty, this…

State’s GOP congressional districts get biggest job boost from federal stimulus

By Chris Steller | 02.19.09 | 12:22 pm

The federal economic stimulus plan is on a fast track to implementation, but take a moment to stop and smell this irony: In Minnesota, the stimulus will benefit most congressional districts that elected Republicans in November — none of whom voted for the bill. Districts held by Democrats fared the worst in the proportion of the 66,000 jobs the White House predicts the plan will create or save.

The craziest interview in American politics? Michele Bachmann

By Andy Birkey | 02.18.09 | 10:54 pm

So says MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann. He spent seven minutes fact-checking Republican U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s recent interview with KTLK’s Chris Baker. Olbermann pulls in Chris Hayes from The Nation to add some analysis to the…