Minnesota Independent » Video

Invoking God, Pawlenty tells CPAC crowd Minnesota is ‘the most liberal state’

Andy Birkey — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:18:34 +0000

Just hours after he vetoed medical care for the poorest Minnesotans while in Washington, D.C., Gov. Tim Pawlenty worked the crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Friday. He railed against Democrats, touted Minnesota as the most liberal state in the nation, and told the audience that God should stay in government.

Pawlenty used the snowstorm in Washington, D.C., last week to slam favorite conservative boogeymen House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. “Even the United States Congress was closed, and I say — and I know you agree — any day, any day that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi can’t get to work is a good day for freedom, a good day for liberty and its a good day for people’s wallets.”

He said conservatives could learn from Tiger Wood’s wife: “I think we can learn a lot from that situation, not from Tiger but from his wife. She said, ‘I’ve had enough.’ She said, ‘No more.’ I think we should should take a page out of her playbook and take a nine iron and smash the window out of big government in this country.” (See video below.)

Pawlenty repeatedly played up Minnesota as a liberal bastion. “In a state that really is an uphill battle for Republicans, much less a conservative, I won.”

“In Minnesota, this is the land of Eugene McCarthy, this is the land of Hubert Humphrey, this is the land of Walter Mondale. This is the land of Paul Wellstone. It is the land of [in a mocking voice] United States Senator Al Franken.”

He name-dropped the same list — as did Rep. Michele Bachmann, who hits the CPAC podium this morning as well — at the Value Voters Summit last September.

“In Minnesota, we have taken the spending curve to about zero. For the first time in the 150-year history of our state we cut spending in real terms.”

“If we can do it in Minnesota, I would suggest to you probably the most liberal state or one of the most liberal states, it can be done anywhere.”

He also invoked God.

“God’s in charge. There are some people who say ‘Pawlenty, don’t bring that up. Its politically incorrect.’ Hogwash! …I say to those naysayers that try to crowd out God from the discussion, if it’s good enough for the founding fathers it’s good enough for us.”

‘His lead will disappear,’ vows Coleman in fund-raising video

Chris Steller — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:55:43 +0000

Norm Coleman released a new video to raise funds for his legal battle to wrest his old Senate seat from Democratic challenger Al Franken.

“I will win this election,” Coleman promises in the video. His unusually dramatic line reading reaches a crescendo in this part:

“While Al Franken, Harry Reid and their allies will likely continue their efforts to short-circuit Minnesota election law, you can be assured that I will continue fighting to ensure the Minnesota voters — and nobody else! — will truly decide who won this election.”

Coleman, a Republican, says of Franken: “His lead will disappear.”

There is a lot of emphasis on party identification — of precincts, of Gov. Tim Pawlenty, of Secretary of State Mark Ritchie — and both the intro and his windup at the end are long on thanks:

First, let me thank all of you who have been so supportive in your prayers, your thoughts – and yes, your financial support. It’s meant a lot to Laurie and me, and knowing that you stand with us during these challenging times means more to me than I can say. But, let me try by saying a simple “Thank you.” …I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support and assistance throughout this process. … Thank you for your prayers, thank you for your friendship, and please go to colemanforsenate.com and give generously to our efforts so I can say thank you again for your financial support, for your prayers, for standing with me. Thank you and God bless.

(Excerpts corrected with help from Political Animal‘s full transcript.)

Governor’s speech streams live at noon; state of the state is cold

Chris Steller — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:46:59 +0000

It was 18 degrees below zero in the Twin Cities on Thursday as people left their homes for school or work on the coldest morning in five years. Gov. Tim Pawlenty will give his State of the State address at noon to whoever manages to drag his or her frozen butt into the House Chamber at the State Capitol. You can watch it live here on streaming video from The UpTake, read prognostications in the dailies about what T-Paw will say or won’t say about cutting the budget, and get Paul Demko’s report on the speech here as soon as the governor’s actually given it.

But you read it here first: Ladies and gentlemen, the state of the state is … cold. Photographer’s note: In the minute and a half I spent outside in downtown Minneapolis to take the photo above, two bicyclists flashed past and I walked by a third bike that had recently been parked. The riders on the frozen slush were too fast for my frostbitten shutter finger, but here’s a shout out anyway to Minnesota’s hardy two-wheeled commuters and other winter bicyclists. May your frozen eyelashes part painlessly, may your paths be clear of car doors and may the yapping of snow dogs not worry your helmeted heads.

GOP former guv joins Mondale in calling for Coleman to concede

Paul Schmelzer — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:26:14 +0000

Concede? Moi?

With Norm Coleman set to address the media at 3 p.m. CST, speculation abounds about whether the now-former senator will file a lawsuit to prevent certification of a win by Al Franken or, less likely, concede. One GOP bigwig has weighed in, urging Coleman to step down: Former Gov. Arne Carlson, who attended the 1996 event during which Coleman switched parties to become a Republican, predicts Coleman will lose any lawsuit he files. Carlson, who supported Coleman’s ’98 gubernatorial bid, also said that a protracted battle, after 62 days of recounting, would hurt Coleman’s public image. By contrast, he said, “There’s no disgrace in losing.” He joins former Vice President Walter Mondale in calling for Coleman to throw in the towel.

Meanwhile, media outlets from bloggers to mainstream newsrooms have been reminding Coleman of his Nov. 5 statement that if he was in Franken’s position — behind in the vote count — he’d drop out.

“I would step back,” he said. “I just think the healing process is so important, the possibility of making a change of this magnitude in the voting system we have is so remote.” This morning Minneapolis’ Fox 9 was the latest to chime in, leading off its story quoting Coleman’s words the day after Election Day.

Coleman’s Nov. 5 comment that he’d “step back”:

Job-hunt tip for R.T.: Don’t play with finger puppet of boss-to-be on YouTube

Chris Steller — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:42:18 +0000

Maybe Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak doesn’t really want a job with the Obama administration after all. In a YouTube video released this week, hizzoner momentarily toys with a small felt replica of the person who has the power (among other powers) to hire him. “These are finger puppets?” Rybak exclaims. “Barack Obama finger puppets? I love this!”

(UPDATE: Okay, it’s not as momentous a cinematic moment as, say, the cavemen discovering the monolith in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” But we’ve been reading these Rybak-Obama tea leaves for months now, so we take it as it comes.)

If the stunt sets a poor example for the state’s growing legions of job-seekers, the video – which is meant to promote free weekend parking at Gaviidae Common in downtown Minneapolis during the holiday shopping season – actually lives up to its “fun” billing in the mayor’s tweet about it today. Other highlights: Rybak abusing escalator protocol and poking fun at his checkered driving record (news video).

And if the finger-puppet clip does nix R.T.’s chances for a D.C. gig, at least the video gives a taste of what a Bill Hillsman-type Rybak-for-Governor ad might look like. See it after the jump.

MnIndy video: ‘More counting to be done,’ Coleman tells election night crowd

Chris Steller — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:37:27 +0000

U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman spoke to raucous supporters early on election night at the Minnesota Republican Party gathering at the Sheraton Hotel in Bloomington, Minn. Even then, partial election returns signaled a margin between Coleman and Democrat Al Franken so small that it was headed to a recount. So after acknowledging the historic result in the presidential contest and the “graciousness” of U.S. Sen. John McCain’s concession speech, Coleman offered neither concession nor triumphalism. Instead he told the pumped-up crowd, “There is more counting to be done” — a sober assessment that will apparently hold true for weeks. Video after the jump.

Kids say the darndest things: ‘You Can Vote However You Like’ video

Molly Priesmeyer — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:30:40 +0000

An homage to democracy and T.I’s “Whatever you Like,” a group of 7th graders at Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta performed this awesome and totally catchy song, “You Can Vote However You Like,” on CNN. Vote now: Which kid’s your favorite? I vote the little hammy dancing dude! (Lyrics inside!)

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

(McCain supporters)
McCain’s the best candidate
With Palin as his running mate
They’ll fight for gun rights, pro life,
The conservative right
Our future is bright
Better economy in site
And all the world will feel our military might

(Obama supporters)
But McCain and Bush are real close right
They vote alike and keep it tight
Obama’s new, he’s younger too
The Middle Class he will help you
He’ll bring a change, he’s got the brains
McCain and Bush are just the same
You are to blame, Iraq’s a shame
Four more years would be insane

Lower your Taxes – you know Obama Won’t
PROTECT THE LOWER CLASS – You know McCain won’t!
Have enough experience – you know that they don’t
STOP GLOBAL WARMING – you know that you won’t

I want Obama
FORGET OBAMA
Stick with McCain and you’re going to have some drama
We need it
HE’LL BRING IT
He’ll be it
YOU’LL SEE IT
We’ll do it
GET TO IT
Let’s move it
DO IT!

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

I’m talking big pipe lines, and low gas prices
Below $2.00 that would be nice

But to do it right we gotta start today
Finding renewable ways that are here to stay

I want Obama
FORGET OBAMA,
Stick wit McCain you gone have some drama
MORE WAR IN IRAQ
Iran he will attack
CAN’T BRING OUR TROOPS BACK
We gotta vote Barack!

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

On Obama’s Not-To-Do list tonight: Ross Perot’s infomercial

Chris Steller — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:40:45 +0000

The national television time U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has paid for tonight is being billed as the first political infomercial since Ross Perot pioneered the form in 1992. That’s not quite true, since Lyndon LaRouche was on TV before Perot and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton since, but among major candidates for the presidency at this stage of the campaign, Perot and Obama are alone.

Here’s a YouTube video showing Perot at the top of his infomercial form — the only clip that seems to be in circulation, and I’m not sure whether it’s from his 1992 or 1996 run. It’s very short (less than a minute) but it’s enough to give you the flavor — you get to see a couple of Perot’s trademark charts and hear him say “voodoo stick” (if not “giant sucking sound”). It’s good for laughs now and also for a quick reminder that even paid TV has its perils — Perot’s ads quickly became the stuff of ridicule. Video after the jump.

From what I can tell, longer Perot infomercial clips have been absent from the Web for some time. Let me know if you find a full-length version or longer clip.

‘He’s an Arab –’: Folks at Lakeville rally say the darndest things to McCain

Chris Steller — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:53:45 +0000

UPDATED Ana Marie Cox heard “Arab terrorist.” Josh Marshall is reserving judgment now hears only “Arab.” And The Uptake offers a post-game interview with the speaker herself. But one way to judge whether the woman at the Oct. 10 rally in Lakeville, Minn., told Sen. John McCain that Sen. Barack Obama is (merely) “an Arab” or (alternatively) “an Arab terrorist” is to watch video clips from the event for the reactions of people in the crowd who could see her speaking.

See for yourself in videos after the jump, including The Uptake’s subtitled interview with McCain’s interlocutor (campaign volunteer Gayle Quinnell of Shakopee, Minn.) in which she cites the source of her Obama information: an inflammatory flyer circulating at McCain’s local HQ.

Zapruder-like analysis of videos shot from a couple angles reveals a short span of time after the word “Arab” is uttered in which no more is audible but no one yet reacts — a moment long enough for the word “terrorist” to have been mouthed, even if it wasn’t picked up on-mic. The world seems to wait a beat … and then at least two women in the audience visibly react to what they just heard (or saw) being said — whatever it was. (Then McCain offers his “No, he’s a decent man” non-sequiter, but that’s another story.)

The Uptake’s video clip from event and later interview:

The Uptake video, with subtitles (transcript here):

TPM’s clip montage:

TPM’s new clip showing speaker’s face:

Ana Marie Cox has updated her original post to say that after seeing the video (that shows the speaker from behind), she has concluded it doesn’t bear out what she thought she heard the speaker say at the scene: “Arab terrorist.” She notes, however, that the interview video suggests that “terrorist” is indeed on the lips of this McCain backer.