To raise awareness of anti-gay bias, members of the LGBT community are planning a “Big Gay Kiss on the Mall” on July 23. The kiss-in by same-sex couples at Peavey Plaza is a direct response to the harassment seen in the video, according to organizers.

Gubernatorial candidate and former Sen. Mark Dayton denounced the youths’ actions and promised that dealing with harassment would be part of his campaign:

A recent YouTube video shows a group of youths harassing a gay man at last Sunday’s Pride parade. I deplore their immoral and illegal actions. It is also extremely disturbing that the video shows a security officer walking by the harassment and doing nothing to stop it.

There is no place in Minnesota for that kind of immoral and illegal behavior. If I become Governor, I pledge to do everything within my power to stop it.

A spokesman for the Minneapolis Police Department said that the uniformed individuals in the video were not Minneapolis officers.

Currently, there is a video on YouTube of an incident that occurred sometime during the Minneapolis Gay Pride Festival. There has been some speculation that Minneapolis Police Officers were in that video. The Minneapolis Police Department wants to assure the public that those security officers who casually walk by during this incident were not from our department. We have a strict uniform policy and those were not our uniforms or our police officers. This is unacceptable behavior that would not be tolerated by the Minneapolis Police. Action would have been taken immediately to stop the harassment that is depicted in the video.

OutFront Minnesota said that the incident should not be an excuse for anger at people from different racial or ethnic backgrounds:

A video appearing on YouTube depicts verbal harassment of Twin Cities Pride attendees by a small group of young people. OutFront Minnesota decries all hate- or bias-motivated violence and harassment, regardless of who is targeted; we are glad the targets were not physically harmed. This particular incident adds a level of controversy because the perpetrators and targets appear to be of different racial backgrounds. As we have seen in the wake of the Prop. 8 vote in California, racism exists within the GLBT community and can rise to the surface at difficult times. It’s critical to remember that judging a person’s actions is different from judging their presumed background. OutFront Minnesota remains committed to helping address racism within the GLBT community, and to being a strong advocate for GLBT community members from ALL racial or ethnic backgrounds.

Omar Jamal of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center told FOX 9 News that some in the Somali community think Schreifels set the boys up: “Some of the community believe this is a frame-up where the gay guy provoked the Somali boys while his friend video taped them.”

Schreifels sent a letter to Jamal clarifying what happened:

I am insulted by your response, and by those in your community who would imply the ridiculous possibility that this was a frame-up. It does nothing to gain favor of a community that has represented themselves poorly to the gay community already. We haven’t forgotten the gays being kicked out of cabs by Somali cab drivers. Furthermore, it shifts the responsibility for this behavior onto me and my friend, rather than on the ignorant teenagers who were shouting these hateful words, which were most likely learned by their parents, or religious leaders. This is unacceptable. The notion that somehow they may have been provoked or framed needs to be put to rest immediately.

Demanding these kids be held accountable would send a sign that your words of condemnation are not merely words, but a sign of intolerance for this kind of behavior. Anything less than this response simply sends the message that the actions of these young boys are acceptable in your eyes.

Schreifels released this video over the weekend responding to the debate caused by the harassment:

Justin Grey Day, the video’s author, also called for calm in response to racist sentiments emerging in the aftermath:

Paulsen sign, Election Night

Erik Paulsen is part of an even more exclusive club than the 22 GOP members of the U.S. House of Representatives who were newly elected last November. He’s one of only three Republican freshmen from districts in which voters favored Barack Obama for president. Does that lead Paulsen to back the policies of the president his constituents in Minnesota’s 3rd District supported? Nah. Watch Paulsen’s new “60 Day Recap” video after the jump, in which he says he voted against Obama’s mortgage relief plan because it’s “going to be detrimental to mortgage-holders … who have been honestly paying them.”

Sen. Richard Burr

Norm Coleman’s campaign sent another e-mail plea for money today, this time linked to a new video featuring nearly a dozen Republican leaders also asking for cash to help the former U.S. senator regain his seat. The e-mail cites Democratic opponent Al Franken’s use of the title “Senator-Elect” to draw donations and quickly ramps up the rhetoric:

“… Al Franken and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are getting more desperate — and more dangerous — with every passing day.”

The video and the Coleman campaign’s e-mail intro to it, after the jump.

The video crams quickie testimonials from nine senators and two others into 108 seconds. Flashing by, one after another, seated in front of the same American flag are Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; John Cornyn, R-Texas; John Thune, R-S.D.; James Inhofe, R-Okla.; Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Bob Corker, R-Tenn.; and Richard Burr, R-N.C., along with House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Briefly, some lines. Cornyn: “We want him back.” Thune: “Norm is high quality.” Inhofe: “A little bit of money right now could make the difference.” Graham: “Anything you can do to help Norm to make sure he can tell his story to the court is much appreciated.” Burr: “We need 42 Republicans.”

Here’s the video:

Here’s the text of the Coleman for Senate e-mail plea:

Dear Friend,

As Norm continues his legal challenge to make sure that every vote is counted fairly, accurately and honestly, our support continues to grow.

Our party’s most influential leaders have rallied to Norm’s defense in this short, 2-minute video.

But as our support grows, Al Franken and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are getting more desperate — and more dangerous — with every passing day.

Just this week Franken began to call himself “Senator-Elect”… even though Minnesota state law prohibits anyone from taking office until all legal challenges have been concluded!

Reid is even more blunt, telling reporters that “Norm Coleman will never ever serve [again] in the Senate”… even though a fair, accurate and honest accounting of every vote has yet to be determined!

Franken, Reid and their liberal allies see their filibuster-proof majority slipping through their fingers. And there’s no telling what they’ll do next to try to negate the will of Minnesota voters for their own partisan gain. That’s why we can’t let up the fight — not even for a minute!

As Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina says, “Anything you can do to help Norm financially to make sure that he can tell his story before the court is much appreciated.”

And looking to the future, Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina states, “We need to start the trend of growing the Republican minority so that we can be the majority in the United States Senate. Norm can accomplish that with your help.”

I urge you to take a few moments right now to watch the video, and then contribute $15, $25, $35, $50, $100 or more — up to the legal maximum of $2,300 per person — to help make sure that Norm’s case is heard before the court, and that every vote is counted fairly, accurately and honestly.

Thanks so much for all that you’ve done — and hopefully will continue to do.

Sincerely,

Cullen Sheehan
Campaign Manager, Coleman for Senate

(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.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty continues to relish his own weekly hourlong “Good Morning, Minnesota” radio show every Friday on WCCO-AM, a carryover from Gov. Jesse Ventura, and presumably will continue his radio reign under new WCCO boss Mick Anselmo.

Today I tuned in to WCCO to hear if T-Paw would take back the slams on Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and the integrity of the state’s election canvassing process that he aided and abetted during a Sean Hannity interview. (Repeating the phony car-ballot legend was enough to make Pawlenty one of Keith Olbermann’s “worst persons” on MSNBC last night.)

But Pawlenty’s communications honcho and radio sidekick Brian McClung said the boss was en route from the Republican governors conference and would miss the show today. Pawlenty’s stand-in, WCCO’s Jeanette Trompeter, proposed a ”Be Nice to Someone You Really Don’t Want to be Nice to Today” — which would have made the perfect segue to a gubernatorial mea culpa.

Pawlenty also missed an opportunity to salvage Minnesota’s reputation as a clean-election state during a nearly 10-minute interview with Chris Matthews on MSNBC’s “Hardball” last night. Instead the segment focused on Pawlenty’s take on the Republican Party’s future, and particularly Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s place in it. Sample exchange:

MATTHEWS (exasperated): Was [Palin] a drag on the ticket or not?

PAWLENTY (dodging): You look at politics like postmodern art.

Here’s the video:

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.

The other two are free media: a three-minute YouTube video posted by the Paulsen campaign that features testimonials from veterans who support the state representative’s congressional bid, and a four-minute interview that Fox 9 conducted with Paulsen as part of its morning news show… which was followed minutes later by the new Madia ad. (Independence Party candidate David Dillon will appear on Fox 9 on 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and Madia will appear on 7:30 a.m. Friday).

Outside help for Paulsen in the form of new ads and ad buys from the National Republican Congressional Committee has vanished, at least for now, with NRCC-reserved time at local stations remaining only for the campaign’s final week.

Here is the fresh crop of new video in the 3rd Congressional District race, with the exception of Paulsen’s interview on Fox 9 this morning, which we’ll add if it becomes available. In the meantime, there’s an transcribed excerpt below.

Madia for Congress: “Discipline”

DCCC: “Career Politician Erik Paulsen: We Can’t Afford”

Paulsen for Congress: “Veterans Support Erik Paulsen for Congress”

Paulsen on Fox 9 (transcribed excerpt):

PAULSEN [responding to question on the national debt]: …These guys [in Congress] are literally just on a bipartisan spending spree. And we just need an approach that’s going to be live-within-your-means, what-can-we-afford. I don’t want my four daughters to be saddling this national debt. And that’s a real concern.

FOX 9: Yeah, no parent wants that, that’s for sure. Now, you don’t want to expand government health care. You want market-driven solutions. Does it trouble you that each year the marketplace leaves more and more of us uninsured?

PAULSEN: Well, we’ve done some good things in Minnesota, even on a bipartisan basis. I’ve gotten some recognition and awards for that. But I think we have to do the same thing at the federal level. We need more competition to bring down costs. I think we also have to employ health information technology for e-prescribing electronical [sic] medical records. That’s how we can get into the next century to save medical costs. And I think we have to reimburse on a different model, so you’re not just reimbursing providers and physicians on the number of procedures they do, but on the quality of the procedures they do. So we’re focusing on preventative medicine. That’s how we’re ultimately going to save money and more people will be able to be insured.

Strib HQ Photo: Paul Schmelzer

Strib Teamsters again reject concessions: The Teamsters press operators union at the Star Tribune has for the second time rejected contract concessions that would’ve cut their wages by 16 percent over the life of the agreement. Last month the union voted down a similar deal. At that time, two other Teamster locals at the Strib voted for the concessions, but due to an agreement struck between the three groups, a no-vote by any single local would kill the agreement for all. In an interesting twist, the Teamsters Joint Council is claiming they approved no such thing and that the contracts for Teamster drivers and mailers will stand. The pressmen’s givebacks would’ve meant the cutting of 60 of the 340 shifts per week, pay cuts of 10 percent for members and changes to overtime provisions, among others.

Funeraltweeting? Our sister site, the Colorado Independent, is outraged that The Rocky Mountain News used the microblogging tool Twitter to liveblog the funeral of a three-year old. My take: the form of Twitter itself — a 140-character limit, which often leads to abbreviated words — is too informal for such an affair. Plus, RMN didn’t bother to capitalize or punctuate its tweets, adding to the feeling that it was a glib endeavor.

Kersten’s idea of a “storm”: Conservative Star Tribune columnist Katherine Kersten is again tilting her rightward-bent lance at the majority-Muslim charter school TIZA, writing that a “storm is brewing” between the school and the Department of Education over the state’s concern about the school’s voluntary Friday prayer time. But David Brauer of MinnPost provides critical context that Kersten omitted, a letter a TIZA administrator sent to the state. While Kersten calls the note “defensive,” Brauer says “the letter patiently and respectfully makes it case, then offers to make the changes anyway.” He concludes that the paper has “occasionally provided supporting documentation for past Kersten columns, but it really needs to make that a habit when TIZA is involved.”

The Pulitzer Prize of YouTube: YouTube and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting are teaming up to award $10,000 to a videomaker covering under-reported stories of global importance. Begun Sept. 8, the contest will give its winner funds for travel, production aid from the Pulitzer Center, high-end equipment and distribution on YouTube.