Truth Surfer

- Good news! er, sorta... violent crimes like rape and robbery are down in Minneapolis...but not so much murder! And the media is all over this one ...sigh..'oh look a bright shiny violent crime down'...let's not talk about murder! - Odd even for Minnesotans ....Who would have thought we'd live to see the words Michelle Bachmann and Intelligence in the same sentence let alone on a House committee. Another sign that the Apocalypse is nearing for Minnesotans. So we seat batshit crazy Bachmann who still can't intellectually understand the cost savings of compact fluorescent light bulbs over conventional bulbs just to prove to the world we still have a sense of humor?...I guess we should be thankful we're off of cooper candle lanterns. - Move along nothing to see . Remember the non stop coverage of possible voter fraud in Crow County, Minnesota ? Well here' s the non-coverage of it's outcome! Another urban voter fraud legend screamed all over the bl...

Usually I don't listen to radio during my morning commute but my disc player wasn't working so I had a new experience...I'd liken it to smelling the aroma a skunk leaves for the first time...unique not very pleasant, downright foul and somewhat painful. Yes, it was just that bad. What I'm talking about is listening for about ten minutes on the ride into work to KQRS in the morning...After ten minutes I would have bet my last dollar the KKK runs the morning show or at least a closely veiled group with similar views, but surprise, it's owned by Walt Disney Corporation. The radio announcers commented on the latest census data showing Minnesota has a large and growing Somali population (true) but then went on to peppered comments like "it's because Minnesota offers the best welfare" but if that was true why is Minnesota ranked 17th ? And assorted other comments regarding the typical jackboot comments against minorities like...a lack of work ethics, being M...

Seems like I live on a diet of politics...maybe I need to adjust this for my New Year resolution, but during this holiday season there seems to be more than enough baked goods to go around. Apéritif The dynamic duo of DFLers Ken Martin and Marge Hoffa are running for Chair/Associate Chair of the DFL. Will they pull it? Possibly. I actually haven't heard of anyone else running against them, and certainly many of the bread and butter DFLers are lined up behind them given their extensive time and experience in the party. Do I support them? Possibly. Think I'll wait and see if anyone else throws their champagne glass down...I was really hoping Howard Dean would move here but I guess I need to put that fantasy away. Entree Minnesotan Norm Coleman would like a turn at the RNC buffet, but was politely waiting for Michael Steele to finish up and step away...unfortunately... Steele surprised most by announcing he's seeking a second term as Chair of the RNC...apparently, the fried c...

Hmm...I see that several local blogs are turning the 'great eye sauron' on to Brian Melendez and his future (or not) as the DFL Chair. Overall Brian has performed well during his tenure. He took the DFL from a basically 'oshucks non-communication folksy good boy operation' and moved it up into this century. Under his tutelage the DFL is more open and wired (website and calendar with lower DFL units linkage). He installed a communication department and continues maintaining the bones of the DFL through fundraising and making tweets and changes that have organized and improved operations. Simply stated, Brian Melendez was the right person to lead...at that time. Are there complaints, sure... things can always be improved, but given where the DFL was when Brian started, he's made a real impact during his time in office... The question everyone is asking, Is he the right person now? I've heard (as has others) that Brian won't run again which eliminates the need ...

I hear Obama called me...' sanctimonious '...je? Well, I've had enough, call the attorneys, where's that taxi, I'm going to my mothers....wait, you want me to compromise again?...no, I can't do it, no more chances, I'm through, I'm leaving now...where's my jacket? I have a firm policy of not dealing with hostage takers and a long memory to go along with the history of what happens when you do...so make your unreasonable, unjustifiable, unbelieveably bad deal Mr. Obama, but don't look for me to stand by your side...the honeymoon is over... "With the pain in my chest, I still wish you the best, but forget you"...

It's official, the Honorable Mark Dayton is Minnesota's new Governor by roughly 9000 votes. Mark will assume office January 3, with the Legislature to convene the next day. Dayton will be also be facing a GOP Legislature and a $6.2 billion Minnesota State budget deficit. Dayton's win also means Democrats will have a seat at the table when it comes to redrawing the state's congressional and legislative districts. Mark Dayton really cares about families, communities and doing good. I am a bit surprise that Mark's opponent, Tom Emmer. decided not to pursue a frivolous losing election battle. I underestimated his ability to do the expedient and correct thing for Minnesotans. So a Republican majority in both the Minnesota House and Senate, a new elected MN DFL Governor, 18 disconnected GOPers , a 6.2 billion dollar deficit and redistricting...Should be an interesting time...stay tuned and make a toast tonight to our newly elected MN Governor Mark Dayton!

What good is government when it can't provide for those in need without paying a tariff to the wealthy? Wasn't that one of the reasons our country was founded?...to avoid this kind of crap! "So this notion that somehow we are willing to compromise too much reminds me of the debate that we had during health care. This is the public option debate all over again… People will have the satisfaction of having a purist position and no victories for the American people. " President Obama, This isn't about compromise or purist positions or even victories. Maintaining the status quo of the last 8 years is not providing for the under employed, and it sure as hell isn't resolving any of our problems...Where's the job creation, the training or the economic stimulus? All I see is more of the same...and the massive 'piling on' of debt to enrich the few. Two years from now, under your 'compromise', the rich will have more, while the majority of Americans ...

An urgent special message from Minnesota Rep. John Kline (R-02) Dear Friends- As you probably should know by now, I am deeply concerned that "the Washington culture of taxing, borrowing and spending is doing nothing to stem the tide of lost jobs and economic uncertainty." But I am convinced that if we continue tax breaks for our millionaire and billionaire Americans, this culture can be broken. Sure, Minnesota is in a mess, which is why you put your faith in me this past election. You realize, that after my years in Washington, if there is one thing your old buddy John Kline knows, it's how to recognize a mess when I make see one. Now I know what you're thinking, I've been in office for a decade and still the deficit keeps getting bigger, the gap between the middle class and the wealthy looms larger than ever and after four my terms in office, things aren't improving, they are getting much worse, but this time in office much like the last four I really ...

In Shakespeare's play 'In Much Ado About Nothing', there are many examples of deception and self-deception. The games and tricks played on people often have the best intentions—to make people fall in love, to help someone get what they want, or to make someone realise their mistake. In our case, the GOP's take on the recount is an example of this deception and self delusion but for not the best of intentions... The Fact : If every single Emmer challenge (both deemed legitimate and frivolous) were accepted, Dayton would still lead by over 5,000 votes. Instead of accepting the lost, Tom Emmer and the GOP will drag this out costing (gasp!) government workers time and (gasp again!) at tax payer expense. Yeah I know, they ran on shrinking government, getting government out of our business, not filing frivolous lawsuits, or spending taxpayers money for stupid things but...yeah...well ya know. with .0008 percent MN voter fraud in 2008, this is important to every man, women a...

The party of small government and no taxes in Minnesota are preparing to grow the role of government and do so at taxpayer expense...yes once again, those GOP candidates that got elected by promising to stop out-of-control government spending is working behind the scenes do do just that... MN Voters Alliance has put out an email saying they are working closely with board member and former Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer to introduce a bill mandating a statewide photo ID as a first priority. "...If Governor Pawlenty is still in office in January, he would undoubtedly sign it. If Dayton wins and is seated sooner rather than later, we are already preparing a campaign to urge him to sign the bill, including our PHOTO ID petition in St. Paul which we have nearly 3,000 signatures." The question to ask is: Will our newly elected GOP allow an outer space, right wing, moon bat group that alleges widespread voter fraud but can't prove it because they pull them out of their paran...

Thankfully, I'll be taking the next few days off to eat turkey and sit mindlessly in front of the big screen TV if not actually sleeping..my life is great and I've got at least 8770 reasons to say so! I can't blame the turkey for causing the drowsiness associated with eating a large Thanksgiving meal. Studies show it's the large, carbohydrate rich meal rather than just the turkey that releases tryptophans in the brain causing drowsiness after eating... About that turkey...I got a fresh, locally grown, organic turkey...did you know Minnesota raises more turkeys than any other state?...An estimated 45 million turkeys will be eaten tomorrow (or 675 million pounds of turkey!) and most of them came from Minnesota. Starting with Harry Truman in 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented the U.S. President with a live turkey in celebration of Thanksgiving. Each year, the live turkey is “pardoned” by the president and most recently has been flown to Disney world to serv...

Tom Emmer's Recount Petition... denied by Minnesota Supreme Court. Recount on... Alisha and Pete Arnold (BirthOrNot.com...aka right-wing internet troll Zeeboid. )...F ake . But even that misses the point that Pro-Choice is just that...having a choice about your own reproduction and not having a poll or ? decide for you. Governor Tim Pawlenty fails even when judged by the 'google idiot index' . Number of Google-Indexed Web Pages featuring the phrase “[GOP Contender Name] is an Idiot” Although I would have bet my last dollar Pawlenty was called an idiot more often than not...hmmm..who knew! Sarah Palin is the queen of idiots and Ron Paul their king...no surprise there: Haley Barbour: 23,700 Jim DeMint: 11,600 Newt Gingrich: 13,300 Mike Huckabee: 7,230 Sarah Palin: 60,500 Ron Paul: 70,500 Tim Pawlenty: 9 Mitt Romney: 8,300

Tip O'Neill—a longtime Speaker of the House in the U.S. Congress—once declared, " All politics is local. " He was explaining how the problems and concerns of towns and cities around the country affect the actions of their representatives and senators in Washington, D.C. If that still holds true, then look for Minnesota's City of Eagan to play a major role in the upcoming legislative session not because of who they elected, but because of several major announcements this week of... Thomson Reuter cutting 60 jobs this month in addition to the 130 workers from Eagan and Rochester, NY to accept buyouts announced in September (they eliminated 120 last December). Lockheed Martin is closing its sprawling Eagan facility by 2013. That will cost over 1,000 jobs. Both companies say they are restructuring..blab, blab, budget, blab, blab, competitive edge...but the message boards say they are both transferring work overseas and out-sourcing many tasks once performed within the...

A Gallup Poll released earlier this week showed support for Republican presidential hopefuls. In it, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is tied for sixth with 4 percent. That's an improvement from June when he was tied at 2% with 'none of the above'! Currently the four clear front-runners are : Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee and Newt Gingrich. Each has 80% name recognition among Republicans, and they are about 10 points ahead of any other candidates in trial heats and polling that have tested various combinations of the candidates against one another. In general terms, Pawlenty lacks a strong national profile but could emerge as competitive candidate if he can gather support away from the front runner Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney who is at 19 %. Currently Tim Pawlenty is seen as being fourth in terms of the political futures market InTrade , the current “power ranking” according to the National Journal’s Hot Line which uses the average standing in five recent polls o...

Governor Pawlenty had an emergency lunch on Friday...How do I know? Well his car was parked in the 'Do Not Park' zone for 'handicap' parking - van access- all during his lunch at Kyoto's in Eagan. There was 'pawlenty of open parking' but apparently, the governor likes to keep his driver close...I'm guess in case of emergencies...although two spaces down was an open 'legal' parking space. hmmm... Wonder is that's just another government office perk? Timmy sat with another suit, at a window table. I didn't see who picked up the tab for the 'business lunch' that spanned over an hour. Must be nice being king. Note to Pawlenty: The Minnesota's Driver's Manual can be downloaded online and at no charge. To obstruct handicap parking spaces is to break the law. In Minnesota to be eligible for handicap parking you must meet one of the following eligibility (note that governor is not considered a handicap): To be eligible for a disa...

It's the post election season in Minnesota. Ah, smell the recount in the air! Given the current lead of Democratic candidate Mark Dayton, a Minnesota Democratic Governorship is a done deal...but hold up...there's more at stake than the actual position. Look for more GOP foot dragging, delaying, and pretending to want 'every vote to count' . This isn't about winning anymore but more about using the situation to further GOP ideology and push through legislation. While the recount continues, Tim Pawlenty keeps his role as Minnesota's Governor. With a Republican MN house and senate, partisan GOP legislation can easily pass without the worry of a Democratic Governor Mark Dayton veto. With it virtually statistically impossible for Emmer to win with the current vote gap, the recount and any challenge to it is more about furthering a GOP agenda by passing partisan legislation. Incoming state House Speaker-designate Kurt Zellers (R) issued a statement on Monday saying th...

All Aboard! If u don't eat ur meat u kant have the figgy pudding if you don't...er...It's simple, build the high speed trains or give back the money...Apparently Wisconsin wants to keep their federal high speed train money not to have trains but to repair roads...the feds say no, can't be done.... "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which allocated an initial $8 billion for a high-speed rail program, doesn't allow the money to be spend for other purposes, said Ross Capon, executive director of the National Association of Railroad Passengers." As Minnesota has a joint study with Wisconsin on plans for a fast train that would connect the Twin Cities with Madison, this could be an issue. For now Minnesota officials are going ahead with their plans but may run out of steam and chug to a stop shortly! Getting Off Track The race for the chairmanship of House Republican conference–a match between Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and Rep. Jeb Hensarling of...

Minnesota's biggest loser Tom Emmer said at his news conference today... 'it taint over till the fat voter sings'...er or something like that....sigh, remember when news conferences actually had news facts instead of innuendo , lies, and misinformation . In the Franken/Coleman recount, after going over each ballot by hand and through 3 courts, the fraudulent votes came to .00006 percent! BTW Jay Weiner has a nice reply to Michael Thielen's post regarding it's inaccurate information on the Minnesota recount...what is it with outsiders wanting to paint a total public, legal, and transparent recount system in Minnesota as a conspiracy when 'their' horse in the race comes up lame? In addition, if you work with numbers, while not entirely impossible, Emmer would have a better chance buying a lotto ticket for his next big windfall than waiting for 40 times more changed votes than the 2008 recount. Even Coleman's attorney says the fat voter sang for Dayton! My...

Sorry for not blogging this last week...I was in a deep sleep and having the worse nightmare ever where the Democrats got routed by teabaggers...er...nevermind... So we lost the MN House and Senate...not good. Dayton, when he's confirmed a year or so from now, will be are only line of defense (probably not how he envisioned doing his job!)... Unfortunately Governor Timmy and et al GOP will have passed a hell of a lot of hurt by then including...look for no money for true sex education, only the fake abstinence scam, no money for anyone poor, but more tax cuts for wealthy, and some kind of marriage bill stating the usual swill of one man and one women (it's worked so well so far)...sigh...Maybe I should go back to bed as it looks to be a long two years... I see on the national scene, women got handed their walking papers ...we actually lost representation...sigh It's ugly...and I need a few more days to try and cope with this reality: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs...

To use the word 'Integrity' and 'Minnesota Majority' in the same sentence is something of a paradox. This group might find a few voter issues but to characterize it as being widespread or pervasive in Minnesota is a joke. It's like using a stick of dynamite to blow up one pesty house fly.. This very small problem (estimates are less than half a percent statewide!) has creased to be voter fraud but instead is now their over the top thuggery reaction. To use their own emailed words ... "This is just another example of " government [teabagger wingbat ahole brown shirts Minnesota Majority] gone wild" with exercising authority not granted to it by our laws or the Constitution". Don't confuse their over reactions with CIVIL disobedience! Their interfering intimidation, and gestapo like tactics with the American elections process is meant to cause voter suppression which harms us all.

I've blogged recently about how zombies apparently ate the brains of the Pioneer Press editorial staff - but I might have been a wee bit too hasty in my rush to judgement. Instead, it appears the Pioneer Press editorial staff brains were in fact given to the Star Tribune editorial Staff...at least in so far as the Star's endorsement of Rep. Mike Obermueller in 38B: "Like his father, the 32-year-old Wardlow is bright and personable. He also is among the most doctrinaire conservative candidates we met this year. The more moderate 37-year-old Obermueller gets our nod. Obermueller, a farm-raised, Iowa-educated commercial litigator, isn't a show horse at the Capitol. But he works hard. He made his specialty the important but obscure House Bioscience and Workforce Development Committee, which strives to assure bioscience entrepreneurs that Minnesota can supply the educated workforce they'll need to thrive. A fiscal moderate, Obermueller is in no hurry to raise taxes. Bu...

Remember the good ole days when Mom sent you off to face the bullies at school , but you had to find your own weapons? "This emergency is one of our own creation; we can respond," Sen. Scott Dibble said today. "We can change this. We can take those affirmative steps so that every kid who goes to school knows that they are valued, that they'll be safe, that they're loved, that they're going to get an equal shot at a good start in life." We've all been through it, but that doesn't make it right...School need to look at their culture to make sure any bullying is appropriately address including gender based bashing. Here's a couple of articles regarding the legislation in Minnesota regarding bullying... MPR , The Minnesota Independent Did I mention I had to walk ten miles, in the snow, no shoes, at night, with a broken leg, carrying my own books to school...no? Funny how time tends to shade the past...whatever, wish I had the kid to walk with...g...

If Virginia Calls, hang up Creepy doesn’t begin to cover how I feel about Justice Clarence Thomas. "He was always actively watching the women he worked with to see if they could be potential partners," McEwen said matter-of-factly. "It was a hobby of his." Which goes a ways to explaining his wife Virginia Thomas’ total break with reality in demanding one of his victims apology... Why the Pope Hates Gays and Women Inbreeding...It’s a story choked filled with ‘back room’ doings, intrigue, sabotage, condemnation, and much evil. From this story emerged two Americans that now go on to be named the newest cardinals. Seems like the road to a ‘red hat’ includes both ‘gay bashing’ and ‘women hating’…sigh, and this group will be ‘giving birth’ to a new pope. G*d save us all. Amen. What Name is Your Reservation Under Sir? MN GOP Gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer was left with what many of us face on a Friday night, no reservation due to lack of planning…Just as well, I don...

Is it just me, or does it seem like Halloween came early..with the Minnesota Tag Team Endorsement from Hell.... First Mike Ciresi , then Jessee 'the body' Ventura ...wow just two more reasons not to support Horner! We've seen MN Gubernatorial candidate Tom Horner peak...it's all down hil l for Horner from here. Although to be honest, it wasn't much of a hill. I'm just waiting now for the 'nail in the coffin' endorsement from Ole Savior. Well, He's right only I'm not 300 #s, a guy and don't have a beard...but close enough... Let's eat the pizza with grandma...er..I guess I'm the grandma...sorry kids and grandkids. Have a great weekend...

Say What? The Minnesota Pioneer Press endorsed Doug Wardlow for having a 'slight advantage' over the outstanding DFL candidate Rep. Mike Obermueller (MN-38B)? Say it isn't true! ...Folks this was a no brainer... Mike Obermueller has both the experiences and personality that makes him not a good Minnesota Representative, but a GREAT Representative for the local district. The reason the PP stated giving the endorsement to the far right Wardlow was....wait for it...."international trade issues in Washington"....Hmm, so if you want to be a MINNESOTA Rep, all you need is 'international trade' experience? That's quite the reach compared with Mike's stellar record actually doing the job the last two years , his ability to compromise and reach across both party and ideology lines, his work integrity, and he's lived in the district instead of recently 'coming home' like Wardlow Jr....yep...'international trade' experience slight edge my...

In Minnesota at the state level there is the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, and Attorney General. Although elected, each needs to work in a non-partisan ways toward improving Minnesota for all the citizens. The DFL elected officials and candidates within this group are each outstanding with proven track records of accomplishments and working in the best interests of Minnesotans. We have DFL candidate for MN Governor Mark Dayton and running mate Yvonne Prettner  (DFL Lieutenant Governor candidate) campaigning for a better Minnesota! As Mark says, we can, and we must do better! Then 'we are blessed with fair elections and great officials' like Secretary of State Mark Ritchie . An outstanding hard worker and manager, he has improved the use of voter technology.. Ritchie oversaw the epic Coleman/Franken U.S. Senate recount, a role that the MN Supreme Court verified 'was done correctly'. We also have MN State Auditor ...

The Chamber of Commerce Horrors First, the Chamber of Commerce lies about membership numbers , then they hurt local jobs  by advocating outsourcing, and finally they support political agendas and campaigns with anonymous donations including foreign dollars  mostly for the GOP (or party of no business regulations) and attack Democrats ...  "The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which does not have to disclose its corporate donors , plans to spend $75 million on political advertising in this election, nearly all of it on behalf of Republican candidates. That's twice what it spent two years ago." In Minnesota, the CoC is using/funding the front group, Coalition of Minnesota Businesses (CMB) PAC, for the worse kind of personal attacks against local Democrats like Rep. David Bly in SD25B, with their negative and misleading ads. Less than a third of organizations spending money on the fall elections thus far are disclosing their sources of funds, thereby...

Pants on Fire I find it so funny sad that Republicant John Kline (R-MN-02) who voted against the Employee Free Choice Act and is sooooooooooo out spoken and intent on breaking unions....accepts union endorsements . What's up with that? Well let's hope nobody notices them smooching in the closet! To the Highest Bidder MN Rep. Michele Bachmann , much like  Rep. John Kline , won't show up at debates but will travel the world for any wingbat tea party gathering ...Guess 'Silence is Golden' given their campaign war chests  are full of out of state PAC money. Maybe to get them to show, their Democratic challengers and local voters can counter-offered with money? Nothing else seems to motivate them but greenbacks. Now Who isn't the American? Whoo...you mean Obama is related to Palin (or is it Palin related to Obama)? Maybe we should be asking for Palin's birth certificate? Yipes, that would make for one really awkward Thanksgiving fa...

Most folks aren't against motherhood, apple pie, American anything including baseball, or puppy dogs. Just like most folks (myself included) don't use the term 'quisling' or start a commercial by saying we're not a witch...Word up...if you do either of these things, you've already lost! I didn't even know what a quisling was until I looked it up!   So I found it to be profound that it just slipped out during from the MN GOP Chair, Tony Sutton, while describing former Republicans that endorse the Independent Republican Tom Horner as traitors (quislings) that were going to hell...oops.. not just hell, but a 'special place in hell'. Wow... Some advice to Tony, Klingon is probably a much better obscure language choice. "Quisling-noun: a person who betrays his or her own country by aiding an invading enemy, often serving later in a puppet government; fifth columnist. Origin: 1940; after Vidkun Quisling (1887-1945), pro-Nazi Norwegian leader....

Obama-MN-izeme! Yes, TruthSurfer called it first... that Obama would be in MN  stumping for Mark Dayton...and I still want that Obama guy we elected in 2008 to be the one that shows up. From the DFL State Website: "Please join Mark Dayton and the DFL Party in welcoming the President back to Minnesota for an early kick off of our get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts. We don’t have all the details yet, but you can click here to sign up to attend the event and get the details for the President’s visit as we get them." Down Low On Wardlow (R-MN-38B) While Doug Wardlow is running for a government office, he apparently wants to keep his options open regarding which parts of the American Constitution he'll support...nice, very teabagger to support only those founding principles you agree with and to compare the U.S. Supreme Court to 'like-minded foreigners'! Per Doug Warlow: "Because I do not believe that the meaning of the Eighth Amendment , any more than the ...