While many of the DFL Senate Districts have had their November meetings, and discussed what happened and – more importantly – what didn’t, there are many more coming up. Big E posted a list of Ten Questions To Ask Your Elected Senate District Officials yesterday; I’m recommending committed progressives cut and paste and print the questions and bring them to your local upcoming meetings. And feel free to add questions of your own!
And I’d like to ask one more thing. In DFL Chair Melendez’s letter, posted at Bluestem Prairie yesterday, the Chair’s very first sentence is:
“I have been taking the time since Election Day as an opportunity for listening and learning.”
Here’s the thing: If your Senate District has already met, was Chair Melendez there? When you go to one of the upcoming meetings – below – does the Chair show up to listen?
Because if he’s not listening to the grassroots, just who exactly is he listening to? Hey, we know he’s not listening to the blogs; just before the election, at a presser, he told the capitol press corps he doesn’t read ‘em…
SD34 DFL Discussion Group
When
Wed, November 17, 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Where
Chanhassen Library, Wilder Room
SD34 DFL Central Committee Meeting
When
Wed, November 17, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Where
Chanhassen Library, Wilder Room
Pine County DFL meeting
When
Wed, November 17, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Where
Hinckley, MN
SD44: Central Committee Meeting
When
Wed, November 17, 7pm – 9pm
Where
SLP City Hall – 1st floor Community Room: 5005 Minnetonka Boulevard, St. Louis Park
SD45: Central Committee Meeting
When
Wed, November 17, 7pm – 9pm
Where
Crystal City Hall located at 4141 Douglas Ave N, Crystal, MN
SD60: DFL Central Committee Meeting
When
Wed, November 17, 7pm – 9pm
Where
Painter Park at 34th & Lyndale Ave S.
CD3 CC MEETING
When
Wed, November 17, 7pm – 9pm
Where
Minnetonka Community Center
Otter Tail County DFL Party Monthly Meeting
When
Thursday, Nov 18, 2010
Where
TBA
SD54 DFL Meeting
When
Thu, November 18, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Where
Basswood Room of Fire Station No. 1 near the Roseville City Hall campus – 2701 Lexington Ave, Roseville
SD38 DFL Central Committee Meeting
When
Thu, November 18, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Where
Eagan Community Center, Lone Oak Room
SD61: Central Committee Meeting
When
Thu, November 18, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Where
Hosmer Library 347 East 36th Street, Lower Level Meeting Room Minneapolis
Updated! SD56 Central Committee
When
Thu, November 18, 7pm – 9pm
Where
Woodbury Davanni’s — located at Valley Creek and Radio Drive Woodbury
Todd County DFL
When
Thu, November 18, 7pm – 9pm
Where
at Randy Brown’s Law Office, Highway 71 Long Prairie
SD 32 Committee Meeting
When
Thu, November 18, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Where
12800 Arbor Lakes Parkway, Maple Grove, MN 55369
Freeborn Co DFL Mtg
When
Thu, November 18, 7pm – 8pm
Where
7pm, Albert Lea Union Center
Maple Grove Links Forum
The Brooklyns DFL Community Forum
When
Mon, November 22, 6pm – 9pm
Where
Houlihan’s, 12725 Elm Creek Blvd N, Maple Grove, MN 55369 (map)
Description
THE MAPLE GROVE DFL LINKS Joint Meeting with the Brooklyns DFL Community 6 p.m. Dinner, 7 p.m. Program David Schultz – Author, Political Analyst, Hamline University Professor Review of the Election – What comes next?
DFL SD40 Central Committee Meeting
When
Mon, November 22, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Where
Oxboro Library – 8801 Portland Ave. South, Bloomington
SD 22 DFL Mtg
When
Tue, November 23, 7pm – 8pm
Where
7pm, Royal Loon in Slayton
Social Luncheon for MN DFL Senior Caucus
When
Wed, November 24, 12:30pm – 2:00pm
Where
Riverside Perkins Family Restaurant, I-94 & Riverside Ave, Minneapolis
Edina Democrats
When
Mon, November 29, 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Where
Party Room, Davanni’s Pizza and Hoagies 5124 Gus Young Lane, Edina, MN 55436 (map)
Description
EDINA DEMOCRATS 6:30 p.m. Visit with Fellow Democrats and Order Food, 7 p.m. Program David Schultz – Author, Political Analyst, Hamline University Professor Review of the Election – What comes next?
Lake Country Progressives
Tonka Progressives
When
Tue, November 30, 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Where
Ridgedale Byerly’s Community Room, 13081 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55305 (map)
Description
The Lake Country Progressives Joint Meeting with the Tonka Progressives Ridgedale Byerly’s Community Room 13081 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55305 Tuesday, November 30, Social Hour 6:30 p.m. Program 7 p.m. Eric Black – Writer for MinnPost
SD47 Central Committee Meeting
When
Wed, December 1, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Where
Sammy’s Pizza, 9750 Schreiber Terrace, Champlin, MN
Crow Wing County DFL monthly meeting
When
Thu, December 2, 6pm – 7pm
Where
Brainerd Library
(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
I’ve now sat through three “what went right, what went wrong, and what needs to be fixed” sessions in the field. All of them occurred over 1 week removed from Election Night. The first was a baker’s dozen in a coffee shop called by activists and atttended by a winning State Rep, a SD Chair, and the campaign manager of a losing candidate; the second a well-attended and official SD Central Committee Meeting , and last night the Drinking Liberally Hopkins Chapter – with over 30 participants including 3 unsuccessful candidates. Notes were taken at all. An informal survey was taken last night. The title of this post, “Tone Deaf” is from an actual statement at one of the three (and no, it wasn’t mine); it read: ” Tone deaf from caucus messaging on candidates.”
And “tone deaf” could just as easily been placed at the foot of Plato too; there were lots of comments about poor mailers sent out from Plato that didn’t message the reality of the local races.
All three gatherings of the faithful primarily focused on the “what went wrong” aspect; there simply wasn’t enough time to get through the “what went right” and no time for the “what changes are needed.”
Clearly, though – far from being “defeatist”, these activists are bound and determined to take the fight to the GOP – but after making changes in the DFL that are necessary to win in 2012. While comments ran the gamut from SNAFU’s in the Coordinated Campaign and recognizing the good things the CC also accomplished to the need for “testicular fortitude” in our leaders – starting with President Obama and working down. Suffice it to say that Harry Reid is not well-loved by the grassroots. Still, the majority of comments fall in the “messaging” category. One unsucessful candidate shared that Plato gave the advice to ignore Twitter and Facebook; I’d venture to guess that wasn’t the only candidate given such sage advice.
It’s important for activists to let the local leadership know what they are seeing, thinking, and feeling. While many SD’s have already held Central Committee meetings since the Debacle On The Duece, many have not – check the DFL Event Calendar to see if there is still time to attend your SD Central Committee Meeting. If there is, go – if not, send an email or make a call; your elected DFL Local Officials need your input as they get ready for the State DFL Central Committee Meeting on December 11th.
(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)
The following was filmed on November 3d, 2010 – the afternoon after the 2010 Mid-Term Elections for the “Democratic Visions” cable access TV program – produced by the Senate District 42 DFL.
Democratic Visions ON CABLE
Comcast Channel 15 – Hopkins, Minnetonka, Edina, Richfield and Eden Prairie Sundays at 9 p.m. and Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m.
Bloomington Cable Channel 16 – on Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m., Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m.
MTN Channel 17- Minneapolis Sundays at 7 p.m. When MTN’s webmaster gets around to it, repeats will be posted in “TV Guide” at http://www.mtn.org/.
Democratic Visions has become Minnesota’s best and most supportive broadcast/video venue for Progressives and Democrats. The program is produced by Minnetonka, Eden Prairie and Edina volunteers for DFL Senate District 42.
(segment cross posted from MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
In 2003, Al Franken wrote LIES And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them.
In my copy, in the chapter titled “Who Created the Tone?” Al wrote:
“(T)urning the public arena into a wasteland of personal destruction takes an entire army of like-minded ideologues hell-bent on shredding the already tattered standards of decency that once permitted a reasonable discourse on matters of import.
The left, sadly, has no such army. Our attack dogs are a scrawny, underfed pack of mutts that spend half the time chasing their own tails and sniffing each other’s butt. The right, by contrast, appears to have a well-oiled puppy mill for pit bulls, bred to kill and trained to go for the jugular. Or the balls.” (from LIES And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them)
Al wrote that in 2003. Who can tell me what – if anything – has changed in the last 7 years?
(cross posted from Mn Progressive Project; comments welcome there)
… are being made over and Over and OVER.
Yesterday, The Big E wrote an Open letter to the DFL State Central Committee.
In the comments, one particularly caught my eye:
We lost. It was a wave year. No one is as good as they look when they ride a wave, and no one is as bad as they look on the low end of a wave. Let’s settle down and analyze what worked and what didn’t after emotions have passed.
While it was a wave year nationally, it didn’t have to be a wave year here.
And I agree that we need to settle down and analyze what worked and what didn’t – as a veteran, I’m going to take a minute of your time, Gentle Readers, and explain why.
In the military, back in the day when I was in, after each and every mission, immediately afterwards was a non-personal, cold, detached and hard look at what went right, what went wrong, and what needs to be changed so what went wrong doesn’t happen again. Iit was called an “After Action Report” (AAR) – and it was mandatory. It still is.
This report was mandatory, because people’s lives were at stake – the soldiers, and surrounding civilians.
This is what should have been happening over on Plato Blvd – but hasn’t. Things have not changed; the national wave wasn’t avoided.
It should have been happening because people’s lives are at stake – the homeless, the poor, the middle class and their jobs and their homes and the education of their children, our elderly….need I go on?
People’s lives are at stake.
And if we don’t take a cold hard look at what went right, what went wrong, and fix what needs to be fixed those lives are still at stake.
What I see happening with regards to Plato is not – NOT – a “circular firing squad” — I see a “circling the wagons” by people that have refused to recognize mistakes and making the necessary corrective actions.
Because the problems that haven’t been fixed have been talked about, over and Over and OVER.
One lesson of insanity is doing the same thing over and Over and OVER and expecting different results.
People can be part of the problem and ignore what went wrong and blame “tidal waves” and “tsunamis” and whatever else they want to call the avoidance of accountability.
I’m not into that; I’m into a non-personal, cold, detached and hard look at what went right, what went wrong, and what needs to be changed so what went wrong doesn’t happen again.
(Cross posted from Mn Progressive Project; comments welcome there)
We lost the messaging war. Thom Hartmann nails part/most of it: “The rightwing media won the elections”.
Thom Hartmann, of course, is talking about the messaging war. And we lost a big battle in that messaging war – BIG TIME – here in Minnesota; a battle we actually could have competed in.
Which battle is that, you ask? Check out the picture below, taken at the State GOP Convention last spring:
“Anyone know what this is? Class? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone seen this before?”
(cross posted from Mn Progressive Project; comments welcome there)
Some GOPers have been claiming that Chambers of Commerce are non-partisan because they endorse candidates from both parties.
Yeah, “right.”
Let’s see if you, the Gentle Reader, can identify the Democrats endorsed in the following lists: endorsements from the Eden Prairie Chamber Of Commerce, the TwinWest Chamber, and the State Chamber.
Good luck!
Happy hunting!!!
(extra points if you can find the Democrats endorsed that AREN’T incumbents)
Eden Prairie Chamber Of Commerce endorsements:
Donna Azarian – City Council
David Hann – State Senate
Jenifer Loon – State Rep
Kathy Nelson – City Council
Kirk Stensruud – State RepTwinWest Chamber Of Commerce endorsements:
State House
33A – Steve Smith
32B – Kurt Zellers
33B – Connie Doepke
42A – Kirk Stensrud
43A – Sarah AndersonState Senate
32 – Warren Limmer
33 – Gen Olson
42 – David Hann
43 – Terri Bonoff
45 – Ann Rest
46 – Linda ScheidCongress
Erik PaulsenMinnesota Chamber Of Commerce endorsements:
Governor – Tom Emmer
Attorney General – Chris Barden
Minnesota House
4A Mr. Richard Lehmann
8B Mr. Roger Crawford
10A Representative Bud Nornes
10B Representative Mark Murdock
11A. Representative Torrey Westrom
11B Ms. Mary Franson
13A Representative Paul Anderson
14A Mr. Tim O’Driscoll
14B Mr. Tom Ellenbecker
15A Representative Steve Gottwalt
15B Mr. King Banaian
16A Ms. Sondra Erickson
16B Representative Mary Kiffmeyer
17A Mr. Kurt Daudt
17B Mr. Bob Barrett
18A Representative Ron Shimanski
18B Representative Dean Urdahl
19A Representative Bruce Anderson
19B Mr. Joe McDonald
21A Mr. Chirstopher Swedzinski
21B Representative Paul Torkelson
22A Mr. Joe Schomacker
22B Representative Rod Hamilton
24A Representative Bob Gunther
25B Mr. Kelby Woodard
26B Mr. Daniel Kaiser
28A Representative Tim Kelly
28B Representative Steve Drazkowski|
29A Mr. Duane Quam
30A Mr. Charlie O’Connell
32B Representative Kurt Zellers
33A Representative Steve Smith
33B Representative Connie Doepke
34B Representative Joe Hoppe
35A Representative Mike Beard
35B Representative Mark Buesgens
36B Representative Pat Garofalo
37A Representative Tara Mack
37B Mr. Kurt Bills
38A Ms. Diane Anderson
38B Mr. Doug Wardlow
40A Ms. Pam Myhra
41B Mr. Pat Mazerol
42A Mr. Kirk Stensrud
42B Representative Jenifer Loon
43A Representative Sarah Anderson
48A Representative Tom Hackbarth
49A Representative Peggy Scott
50B Mr. Russell Bertsch
51A Representative Tim Sanders
52A Representative Bob Dettmer
52B Representative Matt Dean
53A Ms. Linda Runbeck
53B Representative Carol McFarlane
56A Representative Julie Bunn
56B Ms. Andrea Kieffer
57A Mr. John Kriesel
57B Representative Denny McNamaraMinnesota Senate
4 Mr. John Carlson
12 Mr. Paul Gazelka
14 Senator Michelle Fischbach
15 Mr. John Pederson
17 Mr. Sean Nienow
18 Mr. Scott Newman
19 Senator Amy Koch
21 Mr. Gary Dahms
22 Representative Doug Magnus
24 Senator Julie Rosen
25 Mr. Al DeKruif
26 Senator Mike Parry
28 Mr. John Howe
29 Senator David Senjem
30 Ms. Carla Nelson
31 Mr. Jeremy Miller
34 Senator Julianne Ortman
35 Senator Claire Robling
36 Mr. Dave Thompson
37 Senator Chris Gerlach
38 Mr. Ted Daley
39 Senator Jim Metzen
41 Senator Geoff Michel
42 Senator David Hann
43 Senator Terri Bonoff
45 Senator Ann Rest
47 Mr. Benjamin Kruse
48 Senator Mike Jungbauer
52 Senator Ray Vandeveer
53 Mr. Roger Chamberlain
56 Mr. Ted Lillie
56 Senator Kathy Saltzman
(crossposted from MnProgressiveProject.com; comments – and answers! – welcome there)
Here’s the story of a district
That once was pretty solid red.
Then along came a guy named Brodkorb
So let’s see where his politics have led….
In the 2000 election, winners were GOPer State Rep Tim Wilkin in 38-A by 9 points, GOPer State RepTim Pawlenty in 38-B by a whopping 32 points, and DFL State Senator Deanna Weiner by a mere 529 votes – or, .31%. In 2002, with T-Bag taking off for the corner office at the Capital, GOPer State Rep Tim Wilkin increased his margin and won by 16, T-Bag replacement GOPer Lynn Wardlow won by 16 in 38-B, and GOPer Mike McGinn knocked off the incumbent DFLer – giving the GOP all three seats in Senate District 38.
Since then, Brodkorb – a/k/a “MudSlingerMike” – started a smear machine “blog” and “served” in a variety of positions in the State GOP (rising to his current position as State GOP Deputy Chair) – including a stunt “stint” as Chair of the local SD-38 GOP. The results o’ MudSlingerMike’s hard work, locally in 38?
The incumbents for next Tuesday’s elections are:
DFL State Senator Jim Carlson
DFL State Rep Sandra Masin in 38-A
DFL State Rep Mike Obermueller in 38-B
Brodkorb, you’re doin’ a heckuva job in your own back yard!!!
Well, this year, certain GOPers are hoping money will make a few things different.
Yesterday, I got a tip:
It seems that the Racino people are dropping money bombs on Senator Jim Carlson. In the October 15th edition of the local “Eagan This Week” newspaper, there was an ad ripping State Senator Carlson for his opposition to former GOPer State Senator Dick Day’s current meal-ticket, the proposed Racino at Canterbury Park. The tip also noted that although the ad was in the October 15th paper, the “new” Racino group (the “Vote Racino Now Committee” dropping the moneybombs (they also ran 2 ads on the 22nd) didn’t file their Campaign Finance Board unitl October 20th.
Hmm… buy ads on the 15th; don’t file until the 20th? Well, fact-checking this tip turns up that it’s probably legal; the Campaign Finance Board tells me that a “Committee” has 14 days to file after incurring a debt or spending money. And the Treasurer of that new Committee, Attorney Chris Johnson, assured me future Campaign Board filings would confirm that. We’ll see….
Anyway, who has tossed dough at that Committee that has tossed moneybombs at State Senator Carlson’s way? Let’s look!!!
Canterbury Park dropping $18,000 into a newly formed Committee that’s dropping anti-Senator Carlson ads into the local newspaper days before an election…..
That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is political payback in the land of Brodkorb.
And under the Citizens United ruling, it seems that’s the way GOPers will play.
Earlier, I pointed out that despite the antics and politics of Michael Brodkorb, the voters that know him best – the voters in Senate District 38 – turned a solid GOP District into a solid DFL District.
Let’s hope those voters are still paying attention, and reject the moneybombs tossed at Senator Jim Carlson by returning him – along with Sandy Masin and Mike Obermueller, too – to St. Paul.
(Cross posted from MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
