Bluestem Prairie: news about Tim Walz (MN-1)

Big River: one Davis down in Mississippi's First

Will Bardwell, live blogging in Mississippi's own Fighting First, has called the special election on behalf of Democratic candidate Travis Childers, over Republican Greg Davis.

The Associated Press follows suit with Miss. Democrat wins House seat in GOP stronghold:

Democrat Travis Childers wins a U.S. House seat in Mississippi's deeply Republican 1st Congressional District.

Childers defeated Republican Greg Davis in a special election to fill the final few months of a two-year term in Congress. The seat was vacated when Roger Wicker was appointed to the U.S. Senate after Trent Lott resigned.

The win allows Democrats to add to their 235-199 majority in Congress — if only for a few months until November's general elections.

Childers, Davis and two other candidates face off again in November's general election.

Childers' election marks the third special election this year in which a Democrat has taken a Republican seat.  THis loss should cause panic in MN-01's Republicans.

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza notes in Democrat Wins Mississippi Special Election:

House Democrats won a conservative northern Mississippi House seat in a special election tonight, a victory certain to send shock waves through the ranks of congressional GOPers.

The Associated Press called the race for Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers (D), shortly after 10 p.m. eastern time. With 81 percent of precincts reporting, Childers held a 51 to 49 percent edge over Southhaven Mayor Greg Davis (R).

The victory marked the third time this election cycle that Democrats have won a Republican-held seat in a special election and seemed to suggest that the national political atmosphere could significantly broaden the House playing field in the fall.

Mississippi's 1st district had long been a conservative stronghold. President George W. Bush won it with 59 percent of the vote in 2000 and 62 percent in 2004. Roger Wicker (R), whose appointment to the Senate seat vacated by Trent Lott (R) created the vacancy in the House, had held the district easily since 1994 -- never winning reelection with less than 63 percent of the vote.

But, the confluence of a treacherous national politicial environment for Republicans, a divisive GOP primary and the emergence of Childers, a social conservative from the more rural reaches of the districts, as the Democratic candidate combined to make the race an unlikely pickup opportunity.

The fallout from this trio of losses is sure to be significant for House Republicans. . . .

Thursday morning news digest: veterans legislation edition

Congratulation to Minnesota bloggers Robin and Steve Marty (Power Liberal) on the birth of their first child, Violet Jane.  Cute baby pictures here.

Back in the First, KEYC-TV reports Walz, Kline Amendments Make It Into Defense bill:

The National Defense Authorization Act passes in the U.S. House today with a little help from Congressman Tim Walz.Walz authored three provisions to the bill: helping V-A and military health care facilities share medical records, return more control of National Guard forces to the nation's governors, and help soldiers access federal tuition assistance.And with soldiers in our area, including the Red Bulls, being deployed for extended stays overseas, Walz says the current state of assistance for vets needs a change.Tim Walz says, "To me that's not a good situation, especially now that we have the need still there to recruit our best and brightest and one of the lures of allowing people to do that is understanding if they serve their nation we help them with their education. So we think this will help fix some of those problems." The bill would also establish a national troop reintegration program for National Guard and reserve soldiers modeled on Minnesota's ``beyond the yellow ribbon.''That provision was offered by Republican John Kline.

Minnesota Monitor looks at Mark Meyer's withdrawal from the pursuit of the GOP endorsement in CD-1 in Campaign Notebook:  Republican Field Shrinks in CD1  Of all the assessments we've read about Meyer quitting, we think Dick Day was being a straight shooter when he told the Post Bulletin:

"I don't think it's a factor at all, because I don't know if he had over two delegates in the entire district that were for him," Day said this morning. "On the polling that was done, from what we gathered, he just didn't have any support."

Bill Prendergast compares and contrasts Walz's fundraising with that of the gentlewoman from Minnesota's Sixth in Why is Bachmann having trouble raising money?.

Once more: Bush Vetoes Children's Health Bill.

In news about the state legislature, the Bluff Country News Group reports Greg Davids announces bid for District 31B seat.  Oh, good.  The St. Peter Herald looks at the State Senate race in SD 25 (a tiny sliver of LeSueur County is in CD 1) in Field Whittled to Five. Republicans Keith Swenson of Henderson and Rod Tietz are challenging GOP endorsed candidate Ray Cox of Northfield.

Local coverage of the brew that New Ulm made famous in the Mankato Free Press (wonderful photo essay by John Cross) and the New Ulm Journal.

From the 'Fan Club': Happy 58th Birthday Carol Molnau!

Today is Minnesota Lt. Gov. and Department of Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau's 58th birthday, and the entire state sends its best wishes. We're reading interesting things about your department these days.

The Strib reports on the embarassment our state has become since the Governor shelved plans to call a special session to deal with the state's deadly bridge and road problem.

Molnau opposed calling a special session for transportation needs (oh heck, MPR reported that Molnau questions need for special session for flood relief) and so the costs of the I35 bridge collapse is sucking funds and personnel for other projects around the state, including the widening of Highway 14 from Mankato to New Ulm. MDOT's web page about the project notes:

What’s new?
Mn/DOT had hoped to complete work on the draft EIS by mid-2007, but key environmental staff that need to review this work have been redirected to work on the I-35W bridge replacement. At this time, we do not know when the review will be complete.

Why does this matter? Back in 2002, MPR reported on how many Southern Minnesotans believe Highway 14 to be the state's worst (and possibly deadliest) highway.  But work with the legislature to make both highways and bridges safe?  Guess ideology is more important.

Funny,  though, how you've cut staff during your tenure, but didn't seem to be able to keep an eye on your department's head of emergency management. While you were junketing in China, she was off on yet another out-of-state trip, according to Friday's Strib article, MnDOT official's travel costs questioned. It reported:

The Minnesota Department of Transportation official in charge of emergency management is being investigated for suspected improprieties related to her work schedule and state-paid travel, sources familiar with the investigation said.

The official, Sonia Kay Morphew Pitt*, was on an East Coast business trip when the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed on Aug. 1. She didn't return to the Twin Cities for another 10 days, MnDOT travel records show.

She came under internal investigation at the agency after colleagues complained about her absence, sources said.

A review of Pitt's travel records, employee expense reports and time sheets shows that she was a frequent out-of-state traveler. Three of the 11 business trips she booked for this year -- including the one she was on when the bridge collapsed -- included itineraries that aren't fully explained by the authorization forms she filled out to gain approval for leaving the state.

The details on that not-so-fiscally-conservative trip:

Travel records show that Pitt flew to Washington, D.C., on July 26 and then went on to Cambridge, Mass., on July 31 to attend an education program at Harvard University. The program was the second phase of training for government officials who are "responsible for preparedness, response, or recovery from terrorist events or natural disasters."

When the Harvard program ended on Aug. 3, Pitt returned to Washington and stayed there until Aug. 11, records show.

The request and authorization form for the trip didn't explain why she needed to be gone for 16 consecutive nights or what, precisely, she was doing in Washington. That time period did not include any vacation days.

Under "Date of Event," the request and authorization form said "July 30-August 4, 2007 plus group project work in DC." Under "Explain Benefits to MnDOT," Pitt gave a description of the Harvard course but made no mention of additional work in Washington.

On Pitt's employee expense report, she listed "training" as the reason for each weekday she was in Washington, getting paid her usual wage of $40.67 an hour, or at least $84,593 a year.

It's no wonder people are asking questions. The mayor of Edina recently express concerns about your tenure:

But two broader questions are as relevant and cannot be swept aside:

• Do we Minnesota voters have the collective financial fortitude to demand that all of our state elected leaders finally make the transportation commitments needed to keep us safe and competitive in the future? After two decades of falling behind, let's hope the vivid memory of a fallen bridge prompts our governor and Legislature to build a financial strategy that actually achieves the sound and wise transportation system that we and future generations need.

• Is it wise to have a statewide elected official, in this case the lieutenant governor, also in charge of running a state agency, in this case the transportation department? Should Carol Molnau be running MnDOT?

Under state law, the commissioners of departments operate within the executive branch as direct hires of the governor. While the governor is a commissioner's boss, commissioners are also charged with advocating for the best interests of citizens, as those interests relate to a particular agency. State law requires our transportation commissioner, for example, to develop, adopt, revise and monitor a statewide transportation plan in order to "provide safe transportation for users throughout the state" and "to provide funding for transportation that, at a minimum, preserves the transportation infrastructure."

But when a governor and lieutenant governor are politically aligned, and that lieutenant governor also runs MnDOT, such political kinship runs the risk of diminishing the commissioner's sworn role as a transportation advocate. Bluntly, does Tim Pawlenty have in his Cabinet a commissioner who will speak expertly and frankly about the transportation needs of the state? Does he have someone who will offer advice he may not want to hear about the sufficiency of revenues to effectively repair and expand our system of roads, bridges and transit?

The image etched in my mind is from last spring: the governor, flanked at a news conference by his hybrid lieutenant governor/MnDOT commissioner, with a flourish of his pen, vetoing a transportation bill that would have set Minnesota on a course to repair and expand its infrastructure. Only a minimal "lights on" budget was left. And the lieutenant governor just stood there, smiling.

That Grover Norquist-esque "shrinking government to drown it" philosophy--and the absence of a special session that follows it--isn't just a transportation problem, of course.  There's also that problem of property tax relief and local government aid. The mayor of Owatonna tells the Strib:

The floods a few weeks after the bridge collapse sharpened the need for local government aid across the state.

"We just had the bridge collapse in Minneapolis, we just had the floods in southern Minnesota. You start looking at emergency responses, you look at ambulances, you look at fire, you look at police -- that just straps the heck out of those when you don't have those dollars available," said Owatonna Mayor Tom Kuntz, who is also president of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities.

Heckova job, Carol.

*On most MDOT press releases, Pitt goes by "Sonia Pitt" for those who wish to look for more information about the frequent flier.

Post Bulletin LTE: Pfeilsticker thanks supporters

Linda Pfeilsticker thanks people from the area in a letter today, Grateful and eager to serve:

Life is full of opportunities, and those opportunities can come at very unsuspecting times. I was not expecting to run for House Seat 28B this summer, but when I had the opportunity to serve the people of 28B, I had to take it.

As much as a campaign seems to be about a candidate, the reality is very different. It is about the people. The people who rise to the occasion to help through their time, financial support, and even by simply voting in order to make 28B a better district and Minnesota a better state.

Thank you to everyone who helped with my campaign. The hope and optimism you brought was inspiring. It was pleasure to meet so many amazing people.

It reaffirmed the fact that Southeastern Minnesota is one of the greatest and most beautiful places in the world to live.

Linda Pfeilsticker

Wabasha

 

Final vote: Draz 3762; Pfeilsticker 3333

Congratulations to Steve Drazkowski. Thank you, Linda for a well-run race in a Republican district.

Results for State Representative District 28B

• STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 28B		Totals	Pct	Graph
Republican	STEVE DRAZKOWSKI	3762	52.89
Democratic-Farmer-Labor	LINDA PFEILSTICKER	3333	46.86
Write-In	WRITE-IN**	18	0.25

With two precincts left to report, Draz lead solid, wins election

Results for State Representative District 28B

• STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 28B		Totals	Pct	Graph
Republican	STEVE DRAZKOWSKI	3659	52.69
Democratic-Farmer-Labor	LINDA PFEILSTICKER	3267	47.05
Write-In	WRITE-IN**	18	0.26

This one is over. Good fight.

At 85%: Draz 2810; P-sticker 2729

Results for State Representative District 28B

• STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 28B		Totals	Pct	Graph
Republican	STEVE DRAZKOWSKI	2810	50.59
Democratic-Farmer-Labor	LINDA PFEILSTICKER	2729	49.13
Write-In	WRITE-IN**	16	0.29

The Winona Daily News is reporting that turnout was high:

Turnout was just over 30 percent in the special election called by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

That's terrific turnout in a special election.

At 67% of votes counted: Draz inches ahead

Results for State Representative District 28B

• STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 28B		Totals	Pct	Graph
Republican	STEVE DRAZKOWSKI	2034	50.27
Democratic-Farmer-Labor	LINDA PFEILSTICKER	1999	49.41
Write-In	WRITE-IN**	13	0.32

At 60%: Pfeilsticker leads by 9 votes

Results for State Representative District 28B

• STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 28B		Totals	Pct	Graph
Republican	STEVE DRAZKOWSKI	1749	49.73
Democratic-Farmer-Labor	LINDA PFEILSTICKER	1758	49.99
Write-In	WRITE-IN**	10	0.28

Win or lose, this is a great showing by a political newcomer running in a heavily Republican district!

With 54%: Draz leads by 11 votes

Results for State Representative District 28B

• STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 28B		Totals	Pct	Graph
Republican	STEVE DRAZKOWSKI	1692	50.01
Democratic-Farmer-Labor	LINDA PFEILSTICKER	1681	49.69
Write-In	WRITE-IN**	10	0.30

With 41% of the vote counted

Republican	STEVE DRAZKOWSKI	1382	49.36
Democratic-Farmer-Labor	LINDA PFEILSTICKER	1412	50.43
Write-In	WRITE-IN**	6	0.21

With 30% of the vote counted

Republican	STEVE DRAZKOWSKI	1061	46.09
Democratic-Farmer-Labor	LINDA PFEILSTICKER	1237	53.74
Write-In	WRITE-IN**	4	0.17

Special election House 28B: MNBlue is liveblogging the DFL watch party

The Big E is posting pix and stories over at MnBlue.  Hop on over! 

Or you can read and watch some Farmfest coverage at KEYC.  There's only text with non-attributed quotes for the Farm Bill Forum, so the experience is surreal and bipartisan at the same time.  Two other stories feature video.

Special election House 28B: MnCR report high turnout in St. Charles

Our friend Joe Bodell at MnCR has been getting busy too:

I just spoke with a Pfeilsticker campaign staffer, who indicated that turnout numbers in St. Charles were unusually high for a special election -- although there is no recent precedent for this election, Team Pfeilsticker is confident that high turnout means a good result for the DFL nominee.  However, the staffer added that even if the result was not a good one for Pfeilsticker, high turnout would be a good thing for Minnesota.

That's class.

Meanwhile, there's video of Tim Walz visitng a farm up at KEYC.  Go entertain yourself reading and viewing Walz Tours Waseca Farm .

Special Election House 28B: Very unofficial results trickling in

Our source in the district reports from fairly reliable sources:

"high turnout in Goodview (near Winona)....should be good for Linda.

Also....unofficial results show Linda taking Zumbrota...big deal as was considered Rep. stronghold..(700 votes in...Linda won by 27)  UNOFFICIAL.

Remember: this information is NOT confirmed or official.  Handle with a grain of salt as broad as the Mississippi.

Special Election House 28B: polls close; reports of turnout trickling in

It's pretty much all over but the counting (and recounting if the final spread is within 100 votes). Polls just closed.

A friend in the area passed along this report:

"I stopped in Stockton to vote about 3:00 today.  As of that time, Stockton had had 47 voters, and Hillsdale Township had 24.  They were very surprised at the turnout, as only had 16 for the primary.   Said that they surpassed the primary number before 9:00 this morning.  ...."

Any friendly progressive from the district with news to report should contact us viathe email address on the right-hand column of this blog.

Special Election House 28B: Mn Secretary of State page for returns

The secretary of state's office will be posting returns here after the polls close at 8 p.m.  We'll post as they come in, though  everybody can follow along as they like. News sources have been saying it's too close to call and bloggers are trading pictures of postal code violations: in short, it's a special election.

We're hoping that Truthsurfer's assessment holds true:

. . . DFLer Linda Pfeilsticker is a great candidate with wonderful qualities. Her positive and fresh attitude has to factor into the race. I think we might see a change is course with rural Minnesotans.

According to the Rochester Post-Bulletin,  turnout is predicted to be low:

House District 28B is an L-shaped, largely rural district that encompasses portions of three counties -- Winona, Goodhue and Wabasha. County auditors reported light absentee voting, an indication of a potentially low turnout.

"It's been very, very quiet. We've had a little over 50 (absentee ballots) for the general election," said Winona County Auditor Cherie MacLennan.

Tuesday morning news digest: Herds of politicians edition

Welcome Townhall Readers!   We're flattered that the NRCC's Notroots care enough to visit.  If you want to respond to Jason Bauman's comments about stem cell research that are cited below, please go take a look at his blog, too! 

Mankato Free Press: Herds of Pols
The Mankato Free Press reports that Farmfest will host herd of pols, highlighting today's Feature Forum on the Farm Bill at 10:30.  We'll miss this morning's events, but hope to make it to the global warming forum in the afternoon. The Free Press is also pleased with Congress's new ethics bill.

We'll have our watermelon iced for the DFL corn feed fundraiser later on in the day.

New Ulm Journal: Hope springs eternal
Speaking of fundraisers, The New Ulm Journal took in the Republican First District  hopefuls stop in Sleepy Eye. First up at the Brown County GOP Fun Raiser (oh boy!) was State Senator Dick Day:

Minnesota Senate Minority Leader Dick Day of Owatonna said the Republican effort to unseat Democratic Congressman Tim Walz will be challenging.

“It’ll be a tough battle. We’ll do it the old-fashioned way, earning respect by going to parades and other events, shaking hands and talking to people,” Day explained.

Okay then.  Those who want to know how that's going can check out Evil Bobby's videos. Next up, Lake Crystal School Board member Mark Meyer, who warns against Tim Walz's Secret Plan for Health Care:

“The Democrats want to bring European Socialism to this country. They’re not stupid, just wrong. Socialized medicine is bad for medicine and people,” Meyer explained.

Actually, we were under the impression that Walz was seeking the advice of the First District's medical community when it came to health care issues, or so it seemed at the Economic Summit in Austin last month. Either we missed the European Socialist panel or medical panel moderator Mayo Clinic CEO Glenn Forbes was a really sneaky guy.

Mayo cancer doc Brian Davis came out with his views:

Mayo Clinic cancer physician Brian Davis said he was committed to conservative values like protecting life, stem cell research, no same-sex marriages, securing our borders and remaining offensive in the Global War on Terror.

“You don’t need to destroy a human embryo to do stem cell research,” Davis explained.

This is interesting. Brian J. Davis was in Walz's DC office in April on behalf of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology & Oncology(ASTRO) to discuss Walz's position about stem cell research when he told Walz of his potential plans to challenge him in 2008, according to the Rochester Post Bulletin.  The Cancer Leadership Council includes ASTRO among supporters of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. 

UPDATE, August 16, 2007: Dr. Davis answered our questions below at Blonde Sagacity. Thanks. 

Since the Post Bulletin has put the original archive behind a subscription archives, as is the newspaper's practice, here's an excerpt from the Frontrunner so readers coming in from Blonde Sagacity can get a taste of the original source.   

The material the Frontrunner quotes from the PB suggests that Dr. Davis should ask his local paper   to print a correction, since it reported that Davis was there to discuss "the congressman's positions on stem cell research and other medical issues."

The Rochester (MO) Post-Bulletin (5/18, Felker) reports, "Radiation oncologist Brian J. Davis   of Rochester in late April concluded a Washington lobbying meeting" with Rep. Tim Walz (D) "with the news that he might seek the Republican nomination to run against him," Walz and Davis confirmed Thursday. Davis, a researcher at the Mayo Clinic, requested a meeting with Walz in his Capitol Hill office on April 24 "as a representative of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology" to discuss "the congressman's positions on stem cell research and other medical issues." At the end of the discussion, Davis told Walz that he "was close to filing a candidate declaration with the Federal Election Commission." However, Walz's spokeswoman Meredith Salsbery said the congressman "cannot by law use his congressional office to campaign." Davis, meanwhile, "said he contacted the Federal Election Commission after the trip and secured an opinion that none of his activities qualified as campaigning since he is not a declared candidate."

[end update]

Months later update (11/4): Davis has clarified the FEC information in a post at his candidate blog (visit via IDHA). Once he declared in his candidacy, the April trip was charged to his campaign.[end update]

UPDATE #2: August 18] Jason Bauman at IDHA  takes a close look at Dr. Davis's answers.  Here's the post:

Recent news concerning Dr. Brian Davis of the Mayo Clinic has caused me to write.  Ollie from Bluestem caused quite a stir with the conservative author at “Blonde Sagacity.” Apparently it was enough of a stir to get Dr. Brian Davis to answer Ollie’s questions on the (not surprising) conservative blog.

The posts are related to Dr. Brian Davis view on embryonic stem cell research and his ties with the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology & Oncology (ASTRO). Ollie writes:

“Mayo cancer doc Brian Davis came out with his views:

Mayo Clinic cancer physician Brian Davis said he was committed to conservative values like protecting life, stem cell research, no same-sex marriages, securing our borders and remaining offensive in the Global War on Terror.

“You don’t need to  destroy a human embryo to do stem cell research,” Davis explained.

This is interesting. Brian J. Davis was in Walz’s DC office in April on behalf of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology & Oncology(ASTRO) to discuss Walz’s position about stem cell when he told Walz of his potential plans to challenge him in 2008, according to the Rochester Post Bulletin. The Cancer Leadership Council includes ASTRO among supporters of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.

Will Davis continue to be active in an organization that supports legislation to expand embryonic stem cell research? We’re curious if he shared ASTRO’s agenda with New Ulm’s GOP funsters, or confided his opposition to embryonic stem cell research with Congressman Walz back in April while lobbying on behalf of ASTRO.”

Dr. Brian Davis answers these questions on the conservative blog:

1. Will Davis continue to be active in an organization that supports legislation to expand embryonic stem cell research?

Yes, I anticipate remaining active in this organization. While I may take issue with ASTRO’s stance on this particular issue, I remain supportive of the broader aims of the organization as they relate to providing quality cancer care to our patients and supporting cancer research.

2. We’re curious if he shared ASTRO’s agenda with New Ulm’s GOP funsters.

No, this was not a topic of discussion at the meeting in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota with the group from New Ulm and elsewhere.

3. Did Davis confide his opposition to embryonic stem cell research with Congressman Walz back in April while lobbying on behalf of ASTRO?

No, our discussions were focused primarily on the specific legislative agenda of ASTRO’s at that time. This agenda did not include any references to embryonic stem cell research. Nonetheless, Congressman Walz shared some of his views on embryonic stem cell research but did not inquire about mine. Consequently, I did not take the time to relate my personal views to him on this matter.

As a representative for ASTRO, Dr. Brian Davis should fully support measures that were passed as part of the organization’s legislative agenda. I keep thinking about how MSUSA students advocate for 0% tuition because we voted for this wording in our own agenda. When visiting with legislators, we are bound by our representation of MSUSA and the students to push a 0% tuition increase, not go there on our own and say we don’t personally care if tuition is increased. Dr. Brian Davis stated, “Consequently, I did not take the time to relate my personal views to him on this matter” referring to embryonic stem-cell research. If I was meeting with a legislator (or in his case, a congressman!) and they told me their stance on tuition, would I not take the time to advocate for my organization’s view… especially if I am there on behalf of the organization? Apparently if I didn’t feel strongly enough, I could ignore it. He pushed aside his trip to represent his organization, to represent himself instead. This is evidenced by his hinting of running against Walz.

The second statement that concerned me was his view on embryonic stem-cell research. Ollie quoted him saying, “You don’t need to destroy a human embryo to do stem cell research.” As a medical professional and person that people look up to, I am astonished that his personal bias goes beyond sound medical research. As a doctor, I respect him greatly for his work. I work with great doctors that excel in their practice. As a candidate for Walz’s seat, I criticize his belief that embryonic stem-cell research is the destruction of life. It is saving lives from soon-to-be-already-destroyed embryos! The American Medical Association, the organization that physicians are members of supports fully-funded embryonic stem-cell research. What is Dr. Brian Davis trying to prove when he doesn’t follow what research papers, organizations that he’s a part of, and many of his republican colleagues all agree on?

Just a quick paragraph from my 10-page research paper entitled, “Stem Cell Research: The Morality Policy and What Nurses Can Do”:

The authors, along with many organizations from the scientific community like  the American Academy of Neurology and the American Medical Association show a congruent trend toward fully funding stem-cell research. Discussions are made on the ethics and how current restrictions limit research, slowing progression toward useful treatments. There were similar guidelines put forth among the articles that suggest new ways of ethically advocating stem-cell research (McCloskey, 2002; Okie, 2005). These guidelines tended toward stem-cell advocates and still the moral policy of opponents is challenged. The Committee on the Biological and Biomedical Applications of Stem Cell Research was quoted on a number of occasions suggesting recommendations to move forward with the vast potential stem-cell research has (McCloskey, 2002). The committee suggested that life is not being taken away from stem-cell research, and that stem-cell lines are from embryos already going to be destroyed. Opponents still hold their moral convictions despite the ethical bargaining of the committee.

Sources and great reads:

Cedar, S.H. (2006). Stem cell and related therapies: Nurses and midwives
     representing all parties. Nursing Ethics, 13(3), 292-303.

Ennen, K. (2001). Shaping the future of practice through political
     activity: How nurses can influence health care policy. AAOHN
     Journal, 49(12), 557-569.

McCloskey, B. (2002). The controversy surrounding stem cell research.
     Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 3(1), 4-13.

National Institutes of Health (2006). Federal Policy
     [Stem Cell Information]. Retrieved

November 11, 2006

from
     Web site: http://stemcells.nih.gov/policy/defaultpage.asp

Okie, S. (2005). Stem-cell research: Signposts and roadblocks. The
    

New  England

Journal of Medicine, 353(1), 1-5.

Schwartz, R. S. (2006). The politics and promise of stem-cell research.
     The

New  England

Journal of Medicine, 355(12), 1189-1191.

Townhallers and Notroots-- the above excerpt  is from IDHA.  Go visit that blog too.  They'd love the traffic! [end of update #2]

Will Davis continue to be active in an organization that supports legislation to expand embryonic stem cell research?  We're curious if he shared ASTRO's agenda with New Ulm's GOP funsters, or confided his opposition to embryonic stem cell research with Congressman Walz back in April while lobbying on behalf of ASTRO. 

Somehow, Randy Demmer ended up at the bottom of the article:

Hayfield businessman/corn and soybean farmer and 3-term Dist. 29A Rep. Randy Demmer of Hayfield called for fiscal responsibility and lower taxes so private businesses can flourish.

Demmer will be at Farmfest today, according to his website. If you visit the Demmer website, take the poll.  Seems like most people stopping by before  9:00 a.m. today think immigration is the biggest issue facing the First, while not one worries about transportation issues.

Winona Daily News editorial: Minnesota's roads and bridges: When, not if
That doesn't seem to be the mainstream if we are to believe the Strib's report about today's special election, the Owatonna People's Press's article Transportation funding a priority for now, a Rochester Post Bulletion editorial or today's editorial page of the Winona Daily News.

Today's WDN editorial, Minnesota's roads and bridges: When, not if, recalls the paper's constant call for better transportation funding.  The staff minces no words:

“But will it take a bridge falling apart with motorists on it to get us to realize the state has needs, not just wants?”

— Winona Daily News editorial, Dec. 31, 2006

Tragically, it might have been a matter of when, not if. And there is absolutely no joy, no gloating in “We told you so.”

In the inevitable rush to find out what caused Wednesday’s catastrophic Interstate 35W bridge failure, there’s a lot of finger pointing, a lot of talk about inspections and a lot of grief for those who were injured or lost their life.

And now, with the television cameras turned on and the nation watching, Gov. Tim Pawlenty decides he might finally support a gas tax increase. This change of heart is well-timed at best for a man who refused such an increase twice recently.

It’s a shame that it took a disaster of this magnitude to change the governor’s mind. What’s even worse is the time Minnesota has lost by not properly funding roads and bridges. Even a modest increase in the tax (which hasn’t been raised since 1988) will not fund all the state’s needs.

Right here in Winona, our interstate bridge got low marks and is years away from being replaced. The scary thing is that there are other bridges in worse condition, others that probably remain more of a safety hazard.

The refrain we’ve been hearing for years is that we need to cut taxes, yet no one would say this bridge disaster was worth the pennies saved.

Go read the rest at the WDN.

Rochester Post Bulletin: Draz doesn't share his conversion with local reporter

Update: Joe Bodell at MNCR looks at today's special election.

Today's Rochester Post Bulletin reports that Voters go to the polls today in state House District 28B. Reporter Matthew Stolle seems to have interviewed the candidates yesterday:

With the trauma of the I-35W collapse casting a shadow over the state, voters are heading to the polls today in a special election to decide the next state representative for House District 28B.

Republican candidate Steve Drazkowski and Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate Linda Pfeilsticker said they planned to use the waning hours of their campaigns in a sprint of door-knocking and phone calls.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, except in some townships where it's 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The 28B seat was held for the past 29 years by GOP Rep. Steve Sviggum, who was House speaker for eight of those years before being appointed commissioner of labor and industry by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

With turnout expected to be low, both candidates appeared focused on getting their base supporters and party activists to the polls.

"That's exactly what it's about. It's getting the supporters out to vote," Drazkowski said.

While Drazkowski told the Strib's reporter that he's open to raising the gas tax:

During the legislative campaign, Drazkowski had remained adamantly opposed to increasing the gas tax, saying it would cripple the economy of the district.

But on Monday, the last full day of the campaign, Drazkowski said he would leave open the idea of supporting a gas-tax increase.

he doesn't seem to have shared that new insight with Stolle:

Even before the collapse of the I-35W bridge, the condition of the district's and the state's roads and bridges had been a key campaign issue.

Both Pfeilsticker and Drazkowski have emphasized the need to update the state's road and bridge network, but they support different funding approaches. Pfeilsticker says she is open to a gas tax increase, while Drazkowski opposes one, preferring bonding or borrowing money, instead.

Other than wanting to get elected, does The Draz know where he stands?

 

Blinded by the light: Draz's 11th hour gas tax conversion experience

Hallelujah! Brothers and sisters!  Another anti-tax-pledger has seen to light on the road to St. Paul!

The Strib has just reported that Steve Drazkowski has backed-off on his opposition to raising the gas tax:

During the legislative campaign, Drazkowski had remained adamantly opposed to increasing the gas tax, saying it would cripple the economy of the district.

But on Monday, the last full day of the campaign, Drazkowski said he would leave open the idea of supporting a gas-tax increase.

Just hours before the bridge collapse last week, the Minnesota Republican Party put out a news release warning that DFLer Pfeilsticker's "repeated refusal to rule out a gas tax increase means the residents of House District 28B had better hold onto their wallets."In terms of whether I'll support a gas tax or other funding mechanism, generally speaking I'm willing to see what type of lead the governor takes," Drazkowski said, adding that he would prefer other funding approaches, such as bonding and using a budget surplus.

Where, oh where, did the Strib dig up that research?  My, my.

Of course, the Strib doesn't specifically spell out how he came to repent his adamant opposition to raising the gas tax, nor does it share the fact that Draz was still the scourge of the tax increase as late as Saturday--after the bridge collapsed. 

What could it be?  Sources speculate to the Strib:

One of the first tests of the political impact from the Interstate 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis last week will come today in the towns of Zumbro Falls and Pine Island and the surrounding townships of southeastern Minnesota.

Voters there will go to the polls in a special election to replace 15-term Republican stalwart Steve Sviggum, a former House speaker who is becoming the state commissioner of labor and industry.

Even before last week, the House race between DFLer Linda Pfeilsticker, a 35-year-old high school teacher running for office for the first time, and Republican Steve Drazkowski, a 42-year-old cable contractor and former University of Minnesota extension agent, had been regarded as too close to call.

Update:  Jeff Fecke riffs on the old Hank Williams classic here.

Special election House 28B: Netroots reaction

Like the Star Tribune and MPR, the netroots are paying attention to tomorrow's special election in House District 28B. (Unlike their venerable counterparts in the MSM, however, they've been paying attention since the endorsing conventions).

Using the Mn Chamber of Commerce questionnaire BSP ferreted out online, Vox Verax asks if this is A canary in the coalmine election?  The Blue Man in a Red District makes A few observations as the Special Election looms..., including about Draz's failure to answer the question on education. An interesting move from a campaign that accuses his opponent of not provided detailed answers to questions.  Michael M at Inside Minnesota Politics looks at the Draz's response to the transportation question in Drazkowski: There is enough money for transportation projects.

Matt at MnPublius looks at MN GOP, Pfeilsticker, Draz and the Gas tax and thinks that Sturdevant Predicts DFL Win in 28B.

Special elections tend to be won on each party, campaign, and allies' ground games. Tomorrow will tell. 

Special election House 28B: Draz campaigns on bridge tragedy

Steve Drazkowski has produced a radio ad using the tragedy for his bid for office. Go listen.

MPR: Special election for House district 28B heats up

Minnesota Public Radio broadcast Special election for House district 28B heats up this morning.

The segment is rather muddled (what is Draz saying about the Eagle Center?), but here's a snippet:

. . .DFLer Linda Pfeilsticker lives on her family's dairy farm. Her great-grandfather bought it in 1919.

"I have lived in this district my whole life. I was born here, raised here, and I've chosen to live here. This is my home," she says. "And I spent my whole life listening to what people say and growing up in this value system, and if I can't represent that, I don't know who can."

Linda Pfeilsticker teaches social studies at Winona High School. She served as a school district contract negotiator.

Pfeilsticker has never run for office, but she beat out four other candidates vying for the DFL nomination. In 2006 the DFL candidate garnered 40 percent of the vote, so democrats not only think they have a chance. Analysts say they also see the Republican-held seat as a potential feather in their House cap. . . .