MN-GOV

Minnesota GOPer: God Called Me To Run For Governor -- And To Raise A Miraculous Amount Of Money

Eric Kleefeld | August 10, 2009, 1:34PM

Check out this declaration from Minnesota state Sen. Mike Jungbauer, who is now running for the Republican nomination for Governor: That God called him to run -- and he's setting out to achieve a literally miraculous level of fundraising.

Here's what he told a local newspaper:

An evangelical Christian with a degree from the Moody Bible Institute, Jungbauer purposefully set his campaign fund-raising goal in excess of that suggested by experts as a kind of verification he was following the right path.

"I believe if I'm really called by God to do this, and again it's not necessarily called by God to be the governor, but to do the campaign, to do it right, I set the goal quite high when I would have to believe it was truly miraculous (to achieve), and I couldn't say I did it, or they (the campaign) did it," said Jungbauer.

So God has called Jungbauer to run for governor, and to raise a lot of money -- but not necessarily to win and be governor? Talk about mysterious ways.

And yes, Jungbauer's state legislative district is inside Michele Bachmann's Congressional district.

(Via Minnesota Independent.)

Norm Coleman

Can Norm Coleman Still Have A Political Future?

Eric Kleefeld | July 28, 2009, 4:51PM

So with former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) having announced that he's waiting until Spring 2010 to decide whether he'll run for Governor of Minnesota, it's worth asking the question: Does Norm still have a political future.

I spoke with Prof. Larry Jacobs of the University of Minnesota, and he said that Coleman's political stock has certainly fallen by a significant margin as a result of his loss to Democratic challenger Al Franken in the heavily-litigated 2008 Senate race. But there could still be a chance to come back -- and under Minnesota's peculiar system of nominating candidates, Norm might just be taking the best road available.

Minnesota political parties traditionally don't hold real primaries, but instead go through a system of precinct caucuses, county conventions and a state convention. If a candidate can get a super-majority of delegates at the state convention, the party then officially endorses that candidate and the opponents are expected by custom to drop out. The September primary is still officially held, but would be a mere formality.

"It's hard to get the majority unless you're a clear frontrunner," said Jacbos. "I think it's a fairly shrewd move, with everything going on in his personal life, particularly his debt and his exhaustion."

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Supreme Court

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | July 28, 2009, 9:02AM

Judiciary Committee To Vote On Sotomayor
The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote today on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, and is expected to easily advance her to the full Senate. At the rate things are going in both the committee and the overall Senate, most Republicans will probably vote against her, but she should win by a comfortable margin thanks to Democrats and a few GOP Senators.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will hold a 1:30 p.m. ET tele-town hall meeting on health care reform, hosted by the AARP. At 4 p.m. ET, he and Vice President Biden will meet with the chairs of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. At 4:15 p.m. ET, Obama and Biden will greet the expanded delegations of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

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Norm Coleman

Poll: Coleman's Numbers In Minnesota Are Lousy, Damaged By Recount Fight

Eric Kleefeld | July 9, 2009, 11:17AM

So now that former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) finally conceded the much-litigated 2008 Senate race to Democrat Al Franken, and Franken was sworn into office six months into the term, does Coleman have a political future as he reportedly eyes a run for Governor in 2010? A new survey of Minnesota by Public Policy Polling (D) suggests that Coleman has still got a long way to go if he wants to come back.

The numbers: Coleman's favorable rating is only 38%, with 52% viewing him unfavorably. Coleman was also tested in potential general elections against former one-term U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton, state House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. Dayton edges Coleman out 41%-39%, Rybak leads 43%-37%, and Coleman leads Kelliher 42%-34%, with a ±2.5% margin of error.

This question is also pretty rough: "Did the way Norm Coleman handled the recount in his Senate race make you more or less likely to support him in a future campaign for Governor or some other office?" The numbers: More likely 26%, less likely 54%, and no difference 20%.

From the pollster's analysis: "You have to wonder how much more goodwill he would have been able to earn with voters in the state if he had decided to take the high road and concede six months ago."

MN-GOV

Potential Coleman GOP Rival: I Love Norm, "But He Lost To Al Franken, For Goodness' Sake"

Eric Kleefeld | July 2, 2009, 11:51AM

I just got off the phone with Minnesota Republican state Rep. Marty Seifert, who recently stepped down from his position as state House Minority Leader to run for Governor, about a very important topic: What might happen if former Sen. Norm Coleman runs for the GOP nomination, too. And Seifert gave a sneak preview of what lines of attack Coleman will face from his intra-party rivals if he makes the race, as he's reportedly looking at.

Seifert struck a careful balance between praising Coleman, but also making clear that he himself won't step aside. "Well certainly, his name ID and the ability to raise money is gonna be there, but we're Republicans and we believe in the marketplace and choices," said Seifert. "So I'd say the more people in the race the better. I believe in a multiplicity of choices -- it's not the Politburo, it's the Republican Party."

As for what lines of argument Seifert might take with state Republican caucus-goers, to show that he's the better candidate: "I think my appeal is that I'm electable and that -- you know, the bottom line is, I love Norm as a person and as a public servant, but he lost to Al Franken, for goodness' sake."

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | July 2, 2009, 9:00AM

Poll: Obama's Disapproval Numbers Rising, But Approval Still Strong
A new Quinnipiac poll finds that President Obama's approval rating remains stable at 57%, but his disapproval rating has shot up from 30% a month ago to 37% now, as more undecided voters shift into the disapproval category. From the pollster's analysis: "He still has a ways to go before his coalition becomes politically unstable, but there are some groups and issues - especially the economy - where he needs to make sure this trend does not continue."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will have a closed meeting with business leaders to discuss innovation and job creation, at 1:45 p.m. ET. At 2:20 p.m. ET, he will deliver public remarks about innovation and jobs. At 4:30 p.m. ET, he will depart from Fort McNair en route to Camp David.

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MN-GOV

Bachmann Not Ruling Out Bid For Governor

Eric Kleefeld | June 15, 2009, 12:22PM

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) appears to not be ruling out a potential bid for Governor of Minnesota. An aide had previously said Bachmann wasn't interested, but apparently that door is still open.

"It would have to be if I felt like I was supposed to do it and right now I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be," Bachmann told Minnesota Public Radio. "If my heart moved in the other direction and I had the tug, I'd do it. I wouldn't be afraid to run for office. I just don't feel the tug."

What might that tug look like? Well, Bachmann did say back in 2006 that God called her to run for Congress, and that she and her husband fasted for three days to ask God if this was indeed His will.

MN-SEN

Norm Doesn't Rule Out 2010 Gubernatorial Run -- Or Further Litigation On The Senate Race

Eric Kleefeld | June 5, 2009, 10:48AM

Speaking to reporters yesterday at the Conservative Heartland Leadership Conference in St. Louis, Norm Coleman did not rule out a run for Governor of Minnesota in 2010, now that incumbent Republican Tim Pawlenty has announced he isn't running again. But he also seemed to leave the door open to further litigation over his former Senate seat, in the wake of reports that he was ready to throw in the towel after the state Supreme Court presumably rules against him.

"I'm still waiting to hear from the Supreme Court," said Coleman, when asked about a gubernatorial run. "Remember I just gave a speech about being focused? I'm a very focused guy, and the focus is on keeping my Senate seat."

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MN-SEN

Can Norm Coleman Still Have A Political Future?

Eric Kleefeld | June 4, 2009, 1:13PM

With the new report that Norm Coleman might actually be preparing to throw in the towel on his lawsuit against the Minnesota Senate election results, should the state Supreme Court hand down its widely-expected ruling in favor of Al Franken, let's look at the reasons why this might be. It might be coming down to one thing: The basic health and viability of any future political career that he might hope to have.

Keep in mind that Minnesota public opinion is that the race should be over -- the latest Rasmussen poll put it at 54%-41%. However, Prof. Larry Jacobs of the University of Minnesota explained to me that the opinion may have majority support right now, but it isn't felt intensely. It's not at the top of people's minds or in everyday news reports. However, that would all shift very quickly once there is a state Supreme Court ruling.

"Coleman is facing the prospect of widespread and harsh condemnation if the Supreme Court comes back decisively in Franken's favor," said Jacobs. At that point, three different bodies -- the state canvassing board, the trial court, and the state Supreme Court -- will have all ruled after lengthy proceedings that Franken is the legitimate winner.

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MN-SEN

Take Two? Could Ex-Sen. Coleman Mount Comeback as ... Governor?

Eric Kleefeld | June 3, 2009, 11:07AM

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that an interesting name has popped up among the people being speculated about as Republican candidates for governor of Minnesota, now that incumbent Republican Tim Pawlenty isn't running again: Former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman -- the man who is still litigating his defeat against Al Franken in the photo-finish 2008 Senate race.

David Strom, a senior fellow at the state's conservative Minnesota Free Market Institute think tank, seemed to take the idea seriously and said that running for governor could be an "attractive prospect" for Coleman. If Norm Coleman had not come out ahead on the first [vote tally] ... I think the political fallout would have been quite significant," said Strom -- but since Coleman had at some point been seen as the likely winner, he could potentially be able to salvage the situation.

If this sounds absurd, consider just how many phases this man has had in his political life. In college, he was a left-wing campus radical. He went on to become a liberal Democratic politician -- then became a Republican, and lost the 1998 gubernatorial race to a pro-wrestler. He came back in 2002, by getting elected to the Senate over Walter Mondale after the death of Paul Wellstone. And if his lawsuit against the Senate election results proves nothing else, it shows just how persistent he has always been.

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MN-GOV

Bachmann Campaign Manager: She's Not Running For Governor

Eric Kleefeld | June 2, 2009, 3:52PM

It looks like Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) will not be running for governor, in the wake of GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty's announcement that he is not seeking a third term.

"I don't think so," Bachmann campaign manager Michelle Marston told Minnesota Public Radio. "I think she's very happy where she is."

Bachmann's name had come up in various media reports as a possible candidate for governor in case of an open seat. For some strange reason, liberal bloggers were especially fond of the idea.

MN-SEN

Pawlenty Officially Announces Retirement, Not Ruling Anything In Or Out For 2012

Eric Kleefeld | June 2, 2009, 3:30PM

Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) just officially announced that he is not running for a third term in 2010.

A reporter asked him whether he is running for President. "I don't have any plans beyond serving out my term," he said. "So I'm not ruling anything in or out."

He did, however, offer some wisdom for the Republican Party on a nationwide level. "We're the party of the marketplace. The marketplace has been signaling movement to our competitors, so we need to do better." He later added: "My party needs new ideas, new policies, and I think I can contribute to that."

A reporter asked how this decision will affect the controversy surrounding an election certificate to the U.S. Senate for Al Franken, and Pawlenty's response was in line with previous public comments. "I think you guys have really over-baked that issue, you're spinning out of control. I'm gonna do whatever the court says," Pawlenty responded. And if a courts tells him to sign the certificate, "I'm not gonna hold it up or delay it in any fashion."

Late Update: It's worth noting that Pawlenty will be speaking to the College Republicans national convention this week in Washington.

MN-GOV

Report: Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Possible 2012 Pres. Candidate, Not Seeking Re-Election In 2010

Eric Kleefeld | June 2, 2009, 12:05PM

The local CBS channel in Minneapolis reports that Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a possible 2012 GOP presidential candidate, will announce today that he is not running for a third term as governor in 2010.

Pawlenty was narrowly re-elected in the big Democratic year of 2006 -- and in what is usually a Democratic state, though it has a habit of electing GOP governors -- and had reportedly made the list of finalists to be John McCain's running mate.

Keep a close lookout for Pawlenty's actions in a few key areas: His continuing budget battle with the heavily-Democratic legislature, where he's taken a strong anti-tax line; potential travel around the country for GOP candidates; and of course, how he handles the upcoming battles over whether or not Al Franken gets an election certificate to the U.S. Senate.