I cherry picked this off of drudge, but according to the AP it looks like the Teamsters may be set to endorse Obama.

Obama and the Democratic party here in MN both had an outstanding night.  In 2004, the energy from Howard Dean's campaign brought out a record crowd, with just over 50,000 people showing up.

Ok, so I just need to vent about my call to Aetna today regarding a prescription drug reimbursement.  I should preface this by saying that I am not a person who gets sick very often.  I deal with insurance companies about once or twice a year, if that, generally when I'm making changes to my plan.  My experience today is very minor in the grand scheme.  However, that's kind of the point... if I'm this frustrated over my $150 claim, I can't imaging how bad it is for people who have real health issues.

The level of corruption amonst the GOP's leadership is just unbelievable.  According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, a company owned by Minnesota GOP Chairman Ron Carey is under investigation by the state's AG for bilking millions out of the state

(This is a repost from a comment I made earlier, but I've been asked to repost it as a diary)

I'm affraid that the re-thugs are winning the framing battle in this hearing.  What we've seen develop here are two camps, the corruption camp and the incompetance camp.  Dems are pounding the politization / corruption issue.  Re-thugs are pounding the incompetance issue.

I just got home from the first Draft Obama rally here in Minneapolis.  It was absolutely amazing.  There were about 50 people there, including the mayor of Minneapolis, RT Rybak (a hardcore Dean supporter, who is considered to be a strong governor / Senate candidate.

A new poll by the Startribune shows Patty Wetterling leading ultra-fundy Michele Bachmann by 8 in MN-6.

Now that Ford Bell has dropped out of the MN Senate race, Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar has clear sailing to the nomination.  She is considered the heavy favorite over Bush lap-dog Congressman Mark Kennedy (MN-6).   She has a new ad out that her campaign is trying to raise cash to run.  I got an email from her campaign manager, Ben Goldfarb, with a link to the ad and the proverbial request for cash.  I just saw the ad on TV last night.  

I'm curious if anyone who knows more about polling and psychology than I can shed any light on a question I have.  Why is it that poll numbers fluctuate so much from poll to poll?  More specifically, why is it that people are so willing to change their minds from one poll to the next based on one specific event?  I'm specifically thinking here of the small uptick that Bush seems to have had following the Zarqawi death?  We always seem to see these sorts of upticks following specific events like this.  My question is why?

It is no secret around here that the media in today's climate is obsessed with fluff stories, rather than reporting what most of us would believe to be the real news of the day.  There in fact was just a brilliant diary this morning regarding some of the causes of this, which made it to the top of the Recommended list, and which I could not agree with more.

Today's CNN front page takes fluff journalism to a whole new level.  Here is a sampling of the content of CNN's front page, headline stories right now:

So I checked my email this morning before I get to work and I see this email in my box that says something about Dobson and CBS.  I get to looking closer, and I find out that it is from my mother... my good hearted, well intentioned, wing nut mother...

Tonight was Precinct Caucus night for the Minnesota DFL (Minnesota's weird little incarnation of the Democratic Party).  These are essentially neighborhood meetings, where local activists come out to do the business of internal party governance.  On tonight's agenda, we did such things as take a straw poll for our statewide offices, elect precinct officers for the next two years, made a donation to the party, voted on delegates for the city, county and Senate District conventions, etc. etc.

Ok, so I rarely post diaries on here and generally not about something this fluffy, but the current CNN quick poll is just funny as all hell.  The question is:  Is former FEMA boss Mike Brown being made a scapegoat for the sluggish response to Katrina?

Your choices are:

1.  Yes, he's being made a scapegoat,
   
2.  Yes, but he deserves much of the blame, or
   
3.  No, he's just whining.

www.cnn.com

I have never understood why Dems are not attacking the Repubs on the issue of "terrorism."  This is the only single major issue that the Dems do not absolutely kick the crap out of the Repubs on in almost all of the polling that has come out in the past year or so.  

In the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, Terrorism is the only one of the issues in which Dems are not viewed substantially more favorably than the Repubs.  Here is a link to the CNN article about the poll findings:  http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/25/poll.bush/index.html

Not to belabor the point, but what the article basically says that Dems win on all major domestic issues and now, for the first time ever, win on the issue of who would be better at handling Iraq.  However, 49% favor Repubs and 38% favor Dems on issue of "fighting terrorism," though the article says there has been a major shift in how the public views this issue, with a substantially higher number viewing Dems as better now than at any time in the past.

Politics Online is taking nominations for the "Top 10 Who are Changing the Internet and Politics."  Having been a regular reader of this web site for some time now, and an occassional poster, it is clear that this site (and others) are creating a  new paradigm for political discourse, action and dare I say... journalism.

With that being said, my vote for top internet politico mover and shaker is Markos and this little web site.  For more information on their little contest and to nominate Kos (the man and the site), please go here:

http://politicsonline.com/content/main/specialreports/2005/top10_2005/

As we all know, the Bush administration has made one
of it's key policy goals for the second term the
complete destruction of our system of consumer
protection and protection for those who have been
injured.  The administration recently sponsored and
then signed legislation that has all but eliminated
the right to file a class action lawsuit in state
court.  It has now set it's sights on "reforming" the
bankruptcy code, to make it virtually impossible for
those who have been victimized by the disaster that is
the Bush economy to seek any recourse by way of filing
personal bankruptcy.

Now, the Bush "tort reform" (ie anti-consumer /
pro-big business) agenda has landed squarely at the
Minnesota legislature.  Republicans in the Senate
(with what appears unfortunitely to be the assistance
of some DFL-ers) have introduced two bills that if
passed would greatly weaken protection for individuals
injured in automobile accidents.

From John Edwards's web site:

Minnesota For Dean Votes Overwhelmingly To Support John Edwards For President

Dean State Campaign Recommends that Dean Supporters Vote for Edwards  

ST. PAUL, MN: Minnesota for Dean activists Thursday night voted overwhelmingly to support John Edwards' campaign for president.

At an evening meeting in St. Paul, two-thirds of volunteers and leaders in attendance voted to recommend that Dean supporters vote for Edwards in Tuesday's caucus. Members also agreed to help with a massive get out the vote campaign for March 2.

"Howard Dean's campaign is a tremendous force in Minnesota," Edwards said. "I have admired the optimism and dedication of Dean's supporters. I am happy to work with them to provide this country with a real alternative to George Bush in November and to change this country so that it works for all Americans."

Minnesota for Dean counts several thousand activists and supporters across the state. The organization has been active in the state for over a year, holding more Dean Meetups than any other state except California. Minnesota for Dean has not only fought to elect Dean, but also has devoted itself to community service projects across the state.

The vote to support Edwards followed a candidates' forum during which Dean's volunteers and top state leaders fired questions at campaign representatives from the John Edwards, John Kerry and Dennis Kucinich campaigns. Minnesota for Dean then met in private to discuss their options before holding a vote.

Immediately after the vote, members of the organization signed up to canvass and phone bank for Edwards. During Get Out the Vote weekend, Dean's organization will help reach voters and make sure they get to the caucuses.

Minnesota for Dean is joining forces with Edwards' already strong grassroots organization. Minnesotans for Edwards has been building support for the North Carolina senator for over a year.

The decision came on the eve of Senator Edwards' second visit to Minnesota in a week. Following an overflowing rally in St. Paul, more than twenty elected DFL officials have endorsed Edwards this week.

A group of us Dean meetup leaders here in SE Minnesota have decided to expand what we are already doing by creating another progressive political meetup.  We have decided to use Paul Wellstone's name as the backdrop for the meetup because Paul was such a wonder and inspiring person.  Many, many of us, especially here in Minnesota, who have been volunteering for Howard Dean were first inspired by Paul Wellstone.  Both men have very similar visions for where they want the country to go and what type of politics they feel the american public deserves.  

The inspiration for the Wellstone Meetup was the recent book discussion of Paul's book "Concience of a Liberal," which was sponsored by Paul's organization, Wellstone Action.  His organization encouraged all in attendance to keep going if they wanted to and help expand Paul's vision.  We thought a meetup dedicated to Paul would be a perfect vehicle to grow our progressive circle in this country, to continue Paul's work and to build on our Dean experience.

If you are interested in forming your own Wellstone meetup, check out this link: http://wellstoneact.meetup.com