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Theresa Marie Barslou said she voted for the first time in the November 2008 elections. Nearly a year later, her vote has come back to haunt her. Barslou, 29, of St. Paul, illegally voted as a felon on probation, states a Ramsey County criminal complaint charging her with felony voter fraud. Barslou was arrested Monday after she failed to appear last month at a court hearing. She was released the next day on $3,000 bail. Barslou is one of the 23 felons charged with voter fraud in Ramsey County since the 2008 elections, County Attorney Susan Gaertner said. During a...

It seems that a decades-old battle for the soul of the Democratic Party has reemerged in the Obama administration.  The media likes to talk about splinters and fault lines among the Republicans, but these have a far shorter history than the intra-party war that seems to be fought ever few decades among Democrats because of that party's tendency to drift to the far left.   Ron Radosh notes the interesting background of a group Van Jones founded, The Ella Baker Freedom Center. Most people have referred to the late Baker as simply a civil rights activist.... in my book, Divided They Fell: The Demise of the Democratic...

What was supposed to be a swanky Summit Avenue fundraiser for Sen. Al Franken on Thursday was abruptly canceled when Franken discovered that the host of the event served a year in prison for swindling some northern Minnesotans. Mark Erjavec, who describes himself as an entrepreneur specializing in distressed real estate, may be a newcomer to the political scene but he is well known in the courtroom. Besides the 1997 theft by swindle conviction, the 33-year-old Erjavec has faced over $100,000 in tax liens and civil judgments. General Electric sued him for copyright infringement. His personal website has a link...

In a sarcasm-laced letter, Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Tuesday brusquely rebuffed DFL legislative leaders' invitation to a summit meeting that would address the state's ongoing financial crisis. Late last month, Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller and House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher invited former governors, speakers and majority leaders to a "Minnesota Leadership Summit." In Tuesday's letter to Pogemiller and Kelliher, Pawlenty declined the invitation. "The state already has a 'Minnesota Leadership Summit,'" he wrote. "It's called the legislative session and it lasts approximately five months."

U.S. Reps. Collin Peterson and James Oberstar, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, and the Minnesota Senate Caucus are the only entities paid up through mid-July, according to the spreadsheet attached to Melendez's memo. State officials say the bad economy, changes in the state law reimbursing campaign contributions, and the natural election cycle have forced them to twist arms among contributors -- including their own elected officials. In his memo, Melendez complained to the delinquent officeholders about the need for them to catch up on dues to the UDF, a fund within the party that helps pay for basic party campaigns...

St. Paul, Minn. — President Obama and U.S. Senate Democrats say they're "united" on the goal of overhauling the nation's health insurance system. But when it comes to hammering out the actual legislation, the party has been far from unified. The House adjourned last week after its health reform bill cleared a key committee by a slim, three-vote margin. Five of the Democrats on that committee sided with Republicans and voted "no." The full House is expected to vote on the measure in September. And a key voting bloc will be the "Blue Dog" Democrats -- 52 moderate and conservative...

The party on Thursday recalled a statement criticizing Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty because it mistakenly linked to a profane YouTube video of an elderly Chinese woman repeating obscenities. Andrew O'Leary, executive director of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, as the Democratic Party is known in Minnesota, says the link was provided by an outside researcher.

It took four years of George Bush’s second term to push Republicans to a recent nadir in registration in Minnesota. It only took six months of Barack Obama to push the GOP back into parity with the DFL, the state’s Democratic Party. Eric Ostermeier at Smart Politics looks at the suddenly-stronger Republican Party and draws at least one of the correct conclusions: The SurveyUSA poll finds 34 percent of Minnesotans now identify as Republicans - the largest percentage enjoyed by the GOP in 63 surveys conducted by the organization dating back to its inaugural tracking poll in May 2005, when...

The party on Thursday recalled a statement criticizing Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty because it mistakenly linked to a profane YouTube video of an elderly Chinese woman repeating obscenities.

Uh, never mind. Also: Sorry about that. That essentially was the DFL's red-faced response Thursday when it sent out an electronic news release blasting Gov. Tim Pawlenty that had a profanity-laced video attached to it. The release was designed to respond to Pawlenty's speech before national Republicans in San Diego, attacking his record on job creation, health care and the state budget deficit. One small problem: The link that was supposed to direct reporters to a state economic development report actually sent them to a YouTube video titled "Chinese Grandma Learns English." For four minutes, an elderly Chinese woman repeats...

Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced plans Tuesday to whack $2.7 billion out of the budgets of nearly every governmental agency, program or subdivision that gets money from the state, including schools, health and social services, cities and counties, colleges and universities and state agencies.

ST. PAUL, Minn.—A group of conservatives sued Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and 25 county election officials Thursday over allegedly incomplete voter records. Minnesota Majority president Jeff Davis said the counties failed to post voter history updates as required within six weeks of the November 2008 election. His lawsuit also alleges that Ritchie's office has yet to update voter records to reflect all those who voted. Davis said the lawsuit was filed Thursday with the Minnesota Supreme Court. Ritchie, a Democrat, said the attorney general's office will respond to the lawsuit.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty's bold move to single-handedly fix the $2.7 billion hole in the state budget was an important policy decision. "It's not an option. It's a duty," he said Tuesday at a Capitol news conference. But it also was a risky gamble for his political future. He will be blamed if his budget cuts cause widespread pain and damage the state's financial health. But he will be credited as a strong leader if restraining state spending holds down taxes and restores fiscal stability. Pawlenty won't announce whether he'll run for a third term until later this year. And he...

You Don't Play Chicken When You Drive A Prius .... .... especially when the other guy has a garbage truck. Here's the response from Rep. Tim Sanders (R 51A) to the Governor's decision to unallot to solve the budget gap left by Democratic leaders in the Legislature. This afternoon, Governor Tim Pawlenty announced there will be no special session and no government shutdown. According to the Governor, the 2009 session will definitely end Monday night at midnight. The governor has decided to take the bills the DFL majority has put on his desk, line-item veto in some places, and sign...

As soon as this summer, shoplifters could pilfer $250 in merchandise and walk away with a fine. Same for those who buy or sell up to an ounce of marijuana or who fence stolen goods. Bad checks up to $125 would get similar treatment, as would credit fraud under $250. A Senate bill that would dramatically change the criminal justice system -- reducing sentences, changing misdemeanors to petty misdemeanors, vastly increasing fees -- is under serious consideration as a means of dealing with the state's gaping $4.6 billion budget deficit and relieving pressure on an overburdened court system.

There is a push at the State Capitol to make sure Minnesota workers get paid if they take a sick day from work. The Minnesota Paid Sick Days Coalition along with Sen. Ellen Anderson and Rep. John Lesch will unveil the Healthy Families, Healthy Workplace Act Friday. Sen. Anderson and Rep. Lesch say sick workers cost employers in lost productivity while also spreading illness in the workplace.

Minnesota Democrats-Farmer-Labor Party(DLF) Founders Day Like MN Secretary of State Mark “Soros Puppet and former? Communist Party Member” Ritchie(D), Al “Globull Fraud” Gore delivers DLF keynote rally speech for Al Franken * * VIDEO * * (15 minutes) October 4, 2008 <> Gore on Franken - "Washington needs a breath of fresh air. Al Franken is a great man, a great activist, and will be a great leader in the U.S. Senate" Ticket prices to attend Gore’s DLF keynote speech were $25 to $500. Gore’s speaking honorarium was $35,000

Comedian Al Franken grabbed the Democratic nomination Tuesday for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, setting up a showdown with Republican Sen. Norm Coleman that had been years in the making. Franken, who gained fame as a "Saturday Night Live" cast member, easily beat six other candidates chasing the Democratic nod.

Comedian Al Franken grabbed the Democratic nomination Tuesday for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, setting up a showdown with Republican Sen. Norm Coleman that had been years in the making. Franken, who gained fame as a "Saturday Night Live" cast member, easily beat six other candidates chasing the Democratic nod. Coleman trounced his only opponent, an expatriate living in Italy.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota lawmaker Willie Dominguez was mugged Wednesday night outside of his Minneapolis home. The state representative says he was "scared to death" when two young men stole $40 from him while he was in the driveway of his home, shortly after he returned from the state Capitol. Dominguez says one of the robbers threatened him with a gun. Police have no suspects in custody.

Noting that there were only 148 days left until the election, newly endorsed DFL Senate candidate Al Franken led a kickoff rally Monday on the steps of the State Capitol with a bluntly worded assessment of his rival, Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman. Coleman, he said, "hasn't brought people together to get things done. He's sold people out to get ahead." Minnesotans, he said, "need a senator who has their back. Norm Coleman isn't even on their side." In what is expected to be a common refrain, Franken, who received his party's endorsement over the weekend, linked Coleman to President...

DFL U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken got a welcome boost on Wednesday with an endorsement from one of the more revered figures in the Democratic Party -- former Vice President Al Gore. Gore, who has become a crusading environmentalist since leaving elective office, sent an e-mail to DFL delegates on Wednesday afternoon that warmly praised Franken, calling him "exactly the breath of fresh air our government needs." Calling Franken one of the party's "hardest working activists," Gore saluted what he said were Franken's "sharp wit and strong convictions." In a nod to the unconventionality of Franken's candidacy, Gore said the...

Just as DFL activists begin streaming into Rochester for a state convention that starts today, their top U.S. Senate candidate, Al Franken, is fending off still more slings on his troubled road to the nomination. On Thursday, an e-mail surfaced from one of the state's leading abortion-rights groups, Planned Parenthood, denouncing an article he wrote for Playboy in 2000, calling the piece misogynistic and degrading to women. And U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar broke a week-long silence to chastise him publicly for the piece, which she called "entirely inappropriate," and to ask him to acknowledge that. On Thursday evening, Franken's campaign...

Former Vice President Al Gore has endorsed Al Franken's bid for the U.S. Senate. The endorsement from Gore, who is extremely popular among Democratic activists, comes at a good time for Franken. On Saturday he squares off with peace activist Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer for the DFL endorsement at the state party convention in Rochester. In a letter sent to DFL delegates, Gore says Franken will make "a fantastic senator" and that they share the same goals on Gore's longtime effort to slow global warming. Nelson-Pallmeyer also landed an important, but considerably less high-profile endorsement. He's being backed by Ben Goldfarb, who...

Do You Hear The Cracking? The 30 person committee that rendered their decision today was made up of 8 Obama supporters and 7 DNC representatives hand picked by Dean; allowing Dean & Obama to garnish a majority vote without Dean actually having to cast a vote. The members of this committee had their minds made up when they announce the meeting, not after today’s public hearings. The Clinton campaign naturally cannot be happy about this result, but more importantly the majority female support that Clinton enjoyed just took one more step away from Obama. Mike Kaszuba of the Minneapolis Star...

St. Paul) For Immediate Release Seifert's amendment failed 66-67, with DFLers keeping the voting board open and urging their members to vote against the measure. All of Seifert's fellow Republicans voted for the amendment, while all votes in opposition were DFLers. Seifert was able to persuade 18 DFLers to vote with him, but it wasn't enough.

The Minnesota Legislature voted Monday to override Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto of a $6.6 billion bill, paving the way for higher gas taxes and other fees to bring in more money for roads, bridges and transit. The House vote was 91-41, one more than was needed, and came after two hours of debate. Debate began shortly after 1 p.m. today amid increased pressure from both sides. The Senate vote later in the day, 47-20, was assured since Democrats have a veto-proof majority.

The Minnesota Public Radio News/Humphrey Institute Poll indicates DFL Senate candidate Al Franken poses more of a re-election threat to Republican Sen. Norm Coleman than any of the other DFL candidates. The poll indicates that if the election were today Coleman and Franken would be in a statistical dead heat. The poll took the pulse of 917 Minnesota residents over a one- week period that ended Sunday. It shows Coleman 5 points ahead of DFLer Mike Ciresi, and gives Coleman double-digit leads over Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer and Jim Cohen who dropped out of the race Friday. University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute...

The cornerstone of attorney Ashwin Madia’s campaign for a U.S. Congress seat in Minnesota is that the U.S. needs to craft a “new strategy to dramatically reduce the (U.S.) presence in Iraq.” Before scrutinizing this bold assertion, consider the fact that it comes from a former Marine Corps captain who served in the U.S. military for four years and helped bring “the rule of law” to the legal system in Iraq. The 29-year-old Madia is running as a Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate in Minnesota’s Third District, a suburb outside Minneapolis that President George Bush won in the last presidential election with...

DFL candidate Al Franken announced today he had raised $1.9 million in the latest reporting period, more than Sen. Norm Coleman and Democratic rival Mike Ciresi. Franken's take in the period, covering April to June, exceeded Coleman's $1.6 million and Ciresi's $750,000. Ciresi didn't begin raising money until May. Despite the big period, Franken trailed Coleman in cash on hand, reporting just under $2 million compared to Coleman's $3.8 million. Ciresi ended the period with $625,000 in the bank. Franken's campaign provided his latest numbers to the Associated Press today. The other candidates released their figures last week.

<p>Former Minnesota Rep. Loren Jennings' effort to overturn his conviction for mail fraud and money laundering was shut down Wednesday by an order of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Jennings, 55, of Harris, was found guilty in July 2005 of two counts of mail fraud and one count of money laundering.</p>

WASHINGTON - Al Franken, a comedian and best-selling author before launching his Senate campaign this year, is worth between $4.3 million and $9.9 million, according to a financial disclosure form he filed with the Senate. Franken, a Democrat who hopes to challenge Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman (news, bio, voting record) next year, listed a salary of just over $1 million last year from his corporation, Alan Franken Inc. That corporation is the business entity that provides Franken's services — such as speaking engagements and his prior service on Air America Radio — and then pays Franken a salary at the...

A county commissioner from northern Minnesota is in hot water for a remark during a board meeting that he would support slavery if his constituents wanted him to. "(I)f the people in my district had voted for slavery, and if the vast majority had, and I was representing them, the answer is yes, I would have voted for it," Commissioner Keith Nelson said at a meeting of the St. Louis County Board. Nelson's comment came during a board debate in February over a proposed county smoking ban. Nelson said he opposed the ban because most of his constituents wanted him...

On a 35-29 vote, the Minnesota Senate gave preliminary approval this morning to a nearly $1 billion income tax increase that would boost taxes Seven DFL senators, mostly from swing districts, joined Republicans in opposing the bill, saying that the proposed new top tax rate of 9.7 percent was just a little too rich. “We’re pushing it (tax increases) a little hard this year,” said Sen. John Doll, DFL-Burnsville, who replaced a Republican in last fall’s elections. “I do have lots of folks who would be affected by this and it puts an extra burden on them.” Senate Majority Leader...

A constitutional amendment introduced today in the Minnesota House would allow non-citizen residents to vote in local elections. If the House and Senate pass the measure, 2008 voters would be asked: "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to allow local units of government to authorize permanent resident non-citizens to vote in local government elections?" A majority of those voting in the 2008 general election would have to approve the measure for it to be written into the constitution. Illegal immigrants would not be permitted to vote. The measure is sponsored by four Twin Cities DFLers — Rep. Phyllis Kahn, Minneapolis,...

An influential House DFLer plans today to introduce an education funding bill that would raise income taxes for the Minnesotans in the highest income tax bracket. Flanked by several legislators who support the plan, Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville, and chairwoman of the House K-12 finance division, said she wants to raise the income tax rate from 7.85 percent to 8.5 percent for taxpapyers in the top income tax tier.

Economists call it "rent-seeking," the value of lobbying governments in order to maximize profits. In Minnesota, the special interests have perfected the art to such a degree that right now, in the face of a $2.2 billion state budget surplus, tax relief has been put on the back burner. Indeed, even Gov. Tim Pawlenty's spendthrift proposal — a whopping $34.4 billion for 2008-09 — is merely a starting point for big-spending Democrats who have divorced themselves from any fiscal reality. Of course, these "progressives" disguise this government greed with some bemusing tactics, such as the claim that, adjusted for inflation,...

TUESDAY, January 30, 2007 4:00 PM Joint Committee: Environment & Natural Resources, Environment & Natural Resources Finance, Energy Finance & Policy and Transportation Finance *** Note: *** Change in meeting room Room: House Chamber Chair: Rep. Kent Eken Agenda: Joint House and Senate presentation on global warming. The public will be able to view the event in rooms 217 and 316 of the State Capitol, where it will be projected on the walls, and on TVs in 123 State Capitol, the Capitol Cafeteria and 5 State Office Building.

ST. PAUL - A Maplewood man arrested in the death of his girlfriend's unborn child could be charged with murder. Police say the 20-year-old man beat an 18-year-old woman who miscarried while being treated at a Maplewood hospital. Ramsey County prosecutors have until noon today to decide whether and how to charge the suspect or to release him. Cases of murder of an unborn child are rare in Minnesota, particularly when the mother survives. A spokesman for the state Supreme Court says that since 1999, 12 charges for murder, attempted murder or manslaughter of an unborn child have made it...

Minnesota’s capital is in many ways the perfect petri dish for testing what the nation’s new political landscape may produce. Once predictably Democratic in national politics, the anchor of Upper Midwest liberal populism from the 1920s through Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale, Minnesota is now considered a battleground, with the Republicans scheduled to hold their national convention in 2008 in Minneapolis and St. Paul around that declaration. The Democrats won big here — taking the House for the first time since 1998, expanding their majority in the Senate, winning the secretary of state’s and attorney general’s offices and nearly defeating...

State Rep. Keith Ellison overcame setbacks and questions about his past to win the DFL nomination to succeed U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo, placing him on the verge of becoming the first Muslim elected to Congress. Ellison's victory ended a hard-fought primary contest considered too close to call even as the results began to come in Tuesday night. In the end, it turned into a three-way contest and Ellison received more than 41 percent of the vote, a stronger finish than observers forecast. He now faces opponents from the Republican, Independence and Green parties

Maybe it's frugality, but Republican politicians will be out in force courting voters at Game Fair while their major-party rivals will have a much lesser presence. Recently, the National Wildlife federation published results of a poll it said indicated hunters and anglers -- "sportsmen" -- are as concerned about global warming as anyone else. Maybe more so. Whether that finding was the federation's primary intent in publishing the poll results, or whether its main point was somewhat more complicated -- to highlight, for example, that a majority of sportsmen nevertheless voted for President Bush, which the NWF implied was a...

As a battle-tested veteran of many political and legal wars, Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch knew a political torpedo when he saw one approaching. In February 2005, he thought he saw one in a Chicago resident's letter seeking records on how much Hatch office's spent on travel, furniture, artwork and outside lawyers. He traced the suspicious investigation back to a Chicago firm he said is known for doing so-called opposition research -- that is, digging dirt -- for Democrats. In time, he linked the probe to another top state DFL leader, Rep. Matt Entenza.

This may not seem like your mother's League of Women Voters. The 86-year-old league, so often regarded as the epitome of good-government wonkery, will wade into pointedly political territory during its four-day national convention, which begins today in Minneapolis. Immigration policy, the death penalty and a move to upend the Electoral College are on the convention agenda. And the featured speaker at the convention's banquet on Monday is Garrison Keillor, the homegrown humorist who has long and loudly been a defiantly partisan Democrat. "We're looking forward to what he has to say, but just because he's a Democrat, you can...

American Military Kills al-Zarqawi in Air Raid Will Amy Klobuchar Join John Kerry and DFL in Cutting Funding for our Troops? (St. Paul, Minnesota) – Reports this morning confirm the death of the #1 terrorist in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The death of al-Zarqawi is a testament to the great work the men and women of our military are doing in Iraq to keep us safe at home and another reason why cutting off funding for our troops, as John Kerry and Democrats in Minnesota are proposing, would be a huge mistake in winning the War on Terrorism. “The death...

Ex-Saturday Night Live writer/comedian and current Air America radio host Al Franken has started a political action committee to dole out money to liberal candidates in 2006, which may pave the way for his own candidacy for Senate from his home state of Minnesota in 2008. Roll Call asked Franken whether the PAC, called Midwest Values, could serve as a "seed” for his own Senate bid against Republican incumbent Norm Coleman. "I think that’s a fair inference to draw,” Franken answered. "Obviously, if I’m going to run in 2008 I will have to have done certain kinds of things but...

After seven ballots, Patty Wetterling won the Democratic endorsement Saturday to oppose state Sen. Michele Bachmann in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Wetterling, who built a national reputation as an advocate for laws protecting children and helping authorities keep track of sex offenders, defeated Elwyn Tinklenberg, a former Blaine mayor and state transportation commissioner. Each candidate had promised not to run in a September nominating primary if he or she did not win the endorsement. In addition to Bachmann, Wetterling will face Independence Party candidate John Binkowski of St. Mary's Point. During about four hours of balloting, Tinklenberg never substantially cut...

AP) St. Louis Park, Minn. State Rep. Keith Ellison won the Democratic Party's endorsement as its candidate for the 5th Congressional District on Saturday, putting himself on a path to be Minnesota's first black member of Congress. Ellison's rapid victory was unexpected in the crowded field of candidates seeking the seat. By the third ballot he was just a few votes short of the 60 percent needed to claim the endorsement, and the two remaining contenders -- Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman and peace activist Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer -- withdrew and backed Ellison. "We've got to unify," Ellison, 42, told the...

Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson this morning, saying an investigation is needed to get to the bottom of a recorded conversation in which Johnson said Supreme Court justices had assured him they would not overturn state law to allow same-sex marriage. Senators Claire Robling, R-Jordan and Mike McGinn, R-Eagan, both assistant minority leaders, said in a statement released this morning that "the facts have been elusive. Sen. Johnson's story has been constantly evolving. The integrity of the Minnesota Senate and the Minnesota Supreme Court has been diminished."

WILLMAR, Minn. - The pastor who secretly recorded Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson comments about the Minnesota Supreme Court and the state's law against gay marriage says he has no regrets about what he did. Brent Waldemarsen, senior pastor at Harvest Community Church of God in Willmar, acknowledged in an interview published Friday in the West Central Tribune that his recording of Johnson, DFL-Willmar, had opened up a can of worms. "Unfortunately, it's the senator that opened it," he told the newspaper. Waldemarsen recorded Johnson telling a January meeting of the New London-Spicer Ministerial Association that Supreme Court justices had...