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Republican Newt Gingrich packed a Bloomington hotel ballroom Monday night, attacking President Barack Obama's economic policies and arguing that a vote for rival Mitt Romney would mean the continuation of the same failed ideas and big government spending. On the eve of state's precinct caucuses, the presidential candidate's appearance at the Ramada Mall of America was his first campaign stop in Minnesota. About 500 supporters turned out to hear the former House speaker promise to cut spending and taxes, turn welfare safety nets into springboards and stand firm against America's enemies abroad if elected president. And,Gingrich said, the only way...

Newt Gingrich's presidential ambitions could hinge on the outcome of Tuesday's Minnesota caucuses, along with Colorado's caucus on the same day, says a story in the Huffington Post. Gingrich was leading in recent polls in Minnesota, but he's the only one of the four remaining Republican contenders not to visit the state in the week before the caucuses. The story says Mitt Romney is expected to fare quite well in upcoming contests in Nevada, Michigan and Arizona: But Colorado and especially Minnesota, both non-binding contests to be held on February 7, are different kettles of fish. And they are likely...

Raleigh, N.C. – Newt Gingrich holds a commanding 18-point lead over Mitt Romney in the Minnesota caucuses. Gingrich has more support than any two candidates combined – he garners 36% of the vote, with 18% going to Romney, 17% to Rick Santorum, 13% to Ron Paul, and 15% not sure. Gingrich also receives the highest net favorability rating at +34 (59/25) followed by Santorum at +32 (56/24), then Romney at just +14 (50/36) and Ron Paul holds a negative favorability rating with -9 (36/45). Both Gingrich (50-29) and Santorum (46-34) beat Romney in one on one matchups. Gingrich has a...

Mitt Romney's top ten is made up of Goldman Sachs, followed by Credit Suisse (Switzerland), Morgan Stanley, Barclays (UK), Bank of America and JP Morgan. In contrast Romney's co-frontrunner in Iowa, Ron Paul, has a top three donor list made up of the US Army, US Navy and US Airforce.

(VIDEO AT LINK) Albums on her iPod, debate rituals, and the secret sauce to Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign. Meghan McCain joined Alex on NOW today to discuss her interview with the Minnesota Congresswoman—who touched on topics she doesn’t often discuss.....

He doesn't claim to know her post-presidential campaign plans, but fellow Minnesotan Norm Coleman, a Romney backer, believes Rep. Michele Bachmann has what it takes to be vice president. "She could serve well," he says of the Minnesota lawmaker who once led the polls for the Iowa caucus. "I think she's helped herself in this process." Bachmann isn't reconsidering her future other than believing she is positioned for a comeback against Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney in the GOP primaries. But even her critics are giving Bachmann good grades for her campaign, debate performances and fund raising despite some early...

Des Moines-With her youthful wardrobe — platform sandals, polka-dotted toenails and skinny, low-cut jeans — Sarah Palin does not look like the buttoned-up, middle-aged Republican presidential contenders who've been traipsing around New Hampshire and Iowa for weeks. But here she is, just like them, sweeping into both states this weekend to give speeches on her way to, well, what? If she is to run for president, she said last month, she will have to decide by the end of September. Many Republicans with ample presidential campaign experience say her window is closing fast. Polls suggest that her indecisiveness may have...

Somewhere between 6 p.m. Saturday and his morning announcement of the end of his presidential campaign, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty must have had a very sobering conversation. Pawlenty had been trying to find a silver lining in his third-place finish, far behind Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul, in Saturday's Iowa straw poll. His first comment — a very brief congratulatory tweet: "Congrats to Rep. Bachmann on win. Our campaign needed to show progress and we did. I'm eager for the campaign ahead." That was followed by an e-mail message to his supporters. "As I said all along we needed...

Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty continued his focus on reports that Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann suffers from serious migraines, saying Friday that his campaign is not “pushing” the story. “I checked with our staff,” Mr. Pawlenty said Friday. “They said they did not push the Bachmann story. In fact they reminded me that the sources for the story were her, apparently, her former staff.” Mr. Pawlenty’s comment comes just days after The Daily Caller reported the story, citing sources close to Ms. Bachmann. “All of the candidates I think are going to have to be able to demonstrate they can...

Yesterday, my blog partner Tina Korbe scolded Tim Pawlenty for making an argument that Michele Bachmann didn’t have executive experience or a record of Congressional accomplishment in her three terms in Washington as a comparison to his own experience as a governor in Minnesota. Even though Tina says that Bachmann’s record in Congress is “admittedly a little thin,” she writes that Pawlenty looked thin-skinned for pointing it out. My friend John Hinderaker wrote last night at Power Line that while he thinks that Pawlenty would make a better President than Bachmann, but that he “crossed a line” by pointing out...

A poll unveiled this week from American Research Group shows that three Republican presidential candidates -- U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas and former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska -- are gaining serious momentum in Iowa, site of the first presidential caucus. Bachmann, who declared her candidacy in June and has been surging in polls at both the national and state levels, topped the poll with 21 percent. Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts placed second with 18 percent. Paul, who was the Libertarian candidate in 1988 and ran for the Republican nomination in...

A COUPLE weeks back, I argued that Michele Bachmann's lack of relevant experience makes it unlikely she'll win the Republican nomination. This elicited several thoughtful responses worth addressing, especially in light of Tim Pawlenty's recent digs at Ms Bachmann's lack of qualifications. Jonathan Chait suspects that "the Bachmann skeptics think she'll implode largely because she reminds them of Palin, when in fact she has a professional staff and is far more in control than Palin". Ms Bachmann does not in fact remind me much of Sarah Palin. I agree that her cannon is not as loose as Ms Palin's, and...

AMES, Iowa — Tim Pawlenty was first in line to enter the Republican presidential race. He is now fighting to avoid becoming the earliest major candidate to be shown the door. No contender for the Republican nomination has followed the conventional playbook more than Mr. Pawlenty, a former governor of Minnesota who began introducing himself two years ago during a prospecting trip to Iowa. Yet his path has been complicated by fresher faces, an unruly nominating contest and a handful of missteps that swallowed his summer momentum. The voting will not open for at least six months, but Mr. Pawlenty...

Not a fan of Ed Rollins, but you know that. I guess this qualifies as Part 3 of the “Hey Ed Rollins, you deal with it” series. More than not being a fan of Ed Rollins, I keep questioning why Michele Bachmann started her campaign by having Rollins attack Sarah Palin in very demeaning terms, and if it was not planned, why Bachmann did not fire Rollins on the spot. That question becomes important because as Bachmann rises in the polls and spotlight, the process of Palinizing her by the left-blogosphere and mainstream media also is rising. The disgusting Rolling...

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) made the first and only mention of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), praising her and saying she is qualified to be president. Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor, was asked who made the better choice for vice president in 2008, Obama by choosing then-Sen. Joe Biden or Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) selection of Palin. The Minnesotan originally focused his comments on Biden, criticizing his Iraq policy, but then turned to praise Palin. "I think Gov. Palin is a remarkable leader, she is more than qualified to be president of the United States," he said....

I feel a certain sympathy for Michele Bachmann and if it came out that she ordered Ed Rollins to launch that premtive strike against Sarah Palin (or at least agree to it), I wouldnt blame her. The fact that Ed Rollins is leading her campaign is evidence that Bachmann is serious about making a go for the nomination. Up until this point Palin is still relying on sycophantic amateurs for serious political advice. There is no certainty that Palin is even running yet (although I'm thinking she will). If I were Michele Bachmann, I would be very resentful of Palin's...

Will Sarah Palin’s intensifying rivalry with Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) cause the former Alaska governor to run for president? The first female Republican vice presidential nominee clearly believes she is the one who has paid the heavy dues by bearing the brunt of the “liberal elite” attacks to help build the tea party, social conservative wing of the GOP. Palin’s bus tour had some of the hallmarks of a primal scream: “I built this constituency, not Bachmann, not anyone else,” she said. Looking at it through her eyes, she has a point. But in 1932, former New York Gov. Al...

His hire was also her first real campaign decision. If you’re not up to speed on the story, here’s what’s going on. Rep. Bachmann hired veteran Republican campaign strategist Ed Rollins to manage her campaign. Campaign managers have to carry a few qualities, among them toughness, a bit of ruthlessness, communications and fundraising savvy (and there are many qualities packed into those two qualities), and a certain ability to provide useful leadership and simultaneously blend into the background. That last is because, while they manage the campaign, the campaign isn’t about them. It’s about the candidate. But Ed Rollins tends...

This could be some of the early shots in the contest for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. On Tuesday’s “Kilmeade and Friends” on the Fox News Radio network, former Huckabee campaign manager Ed Rollins, who signed up with potential presidential candidate Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann on Monday, explained why he decided to join the Bachmann camp. “Well I’m going to work for Michele Bachmann if she runs,” Rollins said. “That’s the one that intrigues me the most at this point and I think to a certain extent she’s articulate, she’s a conservative. She’s got a great story to tell....

As former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is generating a lot of media buzz with her bus tour despite her vagueness about a 2012 presidential run, what does this mean to the rest of the Republican field, particularly potential candidate Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann? On Tuesday’s “Good Morning America” on ABC, co-host George Stephanopoulos asked if the Republican field was big enough for both her and Palin. (h/t The Right Scoop) “Oh sure, I think there’s room for a lot of contenders,” Bachmann said. “I think there’s no question in 2012 the Republicans will field a wide bench of contenders...

BLUFFTON, S.C. -- Laura Sterling had never voted before 2008, much less been a political activist. But Friday night she was one of three self-described "little South Carolina moms" hosting a $175-per-couple reception for Michele Bachmann, the Minnesota firebrand congresswoman who is rapidly becoming the adopted favorite of many conservatives in the Palmetto State. Her latest visit, including a Monday Tea Party rally at the State Capitol in Columbia, is part of an effort to set up the possibility of strong showings in the early presidential nominating contests of her native Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. That trifecta would...

Tim Pawlenty implied Tuesday that there are some less-than-serious presidential hopefuls eyeing the race, with a quip that seemed to lump Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann and Donald Trump together with wrestling icon Hulk Hogan. "You're going to have, you know, Mitt Romney who will start out as the front-runner with the most name-ID and money..." Pawlenty told CNN’s Piers Morgan in handicapping the race. "And on the other end of the continuum, you'll have perhaps Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Donald Trump, or I don't know, maybe Hulk Hogan will get in the race too. Who knows? But I think in...

Well it would seem that Republicans in Congress blinked agreeing to a last minute deal where they compromised everything and Democrats gave nothing. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is doing a victory lap, and President Obama was thankful that funding Planned Parenthood was avoided. "We protected the investments we need to win the future. At the same time, we also made sure at the end of the day this was a debate about spending cuts — not social issues like women’s health and the protection of our air and water. These are important issues that deserve discussion, just not during...

Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, who has revealed plans to run as Vice President with Ron Paul in 2012, is making his presence felt with news-making interviews and explosive statements on 9/11 attacks, President Barack Obama and President-hopeful Michele Bachmann. The former governor-turned-conspiracy theorist, who is currently promoting his book '63 Documents the Government Doesn't Want You to Read', said that he would run for Vice President if Ron Paul ran as an Independent. On ABC's Good Morning America with George Stephanopoulos, Ventura made light the idea of Michele Bachmann, often identified as the "un-Palin", running for President. "You've got...

Former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, in an upcoming appearance on “Piers Morgan Tonight,” says former Alaska governor Sarah Palin will win the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. “She’s the type of person that certainly will be controlled by the status quo and the power structure. So she’d make a perfect candidate for them, she’ll do what she’s told,” Mr. Ventura says. The former Minnesota governor noted Ms. Palin’s reality show and her current contributions on Fox News, saying the Republican Party is “grooming” her. The former Alaska governor has yet to announce a presidential campaign. Ms. Palin has noted in the...

Speaking to a group involving policy talk on Latin America, Hillary Clinton said it’s about time the United States has a female president. Although she may be talking in the general sense, one can’t help but speculate whether she is talking about Governor Sarah Palin or Representative Michele Bachmann. Both women seem to have interests in 2012. When it came to Palin, Hillary never uttered a bad word about her, nor vice-versa. Via Politico: “I must say, I’m far enough away from my own career in electoral politics that I will not take too much heat for suggesting that these...

Ken Martin has been on the job as the DFL Party chair for less than two weeks. One change from his predecessor, Brian Melendez, has been immediate. Melendez handled the position as a volunteer, turning over many duties to staff. Martin will be doing this as a full-time job. And, given the outcome of the November elections and the shaky status of DFL finances, full time will be required. Few could be in a position to better understand the party's needs than Martin. He was executive director of WIN Minnesota, the progressive independent-expenditure organization that raised substantial amounts of money...

The Daily Beast columnist Meghan McCain was on 'The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell' (Wed., 8PM on MSNBC), where she and the host responded to GOP Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's response to the State of the Union address. MSNBC did not air the response, but CNN did, which McCain thinks they "should be ashamed of." Lawrence called Bachmann's statements the "second response to the State of the Union Address," because the designated Republican response had already been given. He agreed with McCain "about how there were these different people who are just using their platforms to their own personal advantage, rather...

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) is delivering the official rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union next week. But, thanks to technology and the tea party movement, it won't be the only Republican response. In concert with Tea Party Express, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is delivering her own post-speech message. Ryan's response will air on national television after Obama's speech; Bachmann's will be streamed on the Tea Party Express Web site. The news was announced in a fund-raising email. Bachmann founded a Tea Party Caucus in Congress, and Tea Party Express named her a "hero" in the 2010 election. Founded...

Tim Pawlenty takes aim at critics of Sarah Palin in his new book, which is set to released Tuesday and a copy of which was obtained by the Fix. And in doing so, the former Minnesota governor seems to be saying something about his own blue-collar appeal as he weighs a run -- perhaps against the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential nominee -- for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. The book, called "Courage to Stand," represents the latest in a series of steps Pawlenty has taken to emerge on the national stage in advance of his near-certain presidential...

Will someone please slip a giant condom over NFL Commissionr Roger Goodell?

Delegates at today's Republican Party State Central Committee approved a 2-year party ban on 18 high profile Republicans who supported Independence Party candidate Tom Horner. The list includes former GOP governors Al Quie and Arne Carlson and former US Senator Dave Durenberger. On a 59 to 55 vote, the motion would forbid them from being Republican delegates or attending the Republican National Convention in 2012. Supporters of the motion say it would hold people accountable for calling themselves Republicans yet supporting a rival candidate. Delegate Jim Newberger of Becker says Democrat Mark Dayton may not be leading the recount if...

A caller to the Chris Baker show on 100.3 FM KTLK in Minneapolis, reported that he was the first voter on site at a Precinct in Golden Valley, MN (suburb immediately to the West of Minneapolis, and home to the broadcast studios of TV station KARE-11). Minnesota's voting system utilizes pieces of paper where the voter completes an arrow next to the name of their selected candidates with a black marker. The paper is fed through a scanner. So, the FIRST voter at this polling place reported that "the scanner was broken" and the election officials were collecting the ballots...

A new KSTP/SurveyUSA poll shows Republican Tom Emmer and DFLer Mark Dayton in a dead heat in the race for governor. Released Thursday, the poll results show Dayton with a razor-thin, one-point lead of 39 to 38 percent. Independence Party candidate Tom Horner sits at 13 percent. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus four percent. It includes two percent more Republicans than Democrats, which is consistent with national polling. The poll shows Emmer has expanded his lead among men by two points, while Dayton's lead among women has fallen 14 points since earlier this month. Emmer leads...

Jim Oberstar and Chip Cravaack didn’t just face each other this morning at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center Auditorium, they faced angry mobs of their opponent’s supporters. Just seconds into the first comments by DFLer Oberstar, Cravaack supporters began to shout the long-term incumbent down with calls of "liar" and "Obama Junior." By the time challenger Cravaack’s turn came, Oberstar supporters responded in kind. Moderators asked for civility and respect, but the cat calls and jeering from a nearly-full auditorium continued through most of the 90-minute forum, often drowning-out candidates' answers over a faulty sound system that lacked volume. Oberstar...

Folks, this is good news. Minnesota's 1st Congressional District (southern Minnesota) should have GOP representation - and Randy Demmer is the right guy for the job! Current Dem Congressman Tim Walz is one of these guys who votes like a Pelosi clone in DC but acts like a moderate Dem when he's back in his district. In short, let's send his ass back home to Mankato where he can resume boring the students at the high school he used to teach at. Do you want to find out more about Randy Demmer? You do? Good. I have a website for...

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) announced today that Randy Demmer (MN-01) has reached 'Young Gun' status, the premiere level of its three-tiered Young Guns program. Founded in the 2007-2008 election cycle by Reps. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and Paul Ryan (R-WI), the Young Guns program is a member-driven organization dedicated to electing open-seat and challenger candidates nationwide. “I am honored to receive this recognition as an acknowledgement of the support that we have received from voters across Southern Minnesota,” Demmer said. “Throughout my campaign I have heard nothing but frustration with Tim Walz. His active support for...

So what is it that’s motivating moms to “stampede” like “pink elephants” toward the Nov. 2 elections, as Washington Post Writers Group columnist Kathleen Parker wrote in the July 18 News Tribune (“Palin’s on her way to conquer, one woman at a time”)? It’s all about the message. The reason Sarah Palin resonates with moms across the U.S. is that deep in our hearts we believe in what she’s saying. Just visit the YouTube site bit.ly/akOoko, and you will see moms holding signs saying, “I love Sarah Palin because she loves my country,” “No government health care,” “Moms opposed to...

MINNEAPOLIS -- State Rep. Tom Emmer has coasted to victory in Minnesota's Republican primary for governor. --snip-- Emmer faced his stiffest GOP opposition in April, winning his party's endorsement over a fellow House member a day after receiving Sarah Palin's endorsement.

Money is surging through the election battle between U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann and her Democratic challenger, Tarryl Clark, who reported totals on Wednesday that eclipse previous state fundraising records for a U.S. House race. Clark, a state senator, said she had raised a whopping $910,000 since April in her effort to unseat Bachmann, the Stillwater Republican who has become a conservative favorite nationally. Bachmann countered Clark's news with an even bigger bombshell: She had piled up $1.7 million in the same three-month period. The tallies set a new high-water mark for Minnesota U.S. House races and offer further proof that...

All three leading Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidates for governor hold firm leads over Republican endorsee Tom Emmer, a new statewide poll shows. The poll also showed Gov. Tim Pawlenty's popularity has sunk to a new low. In addition, it suggested Minnesotans are gloomy about the state of their state. A lopsided majority thinks the North Star state is headed in the wrong direction. Decision Resources Ltd., of Minneapolis, conducted the survey of 800 Minnesota adults May 28-June 2. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Among the three main DFL gubernatorial candidates, former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton has...

Republican Tom Emmer, who secured the GOP nomination for governor with a little endorsement help from Sarah Palin, now is leading all of his possible Democratic opponents, according to a Survey USA poll conducted for KSTP-TV. Here's how KSTP breaks down the numbers: When Emmer's name was tested against the name of Democrat Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Emmer led 44 percent to 33 percent. Against Democrat Mark Dayton, the result was Emmer 42 percent, Dayton 34 percent. Against Democrat Matt Entenza, Emmer was favored 42-31. The report doesn't include a margin of error or survey date. The sample size was 588...

Election day is six months away, but for now it appears Democrats won't have an easy time winning the Minnesota governor's office for the first time in 24 years. Exclusive 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS-SurveyUSA poll results show Republican Tom Emmer as the early front-runner in three hypothetical races. His lead coincides with a surge in Minnesota voters who self-identify themselves as Republicans. Emmer captured the Republican endorsement for governor in convincing fashion. Now, in a hypothetical match-up against DFL-endorsed candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher and the favorite to win the Independence Party nomination, Tom Horner, Emmer has a convincing lead. According to...

On Thursday, former Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin endorsed State Representative Tom Emmer in the Republican primary for Minnesota’s Gubernatorial race. Taking to her Facebook page, Palin described the candidate as a “patriotic fiscally conservative ‘hockey dad.’” He also happens to be an individual who believes Arizona’s controversial new immigration law is a “wonderful first step.” Emmer’s description of the law, which grants Arizona police officers the authority to ask those suspected of being in the country illegally for proof of citizenship, was made during a debate Wednesday with another Republican hopeful on the Minnesota Public Radio program Midday...

GOP gubernatorial candidate Sam Rohrer has gained the endorsement of Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN6) who has been called the second most dangerous woman in American. . . . . .Mrs. Bachmann met Rohrer in 1998 when Rohrer went to Minnesota to discuss federal mandates regarding schools. She says it was he who inspired her to run for office as a state senator.

Who's more likely to perform the politically Herculean feat of ousting GOP cable TV darling Michele Bachmann from her Sixth District congressional seat -- DFL insider Tarryl Clark or outsider Maureen Reed? That was the question under earnest discussion by a pair of party veterans March 13 at the Senate District 52 convention, held at Mahtomedi High School. I leaned in to listen. "I'm for Tarryl Clark because she's electable," said Mary Vogel of Marine on St. Croix. "We need someone who knows how to run a winning campaign, because she's done it. She's an experienced legislator, and a leader....

I recently attended not a Tea Party, but a local GOP meeting in the Minneapolis Metro Area, where local delegates were voted for to go to the state GOP convention, and a few candidates for governor (Seifert, Emmer, and Herwig) appeared. In addition to a couple of candidates for State Representative and State Senate -- we have some good up-and-comers. Go Norann Dillon and Sarah Anderson! Anyway, making a cameo appearance was Erik Paulsen, who led off with the following quip: He just heard from the Olympics, and they have announced that they are going to strip the Gold Medal...

Former Senator Norm Coleman told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Chief Political Reporter Tom Hauser Sunday he will not be running for governor in 2010. He made the official announcement on his Facebook page late Sunday night. He released the following statement to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS ahead of the announcement. "I love Minnesota and I love public service, but this is not the right time for me and my family to conduct a campaign for Governor. Timing is everything. The timing on this race is both a bit too soon and a bit too late. It is too soon after my last...

A conservative Minnesota congresswoman who has been an outspoken critic of Democratic health care plans will be the keynote speaker for a Republican dinner in Ohio. The Hamilton County GOP in Cincinnati says Rep. Michele Bachmann will speak at the annual fundraising event Feb. 26 called the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner. The county party praised Bachmann in a statement Monday as leading the fight against big government. She organized a protest rally last month against health care legislation.

Minnesota Republicans were told Saturday that they are members of a brand-new party and that Rep. Marty Seifert is their early favorite to be the state's brand-new governor. Seifert, of Marshall, who came into the race as a front-runner and has one of the most active campaigns, won 37 percent of the first-choice votes in a non-binding straw poll. Rep. Tom Emmer of Delano came in second, former state auditor Pat Anderson third and Sen. David Hann of Eden Prairie a close fourth. The poll won't bind delegates in next year's endorsement fight, but it gave winners bragging rights and...