SENATE DISTRICTS 50, 52, 54 AND 55 CONVENTIONS

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and Me

I hit four conventions yesterday. Yes, that's right. Four. Now I have some vague inkling of what it must be like to be a candidate.

Yesterday morning I got up early, tried to ignore my whiny cat, and went online. I clicked on my saved MN DFL link and picked my conventions from the calendar. Someone from the MPP blog site said they were going to the SD50 Convention at Columbia Heights High School, so I decided to start there. Besides, it isn't very far from Lowry Central Bowling Supplies and Trophies. I could stop there afterwards and pick up my Eastern Division Spring Contest trophies that I had ordered.

Let's do the awards for the day first. Remember, I stayed the longest at SD50. That's where I heard most of the speakers. I only had brief encounters at the other three conventions.

Best Tie - John Marty

Most Enthusiastic Speaker - Keith Ellison

Speech with the Most Punch - Tom Rukavina

Best Wellstonian Type Speech - John Marty

Most Applause - John Marty and Keith Ellison

Most Noticible Absence - Mark Dayton

Best Proxy Speaker - Mike Gabiou (speaking for Rebecca Otto)

Top Candidate to Support - Tarryl Clark

                          Senate District 50 Convention

The Senate District 50 Convention opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the DFL Affirmative Action Statement. Next, the Associate Chair of the State DFL Party, Donna Cassutt, said a few words of welcome.

This was followed by quite a few speakers. I'll give my take on them, then I'll briefly include the highlights of my visits to SD52, 54 and 55.

                    Mark Ritchie, MN Secretary of State

Mark Ritchie - He's the Secretary of State, as we all know. He's up for reelection this year. He's running again because we still have a lot of work to do to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to vote. Mark is a good speaker who I enjoy listening to. This is the first time I've ever heard him or met him. He talked about his opponent. He will honor his opponent for his work but he will debate the issues with him. In other words, Ritchie will run a clean campaign. Ritchie wants fairness and transparency in the Secretary of State Office so everyone can feel proud of our state again.

Betty McCollum - She represents the 4th District in the U. S. Congress. She's very likeable and enthusiastic. She wants to keep Minnesota families moving forward. She voted to keep our country from sliding into a depression. We have to make sure this scenario never happens again. She wants to make sure that all Americans have access to health insurance. She doesn't want anyone to be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions. McCollum did an excellent job. She was passionate in her presentation.

Matt Bostrom - He's running for Ramsey County Sheriff. He's been with the St. Paul Police Department for 28 years. His motto is that Community Changes Everything. He has the support of Ramsey County Board of Commissioners chairperson Victoria Reinhardt, Ramsey County Commissioner Tony Bennett, and Congresswoman Betty McCollum. Bostrom is endorsed by labor. He has the support of police chiefs all across the metro area. He's a fantastic choice for Ramsey County Sheriff. I highly recommend voting for him.

John Choi - He's running for Ramsey County Attorney. He currently leads a prosecution office. He's a big believer in diversion programs. He wants to get people out of the criminal justice system. He's experienced in homicide prevention. He won a top city attorney award. His endorsements are many. He wants to make a difference for public safety and the criminal justice system. On a personal note, Choi immigrated to Minnesota from South Korea with his parents when he was a child. He's an ok speaker.

               David Schultz (the gentleman on the left)

David Schultz - He's also running for Ramsey County Attorney. He started his presentation with the story of the child molester who was riding around in a white van dressed like Santa Claus and trying to molest children. This is the type of crime that Schultz will prosecute. He has three criteria for success in the Ramsey County Attorney's Office:

1. Experience

2. Leadership

3. Justice

He used to work under Skip Humphrey. Schultz has been called the best trial lawyer in the state. He currently runs a law firm that is as big as the Ramsey County Attorney's Office. He serves on the Council of Crime and Justice. He promises to be a working Ramsey County Attorney. His decisions will be based on what is fair and just and not what is politically expedient. I always enjoy David Schultz' presentations. If he could put just a wee bit more passion in his voice, he'd be perfect.

Laura Goodman - She had a proxy speaker talk for her. This wasn't a very good speaker. Ho hum and yawn. Lots of double starts and dropped "g's."

Keith Ellison - He is currently representing the people of Minnesota's Fifth District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is up for reelection this year. He received a lot of applause just by appearing at the lectern. Ellison was the most enthusiastic, energetic and high energy speaker that I heard today. (I didn't hear Rybak today.) Ellison is a fantastic speaker. He definitely knows how to engage the audience. His best one liner was "The hardest job in the circus is picking up after the elephants." The audience loved that. Ellison is authoring legislation called "Put America to Work Act." It will create one million jobs across the nation.

Tom Rukavina - He has been the State Representative for the Iron Range for the past twelve consecutive terms. He's running for governor because he hates what Tim Pawlenty has done to this state. He believes in "made in America." He wears union made underwear. Trust him on that. He knows how to take on the big guys. He'll put the big insurance companies on crutches. He voted against tax cuts. He knows that it's tax revenue that pays for all the things that Minnesotans want to have, such as good roads and schools. He wants to help the needy, not help the greedy. (Good one, Tom!) Rukavina did a great job today. This was the best I have ever heard him. He was both passionate and enthusiastic. And of course, as always, highly entertaining. He got a lot of laughter and applause from the audience.

                                Senator John Marty

John Marty - Right away he told the audience, "It's time to stop working on watered down proposals and then diluting them even more." It's time for change. Marty's father is a theologian. John learned values at home when he was growing up. Those values have always stayed with him. He's been a Minnesota State Senator for 23 years. He doesn't take PAC or lobby money. John Marty gets better in his presentation every time I hear him. He's against war and the deaths of young soldiers. He's also against people dying because they can't afford health care. He got an abundance of applause from the audience.

Lori Swanson - She's a pretty good speaker. I'd like to hear her drop her tone about half an octave. She talked against "health care credit cards" that have 29% interest. This is a scam that she is prosecuting. She also files suits against phony health insurance policies.

Tony Palumbo - He's running for Anoka County Attorney. He's been the Assistant Anoka County Attorney for years. Thus he knows the job from first hand experience. He's a boring speaker, though.

R. T. Rybak - He had a proxy speaker, as he couldn't make it to this particular convention today. His proxy was Betsy Hodges. It was a bummer that Rybak wasn't there in person. Hodges was not a good stand-in for him. She doesn't have the enthusiasm, passion and energy that Rybak has. I took the opportunity to rest my eyes and yawn. Betsy should join Toastmasters to learn how to make use of her floor space. She was rooted to just one spot in her speaking area.

Rebecca Otto - She had a proxy speaker. His name was Mike Gabiou. He was quite entertaining. He first informed us that Otto is the same backwards and forwards. He meant the spelling of her name, but I'm guessing he was also alluding to "what you see is what you get." In other words, there are no hidden surprises with Otto. Gabiou then informed us that Otto got a national award for reducing energy costs in buildings and thus saving taxpayers money. Gabiou had excellent gestures, good voice volume and inflection and vocal variety. I want to hear more from him.

Dave Pinto - He had a proxy speaker too. It was Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. He was a decent speaker. Not the best of the day, but certainly not the worst. He told the audience to go to Pinto's website and look at his 8-point plan. Pinto is not just tough on crime; he's also smart on crime. Pinto currently works in the Ramsey County Attorney's Office as a prosecutor of domestic violence cases. He knows how the office works. By the way, I'm having a Meet and Greet for Dave Pinto on Sunday March 28 at 2:00 in the community room of my apartment complex near McKnight Road and I694 in White Bear Lake. For directions email me at tigerhawksoars@yahoo.com

Brad Johnson - He's running for Anoka County Attorney. He speaks too softly. I could barely hear him. Another opportunity to snooze.

After that there was some district business. Good, I could get some shut-eye again. I woke up at 3:00 am and couldn't get back to sleep. Until now.

The seats were nice but not conducive to napping, so I retreated to the hallway where all the candidate tables were. I mingled with those who are by now old friends. I found my way to the Entenza table and engaged in a long conversation with staffer Jason Hitchcock. That is, he talked. He wasn't as good at listening. He kept interrupting me when I tried to say something. I couldn't get a word in edgewise. That rarely happens to me. Oh well, at least I got a whole new perspective on Matt Entenza's campaign. I never knew half the stuff that Jason told me regarding Matt's campaigning all over Minnesota and how he goes about it. It seems that Matt is abiding by the first rule of Toastmasters; Know Your Audience. After listening to Jason ramble on and on and on, I've come to the conclusion that we can't dismiss Matt Entenza as a force to be reckoned with at the Primary. So now it's Dayton and Entenza with either Rybak of Kelliher.

                           Margaret Anderson Kelliher

Speaking of Kelliher, do you remember my recent blog in which I said that Margaret should try wearing pink or peach instead of dark colors? Guess what? She showed up in a deep pink suit jacket today! I was so impressed! She listened to me! I think. I don't really believe in coincidences. Synchronicity, of course. I shook her hand and told her how nice she looked. She did. It's amazing what colors other than black or navy can do for a person. Not that I want Mark Dayton to start wearing pink. His purple tie is cool, though.

                 Mark Dayton on his 87 x 87 County Tour

Ok, here I go talking about Mark Dayton again. How did that happen? Oh, I know. Various gubernatorial staffers kept wanting me to wear their candidate's pin or sticker. I kept telling them I'm an ardent Dayton supporter. Some were okay with that. Some are apparently very irritated with him for not participating in the endorsement process. Oh well. Too bad, so sad. Mark Dayton can do no wrong. Well, maybe sometimes, but this issue is not one of those sometimes.

I finally got away from Jason after agreeing to show up at the Entenza office for phone banking. Not sure how that happened, either. If all Entenza staffers are like Jason, Matt will win the election just because voters will do anything Jason says just to get him to quit talking! On the other hand, he was an excellent one-sided conversationalist and I did learn much.

                                   Me and Karen Thissen

Back to the auditorium. I was told that I had missed Laura Bakk speaking for Tom Bakk. I got back just in time to hear Karen Thissen speaking for her husband Paul. Karen is an excellent speaker in her own right. Great voice volume, vocal variety and all the other things that make a good speech. She is positive that Paul is going to be the next governor. She spoke of the great reception he is getting all across Minnesota.

It was now time to move on to the next convention. First, I had to stop at Lowry and Central to pick up my trophies. First and second place trophies for the Tall Tales Contest; first and second place trophies for the International Speech Contest. These trophies are beautiful. If you need any trophies, award plaques, bowling supplies, etc., go see proprieter Tom Reed on the corner of Lowry and Central in Northeast Minneapolis. He'll engage in political conversation with you, too. So will his pet parrot. Today we talked about the health care reform bill and the Blue Dog Democrats. I told him about the SD50 Convention I had just come from. He told me that he writes emails to Keith Ellison and gets responses. Which made me think of Mark Dayton again. If getting a candidate's name out there is akin to getting him elected, he'll have no trouble winning the Primary. (Hi Mark!)

                   Mark Dayton, Me and My Son Charlie

            at TakeAction MN Annual Meeting, 1-31-2010

Next stop: Roseville High School for the SD54 Convention.

I arrived around noon. Most of the speakers had already spoken, although I did get to hear a few. I heard John Marty again. It was basically the same speech he had given at SD50. He got even more applause. Indeed, he got a standing ovation. This is, after all, his home district.

Margaret Anderson Kelliher had a proxy speaker. It was Chris Coleman's brother. He had way too many ums, ahs and ers. He kept stumbling with his words. He was going to vote for his brother, of course, but when Chris dropped out of the race he decided to endorse Kelliher. She was the first one to send him an email describing her platform. He was impressed by that. He said that he's been watching Pawlenty dismantle the state that he loves. He believes that Kelliher can fix everything that Pawlenty has broken.

R. T. Rybak also had a proxy speaker. I didn't get her name. Her speech on his behalf was very short. Gosh, I sure missed hearing Rybak himself today.

David Schultz gave the same speech that he gave earlier at SD50. See above.

Tom Rukavina also gave basically the same speech as at SD50 but he added some quips. He's so good at that. He said that Tim Pawlenty wants to shrink the government of Minnesota until it's small enough to be drowned in the bathtub. (Oh oh Tom. You better not use drowned in the same sentence as the name Pawlenty. You'll get in trouble.) Rukavina ended his speech by telling us that we know we want to vote for him and endorse him. He said that John Marty will make a good Lt. Governor. (I thought he'd previously said Mark Dayton would be his Lt. Governor. Or was that Orrie who had said that?)

                                           Matt Pollas

Tom Bakk had a proxy speaker as well. It was his staffer Matt Pollas. Matt did a fine job. Well done.

I ran into one of the managers at MDH. He used to be my supervisor but got promoted. He's an active DFLer. He likes Rybak and Dayton. It was good to talk to him. We never have time for conversation at work.

I also ran into Elizabeth Lienesch, my friend from reNEW MN and TakeAction MN. I always enjoy talking to her.

The walking subcaucuses were starting. It was time to go on to the next Convention on my list. That would be SD52 at Mahtomedi High School. I knew just where it was.

                  Minnesota State Senator Tarryl Clark

The first thing I noticed when I entered Mahtomedi High School was the abundance of red t-shirts. Tarryl Clark staffers. I just love that team. Tarryl herself was there so I had an opportunity to talk with her. She's the greatest. And she's going to beat Bachmann. Especially if Bachmann continues to say so many stupid things. Tarryl's husband and son were also there. I took a picture of the three of them.

          Doug Clark, Tarryl Clark and their son Nathan

           Steve Rogness, reNEW MN and TakeAction MN

Steve Rogness from reNEW MN was at the SD52 Convention. He has the delegate list from the walking subcaucuses. I looked over his shoulder at his sheet. One of the subcaucus names jumped out at me. Tarryl Clark/Bachmann Is Nuts. LOL.

Today on Facebook someone said they were going to name a subcaucus "Anyone but Dayton." I took great exception to that and told the person whose wall it was that it was a cheap shot. I then posted a link to my April Knight blog that is all about Dayton's Senate years. It tells all the good things he did as Senator.

I ran into Chris Knopf's campaign manager today. We discussed how many letters to the editor were in this past week's issue of The White Bear Press. All these letters expressed disappointment about Carol McFarlane's nay vote on Pawlenty's GAMC veto override. My own letter to the editor was one of them.

It was time to leave this convention. I headed back toward White Bear Lake. I stopped at Festival Foods on County Road E and the East County Line to buy some pumpkin seeds and a Diet Coke.

Next stop: SD55 Convention at White Bear High School South Campus. Dave Pinto was coming out as I was going in. He gave me a big hug. He had to leave for another convention. I went inside the school. SD55 had just closed the floor and shut the doors to the auditorium. The subcaucus was in process. I talked to the ladies at the registration desk. No use hanging around here. Time to go home.

This was a rather productive day. I also learned about a Gubernatorial Forum that will be held at North High School in Minneapolis on March 18. I hope to see some of you there.

Here's some more pictures I took at these conventions.

                                            Rybak Staffers

                                      Entenza Staffer

                                 John Choi Volunteers

                         Matt Bostrom and David Schultz

                         Victor Rukavina and Girlfriend

                Karen Thissen, Matt and Another Staffer

                                     SD52 Convention

                               Orrie Salper and Friend

                                Orrie Salper and Me

                              SD55 Registration Table

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SD50/51 GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE FORUM, JANUARY 7, 2010

Today after work I drove to Fridley for the SD50 gubernatorial candidate forum. It was held at the Fridley Community Center. I didn't go home first since the roads were very slick and greasy, so of course I arrived an hour and a half early. That was okay; I started a conversation with an elderly woman who was the evening monitor for the center. We had a great discussion about how Pawlenty has ruined Minnesota and what might be done about it. Of course we both agreed that the only solution is to elect a DFL governor. She noticed my by-now-famous campaign button and asked where she could get one. I just happened to have an extra one...

The first order of business at the forum was mingling. I saw some people I've met at other events. It was great to see them again. I also met some new people, such as John Choi, who is a candidate for Ramsey County Attorney, and Jeanna Sather. Here's a picture of them.

These are two very nice people. I'll have to learn more about John Choi and what his goals are for the Ramsey County Attorney position.

It was fantastic to see so many people come up and talk to me. I was surprised to hear how many are reading this blog. Three candidates greeted me warmly. They were John Marty, Paul Thissen and Steve Kelley. It's always good to be nice to political bloggers.

The only other two gubernatorial candidates who were there this evening were Susan Gaertner and Margaret Anderson Kelliher. Tom Bakk was supposed to be there but unfortunately he got stuck in southern Minnesota because the highways were closed due to the weather. The remaining candidates had been invited but they all had previous engagements. Quite a few people told me that they were disappointed that Mark Dayton couldn't make it. Apparently he had a fund raiser to attend that he had already committed to. "Rats!" exclaimed one woman. "That makes this a rather constricting experience."

I thought it was easier to manage a smaller forum. The candidates seemed more comfortable when there weren't so many of them. It was probably easier for the audience to keep them straight, too.

There were quite a few people there considering how slippery the roads were. Here's a couple of pictures of the crowd in the early stages.

Then the frolics began. Each candidate was given a couple of minutes to introduce themselves. After that they were given a question which each answered. Here's the highlights.

Susan Gaertner

In her introduction, Susan told us that she won the election four times in Ramsey County for the Ramsey County Attorney position. This means that she can definitely win the governorship. Okaaaay. Susan had good voice projection, excellent gestures, poignant use of pauses and used her floor space fairly well. I liked the way she presented herself in her introduction. I like Susan Gaertner. She'd make a fun friend. I doubt if she will ever be governor, though.

Steve Kelley (pictured in the middle)

Steve speaks well. From a Toastmasters perspective, he did use a few crutch words. Other than that, he had a good introduction. He said that DFLers must be clear about our values. Investing in our infrastructure is important. We must put people back to work. It's imperative to invest in schools. Steve was on high energy tonight. He has toned down his voice just a tad, too, so he wasn't quite as loud. He did a good job this evening.

Margaret Anderson Kelliher

MAK informed us that we can do a lot better as a state. She was emphatic about this. She has great speaking skills, although much of it did seem memorized. I'd like to hear her speak more off the cuff and from the heart. I was pleased with her abundant use of good metaphors.

John Marty (he's the one in the middle)

Tonight was the best I have ever heard John Marty. He was passionate and clear. His high ethical standards and integrity were obvious. Previously I had thought that he didn't have a chance of being elected governor. Now I'm not so sure. If he can keep presenting the way he did tonight, he might get a lot of swing voters. In his opening statement he emphasized that he is for social and economic justice. He said that everyone should have access to an education, a job and health care. He made it clear that he always refuses money from PAC and lobbyists.

Me standing next to Paul Thissen

Paul was an excellent speaker tonight, as he always is. He told us that the job of the new governor will be to rebuild Minnesota. We must learn lessons from the past and we must look to the future. He talked about retirement security. He reminded us that we now have a diverse and global economy and that we must change the way we do business.

After the opening statements, the candidates were given a series of questions. I'll paraphrase the questions and then briefly tell about each candidate's responses.

Question #1: What will you do to make sure the legislators and the governor can work together?

Gaertner said that the new governor needs to put aside labels and get the job done in a non-partisan way. She will be everyone's governor, not just a DFL governor. She will be a governor for all of Minnesota.

Kelley will start his relationship with the legislature by building teams.

MAK stated that Minnesotans are looking for someone to be on their side. She emphasized that the differences between DFL and GOP will always be here. Her values are health care, equality and justice.

Marty said that standing up for what you believe in doesn't mean you can't be effective. He said that everyone must be treated with respect and dignity. This is what will bring DFL and GOP together.

Thissen said that Minnesota needs a legislature that will stand up right away at the beginning of the term and state our values. He further stated that he is willing to change his opinion on various things if the facts don't agree with his opinions. He gave an example of this. He also wants to engage the people of Minnesota.

Question #2: What will you do as governor to create jobs and help small businesses?

Gaertner said that she will make sure that small businesses can have health care. She stated that our tax system needs to be kind to entepreneurs and small businesses.

Kelley wants to make sure that small businesses have access to credit. He will work with businesses. He wants Minnesota to invest in infrastructure and update homes to conserve energy.

MAK said she did a survey of 1,000 small businesses. The result showed that they want a network. MAK believes that Angel Investment will be viable. She's a believer in strong education for K - 12 and post high school. This will stimulate small businesses. She said she wants all Minnesota kids to have the same great education that her own kids are having. (She didn't tell us where they go to school.)

Marty wants to invest in a bonding bill and get our infrastructure moving again. He also stated that the Minnesota Health Plan will reduce age discrimination in jobs.

Thissen wants to get banks to make loans again. He's in favor of Legacy dollars and investing in a good transportation system. He wants to make sure that small businesses can compete in a global economy. He's also supportive of creating and protecting union jobs.

Question #3: What is your stand on tax policy and reform?

Gaertner talked about Pawlenty's tax policy and used the word "Duh!" a couple of times. The audience laughed. This was a great technique to connect with the audience, but as the election draws closer she will need to start cleaning up her slang and using proper English as befitting the position of governor. Everything a candidate says is being recorded by the GOP and usually ends up on MDE. Regarding taxes, Gaertner stated that it will take a lot of political courage to have tax discussions. (Remember that courage is her middle name.)

Kelley told his humorous story again of how Pawlenty should take his budget class but he didn't invite him to because he doesn't have the prerequisites and because Kelly doesn't like to flunk anyone. Ok, I've heard this story before many times so it's losing its impact for me. He should have used his few minutes to be more explicit about what tax reforms and policies he will push for if he is governor.

MAK stated that Minnesota's tax system is outdated. She went on in her sing-song voice and I have to admit that I dozed off and didn't catch all of what she said on this question.

Marty stated that we should rely on income taxes far more than on property taxes. He also stated that a food tax is the most regressive tax there is.

Thissen said that his answer will be short because most DFL candidates agree on taxes. He assured us that Minnesotans are fed up with Pawlenty's tax policy. He then stated that cutting the services of people is the same as a regressive tax.

Question #4: What will your major reform be that people will remember you for 40 years from now?

Gaertner said that she will dream big. She wants every child to have great educational opportunities. She talked about a program in a Minneapolis neighborhood called Baby Space which nourishes children from a very early age. She thinks that if our children get what they need when they are small, that in 40 years our prisons could be empty. The audience around me gasped. I don't think they believed that could happen, although I heard murmurs of how nice that would be.

Kelley said that his big goal is that every child in Minnesota will graduate from some kind of post-secondary school. He humorously added, "so kids can take care of us when we're old."

MAK wants a new Minnesota Miracle.

Marty wants to be remembered for a New Minnesota Miracle and for the Minnesota Health Plan. He reminded us that he authored the latter. He fully believes that everyone is entitled to comprehensive health care as a basic right.

Thissen said that Minnesota needs to be ambitious for the public good. His big reform is what he calls the Silver Tsunami. He wants every senior to be able to live in comfort and with dignity. The Baby Boomers retiring will change a lot of things in Minnesota and across the country. Thissen wants Minnesota to be ready for this.

My Take: My top two picks at this forum were John Marty and Paul Thissen.

I thought MAK was going to get through the evening without a reference to the dairy farm she grew up on or her four brothers. She almost made it. Unfortunately, she couldn't last the entire evening and in the final segment she had to throw it in.

Susan Gaertner was determined that she is the best candidate for governor. Funny how all the candidates think that. Gaertner came on too strong about it and the audience was not amused.

Steve Kelley was good tonight but I don't think he'll be our next governor. Sorry, Steve, I like you and you're Irish and all, but there's something missing in your presentation. Google Craig Valentine and get him to be your coach.

Here's some pictures of other people you should keep your eye out for.

Stephen Cusulos, DFL Outreach Director

This is the secretary of SD50.