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Minnesota's Capital: Saint Paul
SAINT PAUL News:
20080628
 Norm
Coleman -  Jeff
Larson -  Karl
Rove -  Cheney
-  Money
-  Politicians
- Saint
Paul -  Minnesota
- 2008
Election -  Lawmaker
-  Apartment
-  Tele
- Marketing
"Friendly
Dealings." ... "Along the road to the top of the
political heap in Minnesota, [Republican Senator Norm] Coleman had plenty
of help. But in the last dozen years, few if any supporters have played
a more important role than a little-known Republican operative named Jeff
Larson. Larson works in St. Paul [Minnesota's capital] but has gold-plated
GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] connections in Washington and across
the country. Or, as Coleman puts it: "He's the most connected person in
D.C. that nobody in Minnesota knows."" ... "Their relationship--the ambitious,
energetic, can-do lawmaker and the low-key, behind-the-scenes strategist--has
proved to be mutually beneficial. Larson's political telemarketing business
appears to have profited handsomely from the relationship, and Coleman
has turned to his close friend in times of need, including in his tough
battle to win a second Senate term in November [2008 Election]." ... "Most
curiously, Larson provides Coleman with a place to live in Washington.
In July 2007, Coleman began paying Larson $600 a month in rent for a portion
of a one-bedroom basement apartment in a Capitol Hill town house that Larson
owns. The way Coleman explained the arrangement, the apartment serves as
a crash pad." ... "Earlier this month, after National Journal questioned
Coleman and Larson about the living arrangement, the senator said he discovered
that his rent for last November and January had not been paid. In mid-June,
Coleman covered the back rent with a personal check for $1,200 made out
to Larson and signed by the senator's wife. Last year, Coleman sold furniture
to Larson to cover one month's rent, according to Larson. And Larson held
on to yet another month's rent check for three months, cashing it a few
days after NJ's inquiries." ... "Larson's St. Paul-based company,
FLS Connect [partners: Feather, Larson, and Synhorst], is a critical component
of Coleman's political operation. The firm, which has raised money and
hustled up voters for Coleman, has been paid about $1.6 million since mid-2001
by Coleman's Northstar Leadership political action committee and two Senate
campaigns, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Larson serves as the PAC's treasurer and provides it with office space
in St. Paul; Coleman's Senate campaign stopped renting space from Larson
last year." ... "Coleman has yet another Larson connection. He has employed
Larson's wife, Dorene, for more than two years as a "casework supervisor"
in the senator's St. Paul office. She is listed on his Senate payroll under
her maiden name [Dorene Kainz]. After NJ questioned Coleman about
the arrangement, his staff said that she would be leaving her constituent-services
job on July 10." ... "Larson and his longtime partner, Tony Feather, are
close to the [Republican President] Bush White House. Republican operatives
said that Feather is especially close to Karl Rove, the former senior White
House adviser who masterminded both of George W. Bush's presidential campaigns.
In the 2003-04 presidential election cycle, the Bush-Cheney campaign paid
FLS Connect, then known by other names, nearly $7.6 million, FEC records
show." ... "But that's virtually chump change compared with what the Republican
National Committee has doled out to FLS Connect since 2003--some $29.5
million, according to an analysis of federal campaign reports by the Center
for Responsive Politics. And those numbers don't include money funneled
to FLS Connect by at least 20 state GOP parties and House and Senate candidates."
... "In the end, Coleman's ties to Larson could prove politically damaging.
Democrats, trying to unseat Coleman in his bid for a second term, have
already publicly attacked him for his association with Larson's FLS Connect
and another firm, DCI Group, a powerhouse Washington lobbying outfit."
-By Edward T. Pound -NationalJournal
20080510
-
 John
McCain -  Burma
[Myanmar] -  Military
- Money
- Politics
- DCI
Group - Marketing
- Human
Rights -  Oil
-  Arizona
-  US
- 2008
Election - Saint
Paul - Minn
- "A
Convention Quandary: John McCain's choice to manage
the GOP convention this summer is lobbyist Doug Goodyear, whose firm once
represented Burma's repressive regime." ... "After [2008 Election Republican
Presidential Candidate] John McCain nailed down the Republican nomination
in March, his campaign began wrestling with a sensitive personnel issue:
who would manage this summer's GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn. [Minnesota]?
The campaign recently tapped Doug Goodyear for the job, a veteran operative
and Arizonan who was chosen for his "management experience and expertise,"
according to McCain press secretary Jill Hazelbaker. But some allies worry
that Goodyear's selection could fuel perceptions that McCain—who has portrayed
himself as a crusader against special interests—is surrounded by lobbyists.
Goodyear is CEO of DCI Group, a consulting firm that earned $3 million
last year lobbying for ExxonMobil [oil corporation], General Motors and
other clients." ... "Potentially more problematic: the firm was paid $348,000
in 2002 to represent Burma's military junta, which had been strongly condemned
by the State Department for its human-rights record and remains in power
today. Justice Department lobbying records show DCI pushed to "begin a
dialogue of political reconciliation" with the regime. It also led a PR
[public relations] campaign to burnish the junta's image, drafting releases
praising Burma's efforts to curb the drug trade and denouncing "falsehoods"
by the [Republican President] Bush administration that the regime engaged
in rape and other abuses. " -By Michael Isikoff
-Newsweek
20071202
-
Secret
-
 Larry
Craig
- Gay
-  Idaho
-  Colorado
- Minnesota
-  Airport
-  Police
- Law
- 2008
Election - Money
- "More
gay men describe sexual encounters with U.S. Sen. Craig:
Allegations made since news of the Minneapolis case broke lend weight to
rumors about [Idaho Republican Senator Larry] Craig." ... "David Phillips.
Mike Jones. Greg Ruth. Tom Russell." ... "Four gay men, willing to put
their names in print and whose allegations can't be disproved, have come
forward since news of U.S. Sen. Larry Craig's guilty plea. They say they
had sex with Craig or that he made a sexual advance or that he paid them
unusual attention." ... "They are telling their stories now because they
are offended by Craig's denials, including his famous statement, "I am
not gay, I never have been gay." Those words, spoken on live national TV
on Aug. 28, are now memorialized on a just-released-for-Christmas Talking
Senator Larry Craig Action Figure." ... "A fifth gay man, who is from Boise
[Idaho's capital] but who declined to be named for fear of retaliation,
offered a recent and telling account: He was in a men's restroom at [Colorado's]
Denver International Airport in September 2006 when the man in the next
stall moved his hand slowly, palm up, under the divider. Alarmed, the man
said he waited outside the restroom and then identified the man in the
adjoining stall as Craig, whom he had met in Idaho." ... "Craig, 62, says
he was a victim of "profiling" when he was arrested June 11 at [Minnesota's]
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for soliciting sex from an undercover
police officer in an adjoining stall in a men's restroom. Craig pleaded
guilty to disorderly conduct in August. He is appealing his conviction,
financed by his 2008 re-election fund." ... "Craig has said he hoped to
keep his guilty plea secret." -By Dan Popkey
-IdahoStatesman.com
20070911
-
Larry
E Craig
- Gay
- Politics
- Minnesota
- Airport
- Police
- Idaho
-
 Newspaper
- "Craig
Asks Court to Let Him Withdraw His Plea of Guilty."
... "Lawyers for [Idaho Republican] Senator Larry E. Craig filed court
papers yesterday asking that he be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea
to disorderly conduct in a Minnesota airport sex sting." ... "In an affidavit,
Mr. Craig said that he was “deeply panicked” in the aftermath of his arrest
June 11 on suspicion of soliciting a plainclothes officer in a men’s room
at [Minnesota's] Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and that, with
an Idaho newspaper already investigating his sexuality, he signed a guilty
plea on Aug. 1 to try to keep the arrest from being disclosed." ... "The
[police] officer said Mr. Craig had peeped into his stall, entered the
adjacent stall, touched the officer’s foot with his own and made hand signals
known to be silent code for soliciting sex in the restroom." -By
Duff Wilson -NYTimes
20070905
-
Larry
Craig
- Gay
- Idaho
- Minnesota
- Police
- Law
- "Craig
may not be resigning after all." ... "In a surprise
twist, [Idaho Republican Senator] Sen. Larry E. Craig (R-Idaho) has left
open, albeit slightly, the possibility that he will not resign from the
Senate if he succeeds in his fight to clear his name of allegations that
he solicited sex in a Minnesota airport restroom in June." ... ""Sen. Craig
still intends to resign," his spokesman, Dan Whiting, said in an interview
Tuesday night. "That being said, Sen. Craig wants it clear he's fighting
these charges, both in Minneapolis and in the Senate Ethics Committee,
and if the wheels of justice are able to turn quick enough, meaning before
Sept. 30, he may -- and I emphasize may -- not resign." ... ""At this point,
it's a very small door that he's left open," Whiting added." ... "Craig
pleaded guilty last month to disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. He was
arrested in June by an undercover police officer investigating complaints
of lewd conduct in a men's restroom at [Minnesota's] Minneapolis-St. Paul
International Airport." -By Richard Simon-LAtimes
20070827
-
Larry
Craig
- Gay
- Idaho
- Minnesota
- Airport
- Law
- Politics
- "Republican
senator arrested, reportedly for lewd conduct." ...
"[Idaho Republican Senator] Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, was fined earlier
this month for a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge stemming from his
arrest in June at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, according
to Minnesota criminal records." ... "While the criminal records did not
provide details of why Craig was arrested, Roll Call newspaper reported
Monday that he was apprehended by a plainclothes police officer investigating
complaints of lewd behavior in an airport men's room." ... "Last fall,
Craig's office publicly denied assertions by an Internet blogger Mike Rogers
that the senator was gay, dismissing speculation about his sexuality as
"completely ridiculous."" ... "He has supported a federal constitutional
amendment banning same-sex marriage, telling his colleagues that it was
"important for us to stand up now and protect traditional marriage, which
is under attack by a few unelected judges and litigious activists."" ...
"In 1996, Craig also voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, which
denies federal recognition to same-sex marriages and prevents states from
being forced to recognize the marriages of gay and lesbian couples legally
performed in other states." ... "Craig has also opposed expanding the federal
hate crimes law to cover offenses motivated by anti-gay bias and, in 1996,
voted against a bill that would have outlawed employment discrimination
based on sexual orientation, which failed by a single vote in the Senate."
-Contributed to by Dana Bash
-CNN
-
Larry
Craig
- Idaho
- Minnesota
- Airport
- Law
- Politics
- "Craig
Arrested, Pleads Guilty Following Incident in Airport Restroom."
... "[Idaho Republican Senator] Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested
in June at a Minnesota airport by a plainclothes police officer investigating
lewd conduct complaints in a men’s public restroom, according to an arrest
report obtained by Roll Call Monday afternoon." ... "Craig’s arrest occurred
just after noon on June 11 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
On Aug. 8, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in the Hennepin
County District Court. He paid more than $500 in fines and fees, and a
10-day jail sentence was stayed. He also was given one year of probation
with the court that began on Aug. 8." ... "A spokesman for Craig described
the incident as a “he said/he said misunderstanding,” and said the office
would release a fuller statement later Monday afternoon." ... "After he
was arrested, Craig, who is married, was taken to the Airport Police Operations
Center to be interviewed about the lewd conduct incident, according to
the police report. At one point during the interview, Craig handed the
plainclothes sergeant who arrested him a business card that identified
him as a U.S. Senator and said, “What do you think about that?” the report
states." -By John McArdle with contributions by Steven
T. Dennis -RollCall.com
20070802
-
Minnesota
- Transportation
- Disaster
- Lawmakers
- Construction
- Money
- Politics
- "Bridge
collapse renews focus on transportation funding debate."
... "Two key Minnesota lawmakers are angry that it has taken a tragedy
to free up money for such an essential piece of the state's transportation
infrastructure." ... "A former Minnesota transportation official says the
total cost including demolition and new construction, could be $400 million."
... "However, two key Minnesota lawmakers are angry it's taken a disaster
to get people's attention." ... "State [Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Party Representative] Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul [Minnesota], and
chair of the House bonding committee, has many of the same questions as
others about why the bridge collapsed." ... ""Did we do due diligence in
our inspections, and our response to those inspections?" she asked." ...
"Hausman cautions it is wise to wait for the investigation to supply answers
about what caused the bridge collapse." ... "She is not willing, for example,
to assert that years of deferred state transportation maintenance spending
is a cause." ... "What makes her angry, she says, is the criticism aimed
at her and other lawmakers who, over the years, have advocated spending
more on repairing Minnesota's transportation infrastructure." ... "State
[Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Senator] Sen. Keith Langseth,
on the other hand, points directly at Gov. [Minnesota Republican Governor
Tim] Pawlenty for not paying attention to the state's infrastructure needs."
... ""I've been in it for six governors. On infrastructure this one is
the worst, without any question," said Langseth." ... "He says the governor
is responsible for ignoring transportation maintenance." ... ""He thinks
he can just keep pushing this stuff off, whether it's by bonding rather
than paying cash, or just not doing it," said Langseth. "He thinks he can
get that beyond his tenure in office and just dump it on to somebody else,
and it caught up with him."" -By Dan Olson
-MPR -PublicRadio.org
|
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2004
ELECTION - "Kerry,
Bush in statistical dead heat among Minnesota voters."
... "Democratic Sen. John Kerry and President Bush are in a statistical
dead heat in Minnesota, according to a new statewide poll." ... "Forty-three
percent of Minnesota voters favored Kerry compared to 41 percent for Bush.
Sixteen percent were undecided, according to the poll commissioned by the
St. Paul Pioneer Press and Minnesota Public Radio."
-AP via -StarTribune.com
