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How solving an Iron Range problem could deliver 94 electoral votes to Barack Obama
On Thursday, Iron Range miners and retirees affected by the 2003 bankruptcy of National Steel met in Keewatin to demand action from local leaders and representatives of federal leaders on the workers’ decimated pensions. The Hibbing Daily Tribune has the story, and summaries of the comments of the local leaders. I wish I could say…
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Brown on the Air: IRON RANGE FOREVER!
The million dollar question: Is Grand Rapids part of the Iron Range? That is no small query. Legally and geologically, yes. Culturally? Less so. Since I moved to Itasca County (the Western Mesabi Range) from the central Range in 2005, I’ve heard many neighbors talk about the Iron Range as though it were another country,…
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Hillary on the Range this Tuesday
I was at the book signing so I didn’t get to post the big news that Hillary Clinton will be on the Iron Range this Tuesday campaigning for Barack Obama (and Al Franken). We’re still waiting on some of the details, including the location. We’re told it’s between Hibbing and Virginia. The issue is probably…
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First book signing is tonight!
Just a reminder, the grand opening book signing is tonight at Howard Street Booksellers in Hibbing from 5-7 p.m. Cookies. Juice. Books. Maybe more. Read more about my new book here. Related posts: No related posts.
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Something important to be announced
I’m told something big will be announced regarding the Obama/Biden campaign today at the Sportsmen for Obama event in Grand Rapids. A visit by someone important? This might be a surrogate rather than Obama or Biden, but they have my attention. Related posts: No related posts.
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The dual meaning of ‘Overburden’
Last night we got another newspaper story for the book, this one by Marie Nitke at the Grand Rapids Herald-Review (“Aaron Brown’s new book a rally call to young Rangers“). An excerpt: “Overburden” can mean more than one thing. There’s the standard definition, of being overloaded with stress, and there’s the iron mining definition, which…
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Testosterone Thursday in Range politics (more than usual)
Today, Democrats and Republicans alike will have a chance to say macho things and grunt. About damn time! Todd Palin, husband of Republican VP nominee and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is in Grand Rapids (click for story with times, etc.), Bemidji and Duluth today with his snowmobiling pal who is from Grand Rapids. If you…
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Comeback? The real media bias is sad for both sides
This Andrew Romano blog post at Newsweek reminds me of my ever-growing theory about media bias: The media does not have a liberal bias. The media does not have a conservative bias. The media* is a big, stinky sweaty animal that craves blood in the form of ratings and money. They will feed on stories…
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Joe the Plumber is the most important person ever
Joe the Plumber is the only undecided voter left in the country. Joe the Plumber clearly has some thinking to do. Joe the Plumber has no last name. Joe the Plumber is the light, forever and ever. All hail Joe the Plumber. John McCain just staked the rest of his campaign and the future of…
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Parliamentary system is incoherent, but honorable
Who watched the Canadian election results last night? Me, me! I know I’m supposed to be depressed that the Conservatives won again, keeping Prime Minister Stephen “Getcha’ hands offa’ my Northwest Passage, eh!” Harper (pictured at right with the Canadian Minister of Cuteness and Awww) in power for another vague period of time determined by…
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Back in school, we called it Soup-Town (but they don’t like that)
Another book mention to share: Maria Lockwood of the Superior (Wis.) Telegram writes a story today about my publisher Lindsy O’Brien and the first book under her Red Step Press imprint, which happens to be my book, “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range.” Lindsy and I met each other at the University of Wisconsin-Superior…
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Me: the MNBlue interview
“The Big E” over at MNBlue, a Minnesota progressive blog where I am an occasional contributor, interviewed me for my new book, “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range,” which is out now. I’ll be taking questions in the comments on his post. My first event will be Thursday, Oct. 16, from 5-7 p.m. at…
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Range college students mobilized in two events; Barkley makes surprise appearance
The Hibbing Daily Tribune ran a story this morning about Monday’s HCC Democracy Fair that I organized at the college where I work. We registered 54 voters, which was nice, and the local State House candidates got a lot of traffic. The most notable news was that Dean Barkley, the Independence Party candidate who has…
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Jobs, baby, jobs
I’ll say this for the Clintons. They know how to do a catchphrase (from HuffingtonPost). PHILADELPHIA — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton offered a Democratic rejoinder to the Republican chant of “drill, baby, drill.” Said the one-time presidential candidate: “Jobs, baby, jobs.” Campaigning for her once bitter rival Barack Obama in Pennsylvania, the New York senator…
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Logging and sprawl
Let me give a shout out to MinnPost for the steady diet of Minnesota news, views and politics it provides for people like me. MinnPost is a nonprofit nonpartisan internet newspaper and is one model for how the media can adjust to changing conditions in the media business. Today I point your attention to two…