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North to Alaska, going north, the race is ON!
One thing’s certain. After this election, Alaska and Hawaii will no longer be just those states in the inset at the bottom left hand of the U.S. map. Holy buckets! Of oil. My Alaska friends will be suitably intrigued by the news today that John McCain is picking Alaska’s first-term Gov. Sarah Palin as his…
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Iron Range Resources OKs budget … finally
The Iron Range Resources Board has finally approved a compromise budget for the upcoming year. Future meetings will divvy up the infrastructure and public works funds. Related posts: No related posts.
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T-Paw: sad panda
Here’s who McCain didn’t pick for VP, our Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Actually, I think this is a mistake. Pawlenty doesn’t make Minnesota DFLers books quake. We would have relished that fight. At the same time, it would have been a fight. Pawlenty is a scrapper, and his pro-to-con ratio just seems higher to me than…
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America is back
The United States of America. The words meant a lot to me yesterday. Today they mean more. That’s what a president ought to do. I know not everyone enjoys partisanship, but that’s the very reason I think electing Barack Obama is so important. I grew up on an Iron Range salvage yard. Today, my kids…
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Go C-SPAN if you’ve got it
I watched all the convention speeches on C-SPAN last night. The previous nights I had watched MSNBC. Let me tell you, it was like drinking water from a well instead of a septic tank. I don’t think CNN has been much better than MSNBC and the clips I’ve seen of Fox News have all been…
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Obama office opening gets boffo coverage in Range paper
In this morning’s Hibbing Daily Tribune was the following above-the-fold, top banner headline, with picture of visiting voters and 11-month old “Babies for Barack” caucus leader: Opama opens Hibbing office DFLers, veterans rally to Barack cause Check out the story and photos of what certainly seems to be a successful opening of the second Iron…
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7B DFL update: More forums and endorsements
Here is the Duluth News-Tribune account of the House District 7B (West Duluth) DFL primary, which is heating up in advance of the Sept. 9 primary. A nonpartisan League of Women Voters forum was held yesterday. Roger Reinert, Marsh Stenersen, Dan Maryland and Brandon Clokey were there, along with the other party’s candidates. (IPer Jay…
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StoryCorps reception tonight
A reminder, tonight is the community reception for the StoryCorps project in Grand Rapids at 91.7 KAXE, a really cool studio and radio organization next to the Grand Rapids Public Library on the Mississippi River. There will be appetizers, wine and probably stories. My Saturday radio essay and Sunday column both highlight the StoryCorps project…
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Range education hearing draws crowd, little media
Well, the big education hearing in Nashwauk that I talked about was apparently a success. I was assuming that a daily newspaper would cover it so I could share a round-up with you, but the only media was the local TV repeater on Range 11 and the Scenic Range News-Forum, a weekly that doesn’t publish…
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My cathartic media rant (for those who find the thrill is gone)
For this being one of the most important, telling, and historic elections of our generation, you would think it was a wrestling match if you watch much broadcast news coverage. I’m referring specifically to the Democratic Convention coverage going on now, but I’ll further apply it to the primaries before and the Republican convention and…
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Obama’s Hibbing office opens today
In about 90 minutes (sorry, late on this one) Barack Obama opens its Hibbing office and hosts its first Veterans for Obama meeting on the Iron Range. The meeting is at noon today at the Obama/DFL headquarters at 107 E. Howard Street. The HQ is somewhat symbolic in nature as the 5th SD DFL has…
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Range faces strike vote at taconite mine
One of the taconite operations on the Iron Range may face a strike vote soon. Earlier, I had said that U.S. Steel’s pending settlement with the Steelworkers might blunt strikes on the Range. This negotiation with Minorca by Virginia, Minn., is vital to keeping that peace. Related posts: No related posts.
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Klobuchar’s Range/Biden comment
Here’s a line from a recent AP story on Joe Biden’s selection as Barack Obama’s running mate: “Minnesota will love Joe Biden when they get to know him. I can just see him up on the Iron Range right now. He has blue collar roots, he’s a very warm person,” Klobuchar told The Associated Press…
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Overheard in the halls
Two traditional aged female students overheard talking as they passed my office door at the community college where I work: ONE: I don’t care what he says. I’ll take f***ing Communism over $50,000 in debt for college. TWO: Uh-huh. Don’t forget, the people are angry. This is a volatile electorate. They will go with the…
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More 7B campaign videos: compare and contrast
Twin Ports Action has posted a section of videos from its recent forum with the DFL and IP candidates for House District 7B in West Duluth. The topic of these videos is Duluth’s so-called “Red Plan” for school infrastructure. Those looking for opportunities to see the candidates in action can get a look. I’m still…