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Creatures stirring on Shutdown Eve
Lawmakers and Gov. Dayton are negotiating today to avoid a state shutdown which would occur at midnight without a budget deal. Most agree that a shutdown of some length is likely, but you can monitor the possibility of a deal at the Minnesota Public Radio “Shutdown Blog” or the Twitter #mnshutdown thread. Many of the…
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MN-8: An election that will shape northern Minnesota
My series on the 2012 campaign for Minnesota’s Eighth District congressional district seat is complete. Freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) will face off against one of several potential DFL challengers for a race that will say a lot about the demographics, politics and issues facing northern Minnesota’s future. If you missed the beginning, here are…
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MN-8: Other DFL contenders may break out of pack
We near the end of my MN-8 series with a look at several people either considering a run or being suggested as DFL candidates to challenge freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) in this northern Minnesota district. These posts are subjective analysis from one person, me, a former reporter and political observer from the region in…
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MN-8: Rick Nolan comeback bid shakes up race
Today my series on Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District continues with more posts about the DFLers running to unseat Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8). Today we meet the people considering a run, starting with the most active in the group, former U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan. At noon I’ll introduce several of the others, including some who might…
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MN-8: Clark moves north for run at Cravaack
Today my series on Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District continues with the first of several posts about the DFLers running to unseat Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8). Today I’m posting two items about the candidates who’ve announced. Jeff Anderson was this morning. Now we look at Tarryl Clark. Tarryl Clark is a fascinating figure in the unfolding…
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MN-8: Cravaack to hold second Range town hall in Ely
Adding some context for the MN-8 series I’m writing, Rep. Chip Cravaack will hold his second Iron Range town hall at Vermilion Community College in Ely Wednesday evening from 7-8 p.m. The college is on the north end of town off Camp Street. Cravaack’s first Range town hall was in Mt. Iron last month, where…
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MN-8: Jeff Anderson runs with Range roots, Duluth experience
Today my series on Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District continues with the first of several posts about the DFLers running to unseat Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8). Today I’ll post two items about the candidates who’ve announced, Jeff Anderson and Tarryl Clark. We begin in alphabetical order with Anderson. A Duluth city councilor, radio station ad manager,…
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COLUMN: Range towns should look inward for future possibilities
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, June 26, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Range towns should look inward for future possibilitiesBy Aaron J. Brown I’ve learned that a sound, compact wooden railroad design will yield many fun adventures for my boys. A poor design will collapse easily, requiring numerous repairs and…
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‘Iron Range Blast’ to rock the Twin Cities Saturday night
Half of the people who call themselves Iron Rangers actually live in the Twin Cities. If you’re reading this down in the Cities you should know about this Saturday night “Iron Range Blast” event at Cuzzy’s Bar and Grill in Minneapolis. Check it out, if only for the cool image shared here. A review of…
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MN-8: The campaigns that never were
My series on the early status of the MN-8 congressional race in northern Minnesota continues. On Monday and Tuesday I’ll be posting updates on DFLers seeking to unseat incumbent freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack. This post focuses, surprisingly, on all the top tier DFLers who opted not to run. Normally you’d just ignore these people. Most…
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Brown on the Air: SHUTDOWN?
The “Between You and Me” program on 91.7 KAXE this Saturday morning represents a bit of a departure. The show, which begins at 10 a.m. and runs until noon, dedicates its weekly discussion to the impending state government shutdown. I’ll be joining the conversation with my usual weekly commentary, this time sounding a bit more…
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MPR: When your high school is torn down, progress seems like a mixed blessing
I’ve got the feature commentary at Minnesota Public Radio today. This is a longer piece about my feelings seeing a picture of the old Cherry School being torn down and replaced. I mentioned this last week, with the picture. Read and recommend the essay over at MPR. It helps! Related posts: No related posts.
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MN-8: Cravaack readies defense against DFL challenge
My series on the upcoming 2012 race in MN-8 continues with a look at the candidates. The list includes Republican incumbent Chip Cravaack and several northern Minnesota Democrats mulling a challenge. I plan to conduct interviews with all the candidates at an appropriate time in the future. Most candidates, including Cravaack, have already committed. The…
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MN-8: A new district in more ways than one
Today we begin my series by discussing Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District and how it might change in 2012. I’ve written about redistricting before, and the changing nature of the district. Below are three possible redistricting scenarios, each of which would produce a very different situation for northern Minnesota politicos. Remember the basic composition of the…
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MN-8: covering a key northern toss-up
MinnesotaBrown is the only daily news blog operating on Minnesota’s Iron Range (Right? Why not? I’m going with that). As a result, when the conch shell is blown I will cover the closely-watched 2012 MN-8 congressional race. This week I’m posting a series on the state of the race at this early date. I’ve held…