Replay-President Obama On Economy “It’s Still Fear Vs. Hope”

President Barack Obama has been stopping through the Midwest to stump for the middle class: the resurgence of which, he said, will revive the economy. His latest stop was outside of Cleveland, Ohio, the site of one of his final rallies in fall of 2008.

Obama talked about hope for struggling families through financial reform, expanded health care coverage, and college education that’s affordable. He also talked about the Republicans’ hope that Obama be defeated, their hope to channel voter fear. He again singled out John Boehner, Ohio U.S. Representative and Minority House Leader.

“They’re making the same calculation they made just before the inauguration: if I fail, they win. Well, they might think this will get them were they need to go in November, but it won’t get our country where it needs to go in the long run,” Obama said.

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Transcript of President Obama’s speech when you continue reading.
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Replay-MN Governor Candidates Debate Health Care

Tom Horner, Tom Emmer and Mark Dayton are invited to the Joint Chambers’ Debate at St. Joseph’s Hospital
Wed, September 8, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
St. Joseph’s Hospital
45 West 10th Street
Saint Paul, MN 55109
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Daily UpTake

Today on The UpTake we’re bringing you live streaming of four events — two this afternoon and two more this evening.

At 1:10 p.m. Central Time, catch President Obama’s speech on the economy from Cuyahoga Community College near Cleveland. At 1:30 p.m. we’ll also air the Health Insurance Exchange-Legislative Working Group discussing their federal health insurance exchange planning grant application from Room 15 in the Minnesota State Capitol.

At 6 p.m. we’ll bring your blood to a boil with coverage of a Tea Party rally headlining U.S. Reps. Michele Bachmann and John Kline. Minnesota’s GOP lieutenant governor Annette Meeks is also scheduled to appear. This event in Watertown, Minn., is billed as a political rally to “recapture America for ‘We the People’”. Then at 6:30 we’ll air the Minnesota Governor Joint Chambers’ Debate from St. Joseph’s Hospital here in St. Paul.

President Bill Clinton stumps for Al Franken - Nov 30, 2008

Today’s news on The UpTake includes word that former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden will come to the Twin Cities to campaign for DFL gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton in coming weeks. Clinton will be here next Tuesday, with Biden on Oct. 5.

Tom Emmer helps keep fact checkers employed. Details when you continue reading.

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Replay-Health Insurance Exchange-Legislative Working group

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President Clinton and VP Biden To Campaign For Dayton In MN

The last time Bill Clinton campaigned in Minnesota it was for DFLer Al Franken on October 30, 2008. Franken went on to win the US Senate race, unseating Republican Norm Coleman. The DFL is hoping for a repeat as Bill Clinton will come to Minnesota in support of Mark Dayton’s and Yvonne Prettner Solon’s campaign for Governor and Lt. Governor.

The Dayton campaign today announced that President Bill Clinton will be here in Minnesota on the evening of September 14th. The White house says President Obama will make a fundraising visit to the state before the election. And Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to campaign for Dayton in Minnesota on the early afternoon of October 5^th.

The Dayton campaign said details on the visits will be released as soon as they are finalized.

Emmer’s Budget Plan Wasn’t Officially Vetted, Says State Revenue Commissioner

Republican Candidate for Minnesota Governor Tom Emmer says the MN Department of Revenue reviewed his budget. Monday and Tuesday He challenged his DFL opponent Mark Dayton to do the same.

“Take it to the Department of Revenue, they do have the computer modeling. They can do it for you. And then show Minnesota that your plan works.” said Emmer. “Our numbers are backed up and they’re checked.”

However, according to the Star Tribune, the Department of Revenue never officially reviewed Emmer’s numbers. State Revenue Commissioner Ward Einess told the Star Tribune that Emmer’s proposal never got vetted by number-crunching computers.

Einess says he spent a couple hours over the Labor Day weekend reviewing Emmer’s plan against existing information, calling it an “on-the-fly” review, but not anything official.

(Video: Emmer challenges Dayton and IP candidate Tom Horner to send their budgets to the Minnesota Department of Revenue for computer modeling, something he himself has not done)

Gov Pawlenty Thought $1 Million Federal Grant Not “Worthwhile”

Why would anyone turn down $1 Million in federal funding? Minnesota House Majority Leader Tony Sertich wanted to know why Governor Tim Pawlenty did. So Sertich asked the man who prepared the paperwork for the Governor, Human Services Commissioner Cal Ludeman.

Ludeman said the money was just an assessment grant to help the state get another grant. “Planning to plan” as Ludeman put it, and the Governor didn’t think that was worthwhile.

How Long Did Pawlenty’s Lawyers Work On Not Applying For Grants?

Governor Tim Pawlenty has discovered a loophole in Minnesota’s law that was intended to require him to apply for federal grants. Commissioners for the Governor today told legislative leaders that the law required them to apply for “one or more”, but not “all” grants from the recently passed federal health care reform legislation.

Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher said that was not the intent of the law, and suggested to legislators who will “be here in the future” to learn from the experience. Kelliher is not running for re-election to the House.

She then wondered how long Governor Tim Pawlenty’s lawyers had worked to figure out a way not to apply for the Federal grants. She called the Governor’s actions “disappointing” and wondered what Representative Tom Emmer who is running for Governor would do.

Kelliher pointed out that the dollars in the federal grant the Governor did not apply for were tax dollars paid to the federal government by Minnesota taxpayers.

Emmer Says EPA Is “Arrogant,” “If You Like The EPA, Then Vote for Mark Dayton”

We catch up with Republican candidate for Minnesota Governor Tom Emmer after his debate this morning in Duluth. He poses for a photo saying “cut taxes” instead of “cheese”. He repeats his claim that Minnesota doesn’t face a deficit. He is then asked a question about the proposed Polymet mine in northern Minnesota, which the EPA has rated as the worst environmental risk in the last ten years.

When told about the rating, Emmer looks at the sky in frustration. He calls the EPA and people in DC “arrogant” for thinking northern Minnesotans would destroy the place they live in. “If you like the EPA, then vote for Mark Dayton” says Emmer.

Did Company Where Emmer Announced Budget Receive Stimulus Money?

There’s been much ado, since Minnesota GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer unveiled his proposed budget at Permac Industries yesterday, about whether the Burnsville-based precision manufacturing company benefited in any way from federal stimulus money — to which Emmer is vocally opposed — through a local Dakota County-based jobs training program. The DC-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) quoted Permac CEO Darlene Miller in a press release last week as saying, “The subsidized jobs program has provided us with a wonderful way to identify dedicated and dependable workers.”

According to the CBPP press release, “President Obama and Congress created the federal TANF Emergency Fund that pays for the subsidized employment program as part of last year’s Recovery Act …. with the purpose of providing states with extra resources to meet the increased need for assistance during a recession.”

But at Emmer’s press conference yesterday, Miller denied that Permac had received any federal stimulus money. When asked if federal funds indirectly subsidized her workers through the local Dakota County workforce program, Emmer interrupted Miller, curtly stating, “None of them came from federal stimulus” money.

Was this a game of smoke and mirrors — or simply an example of not following the money trail? … Continue Reading