Can Democrats swing a district in MN?

The FEC Quarterly reports reveal that lots of money on both sides of the Bachmann-Clark race in Minnesota's 6th District came from outside the state. Tarryl Clark raised a nearly mind-blowing $910,000 in the second quarter. But if it's all about money Michelle Bachmann's evidently got the election in hand, since she raised $2,000,000 (more than double Clark) in the same period.

Democrats better hope it's not all about money in the Minnesota 6th; they certainly know the census-based redistricting can't come in time to change the 2010 election.

Is there hope in MN?

The other side of the Twin Cities metro might be the Democrat's real hope for a pickup. GOP U.S. Representative John Kline's a low-profile guy who simply votes the party line. He has nowhere near the war-chest that Bachmann does despite the nearly identical voting record, and the MN Second District is not the Bachmann's Sixth in terms of voter demographics.

But there are rumors (in blog comments at MN Publius about the fund-raising in the 6th) Republicans had a subtle ace in the hole more effective than Bachmann's high-profile fund-raising in the 6th -- that they slipped a former Republican who voted for Bush and allegedly recently "fell into politics" past the DFL/Democrat's vetting in the 2nd, resulting in an easy opponent for Kline (if Dan Powers clears the primary.)

If Minnesota Democrats sleep through the August primary despite the real contest for the Governor's race, even Kline is safe in a district considerably more likely to swing than the sixth, and Obama will have to look elsewhere to balance the seats the GOP is likely to pick up nationwide in the U.S. House of Representatives in November.

Let's face it, with Bachmann getting national press coverage and raising twice the money?  The complaints the GOP made about Al Franken getting money from outside Minnesota will be forgotten, and her media success will have let Kline stay beneath the radar yet again, while Tarryl Clark fights the good fight in a solidly Republican district against increasingly greater focus by major GOP money.

Rumors?
What else have you got?

I'm doing what I can to raise the profile of former State Representative Shelley Madore prior to the primary in the Second District - she's a proven leader with a lot more in her repertoire than talking points. Madore, with endorsements by the NEA, the American Federation of Teachers, and Education Minnesota, brought common sense solutions that fostered job creation and transportation improvements to the entire region.  She's got the drive and experience to go to D.C., but thus far the media and donors are distracted by the lop-sided, quixotic drama in MN's gerry-mandered Sixth.

The Bottom Line

Just as with the Franken-Coleman Senate race, it's arguable interest from outside Minnesota dwarfs the in-state enthusiasm for political fights yet again. Even with a remarkable 24,000 donors Clark obviously isn't getting financial support from the vast majority of Minnesotans.

In the name of full disclosure I should state that I have donated to the Clark campaign even though she's not in my district (I live in the MN Second) and to both the Madore and Powers campaigns.  But the numbers show I'm not representative in that way.

I'm also not a non-partisan striving for utterly objective reporting.  I'm opinionated. I don't think Kline represents my district neighbors well enough, so I joined Madore's staff even though she got in the race late and isn't blessed by the party insiders.

Donors control who makes it onto the ballot, because without visibility the voters don't bother. That's why special interest money happens. Now, I may or may not have persuaded you Madore's chances against Kline are better than Clark's against Bachmann, but let me be totally clear about one thing.  The bottom line really is that campaigns need money, so here's a grassroots-style idea for those of you who made it this far in my long-winded post:  Donate $10 to my favorite underdog, and $25 to another campaign you care about. That's how you make your voice matter. If not now, when? 

Thomas Hayes is an entrepreneur, journalist, political staffer, and photographer who contributes regularly to a host of web sites on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.

Amanda the peoples' Burden by Suzannah B. Troy

Amanda Burden is a socialite, mega millionaire with a forty million dollar trust fund for her kids and mayor Mike Bloomberg's partner in the mass displacement of what may be a record by a mayor. Amanda the peoples' Burden is city planner and the way she helps her rich developer friends it is clear this job is a hobby.

Denial is the new crack cocaine for corrupt politicos here in New York from Albany to City hall. One example is Amanda the peoples' Burden is going to speak at The American Indian Museum this morning. Let us rewind. She pushed through mass displacement of entire neighborhoods, shady zone busting deals including one with Cooper Union that even Rudy Giuliani's city planner said no, this is a shell game and she is going to pat herself on the back at The American Indian Museum?

Joining her this morning is Howard Wolfson, originally a critic of Mike Bloomberg's until Mike bought him to run his campaign and deliver the most humiliating and expensive win in NYC's history.

Mike Bloomberg than decided he would hire a group of his campaign staff with 6 figure salaries at the tax payers expensive when these vanity hires should not have happened or if Mike needed their presence so badly he should have paid out of pocket.

Denial is the new crack cocaine for politicos from Albany to NY.

I think Errol Louis wrote  piece about corruption here in NYC politics being like the United Nations in term of the diversity.

Errol Louis  has a piece today on Andrew Cuomo investigating what sounds like racism -- housing bias against blacks.

There is so much corruption being reported in both The NY Daily News  and The New York Post today here are just a few examples and one from me.  A request that the FBI investigate all 110 million dollars Mike Bloomberg spent on his campaign rather than Cy Vance, the Manhattan DA investigate just one million that Haggerty allegedly stole and by the way Mike Bloomberg wired out of his personal account instead of his campaign.  You see I believe that someone has been paid to harass me and others on YouTube by the Bloomberg campaign.  It may have started out with an intern but this guy has harassed me and others non-stop and even stole a city council member's identity as well as stealing YouTubers' identities as well.  Harassing someone on the computer is aggravated harassment and carries jail time.


The NY Daily News reports the FBI is investigating 40,000 loans to Meeks.

Fred Dicker has an exclusive on John Sampson and his $49,000 "Bruno-mobile".

NY1 reports a possible move to prevent city council from extending term limits yet again.

A new website on pension padding and folks I haven't even covered much....there is so much more corruption...so much it makes it even easier to get away with....

Oh and Steve Rattner, Mike Bloomberg's money manager may be banned by the SEC for 3 years 

Here is one of my most favorite YouTube of tenants protesting the embattled Pedro Espada who by the way is being investigated for stealing mega millions.

"Justin Bieber hates Koreans" another 4chan Internet forum trick

Bieber 

Where did the newest Internet smear game "Justin Bieber hates Koreans" come from? The same place used to work to game the Oprah Winfrey Network TV Show competition: 4chan. The previously not well-known message board has, in two weeks, been used behind both vote-fixing campaigns.

In the case of Justin Bieber, 4chan-based hacking was behind a vote to send Bieber to North Korea as part of his "My World Tour."

PopCrunch.com reports that North Korea was the largest vote getter with 625,000 votes, followed by Israel and Poland with 608,000 and 513, 073 votes respectively.

But the vote-getting effort has morphed into a more mean-spritted smear campaign. The truth is, Justin Bieber does not hate Koreans or Korea.

Will.I.Am dissed by Chelsea Handler; T.I. asked "How was prison?"

Chelsea Handler of Chelsea Lately never stops being a wonder to this space...

T.I. and Chelsea 

Chelsea Handler, not one to shy away from expressing her view, although this space still wonders what the fuss about her is for (except for the fact that she does have a great set of legs and her arms have added more muscle and less giggle), dissed Black Eye Peas Star Wil.I.Am, saying he was a "douche" and an "awful person" on a rerun of her June 28th that aired show Wednesday night.

What Handler bases her opinion on was never stated. Still, she and her comedian guests piled on with word after insulting word about Will.I.Am.

Then T.I. came on for his first visit with her since his stint in jail. Handler said T.I. makes her "so horny" and her first question to him was "How was prison?" which was totally hilarious. Their exchange was so natural it was hard to tell if they really did date or not, as Chelsea's constant flirting implied. T.I. gave her a large bottle of Remy Martin and said he was coming out with his own label. The news prompted Chelsea to say "A black guy coming out with his own bottle label. Now that's new."

Ok, that was funny; so what was their last exchange like, the one before T.I. went to prison? On his YouTube channel T.I. wrote "This is my interview with Chelsea Lately. Yeah I know she touched my ass. Damn this girl is funny!"



What's interesting is that T.I. was a bit more guarded and tight with her the first time; on Wednesday he was lose and relaxed - almost a different person.

You know, I have to agree with T.I., Chelsea Handler is funny. She's got a very quick wit. I have to admit, the first time I saw her show, I wasn't impressed, but she's gotten a lot better at it.

Chelsea's growing on me, as long as she stays in the gym and wears the skirts, she's just fine.

AC Transit: Mary King explains why union asked to take cut

AC Transit Zero Emission Bus 

In Monday's Bay Area News Group websites The San Jose Mercury News and the Tri Valley Herald
in San Jose, California and Southern Alameda County, AC Transit Interim General Manager Mary King explained why the East Bay California public transit service provider is asking the 1,750 member Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) to accept a contract it imposed on them.

King starts by explaining that "Our future — and the future of affordable and environmentally sound transportation for Alameda and Contra Costa counties' riders — is in jeopardy," then tells the reader what this space has been trying to drill into the collective heads of many for some time: revenue froms sales and property taxes has decreased.

But what King does not explain in numbers is that AC Transit's total operating revenues have dropped by $12 million in one year, and all one has to do to understand this is download and read the AC Transit budget here: BUDGET.

Only service cut-backs and labor costs reductions can make up the $56 million deficit this revenue problem has, in part, caused.

Oakland Mayor's Race: Terrance Candell crushes Jean Quan, he says

Terrance Candell

Oaklander and St. Mary's graduate, Director of Candell's College Preparatory Academy, and CNN Roland Martin look-alike Dr. Terrance Candell, smarting from what he views as an apparent slight on the part of The Oakland Tribune, and regarding the Oakland Seen-produced Mayoral Forum of three weeks ago, issued a provocative video entitled "Candell Crushes Quan & Kaplan At Mayoral Forum pt.1."

While this blogger attended the San Francisco Dress for Success event that evening, there was a hired video spy in the building. From the video of the forum, Terrance Candell was the crowd favorite, even as the Oakland Tribune failed to note that fact until down in the depths of the page, and even then giving the appearance that it wasn't real but planted by him.

So, since Candell and company thinks he wasn't well-reported by the Oakland Tribune, they issued this video:



Candell's style is a crowd pleaser if you're looking for spice in the Oakland Mayor's Race. At turns pleading to make a better Oakland in an emotive style that reminds this blogger of one of those YouTube Hitler parodies, and at other times rightly chiding Oakland's current leadership, Candell is the cattle prod Oakland politics needs. Say what you will, Candell's energy and his hands on commitment to Oakland's youth is to be noted and praised, even by the media.

On the Oakland media, it must be said that it's really shameful that some blogs and Oakland news websites try to ignore candidates like Candell, in effect trying to pick who wins the Mayor's race. It's also idiotic, because the organizations that do it don't have enough juice to make their efforts stick. But mostly, it's unfair to Oaklanders, who deserve a place to go to be able to evaluate the candidates in a way that's fair.

Video's the best tool to use, yet the vast majority of media organizations are still totally out to lunch in its use.  Waaaayyy out to lunch.

Oakland Journalists pride themselves on the self-absorbed idea that they "can write," but who the hell cares if few see the finished work?

The Oakland Mayor's Race and the City Council race, too, deserves better, and this space is going to give it to both and to Oakland.

Stay tuned.

Carlos Boozer to Chicago Bulls cloud LeBron James to Knicks leaks

Carlos Boozer

The Chicago Bulls, who looked all but out of the running for LeBron James, have just improved their stock in the arms race to land The Chosen One. While Phoenix Suns Forward Jared Dudley's Twitter tweet sends James to the New York Knicks, much of that idea was supported by the fact that the Knicks got Amare Stoudemire for $100 million over five years.

Moreover, Amare was told the Knicks would work to add the one player he wanted to be with, LeBron James, if he joined the Knicks. He did.

But that was before Carlos Boozer joined the Chicago Bulls for $80 million Wednesday. And the fact the Cleveland Cavaliers let the now-ex Utah Jazz star get away means they're not as into the arms race for their own player as one would think.

Now, it's the Bulls, who reportedly still have enough cap space to sign James, who have the star power. Boozer teams with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to provide a forward-point guard-center combination that's formidable. Adding James could produce the championship stew the Chicago Bulls have been trying to mix since the Michael Jordan years.

Stay tuned. This is fun.