On Saturday March 30, Suzanne and I drove four hours to Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, to watch the Heartland Forum. This event provided the opportunity for 2020 Democratic presidential candidates to offer their vision for rural America and to answer questions from three moderators and some pre-selected members of the audience. Four candidates and one potential candidate took the bait: Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Elizabeth Warren, former Secretary of HUD Julian Castro, former Maryland Representative John Delaney, and Ohio Representative Tim Ryan. Continue reading
Author: mndemsvolunteer
Amy Klobuchar vs Kamala Harris
It looks like the Democratic Party is going to end up with 15-20 announced presidential candidates. There will be a lot of words written and spoken comparing the candidates and lots of money spent backing the candidates. But, in my opinion, it will be a two-person race – Amy Klobuchar vs Kamala Harris. Continue reading
First MN House Committee Meeting
For the first time in my life, I attended yesterday a Minnesota House of Representatives committee meeting. I had no idea what to expect, but I was not prepared for it to be so depressing. Before I get to why that was, let me explain why I was there. Continue reading
It’s Going to be All About Abortion
The Republicans are losing on the hot-button issues. Let’s review: Continue reading
Now What Do I Do?
I have a confession. The day after the November 6 election — and after a night of celebration in St. Paul where numerous winning DFL candidates thanked us for helping them win — I woke up and said to myself, “Now what do I do?” Let me explain.
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MN Governor’s Race Headlines Start to Finish
I contacted the Tim Walz for Governor campaign in the summer of 2017 to offer my help, so I was on board early. Back then, I reviewed all the candidates and decided that, as a greater Minnesota congressman, Tim would be the DFL candidate most likely to win. I volunteered to work at his table at the 2017 state fair, where I meet him for the first time.
On the day after Tim was elected the next governor of Minnesota, I am basking in the glow, knowing that I contributed a small part to his big election.
To appreciate the magnitude of his victory, I thought I would walk down memory lane to review, in the words of the Grateful Dead, what a long strange trip it’s been.
Thanks to a search on the StarTribune website, below are the headlines (with subheadlines and first sentence(s) if helpful) connected to the 2018 Minnesota Governor’s Race – from November 17, 2016, when Erin Murphy jumped into the race, to March 27, 2017, when Tim joined the race, to October 5, 2017, when Tim picked Peggy Flanagan as his running mate, to caucus night, to gun-control opinion piece, to state convention, to primary election, to November 6 and victory!
It’s been fun and exciting. Thank you, Tim and Peggy, for letting me be part of it. Continue reading
Medical Aid in Dying
As most of you know, I retired in January 2017 and my wife Nancy passed away in March 2017. In preparation for recovering from both of these events, in 2016 I decided that I would become more involved with local political campaigns and local progressive organizations. And I did. Those activities have helped me to look to the future, and not brood over what could have been if colon cancer had not entered our lives in April 2013.
Since the fall of 2017, I have been active in three political campaigns. I’m also currently on the Board of Directors for NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota and am active with my church, Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church. (Yes, a church can be a progressive organization.) I’ve been busy, but not too busy to prevent me from getting involved with another progressive issue.
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