Calling all volunteers

We need your help for the last push of the 2006 election!!! You are crucial to electing Democrats this year. We need volunteers from Friday, Nov. 3 thru Monday, Nov. 6. Duties include: making Get Out the Vote calls and canvassing neighborhoods. We are asking our volunteers to work at least two hour shifts.

Please help us with this final push before the election. It is some of the most important work during a campaign. Your hard work will help us guarantee Democratic victories this year!

If you have a few hours during one of the above dates to volunteer, please call the Coordinated Campaign headquarters in Bismarck at (701) 224-0475.

Jim Fuglie's News from the Trail

Two things this morning.

First, if yesterday’s weather hits us again next Tuesday, how many people are not going to get to the polls? I drove to Fargo and back yesterday. It was cold, and the wind must have been blowing 50 miles an hour. I did not get out of my car either direction between Bismarck and Fargo. If I were a homebound senior citizen in Steele, Jamestown, Valley City or Casselton, or a farmer living 15 miles from town, I can guarantee you I would not have ventured out of the house to vote. (Note: the wind was blowing so hard that one of the big tumbleweeds blowing across the Interstate hit my car on the driver’s side and actually knocked me sideways.) I had planned to go from Fargo to Grand Forks for the candidate forum last night, but on the way north of Fargo, I heard on a Grand Forks radio station that anyone driving over 10 miles per hour in Grand Forks was suicidal. So I turned back. How many people in Grand Forks (or in Minot, where the snow conditions and roads were almost as bad) will skip voting if that weather does a replay next Tuesday?

Okay, so my point is, go and vote today. Just go to the county auditor’s office and vote. And if you have elderly neighbors or friends who are predisposed to our party, take them along. Get it done. I think we are going to have some incredibly close elections next Tuesday, and EVERY SINGLE VOTE WILL COUNT. Vote today!

Second, our “96 Hour Program” as our Party Chairman David Strauss likes to call it, kicks in Friday morning. We need hundreds of volunteers manning the phones and dropping literature.

As I understand it, most of the literature drop slots are filled, but if you like going for an afternoon walk on a nice Saturday or Sunday in North Dakota, we’ll find a place for you.

Critical to our operation is manning the phone banks, which are set up all around the state. And we still need workers. It’s just two-hour shifts, making 15 second phone calls to our Democratic-NPL voters, reminding them to vote. That’s it. No persuasion message, no long conversations, just “Hi, I’m calling from Democratic-NPL Headquarters reminding you to vote on Tuesday.

In close elections like this one, turning out our voters is critical to victory. Send us your name and phone number by emailing Rick (rick@demnpl.com), or call your local Democratic-NPL headquarters (we have offices in Bismarck, Minot, Williston, Dickinson, Devils Lake, Valley City, Jamestown, Valley City, Grand Forks and Fargo) and volunteer. Just two hours of your time between Friday morning and Monday evening.

So, to summarize: Go vote today. And volunteer to help remind others to vote. And we will win next Tuesday.

A special note: Last night, my old friend John Spitzer called and said his nephew Tom, from California, is in town for a few days, and could we use a full time volunteer at our Bismarck office? You bet, I said. Tom’s at work this morning at our Coordinated Campaign Headquarters, through Election Day. If you’ve got a nephew, or son, or daughter, or grandkid, and want them to get some great political experience in the next week, send Rick their name and phone number, or call Cathy Peterson at 224-0475. We’ll set them up in a job. And they’ll learn a whole lot about elections and campaigns!

See you on the Trail.

Jim

Jim Fuglie's News from the Trail

Last January, when I took this job, a Republican friend of mine said “You Democrats will win the election when little green men from Mars land in North Dakota.” Or something like that.

Well, guess what. BIG green men. In Kidder County, right down I-94 from me. No kidding. It was in the Forum (the newspaper that told us Gov. Hoeven and Cory Fong’s property tax rebate proposal was so great, the plan that probably won’t get ten votes in the next session, even if it does manage to somehow get introduced), so it must be so.

The Forum says a guy in Kidder County heard some noise in the pigpen the other night. So he grabbed his gun and went out to check. He found aliens. Great big ones. Stealing his pigs. So what does he do? He starts shooting. Hit one too, he says. Heard it scream. Then it came after him. Knocked him out. Ripped his shirt. Stole his pig. And took off.

Here’s the Forum’s report of the story: There, he encountered two creatures standing 8 to 9 feet tall that were doing something to one of the hogs. The boy fired his .22-caliber rifle at one creature and was pretty sure he hit it, judging by the unearthly scream it emitted. Another creature then grabbed the boy and threw him to the ground, causing him to black out. When (he) awoke, he found that Ruthy, a 450- pound sow that had been ready to give birth, was gone.
Great. Just great. We wait for millennia to meet beings from space, and then the first time we get the chance, some 16-year-old kid opens fire on them. No “Welcome to Earth,” or “Would you like to meet our President?” Nope, none of that. Just start shooting.

Okay step back and look at this for a minute. You are awakened in the night by strange sounds. You get up, grab a gun, go outside and just shoot whatever it is that is there. No questions asked, just start shooting. Would you really do that?

But wait. There’s more in the Forum. A Kidder County deputy said he did not believe the incident in September resulted in a written report. The farmer (we’re withholding his name to save him further embarrassment—the Forum printed it) said strange things are still happening.

A relative who farms in the Tappen area recently had a sheep die, and a veterinarian who examined the animal found no obvious reason for its death, (the farmer) said. A cause of death wasn’t the only thing missing. Someone, (the farmer) said, removed a single testicle from the animal. It was done with surgical precision, he added.

Okay. So a kid gets up in the night, goes outside, starts blasting away at whatever is there, hits it, it screams, it steals a pig, and the sheriff doesn’t even file a written report?

Sure. That’s what happened. It said so in the Forum.

Strange things are happening in North Dakota.

Y’know, the Democrats just might win the election next week.

See you on the Trail.

Jim

N.D. Democratic-NPL candidates hit the road

Via the Dickinson Press Web site...

Democratic candidates rally in Dickinson
Christinia Crippes
The Dickinson Press

The state Democrat-NPL candidates are hoping a change is on the horizon.

On their Opportunity Express bus, the five Democrat statewide candidates and U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad stopped in Dickinson Friday morning to rally support for the Dem’s ticket.

More than 50 supporters attended the event at the Eagles Club.

“This election is going to be good for Democrats,” said North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson.

Johnson and Conrad are the only two incumbents. The Democrat challengers for the other state races are Cheryl Bergian for public service commissioner, Bill Brudvik for attorney general, Brent Edison for tax commissioner and Kristin Hedger for secretary of state.

Read on...

Jim Fuglie's News from the Trail

Well, you’re making it happen. We’re winning the finance wars, and that’s a good start on winning an election. Yesterday everybody—political parties, district organizations and statewide and legislative candidates--had to file their pre-election campaign finance disclosure reports. I haven’t seen all the reports yet this morning, but I’ll pick them up later today. But the newspaper reports are interesting.

They report that the State Democratic-NPL Party raised more than $800,000 this year, and the Republican Party raised about $500,000. How’s that for a switch? Republicans in this state have been buying elections for many years, but they ain’t buying one this year. Finally, our candidates are getting enough money to at least compete. In the statewide races, almost all of our candidates report raising more money this year than their Republican counterparts. The exception seems likely to be Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, who continues to tap his deep resources at the Republican Attorney General’s Association. He’s gearing up for a run at a higher office and is building name recognition this year in preparation for that.

Even at the Legislative level, when all the reports are in, you’ll see that we are competing on at least an equal basis in the cash wars this year. Our Legislative candidates have been more aggressive than I’ve ever seen them, and that is showing up in their ability to pay for television, radio and newspaper ads they haven’t run in the past.

So, at least now the playing field is level. That’s all we want. I think it portends good things for us on Election Night.

See you on the Trail.

Jim

Jim Fuglie's News from the Trail

Back from Grand Forks and Fargo, headed for Minot and Williston. A short note from me to you today. Your response yesterday to my plea to sign up to volunteer for the Get Out The Vote effort in the days leading up to the election was less than overwhelming. We’re going to have lots of empty phones if it doesn’t improve today. So please, email Rick at rick@demnpl.com. Give him your name and phone number so we can get you on the list. We need callers from noon to 9 p.m. Friday, November 3, Saturday, November 4, Sunday, November 5 and Monday, November 6. Two hour shifts. All you have to do is dial the numbers of Democrats and remind whoever answers the phone to vote. It’s that simple. Please reply today. We win if all the Democrats vote. We need your help.

Tie A Yellow Ribbon

The Democratic-NPL Tour Bus departs Bismarck early tomorrow morning for a swing around central and western North Dakota. On the bus will be Senator Conrad, Congressman Pomeroy, Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, and our other statewide candidates, Bill Brudvik, Kristin Hedger, Cheryl Bergian and Brent Edison. Local Legislators and Legislative candidates will be part of the short program at each stop. Here’s the schedule for this weekend. Next weekend it will be in the east. We’ll get you that schedule as soon as it is finalized. Meanwhile, meet the bus, and join our candidates for a big rally at one of these stops tomorrow and Saturday.

Friday, October 27

7:50 a.m. MDT - Beulah Senior Center, Continental breakfast with the candidates, plus live music to wake you up and get you going for the day.

10:30 a.m. MDT – Coffee and cookies with the candidates at the Dickinson Eagles Club.

1:15 p.m. MDT – Afternoon snacks with the candidates at the Carson Fire Hall.

4:45 p.m. - Appetizers with the candidates at the Bismarck Civic Center, Room 105. Heidi Heitkamp will be the mistress of ceremonies.

7:45 p.m. – District 7 rally at the Drake KC Hall, hosted by the District 7 Legislative candidates.

Saturday, October 28

9:30 a.m. - Continental breakfast with the candidates at the IBEW Hall on North Broadway.

11:45 a.m. – Lunch with the candidates at the Parshall Memorial Hall.

3:15 p.m. – Afternoon snacks with the candidates at the Williston Democratic-NPL Headquarters, 205 Main Street.

Now these folks are really on the Trail! See you there.

Jim

Local poll shows strong support for Democrats

Via the McKenzie County Farmer Web site...

Prairie Poll shows some surprising results in races
McKenzie County Farmer

Though many voters are undecided, Public Service Commissioner Tony Clark and Tax Commissioner Cory Fong both appear to face strong opposition in the Nov. 7 General Election, according to people polled in 11 communities across the state.

Poll results show Cheryl Bergian ahead of incumbent Clark, 30 percent to 25 percent, with 45 percent undecided.

Likewise, incumbent Fong was out-polled by challenger Brent Edison, with Fong being the choice of 30 percent of those surveyed and Edison, 36 percent. About a third of those surveyed are undecided.

Read on...

Jim Fuglie's News from the Trail

There have been some funny moments on the Trail this year, but none funnier than what happened yesterday at the home of former Governor George Sinner and his wife Jane. I’m in Fargo this week, and I had some papers to drop off for Gov. Sinner, so I called their house to see if they were home. I got a busy signal, so I thought well, they must be home, I’ll just drop by and surprise them. I haven’t seen them since the state convention in March, so it would be good to visit with them for a few minutes.

So I drove to their house in south Fargo and pulled into the driveway. I rang the bell, but no one answered, I tried the front door, and it was locked. Well, I thought, I’ll just try the garage door, and if it’s open. If it is, I’ll just leave these papers here with a note that I stopped by to see them, I thought. The garage door was indeed open, so I thought I’d just see if the inside door was open too, and it was! Now, I’ve been to the Sinner home many times, and I knew they wouldn’t mind if I just stepped in and left the papers inside. So I went in, and found a pen on the counter, and began writing them a note.

Then my cell phone rang. I answered, and the voice on the other end said “Hi, this is Marty.” Marty as in Marty Boeckel, Senator Kent Conrad’s campaign manager. Formerly Marty Sinner, youngest of the Sinner daughters (at least I think she is. If she’s not the youngest, I’m going to be in trouble with one of the others). Our conversation went something like this:

“Where are you, Jim?” “Well, you’re not going to believe this, but I’m in your mom and dad’s kitchen.” “Oh, well, say Hi to Mom and Dad.” “Well, they’re not exactly here.” “Really? How did you get in?” “Well, I had these papers to drop off, and the door was unlocked . . .” We laughed about the coincidence of her calling me while I was “breaking in” to her parents home, and then began to talk about campaign stuff, while I was trying to write the note to her folks.

And then the door opened and Jane walked in. She jumped back a little when she looked up and saw me (Imagine walking into your house and finding a man standing in your kitchen). Then, recovering and recognizing me, she said “My God, what are you doing here?” “Talking to Marty,” I replied.

“Who are you talking to?” came the voice over my cell phone. “Oh, it’s just your mom,” I replied. Now we’re all laughing. “How did you get in?” Jane asked. “The back door was open,” I said. She just shook her head and went back out into the garage to get the groceries out of the car. Marty and I resumed our conversation as Jane carried in the groceries, all of us still laughing at this pretty amazing coincidence. Finally I said “Marty, I’ve got to go. It’s really rude for me to be just standing here in your mom’s kitchen talking on the phone and ignoring her.”

“Okay, well say Hi for me,” Marty said. “I will,” I said, and hung up.

Jane and I had a nice visit. Her husband was out at a meeting and didn’t get home before I had to leave. I’ll call him this morning. And tell him how much I enjoyed visiting with his wife and daughter yesterday.

Important!

Two other notes this morning. By state law, polling places are now open in every county auditor’s office in North Dakota. You can just walk in and vote. You don’t have to fill out an application for an absentee ballot. It’s called early voting, and you can do it in just a couple minutes. Just walk in and vote. Don’t take a chance on an election day storm. Vote now!

And finally, this is the first call for pre-election weekend volunteers. We plan to make more than a few phone calls urging our voters to get to the polls, starting next Friday, we need volunteers all across the state to work two-hour shifts calling fellow Democrats to get out and vote. Today, we’re signing up volunteers in Bismarck, Fargo, Minot and Grand Forks. We need you to sign up for your two-hour shift sometime Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday before the election.

That’s November 3, 4, 5 and 6. To sign up, just hit reply to the e-mail and give us your name and phone number. Someone will call and get you on the schedule.

C’mon now, join in. Rick and I have been getting up early for ten months now so we can share these daily News Briefs with you. Your payback is simple: a two-hour shift on the phone, calling Democrats with a simple message—“Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday.” So right now, hit reply and give Rick your name and phone number. One of our volunteer coordinators will call you and get you on the schedule. We’ll win if we get every Democrat to the polls. Please help.

See you on the Trail. Or at the Sinner house. Just go on in. The back door’s open.

Jim

Minot Daily News says re-elect Johnson

Via the Minot Daily News Web site...

Ag commissioner Roger Johnson has earned another term in office

Jim Eykyn, Publisher; Bryan L. Obenchain, Editor -- Minot Daily News

North Dakota voters have a tough choice when it comes to picking an agriculture commissioner.

For the second time in two years, incumbent Roger Johnson faces a stiff challenge from Doug Goehring. In 2004, Johnson, a Democrat, beat his Republican challenger by fewer than 2,000 votes. The race figures to be close again this year.

Johnson has been ag commissioner since 1996, and has done a good job. He’s one of the leaders in the Association of State Departments of Agriculture, so we know he has strong leadership qualities and works well melding differing opinions. Goehring continues to farm near Menoken and is president of the board of directors of a mutual insurance company associated with the Farm Bureau. Like Johnson, he’s had first- hand experience with in-the-field farming as well as the business side of agriculture.

Read on...

Jim Fuglie's News from the Trail

Byron Dorgan is one of the best campaigners I’ve ever known. Earlier this year, Senator Dorgan held a little workshop for our Legislative candidates, and he told them that it is important for candidates to point out the differences between them and their opponents. Voters have neither the time nor the inclination to do substantial research on candidates for office, and we need to give them the information they need to make informed decisions. Done right, that’s not negative campaigning. Comparing records is a legitimate and necessary part of a campaign.

Well, we’ve got a few legislative candidates running against Republican incumbents doing just that this year. One of them is Chris Griffin in District 19, rural Grand Forks County. And his opponent’s record is ripe for comparison. For example:

• Current Legislator Tom Brusegaard sponsored legislation to take away the right of the people to vote for their U.S. Senators, instead giving the power of appointment to the Legislature. Uffda.

• Brusegaard three times introduced legislation to allow corporate farming in North Dakota. All three times, his bill was rejected by the Legislature.

• Brusegaard voted for a bill last session that would have given a $43 million tax break to big oil companies.

Those acts are real examples, Chris Griffin says, where there are differences between himself and Brusegaard. More importantly, though, Brusegaard has a lousy attendance record at his job. Brusegaard serves on three Legislative Interim committees, those Legislative committees which meet between sessions to study bills which will appear before them in the next session.

Those committees held a total of 21 meetings during this interim. Brusegaard attended just two of them, an attendance record of 9.5 percent. Importantly, Brusegaard did not attend even a single meeting of the important Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. I say importantly because his district is a rural district, and this is a key committee for his constituents. He also serves on the Higher Education Interim Committee, and he attended just 1 of 10 meetings of that group. And he was at only 1 of 5 meetings of the Budget Section Interim Committee.

Students of elections will remember it was attendance at interim committee meetings that pretty much did in Sen. Mike Polovitz right down the road in Grand Forks in 2004.

I’m having breakfast with Chris this morning in Grand Forks. We’ll talk about how he is gong to tell the voters of his district about these things. These are legitimate issues, and the voters deserve to know about them.

In every election, there are surprises. District 19 has not sent a Democrat to the House of Representatives in my political life. If you’re looking for a surprise on November 7, keep an eye on District 19.

Questions of the Day

Quickly now, what do Kent Conrad, Heidi Heitkamp and Brent Edison have in common? Answer: All three lost an election for State Auditor to a man named Bob Peterson. Conrad in 1976. Heitkamp in 1984. Edison in 2004. What else do they have in common? Answer: Each ran for Tax Commissioner in the next general election. On November 8, we’ll be able to answer the last question: What else do they have in common? Answer: They all won.

See you on the Trail.

Jim

Jim Fuglie's News from the Trail

On Friday, we said good-bye to the lady who is perhaps the longest serving employee of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party ever. Our office manager, Pat Schulz retired and went home to be a grandma.

Pat came to work for us in 1996.This was her sixth campaign. I don’t think even Jan McKinney, who was our office manager back in the 80’s, made it through six elections, but she might have. It’s too early to call her and ask her. She’ll get this later this morning and call me and tell me if I’m wrong.

Did you ever call someone and have them answer the phone and just know they were smiling—you could just see that smile through the phone wires? Well that’s Pat. The most common comment about Pat was that “She was that smiling voice on the other end of the phone at the Kennedy Center.”

A little about Pat. She was born and raised and Langdon. Her maiden name was Wild. She went to business school after high school, worked a few years, met and married the love of her life, a Highway Patrolman named Doyle Schulz, and followed him around North Dakota most of her adult live, raising their three children.

They moved to Bismarck about the time the kids were grown up enough to not need a stay-at-home mom, and she signed on at the Kennedy Center, where she has trained a number of executive directors and state chairmen.

Let me tell you the esteem in which this woman is held. I told this story at a going-way lunch for Pat Friday, but most of you weren’t there, so I’ll tell it again. Last April, we held a training seminar for our statewide and legislative candidates. There were about 80 of us there, I’d guess. At the end of the day, we had a nice dinner, served in the beautiful conference room at the University of Mary’s Harold Schafer Leadership Center, overlooking the wide Missouri River. We invited all the staff to attend. Pat and Doyle came.

Now, all day long we had trooped Congressmen and Senators and Legislators and State and National Party officials in and out of the room, all of them met with warm welcomes, but as just part of the gang that day.

But at dinner, we introduced the staff so that everyone, especially the newcomers to the ticket, would know who they would be working with the rest of the campaign. When we came to Pat, the minute her name was announced, the entire group spontaneously rose in a standing ovation for her. I was completely taken off guard, being a newcomer myself. But those who had been involved with party headquarters for at least part of the last ten years obviously knew what she brought to our party, and their expressions of gratitude and respect for Pat that night moved a lot of people. Not the least among them, Pat and Doyle, humble servants that they are.

People like Pat just go about doing their job from day to day, usually not being recognized much, but taking satisfaction in a job well done. That’s Pat. We didn’t pay her much. She always relied on Doyle’s health insurance plan. She doesn’t leave with a retirement package. That’s the nature of political parties. Employees come and go, and generally their stay is a stop on the way to somewhere else.

Pat stayed. Now she’s going to go home and take care of her mom and her grandbabies, and wait a couple years until Doyle retires for real, and then enjoy the rest of her life. So stop what you are doing right now stand up, and clap your hands for Pat. A few thousand standing ovations this morning are well deserved. And if you want to get personal, send her an e-mail at pschulz@demnpl.com. The one thing she does get to keep when she leaves is her e-mail address. She’ll remain an honorary member of our staff for life that way. E-mail her today. Just say thanks.

See you on the Trail.

Jim

Minot Daily News says Re-Elect Sen. Conrad

Via the Minot Daily News' Web site...

Conrad should be re-elected
Jim Eykyn, Publisher; Bryan L. Obenchain, Editor

Kent Conrad has earned another term in the United States Senate.

Conrad’s politically inexperienced opponent, Republican Dwight Grotberg, simply cannot match the experience, knowledge and power that Conrad brings with him to the job.

Conrad, a Democrat, was first elected to the Senate in 1986. Since his arrival in Washington, D.C., he’s earned a reputation as one of the toughest deficit hawks in the Senate. Earlier this year, Time magazine recognized Conrad as one of America’s 10 best senators, and for good reason. He’s continually pushed for a common sense approach to budgeting and politics in general, and he enjoys broad support from North Dakota voters – Democrats and Republicans alike.

Read on...

Jim Fuglie's News from the Trail

Our House Floor Leader, Rep. Merle Boucher, and I made the rounds yesterday in Districts 23, 29 and 15, and we liked what we saw.

In District 15, Devils Lake Senate candidate Joe Lawson and his House running mates, Bev Honkola and Russ Pearson, have their newspaper ads running every day, their television ads on all the local newscasts and radio ads running throughout the day on the local radio stations. By the end of next week, they will have knocked on all the doors in Devils Lake—twice. No one will outwork them this year. That commitment will get them the Senate seat now held by Jack Traynor and the House seat now held by Gene Nicholas (both of whom retired this year) and the House seat held by Dennis Johnson, who is running but is mostly a no-show in the decision making process in Bismarck.

In District 23, a monster of a district that includes everything from the south side of Devils Lake to Lakota to Cooperstown, Ben Vig and Ed Brownshield took an hour off from campaigning (they are out every day, all day) to have lunch with us in New Rockford. They’ve covered the entire district and are working their way back through it. Their ads are running and they’re focusing on turnout. Their district is one where there are actually enough Democrats to win an election if we get them all to the polls, and Ed, Ben and their Senate running mate, Joan Heckaman, who’s running for the seat Mike Every is vacating this year, will spend the next 18 days making sure everyone gets to the polls. Republican House members Don Vigesaa and Bill Devlin are toast, I think.

And in District 29, Carrington and part of Jamestown, we sat around Ellen Linderman’s kitchen table with Ellen and her House running mate, Clarence Daniel, and decided to increase the frequency of their radio ads and make their newspaper ads bigger, the result of a successful end-of-the-campaign fundraising effort the two have conducted. Say good-bye to Chet Pollert and Craig Headland—they won’t be around next January, but Ellen and Clarence will.

In fact, Merle gave us a geography lesson yesterday. Pointing to a wide swath down the east-central part of the state, from the Canadian border to the South Dakota border, Merle showed us a wide belt of the state that could likely have almost all Democratic- NPL representation in the Legislature in January. That would include the three districts we visited yesterday, plus District 7—the Rugby area where Senator Ryan Taylor and Rep. Arlo Schmidt will likely be joined by Marie Marshall, their House running mate this year; District 24, Valley City, where Larry Robinson, Phil Mueller and Ralph Metcalf hold the three seats; District 26, where Joel Heitkamp, Pam Gulleson and Bill Amerman hold the three seats; and District 9, Rolette County, Merle’s own district, where the Democrats don’t really face any opposition this election. It could very well be that the only Republican lawmaker in that swath next session would be Senator Dave Nething in District 12, where Lyle Hanson and Joe Kroeber hold the two House seats for us. And Dave’s likely to retire after the next session, and we’re likely to pick up his seat in 2008. That’s a wide swath of “blue counties.” We’ll put together a map after the election (we’re a little busy right now) with the red and blue colors on it to show you what we mean.

Meanwhile, I believe Merle’s predictions are right. I’m as eager as can be for November 7.

See you on the Trail.

Jim

Jim Fuglie's News from the Trail

Okay, here’s the rule for the next 19 days: Ignore the newspapers.

The North Dakota editors are starting to roll out their endorsements and provide commentary on the end-of-the-campaign strategies of the two parties. Most newspapers will endorse most of the incumbents in the statewide races. That’s the safe approach. They’ll damn the challengers with faint praise and urge you to vote for incumbents.

And on the day after the election, they’ll crow about how influential they are, because most often, incumbents win. Well, there will be a few surprises this year, and they won’t be in races featuring Democratic-NPL incumbents. So let them have their say. Nobody pays much attention to them anyway. Only the Grand Forks Herald, of the major dailies, has wisely chosen to sit out the endorsement process this year (although they will print the endorsements made by the Forum, their mother ship).

I remember the 1972 Governor’s race, between Art Link and Dick Larsen. I was a reporter for the Dickinson Press, and shortly before the election, my editor called me into his office and said “Let’s talk about endorsing candidates in the election.”

Now this was a pretty bold move for a small town editor of a paper that had never really done any endorsing in the past. In small towns, you’re likely to see half of your readers in person every day, so there’s some risk in taking bold moves such as political endorsements. There’s danger in making about half your readers angry, and that might be the half you visit with that day.

“So,” my editor said, “I’m thinking I will endorse Dick Larsen for Governor.”

“Why’s that?” I asked.

“Well, he’s gong to win, and this is our first endorsement, and I want to be sure that we endorse the winner,” my editor said.

Well, we all know what happened. Art Link won. And it was a long time before the Dickinson Press did any more endorsements.

The moral of the story is, newspaper editors want to look smart, so they tend to endorse the favorites, and in most races, the favorite is the incumbent. So, my prediction for this year: Every daily paper will endorse every incumbent. How’s that for a bold approach?

As for the Forum’s editorial, this morning, my suggestion is to take today’s Forum hunting with you, and when you’ve shot a pheasant, open the paper carefully to the editorial page, put the pheasant down on it, and clean that pheasant, then wrap the leavings in today’s editorial page and put it directly into the trash. That’s where it belongs. It might even improve the smell of the editorial page.

The Forum’s editorial page editor has been on a crusade to defeat Democrats this year, and he won’t quit until the election is over and we prove him wrong. There have been so many anti-Democrat editorials this year that the paper no longer has any credibility with voters. So don’t worry about him. He’s tilted so far to the right he’s about to tip over. That will happen on November 7.

See you on the Trail.

Jim

Rick Gion's News from Headquarters

Democrats have a real plan for property tax relief

Anyone who has followed the school funding/property tax issue knows darn well that their property taxes have gone up because state funding for K-12 education has gone down. It’s supposed to be between 60 and 70 percent. Instead, it’s now around 40 percent, causing local school districts to raise property taxes.

Yesterday, Brent Edison, along with our legislative leaders Merle Boucher and David O’ Connell, unrolled a plan for real, sustainable school funding and property tax relief. It isn’t a one time deal like the governor’s plan. Check out the article below for more details.

Winter’s back

Thirty degrees Fahrenheit with a 20 mile an hour wind and blowing snow. That was the weather in Bismarck last night when people with normal jobs usually get off of work.

It’s a big reason why we’ve been bugging you to vote early. Why put up with the possibility of bad weather on Election Day? All you have to do is click here to print a request for an absentee ballot. Fill it out and send it in or bring it down to your county auditor’s office, and they’ll give you a ballot to fill out or send one to you. It will ensure old man winter won’t stop you from your constitutional right.

Grotberg is grasping at straws

Republican Senate candidate Dwight Grotberg held news conferences in Bismarck and Fargo yesterday. He was telling reporters that Senator Kent Conrad has not done enough for farmers and for energy policy. I think Grotberg is confused. What a bunch of hooey!

Senator Conrad fought hard for disaster relief in this last session. He led the charge. Grotberg’s party shot it down. In fact, President Bush said he’d veto the disaster relief if it passed the House.

Also, Senator Conrad has a very comprehensive energy plan called the BOLD (Breaking Our Long-Term Dependence) initiative. It calls for enhanced domestic production of energy with a strong emphasis on renewables. Now that’s good for North Dakota.

I don’t know about you, but Grotberg is sure barking up the wrong tree.

-Rick

Democrats offer a real plan for school funding and property tax relief

Via the AP wire...

ND Dems support increased state aid to schools
By DALE WETZEL
Associated Press Writer

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- The North Dakota Legislature's Democratic floor leaders said they will push a $95 million annual increase in state spending on local schools, an idea that the party's candidate for tax commissioner has been advocating.

Rep. Merle Boucher, D-Rolette, and Sen. David O'Connell, D-Lansford, said the infusion of state cash would help relieve the pressure on local school districts to raise their property tax rates.

In the last two decades, the state share of local school budgets has declined from about 60 percent to 40 percent, the two legislators said Tuesday at a news conference with Brent Edison, the Democratic candidate for tax commissioner.

The most recent Department of Public Instruction data available says 40 percent of local school expenses are paid by the state, while local property taxpayers pay 43 percent. Most of the remainder comes from the federal government.

Edison said the state's budget surplus could handle the increase. Analysts say the surplus could reach $527 million by the time the state's two-year budget period ends June 30. It includes a state reserve fund of about $100 million, and $155 million in a fund for surplus oil taxes.

"Our plan does not require any state tax increases. It doesn't require that we touch the state's rainy-day fund. It doesn't require that we touch the oil tax trust fund," Edison said. "It's prudent. It's doable. It will result in direct property tax relief."

Read on...

Calling all volunteers!!!

We are only weeks away from November 7th, and as the campaign trail starts to near the end, our work to elect good people across North Dakota does not!

We need YOUR help to distribute our message to the voters of North Dakota! This weekend, we will be dropping off literature to people's doors in Fargo and Grand Forks. This lit drop will consist of our Get Out The Vote piece and close statewide and legislative races.

When: Saturday, Oct. 21st & Sunday, Oct. 22nd at 10 a.m.


Where: 115 Roberts Street, Fargo and 25 4th Street South, Grand Forks

If you are able to help at all, please let us know! Even a little help goes a long way and will ensure we can see victory for our candidates on November 7th!

Please contact Berrett with any questions, or if you are able to help out!

Berrett Gall
berrettg@gmail.com
701-235-1747

Jim Fuglie's News from the Trail

Today, Brent Edison is fulfilling his pledge to use $500 million of the state’s huge budget surplus over the next four years to provide college tuition relief, property tax relief and funding for K-12 education.

Flanked by Legislative Leaders, Edison called for the Legislature to use $95 million per year for the next two years in direct aid to schools in North Dakota, providing $190 million in direct property tax relief to North Dakotans in the next biennium.

Edison’s plan, the centerpiece of the Democratic-NPL Party’s Legislative campaign this year, makes so much more sense than what the Governor and Cory Fong proposed earlier that it is hard to place the two in the same category.

Property taxes paid by North Dakotans in the last 15 years have more than doubled. In 1990, North Dakotans paid $325 million in property taxes. In 2005, we paid $660 million. More than double.

Why? Because the Legislature, controlled by the Republicans in that period, refused to fund education in North Dakota at the level needed to operate our schools.

Since 1993, the cost of education in North Dakota increased from about $400 million to almost $700 million. But the state’s share of that cost increased by less than $100 million. So you can see what happened. Because the Legislature refused to provide the money for the increased costs of education in North Dakota, property taxes had to go up to pay for it.

It’s time for that to stop, Edison says, and his proposal does that. From now until Election Day, just 21 days away now, we all need to carry that message to the voters. Property tax increases will not stop until we begin to adequately fund education in North Dakota.

Our Legislative Leaders, Rep. Merle Boucher and Sen. David O’Connell, will introduce the legislation to make that happen on the first day of the 2007 Legislature. And Tax Commissioner Brent Edison will be at the Legislature every day to push a reluctant Republican Majority into passing it. That’s why we need to elect Brent Edison on November 7.

Quote Of The Day

Ben Meier held office so long that there was a day in North Dakota when people thought SecretaryofStateBenMeier was one word. Well, Al Jaeger is getting a little long in the tooth today, as witnessed by this quote from an interview with him by a reporter from the Dickinson Press.

"I came in to office before the Internet existed," Jaeger told the Press.

Hmmm. Maybe it’s time for a change. By the name of Kristin Hedger.

See you on the Trail.

Jim

Kristin Hedger on "Imus in the Morning"

Click here to listen to Kristin Hedger on the "Imus in the Morning" show on MSNBC.

Jim Fuglie's News from the Trail

The plot thickens. We touched a sore spot when we ran the ad talking about Rep. Ken Svdejan’s $35,000- plus travel expenses for the last biennium last week. Svedjan and his allies are firing back, but it’s pretty hard to defend the indefensible.

First to jump into the fray was his wife, Loretta. In a letter to the Grand Forks Herald, she wrote of his trip to Germany:

“Ken left, proudly armed with North Dakota products for his hosts in the German government, thrilled about what was to be his first trip to Europe. Since then, German government officials have visited several states, including North Dakota. Because of this exchange, a bridge between two governments was built, and the partnership of parliaments continues.”

Excuse me? A North Dakota legislator built a bridge between the U.S. and German governments? A little overstated, don’t you think?

Then she wrote: “Even though I could not accompany Ken on this trip, we felt it would be a valuable experience.”

From what we hear, it was one of the few trips he took on which she did not accompany him. We’re wondering if all those frequent flyer miles he earned on all these trips he’s taken were used to pick up her tickets so she could go along. Someone needs to ask him that.

Rep. Svedjan followed the next day with his own letter to the editor, telling Herald readers how his work on the National Conference of State Legislatures has saved North Dakota millions of dollars. And finishing the letter with: “As chairman of the North Dakota House Appropriations Committee, I am charged with overseeing our state's $5 billion budget.”

Sorry, Ken, but I think the Governor would argue that “overseeing” is a bit of a reach. Your committee holds hearings on the Governor’s budget and passes it along to the full Legislature. That’s about it. The budget is “overseen” by the Executive branch after you’ve gone home from your 80 days in Bismarck.

Finally, for last week, at least, Svedjan went on WDAZ TV in Grand Forks and said, "I'm not in a, I'm not in a position where I'm going to apologize for any of that, that travel.”

Y’know, Ken, we can all forgive sinners. But an unrepentant sinner leaves us wanting. Stay tuned, folks. There’s more to this story yet.

See you on the Trail.

Jim

Foremost authority on politics says Republicans are going to lose big time

Via the Cook Political Report's Web site...

Charlie Cook's National Overview
October 13, 2006

Category 5 Hurricane Heads for House GOP

Let's get the disclaimer out of the way: there are 25 days between now and the November 7 election and things could well change, making what follows obsolete.

That said, this is without question the worst political situation for the GOP since the Watergate disaster in 1974. I think a 30-seat gain today for Democrats is more likely to occur than a 15-seat gain, the minimum that would tip the majority. The chances of that number going higher are also strong, unless something occurs that fundamentally changes the dynamic of this election. This is what Republican strategists' nightmares look like.

Whether one looks at national or district-level polling data, or a survey like the new Democracy Corps survey that covered the 49 most vulnerable GOP districts, the conclusion remains the same: it is very ugly for Republicans.

Read on...

Wayne Sanstead weighs in on education funding

Via the Bismarck Tribune's Web site...

Take one step at a time to fix schools
By WAYNE SANSTEAD
Bismarck

A letter to the editor (Oct. 3) by Tim Lamb explored the issues of school adequacy and equity. A few observations about his comments and his approach to these issues are appropriate.

Let me assure readers first that I agree with Lamb that North Dakota needs to achieve what is currently known as educational adequacy in its public school system. Educational adequacy means determining what we want 12th-grade students to know and be able to do when they leave high school.

We then need to systematically define that outcome and put the resources in place to ensure that all students, wherever they live in North Dakota, have access to schooling that will enable them to achieve those levels of learning.

In North Dakota, a second funding lawsuit was filed several years ago to force the issue of moving in this direction. The Governor's Educational Improvement Commission has undertaken the task of trying to achieve basic equity first and later presumably, with the blessing of the upcoming legislative session, will tackle the more difficult issue of defining educational adequacy.

Read on...

GF Herald editor says Svedjan has some explaining to do

Via the GF Herald Web site...

Our opinion: It may be that frequent trips benefit the state - but Rep. Ken Svedjan must explain how.
Mike Jacobs for the GF Herald
10/13/06

Ken Svedjan has got some explaining to do.

That's pretty much all there is to say in the wake of advertising placed by his election opponents.

Sure, it's an attack ad.

But it does raise questions about Svedjan's conduct as a member of the state House of Representatives, where he's an important leader. Svedjan, who represents District 17 in Grand Forks, chairs the House Appropriations Committee.

Yet Svedjan spent vastly more than other legislators on travel during the last biennium - more than all the other members of the Grand Forks delegation combined, as it turns out.

The delegation is 12 members strong, so that's quite a bit of spending relatively. What's more, the delegation includes Svedjan's counterpart as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee - Sen. Ray Holmberg, R-Grand Forks.

In all, Svedjan spent 203 days traveling during the two-year period. That means he was away from the state more than one-fourth of the time.

Read on...

Jim Fuglie's News from the Trail

I get a lot of e-mail. A good bit of it is spam. Hot stock tips,Viagra, Cialis. I could get enough free samples to . . .well, never mind. But I get good e- mail too. The best one yesterday came from one of our party leaders. It had a link to a California newspaper that was a story about Ken Svedjan’s travel expenditures. Yes, a California newspaper. It was the Contra Costa Times. The story is no longer on their Web site, because it was in their Associated Press section which changes frequently. It's pretty impressive though that this story hit the national wire.

But the best part of the e-mail was the note that accompanied it. It said: Well, if the AP continues to run this article in newspapers around the country, there is a good chance Svedjan might see it....

Hah! Thanks, Tim.

Polls Around The Country

I received this e-mail from Brad Martin, the Northwest Region Director for the Democratic National Committee, yesterday.

The new Majority Watch from Constituent Dynamics will be released in a few minutes. Based on 63 polls of 48 districts of 1,000 likely voters each, they will show Democrats currently ahead in the House by 19 seats, 224-205, or the exact, 19-seat margin of the Republican Majority after the 2002 elections. It is also a significant increase from the 219-214 seat lead for Democrats found in the Majority Watch polling from late August and early September.

This 19-seat lead will not even include seven competitive, Republican-held districts that are currently being polled, and six districts that are currently tied. In fact, perhaps most stunningly, the districts with "safe" leads outside the margins of error break 217-198 in favor of Democrats. The previous set of polls actually showed Republicans ahead on safe seats, 205-199. Further, since TX-22 was not polled, that means Democrats already have the magic 218, outside the margin of error, with between 19 and 26 more races in the "toss-up" category. This is a looming landslide.

Well, maybe. I hope so. If you want to take a look for yourself, click here.

Had Enough?

I’m headed for Dickinson today, where they have a big “Had Enough? Rally” tomorrow. It’s at 9:30 a.m. at the Democratic-NPL Party Campaign Office 31 1st St. W in downtown Dickinson. District Chair Cindy Klein says she has a crew of volunteers taking out party materials and brochures for the District 37 candidates, Chad Berger, Stuart Savelkoul and Connie Kooren.
There’s one in Grand Forks tomorrow morning, as well, also starting at 9:30 at the Grand Forks Democratic-NPL Campaign Office at 25 S. 4th St.

If you’re in or near one of these towns tomorrow, stop and donate a couple hours of your time.

See you on the Trail.

Jim

Jim Fuglie's News from the Trail

“By the looks of it, Rep. Ken Svedjan, R-Grand Forks, must have enough frequent flyer miles to fly to the moon.”

So began the story in yesterday’s Grand Forks Herald.

“Between 2003 and 2005, the legislator spent 203 days on the road at taxpayer expense, racking up $35,865.62 in reimbursements.”

Well, now. I had been told earlier in this campaign that we ought to check on Svedjan’s excessive travel. So we did. The research done by some hard- working Democrats in their spare time resulted in a full page ad in Tuesday’s Herald detailing Svedjan’s travel. Seems the guy just likes to travel, and his seat in the Legislature affords him that opportunity.

The ad generated a story in the Herald. The story pointed out that Svedjan’s travel reimbursement for the 2003-2005 biennium exceeded that of all the other 11 Grand Forks County Legislators COMBINED. It was more than the two majority leaders of the Legislature COMBINED.

Judging by the phone calls I received Tuesday and Wednesday, the revelation has really ticked some people off. An embarrassment to the Republican Party, one GOP Legislator told me. An embarrassment to Grand Forks, one UND official told me.

There are other allegations of travel abuse against Svedjan, beyond just the outrageous expense, that have not yet been reported. We’ll wait and see what the media finds.

Meanwhile, on a more humorous note, one of my callers told me that Svedjan had to scramble back home from a trip to respond to a reporter’s questions about the story. Back home from Jackson Hole, where he was “doing the people’s business.” Uh huh.

Speaking of Grand Forks, I don’t think Svdejan is the only incumbent who is going to get beat up there this year. I think we might see the words “former legislator” attached to a few more Republican names up there after the election. I spent time in all three Grand Forks County districts this week. Great tickets. Hard working candidates. Well-funded campaigns. If there’s a door in Grand Forks County that doesn’t get knocked on by a Democratic Legislative candidate this year, I’ll be surprised. A few locked apartment buildings maybe, but that will be about all. It’s conceivable, maybe even likely, that we will double the size of the Democratic-NPL Legislative delegation from Grand Forks County this year.

And it’s not just the candidates. These districts could give you a lesson in how to use volunteers. Night after night, volunteers sit on the phone, making persuasion calls to independents and identifying new Democrats. Those kinds of efforts pay off on Election Night. I’ll be eagerly awaiting my call with the Grand Forks County election results on November 7.

See you on the Trail.

Jim

Air Svedjan gets grounded by the GF Herald

Via the GF Herald Web site...

Legislature: N.D. rep comes under fire for excessive travel
By Tu-Uyen Tran, GF Herald Staff Writer

By the looks of it, Rep. Ken Svedjan, R-Grand Forks, must have enough frequent flyer miles to fly to the moon.

Between 2003 and 2005, the legislator spent 203 days on the road at taxpayer expense, racking up $35,865.62 in reimbursements.

As chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, it's expected that Svedjan would travel more than the average representative. But he's so far ahead of anyone else on the Legislature that it takes the travel reimbursements of the majority and minority leaders of both houses just to beat Svedjan, a fact the Democrats have seized upon a month before the election.

They recently took out a full-page, color ad in the Herald detailing Svedjan's travels, ranging from Germany to Chicago, from Anchorage, Alaska, to Miami.

Read on...

Rick Gion's News from Headquarters

Here’s a heads up for all of you interested in former Gov. Ed Schafer’s latest venture. If you haven’t heard already, Americans for Prosperity has recruited him to basically meddle in the business of North Dakota’s spending and saving of our budget surplus. The group is an out of state organization based out of Washington, D.C.

The record of this organization is heavily out of touch with North Dakotans. AFP, for short, supported President Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security. They also supported CAFTA (the Central American Free Trade Agreement). AFP recently hired Duane Sand as its state director in North and South Dakota. Remember him? The AFP is holding a series of public forums about our budget surplus this month all over the state. Attend one and give them your two cents or maybe more. The schedule is as follows:

-Devils Lake at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12 in the Armory Meeting Room located at the south end of the Memorial Building

-Valley City at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16 at the Valley City Fire Hall, 241 3rd Ave. N.E.

-Jamestown at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct.16 in the Law Enforcement Center meeting rooms 1, 2 and 3, 205 6th St. S.E.

-Wahpeton at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18 in the Comfort Inn’s King’s Suite, 209 13th St. S.

-Lisbon at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18 in the Ransom County Courthouse Community Room, 205 5th St. W.

-Williston at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 23 at the County Commission Chambers in the Williams County Courthouse, 205 E. Broadway

-Dickinson at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23 at the Stark County Courthouse Veteran’s Room, 51 3rd St. E.

-Minot at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25 in the Courthouse Meeting Room, 315 3rd St. S.E.

-Bismarck at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25 in the Colony Room at the Kelly Inn, 1800 12th St. N.

More Had Enough? Rallies

The last of the Had Enough? Rallies are scheduled for this Saturday. The events last week were a huge success. Come out this Saturday to say you’ve had enough of poor Republican leadership in our state and country. The event information is below:

-Grand Forks: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Democratic-NPL Office, 25 4th St. S., Note: House Democratic leader Merle Boucher will be giving the kickoff speech at this event.

-Dickinson: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Democratic-NPL Campaign Office, 31 1st St. W.

Jim Fuglie's News from the Trail

First things first. Happy Birthday, Mom. I know you’ll get this message a little late, but you know I am thinking about you this morning. (Note to readers: Mom doesn’t do computers. She’s 82 and says that’s just one thing she’s not going to learn. Besides, she’s too busy to fool around with things like that. But she reads these notes every day, because my secretary, Pat, prints them and mails them to her, so she gets them the next day. So she’ll read this Wednesday.)

While I’m on the subject, let me tell you a story about her. A number of years ago, Mom went to an estate auction with a friend, and was looking through some stuff on tables when she spotted something she thought I would like. It was on old letter, typewritten, from then Attorney General William Lemke to a fellow Nonpartisan Leaguer in Adams County. Signed by Lemke, and dated sometime just before the 1920 election. A true collectible, and one Mom thought I should have.

So when it came up for bids, she started bidding, and noticed right away someone was bidding against her. Well, ever frugal Mom went along up to $7.50 and then decided that was high enough, and she let the other fellow have it. As the afternoon wore on, she happened to end up next to the fellow who bought it and he asked her why she was bidding on it. She replied that her son was involved in politics and she thought he might like to have it. “Well, then,” the fellow said, “he can have it. I’m a stamp collector and just bought it for the stamp on the envelope.” And he gave her the letter. I still have it. Thanks, Mom. And have a great birthday.

Good Old Garrison

Well, I just love Garrison Keillor. I’m a faithful Saturday afternoon listener to A Prairie Home Companion. Mostly, he’s kept politics off the show since his favorite foil, Jesse Ventura, left office, with just subtle digs, mostly at the Republicans, from time to time. But he also writes a syndicated political column which someone sends me from time to time (Mary Sand, a fellow Dunn County Democrat, nearly an endangered species there, sent me this one), and he pulls no punches in these. His most recent one starts:

I would not send my college kid off for a semester abroad if I were you. Last week, we suspended human rights in America, and what goes around comes around. Ixnay habeas corpus.

The U.S. Senate, in all its splendor and majesty, has decided that an "enemy combatant" is any non- citizen whom the president says is an enemy combatant, including your Korean greengrocer or your Swedish grandmother or your Czech au pair, and can be arrested and held for as long as authorities wish without any right of appeal to a court of law to examine the matter.

If your college kid were to be arrested in Bangkok or Cairo, suspected of "crimes against the state" and held in prison, you'd assume that an American foreign service officer would be able to speak to your kid and arrange for a lawyer, but this may not be true anymore. Be forewarned. The Senate also decided it's up to the president to decide whether it's okay to make these enemies stand naked in cold rooms for a couple days in blinding light and be beaten by interrogators.

This is now purely a bureaucratic matter: The plenipotentiary stamps the file "enemy combatants" and throws the poor shnooks into prison and at his leisure he tries them by any sort of kangaroo court he wishes to assemble and they have no right to see the evidence against them, and there is no appeal. This was passed by 65 senators and will now be signed by Mr. Bush, put into effect, and in due course be thrown out by the courts. None of the men and women who voted for this bill has any right to speak in public about the rule of law anymore, or to take a high moral view of the Third Reich, or to wax poetic about the American Idea.

Mark their names: Alexander, Allard, Allen, Bennett, Bond, Brownback, Bunning, Burns, Burr, Carper, Chambliss, Coburn, Cochran, Coleman, Collins, Cornyn, Craig, Crapo, DeMint, DeWine, Dole, Domenici, Ensign, Enzi, Frist, Graham, Grassley, Gregg, Hagel, Hatch, Hutchison, Inhofe, Isakson, Johnson, Kyl, Landrieu, Lautenberg, Lieberman, Lott, Lugar, Martinez, McCain, McConnell, Menendez, Murkowski, Nelson of Florida, Nelson of Nebraska, Pryor, Roberts, Rockefeller, Salazar, Santorum, Sessions, Shelby, Smith, Specter, Stabenow, Stevens, Sununu, Talent, Thomas, Thune, Vitter, Voinovich, Warner.

Note that list does not contain the names Conrad or Dorgan. Good for you, Kent and Byron!

You can read the rest of the Keillor column by clicking here.

It’s worth finishing.

See you on the Trail.

Jim