Minnesota
March 31, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Yesterday in “Senator Otis regrets” I quoted the Washington Times story on the White House event hosted by President Trump this past Tuesday evening. I commented sarcastically on Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and quoted the article noting her absence from the event along with that of several other Democratic Senate leaders. This morning Senator Klobuchar’s spokesman writes to correct the record: “I wanted to let you know that Sen. Klobuchar
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March 29, 2017 — Scott Johnson
I’m not sure that Fozia Dualeh of the Twin Cities suburb Fridley is an immigrant or refugee, but I think it’s a pretty good bet. She has been charged with bilking taxpayers out of fraudulently procured welfare benefits in the amount of $118,000 over a one-and-one-half year period. That is an impressive accomplishment, but Ms. Dualeh seems to have had the invaluable assistance of her husband, Abdikhadar Y. Ismail. For
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March 26, 2017 — Scott Johnson
The Senate Judiciary Committee held the confirmation hearing on the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court last week. Democratic members distinguished themselves with the vacuity of their attacks on Gorsuch. The Washington Free Beacon performs a public service in compiling the video below; the video condenses the lowlights into a one-minute reel. Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken earn their pride of place here. What is to
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March 23, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Reporter/commentator Brendan Kirby has watched enough of the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing to identify the “Five dumbest questions put to Gorsuch.” Kirby’s report is current as of 10:19 a.m. yesterday, so it may not be his last word on the subject. However, each of Kirby’s winners is deserving of recognition in its own right. Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar (with one) and Al Franken (with two) account for three of
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March 22, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Minnesota Senator Al Franken is not a lawyer, but he plays one on the Senate Judiciary Committee. A former comedian, he hasn’t been intentionally funny in a long, long time. He was laughable when he sought to educate Neil Gorsuch on an undisputed issue of statutory construction in one of the cases heard by Gorsuch on the Tenth Circuit. Adam White offers remedial instruction on the case here. Franken cited
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March 19, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Andrew Luger was the United States Attorney for Minnesota, appointed to the position by President Obama on the recommendation of one or the other of Minnesota’s two Democratic Senators. The Star Tribune recently quoted these two senators — Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken — lobbying to support Luger’s continuation in office under President Trump. As I noted in “The Luger lobby,” their comments have entertainment value but are not to
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March 12, 2017 — Scott Johnson
For citizens to use driver’s licenses and non-driver identification cards for official purposes, the license must comply with the requirements of the REAL ID Act. Minnesota is one of very few states that has yet to fall into line with the requirements of the act. The requirement for compliant licenses becomes effective on January 22, 2018. As of that date, Minnesota citizens without compliant licenses will be required to use
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March 11, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Andrew Luger is the United States Attorney for Minnesota. Appointed by President Obama at the suggestion of one or the other of Minnesota’s two Democratic Senators, he had no reason to think that his days in office would continue in the Trump administration. When I ran into him in the downtown Minneapolis skyway a few days after the election, I asked him if he knew what he was going to
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March 10, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Minnesota’s large and ever increasing Somali population is the ultimate protected minority in our left-wing utopia. The Somalis are black. The Somalis are Muslim. The Somalis vote Democratic. As I never tire of noting, in October 2015 Governor Mark Dayton instructed “white, B-plus, Minnesota-born citizens” to suppress their qualms about immigrant resettlement in Minnesota. If they can’t, they should “find another state,” he advised. We are directed to adjust and
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February 25, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Democratic National Committee members meeting in Atlanta this afternoon elected former Obama administration Secretary Tom Perez their new chairman. Perez defeated Minnesota Fifth District Rep. Keith Ellison on the second ballot by a vote of 235-200. Ellison picked up no votes on the second ballot after Perez fell one short of winning outright the first time around. Jonathan Martin does a good job reporting the story for the Times here.
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February 25, 2017 — Scott Johnson
We have carefully charted the support of fools and miscreants who have joined Power Line readers mischievously pulling for Keith Ellison to win his bid for election to the DNC chairmanship. Former Obama administration Secretary of Labor Tom Perez is Ellison’s chief competition. I think Perez has to be rated the favorite to prevail among the members of the DNC who meet today in Atlanta to elect their new leader.
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February 19, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Minnesota state Rep. Ilhan Omar is becoming a political celebrity. She’s a Somali refugee. She’s young. She’s attractive. She’s a Democrat. Did I forget to say she’s a Muslim? She’s a Muslim. She toes the Democratic Party line on every issue great and small, purporting to speak up for womyn and homosexuals and all the rest. A star is born. The Star Tribune profiles Omar in her new role in
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February 18, 2017 — Scott Johnson
We have followed the various left-wing movers and shakers who have joined Power Line readers pulling mischievously for Minnesota Fifth District Rep. Keith Ellison to emerge victorious in his bid to chair the Democratic National Committee, most recently earlier this week in “Dems in 5 states are with you.” Only yesterday I noted that Xenocrypt is not with you, but Xenocrypt is not a left-wing mover and shaker. All he
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February 18, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Long-time Power Line reader Howard Root abandoned his legal practice at Minneapolis’s Dorsey law firm and his work as general counsel of a medical device company to design highly useful medical products himself and to found the successful medical device company Vascular Solutions. He has nevertheless chosen to take a hike. In yesterday’s Wall Street Journal Howard gives a glimpse of his harrowing story with a local Minnesota angle. Here
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February 17, 2017 — Scott Johnson
We have been following the various left-wing movers and shakers who have who have joined Power Line readers mischievously pulling for Minnesota Fifth District Rep. Keith Ellison to emerge victorious in his bid to chair the Democratic National Committee, most recently yesterday in “Dems in 5 states are with you.” Ellison hasn’t won a competitive election since the multicandidate Democratic primary which he won with 41 percent of the vote
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February 16, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Power Line readers who mischievously pull for Minnesota Fifth District Rep. Keith Ellison to emerge victorious in his bid for the chairmanship of the DNC are not alone. We have noted that former Obama administration green jobs commissar and Mao man Van Jones is with you. We have noted that Vox’s Matthew Yglesias has joined you. We have also noted that 300 Jewish leaders are with you. And that’s not
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February 15, 2017 — Scott Johnson
Donald Trump narrowly lost to Hillary Clinton in the contest at the top of the ticket in Minnesota this year, but in other respects Republicans had an astoundingly good year. They amplified their majority in the Minnesota House to an unprecedented number in a presidential election cycle, when the turnout advantage usually accrues to Democrats, and took the majority in the Minnesota Senate. Republicans haven’t held a majority in the
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