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2003: Republicans dominate Mn politics
KSTP TV ^

Posted on 12/31/2003 1:42:08 PM PST by MN_Rightside

St. Paul-AP) -- After several years of Republican gains in Minnesota, the scales tipped in 2003.

Norm Coleman succeeded the late Paul Wellstone as senator. Tim Pawlenty followed Jesse Ventura as governor. And Republican lawmakers filled more seats in the Legislature than they had in three decades.

The shift drove a significant policy overhaul in a state best-known for the politics of Democrats like Humphrey and Mondale.

Lawmakers passed a streak of conservative legislation, including changes to Minnesota's abortion laws, handgun permitting requirements and education standards.

The crown jewel? Erasing a multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall without raising state taxes.

University of Minnesota Duluth political science professor Craig Grau says -- "It's hard to find a more successful year for Republicans as a party."


TOPICS: US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: 2003review; republicangains
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Progress has been made
1 posted on 12/31/2003 1:42:09 PM PST by MN_Rightside
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To: MN_Rightside
This is amazing to me, I grew up in Iowas(many moons ago) and MN was always so terribly liberal that one hated to go there. Now IA is more liberal than MN. Who would have thought?
2 posted on 12/31/2003 1:47:14 PM PST by CasearianDaoist
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To: MN_Rightside
I hear that much of this is being driven by the "Pro Life" movement in Minnesota.
3 posted on 12/31/2003 1:54:58 PM PST by Zathras
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To: MN_Rightside
Does anyone know what is driving this? Is the DFL getting ossified? Is it financial issues, social issues, party tactics, what? Thanks.
4 posted on 12/31/2003 2:09:33 PM PST by jagrmeister (I'm not a conservative. I don't seek to conserve, I seek to reform.)
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To: MN_Rightside
Erasing a multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall without raising state taxes.

Progress has been made but they raised taxes. The Lege just chose to use the term "Fees".

J

5 posted on 12/31/2003 2:20:21 PM PST by J. L. Chamberlain
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To: MN_Rightside
Some stats I looked up:

Minnesota House: 81 Republicans, 53 Dems (DFL). This is up from 2001 when there were 69 R to 65 D.

Minnesota Senate: 35 DFL (52%), 31 Republican (46%)
6 posted on 12/31/2003 2:21:23 PM PST by jagrmeister (I'm not a conservative. I don't seek to conserve, I seek to reform.)
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To: jagrmeister
Some of it is driven by a strong Independence Party here in MN. Without Tim Penny in the gubernatorial race, we might well be talking about Governor Moe (DFL).

J
7 posted on 12/31/2003 2:29:58 PM PST by J. L. Chamberlain
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To: J. L. Chamberlain
I never did understand what Penny was up to when he ran. 'spose he knew he would be the spoiler and draw more DFL votes than Republican ?
8 posted on 12/31/2003 2:40:49 PM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
It's not really clear that the IP vote breaks that way. IP folks are very fiscally conservative, almost to a fault, but they are also socially pretty liberal. One could make the case that the MN Independence Party is really more like the old Rockefeller Republicans than anything else. But it's clear that they can be spoilers if social issues are leveraged in a campaign.

J
9 posted on 12/31/2003 2:48:17 PM PST by J. L. Chamberlain
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To: J. L. Chamberlain
Duh, make that fiscal issues. That's what I get for posting with my daughter and her friends yammering in my ears while posting!

J
10 posted on 12/31/2003 2:56:02 PM PST by J. L. Chamberlain
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To: MN_Rightside
Looks like Minnesota, despite Garrison Keillor's best efforts, has become more rational and Republican. Unfortunately, the erosion of reason in Pennsylvania more than offests this. Pa has more electoral votes after all, Incidentally, I am dubious (but hopeful) about MN ending
up in the W column in 2004.

Let's just hope the Country sees through the deceptions of the Democrats. If the Country does, everything will be all right.
11 posted on 12/31/2003 3:08:56 PM PST by faithincowboys ( Zell Miller is the only DC Democrat not commiting treason.)
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To: MN_Rightside
Several things are happening around here.
1.) More people are figuring out that DFL no longer means Democrat,Farmer,Labor,But now means Deviants,Freaks and Liberals.

2.)Lots of clueless old codgers that vote for DIMS just because Mom & Dad & Grandpa & Grandma did are croaking fom old age.(Elderly relative active in rural DIM politics is constantly complaining that their county turned Republican because all the Democrats are passing away)

3.) More of the rural Democrats(who really are fairly conservative) from the outstate areas are figuring out that the Democrats in Mpls. and St. Paul only want their votes ,But treat them like a turd in the punchbowl the rest of the time.

4.) Large numbers of hunters figured out that Gun Control was really about CONTROL and not about crime reduction.

5.)The Internet , Talk Radio,Satelite& Cable TV have broken the Monopoly that the LAME STREAM SNOOZE MEDIA had.(We only had 1 clear tv channel and 2 fuzzy ones while growing up in rural minnesota)

6.)People like me that keep informed about what the DIMS are up to and expose their dishonesty constantly to the younger generations.(Makes for some lively Holidays when the Old DIMS and younger Repubs do some verbal sparing over a card game of Whist.Many times we find out that they don't have a clue about what's really going on and are just parroting what the Local DIM leader regurgitated at the local Cafe.)

12 posted on 12/31/2003 3:09:32 PM PST by HP8753 (Some companies should be happy with four sigma)
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To: J. L. Chamberlain
Geeze, grow up. 'Fees' as bothersome as they might be, are not taxes, and are infinately preferable to taxes.
13 posted on 12/31/2003 3:18:12 PM PST by zbigreddogz
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To: HP8753
Has MN still got that Congressman Mouthbreather from Minneapolis ? I've forgotten his name (he was forgettable)...
14 posted on 12/31/2003 3:19:48 PM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (Sabo ?)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
Martin Sabo (D) MN- 5th district is still around.

Unfortunately for us.

15 posted on 12/31/2003 3:37:51 PM PST by HP8753 (Some companies should be happy with four sigma)
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To: zbigreddogz
Grow up?

Look Sparky, if my dough has to go to the government for any damn thing, it's a TAX. Got it?

J

16 posted on 12/31/2003 3:39:38 PM PST by J. L. Chamberlain
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To: J. L. Chamberlain
The Independence party takes votes away from Democrats? Tell me more about them, if you would.
17 posted on 12/31/2003 5:58:07 PM PST by jagrmeister (I'm not a conservative. I don't seek to conserve, I seek to reform.)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
Yes I have the great privilege to be represented by the "honorable" Martin OLAV Sabo. Unfortunately his seat is his as long as he wants it. The GOP won't waste any money to run against him.
18 posted on 01/01/2004 2:21:43 PM PST by Valin (We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.)
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To: MN_Rightside
Two words....Wellstone Funeral!! Showed the entire nation how crass, crude and power hungry the dems really are.
19 posted on 01/01/2004 2:26:00 PM PST by Ann Archy
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To: jagrmeister
I should have posted that two word response to you....Wellstone Funeral!!!
20 posted on 01/01/2004 2:27:16 PM PST by Ann Archy
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