Free Republic

WASHINGTON — During the recent federal government shutdown, Republicans and Democrats in Congress went to war over GOP efforts to repeal or delay the Affordable Care Act. One front in that fight was the 2.3 percent tax on medical devices such as defibrillators and stents that manufacturers, including Minnesota-based companies, say has slowed the industry's growth. Still, U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen said the effort wasn't fruitless. "The silver lining is that it's really a household word because of all the media attention it's had," said Paulsen, who represents Minnesota's 3rd District, home to medical device companies. There's so much support...

The Minnesota delegation’s 2012 support is suddenly up for grabs, but whether the only Minnesotan left in the 2012 GOP presidential race can capture those endorsements is far from decided. Republican Reps. John Kline and Erik Paulsen, two of former Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s (R) most prominent Capitol Hill backers, haven’t sprinted to support their home-state colleague Rep. Michele Bachmann since Pawlenty abruptly ended his candidacy Sunday. Rep. Chip Cravaack (R), a conservative who would appear to be more aligned with Bachmann’s ideals than the former governor, hasn’t rushed to her side either. When Bachmann sought the House Republican Conference chairmanship,...