Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak looked back on his failed attempt to win the DFL's nod for governor and looked ahead to tackling the city's problems, including those nasty potholes.
By STEVE BRANDT, Star Tribune
Last update: April 28, 2010
His voice is still hoarse from last weekend's DFL convention, and R.T. Rybak is nursing it this week with mugs of tea.
Back in his Minneapolis City Hall office, he says he's relieved that two years of compartmentalizing his life between the duties of a mayor and the grind of campaigning for governor are over. He says that even focusing on potholes is refreshing.
"It's a little like taking a duplex and turning it into a single-family house," Rybak said this week, reflecting after finishing runner-up to House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher for DFL endorsement Saturday in Duluth. "I'm taking one side out of my brain and filling it with the other."
Does he still want to be governor? That depends on circumstances.
"I'm open to it,'' he said. "It won't have much to do with me having a personal ambition. If I died tomorrow, I would be incredibly fulfilled knowing I got to be mayor of Minneapolis. I don't need another notch on my professional belt.
"I ran for governor because the state was in such a mess and ... that jeopardizes everything we've accomplished, so whether I do something again will depend on large part on whether the state gets straightened out and whether the issues I care about get fixed."
What about Congress, if a Democrat there moved on?
Rybak, an early and tireless Barack Obama supporter, said he's not ruling anything out, but added: "My place in public service is as an executive and as far as Washington goes, I had a great opportunity to go to Washington when President Obama got elected. ... [My wife] Megan and I talked about that and we're Minnesotans."
Why he didn't get endorsed
He said a major factor in losing his endorsement bid was because he couldn't overcome the loyalty of super-delegates to Kelliher, whom he has pledged to support. Those were the convention's 190 state and federal elected and party officials.
Endorsements of her by Sen. John Marty and Rep. Tom Rukavina as they dropped out helped to seal the deal.
Others say that building trades' hostility to Rybak cost him votes, as well as his inability to convert his lead within a band of progressive Democrats known as ReNEW Minnesota to the 60 percent threshold needed to bind its bloc of delegates.
Some were surprised that he couldn't draw more overt support from Obama and his operatives. Rukavina's fiery speech also may have siphoned off some delegates early on. Some Rybakers complain privately that some Minneapolis legislators bad-mouthed his mayoralty.
Still, some say the urban mayor proved political viability statewide, and that it's no shame to finish second in a crowded field. "His ability to motivate and inspire people are tremendous attributes," said Dan McGrath, executive director of TakeAction Minnesota, a progressive political arm.
Training for the future
Rybak said his new statewide contacts will help Minneapolis at the state level, where a negative perception of the state's biggest city has sometimes prevailed.
He's also building some political chits. He'll return to Montgomery's Kolacky Days contest in July, not only for the rubber match in his kolacky-eating contest with that city's mayor, Mick McGuire, but also to stump in the parade for McGuire's legislative bid.
On a personal level, odds are that he might be spotted in an antique store as he restores equilibrium to his personal life. "Megan has built up many chits that I'm sure she'll cash in," he explained. You may also spot him training for the two or three triathlons he hopes to enter after limiting himself to one last summer while campaigning for mayor.
Inside City Hall, Rybak's relatively painless supplemental 2010 budget, which accommodates new state aid cuts, is expected to pass Friday. He'll go from there to meet with department heads to craft his 2011 proposal. Job creation and youth are tops on his agenda.
He's working with other mayors and business on regional competitiveness issues, working with St. Paul on developing green manufacturing jobs, and developing jobs from his homegrown food initiative. He's beating the bushes for more summer jobs for teens, reassessing the city's youth violence prevention effort, looking for college money for city high school graduates and working with others to revive the state's bid for competitively awarded federal school dollars.
"I planned to work on all of these issues some way. But it was unclear whether I'd be doing that as a mayor or a governor," he said. "Now it's quite clear that I'll be doing it from here and it's OK."
Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438
Showing posts with label 2010 DFL State Convention. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2010 DFL State Convention. Show all posts
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Behind the DFL scenes: Inside Thissen’s war room
by Betsy Sundquist, Politics in Minnesota
April 23,2010
Carrie Lucking warns a visitor before she leads the way through the doors that the smell is not pleasant
In fact, the word she uses is “rancid.”
Paul Thissen’s “war room” – which doubles as a hockey locker room when the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center isn’t bursting at the seams with DFLers – is still filled with sweaty hockey uniforms and other gear, most of it concealed behind black curtains set up by convention center staff.
Although the smell isn’t as easily eradicated as the hockey players who normally frequent the room, the volunteers and staff members filling the space this weekend have learned pretty quickly to ignore the distraction and buckle down to the task at hand: getting four-term state Rep. Thissen endorsed by the DFL as its chosen candidate to run for governor. (Arguably, political staffers and volunteers are one of the only groups of people more accustomed to working under occasionally rancid conditions than journalists.)
Thissen is generally considered the candidate poised to benefit if the two front-runners – Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher – deadlock in tomorrow’s endorsement battle or if either of them falters during the process.
“Here’s the scary, scary boys’ bathroom,” says Lucking, the Thissen campaign’s communications director, ushering a visitor past the campaign’s data bank, where six members of Thissen’s technical team are performing real-time data updates during the convention. “But look – there’s a sauna!”
The tech team members receive messages from the convention floor on changes in delegate identifications and are able to instantly enter them into a database. Lucking says Thissen’s isn’t the only gubernatorial campaign with a backstage data bank, but she believes it’s the one making the best use of technology this weekend.
This is also where Thissen’s “persuasion team” has set up shop. The campaign receives requests and questions from delegates on the floor on small cards marked “Thissen Persuasion.” One side of the card is filled out with information about the delegate (or alternate delegate), including his or her congressional district (and where he or she can be located on the floor), the subject of the issue and a description; the issue is also designated “tier 1” or “tier 2.” If it’s a tier 1 issue, either Thissen or his wife Karen handles it; all tier 2 requests are assigned to whatever member of the persuasion team specializes in the applicable issue.
The other side of the card has spaces for the “persuader” to make notes and record the outcome of the contact.
According to Lucking, the campaign had completed 300 “persuasions” by midday Friday.
Many of Thissen’s volunteers are family members of staffers. Terrie Vitali, whose daughter, Gia Vitali, is managing Thissen’s campaign, was stationed outside the entrance to the war room Friday afternoon, making sure anyone who entered was authorized to do so (and was wearing one of the obligatory green bracelets that identified them as a member of the inner circle).
Thissen has more than 100 people working on his behalf behind the scenes, and another 100 on the convention floor, Lucking says. “It’s amazing how when people meet Paul, they want to help,” she says. “There’s a lot of momentum here.”
How will that momentum translate into delegate support? Tune in tomorrow.
April 23,2010
Carrie Lucking warns a visitor before she leads the way through the doors that the smell is not pleasant
In fact, the word she uses is “rancid.”
Paul Thissen’s “war room” – which doubles as a hockey locker room when the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center isn’t bursting at the seams with DFLers – is still filled with sweaty hockey uniforms and other gear, most of it concealed behind black curtains set up by convention center staff.
Although the smell isn’t as easily eradicated as the hockey players who normally frequent the room, the volunteers and staff members filling the space this weekend have learned pretty quickly to ignore the distraction and buckle down to the task at hand: getting four-term state Rep. Thissen endorsed by the DFL as its chosen candidate to run for governor. (Arguably, political staffers and volunteers are one of the only groups of people more accustomed to working under occasionally rancid conditions than journalists.)
Thissen is generally considered the candidate poised to benefit if the two front-runners – Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher – deadlock in tomorrow’s endorsement battle or if either of them falters during the process.
“Here’s the scary, scary boys’ bathroom,” says Lucking, the Thissen campaign’s communications director, ushering a visitor past the campaign’s data bank, where six members of Thissen’s technical team are performing real-time data updates during the convention. “But look – there’s a sauna!”
The tech team members receive messages from the convention floor on changes in delegate identifications and are able to instantly enter them into a database. Lucking says Thissen’s isn’t the only gubernatorial campaign with a backstage data bank, but she believes it’s the one making the best use of technology this weekend.
This is also where Thissen’s “persuasion team” has set up shop. The campaign receives requests and questions from delegates on the floor on small cards marked “Thissen Persuasion.” One side of the card is filled out with information about the delegate (or alternate delegate), including his or her congressional district (and where he or she can be located on the floor), the subject of the issue and a description; the issue is also designated “tier 1” or “tier 2.” If it’s a tier 1 issue, either Thissen or his wife Karen handles it; all tier 2 requests are assigned to whatever member of the persuasion team specializes in the applicable issue.
The other side of the card has spaces for the “persuader” to make notes and record the outcome of the contact.
According to Lucking, the campaign had completed 300 “persuasions” by midday Friday.
Many of Thissen’s volunteers are family members of staffers. Terrie Vitali, whose daughter, Gia Vitali, is managing Thissen’s campaign, was stationed outside the entrance to the war room Friday afternoon, making sure anyone who entered was authorized to do so (and was wearing one of the obligatory green bracelets that identified them as a member of the inner circle).
Thissen has more than 100 people working on his behalf behind the scenes, and another 100 on the convention floor, Lucking says. “It’s amazing how when people meet Paul, they want to help,” she says. “There’s a lot of momentum here.”
How will that momentum translate into delegate support? Tune in tomorrow.
Ole Savior's pissed off blog and Rach's opinion
Rach's opinion on Ole Savior candidancy and his speech at 2010 DFL State Convention
I found this blog where Ole Savior was so pissed off for not winning endorsement. I was at the convention, no one was paying attention to him and was having conversations while Ole Savior was speaking. There was some heckles in alternate delegate seating area in upper deck at the DECC.
Some people have been telling me that Ole Savior wasn't serious candidate and usually going off topic and didn't sound too serious on his candidacy. I have seen him spoke at 2002 and 2006 DFL State Conventions, and he is just same old news.
He need to work on being realistic and serious. He need to start somewhere at bottom and work way up. He need to focus on what is most important to Minnesotans, need to start reading what is going at my work and talk with Minnesota Citizens instead of thinking about himself.
Next time if he is speaking at the convention, he need to wear a suit not a Vikings jersey and this isn't Vikings game. Convention was held at a hockey arena not a football stadium or Metrodome.
If he isn't too happy with DFL party, he oughta switch to different party. By the way where is proof that he is Minneapolis DFL Delegation Caucus chair? According to a friend who is involved with Minnepaolis DFL, Ole Savior have never been delegation caucus chair. He haven't been honest with the party.
If you was at DFL State Convention and heard him speaking, feel free to share your opinion.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The GOP’s in the house at the DFL convention
by Betsy Sundquist, Politics in Minnesota
April 24,2010
Two heavy hitters from the Minnesota Republican Party showed up this afternoon in Duluth for the state DFL convention: deputy chair Michael Brodkorb and communications director Mark Drake.
“I plan to sit politely in the stands,” Brodkorb said, hanging out with Drake in the arena’s exhibit hall, surrounded on all sides by DFLers. “I understand that this is a political convention and that I’m in the DFL’s house. I plan to be very polite and courteous.”
Brodkorb is in Duluth to observe the process and provide his party’s official response after DFLers endorse a gubernatorial candidate sometime later today (or tomorrow morning). He said he’s been to every state DFL convention since 1996.
“The glamorous life of politics: sitting in the top row of the DECC with Mark Drake, drinking warm water and eating Girl Scout cookies,” Brodkorb tweeted a few minutes ago.
Brodkorb predicted that Margaret Anderson Kelliher will land on top after the first ballot, and after that it will be a two-way race between Kelliher and R.T. Rybak, with Paul Thissen in third place.
He and Drake listened to candidate speeches on the drive north this morning, and Brodkorb called Tom Rukavina’s arena-shaking speech the “most entertaining and authentic” of all the candidate speeches. “He is refreshingly honest,” Brodkorb conceded, echoing Rukavina’s campaign slogan.
Minnesota Republicans will endorse a gubernatorial candidate next weekend in Minneapolis, and the GOP field isn’t anywhere near as cluttered as the DFL’s, even after this weekend’s endorsement battle finally ends (no fewer than six DFL gubernatorial candidates will appear on the August primary ballot).
“I think the Democrats will lose the governor’s office again, regardless of who’s endorsed,” Brodkorb said. “After next weekend, we will be united, and they won’t have a candidate until late August.”
April 24,2010
Two heavy hitters from the Minnesota Republican Party showed up this afternoon in Duluth for the state DFL convention: deputy chair Michael Brodkorb and communications director Mark Drake.
“I plan to sit politely in the stands,” Brodkorb said, hanging out with Drake in the arena’s exhibit hall, surrounded on all sides by DFLers. “I understand that this is a political convention and that I’m in the DFL’s house. I plan to be very polite and courteous.”
Brodkorb is in Duluth to observe the process and provide his party’s official response after DFLers endorse a gubernatorial candidate sometime later today (or tomorrow morning). He said he’s been to every state DFL convention since 1996.
“The glamorous life of politics: sitting in the top row of the DECC with Mark Drake, drinking warm water and eating Girl Scout cookies,” Brodkorb tweeted a few minutes ago.
Brodkorb predicted that Margaret Anderson Kelliher will land on top after the first ballot, and after that it will be a two-way race between Kelliher and R.T. Rybak, with Paul Thissen in third place.
He and Drake listened to candidate speeches on the drive north this morning, and Brodkorb called Tom Rukavina’s arena-shaking speech the “most entertaining and authentic” of all the candidate speeches. “He is refreshingly honest,” Brodkorb conceded, echoing Rukavina’s campaign slogan.
Minnesota Republicans will endorse a gubernatorial candidate next weekend in Minneapolis, and the GOP field isn’t anywhere near as cluttered as the DFL’s, even after this weekend’s endorsement battle finally ends (no fewer than six DFL gubernatorial candidates will appear on the August primary ballot).
“I think the Democrats will lose the governor’s office again, regardless of who’s endorsed,” Brodkorb said. “After next weekend, we will be united, and they won’t have a candidate until late August.”
Overheard at the convention: Marquart was lobbied by colleagues to turn down LG spot
by Steve Perry, Politics in Minnesota
April 25,2010
On the way out of the Duluth convention center last night, I ran into a senior House DFL legislator who said that several colleagues asked House property tax chair Paul Marquart of Dilworth to decline Margaret Anderson Kelliher’s invitation to be on her lieutenant governor short list.
“Everyone thinks that if Margaret were elected, [House Taxes Committee chair] Ann Lenczewski would be the commissioner of Management and Budget,” the rep noted. “Paul is the best taxes person we would have then. We can’t afford to lose him.”
April 25,2010
On the way out of the Duluth convention center last night, I ran into a senior House DFL legislator who said that several colleagues asked House property tax chair Paul Marquart of Dilworth to decline Margaret Anderson Kelliher’s invitation to be on her lieutenant governor short list.
“Everyone thinks that if Margaret were elected, [House Taxes Committee chair] Ann Lenczewski would be the commissioner of Management and Budget,” the rep noted. “Paul is the best taxes person we would have then. We can’t afford to lose him.”
RESULTS FROM 2010 DFL STATE CONVENTION
I had problem trying to connect internet at Duluth Entrainment Convention Center during Democratic Farmer Labor Party State Convention. I had to get results off Politics in Minnesota website.
The endorsing for Governor went through six ballots but only five are available because sixth wasn’t due to Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak conceded and House Speaker Margret Anderson Kelliher was declared winner.
The balloting started at around 1:30PM until 11:00PM.
First Ballot
Rybak: 294.5 (21.7 percent)
Thissen: 254.5 (18.8 percent)
Rukavina: 249.5 (18.4 percent)
Marty: 175.5 (13 percent)
No endorsement: 6.5 (0.5 percent)
*Entenza: 3.5 (0.3 percent)
*Idusogie: 3 (0.2 percent)
*Savior: 0
* - dropped from endorsement consideration
Second ballot
Kelliher: 377.5 (27.8 percent)
Rybak: 332 (24.5 percent)
Thissen: 270 (19.9 percent)
Rukavina: 238 (17.6 percent)
Marty: 136 (10 percent)
No endorsement: 2.5 (0.2 percent)
Third ballot
Kelliher: 414.5 (30.7 percent)
Rybak: 370 (27.4 percent)
Thissen: 295 (21.8 percent)
Rukavina: 269 (19.9 percent)
No endorsement: 2.5 (0.2 percent)
Fourth ballot:
Kelliher: 437 (32.8 percent)
Rybak: 380.5 (28.6 percent)
Thissen: 285 (21.4 percent)
Rukavina: 226 (17 percent)
No endorsement: 4 (.3 percent)
Fifth ballot
Kelliher: 630.5 (46.9 percent)
Rybak: 434 (32.3 percent)
Thissen: 269.5 (20.1 percent
No endorsement: 9 (0.7 percent)
The endorsing for Governor went through six ballots but only five are available because sixth wasn’t due to Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak conceded and House Speaker Margret Anderson Kelliher was declared winner.
The balloting started at around 1:30PM until 11:00PM.
First Ballot
Rybak: 294.5 (21.7 percent)
Thissen: 254.5 (18.8 percent)
Rukavina: 249.5 (18.4 percent)
Marty: 175.5 (13 percent)
No endorsement: 6.5 (0.5 percent)
*Entenza: 3.5 (0.3 percent)
*Idusogie: 3 (0.2 percent)
*Savior: 0
* - dropped from endorsement consideration
Second ballot
Kelliher: 377.5 (27.8 percent)
Rybak: 332 (24.5 percent)
Thissen: 270 (19.9 percent)
Rukavina: 238 (17.6 percent)
Marty: 136 (10 percent)
No endorsement: 2.5 (0.2 percent)
Third ballot
Kelliher: 414.5 (30.7 percent)
Rybak: 370 (27.4 percent)
Thissen: 295 (21.8 percent)
Rukavina: 269 (19.9 percent)
No endorsement: 2.5 (0.2 percent)
Fourth ballot:
Kelliher: 437 (32.8 percent)
Rybak: 380.5 (28.6 percent)
Thissen: 285 (21.4 percent)
Rukavina: 226 (17 percent)
No endorsement: 4 (.3 percent)
Fifth ballot
Kelliher: 630.5 (46.9 percent)
Rybak: 434 (32.3 percent)
Thissen: 269.5 (20.1 percent
No endorsement: 9 (0.7 percent)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
I WILL BE AT DFL STATE CONVENTION AND MAY BE REPORTING LIVE FROM DULUTH THIS WEEKEND
This weekend, I will be in Duluth for Democratic Farmer Labor (DFL) party State Convention at the Duluth Entrainment Convention Center.
I am Alternate Delegate so I will try my best to cover the State and will do some reporting but not the whole time depending on my schedule and whatever is going on.
As for Saturday’s endorsement for Governor, I will be getting results when they are available.
I also will be tweeting live as well. Follow me at www.twitter.com/mncapitol throughout the weekend.
If you want to contribute something during the State, let me know and I will be more than happy to add to the site. You could e-mail me at senatoreggert@yahoo.com or if you are at the State, see me either at the Senate District 37 table (only if I get upgraded as Delegate) or alternate delegate seating area.
I am Alternate Delegate so I will try my best to cover the State and will do some reporting but not the whole time depending on my schedule and whatever is going on.
As for Saturday’s endorsement for Governor, I will be getting results when they are available.
I also will be tweeting live as well. Follow me at www.twitter.com/mncapitol throughout the weekend.
If you want to contribute something during the State, let me know and I will be more than happy to add to the site. You could e-mail me at senatoreggert@yahoo.com or if you are at the State, see me either at the Senate District 37 table (only if I get upgraded as Delegate) or alternate delegate seating area.
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