U.S. Congress

CaringBridge founder Sona Mehring is running for Congress, needs Twitter spellchecker

Sona Mehring founded CaringBridge, a social networking site designed to facilitate communication from sick or hospitalized people to their family and friends.SEE ALSO: John Kline hosting fundraiser for "anti-abortion zealot with running tab at Planned Parenthood" She recently resigned from the compa ... More >>

Mental health parity may finally become a reality

The Wellstone Act could bring better health care to millions of Americans

Norm Coleman isn't interested in Al Franken rematch, praises Franken's approach

Norm Coleman may be the most popular Republican in Minnesota, but he apparently doesn't think he's popular enough to take down Al Franken.SEE ALSO: Norm Coleman praises Obama gun control speech that didn't use the word "guns" It looks like those hoping for a rematch of the ridiculously close and con ... More >>

Michael Brodkorb hates Kurt Bills, wants write-in MNGOP U.S. Senate candidate

SEE ALSO:-- Kurt Bills' moribund campaign has Brodkorb, other MNGOPers wailing and gnashing teeth-- Michael Brodkorb gloats over MNGOP's money woesMichael Brodkorb tried constructive criticism, but now he's seen enough.In a blog post published yesterday, Brodkorb does everything but demand that Kurt ... More >>

Mike Parry polling behind "Neither" two weeks before 1st District GOP primary

SEE ALSO:-- Allen Quist under renewed fire for 'men are genetically predisposed to lead family' remark-- Arne Carlson on GOP U.S. House candidate Allen Quist: He's "really bizarre"-- Mike Parry, U.S. House candidate, suggests he'd keep troops deployed until economy improves-- Mike Parry's tweet scru ... More >>

U.S. Senate approves $700 million for Minnesota transportation projects

​On a 74-22 vote, the U.S. Senate today approved a two year, $109 billion surface transportation bill that would provide Minnesota with $700 million for transportation and infrastructure projects.With one in 10 bridges in Minnesota deemed to be structurally deficient, the funds would allow for the ... More >>

Anne Nolan, attorney and MBA, first DFLer to announce run against Michele Bachmann

​It's official -- Michele Bachmann will not run unopposed in her bid to be reelected as Minnesota's U.S. House representative from the 6th congressional district. Yesterday, Anne Nolan, an attorney and MBA who works for a workplace consulting and training business, announced she'll be seeking the ... More >>

Kurt Bills, MNGOP Rep., seeking Republican endorsement to challenge Klobuchar

​Today, state Rep. Kurt Bills, R-Rosemount, announced he is seeking the GOP nomination to challenge Sen. Amy Klobuchar this November.Bills, 42, a high school economic teacher and former Rosemount City Council members, will compete against former state Rep. Dan Severson and decorated war veteran Pe ... More >>

With Bachmann leading charge, controversial Stillwater bridge project approved by U.S. House

​We gotta give her credit -- Michele Bachmann got it done.Last week, Gov. Dayton wrote Bachmann a letter informing her that the state would reallocate money currently set aside for a new Stillwater bridge if the project wasn't approved by the U.S. House before March 15. With only a handful of legi ... More >>

New Stillwater bridge: As deadline and redistricting loom, pressure is on Bachmann

​After the upcoming election, Michele Bachmann will no longer represent Stillwater. Nonetheless, she remains "absolutely committed" to building a new Minnesota-to-Wisconsin bridge in the Stillwater area.Time is running short for the bridge design currently under consideration. In response to a let ... More >>

Tim Walz's STOCK Act approved by House, Senate

Walz's STOCK Act was a bipartisan hit, but House GOPers stripped out a key provision.​Today, the U.S. House followed the Senate and passed a Congressional insider trading ban originally introduced by Mankato Democrat Tim Walz.The so-called STOCK Act proved extremely popular in both the chambers, w ... More >>

Minnesota reps split on debt ceiling; Bachmann, Ellison both vote against

Bachmann, Ellison: Debt makes for strange bedfellows.​Finally, Michele Bachmann and Keith Ellison have something in common. Yesterday's U.S. House vote to raise the debt ceiling and make $2 trillion in spending cuts passed the U.S. House 269-161, but Minnesota's most conservative and most liberal ... More >>

Michele Bachmann's congressional record

C-SPANMichele Bachmann: Representation without legislation.​With so much written about the wild things Michele Bachmann says, City Pages thought we'd take a look at what she has actually accomplished in Congress. Despite Bachmann's early success in the presidential polls, her congressional record ... More >>

Michele Bachmann's wish granted: House votes to repeal health care reform

​"It's not symbolic," Rep. Michele Bachmann said yesterday, before the U.S. House symbolically passed a bill 245-189 that would repeal the healthcare reform act. She and other Minnesota Republicans voted for the repeal, while Democrats opposed it. The legislation will be dead on arrival in the ... More >>

Return to Sender

What Would Comprehensive Immigration Reform Look Like If the Feds Got Off Their Duffs?

Keith Ellison seeks top Progressive Caucus post

Ellison keeps swinging left.​Regardless of the Election Day teabagger wave, a whole lot of Democrats won re-election to the House of Representatives two weeks ago, sent there by Americans who expect them to fight the Republican tide. One of those Democrats is 5th district Rep. Keith Ellison. ... More >>

Jim Oberstar loses to Chip Cravaack in CD8

The race up north.​By the time we cut out early this morning, the Republicans were on their way to historic sweep in the House of Representatives, tossing out Democrats by the fistful. But  as the dust settled in seven out of the eight Minnesota congressional races, exactly nothing changed. ... More >>

Michele Bachmann goes to bat for Alaska teabagger [UPDATE]

Here comes the rescue party.​Joe Miller is the teabaggin' crazy running for U.S. Senate in Alaska who recently had a reporter arrested for being, well, a reporter. Given her tendency these days to duck real reporters in favor of campaign contributors like Sean Hannity, maybe that's why Michel ... More >>

John Kline and Erik Paulsen turn up noses at Michele Bachmann's tea

Bachmann hasn't yet convinced Kline and Paulsen to drink the tea ​Tea for thee? As of 9:30 a.m. today, no other member of the House of Representatives from Minnesota has signed on as a member Michele Bachmann's Tea Party Caucus, the official "receptacle" of people pissed off that democratic e ... More >>

Tim Pawlenty rates felons a natural Al Franken constituency

​We don't know if how many convicted felons actually, really and truly voted illegally and flipped the 2008 U.S. Senate race for Democrat Al Franken. And frankly, we're a little skeptical about taking a Republican pressure group's "research" at face value over the matter. Not so Tim Pawlenty. ... More >>

Amy Klobuchar's shirt-raising note revealed in new book

Coping with the old-boy's club​She's already peeved at the sexism in the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Sonia Sotomayor, and the current debate over Elena Kagan for a similar appointment, so maybe this isn't too surprising: According to a new book by Terrence Samuel, "The Upper House: ... More >>

Gang Strike Force reform bill passes in House

A bill designed to make sure the scandals at the now-defunct Gang Strike Force never happen again passed the state House of Representatives last night.

Michele Bachmann for U.S. Senate in 2012?

Is she running for U.S. Senate?​Are we looking at a U.S. Senate race in 2012 pitting incumbent DFLer Amy Klobuchar against Rep. Michele Bachmann, if the crazy conservative loses her congressional district to poor census numbers? That was the buzz on the floor of the state GOP convention today ... More >>

Betty McCollum hammers Michele Bachmann

Via WikipediaThe Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building after Timothy McVeigh's act of anti-government terrorism.​U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum raised eyebrows last week when she took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to ask certain unnamed colleagues to cool their overheated right-wing ... More >>

Tim Pawlenty and GOP minority in Legislature thwarted in challenge to health care reform

The minority Republicans are licking their wounds and figuring out what to do next.

Collin Peterson rejects real changes to massive government farm subsidy program

The program that sent $250,000 to Michele Bachmann's family farm appears bullet proof.

Air America, Franken's launching pad, goes out of business

The "Kennedy seat" in the senate goes to a Republican, health care reform dies, and now this. It's a bad week for liberals.

Michele Bachmann dances on Ted Kennedy's grave

A Republican may win the late Ted Kennedy's Senate seat.

Bachmann finds no financial support from fellow MN Republicans

When it comes to raking in cold, hard cash from fellow Minnesota Republican pols, Michele Bachmann is coming up short.

KSTP wins access to 2008 Ramsey absentee, rejected ballots

The news opens one more chapter in the contentious dispute over the legitimacy of the 2008 election results.

Top 10: Food safety news stories of 2009

Put down that peanut butter and that roll of cookie dough. Here's the Top 10 food safety news stories of the year.

LA Times dredges up video of Franken's Mick Jagger impersonation

This is probably not how U.S. Sen. Al Franken would like you to remember his legislative record this year.

Bachmann leads in new poll; most say she prefers DC limelight

The District 6 congresswoman is crazy like a fox, but maybe a little too in love with Fox.

Latest Bachmann ACORN concoction: It could regulate banks

The District 6 congresswoman says there's a nefarious plot afoot to allow ACORN to influence banking regulation.

Celebrate Craft Beer Week

Find the best brewpubs and bars for drinking, the best breweries for touring, all at mnbeer.com

6/5 Morning Communiqué

Overheard: Congressional candidate's shocking confession

3/3: Morning Communique

“They talk about freedom and values, but they really don't believe in representative government.”

Former Minnesota Senator and lifelong Republican Dave Durenberger on the rise of the new Bush Republicans in Minnesota and elsewhere

Roll Call

(Don't) Give Us Your Tired, Your Poor

Powellmania

The general and his suitors