Retiring Jaros endorses Stenersen in Duluth's 7B

This is a nice endorsement for the Stenersen campaign. It's not typical for a retiring legislator to make a full endorsement in a situation like this. Roger Reinert has many members of the Duluth city council on his side, so we'll see who's got the most sway.

State Rep. Mike Jaros today says he will back longtime Duluth DFL figure and labor leader Marsh Stenersen, in the Sept 9th. primary election. Rep Jaros, who has held the 7B seat in the Minnesota Legislature for 32 years, said his support is based on his belief that Stenersen best represents the people of his District.

Jaros said he doesn't believe in "telling people who to vote for", but he feels people should know who he personally thinks can do the best job. Jaros announced in June, he would not seek re-election this year due to health problems.

Jaros said he has known Stenersen for a long time and knows he's a person "concerned abut the needs of working people, the elderly and people struggling to make it in this turbulent time". "We agree on a wide range of issues, from the need for better health care for all, to increased financing for our schools and cities", said Jaros.

Stenersen said he welcomes the support of the man who has worked for the people for so many years. "If elected", said Stenersen,"I will try to continue to represent District 7B in the fashion of Jaros and his predecessor Willard Munger".

Obama campaign opens Duluth HQ

The Barack Obama campaign opens its Duluth headquarters this Saturday the 19^th at 10 a.m. The new HQ is located right on the corner at 302 E Superior St, right across from the Sheraton Hotel. Campaign officials tell me Duluth City Councilors Tony Cuneo, Sharla Gardner, Roger Reinart will be speaking and that U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar is also slated to appear. At 10:30 a.m., anyone interested can join the door knocking around Duluth.

Maryland files for 7B House seat

Daniel L. Maryland of Duluth has filed to run for State Representative in District 7B as a DFLer. He is the fourth Democrat to file and the fifth to announce. Who is he? He doesn't have a website and I'm not finding much on Google right now.

I can tell you that Maryland was a critical border state during the civil war and that it joins Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky as states that kind of look like they have a handle.

Seriously, I'll check this out.

UPDATE: A reader tells me that Maryland is an eye doctor in Duluth.

No DFL endorsement in shortened House 7B primary

The word from Duluth is that there will be no DFL endorsement in the House 7B primary. This wasn't shocking news. Rep. Mike Jaros's surprise retirement last month didn't leave enough time for an endorsement to hold much weight in the light of the ongoing candidate filing period.

To the primary we go! Still just the four DFLers -- Roger Reinert, Marsh Stenersen, John Derbis and Brandon Cokey -- and one Republican, Allan Kehr. I bet some more folks wander in before next Tuesday, but that's just a guess on my part.

Another 7B update: Brandon Clokey plans serious challenge

Throughout the discussion of who will succeed Mike Jaros as District 7B representative, I've noted the fact that one person had announced their candidacy for the DFL nomination long before Jaros's announced retirement. Brandon Clokey, a Duluth small businessman and political newcomer, announced his run for this office back in January. And today, his campaign made a push that indicates he is serious about contending for this office.

Clokey has established a Myspace page that gives an idea of the kind of campaign he intends to run. Check it out. While the YouTube video is on the longish side, it gives a general idea about Clokey's mission. I don't know that it tells us much about Clokey's resume or background, but it's worth noting that Clokey is the first African-American candidate for the legislature in Duluth that I can think of and he's presenting a serious message. Again, my previous analysis remains my current analysis: the hardest working candidate is the one most likely to win this election. So the candidate total remains four DFLers and one Republican. The watch for other candidates continues until July 15.

Minnesota Power to run on anchor power

Hey, remember Channel 3? We used to have this channel (3) here in northern Minnesota that was like a real channel. It had news and people worked there and back in the 1960s there were clown shows and whatnot, the whole deal.

There is still a Channel 3 (CBS) in Duluth, but it's operated by Channel 6 (NBC) which replicates its newscast on the new Channel 3 and makes sure that the CSI shows play on time so the oldsters don't revolt. This led to an amusing exchange when George Clooney came to town to promote a movie. From the DNT at the time:

There were a few jabs in the news conference about the city’s size. Northland NewsCenter News Director Barbara Reyelts introduced herself as being from the city’s NBC and CBS affiliates, to which Clooney responded, “Now that’s a small town. I’m the priest and the heart surgeon.”

Anyway, back when there was a real Channel 3 there were anchors on a newscast: Eric Olson and Amy Rutledge. Eric Olson left to work public relations for Minnesota Power before Channel 3 was assimilated by the Borg ... er, Northland NewsCenter. Amy Rutledge found herself back on the air as anchor at the new newscast on Fox 21. Well, last night she signed off for the last time ... as she prepares to take a new job at Minnesota Power.

Unless I'm missing something, Minnesota Power now employs a fully functional news team. For what? For why?

Oh ...

Oh no ... they've done it. They've really done it!

They said it wasn't possible. They said it was madness!

Minnesota Power has found a way to produce electricity from the benign banter of local news anchors! As they discuss the weather and the cuteness of water skiing squirrels, turbines will rotate firing electrons into a massive grid, all carbon free!

They better be careful; just as with nuclear power, this form of energy production can go horribly awry.

More on Reinert in House 7B race

I continue to monitor the House 7B race, which has become vastly more exciting after last month's surprise retirement by longtime State Rep. Mike Jaros (DFL-Duluth). Currently there are four DFLers and one Republican running, with the potential for more to jump in before the filing deadline of July 15. A source tells me that it is now unlikely that former mayoral candidate and West Duluth businessman Charlie Bell will jump in the race. Former Mayor Herb Bergson remains an unlikely but imposing potential candidate. And then there are dozens of DFL and labor insiders and citizen leaders who could jump in, but we'll consider them as they announce, if they announce.

Duluth city councilor Roger Reinert contacted me with some more biographical information after he filed last week (first to file he pointed out, no doubt to curry favor after my "early filers are cool" post of last week). Reinert and Marsh Stenersen remain the only candidates to file as of this morning and I'd have to consider them the front runners. John Derbis is running an insurgent candidate as a UMD student and party activist. He's a dark horse candidate. And Brandon Clokey says he's running, too, though he has yet to release an official biography and platform. He's an unknown at this point.

Here are some notable excerpts from Reinert's release, which he sent me after I made fun of how he announced at the Lake Superior Zoo. As expected, there was a reason he announced at the zoo:

[Duluth at Large City Councilor and City Council President Roger] Reinert made his announcement two days after running a personal best of 1:38 in the Gary Bjorkland Half Marathon.

“I spent a lot of time in that race thinking about this one,” Reinert said. Reinert said the experiences—and the challenges—he’s faced as a leader in city government are what motivated him to finish one race and start another. “I kept coming back to how badly right now we need people in St. Paul that have had to sit in City Halls across Minnesota and make really hard choices. Unfortunately Governor Pawlenty has chosen to balance the state’s budget deficits on the backs of local government and local property tax payers. This has to stop.”

Reinert said his experience on the Council gives him a unique understanding of how state and local government should be working better together. “It’s time to rebuild the state and local partnership and create a Minnesota Miracle for the 21st Century,” said Reinert. “In order to be a strong state, Minnesota needs strong regional cities like Duluth.”

Reinert made his announcement at the Lake Superior Zoo. He pointed to the zoo as an example of what state and local governments can accomplish when they work together. He also pointed to the zoo as an example of how the partnership is failing. “We’re having to make really difficult budget decisions in Duluth. Things that are ‘nice to have’ like the zoo are having to take a back seat to the ‘must haves’ like fire protection and law enforcement. There are a lot of services and amenities Duluth provides to the entire region that only Duluthians pay for. Our taxpayers can’t sustain that model and without the state as a partner we may have to stop providing some of those services.” Reinert cited the city’s sanitary sewer overflow issue, clean-up assistance for the former US Steel site, and cuts in local government aid as items he would tackle immediately at the Capitol. “Duluthians aren’t looking for handouts. But we do expect the State to partner with us on these major issue.”

Reinert wore his now well-worn running shoes to the announcement to illustrate the work ethic and energy level he would bring to his 7B constituents.

“I’ve put over 500 miles on these shoes this season,” he said. “I’m ready to put a few hundred more in order to take the needs of western Duluth to St. Paul and make sure they are heard. There’s more to Minnesota than just the metro area. I think down there they forget that sometimes.”

In addition to city-specific issues Reinert highlighted support for living wage jobs, quality K-12 and higher education, rebuilding the state’s transportation infrastructure, conserving the northland’s natural resources, and affordable accessible healthcare as his legislative priorities.

Reinert, 37, is completing his fifth year as an at Large member of the Duluth City Council. The West Hillside resident and part-time college teacher was the top vote getter in the 2005 citywide council race, and has twice served as Council President.

As I said before, with a shortened campaign season and no scheduled DFL endorsement planned, the winner of this primary will be the one who works the hardest. Reinert, in calling out the shoes on his feet, appears prepared for just such a battle. Stenersen, Derbis and even Clokey all talked about foot-powered campaigning when they announced, too. This should be a good campaign to watch.

Derbis enters 7B race in West Duluth

The race for State Representative in West Duluth's House District 7B keeps getting more interesting. John Derbis, a UM-Duluth student and longtime DFL activist, announced his candidacy today at the Boys and Girls Club in West Duluth. Durbis, 23, lives in West Duluth. His campaign presents this biography:

(Derbis) ... was born in Minneapolis and raised in Duluth, attended Nettleton Magnet School, attended and graduated from Duluth Central High School, is currently attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and is a longtime activist for the local Democratic Farmer Labor Party.

Derbis announced his platform in his speech today. I was hiding in my Iron Range lair at the time, as usual, but will share his raison d'etre as soon as I can. I expect there will be some media coverage of the event today.

On one hand, Derbis faces enormous challenges entering this race. Council President Roger Reinert and union representative Marsh Stenersen enter this race with established constituencies and experience in running larger scale campaigns. But the Duluth DFL holds a core of young activists who might be interested in a candidate like Derbis. As more candidates enter the race, the more possible it becomes for all the conventional wisdom to go out the window. After all, there are no high profile races on the primary ballot. That means the winner of this primary will be the hardest working candidate, the one who gets people out to vote specifically for them.

So, here are the 7B DFLers so far, in order of announcement.

• Brandon Clokey (as of now, not yet filed)
• Roger Reinert (filed)
• Marsh Stenersen (filed)
• John Derbis (as of now, not yet filed)

Allen Kehr is the only announced Republican candidate, but has yet to file. I will continue to spread word of other candidates as I learn about them. I would bet on one or two more jumping into this very interesting race.

Stenerson officially announces 7B run

Longtime DFL activist and AFSCME Field Representative Marsh Stenersen is running for the House of Representatives in Duluth's 7B district. We broke that story here on Saturday. Here is Stenersen's statement that he's releasing today:

PEOPLE NOT POLITICS.

That’s what this election is all about. I’m running for those people who have heard too many politicians make promises that have left them living from paycheck to paycheck..

I’m running to serve the people of my district, NOT to use them as a STEPPING STONE to future office.

I’m running to fight for health care for everyone…….

To make sure that folks in the twilight of their years can enjoy the peace they have worked for so long……..

I’m running to help our State regain its place as a leader in education……

And I’m running to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to earn a living wage……

Some might say, “Why should we vote for someone who represents Labor ?” My answer is that I’m proud of having worked to help workers try to gain their share of the American Dream. If you believe someone should not be elected because they support and fight for working people, don’t vote for me…

Finally, I’m running so that the people of my District can get a FAIR DEAL in St. Paul . Like my DFL predecessors Mike Jaros and Willard Munger, I believe in the people...

And like Mike and Willard, will put the people’s interests ahead of politics and ambition…

Politicians love to make promises about what they’ll do when elected. I will make only one promise…

I promise to work as hard as I can to be a real voice for the hard working people of this district…

Bergson in exile, for now

Nina Peterson-Perlman of the Duluth News-Tribune writes an interesting profile of former Duluth mayor Herb Bergson in today's edition. Bergson has tried to stay out of the public eye since leaving office, but notable findings in the story include the fact that he's writing a memoir due out in the fall and that he isn't ruling out a run for office in the future, including the House District 7B seat that opened recently. Why is he now spending his nights in the basement of a golf course clubhouse? In Floodwood? It's worth reading.

Labor leader to file for 7B seat

I got a call last night. You know people are reading the blog when they start using THE PHONE.

On Monday, Marsh Stenersen will announce his candidacy for State Representative in House District 7B, which encompasses Duluth's west side and downtown. This is the seat being vacated by retiring State Rep. Mike Jaros. Stenersen is an AFSCME field representative in Duluth and has been a longtime DFL activist.

I would expect Stenersen to make a vigorous play for labor endorsements. He becomes another credible candidate for the DFL nomination for this seat. Duluth Council President Roger Reinert announced his candidacy last week. The only other announced candidate is Brandon Clokey. Filing opens next week. We could see a lot of activity.

More on Stenersen will be posted Monday.

Chaffee opts out of 7B run

Blake Chaffee, a Duluth DFLer and campaign manager for Congressman Jim Oberstar, has opted not to enter the race for State Representative in District 7B. This comes on the day when Duluth City Council President Roger Reinert officially announced his campaign and leaves Reinert with uncontested frontrunner status.

Chaffee issues the following statement this afternoon:

"After careful consideration I have decided I will not be a candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives.

"I am absolutely humbled by the support I have received from my friends in the DFL community, and I look forward to future opportunities to serve. Two years ago I made a commitment to Congressman Oberstar and feel that I am in a position to best serve my party, and my community, by working to elect a Democratic ticket this November.

"I am confident that we will emerge with a strong Democratic candidate who will be a voice for progressive issues, and working class families here in Duluth."

According to Duluth sources, Chaffee remains a rising star in northern Minnesota's DFL party and with his high profile job working for Jim Oberstar he may well have another shot at elective office in the future.

Meanwhile, this leaves Reinert with a clear path to the DFL endorsement and, possibly, nomination. The only other announced DFL candidate is political newcomer Brandon Stokey, who continues to remain silent despite the rising profile of this election. Others may enter, but Reinert is unrolling what appears to be a top notch legislative campaign. Frankly, the only person in West Duluth who can cause trouble for Reinert now is businessman and former mayoral candidate Charlie Bell. Bell beat Mayor Don Ness in the West Duluth precincts and could be very competitive as a moderate DFLer in a District 7B primary. I'd really like to know his plans.

So, who else is out there?

It's official: Reinert announces 7B candidacy

I had already reported that he was planning a run, but Duluth City Council President Roger Reinert is officially announcing his candidacy for the House District 7B DFL nomination today at the Duluth Zoo.

Reinert to Announce 7B Intentions

Duluth City Council President Roger Reinert to Announce Candidacy for State House of Representatives

Duluth, Minnesota – Duluth City Council President Roger Reinert will announce his candidacy for the Minnesota House of Representatives at noon on Monday, June 23, 2008 at the Lake Superior Zoo.

President Reinert is seeking the 7B State House of Representatives seat being vacated by retiring legislator Mike Jaros.

Please direct all media inquiries and questions to Campaign Manager, Kris Ridgewell.

So he's running. He's got a campaign manager. He knows how to send out press releases. He has the word "President" in front of his name. Sounds like a front runner to me. I think we'll get a good sense of who our 7B candidates will be this upcoming week. Feel free to use the comments to make sarcastic remarks about announcing a campaign at the zoo. I can't settle on just one. But don't worry, I'm sure Roger is making some kind of point out of his selection of venues.

Where is House District 7B? Here is a PDF. As you'll see it includes West Duluth and downtown, the heart of the city. 7A includes the high-fallutin' east side and UM-Duluth. Duluth's growing "suburbs" are represented by 6A, 6B, and even Tony Sertich's Iron Range-centered 5B. I live in 3A, which includes the Western Mesabi Iron Range, the wooded northern portion of Itasca County, Koochiching and Lake of the Woods counties and most of Manitoba and the Northwest Terrritories. I am writing about 7B because that's where my local TV comes from and I loves the TV.

Source: Oberstar's campaign manager to seek DFL nod in 7B?

A source familiar with Duluth DFL politics says Blake Chaffee, Jim Oberstar's campaign manager, is strongly mulling a run for State Representative in District 7B, the West Duluth seat being vacated by the retiring DFL Rep. Mike Jaros.

I haven't met Chaffee since he succeeded current Duluth Mayor Don Ness in the job of Oberstar's campaign chief, but he's appeared on several lists of potential candidates when Jaros announced his retirement a few days ago. I am trying to confirm this with Chaffee and will let you know when I do.

If true, Chaffee would join City Councilor Roger Reinert and relatively unknown Brandon Clokey in the DFL pool of candidates, a list that seems like it could get very long and very competitive. There's a lot of hungry political types waiting for retirements down there.

UPDATE: Blake e-mailed me and gave me a brief statement.

I am considering running and am looking to make a final decision in the coming days. At any rate, we have big shoes to fill. Mike is a true progressive who has been an advocate for working families in our Duluth community and for all of Minnesota.

That said, Minnesotan's are hurting right now, Governor Pawlenty and Republicans in the legislature have taken this state down the wrong path. To say they are out of touch is an understatement. Now more than ever we need to invest in the health and well being of our people and our communities.

Duluth continues to shrink and export our young people. It is time to create new opportunities to grow our economy and create jobs in Duluth. We need to make sure that every Minnesotan has health care, fix our crumbling infrastructure, and provide the opportunity everyone with the desire to afford a college education or a trade school.

The Governor doesnt seem to know or care about the struggles facing Minnesotans. I think folks just want a fair shake, an opportunity to succeed. Democrats understand that, and they understand that government will be the driving force of our renewal by creating those opportunities.

Who's in, who's out in 7B?

The DNT has a nice story about the retirement of State Rep. Mike Jaros (DFL-Duluth) today. I don't know Jaros, and I've learned that I didn't know much about his very interesting background, either. I always hear he's a good guy.

In the story, Duluth city councilor Roger Reinert, after acknowledging Jaros in the story, says he's "seriously considering" a run for the 7B seat as a DFLer. But from the tone of his comments he seems to be "super duper seriously considering it." He sounds like a candidate.

Meantime, one person mentioned as a candidate in DFL circles has sent me a press release saying he is not running: state DFL committeeman and Duluth native Kendall Killian. Killian says he is going to focus on the his job with the MAPE union and the important Presidential and U.S. Senate races for this year. He also offered the best reason for not running that I have yet to hear:

“Simply put, I cannot sacrifice the time away from my bachelor lifestyle to pursue this office,” Killian said.

Not only did Killian send me a press release saying he's not running, but he included a bio.

Kendal Killian is a native of Duluth and member of the DFL State Executive Committee. He has worked for numerous DFL campaigns and progressive causes around the state and once earned second place in the Land of the Loon loon-calling contest. Killian currently lives in the Seward neighborhood Minneapolis with no children, dogs or cats. He enjoys playing softball, biking and drinking cheap beer.

We haven't heard the last of him, me thinks.

A full 24 hours after Jaros' announcement, we have only one serious DFLer, Roger Reinert, publicly talking about running. Brandon Clokey still says he's a candidate, but has yet to file a campaign committee after announcing his candidacy six months ago. If he didn't use a six month jump on his competition to raise money and campaign, I don't see how he can win a competitive primary. In any case, we'll see what comes next.

You can still get drunk on New Year's Eve; just not on Duluth TV

St. Mary's/Duluth Clinic announced they were ending their annual New Year's Eve Ball, according to today's Duluth News-Tribune. With a price tag of $125,000, the event has become too spendy, SMDC officials say. Also, WDIO Channels 10/13 had announced they would not telecast the Ball as they had in previous years, eliminating a valuable public relations benefit.

Most people subject to the Duluth TV market might not be bothered by this, but I'll miss the New Year's broadcast. Living in the woods as we do, attending drunken New Year's parties is out of the question. But we always enjoyed the awkward revelry of watching local people dance in low light. All the national networks celebrate New Year's at 11 p.m. CST, so this was the only show in town for nerds like us.

Another reason cited by SMDC from today's story:

A final reason is that Duluth nightlife has changed since SDMC started organizing New Year’s parties 23 years ago. With a lot more going on, Bode said SMDC doesn’t want to compete with local businesses that offer entertainment that night.

Meantime, the nightlife in my neighborhood remains the same: night rides with a rifle and a 12-pack. You don't need a holiday; you just need ammo.

CONFIRMED: Duluth councilor Reinert to seek 7B seat

Duluth city council president Roger Reinert will announce his intention to run for the House 7B seat being vacated by longtime State Rep. Mike Jaros (DFL-Duluth), according to a political ally. Reinert will seek the DFL endorsement next month, according to fellow city councilor and DFLer Jeff Anderson.

The only other announced candidate for the DFL nomination is Brandon Clokey, who had intended to run against Jaros in the primary. Clokey is new to elected politics and has been incredibly quiet since his announcement in January and Jaros's announcement yesterday. Until he organizes a public presence he faces an uphill fight.

Though Reinert seems to be the frontrunner based on his experience and strong political skill, there will be other candidates for the endorsement and primary. I just haven't confirmed any of them. I am getting a list of people who live in 7B and might be considered potential candidates. One informant told me there may be some non-elected union people looking at the race. Another reminded me that former mayor Herb Bergson and mayoral candidate and businessman Charlie Bell (assuming he's still DFL) live in that district. These guys are not popular with DFL activists but would be formidable primary candidates. I also heard the name Kerry Gauthier (former 8th CD DFL chair) and a host of other active party types who I don't know very well. I need to find out more about them.

A DFL primary between an endorsed Roger Reinert and Herb Bergson or Charlie Bell in West Duluth is a true September smack down that you could sell tickets for. To nerds, anyway. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We'll probably see half a dozen names seeking that 7B DFL endorsement and two or three more for the primary.

Meantime, Allan Kehr is running for the GOP nomination. The DFL index in this district runs 3-1, though, so Kehr has his work cut out for him. He has shown the political instinct (or possesses the dumb luck) to get his name out there the same day as the Jaros retirement announcement, though. Reinert will have a huge advantage if he gets his name out as the first high profile DFL candidate.

Grandma's public urination amnesty approaches

Duluth's beloved Grandma's Marathon is this upcoming weekend, which has prompted a series of preview stories in the Duluth News-Tribune. I doubt any stories will hold the clickability of this one from Monday, June 16. Janna Goerdt writes about the issue of runners urinating on the property of people near the starting line every year.

While many Duluthians celebrate and welcome the marathoners who sweep into town each June, some who live along the race course dread the event.

Despite the rows of portable restrooms set up near the starting line, “the runners are everywhere, peeing right before the race,” said Renee Igo. “It’s really a disgusting, disrespectful experience. In any other context, it would not be OK.”

Race organizers say it’s not OK with them, either, but other than asking runners to please respect private and public property, there’s not a lot they can do about it.

It's funny, but I've actually written about this "marathon pee" situation in the past. Apparently people along the warmup routes of major marathons always have to deal with the problem, some even using their garden hoses to spray perpetrators in the act. For serious runners, having an empty bladder -- and empty everything else (I'm getting to that) -- is very important at the start of a marathon. I talked to some people I know who run marathons, one of whom is very, very serious, and she says she knows people who rub Vaseline down the insides and backs of their legs to keep, you know, stuff, from sticking to them when said stuff comes a' tumblin' down. You might train all year to run a particular marathon or might be on the edge of a qualifying average time for a higher level of competition and, so, stopping at the Biffy just won't fly.

No one talks about this side of the marathon world. I think it belongs right here on the Internet, don't you? Any stories out there? Google will haunt your world if you start searching on this topic.

Duluth state rep Jaros to retire, UPDATED

Longtime State Rep. Mike Jaros (DFL-Duluth) will not seek re-election in 2008. He told fellow DFLers and the Duluth News Tribune he was retiring from his seat in solidly working class DFL West Duluth this afternoon.

I need to do some research to see who the potential candidates might be in this race. Political novice Brandon Clokey announced his intention to run in the DFL primary last January, but I don't know much about him. Republican Allan Kehr announced today he would seek the GOP nomination for District 7B. I expect many DFLers to consider running for the Jaros seat, but must admit that most of the obvious names of Duluth DFLers are based on the city's east side. I'll see what I can find.

Duluth friends, any tips to help this Iron Ranger break this one down?

UPDATE: OK, there are some bigger potential candidates on that side than I thought. Developing ...

UPDATE 2: I'm getting lots of names now from all sorts of unsubstantiated rumor mills. The big one in my mind is Duluth City Council President Roger Reinert. Some say he might be interested and he lives on the West Side. He's impressed me when I've seen him do interviews and he seems to be a hard working guy. But there will almost certainly be an endorsement fight and a primary in this race. I'm still checking on some of the other city councilors and political types down in Duluth.

Oberstar gears up for campaign today

The Eighth Congressional District DFL Convention opens today in Duluth. I'll be covering the convention from the audience of Hibbing Community College Theatre's production of "Born Yesterday" (tonight at 7:30 with a Sunday matinee!) via my cell phone that will be switched off. I expect my coverage of the convention to be among the worst ever. Call me when Oberstar retires. Meantime, he's not retiring. He's in great health, chairs transportation and his Republican opponent remains theoretical.

PRESS RELEASE: Oberstar to Kick Off 2008 Campaign in Duluth
DULUTH – The longest winning streak in the history of Minnesota politics continues. Congressman Jim Oberstar (DFL-Chisholm) will kick off his 2008 Congressional reelection campaign on Saturday, May 3. Oberstar, seeking his 18th term, will be joined by supporters in the Lyric Room at Porters Restaurant in Duluth at 9:45 a.m. to launch the 2008 campaign. Immediately following this event, Oberstar will attend the 8th District DFL convention, where he will seek his party’s endorsement.