Lee Schafer: PolyMet tout

October 21, 2015

Please see the updates below — It has been an especially glum time for the mining industry in recent months. Taconite (spellchecker offers masonite) plants are shuttered across northern Minnesota, and to add insult to injury, a new one, Essar Steel “Minnesota” is set to commence operations next year, financed in part with some $72 million in […]

by Steve Timmer

Stop PolyMet! – the rally

October 20, 2015

There was a sizable rally last week in St. Paul to deliver a simple message to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Stop PolyMet’s sulfide mine. It started on what is known as Railroad Island with music and speakers and then the attendees marched to the DNR Headquarters. The event was headlined by activist and […]

by Steve Timmer

Howdy Gowdy

October 19, 2015

See the update below — The latest bit of shenanigans in the opera buffa Benghazi! (Never Forget!) has been all over the news today; it hardly need elucidation from me. I just wanted to use that hed and the photo of Trey Gowdy, the apparently epically-inbred cracker-Congressman from South Carolina, who was appointed by John Boehner — […]

by Steve Timmer

Benghazi, merchandised, a reprise

October 7, 2015

This is a reprise of a story here back in May. Only now we know, because of Republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s unguarded — that is, truthful — remarks, what a smear job it was from the start. This baby is available at CafePress, but you will have to find it on your own. This is the […]

by Steve Timmer

God has more words with Michele

October 7, 2015

Michele? . . . Michele! Where the hell are you, Michele? Oh, Marcus, don’t you dare swear at me! I’m not Marcus. Stop kidding, Marcus! I’m not kidding; I’m not Marcus. There you are: in the wine cellar you say you don’t have. [sharp intake of breath] Huuuuuuuuuuuh! An intruder! Don’t touch me; I’m armed! […]

by Steve Timmer

A judge wins a Spotty ™!

October 5, 2015

For his thoughtful Strib op-ed essay on reinvigorating public trust in the judiciary, the Honorable Kevin S. Burke, a judge of the District Court in Hennepin County, wins the coveted Spotty™ award. Evidence of the low regard in which judges and the judiciary are held is all around, and it’s been particularly evident in remarks by Republican […]

by Steve Timmer

Penny-ante wire fraud

September 30, 2015

If you give money to the MNGOP, the Obama-Iran deal will fail. All right, it’s a little oblique, but here’s how it is supposed to work: The consequences of this nuclear deal with Iran cannot be overstated. A Republican in the White House is the only chance we have at stopping the agreement from becoming […]

by Steve Timmer

Mr. Pope, please sweep your own doorstep first

September 28, 2015

Symbolism of the papal visit: Do as we say, not as we do

by Jeff Wilfahrt

Get your election predictions here!

September 26, 2015

Michael Brodkorb, former Republican Party activist and current special correspondent to the Star Tribune, was the guest at Drinking Liberally on September 24th to talk about, especially, the race for Republicans in the Second Congressional District. But some other things got discussed, too. If memory serves, and I believe it does, here’s how Michael sees […]

by Steve Timmer

Intensification slowly yields to extensification

September 26, 2015

The death throes of the Industrial Revolution

by Jeff Wilfahrt

Wow, the GOP created a job!

September 25, 2015

Republicans show us how job creation can happen

by Jeff Wilfahrt

What do you do when your Sugar Daddy is out of sugar?

September 24, 2015

Please see the updates below. This is no doubt the question on the minds of all of the bright lights at PolyMet Mining at the moment. You see, PolyMet recently released its second quarter financials, and it made just as much money in the last quarter as it has ever quarter of its existence, going […]

by Steve Timmer