Like I would expect anything less that the absurd, but my goodness. This is another example of the republican mindset encapsulated in breathtaking stupidity.

Has anyone else noticed that Bachman's got that same kind of crazy eyes thing going that Kathleen Harris had?

Unfortunately this nutter is my representative and giving the strange boundaries of the 6th there are plenty of others in the district just like her and she will most likely be re-elected. She is like Will Ferrell in Anchorman - whatever is in the whitehouse memo she will read, word for word, no matter what.

She may have missed the fact that I learned while serving in the US Army Infantry in Alaska that the wildlife tends to fleee from the sound of your aproaching helicopter. You must be quiet and still if you wish to see the animals. Hunters have noticed this as well. Perhaps she should listen to Elmer Fudd's admonition to be, "Very, very quiet."

One suburban seat is a toss-up, but the other two, the outer suburbs, lean Republican.

The problem with the other outer two that you mention is the way that they've been gerrymandered. If you look at the one I live in, the 3rd, it's basically a crescent shaped district that encompasses the more well-off burbs. Even though both my local district's state house and senate reps are Dems, there's no way to overcome all the other burb cities voting Repub for the US seats.

BTW, to those who asked about us Minnesotans having enough "enlightened" voters -- I would ask if they want to be held accountable for all their elected reps.

"It's almost like you have a kitchen full of little children that are hungry and want to eat," said the Minnesota Republican, a mother of five and past foster mother of 23. "The pantry has a lock on the door, but the pantry is filled with food."

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/house/25764074.html

How is the number of children relevant?

Bachman's opponent, El Tinklenberg, could well defeat her this year. In 2006 the Independence Party had a candidate on the ballot who got about 8% of the vote. This year the Independence party has cross endorsed Tinklenberg, and will be pushing their members to vote for the DFL'er. In fact in 06 Wetterling, the DFL'er got about 42% of the vote -- so this cross endorsement just might be the margin.

The Minnesota Independence Party is the old party of Jesse Ventura, and he has also endorsed Tinklenberg, who served in Ventura's administration as the Commissioner of Transportation. Ventura's greatest support was in this district, so it could be key to defeating Bachman.

Tinklenberg has other assets -- he is an ordained Lutheran Pastor, and for years has worked as a supply Pastor -- a temporary replacement for a pastor. The East End of the 6th is strongly Swedish Lutheran, and Tinklenberg at one time or another has preached in many of the towns in the area. While this population normally favors Republicans, they are NOT the mega church crowd with whom Bachman tends to run.

In the last two years the district has seen a rise in Union Activism. Three years ago they were voting against Union representation by 10-20 points, but in the last year several elections have been held again, and the Union is winning by 20 points. Service Workers International is demanding that anyone who wants endorsement has to work a day in the workplaces they represent, and Tinklenberg has been doing Candy Striper work in various Hospitals and Nursing Homes in the district -- earning endorsement, and supporting organization. I am told by organizers that many of these members have been voting solidly Republican in the past -- but now they have got the word, and won't be doing that any more.

Tinklenberg was Commissioner of Transport when the new North Star Commuter Line which runs through the heart of the district, was first planned and funded. It opens this fall, and is much anticipated by this Exurban Area, where 60-70 mile commutes into the cities are not unusual. Bachman opposes all public finance for both light and heavy rail. (she also is against Public Education), and I suspect the reality of a train ride into Mpls, with an easy transfer to light rail will attract many voters to the guy who first planned it, and got it through the Legislature. An extension to St. Cloud is planned, and Tinklenberg can be expected to talk that up in the campaign. The difference would be a congresscritter who would work to deliver, and one who does not believe in public funding of alternative transport. St. Cloud is the western anchor of the 6th District.

I just got back from AK. In Denali Park, another wildlife refuge where the climate is a bit more temperate (relatively), the animals don't come out and greet you with tea and toast. They need lots of miles to roam and don't ever interact with humans because all are surrounded by metal in buses to protect them from us.

Once humans put their boots to the ground the animals will be contaminated by human contact and will never be the same again. Their eating patterns will be interrupted and their grazing territories will be changed forever. This is a tragedy for them and for us.

I'm in favor of doing a total paradigm shift and switching to renewable energy ASAP. We don't need to burn oil into the future or even corn oil that is driving up the price of food.

This is the time for big thinking and using our fertile minds to go off in another direction for the 21st century. The oil companies can use their profits to join in the down of this new century. Spare us from the Washington lobby who tries to keep us on the same track so they can protect their profits.