Eden Prairie News - City Politics - Comments

Karla - if you have any

twoputttommy — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:09:02 -0500

Karla - if you have any source that says China is "exploring" sixty miles off the Miami shoreline, I'd like to see it.

If you cannot back that assertion up, you should take it down.

The link you provided me off-line,

http://www.csis.org/component/option,com_csis_press/task,view/id,4368/

clearly states:

She said China's oil company, Sinopac, has conducted exploratory drilling on a lease on land in western Cuba, but is not involved in the offshore development.

CORRECTION: The letter from

Karla — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:21:16 -0500

CORRECTION: The letter from Bill Cullen contained an error. It has been edited to reflect the change from "drilling" to "exploring." The correct version appeared in the print edition of the newspaper.

In addition, I would like to note that our "bad word" filter cannot be disabled for comments, so it just automatically blocks Vice President Cheney's first name. Mr. Johnson did not use any inappropriate language in his comment.

(Karla Wennerstrom is the editor of the Eden Prairie News. She can be reached at editor@edenprairienews.com.)

Peter, here's the point you,

twoputttommy — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:09:26 -0500

Peter, here's the point you, Paulsen, Cheney, Cullen, and the vast majority of GOP leadership misses: when you have to make stuff up to make your point, your point probably isn't worth making.

And this goes back to the beginning of the Bush Administration, where there "Clear Skies Initiative" allowed MORE air pollution, not less. It continued with the drumbeat to war, with (as previously cited) over 900 misrepresentations of the intelligence, etc that led this great nation to the fiasco that is Iraq.

And I find it highly ironic that Cheney would get his talking points on the alleged Chineese oil drilling off the Florida coast from a columnist; then again, why wouldn't he? It sounded good to him, so Cheney went with it.

Just like the cherry-picked Iraq intelligence sounded good to Cheney, so he went with that.

And this is exactly why republicans need to be removed from office; they make decisions based on what sounds good; not what is sound policy.

At least Cheney retracted his "sounds good" mistake; let's see if Bill Cullen has the decency to do the same.

Tommy, you are correct on

sd42webmaster — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:43:33 -0500

Tommy, you are correct on one fact and incorrect on another. And you miss -- totally -- the point of Bill Cullen's letter.

Yes, you are correct, China is not currently drilling for oil off our coast.

No, you are incorrect, the story did not originate with Vice President Cheney.

Here is the background: The China story actually originated in a George Will column who wrote:

"Drilling is under way 60 miles off Florida. The drilling is being done by China, in cooperation with Cuba, which is drilling closer to South Florida than U.S. companies are."

It was then picked up by Vice President Cheney who used it in a speech. But he later retracted the statement. Their statement read in part:

"It is our understanding that, although Cuba has leased out exploration blocks 60 miles off the coast of southern Florida, which is closer than American firms are allowed to operate in that area, no Chinese firm is drilling there"

All the liberal blogs then ran with it: Aha! – they screamed -- Cheney admits he lied about China drilling, oh oh oh....

My answer: They are idiots.

Here are the facts:

There is no actual drilling going on right now but Cuba clearly is interested in developing its deep-water oil resources (estimated at more than 5 billion barrels) including areas within 60 miles of Key West, FL.

Cuba has awarded offshore oil leases in its offshore waters to six oil companies -- none of them Chinese -- and soon may announce an agreement with company from Brazil.

So -- there is no drilling -- yet. There is exploration. And it is just off our coast.

It isn't China but, frankly, that is beside the point. The point is that AMERICAN companies are prohibited from drilling there. The point is that vast oil resources just off our coast are being exploited (or soon will be) by everyone BUT the United States. That is just plain crazy.

While you may have gotten poor Bill Cullen on an innocent mistake, you miss the point that Americans are sick and tired of high oil prices. 67% want off shore drilling and 64% expect that it will lower prices.

The Democrat answer is don't drill anywhere -- ever. You don't like $4 gas? Get ready for $12 gas.

The Republican answer is: Whether the oil is being pumped by China or Brazil or Timbuktu -- who cares. Why are we not getting OUR OWN OIL instead of paying $4 gas bills and paying double for food and watching our economy crumble? Why are we not getting OUR OWN OIL instead of enriching a bunch of Middle East dictators?

On this issue, there is a definite difference between the two political parties. It will be interesting if the Dems continue to vote in favor of higher oil prices rather than in favor of helping American families struggling to pay for gas and food.

As for me, I am happy to vote for Erik Paulsen who will vote in favor of allowing off-shore drilling.

That Bill Cullen is

twoputttommy — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:29:12 -0500

That Bill Cullen is repeating a factually incorrect GOP talking point, claiming “China is drilling for oil sixty miles off the Miami shoreline” should come as no surprise. It simply is not true. That it was first uttered by Vice President Cheney, should also be of no surprise; Cheney is the one that claimed in Iraq, the American military would, “…in fact, be greeted as liberators.” A VFW Convention in 2002 heard Cheney claim: “Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us.” Clearly, all of these statements are wrong.

Political leadership saying things that are factually incorrect is not a new phenomenon; what is new is the level of mendacity by today’s Republican Party leadership. Recently, the independent Center for Public Integrity found over 900 instances where President Bush and those working for him made factually incorrect statements prior to the Iraq war.

Just last month Cheney held a fundraiser in Wayzata to specifically help Republican federal candidates; Erik Paulsen attended as he will benefit from the money Cheney helped raise.

So what we have here is a formerly endorsed Republican candidate, Bill Cullen, making a factually incorrect statement in a letter in support of a Republican endorsed candidate, Erik Paulsen, whose election prospects are enhanced by Republican Vice-President ****** Cheney – who has been uttering inaccuracies since the beginning of the Bush Administration and hasn’t stopped.

Ladies and Gentlemen, if you like George W. Bush and ****** Cheney and you want to reward the Republican Party for their mendacity and the results of their leadership (and Iraq is but one), vote for Erik Paulsen.

Here's Syverson's

Karla — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:11:41 -0500

Here's Syverson's speech:

Remarks of JoAnn Syverson
Xcel Energy Center – Saint Paul, MN
June 3, 2008

Good evening, everyone. My name is JoAnn Syverson and I love being a Democrat and I love Barack Obama! I am honored to welcome Senator and Michelle Obama to the Twin Cities on this historic night.

Not only do I admire Senator Obama, but as a communications teacher here at the University of Minnesota, I also enjoy studying him. I see a uniquely talented man who will restore our country and its Presidency to a high level of credibility in the world that we haven’t seen in many years. I see a man who is intelligent, insightful, positive, tolerant, and unwaveringly ethical. These are his personal qualities that will make him a great President, but they are also the qualities that we want the world to attribute to America as a country once again. And Barack Obama will be the President to rebuild our image in the world after debacle of the last eight years with George W. Bush.

I support Barack Obama for our nation’s interests. I look forward to the day when everyone will be able to afford necessary healthcare, receive as much education as they need and want, and live in a cleaner environment. I look forward to a President who will unite the American people for the good of all. We all know the issues and how Barack Obama as our President will greatly benefit our country.

However, I also support Barack Obama for a very personal reason. I am so proud to be here tonight with my husband, daughter-in-law and two of my sons. But on this exciting night, while my head is here with all of you, my heart is half-way around the world in Iraq with my oldest son, Captain Marcus Alexander Syverson IV, who is presently serving his second tour of duty in Iraq. He proudly serves his country; he doesn’t complain—but his mother worries—and prays a lot. He has served with men who have died in combat - one in particular comes to mind who was going to be leaving Iraq within a few weeks. My heartfelt thoughts are with the families of our brave, fallen soldiers.

Marcus was due to end his Army career this month, but was called to active duty in Iraq a second time and will be there for another fourteen to seventeen months. My son will continue to serve his country until his tour is finished no matter who is elected in November. But every day I ask myself, “Why?” Obama was an early opponent of the Bush Administration's policies on Iraq, and he too asked, “Why?” Unfortunately, not enough politicians were strong or brave enough to join him in asking, “Why?” Senator Obama favors phased re-deployment of our troops with the goal of removing all combat brigades from Iraq. Seems reasonable to me. Any other mothers, fathers and wives out there agree?

Like so many of you, I used to be ambivalent about politics. In fact, at one point, I was even a Republican. One politician was as good as another. But through the years that proved to be wrong. These last eight years, especially, have been a wake-up call to Americans. We need change.

On February 5, over 200,000 Minnesotans turned out to caucus for their preferred Democratic candidate – over 200,000 people that no matter who they caucused for that night, were united in their belief that we deserve better than four more years of the failed policies of George W. Bush.

We believe we deserve better than a politics that divides us. We deserve a candidate that can bring us together and unite us behind a common purpose.

We deserve better than empty promises of change. We deserve a candidate that is not afraid to deliver it.

We deserve a President who will change our country’s image to accurately reflect the true character of America to the world and help us regain our lost credibility.

We deserve a President who will lead our country with politics of hope and humanity!

We deserve Barack Obama.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please join me in welcoming Michelle Obama and the next President of the United States - Senator Barack Obama!

(Karla Wennerstrom is the editor of the Eden Prairie News. She can be reached at editor@edenprairienews.com.)

Great comment! She would be

Karla — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:04:09 -0500

Great comment! She would be an Alumna of Notable Achievement. Or a winner of an Alumni of Notable Achievement award.
A fellow Latin student?

(Karla Wennerstrom is the editor of the Eden Prairie News. She can be reached at editor@edenprairienews.com.)

Shouldn't Butcher be an

calla120 — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:50:52 -0500

Shouldn't Butcher be an AlumnA of Notable Achievement?

Ms. Veurink, I understand

twoputttommy — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:54:11 -0500

Ms. Veurink, I understand you're partisan. And I understand you're trying to paint your party in the most favorable light. But do try to remember that Erik Paulsen's most notable "achievement" while in the legislature was, while serving as Majority Party Leader, leading the state to a shutdown because he - and the Governor - refused to work in a bi-partisan manner.

While local school districts were waiting for the legislature to finish work, so they would know what their budget was, Paulsen "worked" to shut the state down.

And now you're touting Jenifer Loon? Her "record" includes working with Newt Gingrich and on the "Contract On America", which has increased the partisan rhetoric to the intollerable level it is at, today. Newt Gingrich was the author of the seminal treatise on name-calling, "Language: A Key Mechanism Of Control". His "Contract On America" directly led to the Abramoff scandal, the K-Street lobbying scandal, etc etc etc.

Most recently, according to an intro speech for Ms. Loon at the recent SD-42B Convention, she was deeply involved with George W. Bush's re-election.

So, Ms. Veurink, to be clear - you are touting the election of someone that is an entrenched adherent to the architecht for today's bitter partisanship, and the worst president in American History.

Until George W. Bush came along, I did not think I'd ever miss Richard Milhous Nixon. And until Cheney came along, I thought Sprio T Agnew's place as the worst Vice-President was secure.

If you like George W. Bush, vote for Jenifer Loon. If you want more of the same, and want to "Stay The Course!", volunteer for Jenifer Loon.

If you want change, vote for Jerry Pitzrick.

An interesting interview

Karla — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:40:14 -0500

An interesting interview with Madia in "The Rake."
Visit www.rakemag.com for story.

(Karla Wennerstrom is the editor of the Eden Prairie News. She can be reached at editor@edenprairienews.com.)

Here's my slide show of the

Gavin — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:30:03 -0500

Here's my slide show of the same convention. I posted this piece on the CD3 DFL convention, too, on my blog, http://www.gavinsullivan.com

Thank you, Scott, for once

twoputttommy — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 07:28:53 -0500

Thank you, Scott, for once again explaining clearly and concisely the "why" and "how" the city does something.

Minnesota Monitor reports a

Karla — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:41:00 -0600

Minnesota Monitor reports a missed connection at the Eden Prairie caucus found on Craigslist:
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/mis/564439714.html
Also, a local blogger described his experience with the caucus.
http://gavinsullivan.blogspot.com/2008/02/precinct-caucus-night-on-prair...
So what was your story from caucus eve?
(Karla Wennerstrom is the editor of the Eden Prairie News. She can be reached at editor@edenprairienews.com.)

City Manager Scott Neal

Leah Shaffer — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:53:45 -0600

City Manager Scott Neal writes about another water utility issue in this recent blog entry.

I am discontinuing this

Karla — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 10:47:27 -0600

I am discontinuing this thread because it has veered from the original intent of the post and is becoming unproductive. Please feel free to comment elsewhere on the site or start a new topic or blog entry.

(Karla Wennerstrom is the editor of the Eden Prairie News. She can be reached at editor@edenprairienews.com.)