Twitter feeds buzz from Capitol
Published 9:51 am Monday, January 30, 2012
MINNEAPOLIS — When news breaks at the Capitol, the first aftershocks are often felt in the world of Twitter, the online social networking site that allows users to spread their message no more than 140 characters at a time. A sampling of some of those from the past week, along with the back story:
The tweets:
What part of NO #PublicFinancing of #MN #Vikings #Stadium don’t U get? #MN #Legislature wastes another day trying to bypass#taxpayers #PAN — @DMashak
@GovMarkDayton let the free market decide #Vikings #stadium #location stop interfering #whatarewepayingyoufor ? — @kblassen
If the #Vikings move to L.A., I will smother my left arm with ketchup and gnaw it off. #stadium #itsgettingdone — @bryan_horwath
The story:
No issue stirs the citizenry more than the prospect of a new Minnesota Vikings stadium, with many fans a bit panicky about the prospect of the team leaving for another market. The state’s political leaders may not be quite that far along, but there are some seriously furrowed brows at the Capitol, where no one wants to be blamed if the worst eventually happens.
Gov. Mark Dayton has been trying to goose the process for months, and shook things up again the day before the session opened by telling the team that a new stadium would have to be built at the Metrodome site if they hoped to get anything passed this year. Dayton’s move came after legal saber-rattling from the rector of the Basilica of St. Mary, the historic church near a proposed site on the western edge of downtown Minneapolis.
Owner Zygi Wilf was first said to be “extremely frustrated” at the apparent ultimatum just as the Vikings appeared to be warming to the west Minneapolis site. But a day later, he emerged from a meeting with the governor to declare himself optimistic that the Metrodome site could work.
Sen. Julie Rosen, one of two lawmakers taking the lead on stadium legislation, said she hopes to introduce a Metrodome-specific stadium financing bill soon.
The tweets:
Sen Bakk says GOP cutting only DFL staff to balance budget indicates Sen Senjem not going to act in bipartisan matter. Video soon. #mnleg — @uptakemn
Minnesota State GOP Cuts State Spending on the Backs of Democrats (DFL) ‘ bit.ly/zjnlFv — @dmf71
The story:
Everyone pines for civility at the Capitol, and never more so than heading into this session — where all sides remember last summer’s state government shutdown. The ideal may never have died faster than it did this year, when on the first day Senate Republicans enraged the minority DFL caucus by clipping nearly a half-million dollars from their budget.
Tom Bakk, the top Democrat, called it “a really awful way to start the session.” He had proposed that the two parties split the cuts, an idea Republicans civilly declined.
Bakk said he would likely have to lay off 12 to 14 full-time employees after the session ends in April.
The tweets:
Lord help us! Michele Bachmann is planning to run for Congress again in Minnesota. Please keep her out! #Bachmann –@ModelBehavior62
Amazing that #Bachmann would announce reelection after her statements claiming she’s an Iowan. — @DBroton
BEST NEWS I’VE GOTTEN TODAY: washingtonpost.com/national/apnew. #michelebachmann #getitgirl — @taycain
After Michele Bachmann spent most of a year in the whirlwind of a presidential race, some media types had speculated she might be ready to move on from her House seat to something different — perhaps even turning her charisma and tea party popularity toward a career as a conservative talker. But the morning after President Obama’s State of the Union address, Bachmann declared she was eager to take her “strong, powerful voice” back to Washington for a fourth term.
Bachmann has been a fairly easy winner in past races: A good fit for her conservative district and a money-raising tornado. Redistricting could shake that up when new boundaries emerge late next month. No Democrats have yet declared, but the Twitter stream after Bachmann’s announcement previewed some likely attack lines, including lots of missed votes during her months on the presidential trail.
Bachmann’s official Twitter account, by the way, never did carry news of her plans.