NoDak Central

And on a personal note...

04:21, 10/9/2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Today’s post will be my last for the Bismarck Tribune.

After spending more than a year in Bismarck, I have decided to take a reporting job in my home state at the Nevada Appeal in Carson City, which means I am ending my adventure in North Dakota this weekend.

It’s been an eventful year for me as a reporter and as a newcomer to North Dakota. There have been ups and there have been downs, many of them below zero. Regardless, I will always cherish my experience in this state and the people I was lucky enough to meet. I am a better person because of it.

Thank you and good luck.

-Brian Duggan

(p.s. If you'd like, you can follow me on my blog)

ND Dems to Conrad: Pass a "universal single payer health care" bill

05:01, 10/6/2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

After the North Dakota Democratic-NPL met Sept. 19 at its policy meeting in Fargo, the party sent letters to North Dakota's all-Democratic congressional delegation backing a public health insurance option, the Huffington Post reported Tuesday.

The letter, written by Executive Director Joe Aronson, read, "the party called 'upon Congress to enact universal single payer health care legislation.' I write to remind the delegation that this is your state party's official position on healthcare reform."

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., who has been at the forefront of the national debate over health care reform from his seat on the Senate Finance Committee, has said there isn't enough support in the Senate to pass a public health care option. It should also be noted that a "single payer" option - like the one in Great Britain - has largely been written off in the national debate.

Conrad, instead, is pushing for a national cooperative system that would use government seed money - about $6 billion - to establish health care co-ops in all 50 states.

From the Huffington Post blog, by Sam Stein:

"A member of the North Dakota Democratic Party said that the resolution was a statement of principle on health care reform that reflected the overwhelming consensus among Democrats in the state. "No one voted against it," said Chad Nodland, who sits on the executive committee for the state party. "And by the end of the meeting there were probably 60 to 75 people still there.

"But the resolution also seems like a clear effort to exert pressure on North Dakota's congressional delegation. Conrad remains one of the highest-profile holdouts on the public option, insisting that the provision does not have the votes to pass the Senate and makes for bad policy. His obstinacy is frustrating Democrats in his home state."

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/06/north-dakota-dems-pass-re_n_311584.html

Whether or not the Dem-NPL resolution will have any affect on Conrad's position in the Senate has yet to be seen, especially after voting against the proposals in committee last week. Also, a good question with a difficult answer is whether or not Conrad would be risking his political future in North Dakota by not backing a public health care option. Maybe we'll know in 2012.

Regardless, according to NPR, he still appears to stand firmly behind the co-op proposal.

Conrad preparing for a tough 2012?

12:49, 9/30/2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

I've been out of the loop for the past 10 days during a journalism study trip to Germany, so today has meant combing through hundreds of emails and stories. Among the more interesting finds was this Politco piece about 2012 likely candidate Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and his growing $1.9 million war chest, which is more than half of 2010 candidate Sen. Byron Dorgan's $3.5 million campaign coffer.

That could be a telling piece of information: Conrad, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, has been at the forefront of controversial issues since the financial crisis peaked last year. He oversaw the banking industry bailout, the stimulus funds and now he's a key negotiator for the nation's health care reform effort. Meanwhile, Dorgan has been positioning himself for a race against Hoeven (such as this column he penned regarding a potential cap and trade policy for carbon dioxide). Conrad is also attracting barbs not only from the right, but from the left, which probably has many Democratic leaders worried about the party's fate in 2010 and 2012. For example, MoveOn.org is running an ad in North Dakota starting today that condemns Conrad's vote against the so-called public option in his Senate Finance Committee.

Perhaps we'll know more about the political strength of the state's congressional delegation when Gov. John Hoeven finally decides his political fate and whether he should run against Dorgan, Conrad, or no one at all.

Dorgan's best friend for fundraising? Gov. John Hoeven

12:43, 9/30/2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., will report his third quarter campaign finance results tomorrow, which are likely to add another boost to his war chest that currently stands at an impressive $3.5 million. The senator is enjoying a surge in fundraising prowess thanks to the potential candidacy of Republican Gov. John Hoeven, who is being courted by national party members to challenge the three-term Democrat.

In a letter sent to supporters on Wednesday, Dorgan made it clear that he could face Hoeven next year:

"Right now, the national Republicans are trying to talk Governor Hoeven into leaving in the middle of his term and running for the U.S. Senate. The Governor has said that he is considering it. If they convince him to run, this will become a major race almost immediately."

We'll see tomorrow if that had any effect on Dorgan's fundraising numbers, but by my estimation, they're likely to increase.

The Hill: Privately, GOP says Hoeven candidacy unlikely

10:37, 9/8/2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

Maybe the officials with the National Republican Senitorial Committee in Washington know something we don't...

In a Tuesday story, The Hill, a Capitol Hill newspaper, says Gov. John Hoeven is getting plenty of pressure to run against Sen. Byron Dorgan, but it's not a sure thing the Republican governor will challenge the Democratic senator.

"And though (Sen. John) Cornyn (R-Texas) does not include either candidate in the memo, the NRSC continues to tout the possibility that Gov. John Hoeven (R) will challenge Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and that Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) will run for Vice President Joe Biden’s old Senate seat in Delaware.

"Polls have shown both Hoeven and Dorgan with big leads in a hypothetical matchup, but the NRSC remains hopeful it can coax him into the race. Privately, the GOP feels more confident that Castle will run in Delaware, setting up a possible showdown with Attorney General Beau Biden, the vice president's son." (emphasis mine)

In another story, the paper also says Hoeven's candidacy is not a sure thing.

Dorgan, Conrad statements on passing of Sen. Edward Kennedy

10:32, 8/26/2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

In separate statements sent Wednesday, North Dakota's senators had this to say about Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who died from brain cancer early Wednesday morning:

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., called Kennedy a “remarkable public servant,” in a Wednesday statement.

“Ted Kennedy was a friend and colleague,” Dorgan said. “Those of us who had the privilege to work with him every day knew firsthand his tireless passion to make this a better country. Ted could have chosen an easier life. Instead he dedicated his entire life to public service, and America is a better place because of it.”

Kennedy was the “Lion of the Senate,” said Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D.

“Senator Kennedy also had a deep humanity and a common touch,” Conrad said. “Whenever someone in the Senate Family had a tragedy or challenge, Senator Kennedy was there for them. He was often the first to call and was always ready to reach out to help someone in trouble. That’s why Ted Kennedy will never be forgotten and will always be missed.”

Bismarck Republican files paperwork for potential challenge to Pomeroy in 2010

01:56, 8/25/2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Paul Schaffner, 39, a Bismarck Republican who works for a local insurance company, filed the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission two weeks ago to set up a campaign to run for the U.S. House next year.

If he wins the GOP nomination he will challenge Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D.

Schaffner is a former defensive coordinator for the University of Mary football team from 1999 to 2005. He also coached at Northeastern University near Boston where he was known for his ability to run a 3-4 defensive formation, according to his bio for the school. He also played football for the Bison of North Dakota State University where holds the record for most assisted tackles in a game at 21.

He said he wants to bring responsibility and accountability back to government. He lives in Bismarck with his wife. They have three children, one a graduate of University of Mary, another currently enrolled there and a seven year old. His wife is a teacher.

Sen. Dorgan's new ad: "He's got the clout."

02:22, 8/24/2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., unveiled an advertisement on Monday trumpeting the work he's done on the state's energy infrastructure. Consider it the first shot of the 2010 North Dakota Senate race, which is more than a year away.

The ad, which will debut during 6 p.m. newscasts across the state tonight, includes plenty of North Dakota energy imagery. The narrator also mentions how Dorgan spearheaded the U.S. Geological Survey's study of the state's Bakken Shale that uncovered more than 4 billion potential barrels of oil. In other words, you're welcome, North Dakota.

The ad includes cameos from those working in North Dakota's energy sector, including the CEO of Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Ron Harper, and Dennis Hill, the general manager of Rural Electric Cooperatives who says in the ad that Dorgan has "the clout" and "the experience."

The reason for the ad is likely because Republican Gov. John Hoeven is considering a run against Dorgan, which many say would be one of the most competitive races in the country.

Meanwhile, Nate Silver at Fivethirtyeight.com posted his Senate rankings for August, calling North Dakota's race - at this point in time - the 15th most competitive in the nation, a two-point upgrade from July.

Sen. Kent Conrad talks health care on Face the Nation

12:43, 8/24/2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., appeared on CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday to talk health care reform. During the interview with Bob Schieffer, Conrad said the so-called public insurance option does not have the support in the U.S. Senate to pass.

Conrad is proposing health care cooperatives as an alternative to the public option. Conrad also said he is opposed to using reconciliation to pass health care reform. Reconciliation is a Senate provision that would allow the Democratic majority to bypass any Republican filibuster and pass a bill with a simple majority instead of the 60 votes required to close debate. Watch the full interview here:

Watch CBS Videos Online

Former HHS Secretary calls Conrad's co-ops government health care "trojan horse"

11:17, 8/24/2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

A sign of what is to come next month when lawmakers return to Washington?

Michael O. Levitt, the former Health and Human Services Secretary from 2005 to 2009, wrote in a Thursday Wall Street Journal op-ed that the health insurance cooperatives that Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., is proposing amounts to government health care.

"The Democrats are insisting that their version of a "co-op" wouldn't be government-run health care, but I ran Medicare and Medicaid as secretary of Health and Human Services, and I know this isn't true. When Washington provides the money, names the directors and ultimately pays the bills, government controls health care. Lobbyists will lobby, Congress will respond, and bureaucrats will decide who gets care, what drugs are prescribed, what procedures are covered, and how much money providers can charge. This is true for Medicare, it's true for Medicaid, and it would be true of Mr. Conrad's 'co-ops.'"

Levitt also writes that Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which includes Conrad and four other bi-partisan negotiators for a health care reform package, has publicly said the co-op proposal must accomplish what a government-run health insurance option would.

Former foe says Hoeven won't challenge Dorgan

11:44, 8/20/2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Heidi Heitkamp, North Dakota's former Democratic Attorney General and 2000 opponent to Republican Gov. John Hoeven, writes today that she thinks the governor will not run against Sen. Byron Dorgan.

In an op-ed written for KFGO on Thursday, Heitkamp says the odds are likely stacked against the three-term governor:

- The longer Hoeven waits the less money he can raise while Dorgan continues to expand his coffers.
- The governor and Dorgan have many similar positions on policy, meaning it will be difficult to find a sharp contrast between the two - plus Dorgan may be a better salesman in a competitive campaign than Hoeven.
- Hoeven will have to decide if the national mood and economy will play into his favor next year, which could be a big gamble.

To read the whole piece, click here.

Plenty of speculation has been circulating around the potential for Hoeven, a popular governor, to challenge Dorgan, a popular senator. The governor has said he is not holding himself to any timeline to announce or decline his potential candidacy, although the North Dakota GOP has urged him to make a decision by Sept. 7.

Political observers say the race would be one of the most competitive in the nation, billing as a $20 million race.

Rumor alert: A source tell me Dorgan is apparently preparing to debut a 60-second ad around North Dakota next week. Could be sign the senator is either a) trying to scare off the governor for good, or b) is seeing some unfavorable polling numbers around the state.

Either way, welcome to the 2010 election, North Dakota.

Read Ethics committee letter to Sen. Kent Conrad

01:24, 8/7/2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

Read the letter here:

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., was cleared of breaking any Senate rules on Friday after the Select Committee on Ethics concluded its year-long investigation into the V.I.P. loan treatment Countrywide Financial gave to high ranking officials.

In separate letters sent to Conrad and Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., on Friday, the committee said they could find no “substantial credible evidence” to conclude the lawmakers violated ethics rules, the committee also scolded the senators in the letter that they should use more caution when obtaining loans.

“The Committee does believe that you should have exercised more vigilance in your dealings with Countrywide in order to avoid the appearance that you were receiving preferential treatment based on your status as a Senator,” the committee wrote in its letter to Conrad. The ethics panel is chaired by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and is comprised of three Democrats and three Republicans.

Conrad said the committee’s decision was “welcome news” in a Friday statement.

“The Ethics Committee’s exhaustive inquiry confirms what I have said all along: I did not ask for or receive any preferential pricing on my loans,” Conrad said in the statement. “While I should have shown more vigilance in the appearance of these transactions, the committee has concluded I did nothing unethical, and that is the truth.”

Ad blitz over health care reform begins in North Dakota

04:49, 8/4/2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

Ads targeting North Dakota's congressional delegation over health care reform will begin this week as the lawmakers return home for their month-long recess.

The Club for Growth, an anti-tax group based in Washington, D.C., is launching a $1.2 million advertising campaign that will target Sens. Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan and Rep. Earl Pomeroy, all North Dakota Democrats. In a Tuesday statement, the group said they will urge the delegation to reject a public health insurance option currently proposed in two health care proposals.

Other states being targeted include Colorado, Arkansas and Nevada, home to the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

“Members of Congress who would support a plan that raises taxes and involves the government in some of the most important and personal decisions in our lives will hear from us,” said Chris Chocola, the CFG president, in a statement.

(See ad below)

Organizing for America, the political arm of President Barack Obama's presidential campaign that is now affiliated with the Democratic National Committee, will also air ads in North Dakota during the month of August to garner support for Pomeroy.

The annoucement comes on the heels of the Republican National Committee announcing that Pomeroy is one of 70 House members targeted for the 2010 election, meaning the RNC could pump money into the North Dakota race.

The ad praises Pomeroy's vote for the $787 billion stimulus package, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but is referred to in the ad as the "Jobs and Recovery Economic Act."

The full ad: "Times are tough. But Congressman Earl Pomeroy is standing up to the special interests and looking out for North Dakota’s families and small businesses.

"Congressman Pomeroy supported the Jobs and Economic Recovery Act which rescued our economy from the brink of disaster - and provided tax cuts to nearly every American - the largest middle class tax cut in American history.

"In fact, the Jobs and Economic Recovery Act is providing millions in vital funding right here in North Dakota – eighty-six million dollars for North Dakota Schools, twenty-eight million for Minot Air Force Base and $1.2 million for the Grand Forks International Airport.

"These projects are creating and preserving high quality jobs instead of shipping more American jobs overseas. "And Earl Pomeroy voted for a budget that cuts our deficit in half over the next decade while making vital investments in health care, education and energy.

"Call Congressman Pomeroy at 701-235-9760 and thank him for fighting for all of us.

"Paid for by the Democratic National Committee. Democrats.org. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. The DNC is responsible for the content of this advertising."

And the CFG advertisement:

Gallup: North Dakota competitive for Ds and Rs

04:34, 8/3/2009 .. 2 comments .. Link

A recent poll tracking political party affiliation conducted from January through June by Gallup found that the country is still trending Democratic, with 29 states leaning Democratic to four leaning Republican. Pollsters with Gallup say that's about consistent with the political landscape from 2008.

The poll includes about 160,000 interviews from every state. In North Dakota, 43 percent of the 459 respondents say they lean Republican whereas 42 percent say they're Democratic.

From Gallup's Jeffery M. Jones:

"Since Obama was inaugurated, not much has changed in the political party landscape at the state level -- the Democratic Party continues to hold a solid advantage in party identification in most states and in the nation as a whole. While the size of the Democratic advantage at the national level shrunk in recent months, this has been due to an increase in independent identification rather than an increase in Republican support."

Hoeven on Fox News last week

03:07, 8/3/2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Gov. John Hoeven made his rounds in New York City last week before going to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. Department of Energy officials. While in the Big Apple the Republican governor made an appearance on Fox and Friends and Fox Business' Red Ink.

It was another example of Hoeven appearing on a national news program to tout North Dakota's economic prowess despite the recession, especially considering the fact that the state's unemployment rate is 4.2 percent - or about half of the national rate. The interviews focused on North Dakota's energy production and relatively solid economic footing, a positive story for a guy considering a run for the U.S. Senate against a popular incumbent - Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.

When asked about his position on health care reform making its way through Congress, Hoeven said, "we need health care reform, everybody agrees on that, but it’s doing it right. Let’s find ways to expand coverage, but keep choice in the equation.” Hoeven had little to say about his political ambitions in an interview on Fox Business, delivering his usual "working hard" for North Dakota line and that he hasn't made any decisions yet.

Check out the Fox Business interview here.

Health care rally Monday night

02:15, 8/3/2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Members of Change that Works, an interest group affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, are staging a rally in Bismarck tonight in support of Congress passing health care reform this summer - namely with a public option intact.

The event starts at 7 p.m. at Custer Park in Bismarck. Speakers will include state Sen. Tracy Potter, D-Bismarck, and Rev. Dr. Wade Schemmel of the Northern Plains Conference United Church of Christ. Other SEIU members will also speak with music provided by Jamie Ness.

The rally comes as Congress takes its August recess to come back home. Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., has said he is not supportive of a health care reform bill currently in the House that includes a government-run public health insurance option as a way to cover uninsured Americans. Pomeroy said he will not support it if it uses current Medicare reimbursement rates.

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., is also at the center of the health care reform debate. Conrad has proposed that Congress pass a health care reform bill that includes establishing health care cooperatives instead of a public option, which he said will not have enough support in the Senate.

Hoeven beats Dorgan in recent poll

11:16, 7/31/2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

A new poll commissioned by the National Republican Senatorial Committee gives Republican Gov. John Hoeven a 17-point lead over sitting Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan, the POLITICO reports today.

These newest numbers, which were complied by GOP polling firm Public Opinion Strategies, are a departure from the consistent wins Dorgan has chalked up in recent polls against his potential Republican rival. A recent poll conducted by another conservative public opinion group found that a race between the three-term governor and three-term senator would be awfully close (although they did not release the results of the poll, suggesting that Hoeven did not best Dorgan).

Regardless of the most recent poll, don't be so quick to assume Hoeven would have an easy time unseating Dorgan.

Dorgan also maintained a 69 percent favorability ranking in the recent NRSC poll. And in a February poll commissioned by the liberal Daily Kos blog, Dorgan got the best of Hoeven with 57 percent to 35 percent of the vote.

The POLITICO's Josh Kraushaar has this analysis of the potential match-up between Dorgan and Hoeven:

"Ultimately, if Hoeven decides to run, his success will be determined on whether North Dakotans really want to unseat a popular incumbent just to provide a check and balance on President Obama. This poll suggests as much, but it’s awfully rare for a senator with Dorgan’s approval numbers to be ousted – even by a candidate as popular as Hoeven."

Brownies for health care at Barry's

09:44, 7/30/2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

The "Change that Works" organization, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, is holding a bake sale at Barry's Bikes in Bismarck today starting at 11 a.m. At the event, they will be advocating for health care reform to move through Congress. The SEIU has advocated for a government-run public health insurance option.

Huffington Post blogger on Conrad accuser: "Lying liar"

02:31, 7/29/2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

David Fiderer, a blogger for the Huffington Post, wrote a rebuttal to Monday's Associated Press story that stemmed from June testimony of a former Countrywide loan officer, who said Sens. Kent Conrad and Chris Dodd knew they were getting preferential loans from the doomed mortage lender in 2004 and 2003.

Fiderer, who says he is a banker, lawyer and writer according to his Huffington Post biography, criticizes Feinberg's accusations that Conrad and Dodd knew they were taking preferential loans. From the Huffington Post blog post:

"More than a year ago, Feinberg, a loan processor laid off from Countrywide Financial, stole some confidential loan documents on mortgages extended to 17 Democrats, and persuaded Conde Nast Portfolio that he had evidence of a big scandal. His documents never demonstrated much of anything. The "sweetheart deals" or "VIP treatment" were mostly nickel and dime stuff, waivers of "garbage fees" that are only paid by suckers. Nothing in the paperwork suggested that anyone was paying a below-market interest rate on his loan."

The Las Vegas Review-Journal also ran an editorial about the Countrywide mortgage dust up on Wednesday:

"The notion that these men changed their votes or policies to favor Countrywide because they got "sweetheart deals" is far-fetched, even if the benefits to the men totaled more than $10,000 each.
"Rather, what's on display here is a culture in which powerful politicians receive so many special favors and set-asides that they no longer even pay them much attention. They spend so many billions of other people's money on things never contemplated in the Constitution that "ten grand here or there," for them, come to resemble mere crumbs. They figure they're entitled."

North Dakota diet food?

10:43, 7/28/2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Sen. Kent Conrad has taken a central role in the nation's health care overhaul debate this summer. Apparently, he's also providing the snacks during his Senate Finance Committee meetings.

From a Tuesday story in the New York Times on the health care debate:

"WASHINGTON — On the agenda is the revamping of the American health care system, possibly the most complex legislation in modern history. But on the table, in a conference room where the bill is being hashed out by six senators, the snacks are anything but healthy.

Last week, there were chippers — chocolate-covered potato chips — described on a sign as “North Dakota Diet Food.” More often, there are Doritos, pretzels, Oreo cookies and beef jerky: fuel to get through hours of talks on topics like the actuarial values of private insurance plans or the cost-sharing provisions of Medicare."

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