Last night I participated in a discussion about the future of higher education at Minot State University alongside Assistant Professor of Education Dan Conn. The event went well – the discussion was lively and fun – and I very much enjoyed myself. Below, courtesy of Dan who posted it on Facebook, is video of the…
Heitkamp Chief of Staff, Without Irony, Says the Senator’s Key to Success Is to “Get Out and Talk to People”
Politico has made a “power list” of “women to watch” in Washington D.C., and on that list is North Dakota’s own Tessa Gould. Gould is Senator Heidi Heitkamp’s chief of staff, well known the media types in the state as the person who will send you nasty emails and shout at you on the phone…
If Democrats Want More Say Over North Dakota’s Budget They Should Try Winning Some Elections
Last week Governor Doug Burgum released budget guidelines which called for state agencies to prepare for more budget cuts in the coming legislative session (Burgum also spoke with me about his guidelines, audio here). In response, North Dakota’s Democrats insulted the governor by implying he’s some sort of a political extremist and demanded the creation…
Democratic House Candidate Mac Schneider Takes Swipe at Big Banking, Accidentally Hits Senator Heitkamp
Democratic House candidate Mac Schneider took a swipe at Big Banking, and the Trump tax cuts, with this tweet this morning: Call me crazy, but this isn’t the best way to help working families. #ndpol https://t.co/7SaRmuGdY6 — Mac for North Dakota (@mac4northdakota) April 20, 2018 Schneider is being a bit myopic. These benefits to banks…
Los Angeles Times Reporter Worried #NoDAPL Coverage Wasn’t Slanted Enough Toward the Protesters
Over at the University of North Dakota professor Mark Trahant – a journalism professor, albeit one sharply biased in favor of the anti-Dakota Access Pipeline protesters – is holding a symposium on those protests which today featured a panel of panelists who covered them. One of the panelists – Los Angeles Times reporter Sandy Tolan…
Japan Opens Doors to American-Made Ethanol, North Dakota Democrats Hardest Hit
Yesterday I wrote a post wondering if North Dakota Democrats – U.S. Senate candidate Heidi Heitkamp and U.S. House candidate Mac Schneider, in particular – weren’t overplaying their hands in their attempts to fan the flames of rural anxiety over Trump’s trade standoff with China. The Democrats have invested so much political capital into promoting…
North Dakota House Majority Leader Al Carlson Was on Controversial Lobbying Trip to England
Recently Cliff Rosenberger, until just recently the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, resigned his position after saying he’d come under investigation by the FBI. There’s no official word yet on what the FBI is investigating, but part of it may be Rosenberg’s lavish lifestyle and cozy relationships with lobbyists and other interests. Part…
A Lawmaker Is Looking Into the Cost of State Employees Attending Governor Doug Burgum’s Events
A hallmark of Governor Doug Burgum’s time in office so far are events his office has orchestrated on topics ranging from addiction to the still-not-terribly-well-defined Main Street Initiative he campaigned on back in 2016. So much so that some in political circles have quipped about North Dakotans having elected, in Burgum, an “event planner in…
Armstrong Raised Twice What Campbell Did First Quarter of 2018
After losing the House race endorsement to Kelly Armstrong at the NDGOP state convention earlier this month Tom Campbell, after initially flirting with a run to the June primary ballot, announced that he’d be folding his campaign (though his name will still be on the ballot because he did file petition signatures to be there).…
UND Taking Down Women’s Hockey Memorabilia Seems Petty and Vindictive
I think the University of North Dakota made the right decision when they closed down the women’s hockey program. The games were sparsely attended, and the cost of the team itself pretty large. It’s my position that public universities ought to shut down any sports program which can’t subsist on its own revenues. The cost…