The letter of the day comes from Fr. Michael Tegeder, who is already crossways with the Catholic archdiocese over its expensive, high-profile support of the marriage amendment. In the Strib, Tegeder says:“As a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, I would ask our archbishop, John Nienstedt, to prayerfully consider stepping down from his office. It would be healing for our state and our church and would show some magnanimity on his part. His misguided crusade to change our Constitution, spending more than a million dollars and, more importantly, much goodwill, has been rejected.”
Since when does anyone tell Phyllis Kahn what she can and cannot say? According to the Strib’s Steve Brandt, City Hall wants an apology from Ms. Kahn: “Minneapolis officials are demanding an apology from state Rep. Phyllis Kahn over her Election Day comment that ‘someone at the city should be executed’ over long lines of voters at the Seward Square polling place. ‘It is beyond inexcusable to talk this way about the hard-working, dedicated public servants who have been on the job nearly non-stop to ensure a fair vote in Minneapolis,’ said the letter signed by Mayor R.T. Rybak, City Council President Barbara Johnson and council members Robert Lilligren and Elizabeth Glidden. ‘When public workers are under attack, it is especially outrageous for an elected official to pile on more,’ they wrote. The city has been under intense criticism for lines at several polling places, for technical errors that delayed vote counting and for delayed release of election results.” If they get into a ring, I’ll take Phyllis in three rounds.
Also at the Strib, Rick Nelson digs deeper into expansion plans by the Fitgers Brewery folks up in Duluth:“The company has big plans for a building that it owns on the ever-improving E. Superior St., across from the soon-to-be-renovated NorShor Theatre. The sprawling structure (206 E. Superior St.) was a former Nash automobile showroom, but contemporaries will recognize it for its most recent tenant, Big Lake Books. It has sat empty for several years. But that’s about to change. The building’s generous floor plates — 18,000 square feet on three levels — ‘are ideal for a brewery,’ said Nelson. What a coincidence: Fitger’s brewmaster Dave Hoops and his crew could use the extra real estate. ‘We’re out of capacity to expand at Fitger’s,’ said [spokesman Brad] Nelson. ‘We just can’t keep up with supply, beer-wise, and that’s a good problem to have.’ The plan is to convert the building’s street level into a production facility for Fitger’s most popular mainstay brews — its El Nino IPA, Lighthouse blonde ale and Big Boat oatmeal stout, among others — a strategy that would open up opportunities at the cramped Fitger’s Brewhouse for more esoteric small-batch brews. The building’s second floor, with its Lake Superior views, could be converted into special events space.”
Some exit-polling info for the AP via KSTP-TV: “A distinct gender gap divided voters on the proposed amendment to define marriage as only between a man and a woman, and women's opposition appeared to make the difference. Men were solidly in favor of the amendment, according to exit polling, but women voted against it by a larger margin. Voters under age 50 also were against it by a substantial majority, while those over 50 were strongly in favor. … Obama lost the support of male voters from his 2008 victory in the state but was backed by 60 percent of women, 63 percent of voters under age 30, a majority of those with family incomes of up to $100,000, and three-quarters of those who said that health care reform is the most important issue.”
The Minnesota Orchestra’s season just got another month shorter. At MPR, Euan Kerr reports: “Management of the Minnesota Orchestra today cancelled all concerts through December 23rd. In a release Orchestra Board Chair Jon Campbell cited lack of progress in contract negotiations with musicians who management locked out on October 1st. Management cancelled all concerts through Thanksgiving at that time.”
What can you say? Paul Walsh at the Strib writes,:“A north metro pastor who participated in a ministry devoted to helping people put their homosexuality behind them has been charged with sexually assaulting two men he was counseling. Lakeside Christian Church's senior pastor, Ryan J. Muelhauser, 55, of Cambridge, appeared in court Tuesday on eight felony counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and remains free ahead of another hearing next month. Muelhauser also was a counselor through Robbinsdale-based Outpost Ministries, whose website says it was founded more than 30 years ago to help men and women ‘break away from gay life’ and declares that ‘all homosexual behavior is sin.’ … One of the men told investigators that Muehlhauser ‘blessed’ him by cupping his genitals outside of his clothing several times and that Muehlhauser asked the man to masturbate in front of him for ‘spiritual strength.’ ” I’d love to see Muelhauser’s counseling license.
For MPR, Annie Baxter files a piece on post-election hiring mojo on the part of local employers: “Even though [cable TV telemarketer] SatCom is hiring, [HR spokeswoman Josephine] Simmons said that overall, President Barack Obama's reelection will not inspire employers, who retrenched during his first term to take on more workers. Simmons said the federal election yielded more of the same politically, and the same will hold true economically. ‘Employers have done with less for so long they're not only comfortable with it, they prefer it,’ Simmons said. ‘It helps their profit margins.'" That should not rate as “news.”
These people already have a lot of my money … . Tom Webb of the PiPress says:“Burnsville-based Northern Tool and Equipment said it is acquiring The Sportsman's Guide, a catalog supplier of outdoor goods based in South St. Paul. It is also purchasing The Golf Warehouse, an online golf equipment retailer based in Wichita, Kan. Together, the deals are worth $215 million, Northern Tool officials said Thursday, Nov. 8. … Northern Tool is owned by the Kotula family. It said no job cuts are planned because of the deal, and in the future, the company expects to add workers.”
Still stumblin’, bumblin’ (TM ESPN’s Chris Berman) to understand “wha’ happened” Tuesday night. Speed Gibson on the conservative True North site offers this: “We got beat, with almost surgical precision, state by state. While we scoffed at those absurd "D plus 9" polls and misread history, Team Obama yes, boorishly, harshly, dishonestly, but nonetheless effectively put Team Romney's lights out. Romney's classy, well-articulated, fully funded, seemingly expertly managed campaign lasted only 12 minutes longer than did John McCain's weak, unfocused, underfunded, fitful, incompetent 2008 campaign. … Conservative governance is inherently a bit of a personal contradiction. What drives you to pursue an office whose power you ultimately wish you didn't have to wield? Or a position you don't think should even exist according to our Constitutions? … Remember in ‘War of the Worlds’ (1953) when Dr. Clayton Forrester says ‘We know now we can't beat their machines. We have to beat them!’ We Republicans have the reverse problem. We can't beat them. We have to beat their machines. Do you see where I'm going with this? Here's a hint: Ron Paul.” Here’s another hint: If you’re on death’s door from consuming poison, don’t take another slug from the same bottle.