NewsNight Minnesota; 6010; NewsNight Minnesota Episode from 09/16/1998; SD-Base

More NEWSNIGHT Minnesota is a production of Katy CA with the stations of Minnesota Public Television fall man the first she tricked the gubernatorial campaign took place this morning. Newsnight was there that evening up against Joe and I'm a little hard on the political reporters are here and tonight we're going to sort out yesterday's primaries on what other news go for you Kiran internationally now. One of those and one of the newscasts even uses the word that Newsnight is third of all welcome to NEWSNIGHT Minnesota a statewide news and information program for thoughtful Minnesotans bringing context in depth to the region's most important stories. NEWSNIGHT Minnesota is made possible in part with support from the Blendon Foundation working to strengthen rural communities throughout Minnesota. And by the McKnight Foundation working to strengthen families in communities across menace. OK let's do some headline shots fired across the bow in the governor's race early this

morning Mary Lynn Hammer will have that report in just a moment but first a quick recap of the numbers and the governor's race on the DFL side Minnesota Attorney General Skip Humphrey had a surprisingly easy time of it he got 37 percent of the vote. Party endorsed Mark Mike Freeman led a group of DFL ors including Doug Johnson Mark Dayton all bunched around 1000 percent. Ted Mondale bringing up the rear. Humphrey of course will now square off against Norm Coleman who faced a token Republican primary opposition. And Jesse Ventura of the Reform Party in the attorney general's race State Representative Charlie Weaver will face off against DFL winner Mike Hatch on the DFL endorsed candidate in that race number right Scott Young came in a distant third in the race for secretary of state today a feller Edwina Garcia will face the GOP is Mary Meyer for state auditor DFL or Nancy Larson squaring off against Republican incumbent Judy Dutcher in the state treasurers race the GOP and GOP candidate rather will be party endorsee blooming in Bloomington. State Representative Kevin Knight he is opposed by Carol Johnson. She's an

on endorsed deal a feller who works in the treasurer's office. And finally Alan Page Roger Peterson will run against each other for a state Supreme Court seat Alan Page of course is the incumbent. Not only did the DFL endorse candidates for the state's top two offices go down but there are five out of the AFL endorsed candidates for office is lost. That's not a good batting average. So is the party ready to concede it could be ready for change. Hammer pose that question to the DFL party chair. Well you know I think our process has some very positive things about it. Also think that if you go back and look at starting in 1944 every time you know people say well what do we need to change. I think we need to hold off on those discussions last November. The future of our children's future is at stake. Public education is at stake we have to keep it from becoming. Do you entertain thoughts after November.

I think we'll look at those things. Part of the national level I've organized a group of other states. You also use a caucus system where you me and looking at ideas and sharing ideas with each other and that's something for November 4th from here on out it's all about November 3rd it's all about Minnesota's future party. Dixon after a downright amiable gubernatorial primary campaign the mood has changed quickly and dramatically. Mary Lou Hamer spent the day chasing chickens and flashing back with two gubernatorial candidates already on the attack. It's not hard to tell the tone has changed in the race for governor. I'm very pleased to see that the Republican Party mascot has joined us over here a bigger than life chicken beg the question Skip Humphrey's been asking Norm Coleman for months. You know I've been in more than oh I bet you 30 or 40 forums and debates. Mr. Coleman has been invited to many of those I don't think I've seen him more than

twice maybe three times on the campaign trail. There's going to be plenty of opportunity to visit about those concerns. But Humphrey decided to fly to an AFL CIO convention in Duluth rather than square off with Coleman on his home turf at a Chamber of Commerce debate internationalists. Skip Skip patch that chicken. I gotta tell you they've been saying all along let's have a chance of a marriage my position is very clear. I was when the when the Democrats had their candidate I was ready willing and able willing right here. Right on. Didn't write on this today we could have been here could have been here in the hotel where just last night primary voters found Humphrey the top of the DFL ticket. And today the attacks began with the Republican Party accusing Humphrey of voting to decriminalize drugs decades ago. But the GOP accusation open up an old can of worms for its own candidate. This was I would say I get it I get high yes. And do I look back on that and afterward see the

impact that drugs have had on my family and my friends and my community. Coleman says he's learned from his mistakes and would advise his children to just say no. But no is what Humphry wants Minnesotans to say to his former employee and current opponent. Well I can just tell you this I never heard a Norm Coleman talk about supporting concealed weapons and more guns on the streets. I never heard of Norm Coleman talking about getting rid of the family farm that it just doesn't make any sense to say that family farm in a global economy. So in fact yeah I have changed I think though the issue you gotta look at change is getting back to where we are here today is the is the attorney general's change on taxes and spending. I mean I found it actually incredible in the course of this campaign to listen to Democrats all of a sudden come tax cutters. In other news some rather tense moments in south Minneapolis this morning where protesters have been camping out for several weeks now to prevent the state from starting that new Highway 55 project.

You're looking at a young man who managed to chain himself to a bulldozer that was brought into the area. State officials tell us they only want to properly and safely cut off the water and gas to some of the homes that are no longer occupied and scheduled for later demolition. Now the cops were called in to cut and remove the chain from one of the protesters next. Same thing happened with another demonstrator. They were both arrested and hauled off to jail. Now the bulldozers at that point were driven away from the area and the work stopped. Protesters who are fighting a number of issues including the destruction of trees what they're calling sacred Indian land and just bad environmental policy say they will continue to stay out of the site to stop any work that goes on. Now we should mention that no one was injured during that incident. State officials want to make it clear they had no plans to start any projects today. In fact they tell us right now there is no hurry. They don't have to start construction until next spring. Today I remember the 80s steel workers on the iron range certainly do. And there

is talk of new layoffs men Takamine has announced it will close one of its five taconite pilot lines October 5th. Layoffs are a possibility although many tech officials and union leaders meet tomorrow to discuss ways to avoid layoffs of steel imports especially from Japan are at record highs prices have dropped sharply. Montag will keep the line closed indefinitely depending on the imports it's all part of the Asian economic crisis. We'll keep you posted. Today was the first day back in the air for Northwest Airline customers it's been 19 days without Northwest that was an inconvenience for Twin Cities passengers who had to scramble to find flights and other airlines offer folks in more than a half a dozen airports around Minnesota and North Dakota however it meant no air service period. Northwest the only airline with a scheduled service to those cities brakeless house is on the phone right now he is executive director of the Duluth airport authority. Mr. Klaas ask you Can you hear me.

I sure can. What was today like it was a great airline service resume as you say it's been 19 days without it in Duluth airport. Second recall has never had a total lack of airline service through a strike or any other. Event Now Northwest only has 25 percent of its jets in the air today it's going to build up to 100 percent over the next few days. Are you getting 100 percent of your flights coming through to Duluth now or are you also at reduced capacity. We're at reduced capacity at least this morning we weren't we didn't get the first two flights in but the 955 flight and all the rest have been. Scheduled to go on have been on time during the one thousand days. You were pretty much completely shut down. What do you do to get any delayed maintenance done or anything like that. Well we continue to maintain the airport. We're getting ready for winter and we've got a workforce of approximately 17 people and we not only maintain the Duluth airport but our original report at Sky Harbor.

Let me ask you. American Airlines going to be starting direct service from Chicago deludes I believe that's next week is that right. They are as a matter of fact we signed the working agreement final working agreement yesterday and they're in the process. Constructing their counters and their jet bridge operation and will go from no flights. We could go to 16 flights a day on the first of October when American starts their three flights to Chicago and Massada starts their three flights to Detroit. We've got about a half a minute to go. Any other talks at this point with any other airlines perhaps to start service other than Northwest. Nope not at this time I think we're looking at American Eagle northwest in the Sabi and we're very happy with all three of those airlines. All right Mr. Congratulations. Thank you. All right Humphrey Coleman Ventura if you think you've heard enough of those names over the past

few weeks well brace yourself you're going to hear those names a whole lot more in the upcoming weeks. The three are a finalist the main finalists in the general election now just weeks away. But just what happened last night. Well here to put it all in perspective for us three people who are definitely in the know take my word for it. Our own political reporter Mary Lamb or below where I'm from the Associated Press and Carrie Miller political reporter for TV and I want any one of you to start this whole thing up for me I got a back up with you week the same clout they all saw Party they endorsed Mike Freeman My question is what planet is the VFL party on Mars or Pluto they're wondering the same thing this morning. Well you know Skip Humphrey went into the convention. He could have been endorsed too had he said I will abide by the endorsement. I mean they admitted that today it could have been one of the other. The fact that he wouldn't abide by it you know shout him out. So they went with the guy that respects them and would abide by it.

And this wasn't the same thing as four years ago. You know at the time I think it was. Somewhat obvious it was very obvious in retrospect that John Martin was just not a good candidate to run against Arnie Carlson Mike Freeman had better credentials to run and I don't think you know if this had happened without what happened in 1994 we wouldn't be wondering what happened to the endorsement process so it's a different thing. I think we're being too hard and we asked a question of you know how people are saying well the DFL party they had that stupid convention in the voters came out and said what they really wanted so party that they're out of touch. I don't well yeah as we saw in a piece of paper earlier I spoke with Dick's niece last night DFL party chair and he is starting to come around and confront that maybe the system isn't so great admitting that after the November election they might take a look at the system and changing it a bit. Right he spoke with Mike Freeman today I hear he's not a happy camper now and he wouldn't be. I mean this is this may be the last time he tries for an

election for a long long time if you think about it. Whoever wins could easily be in there for eight years. I mean that's a long time to sit there and bide your time especially if you're Mike Freeman when you did the GOOD TO PARTY THING five years ago and stepped aside for John Martin then botted your time and did all the ground all of radio did right. And so I mean I think that last night may have been may have been the last night he stands up in front of supporters and says. Thanks for the support. That's it. Sure there's going be a lot of talk about who's going to run against Rod Grams in a couple of years but I don't think Mike Freeman is on that list. Now no offense on Mark Dayton but many would argue that his money helped him get the 87 thousand plus votes that he got. Could Mike Freeman have used more money would help the middle. I don't think all the money in the world today. He certainly had all the endorsements in the world that he needed and it didn't wreck. There were some signs so that he was under funded. I don't think that we saw as much of him on television as the campaign would have liked.

I thought a day every night every day no matter what I turned on he was always on I didn't see Freeman a whole lot. You know there's been a an interesting mixed reaction to Dayton's ads when I first saw them I thought effective him the camera talking about HMO is but then we I was talking to some political analysts who didn't think they were all that effective and people just weren't all that tuned into it in the numbers would support that last night. But Lou as far as TV moments go last night with Muriel Humphrey had to be the moment of the night with Skip giving her the microphone and her saying how proud Hubert would have been just fantastic so historic and speaking last night what took Humphrey so long to make his victory speech I mean you can tell I did. That's going to like the one that you were like oh no no no no we didn't want our ride I took it well I happen to know one person who was a little bit upset after that race was called at 2:50 a very good source who had been to college and they waited and waited and Freeman for that matter waited a long time to concede as well.

I heard at the Humphrey camp yet the Humphrey camp last night that they were waiting for Freeman to see concede and make the call. OK that's what I heard I said when I did the AP they didn't do a thing like that I can't imagine how they could. That's what Roger Mullen said viewing him live I was told. That's all I'm saying. You want all right. What's the hold up and he said well you know we don't want to be hasty. Tell me this are you expecting all of the DFL candidates now to turn this over to Humphrey nobody's going to play nasty at this point and I don't think anybody will get nasty. I think they're probably a little concerned about Mark Dayton not coming on board wholeheartedly with his checkbook. But other than that it seemed like everybody. Reacted graciously to the attorney general's win last night so I think there will be a unity campaign that they hope well Stone is orchestrating that for Friday for a big event Friday.

Everybody all together and I mean that is being a gracious and nasty. You gave me a couple of good words here. Everybody's been saying how wonderful it's been that the DFL candidates were all nice to each other nobody was nasty and gross and they were all clean. That's going to change now it's all right all right I'll show you that today when you chicken you coming out on the tarmac out of the airport today. It's officially nasty I think. And this is going to be planned. What's what's Humphrey's weakness. Humphries You know this. Well the last name. Maybe they can take it to me the right probably is you know if anything along the record there were already and have been for a long time digging into his way there going back to votes he took in 1973. You know I was a little rabbit that long and you've been a legislator you've done all that stuff there's a lot of material there and it can be spawn in a certain way as we saw today with the ad that's running through Sunday night with that a factor on them too because as we've been saying if you go back to Norm Coleman's record in the early 70s when he was just coming out of college and you know it was a Woodstock Boomer and and all that.

I'm not sure that the Republicans want to dredge Norm Coleman's 1970s record up even when they didn't think about that though did they. That was so interesting that today Norm Coleman finds himself. Talking about power the last thing you want to talk about yeah I got high in the late 60s what candidate really wants to get in front of people and admit that this is going to be OK where we're headed if they're going back two or three decades. Yeah why haven't I got in weeks if you like to play with numbers when you look at the numbers you add up. Humphrey and Freeman and Dayton and maybe it's not fair but you come up with 450 thousand plus votes you look at Coleman he got a hundred twenty five thousand is the race going to be that is going to be a lot closer than that. Oh yeah that's a lot of the public had no reason to even go out. That's right unless you want to cross over and have some fun on the DFL side of the ticket. Yeah the talk is still How's Jesse Ventura going to figure into this whole mix and who's he draw votes from and people were now were saying take some from Norm Coleman but I mean he could take a good number if from all that.

Well yeah I think so from someone because he draws crowds everywhere he goes this is what amazes me about this campaign. You go to the fair you go out at farm fest and anywhere you see Jesse he attracts a crowd and holds those people vote because a lot of times they look like they just your cool man. Yeah and it's like now are you going to go vote. Well that's that's of course the question and I'm not convinced that they do in in large numbers but. The crowd seemed so large that even if small numbers of them follow it it's going to make a difference. And I keep hearing that these are people who have never voted before is you know if he's getting people involved in the political process who haven't gotten involved before that's great. I mean that that's good in itself. Let's go over to Attorney General raise my catch you Charlie Weaver who has the bigger up hill battle. Had which I think. Yeah why. Weaver I think if they if they I want everybody to be your forte here Natalie. Well after than had a very successful run for a

while here yeah yeah. And Charlie has you know talking about going back to ads again though I know you guys have probably seen the ad with Alan wellies wife talking about breast cancer. Have you seen that. Yeah they're incredibly effective and I'm curious to see how the gender broke there. I would be really curious to see if Hatch has a majority of women supporting him and partly because of that because of this perception that he will take on the insurance companies on behalf of women cancer survivors and I think I think Charlie Weaver has an uphill battle because he is very interested in concentrating on crime he of course is a prosecutor and I know Cook County. Peter people are pretty complacent relatively complacent about I'm right now in Hatch has this broader agenda in the HMO issue seems to really strike deep with a lot of people. Gad I have to cut you off there is a lot of time as reporters always say only time will tell. Kerry

Mary thank you very much. Following the live broadcast of NEWSNIGHT at 7 o'clock on channel 2 will present a documentary about St. Paul's acclaimed muralist John Acosta a documentary is called Painting the journey it follows Acosta as he works on a mural for the Science Museum. The painting depicts the history of the Hispanic immigration to Minnesota and specifically to St. Paul's west side. Here's a bit of what you can see the opening celebration for the March 1st 33 days to transform our plan into our work of art. There's different ways to put a painting on canvas. And because of our time limit that we have we decided that the fastest way to get the drawing onto the canvas would be by project and then as we kind of fell behind schedule. A month to do a painting is there one. This is. A scale model of this plane right here

on the scale model here represents one foot up on the walk. So that's the way we're able to keep everything in proportion. A lot of the brainstorming goes on in this part of the suite of its modeling to be able to transfer it otherwise it's really no problem. Yeah. Her and I's needs to be said. Newsnight has just about the best musical

segments are going to find anywhere on TV and for the second night in a row we are pleased to have an internationally known recording star live in our studio. Lots of great calls last night about Martin Simpson tonight we'd like to welcome Bettina. A lot of you know between the from her recordings with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and this Saturday she'll be performing at the Guthrie to celebrate the release of a new CD The CD called Echoes of life. But before she does that she's I graciously decided to come down to our studios first of all I have to ask you about this flute which is different than than most flutes that I've seen and what is right what is it. It looks almost like you have a vacuum cleaner doesn't it. Many people think it is but is really a bass flute and I like the sound of it in my concerts and shows I play usually seven to nine different flutes and they all have a different quality different songs from different countries. OK we don't have a lot of time I'm told but at the Guthrie what you going to be doing. I be doing a multimedia concert. I have a piano bass and

drums Janey Peterson will be playing jazz piano. Steve you know you go on vibraphone and drums and. Guitar and I would do also multimedia that means I have beautiful slides slotted from all over the world and also one section is dedicated to animals because when I go on a concert tour if I have time between the concerts I go out into nature and I play for the animals. OK it's a special project and we've just had the percussionist join us that is Catherine Kirk. CHACE thank you for joining us. And I want to take this take it away. My Catherine will also be at the show. And we're going to do a piece that we will do at the Guthrie also and it's called the fire and the wind and it's on our CD called Open you know to love. That's Book I. I don't want you.

I see you Saturday night so I could get free food or lots of chicken specials give me a

call. Well Catherine thank you very much. Take us home. Not everyone. You. Lose now Minnesota is made possible in part with support from the Blendon foundation. Working to strengthen rural communities throughout Minnesota. And. Families in communities across Minnesota.