Wonkette

Praise Jesus the Minnesota House Commerce and Labor Committee has approved a very important measure! It allows bars in the Twin Cities metropolitan area to stay open till 4 AM during the Republican National Convention. This will allow local governments to reap greater benefits from out-of-towners’ hot economic injections, while Republicans will have extra time to get liquored up before retiring to their rooms for gentle frottage with underage campaign volunteers. [TwinCities.com] MORE »

If hard-living state legislators have their way, bars in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area may stay open until 4 a.m. during the Republican National Convention in early September. One aggrieved tipster writes to Wonkette: “Sure, us regular alcoholics have to stop at 1:00AM and the Republicans get to drink till 4:00AM. What next, hooker discount coupons?” [KARE11.com]

Every so often our Minnesota Correspondent emails us at 3 a.m. or so to bitch at length about something terrible and offensive he read in the Minneapolis Star and Tribune. Last night it was nutty columnist Katherine Kersten. Kersten, in a piece from earlier this week, warns us that poor, beleaguered Minneapolis has become a dangerous and bloody Road Warrior-inspired nightmarescape. MORE »

American hero and U.S. American Senator Larry Craig has a new ally in his brave battle to un-resign from the Senate and un-plead guilty to trying to get some dick in a public restroom. The American Land Rights Association has announced its support of Craig — one of the bravest, straightest men fighting for property rights in the Western United States — by calling for a boycott of Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. MORE »

As I mentioned this morning, I am in lovely Minneapolis for the Labor Day Holiday. Meaning I arrived at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport MERE MONTHS after Larry Craig’s reign of terror was finally ended. While I didn’t actually have time to stop by the infamous bathroom by the shoe shine stand (the cops were hassling my ride for parking in the red zone or whatever), there was still media hanging around, doing live spots from the parking lot for no reason other than that they were kind of near where something shocking happened in June. It turns out the local news here (and perhaps in your town as well!) has reached full-on gay panic mode, and reports on the births of goats at the State Fair are leading directly into sordid tales of YOUR CHILDREN AT RISK from gays across the state violating Leviticus in family restaurants MORE »

President Bush traveled to Minnesota to raise money for dirtbag Senator Norm Coleman, and while he was there he did a little favor for Governor Tim Pawlenty, who hopes to make a career of this whole Republican up-and-comer thing. The weeks-old 35W bridge collapse is now a federal emergency, netting Minnesota instant millions in federal aid, and the help of America’s favorite agency, FEMA. MORE »

Somehow, the brief political truce engendered by the tragic and inexplicable collapse of a freeway bridge in Minneapolis didn’t last. Against all odds, the most liberal city in the state is no longer thrilled with the response from their ambitious conservative governor. It turns out that a government that may be culpable in the disaster isn’t trusted to clean it up, for some crazy reason. MORE »

Our Federal Highway Administrator is on the case in Minneapolis, investigating why the 35W bridge collapsed and making sure it’s rebuilt speedily and safely. And the man knows plenty about infrastructure disasters — because he used to be one of the guys in charge of Massachusetts’ own Big Dig! MORE »

George W. Bush has boldly denounced congressional proposals to raise gas taxes enough to pay for fixing America’s thousands of bridges that are about to collapse, saying “That’s not the right way to prioritize the people’s money.” The American Society of Civil Engineers said in a recent report that fixing the United States’ crumbling infrastructure would cost $1.6 trillion — or roughly the amount of taxpayers’ money spent so far in Iraq to such great effect. MORE »

Wherever disaster strikes, there they are by the dozens — assisting victims, offering help and support. “They’re helping the Red Cross, helping with logistical organization — food, directing traffic and one-on-one counseling,” all in the name of charity. At Ground Zero. In New Orleans. At Virginia Tech. And now, of course, in Minneapolis, at the site of the 35W bridge collapse. We’re speaking, of course, of Scientologists, America’s Angels. MORE »