Fights over marriage, voter ID go down to wire
Across Minnesota, volunteers and politicians are dug in for the final stretch before Election Day.
From daylong bus tours to daybreak rallies, Republicans and Democrats are fanning out across Minnesota this weekend in a frenzied final push of an election season that is bound to have major consequences for the state.
Republicans spent Saturday putting miles on their cars and pleading for last-minute dollars in hopes of hardening their control of the Legislature. DFLers knocked on doors and embarked on a bus tour to try to wrestle back control and chart a new course for the state.
Meanwhile, supporters and opponents of proposed constitutional amendments that would limit marriage to heterosexuals and require voters to have an approved ID to cast a ballot were trying to break through to Minnesotans who’ve not already made up their minds.
The campaign within the state also is taking on new importance at the national level. GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is placing a new emphasis on Minnesota. His running mate, Paul Ryan, has made recent visits to the state and plans another Sunday, while independent political groups have unleashed a blizzard of TV ads blasting President Obama. The president, meanwhile, deployed former President Bill Clinton in the state to help nail down its 10 electoral votes, which have been seen as more likely to go the president’s way and could prove crucial in a close election.
