Hot in 2010: Anderson says it's the GOP

Republican Patricia Anderson's departure from the governor's race this week and switch to the race for her old auditor's seat may be part of a national trend.

Anderson, right, who was trounced by Democrat Rebecca Otto in 2006, said national trends then had hurt her chances for victory.

"The summer of 2006, Republicans were, you know, their numbers nationally were dropping, dropping, dropping, dropping. There wasn't much you could do ... all across the ticket," Anderson said Tuesday.

But Anderson thinks the trend for 2010 is different, and she's not the only one.

According to a Politico piece, four years after getting swept out of office by a Democratic tide, nearly one-third of the 21 GOP House members who lost then are comebacks.

Some are running for their old seats. Others are looking at higher office. The common denominator is that the current environment has spurred them to re-enter the political fray after their careers were cut short.

"Every politician wants to run during a high tide for his or her party. Republicans have reason to believe that 2010 will be a high tide for them, certainly compared to the disastrous low tides in 2006 and 2008," said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist. "We're not near November yet, but 2010 certainly looks to be a GOP year. It's a good time for redemption if you're a Republican."

St. Paul may unfriend Gov. Tim Pawlenty

The St. Paul City Council is scheduled to decide Wednesday whether to draft a friend-of-the-court brief in a lawsuit challenging cuts to a state-funded nutrition program through a process called unallotment.

While the lawsuit dealt only with the small dietary program, it now threatens to unravel $2.7 billion in cuts, including reductions in aid to cities. St. Paul stands to lose $17.3 million over the next 18 months.

"The big issue is the governor's abuse of unallotment and its effect on cities like St. Paul," said St. Paul City Council Member Lee Helgen, above right, who drafted the resolution. "I don't think anyone ever thought he'd use that process to cut billions of dollars and ignore the legislative process."

Mayor Chris Coleman supports filing the brief, a spokesman said.

Late last month, a Ramsey County District judge ruled in favor of six low-income Minnesotans who argued that the governor overstepped his authority when he waited until after the Legislature adjourned to cut money for their medically prescribed diets.

In her ruling, Chief Judge Kathleen Gearin said the governor "trod upon the constitutional power of the Legislature" when he made the cuts.

Pawlenty appealed the ruling, saying the judge misinterpreted the law.

Before the ruling, the Minnesota House filed a similar amicus brief.