U.S. and Minnesota flags are at half staff in memory of former Vice President Walter Mondale, who died last night at the age of 93. They'll remain lowered until Mondale's burial. [Read MPR's Mondale obituary]
Last night I sent out a special edition of this newsletter rounding up immediate reactions to Mondale's death. You can read that here, if you missed it.
I'll summarize other, non-Mondale political news further down in the newsletter, so don't forget to keep scrolling! First, though, a few key political figures didn't release statements until after we sent the newsletter.
President Joe Biden: When I arrived in the United States Senate in 1973, Walter Mondale was one of the first people to greet me. Through his work as a Senator, he showed me what was possible. He may have been modest and unassuming in manner, but he was unwavering in his pursuit of progress; instrumental in passing laws like the Fair Housing Act to prevent racial discrimination in housing, Title IX to provide more opportunities for women, and laws to protect our environment. There have been few senators, before or since, who commanded such universal respect. When President Obama asked me to consider being his Vice President, Fritz was my first call and trusted guide. He not only took my call, he wrote me a memo. It was Walter Mondale who defined the vice presidency as a full partnership, and helped provide a model for my service.
Former Gov. Mark Dayton: So much respect so many people had for him because he had such integrity, such intelligence and high work ethic. He’s just everything you would want in a political leader -- and a great role model for myself and Amy and others who would learn from him.
Former Sen. Norm Coleman: I admired him from afar. I admired him when I had the chance to be up close and I continue to have the greatest respect for what he represented, which was the best in politics.
Rep. Jim Hagedorn: Vice President Walter Mondale dedicated his life to public service. He will be remembered for his dedication to serving the people of our state and our country. My prayers are with his family during this difficult time.
Rep. Michelle Fischbach: I'm sorry to hear of the passing of Walter Mondale. He gave decades of service to our great state. Prayers for peace to his family.
Rep. Pete Stauber: I am very sorry to hear of the passing of Walter Mondale. He was a true public servant who will long be remembered for his integrity and compassion. He put Minnesota on the map of politics and our entire state will always be proud of him. My prayers are with his family.
Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman: Walter Mondale was a hero to me. He inspired me to become a lawyer & run for office. He dedicated his life to justice & improving people’s lives. He did that work with incredible class & dignity, treating everyone with respect. His passing is a colossal loss for MN & the world.
Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale and his running mate, Geraldine Ferrarro, wave as they leave an afternoon rally on Sept. 5, 1984 in Portland, Ore. Jack Smith | AP.
State Rep. Bjorn Olson, R-Elmore, revealed a remarkable coincidence in the wake of Mondale's death: the Republican lawmaker is currently living in Mondale's childhood home. Olson invited the former vice president in when he turned up for Elmore's 150th anniversary celebration, and learned that Mondale had launched his presidential kick-off from "what is currently his back porch." [Read more from the Minnesota House GOP]
One last Mondale tidbit: This story from political strategist Joe Trippi about his time working for Mondale's 1984 campaign is worth reading to the end. Trust me. [Read more]
The other big news in Minnesota, of course, is the ongoing Chauvin trial — whose verdict will be announced soon after I click send on this email — combined with protests following the death of Daunte Wright.
MPR's Riham Feshir took a deep dive into Brooklyn Center mayor Mike Elliott, who's gone from trying to "bring in some nice sit-down restaurants for our residents" to being near the center of the biggest news story in the country. [Read more]
President Joe Biden weighed in Tuesday on the Chauvin trial, calling for peace and saying he's "praying the verdict is the right verdict." That "right verdict," Biden added, was guilty, saying the evidence was "overwhelming." Biden said he wouldn't have commented on the trial at all were the jury not currently sequestered, though his remarks drew some criticism. [ Read more from The Associated Press]
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., traveled to Minneapolis earlier this week and told protesters, "We’ve got to stay on the street, and we’ve got to get more active. We’ve got to get more confrontational; we’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business." Waters' call to "get more confrontational" was read by some, though not all, as an incitement to violence. It drew condemnation not just from Republicans, but from Chauvin trial judge Peter Cahill, too. Cahill rejected a motion from Chauvin's attorney to declare a mistrial, but added, "I’ll give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned." [Read more from the New York Times' Catie Edmondson]
Local angle: Minnesota's Republican U.S. Representatives Tom Emmer, Pete Stauber, Jim Hagedorn and Michelle Fischbach are all vocally criticizing Waters. [Read more]
Minnesota is probably about to lose a seat in Congress, but not because the state is shrinking. Rather, a 1929 law caps the size of the U.S. House at 435 members, making distribution of seats every decade a zero-sum game. If some states gain seats, others have to lose them. Before 1929, the House was expanded as the population grew, from 65 seats in the 1st Congress to 435 in the 1920s. Congress could change this law to expand the House again, with supporters saying it's bad that each member now represents far more people than a century ago, and critics saying a bigger Congress would be a logistical nightmare and weaken its deliberative qualities. [ Read more from NPR's Hansi Lo Wang]
By the numbers: The U.S. has one of the smallest lower houses of its national legislature relative to population of any major country in the world, though it's a distant second to India, which has nearly four times the U.S.'s population but just 10 more members of its lower house.
Something completely different: You've probably seen the famous Francis Bicknell Carpenter painting, "First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln." But that painting has more details than are immediately apparent, including a map tucked into the corner with a fascinating story. [ Read more]
Listen: The theme song for Mondale's 1984 presidential run was "Gonna Fly Now" — better known as the "Theme from Rocky." [Listen]
