Jeff Fecke is a freelance writer who lives in Eagan, Minnesota. In addition to his own blog, Blog of the Moderate Left, he also contributes to Alas, a Blog, Minnesota Campaign Report, and AlterNet. Fecke has appeared as a guest on the "Today" show, the Alan Colmes radio show, and the Mark Heaney Show. Fecke is divorced, and the father of one really terrific daughter. His debut novel, The Valkyrie's Tale, is now available.
The United States women’s national soccer team spent most of the past year with their backs against the wall.MORE »
Let's face it: the GOP has some problems with understanding science. It probably comes from embracing creationism, or their refusal to listen to those dread agents of the government, teachers.MORE »
Few figures loom larger in the effort to corporatize education than former District of Columbia Schoosl Chancellor Michelle Rhee.MORE »
You've gotta feel bad for the Minnesota Republican Party. Flip just 5,000 votes in the last gubernatorial election, and they'd be the ones gleefully dismantling civil society piece by piece. But no. Tom Emmer had to lose, and now Wisconsin Republicans - frickin' Wisconsin - get to be the poster children for the Republicans' war on everyone who isn't a multimillionaire.MORE »
In the end, I think it was the threat of the national guard that did it.MORE »
Since May 28 of this year, there've been 12 polls taken on the Minnesota gubernatorial race. Twelve different times, different pollsters have taken the temperature of the state, seeing who Minnesotans want to succeed Gov. Timmy.MORE »
When Randy Moss left the Vikings back in 2005, I wasn't sorry to see him go. Oh, I might have been had I known the Vikings would use the pick they got from Oakland to draft Troy "Hands of Stone" Williamson, but for the most part, Vikings fans like me had grown tired of Moss' antics. A fresh start was needed.MORE »
Minnesota's Republicans are in a quandary. While other midwestern states appear poised to elect Republican governors, Minnesota appears likely to shun state Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Delano, in favor of former Sen. Mark Dayton, DFL-Minn.MORE »
Remember James O'Keefe III? Sure you do! He's the guy who (didn't actually) dress(ed) as a pimp and shot selectively-edited video in order to bring down ACORN, which thanks to a heavy assist from FOX and Andrew Breitbart, and the handwringing and navel-gazing of the "liberal" media, he did.MORE »
I think Spot has gotten to the nub of it:
Having the money to have access to the airwaves obviously helped Mark Dayton. But it wouldn't have mattered at all if he didn't have a message that resonated with DFL voters.
That's very important to understand, because I absolutely believe Dayton wan his party's endorsement because he spoke to the voters who would decide it: DFL voters.MORE »
The Free Speech Zone offers a space for contributions from readers, without editing by the TC Daily Planet. This is an open forum for articles that otherwise might not find a place for publication, including news articles, opinion columns, and announcements. The opinions expressed in the Free Speech Zone and Neighborhood Notes, as well as the opinions of bloggers, are their own and not necessarily the opinion of the TC Daily Planet. 
We're people-powered journalism! Click on story links (below) to see more story information, and then email editor@tcdailyplanet.net if you want to report.
•