Carney's investigative work to date has indicated that, while rumors of a 2009 Minneapolis Mayoral election still merit further research, their precarious veracity could topple over at any time.

Most and possibly all of the script for the first episode of  "R.T. and me" almost has and quite likely will have been written. "But I still need to go to city hall on Tuesday, just in case he's there," Carney said.

In the first episode of "R.T. and me", Carney reviews evidence un-earthed so far, and according to the draft script, then says:

Now, on a personal basis, I have to tell you, I'm worried.

Being arrested isn't a concern – I only very rarely go into other people's houses. But if enough people see me wandering around downtown campaigning for Mayor of Minneapolis, and there really is no Minneapolis Mayoral election this year, I'm afraid I might be detained, and possibly brought in for observation, for public health reasons -- for my own good of course. If that happens, I've got to have some kind of proof that there actually is a 2009 Minneapolis Mayoral campaign. Right now, this looks like a pretty weak case.

So here's step one of my plan. I'm going to take my video camera down to City Hall most weekdays from now until November 3rd, and try to find Mayor Rybak. I want video proof, him and me standing together, and I want him to say these words: “Yes, Bob, there is a 2009 Minneapolis Mayoral election.” Will you help me? If anyone has seen the Mayor, can you call me, and pass on this request to him? I'd really appreciate it.

Of course, for step two of this jig, I plan to tell Mayor Rybak that both I and other candidates have many questions for him, and many concerns to discuss. Since we've already seen that his campaign calendar is blank for October, [see graphic below], I'll ask him when and where it will be convenient for him to meet with us, preferably for at least 3 videotaped sessions of one hour each, to address these questions and concerns. On behalf of both myself and all the other suspected candidates, I insist that we must have an unequivocal statement from our Mayor, in front of video cameras, that the rumors of a 2009 Minneapolis Mayoral election aren't just some kind of a vast practical joke.

Escalation plans are in place --

If a 2009 Minneapolis Mayoral election, complete with a candidate Rybak, aren't located soon, escalation plans include:

• Mass mobilization of non-incumbent City Council candidates.  "I have about forty on the e-mail list," said Carney.  "The next step may be a ward by ward sweep of the city, dropping literature along the way.  Don't make us do it Mayor Rybak! Save a tree!"

• Recruitment of Academic Militia reserves -- Local college and university political science departments will be contacted, and an academic conference will be proposed, to try to determine if our current mysteriously deflated politics may be some kind of new "Minnesota Nice" totalitarian form.  "I call this kind of polity the "SoBeIt Union," Carney said.  Further elaboration of this idea will almost certainly become necessary at some point, possibly sooner rather than later.

Minneapolis "Mayoral Forum" mystery may be a failure to communicate, and may continue for some time

When Carney spoke briefly with Minneapolis Star union employee Steve Brandt today, Brant said he had heard something about an upcoming event, but had been unaware of the time and place for the forum, and did not know that it had taken place.  Carney then phoned Don Adams, editor of the Independent Business News Network website (ibnn.org), who confirmed that he or his organization had paid expenses related to the forum, and said he had notified Mr. Brandt, and the Star Tribune, of the event by e-mail. 

The following is from an article that was posted on ibnn.org:

…27 days before the November 3, 2009 elections – the Star Tribune (or as we call it in the Blogosphere – The Rybak Times), would have you to believe that there is only one choice for mayor of Minneapolis.

We’re here to tell you, that’s not the case.

Join moderators and the editors in chief of the Independent Business News Network, Don Allen and The Mpls Mirror’s Terry Yzaguirre for the 2009 Minneapolis Mayoral Forum

"It seems clear there is some hostility here towards the Star Tribune," said Carney.  "Some progress here might be possible if Mr. Allen and Mr. Brandt and/or Mr. Brandt's supervisor(s) speak.  Maybe there can be an arrangement whereby the Star Tribune publishes information about a subsequent re-broadcast of the Mayoral Forum at a reasonable hour sometime before the election," Carney suggested.  "This might also help to resolve the rumors about whether there is or is not a 2009 Mayoral election," Carney added.

Mr. Brandt said he had not yet had time to respond to Mr. Carney's e-mail, and did not commit to doing so.

Carney leads Rybak in youtube.com campaign video views

About three weeks ago, President of the United States and very recent Nobel Prize winner Barack Obama spoke briefly about Mayor Rybak at a rally of about 20,000 people at the Target Center.  The video posted of this on Mayor Rybak's website is the most viewed of his campaign videos.

Less than a week ago, Carney released his first youtube.com campaign video, with a link on his republicancontract.com web site.  The video was featured in an article on Minnpost.com, and has generally been well received.

As of October 9th (today), Carney's "Sky bi transit system" video has had 75% more views than the President Obama/Mayor Rybak video.

"I'd like to put a more positive spin on this," said Carney, "but unfortunately it really is just more evidence that there is, in fact, no 2009 Minneapolis Mayoral election after all... at least so far.  Still, this must be said: at least in the videosphere the Carneyformayor youtube.com channel is holding up pretty well against some big name competition.  I've got more videos on the way, and this may turn out to a very effective way of campaigning," Carney surmised.  "And this isn't my first October Surmise," said Carney (try "October Surmise" in Amazon).

An emerging policy for identifying "media people"

"I am trying to describe people in ways that make their economic relationships plain," Carney said. I believe that describing Mr. Brandt as a union employee of a corporation, and as someone whose work is supervised, makes economic forces more explicitly visible.  I will try to find out more about the financing of "blogs" and other websites, such as ibnn.org.  I think this is important information to have in assessing both how and what the report, and their role as sponsoring and/or moderating events with candidates for public office," Carney said.

Other news

As noted, Carney's PCR lawsuit against the Pawlenty administration comes for oral argument at 1:30 on Tuesday, October 13, 2009, at Ramsey County Courthouse, before Chief Judge Kathleen R. Gearin.

Carney sent an e-mail today to the Minneapolis League of Women Voters, calling on their "decision makers" to sponsor a Minneapolis Mayoral event of some kind.

Carney e-mailed Governor Pawlenty a copy of the open letter he had sent earlier this week to the members of the Legislative Advisory Commission.  Carney told the Governor he would be requesting an opportunity to videotape a one half hour discussion of unallotment issues.  More information about this will be provided in future news releases.