Happy Halloween

THUMBS UP: Today is Halloween, and the fact that the holiday falls on a Saturday may lead the kids to do a little extra trick-or-treating (especially the tricking part) and the adults to do a little extra partying.

We hope everyone has a Halloween that's full of innocent fun, creative costumes and bags full of candy. We also hope everyone makes safety and responsibility part of their fun.

How soon they forget

THUMBS DOWN: How quickly they forget. Members of Congress, we mean. Just a few weeks ago while most of them were in their home districts for a break in August, they seemed to get the message that most Americans do not want "the public option" - a gigantic government-run health insurance program.

But during the weekend, some Senate leaders said it appears they are close to gaining the 60 votes they need to include a "public option" in a health care bill. They claim changes in the original proposal make the idea more palatable now.

What really changed? Lawmakers are back in Washington, away from their constituents, that's what. Though the "public option" still is not popular among the public, it seems that lawmakers' philosophy is the old "out of sight, out of mind."

Cross your fingers

THUMBS UP: New Ulm's brush with Tinseltown fame last year, the movie "New In Town," left a lot of New Ulmites hungry for more - specifically, a movie that would actually use New Ulm as a location, not just use our name.

We may get our chance if the makers of a new movie, "The Convincer," like what they saw during a visit to New Ulm this week.

The decision on where to film will depend on economics, and that means what kind of incentives the state can provide. We know we would win on charm, but other towns in the running, like Minneapolis and Duluth, might have more moola.