1:12 PM | Posted in ,
Happy Thanksgiving, folks...

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4:00 PM | Posted in
I have long suspected that Jeff Rosenberg is a super secret communist hell bent on destroying this country through his liberal brainwash machine, Twin Cities Daily Liberal. Even his name screams commie pinko! I have not been able to prove such claims and have been forced to remain silent. Now, though, there is definitive proof from the Domestic Spying Center.

So, I recently developed a full on addiction to the site StumbleUpon and have wasted countless hours hitting a simple button and arriving at a random site. Check out the many random useless sites I have discovered...

With that useless information being said, it is time for another recount free romp through the Minnesota blogosphere:

Andy Aplikowski has an interesting little rant about bailouts and government over at Residual Forces. Unfortunately, there is no subsequent solution to go along with the analysis that everyone else is an idiot. If you are up for more meaningless (oops, meaningful) analysis, Andy wants to resurrect Reagan and have him be king of America.

Over at True North there is a strong rebuke to the increasing call to move toward instant runoff voting. The crux of the message: Republicans will never win another election in the state and I will not stand for it! Actually, I am only lukewarm to the idea of instant runoff and don't buy the argument that there are spoilers.

The War on Christians continues over at Shot in the Dark. Everybody loves a good persecution complex but this is getting ridiculous...

Barack Obama is a foreigner and therefore ineligible for the presidency according to Lake Minnetonka Liberty. Obviously the truth given the reliable research materials used in this fantastic post. If The Admiral doesn't win a pulitzer for this hard hitting expose I will be surprised and ultimately blame the loss on those bastards in the liberal media. Please note the sargasm...

Even better than that dramatic post is the one over at Grizzly Groundswell by Mark Olson write in warrior, Chad Everson. We have officially descended into ANARCHY, people! Why? Well, as far as I can determine it is due to our close US Senate race, RAMPANT voter fraud, and having a member of the DFL as Secretary of State. I was always under the impression that emo was a trait of the young but I stand corrected.

There is a fantastic map of the social media world over at Eyeteeth. If you happen to be a member of more than half of those particular networks, then you really need to get some help.

Super secret commie, Jeff Rosenberg, is trying to grow government again over at Twin Cities Daily Liberal. Wait, you mean he is suggesting cuts? Why does he hate America SO MUCH? As evidence you can witness HERE where he attacks everyone's favorite Governor, Sarah Palin.

In more serious news, Rosenberg is doing an awesome job keeping up to date on the developments in Mumbai where it looks as though terrorists have struck. Keep up the great work, Jeff!
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3:38 PM | Posted in
In my mind the Senate recount taking place right now does not matter. Here are the 5 reasons why it doesn't matter:

5. My candidate didn't win...
4. If Franken wins, we look bad...
3. If Coleman wins, we look bad...
2. If Franken wins, the Democratic Party benefits...
1. If Coleman wins, the Democratic Party benefits...

Given that we look bad and the Democratic Party benefits regardless of who wins, I DON'T CARE!




This is my first step into the world of podcasting so be gentle...
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9:06 AM | Posted in
Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.


*I'm thankful that you proved yourself to be such a gaffe machine that Joe Biden could have LITERALLY said anything and no one would have minded...

What do you have to thank Sarah Palin for?
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A little over a week ago I introduced what I hope will be a regular feature here on Liberal in the Land of Conservative: an examination of the legislative priorities of various state representatives and senators in the area. Moving forward, my hope is that this will also be an examination of whether or not those priorities are being accomplished.

Since beginning this blog journey I have not spent much time discussing Larry Hosch in House District 14B despite having met him several times and being impressed with his commitment and his intelligence with each of those meetings. Hosch has risen quickly and this session will be serving in the role of Assistant Majority Leader. Yet another reason to be proud of a DFL that not only promotes the brightest but also people that may not be purely in line with the rest of the party. With the weeding out of the Republican Party, we in the DFL must welcome diversity of opinion be they conservative, independent, or liberal Democrats.

Larry returned my email about legislative priorities and it appears as though his focus will be primarily on health care.

I will be pushing for health care reforms, mental health reforms, and fixing Green Acres. I will of course be working on the budget and performing duties associated with my new role as Assistant Majority leader.


With a fix in health care, according to Hosch, we will be freed up to do other things on the wish list.

If we address health care costs, we will then be able to do a much better job funding education as we would have more budget flexibility. Right now, health care costs are consuming our budget, preventing us from addressing other very important issues.


This is but a brief snippet of the goals Hosch wanted to relay to me and I am hoping to have further discussions via podcast with him to allow him to provide further details.
The St. Cloud Times is reporting that after initial recounts in both the SD16 and HD16A races, both Lisa Fobbe (DFL) and Gail Kulick-Jackson (DFL) have come away victorious.

Fobbe, a Princeton school board member, saw her final margin narrow by one vote over Big Lake Republican Alison Krueger, to 84 votes in a Senate District 16 special election to replace Betsy Wergin.Kulick Jackson, a Milaca attorney, saw her final margin narrow by five votes over Rep. Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton, to an identical 84 votes in their House District 16A race.Once certified, the results would cement a 40-seat DFL majority in the House of Representatives and a 25-seat DFL supermajority in the Senate.

These are particularly gratifying pick-ups given that the area that they now represent is notably conservative. So conservative, in fact, that the Republican Party in the area was willing to turn a blind eye to spousal abuse in order to get their two time endorsed candidate. Their task now will be to govern in a manner centrist enough to keep the seats from quickly returning to the conservative column.

The word on the street, well according to my right wing nemesis Gary Gross, is that Mary Kiffmeyer will challenge Fobbe for the state senate seat. If she decides to do this will she also try to install Alison Krueger in the 16B seat? How will Mark Olson and his write in warriors react to this continued Kiffmeyer coup d'etat? Will Mark Olson run again regardless? So many questions remain about the future of that kooky conservative team in Senate District 16...

If you are a write in warrior or a member of the Olson intelligentsia I encourage you to send me an email about what is next for the Olson machine. Inquiring minds want to know...

Finally, I am hoping to have some interviews with the two new representatives from SD16 and will bring them to you as soon as possible.
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In college I had a wonderful theatre professor who was a short curmudgeonly Japanese man. The final project for one particular class was to build a flat and on that flat demonstrate a variety of painting techniques. After the quarter had ended, a friend of mine and I happened upon this professor examining our final products. Excited to see how we had done, we asked what he thought. I will never forget his response as he slowly turned with glasses on the very tip of his nose and proclaimed in his usual gruff accented voice, "This is the highest level of mediocrity I have ever seen". It wasn't until I became a teacher myself that I truly understood what he meant and today brought that story back to mind. That is all I have to say about that.

That being said, here is your recount free romp through the Minnesota blogosphere:

If you need to understand why education is apparently failing in this country, look no further than the teachers and blame them ad nauseam. News Cut has your newest teachers suck meme.

Phil Krinkie is calling a train to Duluth a boondoggle but mnpACT is having nothing of it and laying some smack down on Krinkie. I am somewhat biased against Duluth after a not so pleasant visit some years ago and thus have officially blacklisted the city. Therefore, I might be inclined to go with Krinkie on this one!

Preserving Freedom has an interesting post up about the withdrawal of the Lakotah Nation from all previous treaties with the United States.

Grace Kelly at mnblue is pimping out the perfect personality test...

Over at Anti-Strib or bizarro world as I will heretofore be referring to it they are taking down that bastard Obama for daring to get ready to take over as the next President and simultaneously claiming that George W. Bush was, in fact, right about something. I wonder if the food is better in the world of fantasy or if they just really don't like all of the realism here in the world of reality.

Divine justice has struck and Cucking Stool has the link...

MNPublius & MinnPost both have Collin Peterson related posts up about the Secretary of Agriculture position. At least MNPublius isn't pimping the meme that this seat automatically goes Republican without Peterson.

Jeff Fecke at Blog of the Moderate Left has a wonderful piece about Barack Obama and expectations of him from the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. It's a must read...

In addition to this must read, Twin Cities Daily Liberal morning podcast is dealing with the appointments made thus far by Obama. If I can get my act together I will have a podcast up and running soon.

MinnesotaBrown (the must read site for all things range related) won an award. Great job!

Phoenix Woman at Mercury Rising is giving props to Ollie Ox over at one of my absolute favorite blogs, Bluestem Prairie. Ollie truly does represent the best that Minnesota has to offer in local reporting and blogging. I hereby second those props to the Ox!

Finally, Grizzly Groundswell is so angry at all those Republicans who have been dissing on Sarah Palin and they aren't going to take it lying down. I say fight on kids because Palin is the change you should be fighting for...
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6:14 PM | Posted in
Now, I'm not saying that this particular image applies to any certain member of the righty blogosphere who insists on titling every post with CAPS LOCK in a desperate attempt to become the next Drudge or possibly even the next irrelevant member of Minnesota Republican leadership. I'm just saying...

Once again, here is your senate recount free romp through the Minnesota blogosphere:

Eyeteeth has an interesting post up about someone using legos to patch walls in Italy and Israel. You gotta love legos...

Let's get this straight, a recession begins months before George W. Bush takes office and it is obviously the fault of Bill Clinton. However, a recession also begins months before Barack Obama takes office and it is obviously the fault of Barack Obama. Hooray for shifting Republican memes! Check out Twin Cities Daily Liberal for more information.

Super crazy conservative, Alan Keyes is still stuck on the Obama birth certificate. Still a little bitter from the beat down he received in his own race against Obama? MinneAfrica quickly dispenses with another Keyes beat down.

Locust of Evil has a WTF moment over Sarah Palin. I have to ask though, isn't every Sarah Palin moment a WTF moment?

Minnesota Independent has the words of a Bush appointee who smacks down the meme put forward by Michele Bachmann that the Community Reinvestment Act is the cause of the subprime mortgage mess. Obviously, he is one of those anti-Americans!

I Heart Coleman Blog pimped an article over at Minnpost about Tim Walz. Fortunately, Bluestem Prairie provides some much needed perspective on the article and its author.

There is more about the theocracy advocating Minnesota Majority over at mnblue. Keep up the great work!
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6:00 PM | Posted in ,
Headzup describes itself as "video editorial cartoon designed for mobile playback and sharing". They took a shot here at Michele Bachmann and her recent urban legend remarks:

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The history of this country is rife with the oppression of one minority group after another and their stories are both powerful and a testament to the greatness of this country and how it has systematically tried to correct for its wrongs and finally live up to the charge it was given in the Declaration of Independence.

Unfortunately, there are those who lack the mental capacity to look objectively at this history and prefer to revise it in a variety of different ways to suit their narrow goals and ideologies. Revisionist history takes many forms but none are so foolish as the one taken on by local blogger, Psychomeistr. Today he is promoting an email from the National Black Republican Association demanding that the Democratic Party apologize for "150 years of racism". The email goes on to blame Democrats for all racism perpetrated in this country over the last century and a half while also claiming that it was in fact the Republican Party that promoted equality and fought against racism.

This is, without question, one of the most blatantly skewed and overly simplistic historical interpretations I have ever seen and only someone who refuses to remove their ideological blinders would see it otherwise.

Is the Democratic Party guilty of having a racist past? Absolutely, as they were the party of racism and segregation from antebellum through the first half of the 20th century. Is the Republican Party innocent of having a racist past? Absolutely NOT, as even Lincoln himself would have left slavery alone had the southern states remained in the union. Also, over the following century the Republican Party failed to act upon their agenda and all but abandoned the black community in the south for the sake of moving beyond reconstruction. Also, let it be noted that few people following the Civil War (whether Republican or Democrat) would have acknowledged an inherent equality between the races and even in the Republican north of the time racism was rampant.

Other, more specific problems persist in this email that need to be addressed:

WHEREAS, history shows that the Democratic Party through its racist agenda and "States' Rights" claim to own slaves, sought to protect and preserve the institution of slavery from 1792 to 1865, thus enslaving millions of African Americans, while the Republican Party was started in 1854 as the anti-slavery party, fought to free blacks from slavery and championed civil rights for blacks
The email brings up the fact that the justification of slavery was under the guise of states' rights. While this may be technically true, it is important to remember which political party has taken on the mantle of the states' rights plank in the past half century. Take a listen to any Republican from the last half century and you will find an increasing number advocating states' rights. Interestingly, this shift began taking place around the same time that the Democratic Party began tearing itself apart over the issue of civil rights. If the Republican Party would like to officially renounce their support of states' rights due to its checkered past they are free to do so but to use one of their current core beliefs as a club over the head of Democrats is dishonest at best.

WHEREAS, the Democratic Party enacted fugitive slave laws to keep blacks from escaping from plantations; instigated the 1856 Dred Scott decision which legally classified blacks as property; passed the Missouri Compromise to spread slavery into 50% of the new Northern states; and passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act designed to spread slavery into all of the new states
While the precursor to the Democratic Party was formed by Thomas Jefferson, the party that we know today was not solidified until the 1830s. To blame the Missouri Compromise, which was passed in 1820, on the Democratic Party of today is stretching the bounds beyond anything an honest historian would accept. Furthermore, it is clever of this group to use 50% when the issue at hand was only TWO states. If we want to be factually accurate, then we should be noting that the Missouri Compromise actually only involved ONE state and the issue was alleviated by the entrance of Maine in a later addition to the overall plan. Also, the compromise outlawed the spread of slavery north of the compromise line (36 degrees 30' north). This area encompassed all or most of the following states: Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, & Montana. So if we are crediting the Democratic Party with passage of the Missouri Compromise we also might want to acknowledge that they did make attempts at stopping slavery.

The Kansas Nebraska Act can be blamed on the Democratic Party and more specifically, Stephen Douglas but the problem is that it was only marginally about slavery. Douglas wanted to create new territories so that a railroad could be built across them benefiting Chicago and Illinois (you would think a former Chicagoan would know that). He knew that he would not be able to get the measure passed without bringing up slavery and therefore chose a handy dandy little method called popular sovereignty. You might recognize popular sovereignty given that it is currently used by the Republican Party to bring marriage amendments before the people in different states.

WHEREAS, with the party slogan: "Segregation Forever!," the Dixiecrats, who were Democrats, (a) formed the States' Rights Democratic Party for the presidential election of 1948; (b) remained Democrats for all local elections and all subsequent national elections; and (c) did not all migrate to the Republican Party as Democrats today falsely claim, but instead those racist Democrats died Democrats and had declared that they would rather vote for a "yellow dog" than a Republican because the Republican Party was known as the party for blacks
They did not ALL migrate to the Republican Party? This is wonderful phrasing because even if only ONE Dixiecrat remained in the Democratic Party it would render the sentence correct. However, the majority of the Dixiecrats DID migrate to the Republican Party as evidenced by their 1948 nominee, Strom Thurmond. Once again, the Democratic Party is portrayed as wholly evil while the Republican Party as wholly virtuous. If even one of those Dixiecrats converted to a Republican like Thurmond and like Helms, then we must also lay blame at the feet of the Republicans for accepting these individuals and embracing their racism.

Also interesting in this part is what is conveniently left out. At the 1948 convention, Hubert Humphrey advocated an end to segregation and this coupled with the executive order of Harry Truman desegregating the military forced the creation of the Dixiecrats.

WHEREAS, the Democratic Party supported the Topeka, Kansas school board in the "Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka", Kansas (a 1954 Supreme Court decision by Chief Justice Earl Warren who was appointed by Republican President Dwight Eisenhower) which declared that the "separate but equal" doctrine violated the 14th Amendment and ended school segregation
Given that Republicans are now heralding Earl Warren as one of their own I would like for them to start advocating for more justices in the same vein as Warren.

WHEREAS, it was Republican Senator Everett Dirksen from Illinois, not Democrat President Lyndon Johnson, who was key to the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and Dirksen was also instrumental to the enactment of civil rights legislation in 1957 and 1960, as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968 which prohibited discrimination in housing
Again, a severe distortion of history as Dirksen was assisted by Hubert Humphrey in helping to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In the Senate, 46 Democrats joined 27 Republicans in passing the measure. To be fair, the Democrats held a 67-33 majority in the Senate at the time but the fact remains that without the vast majorities of Democrats the measure would never have passed.

WHEREAS, Democrats expressed little, if any, concern when the racially segregated South voted solidly for Democrats; yet unfairly deride Republicans because of the thirty-year odyssey of the South switching to the Republican Party that began in the 1970's with President Richard Nixon's "Southern Strategy," which was an effort on the part of Nixon to get fair-minded people in the South to stop voting for Democrats who did not share their values, and who were discriminating against blacks
The "Southern Strategy", despite what this email would have you believe, was absolutely an attempt to get the racist white southern vote. In the words of Nixon strategist, Kevin Phillips, "The more Negroes who register as Democrats in the South, the sooner the Negrophobe whites will quit the Democrats and become Republicans." Even former Republican Chair, Ken Mehlman acknowledged this fact and expressed his regret so why is this group still trying to deny these facts?

NOW, THEREFORE, for the documented atrocities and accumulated wrongs inflicted upon black Americans, we submit this petition to the head of the Democratic Party, Barack Hussein Obama, for a formal proclamation of apology for the Democratic Party's 150-year history of racism.
Is it mildly ironic to anyone that the National Black Republican Association would try to get an apology for the injustices of racism from the first black President this country has ever seen and one who represents the Democratic Party?

What is the point?

The point is not that Republicans are more racist than Democrats or vice versa. The point is that this type of revisionist history based upon ideology is both wrong and foolish. There is no purely non-racist political party and to try to claim as such is to continue to lie. I will grant that the Democratic Party has played a significant role in the travesty that was slavery and the subsequent oppression of black people in the first half of the 20th century. However, the Republican Party has fared little better in that time and paid no more than lip service to the mantle of Lincoln. The Republican Party played THE role in freeing this country from slavery and for that they deserve credit but to claim that they also played the primary role in the civil rights movement is to deny all available evidence. It has increasingly made itself into a racially pure party in the second half of the 20th century whether by chance or by choice.

So, I would encourage everyone to stop believing that their party is without blame of any kind and if you are going to use history, do it honestly. If the National Black Republican Association wants or needs an apology for 150 years of racism, I would encourage them to demand it of ALL white people rather than a single political party.
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8:21 PM | Posted in
This is your official Franken v. Coleman recount free daily romp through the Minnesota blogosphere:

Given that we are now recount free, however, the daily romp is notably shorter than previous due to the fact that every blog in this state is absolutely obsessed with counting ballots and bickering about how the other side is a jerk.

Dave Mindeman at mnpACT is wondering if there is simply too much talent in the incoming Obama Administration. Unfortunately, he too is accepting the meme that no Democrat but Collin Peterson can keep the 7th district blue. Strangely enough, Andy Aplikowski at Residual Forces is assuming that no Republican can win the 7th district. It looks like the district will be without a representative if Peterson ever leaves.

Holly Cairns at mnblue has the first in a series of posts that are examining the organization known as Minnesota Majority. It is worth the read and I cannot wait for more...

Aaron Brown at MinnesotaBrown has another great read about the range and its relationship or strained relationship with the DFL. If you have not stopped by this blog, I would encourage you to do so as it is THE authority for all things range related.

Those bastard teachers are once again trying to turn all your kids into Marxists. Well, that is if you want to believe the super intelligent master race folks at Anti-Strib. I know my entire curriculum is based around the writings of Marx and Engels!

Minnesota Independent took a break from recountapalooza to examine the rise and fall of Tim Pawlenty and the really fun turkey slaughter new conference of Sarah Palin.

Oh, and apparently the War on Christmas has begun. DAMN IT, why didn't anyone tell me! I have been so looking forward to my yearly assault on all things Christmas.
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5:24 PM | Posted in ,
An article at The Hill has the blogosphere all abuzz about the congressional district of my birth and its representative, Collin Peterson (DFL). It appears as though Peterson is being considered for the Agriculture Secretary spot in the Obama Adminsitration.

According to reports, Obama is considering Reps. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) for the USDA post. His transition team declined to comment on Cabinet speculation.

Both members have agriculture experience, but they also come from GOP-leaning districts.

Peterson’s rural western Minnesota district has trended red in recent years and it went for President Bush in both the 2000 and 2004 elections. It took Peterson four attempts before he was finally elected in 1990. With a large wheat-farming industry in his district, he moved quickly up the ladder of the House Agriculture Committee and became its chairman in the Democratic takeover.

Michael Brodkorb took time out of his Norm Coleman lovefest to highlight the potential for a Republican pick up in Minnesota and the Dailykos is buying into the argument that this seat is automatically a Republican favored district. However, I would caution people about automatically assuming anything about the district.

Anecdotally, after living in this district for the vast majority of my life I would say that this area is one of the least ideological districts in Minnesota. The culture of this area does not lend well to ideology as politics is generally considered a topic that is not discussed in polite conversation. As I have said before, I cannot recall growing up seeing or hearing about politics. While people have their opinions, they are kept to themselves and they are practical in nature.

This evidence is borne out by the analysis of Jeff Rosenberg at Twin Cities Daily Liberal. At the end of July he did a voting analysis of the district and found that the district contains a large percentage of voters in the district that are ticket splitters:

However, nothing is guaranteed in the 7th, where voters are far more likely to split their tickets than the typical Minnesotan. Volatility is a measure of variation across races, and precincts with high volatility are those that see a lot of ticket-splitters.

The 7th District covers most of the western half of the state down to Marshall, Minnesota.

Maps courtesy of the Star Tribune website.

In 2004, the district went heavily for George W. Bush which gives it the appearance of a heavily Republican district.

It is important to remember though that the district also went to Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996. If you take a look at the results of the 2008 election you will find that Barack Obama did remarkably well in the district.

What does that mean for the probability of a win in the 7th District? First, neither candidate can be an ideologue. If the Republican Party or the Democratic Party believe they can bring in an ideologue and win the district they will find themselves sadly mistaken. Second, that candidate must be a friend to the agriculture community. Peterson figured this out and has thrived to the point that he won this past election with a wider margin than any other federal candidate in Minnesota.

So, if Democrats continue with their plan to find a candidate that fits the district they stand an excellent chance of retaining the district. That candidate should be at the very least socially moderate and should quickly prove himself or herself as a defender of farmers in the area.
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8:26 PM | Posted in , ,
Some 10 months ago I traveled out to House District 16B to attend a house party for a DFL candidate by the name of Steve Andrews. The man I found there was both insightful and honest and wanting to run a campaign based upon the foundations of what makes Minnesota a great place to live.
As your representative, I pledge to you that I will work tirelessly to ensure that all of our children have the opportunity to succeed. It’s called protecting what we have.

Together we can rebuild this State we call home!

Together we can accomplish the great things that were once handed down to us by people like my parents and yours.

Together we can protect the investment and legacy that our forefathers worked so hard to hand down to us.
Sometimes, a candidate loses election not because of anything they have done wrong or because they are the lesser candidate. Sometimes, a candidate loses simply because the dynamics of their district set them up to lose. This is the case in the district of Steve Andrews.

NO Democrat could or will win in 16B unless a major shift occurs. This is the heart of evangelical Minnesota where people vote almost solely upon social issues and the Democratic Party is seen as Michele Bachmann would describe it, a bunch of anti-American baby killers who are hell bent on destroying their religion and their "way of life".

Andrews almost had a chance that few thought was possible with what looked like a three way race between Andrews, Mark Olson, and Mary Kiffmeyer. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that well and he was stuck in a two way race with a more well known figure who has impeccable kooky evangelical conservative ideals.

Other inside the campaign issues hurt the Andrews campaign as one of its greatest assets was essentially driven out of both the campaign and the party.

While I tried to help Mr. Andrews in a variety of ways, I have to be honest that I did not put in as much effort as I could have or probably should have. To Andrews I must apologize for those things I said I would do but didn't and those things I should have done but failed to make a priority.

Good luck, Steve, and keep in touch...
Alison Krueger (R) took a parting shot at her crazy conservative write in opponent, Mark Olson in a post election article by the Sherburne Citizen.

"It is rare to see a Republican receive 22,000+votes in this district," Krueger said. "We are very grateful for that. However to those who gave their precious votes to the write-in campaign, we needed you. United we stand. Divided we fall. We Fell."

Krueger is placing the entirety of the blame for her loss on Olson rather than her inability to bring the party together in a meaningful way. Whatever you say about Olson, and the vast majority isn't good, he has the support of the party elites in Senate District 16. For Krueger to continue to drive the wedge between herself and these leaders displays a lack of interpersonal skills. As a practical matter I would say there is some serious healing that needs to take place in the district if they are to take it back but as a Fobbe supporter, I say FIGHT ON! In fact, I would encourage Mr. Olson to continue running for the senate seat and the house seat because god's representative never gives up.
5:35 PM | Posted in
The recount virus continues to infect the Minnesota blogosphere. If you really need your fix, you can check out these fine publications:

Seriously, people, there has to be something better to talk about than worse and worser. So, for those of you that are interested in something other than the saga of the recount I present the daily romp through the Minnesota blogosphere:

My fantastic representative is back in the news again claiming that her comments about the media doing an expose to find out whether members of Congress are Pr0-America are an urban legend. News Cut picked up the story but decided not to do the appropriate thing and call her a LIAR while someone with some common sense at Lake Minnetonka Liberty (check out the awesome photoshop) wonders why Bachmann doesn't just own her comments rather than spew obvious lies.

The folks at Grizzly Groundswell are claiming that Thanksgiving is an obvious rebuke of socialism. I don't have time to go into the many ways that this is stupid and inaccurate but does anyone find it amusing that a celebration of sharing the fruits of ones labor with others is now considered anti-socialist? Even better than this is the thesis put forward at True North claiming that the road forward for the Republican Party is to be more like Paul Wellstone!

Over at Let Freedom Ring, Gary Gross is having an anniversary and I am a bit outraged that he makes no mention of his St. Cloud nemesis.

In sad news, Eva Young's mother, Becky, has passed away. Centrisity has a nice tribute to her passing.
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11:45 PM | Posted in
The urban dictionary has seven different definitions of the term "urban legend". Of those definitions there are two that Michele Bachmann may have been referring to on Hannity & Colmes this Tuesday when describing her past comments on Hardball with Chris Matthews.

Def: A modern myth. A frightening untrue story in which the storyteller insists is true, but has no evidence to back up.

a legend that is hard to prove is true. or, it can be easy to prove it false.

However, this particular "urban legend" has video evidence that is irrefutably true:


Bachmann certainly was NOT talking specifically about vetting Barack Obama when she said that the media should "take a look at the views of the people in Congress". I would say that someone really needs to teach her about the first rule of holes but given the elecion results it appears as though Bachmann can say just about anything and garner a plurality of the vote.

I am hoping to have podcast up soon examining where we should go from here in the 6th district.

Cross Posted on Dump Bachmann
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10:52 PM | Posted in
I did not intend to upload these videos until Michele Bachmann decided to dive back into the crazy on Hannity & Colmes and describe her Hardball comments as an "Urban Legend".

So, I present to you Bachmann vs. Bachmann:


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4:56 PM | Posted in
The recount continues to dominate the Minnesota blogosphere. You can continue your recount obsession at Minnesota Independent, MNPublius, MinnPost, and of course the I Heart Coleman Blog.

Photo by John Cross (Mankato Free Press via AP)
The pressure appears to getting to both candidates as Norm Coleman has morphed into an elderly woman and Al Franken appears as though he has taken up farming as a fallback career and he just came in from the fields.

Here is your daily romp through the Minnesota blogosphere:

In other recount news, Gary Gross of Let Freedom Ring is desperately trying to steal the election from Lisa Fobbe in Senate District 16. Why hasn't Alison Krueger spared the taxpayers the expense by conceding the race? Isn't that the Republican recount meme?
This morning, I joined Team Krueger in Little Falls for recounting the ballots cast in Morrison County. We started with a total of 1241 votes cast for Alison Krueger and Lisa Fobbe. When we finished recounting the precincts, 1 vote for Lisa Fobbe was subtracted due to an overvote and 1 vote was challenged because the oval was filled in for both Lisa Fobbe and Write-In.

The folks at True North are still predicting the end of the world as we know it with the phase out of indcandescent light bulbs (and people wonder how Michele Bachmann won). For those who are confused about how the Republican Party could lose so badly in the last to election cycles, you only need read this post to understand.
I think we should all do this, like a reverse Boston Tea Party. Just think if for the next four years Wal-Mart couldn't keep ILBs on the shelf, then in 2012 when the change happens, nobody buys the Mercury Laden Pigtails or MLPs for 10 years. This would send a strong signal to Washington, that in America the market can't be controlled by government and that we are still somewhat free.

A little R.E.M. to honor this issue of "utmost importance":


The pot is calling the kettle black over at Lake Minnetonka Liberty as "The Admiral" refers to Tom Daschle as "The Obstructionist". Remember folks, when Republicans break the filibuster obstruction record of a two year period in just one year it is their proper role but damned the Democrat who uses the filibuster to block even ONE Republican goal!

Apparently, a really awesome poll conclusively proves that all Democrats are stupid and the Mark Olson supporting drones over at Grizzly Groundswell are more than happy to use it as a club. The problem is that the poll isn't worth its weight in loaded questions. Check out Moderate Left for the other side of the story.

Jeff Rosenberg at Twin Cities Daily Liberal is wondering how much more mavericky Barack Obama can get before he destroys the space time continuum.

You can see the Daily Show take a shot at Minnesota over at MNPublius.

How do you think the Republican Party should look to the future? By promoting someone from the past to run the party, DUH! Wright County Republican is asking you to sign a petition...

My favorite Congressman, Tim Walz, is rising into the ranks of leadership over at Bluestem Prairie. Those clever liberals promoting a moderate again! Damn you, liberals and your big tent!

Finally, everyone loves a little piracy and now you can check out a handy dandy map from Peace Like A River.
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8:40 PM | Posted in
I have to admit that I was somewhat taken aback after reading the following editorial from the St. Cloud Times. Throughout the history of this country we have steadily sought to expand suffrage to groups who had never before seen such rights. From ending property requirements to adding minorities to adding women to finally giving 18 year old citizens the vote, the greatness of this country has been built upon living up to the idea set forward in the Declaration of Independence that ALL Men are created EQUAL.

Floyd from Little Falls is apparently upset about these ideals and would like to return to a time when only those who owned property were allowed to make the decisions:

The Nov. 12 Times news report on "Students' votes made difference for levy" should be an eye-opener for property owners.

We have now reached a point in society where the direct beneficiaries of a nonsocietal tax increase were responsible for its passing.

The unfortunate problem with this is that the vote was self-serving and passed by voters who have little or no stake in paying for it, i.e. students vs. property owners.

We are also reaching a point in tax collection and spending in general whereby it's estimated many people do not pay income taxes at all.

If they should join together, they could possibly vote themselves any kind of benefits they wanted, to be paid for by the people who do pay taxes.

Perhaps it's time to reconsider who can vote for these issues.

If the levy is against property, i.e. property taxes, maybe only those who own property should have a right to vote for it.

I don't know what to do about the rest of the self-serving benefits that are voted on, but I do think something should be considered.

Now that we have a president-elect who has spent his whole life registering voters (and has succeeded beyond all expectations), self-serving people have a model to work with.

Don't be surprised if you see more of this kind of action.

I think something has to change.

The conservative movement in all its glory...
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4:39 PM | Posted in
I know I should be obsessing about the election recount here in Minnesota but at this point I really couldn't care less about who wins this thing! Also, is there anyone else that thinks it doesn't speak well of Franken if he wins because more of his supporters were to ill-informed to fill out the ballot correctly?

So, here is the daily romp through the Minnesota blogosphere:

If you need your daily dose of racism and intolerance, then you can head over to the reliably racist Anti-Strib. They never fail to out everyone but themselves as "savages". The righty blogosphere must be so proud! In a special double award, they are also declaring victory in Iraq. Maybe along with that declaration they will also provide a definition of victory...

Question: What happens when you move 60,000 tribal savages from a war torn shit hole and place them in the middle of a large Midwestern city in the United States?

Answer: They continue to kill each other just like they did at home.

Come on, that wasn't too hard to figure out was it?


At first I thought I was going to read something really insightful about the Minnesota Miracle from Small City Mayor but it turns out that he really doesn't understand what the Minnesota Miracle really accomplished and that it has been destroyed in recent years with the shift to property tax funding.

The "Minnesota Miracle" has a key problem in my opinion. First, and most important, the Minnesota Miracle changes the multipliers for the rural regional centers so that (as it currently stands) the disparity between a rural and metro schools create a distinct funding disadvantage for non-metro schools.


The media is evil and liberal meme lives on over at Shot in the Dark. At what point does this meme become a full blown persecution complex? Although, Minnesota Independent is wondering whether the media (ala the Star Tribune) is in the tank for Coleman. Poor media, they are going to have an identity crisis soon!

As one should beware of Greeks bearing gifts (unless it’s Michael Dukakis trying to look martial astride an M-1), conservatives should beware of the approval of the agenda media.



It was a short post, but Mercury Rising took the words out of my mouth about Arianna Huffington standing in for Rachel Maddow last night.

Recount fatigue is setting in over at Mississipifarian.

Over at MNPublius, there is evidence that Republicans are looking to horror movies for inspiration on how to scare the hell out of voters.

My favorite advocator of assassination, Lake Minnetonka Liberty, is now calling gay people intolerant. Everybody loves a little projection...

Gavin Sullivan is still replaying the Madia loss in the 3rd District. While I would say it's time to get over it, the post is a good read.

Going into the recent election, I believed DFLers' greatest chance for picking up a congressional seat would be in CD3. And I supported Ashwin Madia from well before the CD3 DFL Convention. Yet truth be told, our candidate faired rather poorly. If you supported Team BonoffTeam Hovland, perhaps you're thinking that the politically naive got their comeuppance.

Jeff Rosenberg at Twin Cities Daily Liberal is still battling for the common sense response to Joe Lieberman.

Finally, The Cucking Stool takes King Banaian to task. Don't you understand that he is an economist and therefore above reproach?
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7:30 AM | Posted in
Is George W. Bush the first President to destroy two legacies?
This is great! Any time you can tick off the culture warriors of the world is a job well done.

You guys just keep listening to talk radio. It seems to be working out well for you...
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10:12 PM | Posted in
The Liberal in the Land of Conservative Book Club is officially up and running. Although we only have a few members, I am forging ahead in the hopes that more people will join along the way. If you are interested, you can still join by clicking HERE.

Our first book will be The Conscience of a Liberal: Reclaiming the Compassionate Agenda. On Thursday, December 4th, you can check back on the site and discuss the book live with other members.
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8:05 PM | Posted in
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5:00 PM | Posted in
Beginning today, I am going to provide what I am dubbing the "daily romp" through the Minnesota blogosphere. There is much to herald here in Minnesota political writing but also much to malign and mock.

So, I present to you the best and worst of the Minnesota blogosphere in the last 24 hours:

In the best faux outrage of the day, "The Admiral" over at Lake Minnetonka Liberty is appalled that a McCain supporter was ridiculed by classmates for her candidate choice. This from the guy who begged someone to "do a sirhan sirhan" on Barack Obama.

As usual, Michael Brodkorb over at Minnesota Democrats Exposed (Which will soon be renamed the I HEART Norm Coleman blog) is obsessing about Mark Ritchie to the point that he is willing to offer him advice. Does anybody wonder if Brodkorb has a secret shrine to Ritchie in his basement?

Across the Great Divide has a screenshot from an Arab newspaper describing the Bush years as "the end of an error". Rather than asking if this is a typo, he should be wondering why the liberal Arab media is in the tank for Obama. The answer: super secret Muslim!

That damn Jeff Rosenberg at Twin Cities Daily Liberal wants to keep Joe Lieberman in the caucus and even in his committee chairmanship rather than string him up by his toes then waterboard him like the rest of the liberal netroots. What is wrong with him? The answer: Obviously a conservative spy and probably Michael Brodkorb in disguise!


A new blog, MinneAfrica, wants you to come and have super awesome fun with AIDS at St. Cloud State University. Let's just hope there are no parting gifts...

Joe Bodell over at Minnesota Campaign Report is curious about why we even have a Republican Party in Minnesota. Does it seem strange to anyone that DFLers are depressed because they ONLY picked up two votes in the Minnesota House of Representatives?

The shocker of the day, Minnesota Majority (a tool of former Secretary of State turned Mark Olson slayer, Mary Kiffmeyer) is upset about election secrurity.

They are still harping on EFCA over at True North while also stirring the fear about the re-emergence of the Fairness Doctrine (despite ZERO bills being introduced in the past two years to reinstate the doctrine). Be AFRAID, people! Be very very AFRAID...


Over at Fraters Libertas you will find a lot of whining about how there are no good conservative places to move now that Barack Obama will be President. You would think that would give them a clue about their ideology, but probably not.

And the good folks over at Grizzly Groundswell (the ones who thought it would be a great idea to write in Mark Olson for both the Senate 16 seat AND the House 16B seat) have discovered the silver bullet. The last bit of evidence that debunks anthropogenic climate change. You have to love denial! It is a powerful tool...
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Over the coming weeks I hope to do a series of posts highlighting state legislators in the area. Election season rhetoric is one thing but it is time to get down to the business of governance and all those promises need to be prioritized and put under the scope of practicality. I recently emailed a few legislators to find out what those priorities will be in the coming session.

Representative Larry Haws (DFL) got back to me today expressing his desire to work on education funding as well as continuing to build a coalition of legislators in the area which he refers to as the "St. Cloud Team" that will stand together on common ground issues.

Having served on the District 742 Finance Committee, Haws recognizes the need to fix the funding formula so that we as a state can move towards equity in funding.

The approach will be two fold: First, a best practice study and then a funding formula that reflects State and Federal responsibility for unfunded mandates meeting the needs of all our students. I will co-author, lobby, and give support to this effort. I was proud to have carried a bill for special education but it was small step forward we need a continue our quest fair and adequate funding.

Since arriving in St. Paul, Haws has worked to find issues that the "St. Cloud Team" can find agreement. On veterans issues, he and Dan Severson (R) have worked closely and on bonding measures he and Steve Gottwalt (R) have been able to work together. While I disagree with Severson and Gottwalt on a whole variety of issues it is through this bipartisan team effort that they deserve credit. Haws has a few goals that he would like to see accomplished with the team during this legislative session:

Goals for our Saint Cloud team:

We need to have a successful follow up year for bonding in 2010 and keep the our projects going: Airport Expansion, Civic Center, Health Partners Building Tech College, New Science Building at SCSU, and our Central Minnesota Parks and Trails projects.

A significant challenge to our Saint Cloud Team is to find common ground and work as a team for fair and adequate school funding to improve public education and prevent the use of property tax increases.

We will also need team efforts to secure a fair disbursement of state and federal dollars in transportation funding for Central Minnesota.

Finally, Haws recognizes the daunting challenge this session with the economy in a downturn and a budget deficit that makes for tough decisions:

As a past St. Cloud Park Director, I have years of experience dealing with budget preparation and controls. A primary budget reduction strategy was to lead by example; that is, reductions need to be made on an individual basis and on an administrative level. We need to demonstrate personal willingness to be part of any budget reduction.

I will lobby for a balance between revenues and spending. I'm hopeful we will be dealing with a reduced deficit projection.

In 2008 we used a variety of tools to solve the budget deficit: spending reductions, closing corporate loopholes and use of budget reserves. I would address a 2009 budget deficit in a similar way. I would also work to protect core services and the most vulnerable.


I will continue to revisit these legislative priorities throughout the session and hopefully check in with Larry Haws from time to time to see how things are progressing.
4:46 PM | Posted in ,
President-Elect Barack Obama is bringing the weekly radio address into the modern age:

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As the Republican Party here in Minnesota and across the country tries to regroup and redefine itself in the hope that it can regain relevance, Governor Tim Pawlenty appears to have the solution.

That solution? Well become a Democrat, OBVIOUSLY!

Republicans need to be farsighted on such issues as energy, health care and education, and broaden their appeal to working-class families and small-business owners, he said.

While that is a bit of an exaggeration, there is a grain of truth as Pawlenty appears to be embracing issues that are certain to send the base of his party into a crazed frenzy. None get base conservatives quite so worked up as the anthropogenic climate change debate and the concepts of green jobs and renewable energy.



This past Monday, Pawlenty threw the base under the bus by embracing green jobs and openly advocated for initiatives to bring those jobs here to the state. While differing on the details, Governor Pawlenty is distancing himself from the deniers that make up his base and is looking to take as his own issues that Democrats have been calling for all along. Last February, Tarryl Clark (DFL) called for similar investments in green jobs:

According to an analysis by the Blue-Green Alliance and the Renewable Energy Policy Project, Minnesota could develop about 18,400 new “green” jobs in manufacturing, construction, management, maintenance and financing of wind, biomass, geothermal and solar power projects. According to the analysis, Stearns County’s share of this growth could be around 1,200 jobs.

The analysis points out that Minnesota already has 450 firms that “are currently active in the industrial sectors that could provide the component parts” to reduce emissions by 15 percent worldwide.

Here in Minnesota, we’re ahead of much of the country when it comes to developing the kind of energy standard that can create these new jobs. Last year’s approval of a standard that will require utility companies to have 25 percent of their energy mix come from renewable sources by 2020 was a triumph of bipartisanship.

The Legislature also ordered the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to develop a strategy to maximize the economic benefit to citizens from the renewable-energy standard. Since then, DEED has produced promotional materials and traveled to trade shows to educate potential manufacturers and investors in renewable energy.

Greater energy independence, more jobs, a cleaner environment and bipartisan support—it’s hard to argue with benefits like that. Maybe renewable energy won’t solve all of our state’s economic troubles, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

The response from the base to being thrown under the bus? Well, Andy Aplikowski, who is interested in taking over the Republican Party of Minnesota is none too pleased (not that he ever is). He is officially throwing Pawlenty out of the party:

As I said, anyone who drinks the green kool aid does not deserve to lead the conservative movement or the Republican party.

I crown both Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty Lunacrats!

Where as, they believe in lunatic the policies of Al Gore that not only have science and common sense debunked, but any one with a functioning brainstem whose career doesn’t rely on public ignorance, can spot how the Earth has seen cooler temperatures this year and is forecast for 30 years of cooler temperatures. Be it resolved that neither of them ascend to any official leadership position of the free market oriented Republican party or conservative movement.


So, with Aplikowski throwing everyone out of the party except for himself, would it really be unrealistic to assume that Pawlenty will soon be joining the Democratic Party? Not likely, but if he continues to tack to the left in response to recent election results it should make 2010 a whole lot easier for the DFL as Republicans will have fractured beyond repair.

For less snark and more substance about what Pawlenty actually wants to implement with his green jobs initiative, I encourage you to check out Jeff Rosenberg at Twin Cities Daily Liberal or Holly Cairns at MNBlue.
9:57 PM | Posted in ,
How many Republicans does it take to manage a 21 person caucus? Apparently, somewhere around 7!

From the Political Quarry:

Michelle Fischbach of Paynesville, Joe Gimse of Willmar and Amy Koch of Buffalo will serve as assistant leaders to Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem of Rochester.

Senjem was unanimously re-elected this week to lead the 21-member caucus

...

Senjem will later name one of the six assistant caucus leaders as deputy leader and second in command.


At what point do you just decide that everybody gets to be an assistant caucus leader? I imagine they have to give them something to do given that they have no other power to speak of...
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8:35 PM | Posted in
Dear Grand Old Party,

Could you please give the following individuals a louder microphone? We promise not to bring back the Fairness Doctrine if you will continue to put these brilliant individuals out front. All I am saying is that as a Democrat, they are super awesome messengers for your party!
And if you could continue ignoring actual issues facing people throughout America and stress that guns and gays are really the important issues of our time, Democrats across the country would be most grateful...

And stick by that belief that George W. Bush is really the next Harry S. Truman because I am certain that will work out for you...

Oh, and please keep harping on the experience issue because I am sure you will not appear like hypocrites come 2012...
That is all...
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