In the Republican party, the choosing of candidates is based less on grassroots and more on money. Right now, even the possibility of Norm Coleman running has large contributors holding back their contributions. This means a self-fulfilling prophecy because then many GOP candidates have to drop out. One of the first drop out candidates is Pat Anderson, who is announcing her change to the auditors race today. Craig Stellmacher from the Uptake captured this announcement:
Norm Coleman still has high negative reactions even among his own party. The people from the Teabag movement do not see Norm Coleman as worthy. So the Norm Coleman campaign is going to feel like a rerun TV show. Yet any other Republican might have to fight hard to stop the inertia of same old, same old Norm! I wonder if any other Republican has that kind of fighting power. What do you think?
There are a lot of differences between Mitch "Bootlicker" Berg and myself; for instance, Bootlicker Berg is a ChickenHawk while I'm an honorably discharged veteran. I take great pains to be factually correct; Bootlicker Berg simply makes (stuff) up. The biggest difference is that Bootlicker Berg is an (@rse)hole that on occasion, can be a nice guy; I'm a nice guy that on occasion, can be a real (@rse)hole. Today is one of those occasions.
Why would today be one of those occasions? Because as big of an (@rse)hole Bootlicker Berg is (and, he is) lately he's been going too far. It's bad enough that he simply makes (stuff) up, as has been documented here and here. There's more; such as the time Bootlicker Berg claimed on his radio show that Erik "I'm A Moderate In The Mold Of Frenzel and Ramstad" Paulsen "ran as a conservative"; when I called Bootlicker Berg on this delusion of his, Bootlicker Berg simply moved the goal posts by claiming Paulsen ran farther to the right than conventional wisdom dictated.
And Berg twice has attributed things to me that I've never said; the first time prompting the following correction on his blog:
UPDATE: In a phone conversation on Monday, Mr. Tommy denied having ever said that Bush was "Selected, Not Elected". While I was writing more broadly - many of Mr. Tommy's fellow-travellers and blog-mades certainly did, and do - my sentence as written implies that he has personally made that claim. Since I have no objective evidence that he did, I regret the ambiguity.
Well, like I said, above: occasionally, Bootlicker Berg can buck his natural predisposition to be a complete (arse)hole and do the proper thing. His latest delusional attribution? Bootlicker Berg indicated he stands by it. Bootlicker Berg's natural predisposition is simply to slime people, which is why I had a special badge prepared to honor those slimed by Berg and his ilk.
And I want to be clear; I am NOT calling Bootlicker Berg a "liar" - calling someone a liar connotates that they know they aren't telling the truth. It's a bizarre and pathetic path Berg travels to reach his conclusions, but it appears he actually believes the (stuff) he makes up is true. Therefore, he isn't a "liar" - he's a (cheney)in' whackjob that in the end, simply makes (stuff) up.
Now, some may wonder why Bootlicker Berg hates government so much; I would suggest that it's because (based on property records) the City in which he resides insists that Bootlicker Berg live like a civilized human being rather than the sloth in a sty Bootlicker Berg would prefer. That's another difference between Bootlicker Berg and the ol' TwoPutter; I take pride in my home while Berg treats his like a hovel - but, that's a tangent.
Bootlicker Berg went on a rant earlier today; not content to trashing this blog, he called the author of a blogpost here on MnPP, MNBearBud, and I quote: "MNBareButt" and "Ms. BareButt" and "BareButt" and "MNBareButt". I'd provide the link but that would only drive traffic to Berg's drivel.
Since there are laws concerning public nudity, it's safe to assume MNBearBud doesn't run around "bare but" - that Bootlicker Berg, once again' is simply making (stuff) up. What is fact is there is plenty more that clearly demonstrates Mitch Berg is completely unreasonable; has a history making stuff up; has and will continue to keep taking the cheap shots. IOW, that Berg is a complete (@rse)hole; he can't help it - it's simply who and what he is. And for his latest rant directed at MNBearBud, MNBearBud is hereby awared a badge of honor: "Slimed By The M.O.B."
.
Notch one up for MNBearBud; notch another one down for Bootlicker Berg.
I was off to 2200 Lyman, the new Chanhassen school to cover the Republican debate.
The Carver County Republicans have put out the call to sponsor the first debate of Minnesota Republican gubernatorial hopefuls from 7 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17. The event is scheduled at the new Chanhassen High School, 2200 Lyman Boulevard in Chanhassen
I get to Lyman and Powers, no school. I drive up and and down, no numbers either. Off in the distance a factory, no it is a huge school. Many people are driving up, that's it. Another guy gets out and asks me if this is the Republican debate. We bond. Then we follow the crowd, it is an outside sporting event! We are going inside to the auditorium. Oops, it is a music rehearsal. The janitor tells us that there a small sign posted on one of the many doors that redirects to Chaska high school. We ask directions from people. And I kid you not, we get three sets of different directions, all slightly similar. We head out. Aha, there it is, the sign says Chaska. People are watching sports. There are not enough cars. My buddy is somewhere on the road still. So I ask. This is Chaska MIDDLE school. I get to Chaska HIGH school. Republican signs. Also lost Republicans arriving late too. It is ten minutes after 7. Sigh.
I could not believe my eyes when I read the Tim Pawlenty was going to Brazil to sell Minnesota dairy and beef products:
Minn. ag commissioner to join Pawlenty in Brazil by Dan Gunderson, Minnesota Public Radio,August 22, 2009
St. Paul, Minn. - Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson said he will join Governor Pawlenty on a trade mission to Brazil later this year Hugoson is also traveling to China next week in an effort to market meat products.Hugoson said international trade is critical to the survival of Minnesota farmers. ... He said he hopes to find markets in Brazil to export Minnesota dairy products and dairy production technology.
(MPR)
I was a dairy farmer, so I know that Brazil exports meat and dairy products! While there are specialty cows for just beef, dairy cows are also sold as beef. Republican governor Pawlenty is trying to export beef and dairy products to one of the worlds leading exporters of beef and dairy. It does not get stupider than that!
Modern Beef Production in Brazil and Argentina
by Carlos Steiger
Brazil is a leading player in the beef, poultry, and pork world markets. Focused attention has now been placed on dairy production as well...
Brazil produces predominantly lower-value, slower-growing, and less well-muscled grass-fed beef... While Brazil is the world leader in beef exports by quantity...
Rather than terrorists, simple standing water defeated the great and mighty USA. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, simple boats and canoes could have saved many. Yet a flotilla of such boats was turned back by the National Guard. People sent to places for refuge were forgotten by the very government that sent them there. This was so very incompetent that many of us wonder if the government was trying to actually kill all those people because an old lady such as myself could have a manned a boat and saved people. The picture shows that those who survived did it themselves. Adults walked through the toxic soup of water, carrying children in a plastic tub. You could not make up stuff as bad as the president had birthday cake, the FEMA head went out to eat and a high official went shoe shopping when people were dying from a lack of water and when planes of supplies just awaited simple US executive approval. "No one is coming" became the mantra and the epitaph for New Orleans.
Andrei Codrescu wrote in his poem, "Mourning for a Flooded Crescent City"
Katrina was just a storm, but what followed was so hideous that one year later we can still only shake our heads and vomit. ...In the space of one year, our commander in chief has evolved from a flyover disaster observer to a profligate dispenser of cash.
(Poytner)
And so today when I go to cover a health forum, I will remember that the Republican party is the party of 1800 Katrina dead and even more still missing, the party of failure!
My Mom called me Friday night. She told me I had to watch the beginning of Rachel Maddow's show. Rachel starts last Friday's show by interviewing Frank Schaeffer ... or should I say letting Schaeffer talk. Schaeffer and his father played primary roles in building the christian right into a political force. Schaeffer has had a change of heart and is now exposing the right wingers and their tactics with his book Crazy for God.
Schaeffer talks about the "dog whistle" politics how right wingers like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh (there are many others) are in effect fomenting violence against President Obama and members of Congress. They conflate Obama and Dem congresscritters policy positions. If Dems are as bad as Hitler/Stalin then violence is justified. In the minds of the knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers, it's the same as using violence to battle Hitler/Stalin. And it's completely justified in the eyes of their God.
So what's being said here is really two messages: there's the message to the predominatly white, middle-aged crowds of people screaming at these meetings trying to shut them down; but there's also a coded message to what I would call the "looney tunes" - the fruitloops on the side - that's really like playing Russian roulette. You put a cartridge in the chamber and you spin and once in a while it goes off, and we saw that with Dr. Tiller, we've seen it happen numerous times in this country with the violence against political leaders whether it's Martin Luther King or whoever it might be... we have a history of being a well-armed violent country. And so, really, I think that these calls are incredibly irresponsible.
(Transcript by marabout40 at Daily Kos)
Yesterday, in Part 3: "When Soldiers Speak Out" it clearly was stated the issue isn't Steele County Republican Party Co-Chair Dave Thul's right to speak out; the issue is following established military rules, regulations, and protocol while doing so. And Department of Defense Directive 1344.10 was mentioned.
Today, we're going to take a specific look at that Directive, and it's applicability to Steele County Republican Party Co-Chair Dave Thul's use of his official @us.army.mil email account.
There is no doubt that Steele County Republican Party Co-Chair Dave Thul used his official @us.army.mil account for partisan political purposes; Political Muse first noticed this use back in April. Also, a quick google search (just enter "Dave Thul") of blogs results in two hits on the very first page - this one:
They can't ignore you if you show up in person
17 Jul 2009 by (redacted)@us.army.mil (Dave Thul)
Written by Dave Thul. Friday, 17 July 2009 09:17. Since I have yet to receive a phone call or email back from Congressman Walz's office about the still unexplained photo of him claiming to be an Afghanistan veteran, I decided to visit ...
True North - Pointing Minnesota in the... - http://looktruenorth.com/compo... [ More results from True North - Pointing Minnesota in the... ]
and this one:
Minnesota's own phony soldier
12 Jul 2009 by (redacted)@us.army.mil (Dave Thul)
Everyone who follows politics must remember the political uproar over Rush Limbaugh's 'phony soldier' comment in 2007, referring to the media's fondness for quoting 'soldiers' against the war in Iraq whose service and military records ...
True North - http://www.looktruenorth.com/c... - References
[ More results from True North ]
Yes, gentle readers, that's Steele County Republican Party Co-Chair Dave Thul calling Congressman Tim Walz a "phony soldier." And that BS about the photograph? COMPLETE BS. Of course, would anyone expect anything else from the party of Tony Sutton and Michael Brodkorb? But, that's a tangent, albeit a tangent we'll get to later. For now, back to Steele County Republican Party Co-Chair Dave Thul and his use of his official @us.army.mil email account.
I've been following the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation hearings. I'm not surprised, but I am appalled at the overt racism of today's Republican Party. From the de facto leader of the party, Rush Limbaugh, to their propaganda arm, Fox News, to the Republican Senators on the Judiciary Committee embarrassing themselves every time they open their mouths, they are all playing the same racist game. They are following Nixon's southern strategy through to it's bitter, divisive ends.
The Republicans have become a southern regional party. They're power in the NE, midwest and west coast has drastically diminished and will likely continue to do so.
Why?
Pat Buchanan exemplifies everything that is wrong with the modern Republican party. The modern Republican party is angry and racist and not afraid to say so.
The Republicans have probably permanently lost the hispanic vote with these confirmation hearings.
Minnesota's latest Baghdad Bob impersonator, MN Republican party chair Tony Sutton, will be running attack ads on the radio against Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. After all the rave reviews that Ritchie got for how he conducted this last election, overseeing the massive undertaking that was the recount, FEC Tony thinks Ritchie is vulnerable.
The state GOP is buying radio ad time for the next week to criticize the record of Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, a first-term Democrat. Chairman Tony Sutton claims Ritchie failed to properly train local election officials and switched his position on absentee ballots during the recent Senate recount. Sutton says he thinks Ritchie is vulnerable and he's been talking to several potential candidates. Sutton says the party will also work to unseat the DFL attorney general and state auditor.
(Polinaut)
Maybe FEC Tony is picking up right where Ron Carey left off. Maybe FEC Tony has a chance of living up to legacy that Carey left the Republicans when he abandoned ship. He still has a lot of work left to do if he's going to fail that badly.
Perhaps here is why many people thought that unallotment was an empty threat! Balancing the budget through unallotment would violate the rules under which federal dollars match state dollars, resulting in loss of federal matching dollars beyond the unallotment. In this case that meant $72 million of lost federal funding beyond the unallotment.
The amount of $72 million comes from Commissioner Hanson's letter. Check out the copy of MN Government letter from Hanson. An short excerpt is highlighted here from Appendix A.
All Republican Governor Pawlenty had to do was come to the bargaining table and give up something to reach a better overall outcome to keep that $72 Million in federal matching funds. I guess what was best for Minnesota would not have made a good sound bite in Pawlenty's 2012 campaign speeches!
The Republican presidential ratings of Tim Pawlenty are very close to Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, who is best known for denying climate change. For a politician who is best known for the ability to smile and sweet talk his way through the most awful news, this polling does not bode well for Minnesota Nice Tim Pawlenty. I think the Republicans like the "fire and brimstone" politicians more. Or maybe instead of pictures of Pawlenty holding up a dead fish, maybe the Republicans need pictures of Pawlenty holding up a dead moose. Only the 28% "not sure" rating gives a glimmer of hope.
Are the Republicans having an internal war and cleaning house? And if so what does that mean for Pawlenty? Is Pawlenty or Romney, the chosen one, by the Cheney-Rove-like insider team?
First let's remind you all that Republicans do not play by laws, rules or moral codes. See video, after the fold, for reports on how far Republicans have gone in braking laws and morals to deal with Democrats. Republicans violate even the most sacred of protection vows by outing people in secret intelligence, Valerie_Plame, simply for political gain. Torturing innocent people to gain false confessions is in the Republican playbook. So why would Republicans play by any rules inside the Republican party? The current process looks more like a Mafia-run power grab with political death instead of physical death.
Isn't it just totally suspicious how many Republican political front runners are all falling by the wayside, right now in this time when political news is least covered and noticed by the American public?
Alaskan governor Sarah Palin resigns. The Brad Blog is citing Alaskan reporter Shannyn Moore that the reasons may involve federal indictments. It seems that housing materials for Sarah Palin's personal house remodel came from the same source as the publically paid for Wasilla sports stadium.
South Carolina Mark Sanford goes AWOL on being governor for four days without even leaving the lieutenant governor in charge, facing possible impeachment.
According to Tarr, the South Carolina constitution gives "unusually broad" removal powers to the legislature. Not only can the legislature impeach a governor for "serious crimes or serious misconduct in office," it can also remove a governor in a process called "address" for any "willful neglect of duty" or "other reasonable cause which shall not be sufficient ground of impeachment."
The Party Faithful have spoken, and it's a new day for the state GOP. Tony Sutton takes the reins, and is faced with the formidable task of cleaning up the mess left by the last administration that ran the Republican Party of Minnesota. Especially the mess left by the last Treasurer, who - not coincidentally - was Tony Sutton!
And just how big of a mess did Treasurer Tony Sutton leave for Chairman Tony Sutton? A quick check of FEC Records show that on January 15th of this year, Chairman Ron Carey and Treasurer Tony filed an amended report for September and October 2008. On January 16, they filed an amended pre-General Election report. On January 20th, they filed an amended post-General Election Report.
All in all, those amended reports are another pathetic example of the incompetence and failure of the Ron Carey Regime, which "featured" Tony Sutton as Treasurer. But have no fear; it gets worse.
On March 16th, 2009, Carey and Sutton re-re-filed an amended report of the previously amended October 2009 report.
Got that? They couldn't get it "right" the first time; they tried and failed to get it "right" the second - and didn't. But have no fear; it gets worse.
Worse? Yes, because on the same day they had to amend a previously amended report - October 2008 - they also had to amend the previously amended pre-General Election Report. But have no fear, it gets worse.
Worse? Yep! Surely, you're not surprised? After all, this IS republiCon Ron and FEC Tony we're talkin' 'bout... and on March 19th, 2009, they had to re-re-file an amended report of the previously amended August 2009 report! But have no fear, it gets worse!
A little over a month ago, on May 22nd, 2009, RepubliCon Ron and FEC Tony had to amend the pre-General Election for the third - THIRD - time! Same day, same clowns had to amend the post-Election Report for the second time! And just to show that when it comes to incompetence the unDynamic Duo of republiCon Ron and FEC Tony has no peer, they also re-amended the 2008 Year End Report.
Folks, this level of pathetic incompetence is beyond bizarre. And it bears looking into. So, stay tuned, and have no fear - it gets worse.
... a must-read. And that guy State GOP Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb thinks is a must-read, recently called Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Joe Repya a communist. A communist!!!
In a way, it's quite of reminiscent of an elected GOPer - Michele Bachmann - questioning the patriotism of duly elected US Senators and Congressmen.
And it's part of a pattern; today's GOP has a habit of trashing those they disagree with. Especially Colonel Repya; last year republiCon Ron essentially called Colonel Repya an enemy of the party for having the audacity - AUDACITY! - to suggest the party might have a few paperwork problems.
Since it's been established that the established GOP Party Leadership doesn't much like The Good Colonel, and it's been established the State GOP Deputy Chair thinks the CD-04 Deputy Chair is a must-read, and since it's well-established the CD-04 Deputy Chair thinks The Good Colonel is a commie, doesn't that beg the question: does State GOP Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb think that that Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Joe Repya is a commie, too??!?
Well I thought so, so I asked! Here's exactly what I asked, in an e-mailed entitled "A Question For Deputy Chair Brodkorb:
Dear Deputy Chair (Elect) Brodkorb,
I'm looking into CD-4 Deputy Chair Nathan Hansen's recent comments in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and I have a question for State Deputy Chair (Elect) Brodkorb:
Mr. Deputy Chair (Elect) Brodkorb, do you agree with CD-4 Deputy Chair Hansen's assertion that LTC (Retired) Joe Repya is a communist?
A "Yes" or "No" answer will suffice; an explanation would be appreciated.
Thank you for your prompt reply.
Tommy Johnson
Blogger
State GOP Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb declined to respond for the record.
With elected office holders like Michele Bachmann and Laura Brod, and elected party officers like Nathan Hansen, State GOP Deputy Chair Michal Brodkorb likely will be ducking a lot of questions.
It's been a tough day for the GOPers. Fortunately for Kurt Zellers, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford - who turned down Federal Stimulus - got caught gettin' some international stimulus:
Chris Cillizza
washingtonpost.com Political Blogger
Wednesday, June 24, 2009; 3:30 PM
Gov. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) admitted in a press conference in Washington today that he had an extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina and that he will resign his position as president of the Republican Governors Assocation. (Washington Post)
Yep - a "Family Values" republiCon, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, wasn't "hiking the Appalachian Trail" as aides first claimed; he was down in Argentina - "catching up on foreign affairs".
Which is good for Zellers; that diverts attention away from his history of campaign finance screwups. Well, and the video Dusty Trice found and posted today - the video of Zeller trashing former Governor Arne Carlson just last May. Let's look!
.
Rather than terrorists, simple standing water defeated the great and mighty USA. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, simple boats and canoes could have saved many. Yet a flotilla of such boats was turned back by the National Guard. People sent to places for refuge were forgotten by the very government that sent them there. This was so very incompetent that many of us wonder if the government was trying to actually kill all those people because an old lady such as myself could have a manned a boat and saved people. The picture shows that those who survived did it themselves. Adults walked through the toxic soup of water, carrying children in a plastic tub. You could not make up stuff as bad as the president had birthday cake, the FEMA head went out to eat and a high official went shoe shopping when people were dying from a lack of water and when planes of supplies just awaited simple US executive approval. "No one is coming" became the mantra and the epitaph for New Orleans.
