Save Smiley

This won't mean much to most of us down here.

Smiley is THE water tower in Grand Forks and apparently, according to my sister who lives in GF, it is slated to be demolished.

What next, Home of Economy?

Smiley is a Grand Forks icon. I can remember as a kid going to that side of town just to drive by Smiley.

Anyway, there is an online petition singed by a whopping 131 peeps.

Go sign it, but damn...Smiley's coming down. Take her down with class GF, maybe in a Springtime flood...give it a big splash down!

Senjem Speaks...

...yet no sign of Larry Craig, David Vitter, Mark Foley or Ted Haggard though, so far!

Ollie may owe me a new keyboard!

Senator Senjem really said "Rochester has put together a gang-bang package"? One would think he was welcoming the Minnesota Republican Party down to their state convention, the last weekend of May in 2008.

Bachmann's First Class Flight?

Anyone want to wager that this will be the one and only DB post that has Bachmann and first class in the title?

Congresswoman Bachmann, "defender of the taxpayer", flew back from DC after voting against the stimulus package which included job opportunities.

Ollie at Bluestem has the scoop!

Ah hell, we're the workingest state anyway right?

Sadly, nothing with Congresswoman Bachmann surprises us anymore...

Coleman a faker?

What the hell...

The Coleman campaign is faking their website crash?

P

A

T

H

E

T

I

C

Which leaves me pondering....

Ah hell, I'll let you wonder whether his marriage is fake too...

Walz Votes Against DTV Date Change

Ollie at Bluestem has the scoop.

I've been working the DTV transition for several months now and was pretty surprised to hear that President Obama and Congressional leaders supported a move to delay the digital transition.

As someone who has been help people during the transition, I was pleased to read Congressman Walz's opposition to the extension. It makes no sense to those of us who work in the industry.

I've actually fielded more calls today from angry customers who have switched already and could have had 4 more months of antenna service, than on any other single issue.

If they're not ready now, it's because of their own procrastination. No sense in wasting another $500 million in advertising and PSA's talking about the transition.

Pawlenty's Ponzi Scheme

House Majority Leader Tony Sertich had this to offer yesterday in regards to Governor Pawlenty's budget proposal:

House Majority Leader Tony Sertich, DFL-Chisholm, offered the strongest legislative criticism, saying he fears the Pawlenty plan will boost local property taxes, increase college tuitions and force needy people off health programs.

“What we don’t want to happen is any ponzi schemes in the governor’s budget,” Sertich said, referring to an investment fraud in the news recently.

Ponzi schemes?

Back on December, Pawlenty took a shot or two at the possibility of using federal stimulus money to balance the budget.

"The federal government of the United States of America is broke," said Pawlenty. "What they are proposing to do is pay credit card debt with more credit card debt."

And

However, Pawlenty is one of a handful of Republican governors who thinks that is the wrong way to go.

"They are engaged in a very elaborate Ponzi scheme," said Pawlenty. "It is a house of cards and it is eventually going to collapse, I will predict to you, sooner rather than later."

So why is Pawlenty relying on something he's calling an elaborate "Ponzi scheme"?

His dangerous and irresponsible "no new taxes" pledge relies on a "Ponzi scheme"?

Nice work Pawlenty...

Reminds me of Dumb and Dumber when Lloyd trades the van for a scooter...

"Just when I thought you couldn't get any dumber, you go and do something like this... and totally redeem yourself!"

Back to the Future: Pawlenty's LGA cut

A budget only Marty McFly would be proud of...

That whole "no new taxes" pledge from 2003 still hits small towns throughout Central Minnesota. Even back in 2006, the most popular thing to talk about when we knocked on doors was the sharp increase in property taxes.

Double digit increases were the norm between 03-06. It seemed as though things finally had stabilized a bit.

Now, Governor Pawlenty is proposing a 15% cut to LGA in 2010 and a 31% cut in 2011.

How does this impact us locally?

Annandale loses $70,826 in 2010 and $158,062 in 2011.
Cokato loses $73,735 in 2010 and $164,553 in 2011.
Dassel loses $43,955 in 2010 and $98,094 in 2011.
Hutchinson loses $414,947 in 2010 and $926,037 in 2011. Double whammy with all the job losses at HTI as well...
Litchfield loses $204,042 in 2010 and $455,360 in 2011.

You get the picture.

Arguably, larger cities have an easier time taking these cuts in stride. Small towns like Silver Lake, Howard Lake, Darwin, Grove City, Cosmos, etc, have a more difficult time absorbing blows like this.

Ultimately, they made choices like Wadena's mayor Wayne Wolden.

In Wadena during a recent weekend snowfall, the city waited until Monday morning to plow streets rather than pay overtime. With its proposed LGA cut in 2009, the city is likely to close its parks department, said Mayor Wayne Wolden. In the second year, its $230,000 cut would mean plowing streets after every other major snowstorm, he said.

Pawlenty spoke of priorities during his budget presentation, saying military, Veterans and public safety were the highest priority in his budget.

Despite Pawlenty's intentions, it would at least appear to me that leaving 6 inches of snow in the streets wouldn't be the safest thing to do, but with Pawlenty's "no new taxes" fetish, choices like that need to be made.

On those kitchen table conversations...

A bunch of right wing groups have come together and put up a website to propose actions to fix our state's budget deficit.

It's a veritable who's who of Minnesota conservative organizations, headlined by Minnesota Majority, Minnesota Family Council, and the Taxpayers League.

The website has an excel function that allows you to cut each area of the state budget to trim down the $4.8 billion deficit.

We've heard numerous Republican legislators parrot Governor Pawlenty's line about families having tough conversations at the kitchen table.

That part is true, we are having those conversations. We're cutting back on eating out and other activities, relying on some of our savings as well.

But the Republican leadership fails to recognize the other part of the conversation.

We're looking at how to raise "revenue" as well. I'll work more hours at work or maybe take on some more part time work opportunities.

Increasing the revenue side of the picture has to be in play and the folks at Minnesota Budget Solutions refuse to even acknowledge that possibility.

I get it, you don't want to raise taxes, even for those in the Top 1%.

But please, don't play this silly game that real Minnesotans are only having conversations about what to cut.

Remington Out

I've been out of it for a few days, struggling with some sort of stomach thing...

Anyway, just trying to get back to some normal programming.

Caught this first on Facebook of all things.

Ralph Remington will not seek reelection to the Ward 10 councilmember position.

GOP to follow Bachmann communications strategy?

Oh holy hell!

So, no Congressional Republican will have townhall meetings or meet with their constituents now?

Sounds good to me!

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN) announced today that her Communications Director, Mary Vought, and Press Secretary, Stephen Miller, will join Republican leadership offices to help other members replicate her effective communications strategies.

“Both Mary and Stephen have been incredible assets,” said Bachmann. “I am so proud that they will take on important roles where they can continue to spread the conservative message of lower taxes, smaller government, and greater personal freedoms.”

Mary Vought will lead the House Republican Conference’s effort to enhance the communications strategy for all House Republicans by supporting their press secretaries in spreading the Party’s message.

Stephen Miller joins veteran conservative leader, Congressman John Shadegg (R-AZ), as press secretary. Shadegg, a founder of the Republican Study Committee, the leading conservative caucus of House members, is a prominent national spokesman for conservative positions.

In her first term in Congress, Bachmann earned unprecedented media coverage. Her three-person communications team executed a strong strategy that earned her exceptional coverage in local papers in Minnesota, on nationally-broadcast news shows in both popular and financial news sectors, and in important conservative outlets on radio and the internet.

“Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is a rising star in our party who has groomed an excellent staff,” said Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN), Chairman of the House Republican Conference. “Mary Vought brings a wealth of communications experience to our team at Conference, where she will continue to serve Congresswoman Bachmann as well as the entire House GOP Conference in her new role as press secretary. In addition, we look forward to continuing to work with Congresswoman Bachmann as we communicate our conservative ideals of limited government, a strong national defense and traditional moral values to the American people.”

“Dave Dziok, who has blazed new trails as the Congresswoman’s Director of New Media, will continue to anchor our communications shop,” said Michelle Marston, Bachmann’s Chief of Staff. “Communications will continue to be an important part of our office work and we will hire new staff to build on our effective communications strategy.”

Wow. Groomed an excellent staff? Really? Search the Dump Bachmann archives to find just how many staffers have left the Congresswoman's office in her first term.

Pawlenty: Poser Mobile or hidden fees?

Same "Stuff" Different Day, we've seen this trick before.



Gov. Tim Pawlenty said Thursday the budget he will unveil next week contains no tax increases and little in the way of fee hikes.

The GOP governor said he will erase a projected $4.8 billion deficit through a package of cuts, accounting shifts such as changes in payment schedules and an “all-time historic low” in fee increases. He previewed the budget to reporters in his Capitol office, saying the bad economy calls for dramatic change.

“You’ll see a budget on Tuesday that is aggressive and takes on some risk in exchange for trying to strategically reposition Minnesota to try to be more competitive and to try to maintain as many of the commitments to our priorities as possible,” he said.

As for tax increases, he said, “We’re able to balance the budget without them.”

Perhaps Pawlenty would be a better mobile phone salesman?

Accounting shifts?

"Fee's shorty...fee's"

Glenn Beck fawns over Sarah Palin

"You are one hot Grandma"

You've got to go about 4:30 into the video.



Before his Palin interview, he has an interesting discussion on the fringes of the left and the right. People who sold out their values and principles for a party. Hmmmm

I'm Speechless

"There is very little standing room from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol"

An Obama Protest

In all my time at SCSU, I never actually went to Anti-Bush protest. We protested the war in Iraq, and were mocked by the righties.

Looks like the righties at SCSU don't have anything better to do, so their going to waste their day on the Atwood Mall.

An offshoot of Ron Paul's presidential campaign will sponsor a rally today on the St. Cloud State University campus. The rally questions whether President-elect Barack Obama offers any real change for America.

The St. Cloud State chapter of Young Americans for Liberty event will be from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. today in Atwood Memorial Center. Members will distribute fliers, hand out pocket Constitutions and talk to students about Obama's policies, according to a news release from YAL.

The event is titled Real Change Requires R3volution and will focus on how Obama's policies don't offer change but continue U.S. foreign policy and increase the budget and the size of government, said Sam Swedberg, president of the YAL chapter at St. Cloud State.

YAL is a continuation of Paul's youth campaign, which organizers said has attracted more than 26,000 student members.

Will they inflate their numbers for the rally?

Coleman's "Hail Mary"

So, when Norm was ahead, his lawyers argued that the rejected absentee ballots didn't need to be counted.

Now, Norm wants 12,000 of them counted.

Such is the life of our political chameleon.

Coleman's antics after the recount was completed by the State Canvassing Board show that a graceful exit will certainly not happen.

"Recounts are for really the loser to understand and see and then believe that they in fact did not win the election and for their supporters to come to the same conclusion.”

"My guy" didn't win either. Time to move on...

Martin Luther King Jr: "I Have A Dream"

After watching several of his speeches this morning, I chose to post this. Reflect and enjoy.



"Ann Coulter" on SNL

SNL Ann Coulter video

She went on to defend the Bush administration's position on torture.

"I love torture. I think torture is good and Christian-y, and history will bear this out. It may take 500 years," 'Coulter' said. "But I will still be here, leading a band of survivors in a post-apocalyptic America where we battle against gangs of Osama bin-single mothers. And I shall cackle and cackle that you ever doubted George Bush."

When Meyers questioned Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina, 'Coulter' offered a swift rejoinder.

"Sure, it was bad," she said "But think about it - we don't know how many hurricanes President Bush prevented."

This is what I used to do

Awesome You Tube video of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.



Worked my way up from a Private, Anti-armor specialist, to SAW gunner, Bradley Driver, Bradley Gunner, Team Leader, Section Leader, Squad Leader, Bradley Commander, Company Master Gunner, Battalion Master Gunner, and Platoon Sergeant.

Good times were had...

SD 18/19 Legislative Update

We'll attempt to have a regular, possible weekly post on local happenings down in St Paul, following legislation sponsored by local legislators.

SD 18:

Senator Dille has sponsored two bills thus far, both being somewhat controversial.

We've posted about the Minnesota Political Contribution Refund Program legislation. Dille's legislation completely halts the PCR program. (SF 124)

The second bill stands to be more controversial. Senator Dille seeks to lift the moratorium on building new nuclear power plants in Minnesota. (SF 126)

Representatives Dean Urdahl, 18B and Ron Shimanski, 18A, have yet to author legislation in the House.

SD 19:

Senator Koch has offered Senate resolutions congratulation Eagle Scouts and sought to reduce the number of stamps used by Senate offices.

Bruce Anderson, 19A is carrying Dille's nuclear power plant bill in the House.

Tom Emmer, 19B has authored 2 bills.

HF 0057, Emmer's bill for voting ID.

HF 107, Emmer's bill allowing school boards to use staff development revenue on CPR and automatic external defibrillator training and first aid certification.

Former VA Chief Jim Nicholson Dodges Bullet...

...and somehow fails to make the Think Progress list of the "Top 43 Appointees Who Helped Make Bush the Worst President Ever".

To be fair, the list is pretty long and distinguished though.

1. Dick Cheney — The worst Dick since Nixon. The man who shot his friend while in office. The “most powerful and controversial vice president.” Until he got the job, people used to actually think it was a bad thing that the vice presidency has historically been a do-nothing position. Asked by PBS’s Jim Lehrer about why people hate him, Cheney rejected the premise, saying, “I don’t buy that.” His top placement in our survey says otherwise.

2. Karl Rove — There wasn’t a scandal in the Bush administration that Rove didn’t have his fingerprints all over — see Plame, Iraq war deception, Gov. Don Siegelman, U.S. Attorney firings, missing e-mails, and more. As senior political adviser and later as deputy chief of staff, “The Architect” was responsible for politicizing nearly every agency of the federal government.

3. Alberto Gonzales — Fundamentally dishonest and woefully incompetent, Gonzales was involved in a series of scandals, first as White House counsel and then as Attorney General. Some of the most notable: pressuring a “feeble” and “barely articulate” Attorney General Ashcroft at his hospital bedside to sign off on Bush’s illegal wiretapping program; approving waterboarding and other torture techniques to be used against detainees; and leading the firing of U.S. Attorneys deemed not sufficiently loyal to Bush.

4. Donald Rumsfeld — After winning praise for leading the U.S. effort in ousting the Taliban from Afghanistan in 2001, the former Defense Secretary strongly advocated for the invasion of Iraq and then grossly misjudged and mishandled its aftermath. Rumsfeld is also responsible for authorizing the use of torture against terror detainees in U.S. custody; according to a bipartisan Senate report, Rumsfeld “conveyed the message that physical pressures and degradation were appropriate treatment for detainees.”

5. Michael Brown — This former commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association was appointed by Bush to head FEMA in 2003. After Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, Brownie promptly did a “heck of a job” bungling the government’s relief efforts, and was sent back to Washington a few days later. He was forced to resign shortly thereafter.

6. Paul Wolfowitz — As Deputy Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2005, Wolfowitz was one of the primary architects of the Iraq war, arguing for the invasion as early as Sept. 15, 2001. Testifying before Congress in February 2003, Wolfowitz said that it was “hard to conceive that it would take more forces to provide stability in post-Saddam Iraq than it would take to conduct the war itself.” Wolfowitz eventually admitted that “for bureaucratic reasons, we settled on one issue, weapons of mass destruction,” as a justification for war, “because it was the one reason everyone [in the administration] could agree on.”

7. David Addington — “Cheney’s Cheney” was the “most powerful man you’ve never heard of.” As the leader of Bush’s legal team and Cheney’s chief of staff, Addington was the biggest proponent of some of Bush’s most notorious legal abuses, such as torture and warrantless surveillance, and is a loyal follower of the so-called unitary executive theory.

8. Stephen Johnson — The “Alberto Gonzales of the environment,” EPA Administrator Johnson subverted the agency’s mission at the behest of the White House and corporate interests, suppressing staff recommendations on pesticides, mercury, lead paint, smog, and global warming.

9. Douglas Feith — Undersecretary of Defense for Policy from 2001-2005, Feith headed up the notorious Office of Special Plans, an in-house Pentagon intelligence shop devised by Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz to produce intelligence to justify the invasion of Iraq. A subsequent investigation by the Pentagon’s Inspector General found the OSP’s work produced “conclusions that were not fully supported by the available intelligence.”

10. John Bolton — As Undersecretary of State, Bolton offered a strong voice in favor of invading Iraq and pushed for the U.S. to disengage from the International Criminal Court and key international arms control agreements. A recess appointment landed Bolton the job of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, despite his stringent animosity toward the world body. Today, he spends his time calling for war with Iran.

11. John Yoo — As a lawyer for the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, Yoo authored a series of legal memos detainee to be buried alive.

12. Ari Fleischer — Bush’s first press secretary helped redefine the role as that of liar-in-chief rather than informer of the public, earning a reputation as “the world’s most dishonest flack.” Whereas his successors sometimes looked uncomfortable lying, Fleischer was having fun, spinning a cowed and gullible press corps through two massive tax cuts and the initiation of a war undertaken on false pretenses.

13. John Ashcroft — In 2003, as Bush’s first Attorney General, Ashcroft approved waterboarding and other torture techniques on detainees. Ashcroft’s nomination was controversial, as he had a history of opposing school desegregation. The chief architect of the invasive Patriot Act, Ashcroft maintains to this day that Bush is “among the most respectful of all leaders ever” of civil liberties.

14. Henry Paulson — Even as the financial system was crashing down around him, Treasury Secretary Paulson insisted for months that the banking system was “safe and sound.” Once he decided that the economy needed saving, Paulson requested nearly unfettered authority to send billions of taxpayer dollars to banks with no oversight.

15. L. Paul Bremer — This Presidential Medal of Freedom winner took over the Coalition Provisional Authority in May 2003. Under his mismanagement, the insurgency exploded in Iraq. Bremer claimed he had all the troops he needed to secure the country, overestimated the strength of the new U.S.-trained Iraqi army, disbanded the Iraqi army leaving thousands of Iraqi soldiers with no income and no occupation, and enacted a de-Baathification law that barred many experienced Iraqis from government positions.

16. Bradley Schlozman — As a recent DOJ Inspector General report demonstrates, Schlozman was a central figure in Bush’s politicization of the Justice Department. Violating civil service laws, Schlozman used political and ideological considerations to ensure that only “right-thinking Americans” received jobs. He eventually lied to Congress about his efforts.

17. J. Steven Griles — A former energy lobbyist and no. 2 official in the Interior Department, Griles went to jail for lying to Congress about illegal favors he did for corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Griles also abused his position “to unlock nearly every legal barrier to exploitation” of our nation’s oil and mineral reserves. Before his conviction, Griles left the White House to become a lobbyist for Conoco Phillips.

18. Condoleezza Rice — As Bush’s national security adviser, Rice was another strong advocate for invading Iraq, once famously warning that the U.S. should attack Iraq and not wait for solid proof of its WMD because “we don’t want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.” Rice also ignored an urgent warning from the CIA before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that a strike inside the U.S. was imminent.

19. Scooter Libby — Cheney’s former chief of staff was a key player in the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame as part of the Bush administration’s quest to punish Plame’s husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, for publishing an op-ed debunking one of the White House’s main justifications for invading Iraq. Libby was ultimately convicted of perjury and obstructing justice in a federal investigation into Plame’s outing but later had his 30-month prison sentence commuted by Bush.

20. Monica Goodling — Goodling was the most notorious graduate of Pat Robertson’s Regent University during her tenure in the Justice Department. As the White House liaison at the DOJ, she based the department’s hiring of candidates on their sexual preference, GOP loyalty, and adherence to conservative ideology.

21. Alphonso Jackson — As Housing and Urban Development Secretary, Jackson let the U.S. housing market crumble while he was busy giving lucrative contracts to his golfing buddies, retaliating against Bush critics, and erecting giant photo homages to himself.

22. Michael Hayden — As director of the National Security Agency, Hayden ran Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program and misled Congress about the program’s legality. After moving to the CIA, he dismissed the destruction of evidence implicating the CIA in torture as “in line with the law.”

23. Lurita Doan — The former head of the General Services Administration (GSA)who doled out a no-bid contract to a friend, Doan famously hosted a meeting of White House political operatives where she asked how GSA employees could “help ‘our candidates’ in the next election.” After the Office of Special Counsel called for her firing, she was forced to resign

24. Gale Norton — A former industry lobbyist and Bush’s first Secretary of the Interior, Norton pushed a radical ideological agenda “through regulatory rollbacks, suppression of science, preferential treatment, and collusion with industry” — including doctoring scientific findings on the impacts of oil drilling on caribou. After resigning under the cloud of ties to Jack Abramoff, she joined Shell Oil.

25. Lester Crawford — After promising to act on the morning-after contraceptive pill during his confirmation hearings, the former FDA Commissioner “indefinitely postponed nonprescription sales of emergency contraception over the objections of staff scientists who had declared the pill safe.” Crawford resigned after just two months on the job and later pleaded guilty “to charges that he hid his ownership of stock in food and drug companies that his agency regulated.”

26. Harriet Miers — Well-known for being Bush’s failed Supreme Court nominee, Miers also thought it was “important” to her as White House Counsel that Rove protege Tim Griffin was installed as a U.S. Attorney, making her a central figure in the U.S. Attorney scandal. She is said to have called Bush “the most brilliant man she had ever met.”

27. Hans Von Spakovsky — Originally a political appointee in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, Spakovsky “injected partisan political factors into decision-making” and used every opportunity “to make it difficult for voters — poor, minority and Democratic — to go to the polls.” In 2008, Spakovsky withdrew his name from consideration for the FEC, following months of opposition from lawmakers and civil rights groups.

28. Tommy Franks — As head of U.S. Central Command from 2000 to 2003, Franks oversaw Osama bin Laden’s great escape from Afghanistan, gave orders for the stabilization of Iraq via PowerPoint, assumed that the U.S. would draw down to 25,000 troops by the end of 2004, and had American soldiers stand idly by as chaos and lawlessness took hold after the invasion.

29. Thomas Scully — As chief administrator for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Scully was the White House’s head negotiator on the Medicare prescription drug bill. Scully threatened to fire chief actuary Richard Foster if he revealed that Bush’s Medicare Part D legislation “would cost 25% to 50% more than the Bush administration’s public estimates.”

30. Julie MacDonald — A top Interior Department appointee, MacDonald “interjected herself personally and profoundly” and “tainted nearly every decision made on the protection of endangered species” over a five-year period, intimidating the staff with “abrupt and abrasive, if not abusive” tactics. MacDonald also leaked government documents to a young acquaintance whom she met while playing “internet role-playing games.”

31. William Haynes — As the former general counsel at the Defense Department, he was part of a five-person team of high-level administration lawyers, dubbed the “War Council,” that tossed the Geneva Conventions aside and hatched out the legal framework for torture in secret meetings.

32. David Safavian — Safavian was (twice) tried and convicted for his role in the jack Abramoff scandal. Safavian was found guilty of “lying and obstructing justice” in an attempt to cover-up “his many efforts to assist Abramoff in acquiring two properties controlled by the GSA.”

33. James Connaughton — As chairman of the White House Council of Environmental Quality, Connaughton wrote EPA press releases downplaying the danger of the air quality in lower Manhattan following 9/11. “A former lobbyist for utilities, mining, chemical, and other industrial polluters,” Connaughton insisted “there’s a lot of disagreement” about humans’ impact on global warming, and he touted a bogus study purporting to show that the 20th century was not unusually warm.

34. William Luti — A former Navy officer and Cheney aide, Luti was dispatched to the Pentagon in 2001 to work underneath Feith to find “evidence” to support his boss’s belief in conspiracy theories linking Saddam to al Qaeda. Luti was an integral component of Cheney’s campaign to pressure intelligence professionals to conform their judgments to administration policy rather than reality.

35. Susan Orr — As Assistant Deputy Secretary for Population Affairs, this former Family Research Council official It’s not a medical necessity that you have [contraception].”

36. Christopher Cox — Under Chairman Cox, the Securities and Exchange Commission censored internal reports showing that it ignored critical signs pointing to Wall Street’s meltdown. Cox’s SEC also failed to detect Bernie Madoff’s $50 billion Ponzi scheme, despite a decade of warnings.

37. Elliott Abrams — An Iran-Contra convict pardoned by Bush 41, Abrams was named by Bush 43 as the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Democracy, Human Rights, and International Operations. As a founding Israel’s 2006 bombing of Lebanon into Syria and advocated a Fatah coup after Hamas won the February 2006 Palestinian elections.

38. Philip Cooney — A former oil lobbyist who served as chief of staff of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Cooney doctored climate reports to “soften” words and phrases linking greenhouse gas emissions to global warming. After his political interference was revealed, Cooney left the White House to become a lobbyist for Exxon.

39. Colin Powell — Though Bush called him “an American hero” when he appointed him to be the first African-American Secretary of State, Powell placed an ugly “blot” on his record when he pushed the Bush administration’s faulty case for the Iraq war in a speech to the U.N. on Feb.5, 2003, using inaccurate information. Liberal hawks and the media rallied around Powell’s false case, calling it the “winning hand” for war.

40. Elaine Chao — The Labor Secretary made it through all eight years of the Bush administration, driving morale at the Labor Department so low that staffers threw a “good-riddance party” to cheer her departure. She leaves behind a “deeply troubled department” that “spent eight years attacking workers’ rights, strong workplace health and safety rules, and unions while they carried the water for Big Business.”

41. Julie Myers — After being hired as head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement based on little more than her personal connections, Myers made herself famous by awarding “Most Original Costume” to an employee who dressed up in blackface and a prison costume for Halloween. She was also heavily criticized for conducting politically-motivated immigration raids.

42. Wade Horn — As Assistant Secretary for Community Initiatives at the Department of Health and Human Services, Horn funneled millions of tax-payer dollars into right-wing abstinence-only programs. Shortly before he resigned, it was revealed that he had given nearly $1 million “to the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI), where he was the president for at least three years until joining the Bush administration in 2001.”

43. George Deutsch — As a young, inexperienced press officer for NASA, Deutsch “told public affairs workers to limit reporters’ access to a top climate scientist and told a Web designer to add the word ‘theory’ at every mention of the Big Bang.” He resigned in 2006 after it was discovered he had lied on his resume, falsely claiming that he had a journalism degree from Texas A&M.

Through the eyes of Veterans, Nicholson is a Top 10 choice for this list. Hands down at Top 10 choice!

We haven't had many positive things to say about Nicholson's reign at VA Chief.

Who is Jim Nicholson?

More on Jim Nicholson

Nicholson is the Michael Brown of veterans affairs. His primary qualification for the job was serving as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1997 to 2000, “raising close to $380 million for the 2000 cycle.” During Bush’s first term, Nicholson was rewarded with the plush ambassadorship to the Vatican; after being selected to run the VA, he promptly ranked #4 in The New Republic’s list of “the 15 biggest Bush administration hacks.”

In the wake of the Walter Reed revelations, President Bush appointed Nicholson to lead a special panel to “cut through red tape” affecting veterans. But veterans advocates say it was Nicholson’s “inept management of the VA [that] has lead to the red tape.” ABC News revealed last week that Nicholson shelved a program that could have avoided many of the bureaucratic delays plaguing injured vets because of its cost — less than $1 million.

Nicholson was also a strong advocate for the privatization of the VA.

How this clown fell through the cracks...

Gitmo going out of business sale!

Enjoy

Vote Vets with some VA suggestions

Vote Vets, an organization that focuses on education and advocacy on issues of importance to the troops and veterans, and holding politicians accountable for their actions on these issues, published the letter they sent to President Elect Obama.

On recommendations to make the Veterans Administration better...

1. Lack of easy access should be met with more VA hospitals and clinics and/or ability to get care elsewhere.

Many of the veterans who responded noted the long travel times veterans face in getting care, especially in rural areas. While many veterans called for more facilities to be built, a good number showed interest in veterans’ health care being folded into any national health care reform that the Obama Administration may address.

While none of the veterans suggested privatization of the VA, or doing away with it, a good number expressed interest in allowing veterans to receive care at a local non-VA facility if the closest VA center doesn’t offer the service they need, or is simply too inconvenient.

2. Prescriptions are often too expensive for many vets to afford

One of the most frequent complaints was the cost of prescription drugs. Obviously, this isn’t an issue only faced by veterans, it is a national issue which may be addressed as part of a larger health care reform package.

However, during the interim, the VA should address the cost of prescriptions for many of America’s veterans. Cost prohibitive drugs seem to force veterans to choose between medicine and other necessities.

Though the department may see the cost as reasonable, our veterans specifically pointed to low-income veterans being at a significant disadvantage. One veteran wrote, “One of the things that I object to is the price of medications charged by the VA. The jump from $2 to $8 was outrageous.”

A second veteran wrote to us, “I am a low income senior, little over $11,000 per year and I am charged $8.00/ 30 supply of medication. I think this is a damn shame.”

Another wrote, “The price for maintenance drugs are more than Blue Cross/ Blue Shield per month. Why?”

3. Emergency services need to be covered.

As one veteran wrote to us, “The Vet in need in an emergency situation should be able to go to the nearest outside the VA hospital without question. And without having to worry they may have to foot the bill at the emergency room they must to go to. None of this getting permission from the VA to go to an outside the VA facility for emergency treatment. Or, as they say, without permission you may have to pay!”

This was an often repeated suggestion from our veterans, some who noted the lack of emergency rooms at the local VA centers, leaving a hospital as the only option, with no guarantee that emergency service costs will be reimbursed by the VA.

4. Advocates are needed.

While an incredibly small number of veterans had a negative thing to say about VA workers and advocates, the difficulty they have in getting updates from the VA, or even reaching someone familiar with their case, is frustrating.

One veteran passed on this story, “My frustration is when I need to get in touch with my practitioner between appointments. It is a convoluted process that takes most of the day. You call, leave a message. Someone has four hours to return you call. Then, it is not your care giver. It is an employee who takes your information and sends an email to your care team. The nurse in the clinic reads the email and then I don't know what happens. I have never been successful in contacting my nurse practitioner. I realize that if we had direct access, they would never get a thing done except answering phone calls. They just need to find a better system. I'm sure I am not the only one frustrated.”

Suggestions most heard were appointing a permanent representative to handle your casework, to giving veterans legal representation, if they need to go to court to get the benefits they believe they deserve.

Additionally, it would make things easier for Veterans and VA staff if there was a system that was in place for the employees to identify themselves to the patients. This would aid in patients being able to know who they are talking to and to communicate to other VA employees later. An identification number that is required to be given would be a good idea.

5. Streamline and make the disability process easier to understand.

Confusion and frustration also was incredibly heated from our veterans when it came to the disability rating process. In short, most of our veterans didn’t understand it, and if they did, it was a painstaking process to figure it out.

Whether it was a rating for a physical condition, or a mental injury such as PTSD, many veterans report not understanding why they received the rating they did, or why their injuries were deemed less severe than when evaluated by an outside practitioner.

These problems were not due to new veterans simply unfamiliar with the system. We received feedback from Vietnam War Veterans who still do not understand the disability process.

General Shinseki, who is Obama's nomination for VA Chief, will have to lead the VA through this transformational period of time. He's well primed for it, based on his success in transforming some of the "heavy" armor/infantry units in the Army to a more mobile force of Strykers.

While not popular at first, especially to this old Bradley Master Gunner, his vision has proven correct.

I think he's a good man to fix what's ailing our nations Veteran's and the changes addressed by Vote Vets are desperately needed.

Dille to introduce bill to discontinue PCR program

From an op-ed by Senator Dille in the McLeod County Chronicle.

I will introduce a bill to discontinue the Political Contributions Refund (PCR) Program this session, saving Minnesota approximately $12 million during the next biennium.

This program reimburses Minnesota citizens up to $50 per year who donate to political candidates running for governor, lieutenant governor, auditor, attorney general, secretary of state, state senator or state house of representatives. This reimbursement is also available for donations made to the Republican, DFL, Independent or Green Party.

This is the way it works: a Minnesota citizen sends $50 to a party or candidate. A receipt and special form are sent to the donor who fills out the form and sends both to the Minnesota Department of Revenue. In four to eight weeks, the donor receives a $50 check from the taxpayers of Minnesota.

This program was established in 1990 and also set campaign spending and donation limits. The goal was to decrease the influence of special interests.

Some believe campaigns should be funded entirely with public money. So far, no other state has established a similar program.

Minnesota is facing at least a $5 billion deficit in the biennium beginning July 1. Our state constitution requires a balanced budget. To accomplish this, many programs must end or be cut back.

This is one that should end. It is one $12 million step on the long road we will travel this session to balance the state's $35 billion biennial budget.

Interesting.

I'm not sure that I support this cut, but I suppose we should have everything open for a closer examination.

Cutting this program would ensure that career politicians are able to keep their "career" as a legislator. Senator Dille is an honorable man, but I'm not 100% certain that this cut will make things better. Incumbents are already tough enough to defeat.

For the most part, money in the Legislative races is pretty clean. We have limits on spending and individual contribution limits to level the playing field. The PCR program feeds off of this. Cutting the PCR program could taint the political contribution process in Minnesota.

That's not a good thing...

Shinseki to lead VA

It was news weeks ago, but I haven't seen much of a focus in our neck of the woods. I think it's a good choice.

The Army Times has a good commentary on his selection.

Enjoy...

Shinseki as VA secretary

Nominating retired Army Gen. Eric Shinseki as secretary of veterans affairs is the latest bold move by President-elect Barack Obama to reassure troops and veterans that he intends to look out for their welfare.

Like his decisions to keep Defense Secretary Robert Gates in that job and naming retired Marine Commandant Gen. James Jones as his national security adviser, Obama’s nomination of the former Army chief of staff to lead VA has the potential to prove similarly inspired.

Shinseki served for 38 years, despite losing part of a foot to a land mine in Vietnam. As a combat veteran and a disabled veteran, he has instant credibility as VA secretary.

But in his years as Army chief of staff, Shinseki showed a quirk that could work against him at VA — he sometimes went into a defensive crouch when his views and decisions were criticized.

When he decided in 2000 that all soldiers would wear black berets, for example, his refusal to define his reasons for such a dramatic change and to make any effort to sell it to his troops led to a public relations fiasco that dragged out for many months.

Shinseki resisted commenting to the media and even Congress; it took a subpoena to get him to Capitol Hill to discuss the issue.

In 2003, his statement to lawmakers that “several hundred thousand troops” would be needed to occupy Iraq brought a humiliating public rebuke from former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who wanted a much smaller force for that mission.

While hindsight has shown that Shinseki’s views were right on the mark, he refused to defend himself at the time and quietly retired a few months later.

But a small vignette at the chief of staff’s annual holiday party in 2000 at his personal quarters on Fort Myer, Va., illuminates another side of Shinseki.

During the party, attended by many top-level Pentagon officials and members of the media, Shinseki was introduced to the wife of an Army Times editor. In the ensuing small talk, she mentioned that her father also was a Vietnam veteran.

Shinseki left his own party, bounded upstairs and returned with one of the commemorative coins that senior military leaders hand out on their official travels. He gave it to his guest and asked that she present it to her father, with thanks from the Army chief of staff for his wartime service.

That tale highlights Shinseki’s deep bond with those who serve. But the job of VA secretary is a far cry from that of a general who issues orders with impunity and expects them to be followed without question or dissent.

VA receives heavy, constant scrutiny both from Congress and from the many advocacy groups for veterans and their families — and for good reason. In recent years, VA has endured a string of embarrassing problems, including badly underfunded budgets and a health care system still struggling to accommodate the swelling ranks of disabled veterans from the current wars.

Personal data on millions of veterans has gone missing, documents to verify benefits claims have been trashed and a stubborn mountain of 400,000 backlogged benefits claims has resisted all efforts to reduce it.

Shinseki can expect to take frequent flak on these and other issues. To effectively lead VA in confronting the challenges, he can’t go into bunker mode; he must publicly and forcefully make the case for getting VA the resources required to fully serve the needs of our veterans — and then work to build consensus to make it happen.

If he does that, he has the opportunity to become a truly transformational leader at VA.

MIchele Bachmann is a Liar

Not that this is breaking news or anything, but the Congresswoman flat out lied on Fox and Friends.



One of Bachmann's erroneous claims: "I read one story that said in 28 precincts there were more votes than voters".

Recall that we talked about this rumor about a week ago, although over the past week, Congresswoman Bachmann has grown this myth by 3 precincts.

We thought those numbers seem pretty fishy at the time. I have a hard time believing that the Secretary of State and the State Canvassing Board would let something like that fly.

They didn't and Flash had the scoop last week on what really happened.

Of the few nits that Senator Coleman is going to pick in his election contest, the ONLY one that has caught my eye is the charge of duplicate counting, specifically with regard to more votes than voters. Only ONE precinct in the entire state, has more votes cast, than voters signed in on the rolls.

I had to dig around, at first, to find info on the only precinct whose numbers seemed very screwy. I found this article from early December that talks about the tumult in that precinct. A machine malfunction that snow balled due to human error.

The Machine malfunction causes 171 ballots to not get counted that night because there were never rerun through the machine after a counter was fixed.

Seems like a pretty plausible explanation to me.

The Big E has the scoop on Bachmann's other ludicrous statements during the interview as well...

So, can any of Bachmann's supporters or the Congresswoman herself please show us the 25 or 28 Minnesota precincts where more votes were counted than voters registered?

Cold War North Dakota

Growing up in North Dakota, I was fascinated with the funny looking radar tower near Finley and the missile silos near Golden Lake.

It was said on many occasions that if North Dakota were a sovereign nation, that it would have had the 3rd most nuclear weapons in the world.

Anyway, googling around the net tonight, I came across a map of the old missile silo's in Eastern North Dakota.

Kind of interesting for military junkies like me!

Dille Law Faces Challenge

Senator Steve Dille wrote a bill in 2006, at the request of local Eden Valley citizens, to restrict a strip club that had popped up on the outskirts of town. By the time our own State Senate campaign kicked off in 2006, the club had been closed.

Seems like a southern Minnesota club is fighting Dille's bill.

The owner of the proposed Pussycat Cabaret wants an injunction against the city, as well as a temporary restraining order preventing Zumbro Falls from enforcing the state law, which another federal judge had warned was likely unconstitutional.

"Until we drive a stake through the heart of this statute, any future adult business that opens up is going to have to comply with it or file a suit to get it enjoined," said Randall D.B. Tigue, the Golden Valley attorney representing the business, owned by Shakiba Laura Dewitz, of Rochester, Minn.

Tigue said that if U.S. District Judge Joan Ericksen rules in their favor after Wednesday's hearing, "My guess is the business would open the day we got a restraining order. They have dancers ready to go."

But Zumbro Falls Mayor Alan VanDeWalker said the city intends to battle the club, even though the cost of a legal fight "is going to put our small city in a very tough financial situation."

The restrictions in the law?

Unless a municipality writes its own ordinances governing adult-oriented businesses, state law applies. The state law was authored by State Sen. Steve Dille, R-Dassel, in 2006 and severely restricts establishments offering adult entertainment.

Among other things, the law says an adult business has to give the a city 60 days' notice before applying for a permit to operate. It also prohibits such businesses from being within 500 feet of residential property, 1,500 feet of other adult businesses or 2,800 feet of a school or place of worship; they can be open only between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. and must be closed Sundays.

In other words...virtually every small town in Minnesota is covered under this law.

Agree or disagree?

In light of the poor economy and financial crunch faced by Minnesota's small towns, could this law end up hurting the same towns it's meant to protect? Litigation is very costly, could it cost these small towns vital employees and services fighting these battles?

My point of contention with the law is consistency. Feeding off the Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) mentality.

Got a large feedlot that not only stinks to high hell, but pollutes the ground water in the area as well? That's ok, they have to go somewhere right?

Not that I care if Eden Valley has, had or wants an adult entertainment facility. I'd just ask for some consistency.

Another Soldier Suicide

Stories like this have a great impact on me.

They haunt me.

They hurt.

The story is about a soldier who committed suicide at an Army base I was stationed at for 5 years, Fort Lewis, Washington.

A cook at the dining facility, Barber sat in his truck wearing battle fatigues, earplugs and a camouflage hood on his head. He had an arsenal: seven loaded guns, nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition, knives in his pockets. On the front seat, an AK-47 had a bullet in the chamber.

The "smell of death" he experienced in Iraq continued to haunt him, his wife says. He was embittered about the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that crippled him, the Army's failure to treat it, and the strains the disorder put on his marriage.

Despite the firepower he brought with him, Barber, 31, took only one life that day. He killed himself with a shot to the head.

"He went to Fort Lewis to kill himself to prove a point," Kelly Barber says. " 'Here I am. I was a soldier. You guys didn't help me.' "

For two days, a surveillance camera recorded the truck sitting in the Madigan Army Medical Center parking lot. Inside the truck, the body lay undisturbed.

If Josh Barber wanted his suicide to make a statement, no one seemed to notice.

This story is far too common amongst combat veterans.

A record number of soldiers, Marines and combat veterans who have killed themselves in recent years, at a time when the Pentagon has stretched deployments for combat troops to meet President Bush's security plans in Iraq. The Marine Corps reported 41 actual or suspected suicides in 2008, a 20% increase over 33 in 2007. In 2007, the Army counted 115 suicides, the most since tracking began in 1980. By October 2008, that record had been surpassed with 117 soldier suicides. Final numbers for 2008 have not been released.

These numbers do not reflect those no longer on Active Duty and are significantly higher than any projections.

Remember, 58,195 names of those killed in the Vietnam War are etched in stone in Washington DC. If we accounted for the suicides of those brave Veterans, we'd add 200,000 names to that wall.

Dealing with the mental health issues for our soldiers and Veterans is a top priority for me and yet another reason I support elected officials like Congressman Tim Walz. As a Veteran himself, he gets it.

Adding satellite clinics and ensuring better access to facilities and benefits is only one step in working to curb the excessive amount of soldier suicides.

The "warrior mentality" is also adds to the problem. After years of training as an Infantryman and having led Infantry platoons in South Korea, Fort Lewis, and Fort Hood, I can attest to a mentality that exists with those that fight, those that serve.

While on active duty, my focus was narrow. I was an Infantryman, I was mentally hardened to not show pain and complete the mission at any cost. My superiors trained me this way over the years and I passed that onto my soldiers.

Going to the TMC (Troop Medical Center) for illness or injury showed weakness. It was a harsh stereotype. At morning formations, I would have to report the number of subordinates that were at sick call, everyday. It made you just want to "suck it up and drive on".

I believe that this mentality has led to a significant number of solider suicides. This macho guise that we always put on, no matter the time or place.

It reminds me a lot of the Minnesota Veteran, Jonathan Schulze, who committed suicide almost 2 years ago.

So much to work on here...I'm just praying that someday we'll truly learn from each of these tragic episodes...

On Voting Present

Seems as though some right wing bloggers are getting their collective panties in a bunch over Congressman Ellison and Congresswoman McCollum voting "Present" on resolution supporting the right of Israel to defend itself as well as supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

The biggest problem with their actions on this vote is that a “present” vote might as well be a “no” vote. They did not have the backbone to just turn their back on Israel, they instead took the cowards way out.

If rockets were flying into the United States, would Ellison and McCollum vote present?

Really Ryan? Does anyone believe that Congressman Ellison and Congresswoman McCollum would vote "Present" if rockets were flying into the United States?

We'll play Ryan's little game here.

Back last May, I reported that Congresswoman Bachmann and Congressman Kline voted "Present" on a pretty important defense and Veterans bill.

What did they vote "Present" on?

Anybody remember the horrific conditions our Veterans were housed in at Walter Reed?

What about the recent Fort Bragg housing problems?

The amendment offered $500 million for Facilities Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization (FSRM).

$3.6 Billion to address the increasing price of fuel and other petroleum products. Keep in mind, a Bradley Fighting Vehicle gets just over 2 miles per gallon of JP-8 Diesel and an M1 Tank less than a mile a gallon!

$65.4 million for the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program helps members of the National Guard and Reserve transition from combat to civilian life. With the enormous increase in Veteran suicides, programs like this save lives.

$52 million to hire more than 200 additional contract managers to prevent waste, fraud and abuse in Department of Defense contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

$102 million for "Land Warrior" equipment to equip one "next to deploy'' brigade combat team with Land Warrior equipment sets.

$6 billion for the procurement of combat aircraft.

Overall, the recommendations total $96,622,127,000 and are structured to maximize support to our men and women in uniform. They meet important force protection, equipment and personnel needs, while fully funding the operational requirements to conduct the Global War on Terror.

And Bachmann and Kline voted "Present".

So, what offends you more? Congressman Ellison and Congresswoman McCollum voting "Present" on a resolution supporting Israel?

Or

Bachmann and Kline voting against funding to support soldiers and Veterans?

At least Ellison and McCollum have the courage to tell us why they voted "Present".

Cowards like Bachmann and Kline vote "Present" and won't tell you why...

Vote for Army of Dude!

Those that have followed BMRD know my respect and admiration for the military blog, Army of Dude.

I've followed AoD from his days in Iraq, his return to Fort Lewis (my old stomping grounds for 5 years) and his exit from the Army.

It cracks me up on a regular basis. I read his stories and can think of countless times in which I've experienced the same or similar things.

The whole ambidextrous rifle thing. Been there...I'm a lefty too. Nothing like smoking hot casing being ejected and getting caught in the chinstrap of the K-pot.

It's awesome!

AoD has a great story about him...well...landing in a river of crap.

It reminded me of a fond Fort Lewis moment. Back when I was an Infantry Squad Leader, we had a training exercise on Fort Lewis where we did a bunch of day and night ambushes, movement to contact, raids, MOUT training, and all sorts of other fun stuff.

I had a guy named Sergeant Cipiti who was my A team leader and was the point man for our squad. When we operated, we pretty much strictly used hand and arm signals. A closed fist meant "freeze", a hand motioning across the throat meant "danger area", etc. etc.

The signal that leads to this story is the signal for pace count. You tap the heel of your boot in order to determine the "pace count", or how far a squad had travelled.

Sergeant Cipiti had initiated this signal and it was passed back through the squad.

Dusk had just fallen and we were on our way to the objective. We performed our raid flawlessly and went to our after actions review soon after.

Things were not right though.

One of my soldier's uttered the phrase, "ok, who shit" once we got into the tent. It's pretty common to be gassy, especially after a week of MRE's and T-rations. But this was something much...much different.

I look at Sergeant Cipiti and discover he's covered in shit. The stock and receiver of his M4, his gloves, the front of his Load Bearing Vest, and the bottoms of his boots. How he didn't notice this before, I have no idea, perhaps he was in denial.

And then the hazing began...

Our commander told him to wipe the "shit eating grin off his face" and the fun and jokes began to dominate our AAR.



He gladly took Sergeant Cipiti back to the cantonment area for a quick shower though.

Army of Dude has a knack for telling stories, great Army stories. I don't miss the Army. I miss the soldiers, their dedication and the good times.

A big thank you to Army of Dude and the other military blogs out there!

Now got vote for Army of Dude!

Public Enemy #1

Ok, maybe not this Public Enemy. I highly doubt we'll see a Senator Franken type "Flavor of Love" show on MTV.

Yahoo had a headline up that caught my eye this morning, although it's a Politico story.

"GOP sees Franken as top public enemy"

Heck, they even quoted our friend Ron Carey, Chair of the Minnesota GOP.

“I don’t know if we’ve ever had an opponent who is so disliked by Republicans as Al Franken,” said Minnesota Republican Party Chair Ron Carey, who cautioned that Coleman’s election challenge could still turn the results back his way. “It’s one thing to lose to an honorable opponent, but Al Franken is not considered an honorable opponent by Minnesota Republicans.”

Honorable opponent? Really?

Readers know that I was not the biggest Al Franken fan. He had some serious flaws in my eyes and I was 225 votes off on my unelectable stance. I was wrong and have no regrets.

Back to his notion of an "honorable opponent". I don't know how Carey does it. Spewing his rhetoric out of one side of the mouth, but then praising the likes of Brian Davis, Congressman John Kline and Congresswoman Bachmann.

Where is the honor behind the lies and deceit towards Congressman Tim Walz?

Does anyone recall the atrocious attacks by Congressman Kline and his campaign against Collen Rowley?

And what about Bachmann and her "un-American" comments?

Honor...pretty easy to claim on the losing end of a campaign. "At least I had my honor".

The 2008 US Senate race was easily the most negative race in Minnesota political history. Norm Coleman played a pretty vital role in the negative nature of the race. In fact, Coleman got so desperate that he, wink wink, "called the dogs off" late in the race and attempted to run a positive campaign.

He should have learned from Mark Kennedy...

One of our favorite State Rep's joined the fray as well.

“It’s going to be hard for Franken to be very effective with any Republicans, in terms of having any credibility with us, just because he’s been so nasty in the past,” Seifert said. “He certainly has callous and very partisan behavior in the past that is beyond the pale.”

Ok...Marty Seifert is calling another politician "callous and very partisan"?

Anyone recall Sefiert comparing to President Bush's approval rating to a STD?

Rep. Seifert expounded on a number of reasons and at some point in this list said that it didn’t help that “the President’s approval ratings are right there with gonorrhea.”

Seifert's actions against the "override six" last year are the epitome of "callous and very partisan".

As I read through the story this morning, the names of those interviewed for the story really caught my eye.

Mike Hatch, Matt Entenza, Marty Seifert, Ron Carey, Joe Repya and Tim Penny.

Two scandal ridden Democrats, a sharp tongued Minority Leader, the GOP Party Chair, and the crazy Colonel who attempted a coup de tat of the aforementioned GOP Party Chair, and a former DFL Congressman, turned IP Party Gubernatorial candidate.

And here I thought Flavor of Love was entertaining...