Indpendent Review (Litchfield) questions Senator Newman's story

Senator Newman needs to answer some serious questions.  Barricading himself in his office does nothing...

It should surprise no one that DFL senators have requested an ethics investigation of Sen. Scott Newman, R-Hutchinson, on the grounds that he violated the public trust and brought dishonor to the Senate.

What isn’t so clear is whether such an investigation is worth the time, effort and potential distraction it could create for a Legislature that has enough on its plate simply trying to figure out how to dig its way out of a $6.2 billion budget hole.

That’s not to say we think Newman should receive a free pass. While some seem ready to accept the former administrative law judge’s explanation of miscommunication with his legislative assistant, we think he owes his constituents more.

After the Minnesota Nurses Association requested a meeting with the freshman senator, his office sent an e-mail saying he “will not see any organizations that donated to/supported his opponent Hal Kimball.”

This line alone could be explained away as a misunderstanding between Newman and his assistant. But the e-mail goes on to say that, “After some careful checking, I discovered that the MNA had donated to Kimball’s campaign.”

That’s the line that should trouble residents of Senate District 18 and Newman’s peers in the Senate, because it indicates something more was going on. We would prefer to believe Newman isn’t keeping an “enemies” list, but the fact that his legislative assistant did some “careful checking” and found the MNA had donated to Kimball’s campaign alludes to something more than a miscommunication. Either the assistant was told by Newman to check, or she did that investigation on her own.

Neither answer reflects well on Newman. Still, his constituents should hear something more by way of explanation than the “I should be giving clearer instructions” line Newman offered last week. He was elected to represent all of District 18, not just those who voted for him.

The senator and his Republican colleagues would like the whole matter to just go away. Republican Party Chairman Tony Sutton called the DFL senators’ request for an ethics investigation frivolous and “politically motivated.”

We would agree it could be politically motivated. But frivolous? The suggestion that a senator and/or his office staff keeps a list of those who don’t support him as a way to determine who he will and will not meet with should concern everyone.

It is a misperception — we hope — that Newman should want to clear up as quickly as he possibly can, and in greater detail than simply indicating he “should be giving clearer instructions” to his staff.

Devoting time to an ethics investigation and possible hearings probably would be a waste of time, as the Republican majority seems unlikely to censure one of its own over this issue.

However, Newman needs to make a better accounting of himself and assure his constituents that something like this will not happen again.

Until he does, Newman leaves the door open to skepticism about his ability to represent all people in his district and willingness to work with those who have opposing views.

Dille wil be missed

An op-ed in the West Central News Tribune

Sen. Steve Dille announced earlier this week that he would not seek re-election in 2010. The veteran Republican senator will serve during the 2010 Minnesota legislative session.

Dille will be missed in the Legislature.

A veterinarian and farmer from Dassel, Dille has served diligently and well — first in the House for six years and then for 17 years in the Senate. He has a good temperament that has served his constituents, his district and his party well.

Unfortunately, Dille is a moderate in a district where some in the Republican Party are moving farther to the right. This moderate senator was facing opposition within his district from party activists, who were not very tolerant of some of his moderate stands.

It is unfortunate when intolerance runs anyone out of either major political party.

Dille was brave and he was right for taking a stand for outstate Minnesota when he voted to override Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s veto of the transportation bill, which included a gas tax. All of Minnesota needed this investment in our infrastructure.

Dille authored the Freedom to Breathe Act, supported and signed by Pawlenty, that banned smoking in bars and restaurants. This was the right move for Minnesota.

Overall, Dille has been supportive of the Republican caucus for the majority of the time. Senate Minority Leader David Senjem of Rochester released a statement commending Dille for both his service and temperament.

However, Dille is 64 and has others things he wants to pursue in life. We understand that.

We are glad Dille will still serve through another session in the Legislature. Moreover, we wish him well in his new pursuits in life.

Senator Dille was forced out

I had heard on numerous occasions that Senator Dille was being forced out...now the proof.

"The far right wing has basically taken over the Republican Party in my district," Dille said. "They're not very tolerant of some of the votes I've taken over the years."

Senate Minority Leader David Senjem of Rochester issued a statement praising Dille for his service and temperament, but a local party leader in Dille's district had a different take on Dille.

"He's an honorable man, but it was time for him to go," said Doug Krueger, first vice chairman of the McLeod County Republican Party. "He's a moderate. I'm ... a conservative first and a Republican second. So I'm pushing for candidates that are conservative."

Conservative first, Republican second, the people of SD 18 third is how that should have read.

"I'm really disgusted with Republicans not stepping up to the plate on this transportation issue," said Dille, the ranking minority member on agricultural committees.

Most of the criticism of the Senator is based on his transportation bill vote which contained a gas tax increase. I'll remind readers yet again that Dille always said he would support an increase. He said he would support it and didn't cave when political pressure mounted.

Rep Urdahl also said he would support this bill, eventually voted for it, but put his party ahead of his district and voted to sustain the Governor's veto.

With rumors rampant about who will run in SD 18, with this seat being open for the first time in 24 years, does anyone think the local GOP will run anyone short of a far right wing conservative?

Lack of health care killed 2,266 Veterans last year

This just pisses me off...

The number of US veterans who died in 2008 because they lacked health insurance was 14 times higher than the US military death toll in Afghanistan that year, according to a new study.

Veterans Day for me is a time to reflect.

I reflect on the good times and the great times of my 11 years of Active Duty military service.

I remember my friends that are no longer with us.

I think about the men and women who suffered through so much that they felt the only choice they had was to take their own life.

I think about all of those homeless Veterans out there, struggling day to day.

And I realize just how lucky I am...

Federal Regulators Close Kiffmeyer Bank

State Representative and staunch "fiscal conservative" Mary Kiffmeyer's bank was closed and sold by Federal regulators. Her bank failure cost taxpayers $20 million.

Problems were initially reported in June of this past year.

Former Secretary of State, Mary Kiffmeyer, who used the phrase "Integrity Counts" as her campaign slogan and embraces a limited role of government. So its a little ironic that the feds had to shut her bank down.

This little bit from the Strib story really caught my eye...

Early in its life, Riverview had a reputation for mixing faith and finance. Chuck Ripka, one of the bank's founders, once told the Star Tribune that God spoke to him and said, "Chuck, if you pastor the bank, I'll take care of the bottom line." Ripka and his staff would pray with customers in the bank's Otsego branch and even at the drive-up window. In a 2004 New York Times story, Ripka said he occasionally slipped up and said, "Come on over to the church -- I mean the bank."

Faith is a great thing. Feeding off of one's faith to push people to your bank is sad and wrong...especially when "Integrity Counts".

Bachmann on Hannity, but no WCCO

Senator Clark in the NY Times!

It's always good getting some national exposure!

Minnesota 2010 Democrats are, of course, coming up with their own 2010 hitlist and Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann might as well have a bull’s-eye on her forehead, especially now that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is supposedly out of the picture, writes Politico. The Democratic Party is doubling efforts to oust her in the upcoming election, backing state Senator Tarryl Clark, a potential gubernatorial candidate “widely regarded as a political heavy-hitter.”

And no vague descriptions of Maureen Reed...

Fargo Forum: "Peterson Tells It Like It Is"

I'm up in Fargo for the weekend and as we sat in out hotel bar last night, I caught this op ed in the Fargo Forum.

Republicans in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District think they have been handed a club they can use to beat up Congressman Collin Peterson. Not gonna happen.

The ever-candid Peterson said Monday that he doesn’t hold town meetings in the district because “25 percent of my people believe the Pentagon and (then-Defense Secretary) Rumsfeld were responsible for taking the Twin Towers down” on Sept. 11, 2001. The comment was immediately seized upon by state GOP Chairman Tony Sutton, who called it “really bizarre.” Sutton said the comment should help Republicans recruit candidates to run against Peterson.

Good luck with that, Tony.

Fact is, many people in the pool Sutton would plumb for candidates believe what Peterson said they believe about the 2001 terrorist attacks. Peterson, who knows the 7th very well, might have been exaggerating by saying 25 percent of his constituents subscribe to such nonsense, but enough do so that open town meetings could very well deteriorate into nut-fests. Later he expanded his initial comments by noting that people on the far right and far left “try to hijack public forums like town meetings.” Anyone who’s been to one of those meetings knows the congressman has it right.

What’s “really bizarre,” as Sutton put it, is that Republicans apparently don’t recognize that Peterson’s tendency to speak his mind – whether about Fargo-Moorhead flood control or the fringe folks in his district – is one of his political strengths. He might ruffle feathers, but his appeal to voters in the 7th is as strong as ever. Indeed, no matter who Republicans run against him, he wins by margins so wide that an impressive number of Republicans have to be voting for him.

If the best Sutton and his minions can do is hang their election hopes on a frank and honest comment by Peterson, the congressman will run up another landslide win in 2010.

A pretty harsh indictment on Brodkorb and Sutton's faulty tactics, if I do say so myself!

Hasselbeck PWNED by Jesse Ventura

Oh damn this was a great exchange. Man I like Jesse Ventura...

Bachmann paraphrased

What she said...

“I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president Jimmy Carter,” said Bachmann. “And I’m not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it’s an interesting coincidence.”

What she meant...

"God is punishing America and the world for the election of a black socialist."

Nevermind the fact that Bachmann lied again...

And our answer to the Michele Bachmann pandemic was Elwyn Tinklenberg, and could well be the same answer in 2010.

Maybe I'll move to the 7th...

Startribune's half-assed attempt to correct Bachmann's remarks

Can't find it on line, but caught this at the bottom of OP 2 today in the Startribune

TO OUR READERS

In an April 7 opinion piece Rep. Michele Bachmann wrote that the average American household would see its annual energy bill increase by $3,128 if President Obama's cap-and-trade policies were adopted. Bachmann cited an analysis by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In a letter and a follow up to Rep John Boehner, R-Ohio, MIT senior lecturer John Reilly said the figure, which was distributed by the National Republican Congressional Committee, is inaccurate.

To read the Bachmann commentary, Boehner's explanation of the $3,128 estimate and Reilly's letters addressing the topic go to startribune.com/opinion.

Actually, in Reilly's letter, he calls the Republican spin on cap-and-trade "misleading".

misleading

adjective
designed to deceive or mislead either deliberately or inadvertently;
"the deceptive calm in the eye of the storm"; "deliberately deceptive packaging"; "a misleading similarity"; "statistics can be presented in ways that are misleading"; "shoddy business practices"

Bachmann, Boehner, and the rest of the GOP clan have set out to deliberately distort the impact of Obama's energy policy by fear mongering.

Meanwhile, a more local paper has had enough of Bachmann's antics.

Witness comments she made to out-of-state media about a proposal to expand AmeriCorps: “The real concern is that there are provisions for what I would call re-education camps for young people, where young people have to go and get trained in a philosophy that the government puts forward ... It is a dream come true for people who want to transform our country from a free-market economy to a centralized, government-planned economy.”

Re-education camps? Really? This is vintage Bachmann. She provides no details, no proof, nothing of substance. At best, it’s extremism. Really, it’s more fear-mongering.

Making matters worse is that when confronted about her own words, she responds in themes ranging from “I misspoke” to “blame the media” or even silence. (Think “I know how the Iran war will end” and her four-day lag last fall between questioning the patriotism of her peers, only to explain it as “I was trapped” by those evil partisan talk shows. Never mind that it was her 20something appearance.)

This board has never been a supporter of Bachmann, but it was willing to treat her tactics and outlandish statements as errors in judgment and/or a need to get noticed. Sadly, we’ve had enough.

Two straight years of her consistently spewing misleading snippets about important issues yet never stepping beyond those statements to find realistic solutions make it clear she is all about extremism and cares nothing about crafting viable public policy.

Kudos to the St Cloud Times for taking on Bachmann and her lies!

Why Journalism Is Dying: Bachmann lies go untold in Startribune

In case you missed it, Congresswoman Bachmann had her first townhall forums since she was first elected in 2006, some 27 months ago. We can debate later on whether or not these were actual forums or just fact free taxpayer paid re-education events.

The Big E over at MPP contacted the Startribune writer for the Bachmann "coverage".

"This was a breaking story," he told me. "This was not the place of analysis of the scholarship of what they said or lack thereof. We don't have the space to do that kind of analysis."

"Analysis of the truth of what they are saying would make a tedious article," he continued.

So the Startribune doesn't have the time nor the space to report the truth?

They have plenty of time and space to talk about cleaning cabins, ridding them of mice and getting them ready for the upcoming cabin season but no time or space to expose a member of Congress with a fetish for lying?

What's the role of a newspaper then? What should a real journalist be doing?

Fortunately, Google gave me a few ideas on what the role of a newspaper is.

Newspapers keep the people informed about the political activities of their government. They give in detail the statements of speeches made by the rulers at public meetings of on the radio of television. They also report the activities of political parties and leaders. Standard newspapers criticize the policies and statements of the government or of the political parties in a fair (just) way.

But according to Bill McAuliffe, the coverage of Bachmann's first townhall forum in 27 months in office, was not worthy of the time or the space to actually fact check her and her taxpayer funded speakers statements. It would be too tedious?

I'd expect a journalist like Bill McAuliffe to expose a lie by any member of our Congressional delegation, Democrat or Republican.

It's not like were asking him to fact check a city council budget discussion in Maple Lake. This is a member of Congress, one of 435 elected leaders in the House. What these people say carries a lot of weight, people listen to members of Congress.

Honestly, I'm more ticked off about what Big E reported than the fact that Bill McAuliffe failed the readers of the Startribune. It's the nonchalant attitude of it all that really pisses me off.

Consider my dead tree subscription to the Startribune cancelled.

Bachmann Event Photo Captions

From the SC Times.


"The power of Christ compels you!"

"These aren't the droids you're looking for."

Can anyone name the blogger in this Startribune photo? BTW, I know who you are!

Crazy Flood Letter of the Day

It's actually a couple of days old now, but nonetheless, it's crazy!

Flood punishes the sins of Fargo

The Red River is predicted to go higher than it did in 1997 and second highest to 1897 and, Lord willing, it won’t be an unmanageable flood.

By: David A. Habiger, Amenia, N.D.

The Red River is predicted to go higher than it did in 1997 and second highest to 1897 and, Lord willing, it won’t be an unmanageable flood.

I am one of many who believe the flood of ’97 and the flood to come and our crumbling economy is our punishment for the horrible sin of abortion – the terrible cruel taking of our innocent precious brothers and sisters.

These floods are Fargo’s punishment for allowing that abortion mill to continue to operate a half-block from The Forum. We hopefully will hold the floodwater back this time, but not forever to once again get God’s blessings and rid America and Fargo of the likes of these abortionists and support Rep. Dan Ruby’s 1572 Bill to save the child in its mother’s womb to challenge Roe v. Wade. God will punish all for the terrible sin of abortion.

Wow...

A little Google search of David Habiger brought some rather disturbing stories.

From an Eight Circuit Court of Appeals Judgement rejecting Habiger's appeal for an arrest after his violation of a temporary restraining order.

In its opinion, the North Dakota Supreme Court described the events leading up to the issuance of the TRO:

Since 1981, the Fargo Women's Health Organization

has operated a clinic which provides a full range of

gynecological medical services including first trimester

abortions. Approximately 75 demonstrations by

anti-abortion protestors have been held in the vicinity

of the clinic. It appears that most of these

demonstrations were peaceful, consisting of picketing,

leafleting, and speaking to people in the area near the

clinic. Beginning March 29, 1991, the character of the

protests changed. On that day, 26 people stormed the

clinic, broke down a door, occupied its rooms, and locked

themselves together using bicycle locks. The

demonstrators refused to leave, were arrested, and were

removed by Fargo police after their locks were removed by

a locksmith.


On nine other occasions in the ensuing seven months,

demonstrators were arrested for criminal acts committed

in conjunction with anti-abortion protests. As a result

of these actions, patients were confronted and jostled as

they attempted to walk to the clinic. Some patients were

able to reach the clinic only with the assistance of

volunteer "escorts" or professional security officers who

walked them through groups of hostile, screaming

protestors that surrounded them, stood in their way,

forced leaflets into patients' hands and otherwise

impeded patients' access to the clinic. Protestors

struck, pushed, and threatened escorts and guards with

physical harm. One protestor was arrested trying to

climb the clinic's fence in order to reach a patient

using the clinic's rear entrance.


Patients who attempted to drive to the clinic were

confronted at the entrance to the clinic parking lot.

Protestors stood in the way of the cars, climbed onto the

vehicles' hoods or under the cars. Some protestors

attempted to fasten themselves to the frames of cars in

order to delay their removal from the site. On one

occasion, protestors placed blocks against the tires and

attempted to cut a cable in order to disable a car after

they succeeded in stopping it in the clinic's driveway.

On another occasion, protestors waited across the street

from the clinic for a car to approach the parking lot at

which point they rushed into the street, stopped the car,

and blocked the public road. As a result of these

tactics, the clinic was effectively blockaded; patients

and staff could not enter or leave the clinic for hours

at a time.


The protestors called these blockades "rescues." At

anti-abortion rallies held after the "rescues" began,

spokesmen for the associations asked volunteers to

participate by being jailed for rescuing babies. The

rescues were to be part of a two-year campaign to force

the clinic to close.


Away from the clinic, protestors followed clinic

staff members in cars, and into grocery stores, airports,

and other public buildings. Their activities were

particularly intense against one of the clinic's doctors.

During a five month period, groups as large as 30

demonstrated at the gate of her home, congregating in

predawn hours, shouting and honking car horns, and

attempting to block the departure of the doctor and her

family members. Some protestors roamed on the doctor's

property, leaving a banner draped over a car, a baby

stroller and basket on her porch. During times when the

protestors were near the site, the doctor's house and

garage were vandalized. Protestors followed the doctor

in cars as she drove to Fargo or to the airport. Groups

waited for the doctor in airport parking ramps and rushed

at her, yelling and flashing cameras. They leafleted

cars at the school of the doctor's daughter, and two

protestors were asked to leave the school building when

they attempted to obtain a photo of her daughter. A car

full of protestors also followed the daughter of one of

the clinic's volunteers.

Just reading through all of this stuff sent shivers up and down my spine. It's chilling the great lengths Habiger and his cronies went to terrorize the people of Fargo.

Mayor's email depicts White House lawn with watermelons

Wow. Is it really 2009?

Shimanski on Budget Forums

I sure wish they had held one of these in our Senate District, Willmar and St Cloud are a bit far for me to drive during the work week.

Our State Rep on the other side of the district, Rep Ron Shimanski, had this to say about the Willmar forum.

Meanwhile, the House-Senate listening session in Willmar Thursday night was well attended by an estimated 250 people. The issues they raised revolved around the state budget, spending programs and taxes and the results were close to what we expected.

We have a state deficit which could be approaching $7 billion by the time we receive the end of February forecast, so a lot of people used the event as an opportunity to explain why the group they represent should be spared from potential budget cuts. Other people talked about the need to slow the rise of state spending; it has increased 140 percent since 1992; or hold off tax increases. There were no truly innovative ways presented to either reduce state spending or increase revenue.

The West Central Tribune covered the same budget forum.

Some public employees asked for a fairly drawn tax increase to maintain programs that serve vulnerable people.

Others said that no tax increase was acceptable, and that across-the-board budget cuts would be a better solution.

County and school officials asked for relief from mandates — requirements the state hands down without providing the money to carry them out.

State employee's chimed in, talking about the importance of their work.

In the words of Christie Kurth, executive director of the Willmar Area Food Shelf, “We’re all here asking you not to cut us any more than you have to.”

Several state employees who provide services to mentally ill and developmentally disabled people asked that those programs be spared from budget cuts. If basic services are not available for the people who are living on their own in communities, they said, the cost of their care could be much higher in the long run.

Frank Lawatsch, administrator at Swift County-Benson Hospital said the hospital has already seen its bad debts increase.

“More and more people can’t pay their medical bills,” he said, and a proposal to remove 84,000 adults from state insurance programs will make the problem worse. People without insurance often seek care at emergency rooms, where the costs are much higher than at clinics, he said.

Public defenders, prosecutors and judges told the legislators stories about the problems created in the judicial system by cuts made in the past few years.

Glen Jacobson, a Renville County attorney, told a story about a woman whose felony conviction was overturned because she was denied her constitutional right to a speedy trial. The trial had been delayed repeatedly in an overworked system, he said.

If more cuts are made, “you will be killing the rule of law as we know it in Minnesota,” he said.

I love the idea of townhall meetings. I don't like the perception that these meetings will offer the magic bullet solution to our budget woes.

Although I believe that Governor Pawlenty's proposal is insufficient, I'd like to see the proposal from my fellow Democrats.

I had lunch with a friend of mine that ran for the House this past year. We both had some interesting thoughts on Senator Pogemiller's response to free Senate hiring and announce that pay cuts could be voluntary.

Please...

Voluntary? What a sacrifice!

When my pay was cut, the only voluntary act was to stay employed.

Like I've said in previous posts, cut the per diem and other perks.

Impose term limits so that we can rid our hallowed chambers of stagnant ideas that didn't work 20 years ago and won't work now.

The frustration level amongst run of the mill citizen is immense.

I'd like to see a real proposal soon...and no more rhetoric.

North Dakota's Challenge to Roe v Wade

Caught this on Yahoo this morning as I head out.

A measure approved by the North Dakota House gives a fertilized human egg the legal rights of a human being, a step that would essentially ban abortion in the state.

The bill is a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that extended abortion rights nationwide, supporters of the legislation said.

Representatives voted 51-41 to approve the measure Tuesday. It now moves to the North Dakota Senate for its review.

The bill declares that "any organism with the genome of homo sapiens" is a person protected by rights granted by the North Dakota Constitution and state laws.

More on this later in the day....

Strib Letter of the Day

A very good letter...

The $790 billion stimulus package comes out to about $2,633.33 per person. That is a lot of money, so I'll offer this deal. I will pay each conservative $2,633.33 to cover their share of the stimulus package if they will pay me $16,666.66 for my share of the $5 trillion in debt Bush ran up in my name. The net difference is $14,033.33 each conservative would owe me. Any takers?

Well?

Anyone catch the Bachmann comments?

From her Startribune op ed titled "The perils of spending like it's 1929"?

It's really all about Bachmann fear mongering and pimping tax cuts ala Ronald Reagan.

A few interesting comments from the cheap seats...

So in other words, Bush and the Republicans run up the debt and create the financial crisis, and Obama and the Democrats are held responsible for making the hard decisions and biting the bullet. I was a worker during the Reagan years and I can say that the boom times didn't happen until Clinton was in office. Reagan did run up a good-sized debt, though. My grandparents and parents lived through the Great Depression, which started with Republican Hoover in office. They worshipped FDR, because at least he did something and tried to help families. As one of FDR's advisers pointed out, eating is always a short-term solution. FDR made sure that nobody starved to death and he kept people's hopes up during the long depression. What have Republicans Hoover, Bush, or Bachmann done to compare with that?

I like the handy dandy graph showing how these compassionate conservatives have run up some significant debt.

The false equivalencies in this ridiculous article are just shameless nonsense. The economic challenges that Reagan and Kennedy faced were nothing compared to the prospect of total financial meltdown that Obama faces now thanks to 8 years of failed Bush economic policy. MASSIVE TAX CUTS are not the magic solution. Do you not understand that the entire financial system is on the verge of collapse? I wish your constituents had learned from history and not re-elected you.

Don't get me started on the Congressional race in the 6th...

Why is it everyone thinks the President will fix the economy? It's the House and Senate that determine fiscal policy and write the checks. A President can ask, beg, and plead for his ideas and programs. But it is up to the Congress to decide. If you want assign blame, look to the fools in Congress. If you are looking for rescue and economic salvation you need to look to Congress. Though I personally doubt that particular body of government is up to the task. Like most things, the economy is like a pendulum. It swings from feast to famine. It has been here before numerous times, and it will recover to start the swing all over again.

Now this comment got my attention! It leads me to ponder, if Congress has a 16% approval rating, how in the hell do 95% of the incumbents get reelected? I know...it's the mantra that "my guy is doing well", it's the rest of Congress that sucks. We need to shake things up a bit...

Bush had an agenda 8 years ago. Congress marched in lock step under Bush's "leadership" and led us into the perilous situation we face today.

Obama has filled the leadership void in the White House, I'm willing to give him a fair shot at this, even though I have some deep reservations of the stimulus package.

So while facing a crisis of epic proportions, Congresswoman Bachmann wants tax cuts...

Why not hold all the financial groups that financed her campaign accountable?

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