April 18-20, 2012
Apr 18 01:48 Franken won't let Buffett Rule die Apr 18 12:25 Bagley is Vikings enforcer? Apr 19 04:54 Is MnSCU overfunded? Apr 19 05:18 Chuck Colson, RIP: From Nixon thug to prison evangelist Apr 19 19:36 What's the real reason behind Rep. Ellison's retweet? Apr 20 08:26 Another Obama talking point bites the dust
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Franken won't let Buffett Rule die
Whatever else is said about the Buffett Rule, one thing's certain: Sen. Franken won't let it die :
Sen. Franken, who co-sponsored the defeated Buffett Rule provision, said voters will invariably need to compare the Democrats' approach with that put forward by House Republicans, who passed a budget that couples lowered tax rates across the board with deep cuts to federal spending. Franken said he preferred to raise revenue through taxes on high-income earners to prevent deeper cuts from coming elsewhere.
'Anybody who's been on the ground looking at what the economy has been doing knows that we have to make investments in education and infrastructure and innovation,' Franken said. 'If you don't have some more revenue coming in you can't do that without increasing the deficit.'
First, if Sen. Franken thinks that the Buffett Rule will give Democrats a boost nationally, he isn't too bright. With a trillion dollar a year annual deficit and with major scandals arising from the pork dished out by the stimulus, people are interested in cutting spending.
They don't want spending trimmed a little bit. They want to keep the safety net intact but they want to cut alot from discretionary spending.
Next, Franken isn't the brightest bulb in the DFL's chandelier on economic policy. The way to grow revenues is to grow the economy, not raising marginal tax rates.
Third, Franken isn't factoring in the possibility that high gas prices, a stagnant economy and the total repeal of Obamacare won't be higher priorities than the Buffett Rule. In fact, there's a strong possibility that extending President Bush's tax policies will be a higher priority than the Buffett Rule.
If Democrats run on the issue of tax fairness, they'll get clobbered in the House and Senate. People are infinitely more interested in creating 250,000+ jobs a month because the GDP is soaring than they're interested in tax fairness.
To be sure, the Buffett Rule, or some form of it, could resurface in the intervening months between the Nov. 6 election and the swearing in of a new Congress next January. Congress will have to confront the fate of the George W. Bush-era tax cuts that expire on Dec. 31.
Klobuchar said that between rolling back those tax cuts (for people making more than $250,000), closing of tax loopholes, ending subsidies to oil companies and revisiting the Buffett Rule, Congress could put together a solid deficit-reduction package. All told, that adds up to about $800 billion in new revenue over 10 years, she said, coupled with the $2.2 trillion in cuts Congress has already approved.
'The issue here is, you have to do this in a balanced way,' she said. 'I think Minnesotans understand that you have to look at both spending cuts and revenue.'
Hearing Sen. Klobuchar say that there has to be a mix of spending cuts and tax increases rings exceptionally hollow. When she twice voted for the PPACA, she voted for a huge spending increase and major tax increases. Her history of leadership of cutting spending is next to nonexistent.
Small businesses will take a disproportionate share of the hit if the marginal tax rate is increased on individuals making $250,000 or more. Is Sen. Klobuchar insisting on punishing these companies? That's typical since she's always praising the innovative spirit of small businesses.
Praising their innovative spirit in public while quietly increasing their tax burden to the IRS sounds exactly like Sen. Klobuchar.
According to this article , GDP since Sen. Klobuchar and the Democrats took control of the House and Senate has fluctuated between mediocre and miserable. Meanwhile, the Senate hasn't passed a budget in 1,086 days. That's exactly 10 days short of 3 years.
In short, since Sen. Klobuchar was elected, the economy has stunk and the Senate has refused to do its job of passing a budget.
That isn't leadership. It certainly isn't about providing solutions to the problems that are hurting Minnesota families and small businesses the most.
Most importantly, what Sen. Klobuchar has done is significantly less than what I thought was the bare minimum requirement for being a senator.
Please note that I don't have high expectations for Sen. Franken and Sen. Klobuchar. They're quite low, actually. Miraculously, they've 'exceeded' all expectations.
Tags: President Obama , Al Franken , Amy Klobuchar , Buffett Rule , Taxes , Tax Fairness , Unemployment , Democrats , Economic Growth , Jobs , Obamacare , Gas Prices , GOP , Election 2012
Posted Wednesday, April 18, 2012 1:48 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 18-Apr-12 08:22 AM
Why do Republicans want the Buffet Rule killed?
Why are they intently working to murder the thing?
Not all of them would be personally affected. Is it kowtowing to the contributors, as in get Bill Cooper to reopen his wallet? What?
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 18-Apr-12 09:11 AM
Why do Republicans want the Buffet Rule killed?A) Because it's terrible policy. B) Because it's a gimmick. C) Because it's a political ploy that shouldn't be taken seriously.
Why are they intently working to murder the thing?See above.
Comment 2 by Mrs. Mom at 18-Apr-12 10:40 AM
Who cares what Al Franken says. He is the poster child of Voter Fraud.
Comment 3 by eric z at 19-Apr-12 07:12 AM
Mrs. Mom -- You say such things.
Show some ID.
Comment 4 by walter hanson at 20-Apr-12 04:22 PM
Eric:
Since Al Franken and the Democrats don't care you have propoer ID when you vote then you shouldn't care one bit what they pay in taxes.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Bagley is Vikings enforcer?
This Pioneer Press article depicts Lester Bagley as playing the role of Vikings heavy:
As Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders tried to hand each other responsibility for the fate of the Vikings stadium bill Tuesday, April 17, the day after a major defeat in a House committee, Dayton raised the possibility that a new football stadium might have to wait till next year.
To which a team official responded: "There is no next year." "The last governor said in 2006 we'll come back and work on yours next year. That was six years ago," said Lester Bagley, Vikings vice president of public affairs and stadium development. "No action this year is a decision."
Bagley struck the same slightly aggressive tone Monday night after the House Government Operations and Elections committee rejected the bill for a $975 million stadium on a 9-6 vote. He told reporters "it's a mistake" to assume the team will continue operating under the status quo.
Bagley said there is support this year to get the bill done and it needs to get to the floor for a vote in both chambers. "Legislators are afraid of voting on this issue," Bagley said.
Bagley should take a valium because everyone knows that a) the NFL won't let the Vikings move to LA, b) there's always next year and c) times have changed since the stadium boom of the 1990's.
Los Angeles is always brought up as the Vikings destination as though it's a rock-solid thing. It isn't. First, considering the financial mess that is California, LA isn't in position to support, week in and week out, a team.
That's just reality. While LA would get alot of millionaires to buy season tickets and luxury boxes, that hardly fills a stadium. With California becoming more of an economic basket case and with people leaving the state, there's no reason to think that LA is the gold mine it's perceived to be.
It's difficult to think of Bagley as a heavy. It's apparent that he's trying to play his hand well. It's equally apparent that he's playing a crappy hand.
What's needed for the stadium to pass is to put a better funding mechanism together. If that doesn't happen, it'll be difficult to pass a stadium bill.
The other things that must be part of the bill is for the Vikings to pony up more money towards the cost of the stadium and for there to be a referendum on the tax increase.
That the Wilfs picked Bagley to be their heavy with the legislature wasn't their best decision.
To be fair, the Wilfs have operated in a good faith fashion. It's easy to understand their frustration. That doesn't mean I'll always agree with them. It just means that, in the name of fairness and accuracy, I'll stick with what's verifiable.
Tags: Minnesota Vikings , Lester Bagley , Zygi Wilf , Stadium , Sales Tax , Mark Dayton , Roger Goodell , NFL
Originally posted Wednesday, April 18, 2012, revised 19-Apr 4:37 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 19-Apr-12 07:11 AM
The problem with the Wilfare queens playing good cop bad cop, is they've no good cop.
Comment 2 by walter hanson at 19-Apr-12 04:19 PM
Gary:
Thanks to Al Davis the NFL doesn't have the power to stop a team from moving. That's why the Los Angeles Ram are now in Saint Louis and the Raiders are in Oakland.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 19-Apr-12 06:10 PM
Walter, The NFL doesn't have that power. What's preventing movement is that, with the exception of LA, the NFL already has teams in the biggest media markets in the United States. Where would the Vikings move to? Oklahoma City? San Antonio? Billings? Tacoma? Let's get serious here.
Leaving the eighth biggest media market for the fortieth biggest media market will get noticed by the networks. That will affect future TV rights negotiations.
Comment 3 by walter hanson at 20-Apr-12 04:20 PM
Gary:
If the right offer shows up LA is an option. They could rent the USC stadium (where the Raiders played if I remember right). A person with the ego and the money can make it happen. There were multiple groups bidding for the Dodgers. Maybe one of those groups can make a run at the Vikings.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Response 3.1 by Gary Gross at 21-Apr-12 12:21 AM
Perhaps a group could get together & buy them. Then what? After spending $600,000,000-$800,000,000 for the Vikings, then they need a new stadium. Playing in the Coliseum, which is totally antiquated & doesn't have any luxury boxes to make serious money on, isn't an option. California's economy is the worst in the nation. The stadium situation is worse than the Metrodome. Buying the Vikings would be the start of their problems. And they'd be major problems.
Is MnSCU overfunded?
Back in March, 2007, DFL Sen. Sandy Pappas said that the GOP was "starving higher education." The higher education budget increased by $296,000,000 that biennium:
Under the Senate targets, public education would get the most of $1.3 billion in new money: $498 million in the next two years. Following would be higher education ($296 million) and health and human services ($245 million). Other parts of the budget would get relatively insignificant increases considering the total state spending will top $34 billion over the next two years.
Despite that 11.3% increase, DFL Sen. Pappas still said this:
Higher Education Chairwoman Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, said college and university funding is far from enough. ' We are starving higher education ,' she said.
It's worth noting that tuition increased at Minnesota universities despite that hefty increase. Besides, I'd love to see higher ed go on a little diet.
The problem isn't as much about underfunding higher ed. It's more about the explosion of administrators on campuses and their exploding pay raises :
A few decades ago, few universities had more than a small centralized public relations staff. The typical mid- to large-sized school today has PR people in units throughout the university. Similarly, the number of people involved in affirmative action, diversity coordination, or serving as multi-cultural specialists has soared. As the nation shows continued and often spectacular progress in eliminating the vestiges of discrimination, is it still necessary to have all of these people? Do campuses really need to hire sustainability coordinators? Do they need associate provosts or vice presidents for international affairs? All of these types of jobs simply did not exist 40 years ago.
A related problem is the explosion in salaries, particularly for senior administrators. Even five years ago, $500,000 was considered an extremely high salary for a university president, whereas today a growing number make $1 million or more. Chief financial officers of universities that made $175,000 five years ago often make $300,000 or more today.
It's disgusting to hear that high-paying administrative jobs have increased. What's worse is that cronyism appears to be settling in in academia.
While national trends are disturbing, the GOP legislature is making strides in funding the MnSCU headquarters. That's the good news. Unfortunately, the bad news is that international travel expenses haven't shrunk. I don't know if consultant spending has dropped or increased. I just know that it isn't a good deal for SCSU :
Earthbound Media Group's (EMG) Co-Founder and Chief Visionary Officer Damien Navarro recently spoke at St. Cloud State University's (SCSU) Fall Convocation ceremony where he unveiled the universities new 'Education for Life' branding campaign created by the interactive communications agency in partnership with the school's marketing and communications department. The event also saw university President Earl H. Potter III and President of Student Government Samantha Ivey join Navarro in the addressing the audience consisting of faculty and students and provided for the unveiling of the branding initiative that hopes to change external perceptions of on-campus realities.
On hand in Ritsche Auditorium the university staff and students eagerly awaited Navarro and Potter's elaboration on the need for the rebranding and exploration of what the campaign could mean to the university. The convocation acted as an orientation, as the new semester was just weeks away. The 'Education for Life' Campaign is a multi-faceted approach that relies heavily on online storytelling as a tactic to changing the university's reputation that according to Potter, 'is not as good as [the university] truly [is].'
'I'm very impressed by the reception we received during our video presentation,' said Navarro. 'The video is just the beginning of what looks to be an extensive rebranding effort that I'm certain will give the university's community a more accurate depiction of the truly unique and positive academic and campus opportunities and experiences St. Cloud State University can provide.'
That's a pathetic work product. This is the quality of work SCSU got for money:
Earthbound Media Group's (EMG) Co-Founder and Chief Visionary Officer Damien Navarro recently spoke at St. Cloud State University's (SCSU) Fall Convocation ceremony where he unveiled the universities new 'Education for Life' branding campaign created by the interactive communications agency in partnership with the school's marketing and communications department.
A professional marketing company doesn't check their spelling isn't worth a thin dime. If I'd been tasked with writing this press release, I wouldn't have included this in my sentence:
where he unveiled the universities new 'Education for Life' branding campaign
Instead of that, I would've written "where he unveiled the University's new 'Education for Life' branding campaign." I'm certain that I wouldn't have made that paragraph a 45 word-long sentence. Here's how it would've looked had I written that paragraph:
Earthbound Media Group's (EMG) Co-Founder and Chief Visionary Officer Damien Navarro recently spoke at St. Cloud State University's (SCSU) Fall Convocation ceremony. Mr. Navarro unveiled the University's new 'Education for Life' branding campaign created by the interactive communications agency. St. Cloud State University's interactive communications agency was created in partnership with the school's marketing and communications department.
I'd totally rework this paragraph, too:
On hand in Ritsche Auditorium the university staff and students eagerly awaited Navarro and Potter's elaboration on the need for the rebranding and exploration of what the campaign could mean to the university. The convocation acted as an orientation, as the new semester was just weeks away. The 'Education for Life' Campaign is a multi-faceted approach that relies heavily on online storytelling as a tactic to changing the university's reputation that according to Potter, 'is not as good as [the university] truly [is].'
Here's what that paragraph would look like if I'd written it:
On hand in Ritsche Auditorium, the University staff and students eagerly awaited Navarro and Potter's elaboration on the need for the rebranding and exploration of what the campaign could mean to the university.
With the new semester just weeks away, the convocation acted as an orientation.
The 'Education for Life' Campaign is a multi-faceted approach that relies heavily on online storytelling as a tactic to changing the University's reputation. According to Potter, St. Cloud State's reputation 'isn't as good as it truly is.'
You'd think you'd get better spelling and grammar from a company that's getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Though I've mostly picked on SCSU's spending habits, it isn't because I think the other MnSCU universities are pure as the driven snow. It's that I'm not close enough to the other universities to have the gritty little details on them.
MnSCU badly needs an overhaul. I haven't seen proof that they take their job as the taxpayers' watchdog seriously. That's terrible because it's leading to avoidable tuition increases.
What's worse is that MnSCU's spending habits are leading to increased student loan debt. That's the most unforgiveable 'sin' in this mess.
Tags: MnSCU , SCSU , EMG , Consultants , Tuition , Student Loans , Debt , Taxpayers , Cronyism
Posted Thursday, April 19, 2012 4:54 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 19-Apr-12 07:10 AM
Sometimes rebranding, if unofficial, can be a productive thing. Do a web search, "pink slime."
The "lipstick of a pig" cliche raises the most fundamental question, is it a pig, and if so what do you do. As to rebranding, isn't that what cattle rustlers and horse thieves did in the western movies we grew up watching? Just an observation. I doubt it adds to the post.
Where do you go in proposing lasting and meaningful change at SCSU. That really is the point, isn't it?
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 19-Apr-12 01:22 PM
1. There's more than 1 definition for the word rebranding.
2. What's happening in terms of rebranding SCSU is about image, not substance. The problems haven't changed. They're just hoping this new marketing campaign will distract people's attention from the real problem. The marketing campaign hasn't changed President Potter's management style. It hasn't eliminate his extravagant travel habits, many of which are paid for by for by Minnesota taxpayers. It certainly hasn't stopped him from saying one thing to one group of people, then saying the exact opposite to another group of people.
3. The first change is Potter resigning. The next step is installing local boards at each remaining MnSCU university, community college & tech college. These boards would have oversight authority to hold a president's feet to the fire. In short, it would restore legitimate local control. Right now, the university presidents, whether it's Bemidji, St. Cloud State or Winona, answers only to the MnSCU chancellor. The MnSCU chancellor's office is located a couple miles from the State Capitol.
Comment 2 by Jethro at 19-Apr-12 08:28 PM
In a previous post, Gary mentioned that no one in a legislative town hall meeting was able to identify their MnSCU trustee. Legislators on both sides of the political aisle often have town hall meetings however trustees are nowhere to be found. Why are they exempt?
Chuck Colson, RIP: From Nixon thug to prison evangelist
This morning, Chuck Colson passed away :
Chuck Colson, the evangelical leader who dedicated his life to ministering to convicts after serving time himself in prison and coming to know God, has died. He was 80.
Colson was hospitalized March 30 after having trouble getting through a speech at a "Breaking the Spiral of Silence" conference in Virginia. Doctors found a brain hemorrhage, and he underwent surgery to remove a pool of clotted blood.
Following the surgery, Colson's health see-sawed from stable to worse, and he remained in ICU. Wednesday, Christian leaders who knew Colson well urged prayer because he "may soon be with the Lord."
Saying that he led an incredible life is understatement. This gives a tiny glimpse into his storied life:
Colson was born in Boston on October 16, 1931, a child of the Great Depression.
"That was tough. I got used to being poor. I never knew what it was. never knew we were poor because it was just the way we lived," Colson once said. "My dad was going to school at night. He was working very hard at a job making $32 a week, and we would share with people in need on the block who didn't have as much as we had."
Despite humble beginnings, Colson went on to graduate from Brown University and earned a law degree from George Washington University.
He also served as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps and eventually landed a job at the White House during the Nixon administration.
But that's when Colson's promising career took an ominous turn. He was soon caught up in the Watergate scandal, as President Nixon's infamous hatchet man.
In the midst of that turmoil in 1973, Colson became a Christian after reading the book, "Mere Christianity" by evangelical author C.S. Lewis .
Colson was indicted in 1974 for conspiring to cover up the Watergate burglary. When news of his conversion leaked to the press, the Boston Globe reported, "If Mr. Colson can repent of his sins, there just has to be hope for everybody."
Colson admitted he was guilty of political "dirty tricks" and was willing to do almost anything for the cause of his president and his party.
"I was stripped of everything, public enemy number one and thrown into a prison," Colson said of the scandal in an interview with "The 700 Club." He served seven months at Maxwell Prison in Alabama.
As Colson walked into freedom, he promised fellow inmates he would never forget those behind bars.
Colson kept that promise and then some:
"I thank God now, Pat, that I went through it because I carry with it a heavy burden for the men and women who are in prison," he told CBN's Pat Robertson.
That burden led Colson to establish Prison Fellowship, an international ministry working in more than 100 countries, committed to prison reform and prisoner rehabilitation.
Prison Fellowship changed the lives of thousands of inmates. Those whose lives were transformed through Prison Fellowship will never be the same. Whether they met Chuck Colson or if they just benefited from Prison Fellowship, they'll never forget Chuck Colson's compassion and commitment to positively changing their lifes.
Tags: Prison Fellowship , Chuck Colson , C.S. Lewis , Mere Christianity , Evangelism , Great Depression , Watergate , Prison
Posted Thursday, April 19, 2012 5:18 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 19-Apr-12 07:01 AM
The man will be missed as much as Nixon, Lee Atwater, Rhenquist, Prescott Bush.
It is unfortunate that Hunter Thompson predeceased Chuck Colson. Not that a Colson obit by Thompson would trump the one Thompson did for Nixon. It stands alone.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 19-Apr-12 01:07 PM
The man will be missed as much as Nixon, Lee Atwater, Rhenquist, Prescott Bush.Wrong, Moosebreath. He'll be greatly missed. Yes, he committed a crime which put him in prison. After that, however, he led an exemplary life, a life filled with helping criminals truly change.
Had you done your research into how his Prison Fellowship organization reduced recidivism rates everywhere it was tried, you'd realize that you'd made a foolish statement.
Comment 2 by Julie at 22-Apr-12 08:49 AM
I have long been an admirer and supporter of Colson and his Prison Fellowship ministry. His books exploring church-state and church-society issues, such as 'Kingdoms in Conflict' and 'Loving God' are outstanding and though written from an Evangelical point of view, contain many positive references to the Catholic Church. One of his books (can't remember which one offhand) includes the story of Fr. Maximilian Kolbe. Truth be told, he was one of several prominent Protestants that I would not have been surprised to have seen 'jump the Tiber' eventually. (I believe his wife was Catholic.) May perpetual light shine upon him: .
Comment 3 by eric z at 22-Apr-12 10:57 AM
Sticks and stones ...
Reducing recidivism is a government function, not to be ignored by false touting of Jesus healing. If recidivism is deemed likely for some dangerous people, parole should be denied, which you may remember was the Bush I theme on Willie Horton, his election opponent of GOP choice when the guy photographed in the helmet in the tank was the Dem choice.
But if you favor a policy of filling the prisons with minor drug offenders, who cop onto Coulson's stuff as a way to hasten parole, and they do not return - big wonder that recidivism rates are lower for them than the tattooed gangster hard cases that Coulson was never exposed to in his country club white collar down time, nor in his "ministry." Get real.
The problem is overpopulating the prison bed space with minor drug offenders, many first time offenders on mandatory sentencing, and allowing privatized prison lobbying for three strikes, mandatory incarceration and all, as part of the business cash flow plan.
Lots of problems, true. Coulson, however, envisioning Coulson as anything but an anecdotal footnote, (re Nixon and re recidivism) and incarceration problems in the nation that has consistently for years incarcerated a larger percentage by far of its people than civilized European nations have, that is untrue. He's an anecdote. A blipping single sentence footnote in an obscure law review article somewhere. He's had his fifteen minutes. He's zippo as a difference maker. He was even a collateral figure during the Nixon purge. Feet of clay.
Response 3.1 by Gary Gross at 22-Apr-12 02:13 PM
How's that government recidivism project working? Oh, that's right. It isn't.
If ever there was a thing that's clearly meant for people of faith, this is it. The statistics prove me out on this.
As for Colson being nothing more than "an anecdotal footnote", Colson wasn't in it for personal gratification. Colson started the ministry because he cared about people in prison. He did it because he saw the misery that broken lives caused on younger generations. That's what motivated him & it showed. There's a reason why he exceled. It wasn't because of a government regulation. He exceled because he cared.
That's something governments can't do.
What's the real reason behind Rep. Ellison's retweet?
Rep. Keith Ellison and controversy apparently go hand-in-hand. Here's Rep. Ellison's retweet:
Rep. Ellison's communications team immediately distanced their boss from the controversial retweet:
UPDATE at 12:24: Rep. Ellison's Communications Director Jennifer Porter Gore responds, 'As with all Twitter accounts a retweet is not an endorsement. The congressman removed the tweet because it appeared to endorse use of a nasty term, which is not what we wanted.'
There's more:
UPDATE: Rep. Keith Ellison has distanced himself from a Twitter user who referred to Mitt Romney as a 'douche bag.'
If we take Rep. Ellison at his word, the next logical question is this: What message did Rep. Ellison think he was sending in retweeting that disgusting pejorative? This isn't the first time that Rep. Ellison has shot his mouth off :
During a July 8 speech he gave to a group of atheists in Edina, Ellison compared the Bush administration's post-9/11 actions to the heavy-handed undertakings carried out by the Nazi government in the wake of the 1933 Reichstag fire - initiatives that fomented Adolf Hitler's rise to power.
"After the Reichstag was burned, they blamed the Communists for it and it put the leader of that country [Hitler] in a position where he could basically have authority to do whatever he wanted," a July 8 Strib article quoted Ellison as saying.
Should Minnesotans accept as fact that Keith Ellison is sincerely apologizing for echoing the thought that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is a "heartless douchebag"? Let's remember that Keith Ellison has a history of making explosive comments:
In 2000 he spoke at a fundraiser for longtime fugitive Kathleen Soliah, aka Sara Jane Olson. The text of his speech was posted on a website, www.soliah.com, by Minneapolis resident Greg Lang.
Ellison praised Soliah for 'fighting for freedom.' At the time, she faced charges of planting pipe bombs under two Los Angeles police cars as a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army, a paramilitary organization whose slogan was 'Death to the fascist insect that preys on the life of the people.' Soliah pleaded guilty in 2001. In 2002 she also pleaded guilty to the murder of Myrna Opsahl, a bank customer shot by another SLA member during a holdup. She's now serving a long prison sentence.
That's disgusting. The SLA was a domestic terrorist organization. They killed and kidnapped people. They robbed banks, too. That's who Keith Ellison thinks are freedom fighters? That's rather telling, isn't it?
Now we're supposed to believe that he didn't mean it when he retweeted Tammy Talpas' disgusting tweet? Based on what? Based on Keith Ellison's history of statesmanship? His leading by example on human rights issues? His history of calling members of domestic terrorist organizations and gangs freedom fighters?
Whether Keith Ellison agreed with Tammy Tilpas or not, the reality is that he's got a lengthy history of saying repulsive, disgusting things about vile human beings.
That's before talking about his willing to speak at an anti-semitic organization's banquet :
It's been a busy month for Ellison in terms of speaking engagements. He was a featured speaker at the MAS-MN banquet on Memorial Day weekend.
At the time, Joe Kaufman, the chairman of Americans Against Hate, asked Ellison to renounce the anti-semitic remarks found on MAS-MN's website. Here are the specific anti-semitic statements:
- "The Holy Prophet (and through him the Muslims) has been reassured that he should not mind the enmity, the evil designs and the machinations of the Jews, but continue exerting his utmost to establish the Right Way in accordance with the Guidance of the Quran."
- "In view of the degenerate moral condition of the Jews and the Christians, the Believers have been warned not to make them their friends and confidants."
- "If you gain victory over the men of Jews, kill them."
- "The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say, O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him."
- "May Allah destroy the Jews, because they used the graves of their prophets as places of worship."
Mr. Ellison still hasn't renounced MAS-MN for those vile, anti-semitic statements.
It's time people admitted that Rep. Ellison is wildly controversial, fully capable of saying disgusting things.
Tags: Twitter , Keith Ellison , Anti-Semite , Progressive , Kathleen Soliah , Symbionese Liberation Army , Terrorists , Reichstag Fire , Hitler , Gangs , Democrats , Mitt Romney , GOP , Election 2012
Posted Thursday, April 19, 2012 7:36 PM
Comment 1 by Chris Fields at 19-Apr-12 08:11 PM
We can do better than Ellison and thats just one of the reasons I am running against him!
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 19-Apr-12 10:05 PM
I thought you might say that. I agree. Good luck with the campaign. Readers, take the time to contribute to Chris's campaign. Ellison's a disgrace. Let's defeat him this November.
Comment 2 by Bob J. at 20-Apr-12 08:51 AM
Ellison would have been better off retweeting that Romney is a liberal -- which he is.
Meanwhile, the very best of good wishes to Chris Fields.
Comment 3 by eric z at 20-Apr-12 04:51 PM
"Disgusting pejorative." Shocked, you are SHOCKED!
Give me a break.
Another Obama talking point bites the dust
One of President Obama's favorite talking points just disappeared:
Republican senators are accusing President Obama of pushing a "less-than-honest" claim about the scarcity of domestic oil, after a U.S. Geological Survey study showed the United States might actually hold a quarter of the world's untapped, undiscovered supply.
The president often uses a much different statistic in speeches.
He said Tuesday, as he has before, that "the problem is we use more than 20 percent of the world's oil and we only have 2 percent of the world's proven oil reserves."
"Even if we drilled every square inch of this country right now, we'd still have to rely disproportionately on other countries for their oil," Obama said, while pitching a plan to crack down on oil market speculators.
But a U.S. Geological Survey released Wednesday paints a seemingly different picture. The analysis showed the world outside of the U.S. holds 565 billion barrels of undiscovered conventional oil; it was the first such study in 12 years. The study did not address U.S. resources, but a prior analysis by the Energy Information Administration pegged the country's supply at 198 billion barrels. That works out to 26 percent of the world supply.
The 2% figure is intentionally misleading. The figure is arrived at by only counting the number of barrels that aren't offlimits. In other words, it omits the oil in ANWR. It omits the oil in the Gulf of Mexico that this administration put offlimits with a moratorium. It omits t
the oil that's offlimits in the Mountain West thanks to President Clinton's executive orders.
Another misleading figure that's a borderline lie is something that I learned during a blogger conference call in the summer of 2008:
Here are two quotes from John Peterson that caught my attention:
'There is no environmental danger in offshore drilling.' Rep. Peterson cited the fact that there was 'no damage offshore from Katrina and Rita.'
Finally, there was this eyepopper:
' California could have production 'within months' with modifications to offshore rigs .
There are numerous shallow water reserves with infrastructure already in place for removing oil from other wells. Rep. Peterson said that one well off of California's coast could be operational within 2 months.
The big picture on this is that President Obama is ideologically opposed to fossil fuels. There isn't a dime's worth of difference between him and the most militant environmentalist organization on energy from fossil fuels.
Until he's defeated this November and sent packing in January, the United States will have high gas prices. According to this article from 2 weeks ago , gas prices on Catalina Island have topped $7 a gallon:
AVALON (CBS) - Catalina Island is known for many things: its picturesque scenery, seafood and hiking, to name a few. But what about high gas prices?
For the past two weeks, gas prices on Catalina Island have been an average of $7 a gallon.
Stacy Dizon, who works at the Santa Catalina Island Co.-owned gas station on Pebbly Road, tells CBSLA that a gallon of regular unleaded on Saturday was $7.03.
The bottom line is that President Obama's and Secretary of Energy Chu's policies have hurt families and crippled the economy. Defeating President Obama and replacing him with someone who isn't ideologically opposed to increased domestic energy production is essential to growing the economy and saving families.
Tags: President Obama , Steven Chu , Fossil Fuels , Gas Prices , Catalina Island , California , Energy Information Administration , USGS , OCS , ANWR , Democrats , Election 2012
Posted Friday, April 20, 2012 8:26 AM
Comment 1 by walter hanson at 20-Apr-12 04:28 PM
California deserves it high energy prices since they don't care about oil production and other evil energy production. I bet those liberals in San F will stop financing Obama if their power is turned off for three weeks.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Comment 2 by eric z at 20-Apr-12 04:48 PM
Bachmann has spoken on the issue in a way only Bachmann can conjure. The fact is they are drilling like crazy in NoDak, the Koch brothers' refinery gets it, refines it, and the pump price climbs. Go figure. The worse of the speculators are the ones manipulating the refining bottleneck.
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 21-Apr-12 12:15 AM
The worse of the speculators are the ones manipulating the refining bottleneck.I couldn't agree more, Eric. Those manipulating the refining bottleneck are organizations like the Sierra Club & the Izaak Walton League. Locally, organizations like the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, the Environmental Law & Policy Center & other litigation-minded organizations are doing their best to kill the fossil fuel industry.
Ask any honest economist & they'll tell you that speculators' jobs get infinitely more difficult when the commodity, whether it's oil, coal or whatever, is in abundance. The fastest way to clear out the oil speculators is to eliminate the tight oil supplies.
The reality, Eric, is that Michele Bachmann is 110% right on the money with oil policies.
Comment 3 by Jethro at 20-Apr-12 09:23 PM
Eric, what exactly has "photo op Amy" Klobuchar done to increase domestic production here in the US? You are right...nothing.
Comment 4 by eric z at 22-Apr-12 10:43 AM
The Koch brothers are environmental advocates, Gary?
Since when. Have you heard them lobbying for wind power and electric automobiles? I have not.
I do know they do not lobby for a competing refinery in the TC market. Finally, Gary, you give Bachmann 109% more credit than she deserves.
Response 4.1 by Gary Gross at 22-Apr-12 02:21 PM
Militant environmentalists have killed more jobs than all of the federal policies from the Clinton, Bush & Obama administration. They should be ignored entirely. MCEA bragged about killing the Big Stone II power plant in a Strib op-ed.
They kept saying we didn't need all of the power the plant would've generated. I don't want there to be just enough energy. I want an abundance of energy. That's when prices drop or, at minimum, stabilize. I'm not a fan of this administration's job-killing, family budget-wrecking high gas & electricity prices.
That's why he'll get defeated this November. The choice is whether families want cheap gas & electricity prices or whether they prefer the stifling prices of this administration. I'm betting that they'll choose cheaper gas prices. By a healthy electoral margin.
