November 1, 2011
Nov 01 05:16 Herman Cain: Victim of Agenda Media attack? Nov 01 06:32 Common Cause MN distanced themselves from Citizens Commission Nov 01 07:29 Debbie Downer's Diatribe Nov 01 08:37 President Potter's personal attacks on personal agendas? Nov 01 16:53 Mitt's neutral on another controversial project Nov 01 18:07 Why was Common Cause silent?
Prior Months: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Herman Cain: Victim of Agenda Media attack?
All day today, conservative talk show hosts, from Rush to Hannity to Levin, have said that he's the victim of the Left's smear campaign. I started the day thinking that, too.
This weekend, Cain's campaign said that there was nothing to it, that it was a "hi-tech lynching." Mr. Cain started this morning by denying that he'd ever sexually harassed anyone in his life. This afternoon, he admitted to Greta that he was aware of the complaints but that he didn't know what the settlement amounts were in dollar terms. He later said that it probably was in the range of 2 or 3 months pay.
Though I don't know what happened back in the 1990's, I find it difficult to believe that he sexually harassed women.
That said, Mr. Cain's shifting answers are getting him in trouble. Mr. Cain can't claim that he's the victim if he's getting himself in trouble.
What's becoming clear is that Mr. Cain has an arrogant streak in him. When asked during a debate how he knew his 9-9-9 plan wouldn't expand into 12-12-12, Mr. Cain simply said "Because I won't let that happen." When initially asked about this story, he was defiant, stubborn. It's like his reply was 'that's my story and I'm sticking to it.'
Except he didn't stick to it when questioned by Greta.
Mr. Cain can argue that he was the victim of an ambush by Politico. He can't argue that he's the victim of his own shifting statements. That's his fault and his alone.
Posted Tuesday, November 1, 2011 5:16 AM
Comment 1 by Bob J. at 01-Nov-11 10:01 AM
As I understand it, 9-9-9 contains a provision requiring a supermajority for tax increases, a provision we've needed for quite some time at all levels of government. It means taxpayers and voters must stay vigilant and elect representatives who will be responsible with the peoples' money.
I didn't see the interview but if Cain said "because I won't let that happen", then that is indeed silly. However, it's no sillier than Rick Perry calling me heartless because I don't support benefits for illegal immigrants and it's no sillier than anything Myth Romney has said since the start of the campaign.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 08-Nov-11 12:36 AM
Bob, the legislation doesn't exist in legislative form so Cain make whatever claim he wants to make. There's no way of proving or disproving it. At this point, I won't trust Mr. Cain until he stops using 3 different versions of what happened within 36 hrs. of the story breaking.
Comment 2 by eric z. at 01-Nov-11 01:04 PM
What you post is not inconsistent. He says he never sexually harassed anyone. Then he says situations arose, which he bought off cheaply.
If alleging claims strongly based upon reality, would complainants have sold out cheaply?
Cain has consistency, not inconsistency to what he says.
The fact is that litigation costs and risks often are such that buying out of a lawsuit often is the least cost clear choice - and your King of economics will tell you that taking a least cost route is not exactly abnormal for a business executive.
Now, next, why would a bona fide claimant sell out a claim cheaply? Because the litigation system is so stacked up to favor the deep pocket. That would have been Cain.
These are all realities.
Has anyone produced a claimant now publicly saying he/she was sexually harassed by Cain?
The educated guess is any settled claim would involve a gag order voluntarily accepted by the claimant, so any claimant(s) who filed and subsequently were bought off likely would be obligated to remain silent.
BOTTOM LINE: Nothing's been proven in public, yet, against Cain. It is not like an out of wedlock child subject to DNA testing, or a stained blue dress, also subject to DNA testing. There as yet is not that kind of evidence.
There is not yet an Anita Hill in this story, where you have to believe one or the other but cannot believe both.
Comment 3 by walter hanson at 01-Nov-11 03:46 PM
Gary:
Between you and Herman you seem to be more inconsistent. Cain has said that he never sexual harrassed anyone. what you're saying is that the so called victims made a claim (which could be false) and the procedures to have it settled was somebody other than Herman which did what most people did was offer a settlement just because it would be more expensive to fight than to settle (even if Herman was 100% not guilty). A lesson they could've learned with the mess Bill Clinton created trying to show he didn't do anything wrong with Paula Jones.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Response 3.1 by Gary Gross at 08-Nov-11 12:32 AM
Walter, How can I be inconsistent when I've consistently steered clear of whether the allegations were true or not? How can I be inconsistent when I've consistently talked about the piss-poor job his chief-of-staff did & that Cain did in turning this 2-day story into a 2 week story?
Comment 4 by Nemo_from_Erehwon at 03-Nov-11 03:02 PM
To me, Cain's inconsistency was in first saying he did not know about any payoffs being made, then almost immediately talking about payoffs he knew were made.
An accusation of this sort is easily made, and unless there is some sort of evidence, it does not have to be believed. (If evidence a la Clinton turns up, that's a different story.)
A company paying off an accuser to make even a fabricated case go away is not unusual or a problem.
Cain's first instinct when confronted with the story being to lie IS a concern. Hopefully that was an aberration, and not indicative of his character.
Comment 5 by edthurston at 08-Nov-11 12:15 AM
True that the accusers may have been paid and Cain is not supposed to seen as guilty until proven otherwise. Ed is a good contender from the field of Republicans for the presidency and candidates being thrown bad stuff at is not a surprising tactic. To be able to vote wisely you have to see the good and bad side of each candidate like before scratching Cain out of your list of candidates-to-vote go see his proposed tax plan first at http://HermanCainsTaxPlan.com.
Common Cause MN distanced themselves from Citizens Commission
Last night on the Late Debate with Jack and Ben, Prof. Kent Kaiser, the vice-chair of the Citizens Commission, made news. Prof. Kaiser made news by telling the listeners that Common Cause MN were distancing themselves from the Citizen Commission because 2 of the members, Prof. Kaiser and Anne Mason, were Republicans.
That clearly violates one of the top two priorities listed on DTL-Minnesota's website:
The campaign seeks to create a better redistricting process in Minnesota that uses the following principles:
1. The redistricting process should be independent and nonpartisan, to minimize the influence of elected officials and political parties in creating districts to their own political advantage.
2. The redistricting process should be transparent to the public.
Actually, the Citizens Commission tried living up to both principles. DTL-Minnesota's powers-that-be corrupted the process, first by making the Commission a partisan effort, then by having Linden Wieswerda draw the redistricting maps, then embargoing the maps until they were filed with the Special Panel on Redistricting.
It's important to highlight the fact that Mr. Wieswerda worked in 2008 as a member of Organizing for Obama and that he's currently a member of Organizing for America.
House Redistricting Chair Sarah Anderson wrote this letter to Candi Walz, the chair of the Citizens Commission:
Dear Candi,
I just wanted to touch base with you regarding redistricting after watching Almanac on Sunday. During the interview, you stated that the Draw the Line map has less city splits than the map passed by the Legislature. That is not the case, however.
We ran the equivalency file for the Draw the Line map and compared it to the Legislative map. The city and county splits are as follows:
Draw the Line House District Map CITY SPLITS: 145 cities/towns split
Legislative House District Map CITY SPLITS: 42 cities/towns split
Draw the Line House District Map COUNTY SPLITS: 60 counties split
Legislative House District Map COUNTY SPLITS: 44 counties split
Draw the Line Senate District Map CITY SPLITS: 101 cities/towns split
Legislative Senate District Map CITY SPLITS: 32 cities/towns split
Draw the Line Senate District Map COUNTY SPLITS: 51 counties split
Legislative House District Map COUNTY SPLITS: 32 counties split
Draw the Line Congressional Map SPLITS: 18 counties split and 42 cities/towns split
Legislative Congressional Map SPLITS: 7 counties split and 7 cities/towns split
As you can see, the Draw the Line map far exceeds exeeds the Legislative map in splits for both counties and cities. If you would like a copy of the Draw the Line political subdivision split report, I can get that to you. The Legislative report can be found on the redistricting website. I know I can count on you to make this correction as you speak to people about redistricting.
Sincerely,
Sarah Anderson
House Redistricting Chair
During last night's show, Prof. Kaiser said that the Commission solicited testimony from across the state. The testimony most frequently repeated was to keep cities and counties intact as much as possible. By that objective measure, the map drawn by Linden Wieswerda didn't live up to that criteria.
It's apparent to me that the Citizens Commission made a good faith effort but that the powers-that-be at DTL-Minnesota wouldn't let them live up to the Commission's principles.
The DTL-Minnesota was never meant to be nonpartisan. It was meant to help the DFL, and allies like Common Cause MN and Mike Dean, corrupt the redistricting process.
Posted Tuesday, November 1, 2011 6:32 AM
Comment 1 by walter hanson at 01-Nov-11 03:40 PM
Sarah has too much logic in her letter for Draw the Line to understand.
walter hanson
minneapolis, MN
Debbie Downer's Diatribe
If she's known for nothing else, DNC Chairlady Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is known for talking out of her ass. This morning's op-ed offers the latest installment of Debbie Downer making an idiot of herself:
President Barack Obama is offering middle-class Americans sensible bipartisan solutions to help get the economy moving again, as the Republican presidential field continues pandering to the most extreme elements of its party in the important early primary and caucus states.
The president is hard at work pushing Republicans in Congress to take action on the American Jobs Act, and taking bold action when Congress won't, while Republican candidates are joining Karl Rove and David and Charles Koch in spending millions of dollars in the early states to distort the truth.
First, there's nothing bold about President Obama's second bailout of the public employee unions. This administration is attempting to resurrect the first stimulus, just in a smaller version. It failed then. It'll fail now.
It's said that doing the same thing again and again, then expecting different results is the definition of insanity. That's what Debbie Downer is describing as "taking bold action." I said it before and I'll repeat it again: that's a bald-faced lie.
There is one thing that Debbie Downer is good at. She's great at treating thoughtful people like a classroom of dunces. She's the expert on being a condescending witch.
The message from the president is clear: The American people can't wait for a dysfunctional and hyperpartisan Republican Party in Congress to act.
Last week, he spoke to the American people about bold steps the administration is taking to overcome Republican obstructionism in Congress. He highlighted two major hurdles facing the American people and ways the administration is working to overcome them.
In Las Vegas, the president outlined a plan to make it easier for some homeowners to refinance their mortgages. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, directed by him, announced a set of steps to knock down barriers to help responsible borrowers with little or no equity in their homes take advantage of low mortgage rates. These steps will help families refinance their homes and save hundreds of dollars a month.
President Obama is telling homeowners who've made their payments that they'll now have to subsidize interest rates for people who don't have equity in homes they shouldn't have qualified for in the first place. That's bold if you consider stealing from the middle class, then giving it to the working poor bold.
If we break down the numbers and look at the four early states, we can see the impact the American Jobs Act will have on small-business owners and the middle class. The American Jobs Act is a mix of tax breaks for middle-class families and small businesses and targeted aid to help keep teachers in the classroom and police and firefighters on the beat and to get construction workers on the job rebuilding our bridges and roads.
Here's what the paragraph would say if we applied honesty:
If we break down the numbers and look at the four early states, we can see the impact the American Jobs Act will have on small-business owners and the middle class. The American Jobs Act is a mix of short-term gimmicks, smoke and mirrors. It's a bailout of the states who refused to reform themselves. It's a bailout of the public employee unions that contribute mightily to the Democrats' campaigns. Plus there's lots of money for choo-choos rather than for fixing America's roads and bridges.
It's time to put this BS to rest:
Contrast these numbers with what the Republicans are offering, nothing more than the same failed economic policies that created the recession and deprived millions of middle-classes families of their economic security.
The so-called "failed economic policies" of the Bush administration produced infinitely better results than this administration is producing, both in terms of annual unemployment rates and annual deficits . The average annual unemployment rate during the Bush administration was 5.3%. The annual unemployment rate for this administration is north of 9%. This administration has run up as much debt in 3 years as the Bush administration did in 8 years.
Couple that with the fact that President Obama has signed into laws that will add to businesses' compliance costs with regulations that only the far left thinks of as mainstream.
This administration's policies, coupled with this administration's regulations, are crippling the US economy. They inherited a lousy economy. Rather than finding solutions, this administration has added to the burdens that the economy has to overcome.
It's time to retire Debbie Downer. Follow this link to contribute to Joe Kaufman's campaign. Joe is a true conservative. Joe's a fiscal conservative and a national security conservative. He'd be a magnificent upgrade over Debbie Downer.
Posted Tuesday, November 1, 2011 7:29 AM
Comment 1 by walter hanson at 01-Nov-11 03:35 PM
Um can we get her committed for delusions. She's seeing things that aren't there.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
President Potter's personal attacks on personal agendas?
This morning, I listened to a presentation by SCSU President Potter. In his presentation, he complains about people with personal agendas. Specifically, he's refering to Aviation Prof. Jeff Johnson. Here's a transcript of that portion of President Potter's presentation:
A very different type of misunderstanding is shown by a faculty member who has gone to Congresswoman Bachmann to argue that an academic program that he has a particular interest in should not be cut but instead we should cut funding for the Women's Center and LGBT services because the University shouldn't be paying for those things.
Obviously, that's a personal agenda. Obviously, we can argue whether it's appropriate for a faculty member who works for this institution should independently argue whether something should be funded or not.
That also reflects a misunderstanding about the University. We have a commitment to the success of all of our students. The support systems we provide to assist our students be successful are essential. Some folks on campus think that the only thing that's essential is what we do in the classroom and everything else we do is not necessary and vulnerable and therefore should be cut in favor of the classroom.
The folks who are in this room and who are looking at who you all are know that that is not true. We have a commitment to balance all the things we do to support student success.
Unfortunately, some of our legislators believe this, too. They think the only thing we should be doing is in the classroom. And I have to say that that's not true.
That last shot is clearly aimed at Sen. Pederson, Rep. Gottwalt and Rep. Banaian. Though President Potter doesn't use names, it's clear he isn't happy with Sen. Pederson, Rep. Gottwalt and Rep. Banaian.
Here's a wakeup call to President Potter. Taxpayers are tired of universities using their taxes for things other than giving students the technical expertise to compete in the global marketplace of ideas. These other "essential services" shouldn't be funded until the academic needs of the students are met.
The rest of these things are just money spent to look respectable to the PC police, which, admittedly, is a high priority in academia.
President Potter has alot ofnerve complaining about personal agendas. It's his personal agenda that's triggered this. He's killed a job-creating degree program that's got lots of students' interests. Aviation shouldn't be shut down because there's a pilot shortage looming in the not-so-distant future:
Boeing forecasts the Asia Pacific region will require hundreds of thousands of new commercial airline pilots and technicians over the next 20 years to support airline fleet modernization and the rapid growth of air travel.
The 2011 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook calls for 182,300 new pilots and 247,400 new technicians in the Asia Pacific region through 2030. The greatest need is in China, which will require 72,700 pilots and 108,300 technicians over the next 20 years.
'The demand for aviation personnel is evident today. In Asia we're already beginning to see some delays and operational disruptions due to a shortage of pilots,' said Roei Ganzarski, chief customer officer, Boeing Flight Services.
'To ensure the success of our industry as travel demands grows, it is critical that we continue to foster a talent pipeline of capable and well-trained aviation personnel.'
President Potter can talk all he wants about carefully balancing things that SCSU funds. The reality is that this isn't that close of a call. Especially in light of the fact that there's a looming airline pilot shortage, this should've been an easy decision for President Potter.
Simply put, President Potter blew it with this decision.
He closed a program that's a) relatively inexpensive and b) producing well-trained graduates who frequently get good paying jobs immediately after graduating.
President Potter is intent on keeping open a Masters Degree program for 20-30 students a) that's expensive, b) that pleases only the PC police and c) that only helps in creating student loan debt.
It's time for President Potter to finish his PC personal agenda. It's time he started making wise decisions on how to spend the taxpayers' money.
Thus far, he's failed at that mission.
Posted Tuesday, November 1, 2011 3:04 PM
Comment 1 by eric z. at 01-Nov-11 12:12 PM
I believe Supreme Court precedent is that while free speech is protected against state action, a private employer can fire an employee breaching rules in place against speech contrary to the interests [pecuniary and goodwill] of the employer. But since state action by the federal and other governments against First Amendment rights is barred by the First and Fourteenth Amendments, faculty of state owned/run universities are protected. During the tail end of the red-baiting years after WW II, the Warren Court struck down loyalty oath and other freedom of speech and right to assembly and to petition the government for redress of wrongs (actual or merely perceived). Given all that, Potter the boss should back off. He is out of line. Were this Carleton or Case Western Reserve, private institutions, the opposite would apply - although he'd have no power to silence faculty, he could fire them, or arguably so. There are nuances, such as what if the faculty were complaining or informing of sexual harassment - the countering of which is a federal goal entrenched in law? But faculty of a public institution, petitioning members of government for favorable government action are, in Minnesota, engaged in public participation which is favored by statute [Minn. Stat. Ch. 554].
Comment 2 by Charlie Quimby at 01-Nov-11 08:21 PM
Read the article Gary quotes. About 165k of the 182k forecasted pilot shortage is in the Indo-Asian region. Are those jobs going to SCSU grads?
And the forecast comes from an airframe manufacturer, not the airlines, which are paying starting pilots about what an oil field truck driver could earn, without any training or degree.
Talk to commercial pilots entering the business in the country - or trying to make a living. Check it out:
http://www.aviationinterviews.com/pilot/airlinepayrates.html
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 01-Nov-11 08:34 PM
Charlie, If you knew more about the SCSU Aviation program, you'd know that there's a sizable number of Asian students in their program. They very well might get jobs flying the Pacific Rim routes.
Second, your argument that starting pilots make the same "as an oil field truck driver" earns is a non sequitur. Are you saying that students shouldn't pursue Aviation degrees? Are you saying they should stay untrained & work the Bakken Oil Field?
Comment 3 by Charlie Quimby at 01-Nov-11 08:47 PM
A sizable number of Asians in a Minnesota state-supported program with about 160 total. Okay. I stand corrected. It should be a priority for funding by tax payers. Heck, I might even support a tax increase!
I am simply saying the rosy career opportunities are overstated. Kids should pursue the degrees they want, but beware of hype about their job prospects, whether it's Women's Studies or Aviation.
Comment 4 by Gary Gross at 02-Nov-11 07:10 AM
First, we aren't talking about a Women Studies degree program. It's the Women's Center.
Second, the Aviation Dept. was cranking out graduates who routinely got jobs as air traffic controllers, in airport management & as pilots.
There are lots of degree programs that don't have that level of success.
Comment 5 by LadyLogician at 02-Nov-11 09:35 AM
" Some folks on campus think that the only thing that's essential is what we do in the classroom and everything else we do is not necessary and vulnerable and therefore should be cut in favor of the classroom..."
As someone who is soon to be paying $10,000.00 a year in college tuition for my child the answer is OH HECK YEAH it's about what you do in the classroom. If you don't do in the classroom you don't have for the periphery - and trust me Mr. Potter - everything outside of the classroom IS periphery! The job of an educator is (shockingly enough) TO EDUCATE!
LL
Comment 6 by LadyLogician at 02-Nov-11 09:42 AM
Charlie - regarding Indo-Asia routes - who says that those routes won't go to SCSU graduates? If they are willing to fly the routes and they are qualified.....
The non-sequitur here is the comparison between Aviation (a marketable skill) and Women's Studies. What exactly is the market for a Women's Studies degree? Or a LGBT Studies degree? Or a Liberal Arts degree? We have to send our students out with degrees that will be usable in the workplace - like aviation. Yes students need to "beware the hype" but they also need useful degrees. Right now, our universities are doing nothing more than turning out over-educated idiots who wouldn't know how to work a job if their lives depended on it (see Occupy Wall Street) and their lives DO depend on it.....
LL
Comment 7 by Gary Gross at 02-Nov-11 09:49 AM
LL, I agree that a degree in LGBT Studies isn't a marketable degree. In this instance, however, the budget that would get cut is for LGBT Services, not LGBT Studies.
That means even further out on the periphery than LGBT Studies.
Comment 8 by Patrick Mattson at 02-Nov-11 10:42 AM
Charlie
Most pilots can commute via other carriers to their home base. I have known pilots based out of the east coast and the south that lived in Minnesota. Asian airlines are offering big incentives for qualified pilots to come work for them - bonuses, housing, flexible schedules, etc.
I have always been the skeptic when it comes to pilot shortages but this one I fear is real given the age-65 rule, lack of student starts, baby boomers retiring, military pilots are not a reliable source any more and economy rebounding. Boeing, Airbus, IATA, ICAO, ALPA and FAa forecasts say the same thing - qualified aviation personnel - not just pilots (read ATC, airport and airline ops, management).
So yes the hiring boom is upon us because you need years to educate/train a qualified person.
Lady L - I feel your pain.... ask the questions and get answers from those at SCSU. They should be able to give you answers to questions like what degrees has the best employment rates.
Mitt's neutral on another controversial project
What a shock. Mitt isn't willing to take a position on a controversial proposed electrical powerline going through New Hampshire:
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has not taken a position on the controversial Northern Pass power project in New Hampshire, although a top official involved in the project is co-chairing a Romney fundraiser. But Romney has opposed the use of eminent domain to seize land for the project.
The Globe reported yesterday that Greg Butler, the senior vice president and general counsel for The Northern Pass, is co-chairing a $500-a-head fundraiser for Romney's presidential campaign in Manhattan tomorrow evening.
The Northern Pass project involves creating a new transmission line from a hydroelectric power facility in Canada to a 'power pool' in New England.
Is Mitt really not taking a position on a controversial or is he just not talking publicly about his position? If it's the former, it's just another display of his 'flexibility' on important issues. If it's the latter, then he's gutless.
The question more GOP primary voters are wondering is whether Gov. Romney has a spine. Right now, they aren't certain that he isn't a finger-in-the-wind type of politician. That isn't who GOP primary voters are looking for.
The energy in the GOP is supplies almost exclusively by the TEA Party. TEA Party Nation definitely isn't impressed with Mitt's timidity on SB5:
In Ohio, he stopped by a phone banking operation where volunteers were working to get the vote out for a couple of really important ballot initiatives.
In Ohio, earlier this year, the state legislature passed, and Governor John Kasich signed, Senate Bill 5. This dramatically reduced the power of public sector unions.
In Wisconsin, similar legislation was passed and the results were dramatic. School districts immediately realized millions of dollars in cost savings. In Ohio, after the bill was passed, leftists and union organizers quickly had an initative put on the ballot, called Issue 2. Issue 2 would ratify the Kasich bill.
Mitt Romney was thrown a hanging curve ball at the visit to the phone bank. He could have said, yes he supported the issues. (There is another one on the ballot that amends the state constitution to forbid a mandate to buy health insurance).
Lately, Mitt's responses to difficult issues are pathetic. He's too worried about offending anyone that he looks like a jellyfish. That isn't leadership. That's a portrait in spinelessness.
Posted Tuesday, November 1, 2011 4:53 PM
Comment 1 by eric z at 03-Nov-11 07:49 AM
Passionately disengaged?
Or is passion lacking? I always thought Romney would be a more successful candidate if he showed a pulse, fogged a mirror.
Comment 2 by Gary Gross at 03-Nov-11 08:10 AM
Eric, He doesn't have that in him.
Why was Common Cause silent?
The first thing I thought after reading this tweet from Common Cause MN was that Common Cause must think we aren't paying attention:
@commoncausemnCommon Cause MN
@Tom_Freeman Thank you. I hope we can do the same with the DFL map when it comes out. CC wants a conversation on all the maps.
Where was Common Cause MN when Tom Bakk said that the DFL wouldn't put a redistricting map together during the last session?
- In the interest of promoting bipartisan discussions, we will not be introducing any redistricting plans the rest of this session.
- Let's develop joint redistricting principles that are truly open and fair. We should invite nonpartisan academics and other nonpartisan experts to vet the content and the structure of potential principles and indices to remove all partisan bias.
The DFL had the equipment to put a set of redistricting maps together. Almost $94,000 was appropriated for Senate Democrats to put maps together. A similar amount was appropriated for all 4 legislative caucuses.
If the DFL wanted to put a set of maps together, they easily could've created their own set of redistricting maps. They certainly didn't need Sen. Koch's permission.
This past year, the DFL had a strategy of not putting plans forward, either on the budget or on redistricting. Another part of their strategy was to criticize the GOP's proposals as too partisan and "playing to their right wing fringe base."
The DFL's inactions prove that they don't want to lead, that they're more fond of complaining about what the GOP's proposals don't do. I'd argue that they aren't capable of leading because they're too busy being against things.
A laundry list of complaints isn't an agenda.
As for Common Cause MN's tweet, that's insulting. Why didn't they criticize the DFL for not putting a set of maps together? Why aren't they criticizing the DFL right now for not putting their redistricting maps together?
The answer is simple. The nonpartisan Common Cause people are highly partisan. They'll never criticize the DFL for anything they've done. Common Cause MN won't criticize the DFL for not getting done the things that they're supposed to get done.
Mike Dean loves performing before uninformed audiences but he doesn't like getting challenged by informed people. That was apparent when Dean repeatedly got questioned during the Sunday night debate with Jack and Ben. This part sticks out a month after the fact:
Kent Kaiser's point that it shouldn't matter if the map favored the DFL or the GOP opened the discussion up. After that, it was Katey bar the door. If the population shifts to more GOP-friendly parts of the state, then it does. If it shifts to DFL-friendly parts of the state, so be it.
Kaiser said that creating competitive districts shouldn't be an objective in drafting new legislative or congressional maps. In fact, he emphasized that the commission that he sits on voted that off their priorities list this week by a 13-1 margin.
There wasn't a reason to think twice about it then because the redistricting maps weren't created at that point. Apparently, the political hack from Organizing for America that drew the map didn't get the memo to not emphasize creating competitive districts:
Forty-two Minnesota legislators, more than one in five incumbents, would lose their seats or be forced to move under a plan to redraw the state's political boundaries that a bipartisan citizens' commission will submit to the state's five-judge redistricting panel today.
The plan drafted by a 'Draw the Line Minnesota' commission would pair 84 of the 201 House and Senate members against other incumbents in the same districts next year.
It's apparent that the political hack from Organizing for America wanted to ignore the population shifts of the last decade. His responsibility was to create a map that was as DFL-friendly as possible.
Why hasn't Common Cause criticized Linden Wieswerda and DTL-Minnesota for keeping their maps secret until they were submitted to the special redistricting panel? Theoretically, Common Cause MN and Mike Dean disdain secrecy. Apparently, that doesn't apply when DFL-friendly organizations are secretive.
Common Cause MN is a DFL front group. They aren't people of integrity. Their actions tell the tale that they don't live up to the lofty goals they allegedly espouse.
In short, Common Cause MN, like the DFL, is filled with hypocrites, liars and gutless wonders.
Originally posted Tuesday, November 1, 2011, revised 07-Nov 4:11 PM
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