The Strib has a letter today… I’m not going to say what it’s about. I’ll let you guys guess:
[...] Maybe we should change the state motto to the land of 10,000 taxes and the state where nothing is allowed.
JOE GANGELHOFF, LAKEVILLE
Let the voting begin! Oh, yes, and shut up, Joe Gangelhoff of Lakeville.
[poll=4]
For those who aren’t in an irish induced drunken stupor, (I would be, but I’m stuck at work) I’ve a totally different kind of stupor to behold. That’s right, it’s Stupid Strib Letters to the Editor.
For starters, a lame anti tax letter.
Sounds to me like the only thing it will move forward is light rail that I will never use and a money-draining bus system rocked by violence.
BRETT BOUTWELL, MAPLE GROVE
Um. Funny. I seem to remember a story about record breaking transit ridership Looks like tax dollars well spent. Come on Brett, everyone’s doing it.
Then there’s the right’s old friend when in trouble. The “But Clinton Did It First” defense. We get to read it twice!
Clinton’s precedent
In a classic case of blind hatred for the present administration, the March 14 editorial “White House tried to politicize justice” failed to mention that one of the first acts in 1993 of the Clinton machine was to fire 93 U. S. attorneys.
DAVID WILLARD, HOPKINS
Selective outrage
The Star Tribune is quite indignant about the firing of the eight U.S. attorneys. Imagine what a travesty of justice it would be to fire all 93 U.S. attorneys … just as President Bill Clinton in 1993. Coincidentally, the Little Rock U.S. attorney who was investigating Clinton’s Whitewater deal was one of those fired attorneys.
I don’t seem to recall any Star Tribune indignation at the time.
DAVE BENSON, EDEN PRAIRIE
There was no outrage. Because it happened in 1993. Right when Clinton took office. The same thing EVERY president does when he takes office. Good lord, that’s like saying a president installing a new cabinet is somehow wrong. And, for the record, The Decider decided to do it too. Before now. Circa 2001
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Continuing the practice of new administrations, President Bush and the Department of Justice have begun the transition process for most of the 93 United States Attorneys.
Emphasis mine.
Reality bites, eh?
Whoo doggies. Pull up a chair. We’ve got a lot of work to do.
First up, we have Steve Adams from St. Louis Park:
Two weeks ago a local Minnesota Public Radio event on global warming had to be canceled because of a blizzard. Now, explorer Ann Bancroft intended to raise awareness about global warming with her trek to the Arctic but had to turn back because of bitterly cold temperatures (Star Tribune, March 13).
Now that’s what I call “inconvenient”!
STEVE ADAMS, ST. LOUIS PARK
This one is just too stupid to get into, even. So I refer you to a cartoon:
(From the always-brilliant nataliedee.com; please click to make beautiful).
Second, we have something about the Mall of America going begging to the govmint for subsidies:
… When I travel the country and tell people I’m from Minneapolis, I don’t want them to say, “Huh? Minneapolis, what’s that?” I want them to say “Oh, yeah, Minneapolis, the New York City-wannabe. Isn’t that up north somewhere?”
CHIP WHITTINGHAM, MINNEAPOLIS
Chip Whittingham? Seriously? Chip? Whittingham? Was Chest Westershire taken?
I assume, based entirely on his name, that Chip spends a lot of time in Connecticut and can be safely ignored vis-à-vis our city’s comparability to NYC. Go eat a turkey and avocado sandwich, Chip. Christ.
And finally, Charles Ochis from I Got Mine Prairie Eagan (so you know it’s going to be good) writes about taxes and that he voted reluctantly for the DFL and now, fuck nuggets, they’re going to try to raise taxes, those socialists, &c. Chuck’s lament ends with:
I need to live within my income and forgo things I would like to do or purchase. It’s time the Legislature does the same.
CHARLES OCHIS, EAGAN
Okay, well… Maybe not vote for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, Mr. Ochis, if you’re just going to parrot the Republican talking points. ‘Cause Minnesota Public Radio quoted Pawlenty: “‘And so the vision isn’t fancy, the vision is learn to live within your means,’ according to Pawlenty.” Gov. Awshucks said that on April 27, 2003 and hasn’t stopped saying it ever since.
So, uh… If you’re going to barf up the Ranch flavored Talkin’ Points™ brand Republicanism, Chuck, maybe vote for them? Just a suggestion.
I was just wondering if there was an efficient way to destroy the American Red Cross…:
Why are the only two options being looked at: to stay in Iraq in full force or to pull out (Star Tribune, March 9)? It seems to me that a fair solution to our problem is gradual removal of all troops. For every service person who is sent home, we should send an unarmed humanitarian worker into Iraq. This is a peaceful resolution the whole world can support. Let’s finish this job!
MICHAEL OIEN, FALCON HEIGHTS
Yes… Yes! YES!! I will now chuckle menacingly and stroke my cat. It is the perfect plan. Thank you Michael Oien of Falcon Heights. Mwhahahaha.
It’s time for another installment of “Stupid Strib Letter to the Editor”! Quelle joy!
He finally made it official. Al Franken is running for the U.S. Senate.
Minnesota voters will not embarrass the state again after the Jesse Ventura era. Franken is nothing more than a carpetbagger.
DOUG TEIGEN, JACKSON, MINN.
Oh, Doug. Poor, sweet Doug. We won’t embarrass ourselves again? After Ventura? Are you sure?
We have a member of Congress who gave her acceptance speech in a get-up that looked like an off-the-rack masterpiece from Forever 21 and who molests POTUS and who says really weird things about Iraq. AND SHE’S ONLY BEEN IN OFFICE FOR A FEW WEEKS. How can Stuart Smalley possibly be worse?
Wait, wait… I don’t want to know.
This one is absolutely stunning:
Russian President Putin was absolutely right when he stated recently that the world is less safe, less stable now due to America’s unilateral militarism (Star Tribune, Feb. 11). Is there any wonder why other countries are looking for ways to build weapons of mass destruction?
LARRY ANDERSON, HOPKINS
What shoddy reasoning! And inspired by Putin, Mr. Let’s Poison Our Enemies with Radioactive Materials himself! God damn. I knew that right-wing letters from Hopkins were nutty, but now that there’s such a clear case of left-wing stupidity from there, I’m wondering who’s falling asleep at the valve for their water supply. Hopkins? Crazy people.
Perhaps, for argument’s sake, I understand Larry Anderson of Hopkins’s reasoning for a second—that maybe I was even sympathetic to it, in a very Michael Moorian kind of way. Let’s grant him that Bush’s unilaterialism has, in fact, destabilized the world… There should be little doubt that Bush has single-handedly made diplomacy and America’s moral authority a joke for the next several years. Fine; that is something the son of a bitch should answer for, sooner rather than later. However, using that as an excuse for Iran to stock up on nukes? Venezuela to suspend democracy? Are those correct responses? Should we just cheer on the irresponsibility of other countries because we have allowed irresponsibility on our watch?
Let’s examine the notion that American foreign policy has destabilized the world and that, now, in some sort of bizarro world, the only rational response is a response in-kind. This is, of course, Iranian logic. It’s Russian logic. It’s North Korean logic. It’s the logic of people without a belief in a greater purpose, who say that the only way to untie their hands is to hold a gun to someone else’s head. Meaning that the reasoning is indeed very stupid. It’s a world view that shouldn’t be allowed to grow any further than it already has.
“I was just following orders”—which is the same logical vein that Mr. Larry Anderson of Hopkins follows—is a defense with a very poor precedent. Just because our president and his war criminals have gone down the path of torture and lies and war… well, that doesn’t mean there aren’t alternate routes.
Andy Brehm has a letter in the Strib this morning. Pretty typical stuff: The DFL should confirm Pawlenty’s appointments without delay, because it’s important, and blah blah blah Democrats should be fair and stuff, even when Republicans aren’t. You know the song and dance:
The DFL-controlled Senate has every right to challenge the policies of Gov. Tim Pawlenty, but confirmation hearings are not the place to do it.
Uh… Why not, exactly? Because of some sort of oddly precious and uncomplicated version of the constitution that prohibits it? Well, that doesn’t exist. Tradition dictates it’s out-of-bounds? Nope, not that, either. What else? Don’t know. Shut up, Andy.
DFL senators have also signaled they may also protest gubernatorial policy by voting down the nomination of Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau to be transportation commissioner, a position for which she is more than equipped.
But aren’t nominations just another form of policy? The person at the top of a department or commission or whatever sets policy. Implements policy. Does stuff. Policy stuff. I think it’s a very nice form of protest, in fact, even when I disagree with it.
The Senate has a responsibility to support the governor’s well-qualified nominees; these are important posts and they should be filled quickly. The policy sparring should be saved for later.
ANDY BREHM, MINNEAPOLIS
Oh, hack Andy! That’s so adorable. Save the moral outrage for something meaningful, like getting full-fat mayonnaise instead of reduced-fat mayonnaise and mustard on your turkey club over lunch. Anyway, Mr. Brehm counts as a hack because he’s a former press secretary for King Tool, Sen. Norm Coleman—that, and he can’t seem to bother writing a letter to the editor that isn’t chock full o’ 100% focus-group-approved Ranch Flavored Talkin’ Points™. He also was a law student. Couldn’t quickly find out if he graduated or not… I’m assuming so. “Andy Brehm.” What else can he do with a name like that? Toothpaste salesman?
That would be my guess. Andy Brehm, Assistant Regional Toothpaste Sales Manager.
UPDATE: Oh, he’s a professional hack. He was up on TPT’s “Almanac: At the Capitol” program. He’s also about ready to graduate. They made a joke out of it.
Gosh, he has nice hair. Kind of like a pillow of golden hackery.
New interface proving confusing. . .
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
A regional university plans to produce a play that satirizes prominent religious figure. Local Religious authorities are outraged and scandalized, calling for it’s immediate censorship and banning.
This description most accurately fits:
A) Minneapolis
B) Tehran
Continue reading “What I meant to say. . .”
Now that Bush has signaled he has no intention of following the ISG recommendations, I’m wondering when our distinguished former US Senator, Rudy Boschwitz, is planning on writing in to the Strib to tell them how they’re biased against the President. And, of course, to drop a few names. Like he does.
Rudy? Where are you, bruddah?
This is just too rich.
On Wednesday, former Minnesota Senator Rudy Boschwitz shared this little gem with the Star-Tribune.
Gates is a good sign
It sure is hard for this president (or Republicans in general) to win with the Star Tribune.
President
Bush appoints a study group headed by Jim Baker and Lee Hamilton, who
are “realists … long on pragmatism,” you say. Yet several weeks
before the report is made public, the Star Tribune predicts its
contents and says that Bush will reject the report of his handpicked
commission! This even though the president has selected a leading
member of that commission, Bob Gates, to be his secretary of defense, a
fact the editorial did not mention.Bob (a longtime friend)
gave a keynote address at the World Food Prize in Des Moines recently.
Afterward we had an extended coffee together. He certainly didn’t
indicate the president would likely reject the study group’s report. If
he thought so, I doubt he would have accepted the hot seat at DOD.RUDY BOSCHWITZ, PLYMOUTH;
FORMER U.S. SENATOR AND AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
The All Caps at the end are Rudy’s. Make sure we all get how distinguished he is. And, since brother Rudy’s on a roll we won’t mention cats like Powell or Snow or any of the other people who bailed on the administration (or got pushed) because they got kind of tweaked when the Bubble Boy blew them off.
Gee, whiz, Rudy. Those damn biased-ass lefties at the Strib think Bush
is going to reject the Iraq Study Group’s findings… wonder wherever
they could have gotten that idea. Hmm…I wonder…
From the McClatchy News Service today:
On Wednesday, the Iraq Study Group will issue its recommendations.
The
New York Times reported Thursday that the study group, led by former
Secretary of State James Baker and former Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind.,
will call for gradually withdrawing U.S. combat troops, but with no set
timetable.The goal would be to cut the number of troops in Iraq
by roughly half, to about 70,000, with greater emphasis on U.S.
military advisers to train Iraq’s security forces.The commission also is expected to recommend greater U.S. diplomatic engagement with Iraq’s neighbors, including Iran and Syria.
Bush
has rejected that suggestion. He and his aides also have signaled that
he doesn’t feel bound to follow the commission’s recommendations.“Obviously,
the insights of the Baker-Hamilton commission are going to be a factor
as we look forward. But for one to say, ‘A-ha, there they go, there’s
our blueprint,’ it doesn’t work that way,” a senior administration
official told reporters traveling with Bush in Jordan. “The president
still is responsible for shaping and conducting foreign policy.”The
White House is overseeing its own review of Iraq policy, tying together
the studies being done by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the State
Department and the National Security Council.
Rudy, Rudy, Rudy…with this kind of in-depth political insight it really is a wonder how Wellstone kicked your ass. Twice.
I’m bringing back a regular feature that has fallen off my blogging radar: The stupid Strib letter to the editor of the week. Here’s this week’s:
YES TO ‘JESSE CHECKS’
I find it disheartening, sad and repulsive that returning the surplus to the taxpayers in some form or fashion doesn’t even make the Star Tribune’s top five options (”Don’t bring back ‘Jesse checks,’ ” Oct. 19).
I’m pretty sure I am better equipped than the government to spend the excess tax revenue. Perhaps I could donate it to the charity of my choice. Perhaps I could take the kids to Valleyfair. The key is I should get to decide — not the Star Tribune and not St. Paul.
KIRBY JOHNSON, PLYMOUTH
Kirby has a point. After all, there is no possible way that public policy—you know, the thing that pays for roads, education and environmental protection, that regulates such things as health care and commerce—could ever find his hard-earned $200 useful. For the low, low price of taking a few suburban children to Valleyfair one time—or paying for one craptacular Target spending spree or a couple of sweaters (it is snowing already, you know!), or going partway to a ticket to Mazatlan—we could cut off our state government at the financial knees! BARGAIN! Awesome idea, Kirbster. The Kirbmeister. Kirbadoodle.
As with all things that are rooted in the dogma of gut reactions, anti-tax rabies have gotten out of hand. It has gone from “reducing tax burdens on working families” to shameless, selfish irresponsibility. “It’s my money” just doesn’t hold up any more, not when there are police and firefighters to hire, roads to build, schools to fund, poverty to alleviate, sick people to take care of and the myriad of things that our society needs and that our society uses government to do. Donating to a charity may be noble, but it just doesn’t make up for smart public policy. Private businesses and charities are not government. Private money simply cannot replace public policy. Ever.
Kirby is pretty sure he’s better equipped than the government to spend excess revenue. I disagree. That $200 may give Kirby a fun day at an amusement park, but let’s see how much fun he’ll have on his fool’s errand if it takes him 90 minutes to get there on sucky freeways.
He’ll be the first to complain. He’ll start by saying, “My tax money pays for this road.”
Yep. It sure does, Kirby. It sure as shit does.