Established in advance: Saint Paul’s sitting city council is never going to be the most completely detached-from-reality elected body in the United States. Even if you leave out Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Berkeley, Cambridge and DC, we are across the river from Minneapolis.

But it’s not for lack of trying.

I’ve never been a huge fan of Ramco sheriff Bob Fletcher – his record of passive-aggression against law-abiding gun owners needs some atonement – but his current term in office has been notable for one of the most interesting social media experiments I’ve seen, his “Live On Patrol” weekly video stream.

The stream – which involves the Sheriff and his partner rolling “tape” for 2-3 hours on, usually, Friday nights around Ramsey County, mostly Saint Paul – have become a hit around the Metro and likely, elsewjhere, as Fletcher just drives from place to place and shows the viewer what Saint Paul is like after dark.

I’ve watched it a few times. As Fletcher notes in describing the show, “‘Live on Patrol’ focuses on community relations, instead of arrest. In addition to preventing crime, the goal … is to build community relationships and improved trust through transparency”

That runs directly counter to the interests of a good chunk of Saint Paul”s radical-left City Council. And they’ve made their displeasure known:

A resolution, which seeks an independent review of the show, is sponsored by council members Amy Brendmoen, Mitra Jalali and Rebecca Noecker and will be discussed at the council’s meeting on Wednesday.

Fletcher said his detractors don’t like that his livestreams show why police are needed.

“Some elected officials are opposed to ‘Live on Patrol’ because it builds trust with the police and that runs counter to their narrative to defund law enforcement,” Fletcher said. “Many council members would prefer the public not be aware of the current increase in violent crime. They are opposed to transparency when it reflects on their failure to keep the community safe.”

The council members are requesting the State of Minnesota Peace Officers Standards and Training Board evaluate the video to determine if it violates the Sheriff’s office’s policies and the Minnesota police code of conduct.

Should be an interesting meeting.

Brendmoen, the City Council president, said it’s not a political issue.

“We’re trying to answer questions that community members have brought to our attention,” she said Thursday, adding that those questions have included: “Why is an elected sheriff able to not wear a body camera while he’s on patrol? Why is a sheriff able to do this patrol with a camera on that’s violating what we believe are the St. Paul police’s rules of conduct and rules of pursuit?”

Brendmoen accuses Fletcher of violating SPPD rules of conduct – and he’s not a Saint Paul cop? Violating rules of pursuit, when (I saw this episode) he was probably seventh car back in a pack of cops pursuing a suspect on 35E?

If Brandmoen says it’s not a political issue, then it is a purely political issue. They see Fletcher – who, while neither conservative nor Republican, seems to be the closest thing the county has to a dissenter with any sort of even potential political oomph – not only gaining popularity, but doing it via media that outflank their political control. That’s got to make the non-profiteers nervous – being doctrinaire progressives from a single party autocracy, they have no idea how to deal with opposition, other than using the bureaucracy to shut them down.

Just like in any non-profit.

This episode may be the first example of oppositional politics outside a DFL convention in Saint Paul since Norm Coleman left the DFL.

Stillwater students stage a walkout…

…and I can hear you tuning out already, thinking this is just another bit of canned outrage, with “woke” teachers and administrators using students as their pawns, but hear me out…

…in favor of “Back the Blue“.

A group of Stillwater Area High school students walked out of class Thursday morning to show support for police officers.

Students were encouraged to wear blue and bring thin blue line flags.

Look – I’m not a police fanboy. I think bad cops get the same treatment as bad criminals; being a bad cop is a betrayal of the trust (and power) the public gives them. I’m conservative enough to know why we need poice – and libertarian enough to want just enough policing.

And we don’t have just enough of it in the Metro. Not even close .

But let’s focus on the kids. The fact that some of them are being heard against the woke mob is encouraging. With a little luck, and good parenting, perhaps they’ll start engaging the commies in the classroom, too

This is to be supported.

Tim Scott says America’s not racist.

So many Democrats call him “Uncle Tim”, it trends.

A journalist with an improbable sense of balance asks Kamala Harris the same question. Several times. Which ekes out an answer…

…the same as Scott’s.

Nothin’.

I know I”m not the only one seeing a pattern, here…

Joe Doakes from Como Park emails:

I expect a new sign in the British Library:

“This is the original copy of the “The Canterbury Tales” written by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400.  Written in Middle English more than 500 years ago, the book is known primarily for having once been owned by a family with connections to the slave trade.  Further information about slavery is available in the Humanities Wing, the Social Sciences Wing and most of the Rare Books and Music Wing.”

Joe Doakes

Today’s parody and satire is tomorrow’s reality.

Today’s set list: