Chanting Points Memo: “Emmer Is An Extremist”

For a while, I wondered if “Tom” wasn’t the MNGOP’s gubernatorial candidate’s middle name.  Listening to the Minnesota media, one might think his first name is “Right-wing-Extremist”.

In the meantime, they christened his opponent and erstwhile sparring partner in the House, Margaret Anderson-Kelliher, as a “moderate”. 

But Rachel Stassen-Berger, writing in the Strib, notes that I if Emmer is an “extremist”, then so is Kelliher; their voting records almost perfectly mirror one another:

Check out how various organizations rated the two House colleagues. The scores below are based on 2009 votes, unless otherwise noted:

AFSCME Council 5 (The state employees union)

Emmer — 0 percent

Kelliher — 100 percent

Clean Water Action (These are based on 2008 votes. The groups rates lawmakers votes for “our water, our health and our environment.”)

Emmer — 0 percent

Kelliher — 100 percent

Conservation Minnesota ( “We help you and other Minnesotans protect the lands, lakes, and way of life that we all cherish. We do so by helping Minnesotans evaluate the performance of your elected representatives.”)

Emmer — 13 percent

Kelliher — 88 percent

Legislative Evaluative Assembly (“LEA bases its evaluation on the traditional American principles of
constitutionalism, limited government, free enterprise, legal and moral order with justice and individual liberty and dignity.”)

Emmer — 98 percent (94 percent, career)

Kelliher — 0 percent (13 percent, career)

Minnesota Association of Professional Employees  (“Our issue priorities include: achieving fair compensation for state employees, fixing our broken health care system, preventing outsourcing and privatization of state services and protecting our pension and retirement benefits.)

Emmer — 13 percent

Kelliher — 100 percent

AFL-CIO (These are lifetime ratings through 2008. “The mission of the Minnesota AFL-CIO is to improve the lives of working families—to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our state and the nation.”)

Emmer — 1 percent

Kelliher — 97 percent

Minnesota Chamber of Commerce (“Our voting records represent the most important votes on the issues that impact Minnesota businesses and jobs – they are not intended to endorse or oppose any candidate for office.”)

Emmer — voted with the Chambers position on 10 of 13 issues. He was absent on two votes and voted against the Chambers’ position on one issue.

Kelliher — voted with the Chambers’ position on 2 of 13 issues.

Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (“MCCL compiles the voting records of lawmakers on key pro-life issues that come before the legislature”)

Emmer — 100 percent

Kelliher — 0 percent

Minnesota Family Council (The Council rates lawmakers on what it considers “pro-family” votes)

Emmer — 90 percent (He was absent for one scored vote.)

Kelliher — 0 percent

NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota (“We highlight the choice votes that occurred during the 2009 legislative session.”)

Emmer — voted against the NARAL position on three out of three issues.

Kelliher — voted with the NARAL position on three out of three issues.

National Federation of Independent Business (These are 2007-2008 ratings. Legislators got high scores if they “supported legislation important to small business.”)

Emmer — 89 percent

Kelliher — 11 percent

Organizing Apprenticeship Project (The project gives its “assessment of the state legislature’s and governor’s efforts to move policies that strengthen opportunity, racial equity and American Indian tribal sovereignty.”)

Emmer — D grade

Kelliher — A grade

Taxpayers League of Minnesota (“The Taxpayers League of Minnesota is a nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots taxpayer advocacy organization which fights for lower taxes, limited government and full empowerment of taxpaying citizens in accordance with Constitutional principles.”)

Emmer — 100 percent (92 lifetime)

Kelliher — 0 percent (11 percent lifetime)

So which is it?  Is Kelliher an “extremist”, too?  Or are they both merely partisans who get routinely praised and/or slagged by their special-interest friends/enemies?

28 thoughts on “Chanting Points Memo: “Emmer Is An Extremist”

  1. So does this mean you are at least admit that Rep and GOP Endorsee Emmer isn’t mainstream. And When you consider that MN is at least a lean’s Blue state, Rep Emmer’s positions WOULD be more extreme then MAK’s

    All I know is I have no Idea what I am going to do come November, . . Hell, I’m not even sure what I am going to do come August.

    I am waiting for one side to earn my vote without pissing me off in the process.

    Flash

  2. So does this mean you are at least admit that Rep and GOP Endorsee Emmer isn’t mainstream.

    “Mainstream” is in the eye of the beholder. There is no common definition of the term (much as the Strib believes they are its keeper).

    And When you consider that MN is at least a lean’s Blue state, Rep Emmer’s positions WOULD be more extreme then MAK’s

    No, it means Emmers positions are to the right of MAK’s. “Extreme” is such a, well, extreme word.

    All I know is I have no Idea what I am going to do come November, . . Hell, I’m not even sure what I am going to do come August.

    Meet Emmer sometime. The big reason I support Emmer is that he *excels* at explaining to people in the middle why they SHOULD move right.

    Which is why the DFL smear machine is working so very very overtime on him; once people actually hear him, and see how he’s gonna shred MAK, Mr. Quam and Marky Soiledpants in face to face debate, it won’t even be a contest.

  3. I am waiting for one side to earn my vote without pissing me off in the process.

    That just about sums up why I am not an Independent. I have a core set of beliefs, philosophy, ideas about how the world best works, etc… and I vote for the party/candidates that best matches that.

    I don’t wait for a party to formulate my beliefs for me and package them. I bring my beliefs to the party, I don’t wait for a party to bring my beliefs to me.

  4. I am waiting for one side to earn my vote without pissing me off in the process

    You always charge a high price for your vote, but the DFL seems to get it on clearance.

  5. I have no Idea what I am going to do come November
    Sure you do Flash. You’re going to vote DFL. Don’t pretend.

  6. AB,

    I’m sure you’re being sarcastic. You’ve obviously done it way too deftly for my feeble cognitive skills. Well played.

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  8. C’mon Mitch, your numbers prove Emmer is an extremist and all of Marge’s positions are mainstream.

  9. Remember, AB, to Mitch the “Minnesota Media” is MN Publius and the Progressive Project. Interesting is that after those two sites, Look True North is the next in line when googling “Emmer Extremist.”

    Chanting point indeed.

  10. Sorry, DiscoStoo; the Strib’s columnist panel may not use the “Ex” word, but it’s there.

  11. Say ayebee? Shouldn’t you be tending to the millions of active commenters over at your smokin’ hot blog instead of asshat dancing over here?

    Customer service, ya twerp!

  12. They usually describe his positions. If you read that as calling him an “extremist,” so be it.

    Your favorite columnist said he was the “most conservative” choice. Wasn’t that the view here as well? Isn’t that a good thing for the party?

  13. Remember, AB, to Mitch the “Minnesota Media” is MN Publius and the Progressive Project.

    Well at least those two outlets are honest about their bias DS, unlike say StarTrib, KARE, WCCO, MPR… I could go on.

  14. Mitch, they may not use the “P” word either but its there. All over the Op-Ed page, and front page where it doesn’t belong.

  15. I’m not being sarcastic, Mitch, I think you’re allowing your bias to affect how you read the media. Of course the tone and context are going to sound liberal to you becuase of your difference of opinion.

    But “Emmer is an Extremist” are your words, not that of the media.

  16. Yes, Mitch, you used quotes so obviously you were quoting someones exact words and not an underlying message.

    So dull, apathyboy.

  17. An underlying message, especially one of questionable existance, is hardly a chant.

    My point is, Mitch, if you’re going to refute a commonly held liberal viewpoint, you should start with a commonly held liberal viewpoint.

  18. Gosh, AB, you’re right. The media and DFL are NOT promoting a meme that Emmer is an extremist!

  19. “Customer service, ya twerp!”

    Cowardly service is what was delivered.

    Hahahahahahahahahahahaaa!

  20. Marty – politicians earn my vote…

    …by standing for the same principles as I do. Or most of them, anyway.

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