The Path Not Taken

As I’ve pointed out on this blog in the past, I’m a former liberal.  But for the grace of God and Doctor Blake, I could still be one today.

But I also had a thing for getting the story right, even when I was a liberal. So I could see how, in an alternate world where common sense never intervened, I might be working as an editor for Twin Cities Ministry Of Independent Media (MiniIndiMed), the centralized editorial control center for all Twin Cities “alternative” media (I did say it was an alternate world, right?) where I”d be collecting a Soros paycheck (alternate worlds by their nature share some traits with our world) to take my red editorial pencil to the output of the Twin Cities’ “alternative” media community.

With that in mind, I thought I’d take a swerve through a “What If”; if I had stayed liberal, and gotten that job with MiniIndiMed.   Here might be my series of revisions – a “red pen”, which will be represented here with red type – to  this Jeff Rosenberg piece on MnPublius:

I’ve been appalled by the MNGOP’s absolute refusal to compromise. They have insisted that they either get every single thing they want or they will shut down our government. It’s an outrage.   [Jeff – I know “victorian vapours” is your gig, but they are doing what they were sent to office,with a resounding mandate, to do.  Feigned outrage looks a little comical after a while – Ed.]

I’m even more outraged, though, when I think of exactly what it is they’re fighting for. I said they insist on getting everything they want. But exactly is that? Here are a few of their top priorities:

Over 100,000 Minnesotans thrown off health care  [Jeff, your link provides no source for this claim.  And when the undecided reader (you have some of those, right?) learns that what the GOP is really doing is transitioning able-bodied, single people off of benefits, and means-testing more, it might tend to undercut your narrative.  Please check into this – Ed.]

Massive cuts to higher education  [More of the same here, Jeff; the “cuts” can be entirely made up by rolling administrative costs back to levels of a couple years ago; and just between and me, you know how much professorial deadwood there is a the U. Please check – Ed.]

A $1.4 billion property tax increase [Jeff, I keep telling you this; eventually, a Republican blogger is going to ask you to show us the bill where the property taxes were increased.  You know it’s absurd, of course – city councils and county commissions do that! – Ed.]

30,000 lost jobs [Jeff, you’re giving me a headache now.  This a number, very likely a random one – something someone at the DFL down on Plato pulled out of their ass to use as a chanting point.  Go ahead and use the number – but know that if you do, people will think MNPublius is some sort of DFL press-release site or something.  You wouldn’t want that, would you?  Of course not! – Ed.]

It’s bad enough that the Republicans are so arrogant they don’t believe they need to compromise. But look at their agenda — look what they’re fighting for. These are absolute disasters for our state. Responsible policymakers would be working hard to protect us from the worst of these cuts. The Republicans, though, are actually fighting for them. [This, on the other hand, is good stuff.  The victorian vapors play well with our base – Ed.]

Governor Dayton is trying to protect Minnesotans from the worst consequences of our budget deficit, while still making needed cuts. The Republicans are fighting tooth and nail to make sure the pain is as bad as possible. [It’s a good thing we don’t pay you to substantiate claims!  Whew! – Ed.]

Every day, in every way, I thank God I took the path I took.

Although that Soros check would be nice.

Where are those Koch Brothers, anyway/

9 thoughts on “The Path Not Taken

  1. “Governor Dayton is trying to protect Minnesotans from the worst consequences of our budget deficit”
    Pure comedy gold. And pure, sincere delusion. Poor Jeff. Reality bites, don’t it?
    Here’s reality: $5 billion state deficit. Massive unemployment. Government the biggest employer in the state. Not enough real wealth being generated to maintain the house of cards our DFL friends have built.

    I’m surprised. It took far less time for Mark Dayton to fail than I had anticipated.

  2. Mitch, you;ll never make it in the Alt-Media because you do not understand what the words mean.

    “Fact” is a person, place or thing that advances the narrative.

    “Vicious Republican Lie” is everything else.

  3. “Responsible policymakers would be working hard to protect us from the worst of these cuts”

    No. Responsible policymakers would be working hard to protect us, all of us, from those who refuse to make any cuts to the public burden that are government budgets.

  4. Mitch, ya could ave been a PenisBlog lefty blogger!!!

    Regarding self preservation and self defense:

    “…the new law expanding when it is ok to shoot someone if they frighten you.

    Because the right is inherently more frightened that someone will need shooting, need killing with a gun than everyone else is. They see more occasions, more pretexts, where gun violence is appropriate, not less, and seek to institutionalize that rationale,…”

    Maybe you should talk some sense into your “friend”?

  5. Not that it makes it any better, but there are other states with similar inbred media/liberal government shills. Here’s a link to the Vermont Tiger blog, discussing what’s happening in the Green Mountain State:

    http://bit.ly/mJ1GKZ

  6. I am surprised that you do not understand the liberal mind better than you do. They are absolutely scared witless – well, scared – that Republicans are going to succeed at reducing the budget and that the vast majority of Minnesotans aren’t going to notice the “terrible cuts” that have been made. They have harped on that phony narrative for so long they have become dependent upon it for electoral success, which is what actually motivates them. They could care less about how the money is spent or how high the taxes go just so long as they are the ones holding the power. Liberals get really hilarious when they don’t have the power.

  7. “They have insisted that they either get every single thing they want or they will shut down our government. It’s an outrage. ”

    Geez, can anyone or everyone name another bunch of elitist zealots that have done the same thing in several states and at the Federal Level? I’ll give anyone that doesn’t know the answer 3 guesses and the first 2 don’t count!

    For Christ’s sake I wish Jeffy would get a real job!

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