On the one hand, I guess conservatives should be happy the Strib actually published Michael Brodkorb’s a takedown of the Strib’s systematic bias in covering political rhetoric:
…I’m always impressed by the speed in which the Star Tribune editorial page will throw the foul flag on comments from [State GOP chair Tony] Sutton and me, while ignoring hyperbolic rhetoric from Gov. Mark Dayton, DFL Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk and Minnesota DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin over a potential government shutdown (“Sutton’s boorish behavior,” editorial, May 28).
It’s nothing new, of course; exposing the Strib’s institutional bias and ethical perfidy has always been the seed corn of the Minnesota conservative blogosphere.
But the double-standard has shifted into high gear this year, as the Strib’s editorial board circles its wagons to try to protect Dayton.
In the final days of the 2011 legislative session, GOP leaders in the Minnesota House and Senate provided DFL Gov. Mark Dayton with an opportunity to speak directly to both legislative caucuses. It was a historic bipartisan meeting, filled with the discussion and debate that Minnesotans expect. In this private meeting, both Gov. Dayton and the GOP legislators were respectful of differing views.
How did Dayton reward this olive branch from the GOP leadership? He publicly attacked the legislators who politely asked questions of their governor by calling them “extremists” and by saying they “know little about government and care even less.”
Rather than using his powerful soapbox to rally Minnesotans together, he chose to take a swipe at the mothers, fathers, teachers, veterans, Cub Scout leaders and small-business owners who serve as citizen legislators. Dayton attacked, but the Star Tribune editorial page was silent.
Did I say double-standard?
Good:
[Senate Majority Leader Tom] Bakk, who earlier in the session flat-out refused to produce a budget solution, was speaking to the press, comparing these same hardworking GOP legislators to members of “cults.” It’s worth noting that while Bakk has time to stroll the halls of the State Capitol launching personal attacks on citizen legislators, his caucus hasn’t found any time to provide substantive budget solutions.
It seems the only “budget” work the Senate DFL Caucus has done this year is cashing in its legislative pay and per-diem checks. Bakk attacked, but the Star Tribune editorial page was silent.
Finally, Martin ended the week with a frantic news release, decrying Sutton’s and my political statements about Dayton’s “erratic” leadership style. This, of course, is the same Ken Martin who said on TV hours earlier that GOP legislators would have “blood” on their hands if state government shuts down. Martin attacked, but the Star Tribune editorial page was silent.
I’ve been writing this for months; the DFL is running the first-year law school play; “if the law is against you, argue facts; it the facts are against you, argue law; if the facts and law are against you, argue like hell”. They’re stuck with a population that tossed them from office by the palette-load last fall, and a governor who has won awards for his political ineptitude. They are desperate.
As home prices are falling, and as gas prices have risen to nearly $4 a gallon, Gov. Dayton is preparing to shut down state government for a tax increase that Minnesotans can’t afford — something that candidate Dayton said he wouldn’t do. I guess if I were the DFL, I’d distract, too!
As Michael points out, the GOP accomplished its mission – or close to it. They raised the budget, without touching anyone’s taxes. In addition, they passed some historic reforms to government.
What does the DFL minority and our isolated, embattled governor have to show?
Delaying. Name-calling.
And the Strib is covering for them.
I saw the True North claim they were being targeted by the STrib unfairly, citing harsh and derogatory language.
What struck me was that it was evident that the post was complaining about exactly the same kind of language they themselves used, language I’ve seen here as well.
If you’re going to be calling the kettle black, don’t do it yourselves.
Mitch wrote:
“What does the DFL minority and our isolated, embattled governor have to show?
Delaying. Name-calling.”
What the DFL has to show for it is a Governor with a much higher approval rating than the GOP, who didn’t address the budget or other more important issues as a priority in the legislature when they should have, leaving it to the last minute instead of doing the job for which they were elected. The culture war issue focus has NOT been a success for your side, and it represents an abandonment of something that you yourself here insisted the GOP wasn’t going to do – this time. Statewide and nationwide, you are losing, and losing fast. None of this is something to be happy or proud about accomplishing. Your party has overreached, and isn’t listening. Again.
What the DFL has to show for it is a Governor who wants to address the budget by dealing with both revenue and spending, consistent with the majority of Minnesotans. An overwhelming majority of Minnesotans DO want to tax that upper 2%. If conservatives are going to claim they have that kind of support as a justification for voter ID, then you should give the same recognition to the equally high or higher percentage of Minnesotans who want that upper income taxed.
If not, you’re dishonest about really caring what Minnesotans want.
“An overwhelming majority of Minnesotans DO want to tax that upper 2%.”
Dog, again you show your blatant stupidity! Did you not pay attention to the elections or to the fact the BOTH houses in MN are GOP controlled? This totally disproves your usual dog shit arguments trying o carry the water for the rest of your moral degenerate, economically illiterate and juvenile demonrat bretheren! You make me sick!
Why don’t you rail on the fact that some of these same miscreants spit on Rep. Rod Hamilton as he walked alone in a capitol hallway? He has MS, walks with a cane, so, of course libturd cowards, as all of them are, are only showing their “superior intellect” and “tolerance.”
That jack wagon was damn lukcy that I wasn’t walking down that hallway with Rep. Hamilton, because I would have given him an exhibition of the useful things that his taxes went for, how to drop an enemy soldier like a brick!
An overwhelming majority of Minnesotans DO want to tax that upper 2%.
DG – you missed it yesterday? I FACT CHECKED you.
The “overwhelming support” is according to a Star/Tribune poll of random adults (not even registred,much less likely, voters) which oversampled DFLers by half, did nothing to control for “independent” alignment and revealed no geographic crosstabs…
…AND, with all of that, showed 80-20 support for Voter ID!
So either admit that the poll you relentlessly pimp is deeply flawed, or accept that the people are ahead of you on Voter ID.
I will wait in vain for Dog to retract her recent fallacy. Reading a Dog Gone comment has become a lot like watching a Twins game.
Dog Gone said:
“the GOP, who didn’t address the budget”
We need a FACT CHECK on paragraph five! FACT-CHECK! *nervous tick*
Dog Gone said:
“An overwhelming majority of Minnesotans DO want to tax that upper 2%”
Even IF you are correct, we have 98 wolves and 2 sheep deciding “what’s for dinner”.
That should sound morally bankrupt and ethically corrupt to you. Does it?
An overwhelming majority of Minnesotans DO want to tax that upper 2%.
Hey, DG, I thought that the DFL/progressives were supposed to be FOR protecting the rights of the minority. Given the “upper 2%” is almost exactly the percentage of the population that’s “gay” explain to me how how respecting the “rights” of the two minorities differs? Do the “rich” (hah!) deserve less freedom from losing their property than the “gay” deserve from societal recognition of their romantic unions?
I doubt the richest 2% can bankroll our gov’t. But for starters, I’m willing to let Mark Dayton and Jim Pohlad turn over all of their inherited assets to the gov’t.
“I’m willing to let Mark Dayton and Jim Pohlad turn over all of their inherited assets to the gov’t.”
I’ll bet that South Dakota would bitch about that! After all, they would certainly claim that taking money that was earned in MN, but stashed there to avoid MN taxes is not fair!
Even if Doggone were correct, the poll should be:
“Do you support raising state income tax 3% on the most prosperous (highest income) 2% of Minnesotans, knowing that this represents a 4-6% reduction in disposable income to them, and that the experience of other states indicates not only that this will not balance the budget, but it will also lead many prosperous people to abandon plying their trade in Minnesota altogether–possibly taking your job with them?”
It’s an income tax. I think that this is how it works.
Other than the money Dayton takes out of his trust and declares as income, he can be taxed on no more than his governor’s salary of around $130k. Millions kept as investments are untouched.
If you are a doctor with no money in the bank but you make $250k you are taxed on every penny.
Governor Moonshine can just take his millions out of SoDak and spend them in Texas. He probably does. I wonder what his position is on the death tax.
Kermit;
I think that it would depend on whether he dies here or in SD. But then, in either case, we’d never know his position.
Hey someone finally took up my saying! Thanks Kerm!