Shot in the Dark

Like Fourth Grade, All Over Again

Sheriff Dave Hutchinson, to Fox9’s Mary McGuire:

Well, let’s get that reflected in statute, pronto! Everyone does it!

(Maybe he meant “everyone at the Sheriff’s Association meeting? We’ll never know – all cameras were reportedly barred. What happens near Alexandria stays near Alexandria).

And when they do, and a Henco sheriff’s deputy pulls them over and they come in with a .17 (which was what the .13 from his urine test likely was at the time of the accident), they don’t get a whiffleball home booking with not one second spent in a jail cell.

And if a Minnesotan with a carry permit is busted with over .04, they’re at very serious risk of losing their carry permit.

What happens to cops who lose their right to carry?

I’d love to ask the sheriff this question. I’m gonna guess I don’t get any chance to.

By the way – I’ll be talking with Rebecca Brannon on the show this Saturday about this story, including the blowback she’s gotten from local cops.

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Mitch Berg

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26 responses to “Like Fourth Grade, All Over Again”

  1. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    An open and shut case of fat homosexual white male privilege.

  2. Night Writer Avatar
    Night Writer

    DW-DFL.

  3. Paddyboy Avatar
    Paddyboy

    I have read that if law enforcement estimates that if you are arrested for DWI you’ve likely not just driven drunk once previously, but from 10 to 100 times previously. So, NO, Sherriff Hutchison, that’s not the question, but thanks for the strawman, it’s not a question of whether any of us, or even many of us, have made poor choices at SOME point, once, it’s that undoubtedly you’ve done this numerous times before and as a member of law enforcement, I’d ask you, since when does the bad acts of others justify the bad acts of your alleged perpetrator? Even more, don’t you hold yourself to a higher standard, even the highest?

    Night Writer, given the dozens to hundreds of cases of GOPers who’ve been arrested for DWI, including some pretty high profile cases (such as the GOPer in SoDak who killed a motorcyclist), not sure what your point is or even why this is political, except of course that you fright-wing extremists need to preach hate in every corner and at every opportunity.

    Mammuthus, what does his orientation, whatever it is, have to do with this story, exactly?

    Mitch, this is a point on which you and I agree. i don’t give a rip about anyone else’s conduct, he’s accountable for his own. I also think law enforcement MUST be held to a higher standard than others, certainly at least as high as anyone who might be presumptively judged because they have a carry permit.

  4. Paddyboy Avatar
    Paddyboy

    https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-04-09/kansas-senate-gop-leader-charged-with-dui-faces-ouster-vote

    https://www.newsweek.com/video-circulates-drunk-gop-texas-rep-dan-hubertys-dwi-arrest-after-crashing-minivan-1586224

    https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/politics/top-ny-republican-arrested-for-dwi-after-writing-column-warning-about-holiday-dwis/2253492/

    https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/09/03/south-dakota-attorney-general-jason-ravnsborg-accident-tickets-kristi-noem-joseph-boever/5700492001/

    Just three I found looking casually, plus the GOP Attorney General in So.Dak who claimed he didn’t know he hit someone who rolled across his windshield and avoided any potential culpability which would have accrued had he been found to have been drinking, but alas, like Rod Grams son, he wasn’t tested in a timely manner, nor was Dick Cheney… just sayin’, NW, you live in a glass house. This isn’t and never was, a political issue. If Hutchison really believes that because other people have driven drunk somehow he’s less accountable, then he should go.

  5. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    Mitch Spelled it out pretty well in his post, Paddyboy.
    Hutchinson is receiving absurdly favorable treatment, not just from law enforcement, but from the twin cities media.

    Why do you think that is? It isn’t law enforcement privilege. Derek Chauvin shows that simply having a badge doesn’t help you. What kind of privilege do you think protects Hutchinson from the consequences of his actions?

  6. Joe Doakes Avatar
    Joe Doakes

    The Sheriff has a point – I figure I’m still about a million dollars and several years of jail time ahead of the cops for all the stupid stuff that I did NOT get caught doing. But that won’t matter the next time I do something stupid and DO get caught doing it. “I did it before and didn’t get punished” is not an excuse, nor is “Everybody does it, what’s the big deal?”

    So why did this guy get such kid-gloves treatment? White Privilege? Being a cop? No – as MP correctly points out, that didn’t help Chauvin or Potter. What’s different about this guy?

    https://www.towleroad.com/2018/11/gay-sheriff/

    It’s fundamental Progressive philosophy that some animals are more equal than others. He’s been getting better treatment because of his sexual orientation since the election and preferential treatment continues today because as a member of an oppressed minority, he deserves it.

    Why squirm and try to deny it, Progressives? Why attack those who point it out? This is the society you wanted, that you worked so hard to achieve. Celebrate your victory, fellows.

  7. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    I’ll have to admit that of all the ad homs a guy might use to describe NW, I didn’t expect “a fright-wing extremist needing to preach hate in every corner and at every opportunity”. Of course, it was intended to distract from the disingenuously obtuse shock that someone might imply DFL corruption.

  8. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    Peev always misses the point, he is such an extreme ideologue he literally can’t make sense of a thing that doesn’t fit into his ideology. They say the same thing may explain UFO sighting and other “paranormal” experiences. Basically, when your mind sees a thing that it cannot understand, it has to fit it into an existing category, like “flying saucer” or “ghost.”
    So when MBerg writes a post specifically and clearly about Hennepin County’s gay, DFL sheriff getting favorable treatment from LE and the media after destroying a county vehicle in a drunk driving rampage, Paddyboy can only read it as MBerg saying that only DFL’rs commit crimes.
    Bizarre, isn’t it?

  9. escapefromstl Avatar
    escapefromstl

    After 19 months of Keith X telling us police have to be held to a higher standard, his silence on this particular ‘event’ is deafening.

  10. Night Writer Avatar
    Night Writer

    I’ll have to admit that of all the ad homs a guy might use to describe NW, I didn’t expect “a fright-wing extremist needing to preach hate in every corner and at every opportunity”.

    Now I know what I’m going to be for next Halloween!

    I’ll have to take jdm’s word that that description was pointed at me. Once I see that a comment is from paddy or certain others, I skip right over it.

  11. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    Btw, MP, your 8:46 am missive wasn’t just a bulls-eye, it obliterated the whole target.

  12. Paddyboy Avatar
    Paddyboy

    Matt, how does that compare to the special priveledge provided Rod Grams son, or the SoDak pol who killed a man, or Dick Cheney who shot a man, all of whom were suspected (strongly) of being drunk?

    The point is, it’s not special to one party over another. The OTHER point is, that’s really not Mitch’s point, or at least not the one which matters, the other point is that no one, least of all a member of law enforcement, should be justifying bad conduct by pointing to the bad conduct of others. I in no way support any special priveledge for Sheriff Hutchinson, how do you feel about Dick Cheney?

    I could have posted dozens of situations where law enforcement in conservative communities was shielded from consequence by political favor, hell, that’s what prompted BLM.

    Rather than continue to sew division based on party, and continue to try to create an us vs. them approach, why not agree that there’s more agreement than division and seek to address the underlying problem.

  13. Paddyboy Avatar
    Paddyboy

    And Matt, just to be abundantly clear, I’m pretty much a left of center Dem, FAR FAR closer to the middle than are you, or Mitch, or NW. I seek to find dialogue and compromise, you (and Mitch) seek to sew division (and quite apparently) hate..who is (or are) the extremist(s) here? Clue for you (and Mitch) it’s the guy typing at your keyboard(s).

  14. Paddyboy Avatar
    Paddyboy

    Matt, I’ll ask you to put your money where your mouth is. Here is a link to a Political leaning spectrum test which is intended to be non-partisan. You take it, answer as your political feelings are, not what you expect they want to hear, I assure you I’ll do the same, then post your results. I wonder who will come out as more on the extreme end (well, no I don’t, I’m sure of the answer)? The issue you face is that you sit in this fright-wing echo chamber and think that both represents the norm and a significant majority. News flash, it doesn’t. I’ll post my results, you post yours. Give it a go. https://www.politicalcompass.org/

  15. Paddyboy Avatar
    Paddyboy

    Economic Left/Right: -3.75
    Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.08
    personalised chart

    So, what that means is, I’m a pretty much a libertarian, with a slight bias more toward the middle than the left on the left square of the left/right line. I wonder if you have the courage to post yours, Matt… I mean, you called me an extremist, show some guts, take the test, post your results

  16. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    MP, my condolences. I think the little fella has taken a shine to you.

  17. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    Economic Left/Right: -0.38
    Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.46
    Which puts me damn near the middle. So, no extremist here!
    But it is a silly test. Some of the questions were strange in a non rational way. One was:
    “The freer the market, the freer the people.”
    By definition this true. If you tell me that I can’t by pot or porno or guns or slaves, I less liberty than someone who can buy these things. QED.
    The problem with Paddyboy isn’t his political positions, it is his woeful expression of them. He is like a kid in junior high foot ball who thinks that his job is to grab the football from whoever has it — even one of his team mates — and head straight for the goal line.

  18. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    I went to a site with a greater reputation, and its test identified me as a “faith and flag” conservative. I can’t disagree with that: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/quiz/political-typology/results/?archetype=3c99e31141ad72fc94f4c37c5990686a

    You can take the test here: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/quiz/political-typology/

  19. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    Paddy, the trick here is that in this case, the accused is pretty much getting out with very minor penalties, whereas some of the cases you’re bringing to the fore involve politicians who have been hit with far harsher penalties. In this case, there are also troubling indications that the accused has gotten a LOT of courtesies not given to others. That’s a big deal when the pictures we’ve seen indicate he’s got more than one addiction and personal problem.

  20. Pureblood Pete Avatar
    Pureblood Pete

    “ So, what that means is, I’m a pretty much a libertarian, with a slight bias more toward the middle than the left on the left square of the left/right line.”

    68% of leftists self identify as having been clinically diagnosed with a mental illness. 32% are liars.

    Which side of the line do you fall on, Peevee?

  21. Paddyboy Avatar
    Paddyboy

    Matt, I’m fairly shocked, but accede your point, you are closer to the middle. That said, it means I’m more a libertarian than you, and given your rather rabid comment about homosexuals, I am surprised. Frankly, I am astounded that you can find the extremist views Mitch presents palatable, given he says he wants to drag the country as far to the “right” as he can.

    That said, I think you write unoriginally, even uninspired. So, whatever lack of skill you perceive in me, fella’, please… you ain’t no Will Rogers.

    I work in a profession where my ability to speak and write are essential to my success. I make a very good living doing so, whether you believe that makes no never mind to me, I’m confident enough in it not to need to prove it, to you or others. I’ve told Mitch time and again the reason I allow sort of a stream of consciousness flow to represent my posting is that I think anything more is wasted (given the paucity of well-reasoned thought presented here – yes Joe, I’m speaking about you (among others)), and that by-and-large, Mitch won’t read what I write anyway, so why bother?

    What I proved in this chain of thought is this, NW made something needlessly political when it isn’t, you made it about sexual orientation when it isn’t. The 800# gorilla isn’t whether I can write effectively, it’s WHY you did that.

    That question/answer is what indicts the entire cabal of insurrectionists folks like Mitch have turned into. You do not seek engagement, that’s why you hide out here. You claim to honor the law, yet cannot bring yourself to condemn an utterly corrupt man (Trump) who tried to end our democracy. Yet, you want to argue about what is or is not well-reasoned?

    What a lark. Honestly.

  22. Paddyboy Avatar
    Paddyboy

    Sorry Bubba, I disagree. BTW, I do appreciate your civil reply.

    Rod Grams son did NOT get a harsher penalty, neither did the SD AG, certainly not immediately.

    The other point is simply this, the postulate you make is that Dems prefer this sort of outcome for their own, that favor rules the party, that law takes a back seat. Not only is it wrong, I counter it’s more true in the GOP – as evidenced by the scot-free way in which so many egregious violations of law and abuse of power were happily swept under the rug by Trump and his administration and you all willingly went along but far more importantly, because of this…

    I CONDEMN any laxity or favor Hutchinson might accrue due to his connections, did you do the same regarding Cheney? Will you do the same regarding Trump?

    I suspect not. And THAT is the difference between the parties and between most liberals I know and most conservatives.

    Mitch has said he doesn’t seek to be unbiased because well, the MSM is biased so why shouldn’t he be?

    The difference is, good and actual journalists, fight against their bias – they are trained to. They seek the other opinion, and if they are worth a crap, present it fairly. Propogandists find justification for their slant, and perpetuate it. They rationalize their sophistry.

    It’s the difference between saying hate the sin but love the sinner (meaning try to STOP sinning) and saying “Others sin, so why not me?” Mitch, this blog, fall into the latter category. Decent people, including virtually every liberal I know, fall into the former. They do NOT accept misconduct or special treatment of someone like Hutchinson, and would never allow the party affiliation of the “perpetrator” to sway their decision to act. I have not found that to be true with a pretty great number of what are commonly called paleo-conservatives, a group which Mitch, whether he accepts it or not, is a card carrying member. He excuses misconduct on the right by, at a minimum, failing to address it while trumpeting each and every form of it he finds on the left, all while knowing it’s not willful. Yet, on the right, we see person after person genuflecting to Trump, brushing away his attempt to steal an election from Biden – he can’t prove his case in court, no matter, he is right just because he says so. He lacks proof, no matter, let the MyPillow guy show you server logs proving zilch, or less, that he illegally obtained documents which still prove nothing except that he will engage in illegality. Trump encourages felonious conduct by encouraging people to prevent the lawful functioning of government, no matter, for we don’t like them, they aren’t us.

    If you don’t agree with that estimation of paleo-conservatism, then do the right thing, condemn it, as I did Hutchinson. I very much doubt you will, for it’s high treason, sacrilege really, you’d be an apostate, if you did so. Instead it’s embrace Marjorie Taylor Greene and her statement that if you move from a liberal state to a conservative one your voting rights should be suspended.

    You see Bubba, the difference is, liberals, in the main, hold offenders to the same (or at least damned similar standards) no matter the stripe, I do not see that from the GOP – this case is an abuse, and deserves rebuke, where is your (or Mitch’s) rebuke of Trump, or even of the big-gov’mint solution (voter ID laws) to a non-existent problem? If you’re ACTUALLY a libertarian, you should be appalled.

  23. Paddyboy Avatar
    Paddyboy

    BTW Mitch, before you myopically focus on my statement you know better about whether most liberals willfully ignore misconduct, PLEASE try to stay on point, the point is, you will not address Trump. That’s the end-all-be-all of politics trumping (no pun intended) morality. He attempted to illegally remain President – and all we hear from you is crickets.

  24. Paddyboy Avatar
    Paddyboy

    Mamm, I have to admit to being more than a little surprised at the outcome you achieved given that you said something as absurd as that generally the statement that “the freer the market, the freer the society” is true.

    First, that’s extreme libertarianism, second, it’s laughably false. Mexico and Brazil have FAR more open markets/capitalistic societies with much less regulation than do we, do you think they are free societies?

    Capitalism, left unchecked, trends toward monopoly, it must, that’s the end goal, market share dominance. Further, you seek to remove ANY barrier to profit, certainly any pesky little regulation. History in the US made it pretty clear we had the most dominance of society by the plutocrats during the period of the robber barons – a time of supposed liberty but a time in fact when most people were nothing more than wage slaves, working 80 hours per week commonly. Is that your “free” society?

    So, unless you think Mexico, a land ruled by plutocratic government, is your epitome’ of a just and free society, I think either you are hiding your true feelings when you took that quiz – but more importantly, that you have little grasp of how unfettered capitalism really works.

  25. Mammuthus Primigenesis Avatar
    Mammuthus Primigenesis

    Paddyboy, you are making things far too complicated. The question asked was simple. The reasoning process is simple. Are the people more free if the people are free to do more things? It doesn’t matter whether you like capitalism or not.
    The elementary mistake you are making is that you are assuming that freedom is a good thing (I don’t), therefore, whatever you like must be pro-freedom
    and what you dislike must be anti-freedom.
    The question was poorly written because it left its terms undefined and so it is prone to misinterpretation, as you have demonstrated.

  26. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    LIberals hold people to the same standards, sure, Paddy. That’s why they were soft on Teddy Kennedy after Chappaquiddick, why they didn’t raise a fuss when Comey’s investigation of an open and shut case against Hilliary Clinton didn’t even convene a grand jury (let alone issue a subpoena for the server), and that’s why the DC bar just reinstated a guy who falsified evidence before the FISA court, thus putting several Trump associates through legal Hell (and hundreds of thousands of dollars of legal bills) for no good reason.

    And that’s why it really is equivalent that Suellentrop was ousted from his position as majority leader in the KS Senate by his own party, and that Hutchinson….well, we’re not aware of any sanctions besides a downgraded DUI charge.

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