Shot in the Dark

Tag: Winkler

  • One Day At The Ministry Of Truth

    SCENE:  At the executive offices of the Alliance For A Better Minnesota.  Executive Director Carrie LUCKING sits near the center of the head table, next to an absurdly-large fake throne.  Her research director , Stephanie FORSTER, sits on the other side. LUCKNIG:  It’s a gorgeous day out there, isn’t it? FORSTER:  Um…(steals a glance out…

  • The 2011 Shootie Awards!

    It’s time once again for that grand tradition in Twin Cities blogging; it’s the sixth-annual, 2011 edition of the Shootie Awards.  These awards commend the worst – and, ever-so-rarely, the best – in Twin Cities (usually-but-not-always alternative) media. And we’ll kick off the awards with the first statuette: The Walter Winchell Award For Cool, Dispassionate…

  • Democrats: Distrust, Verify, Then Really Distrust

    Matthew Torgerson – who claims to be a lawyer, I think – claims that “15% of Minnesota GOP legislators have a college degree”. Here’s one of several tweets on the subject: Now, Torgerson, like many DFLers, confuses “education” with “schooling” – but beyond that, he’s utterly wrong. Here are the notes on legislators’ education, taken…

  • Showy, Shallow, Shrill: Your 2011 DFL Caucus!

    As little as governmetn at any level does that’s of any worth, there is a certain amount of responsibility involved. When it became apparent that there’s a chance the Fed might shut down (or at least cut back its non-debt spending), both Denise Cardinal “Governor Dayton” and Rep. Keith Downey made moves, via their various…

  • One Day At DFL Headquarters

    (SCENE: Denise CARDINAL, head of Alliance for a Better Minnesota chair of the Minnesota DFL, wallks into her office, sits in an overstuffed chair) (KEN MARTIN walks in to room). MARTIN: “Hello…” (MARTIN stops abruptly as CARDINAL motions downward with her index fingers.  MARTIN sighs, gets on hands and knees in front of CARDINAL’s char.…

  • Let’s Give Credit Where It’s Due

    Here is the list of Minnesota House members who voted for HF1467 – which expands the human right of self-defense, and creates a legal possibility that demonstrably-legitimate self-defense shootings don’t have to plead “guilty with an explanation” for exercising the human right to defend their lives and their families from lethal threats. If you see…

  • Profiles In Courage

    Some Republicans have claimed that the DFL has spent the six weeks since the GOP introduced a balanced, tax-hike-free budget “loafing” and “running out the clock” (when they’re not clutching their pearls about the GOP ignoring the suddenly-“non-partisan” Minnesota Management and Budget fiscal notes). But we know better. The DFL has whiled away its free…

  • One Day At The Legislative DFL Caucus

    (SCENE:  A DFL Legislative Caucus meeting over breakfast at the bar at the Kelly Inn.   Paul THISSEN, Ryan WINKLER, John LESCH, Phyllis KAHN, Scott DIBBLE, Carly MELIN, Sandy PAPPAS, Alice HAUSMAN, and Linda BERGLIN are sitting at a large table..  They are whispering amongst themselves as they wait for Tom BAKK) LESCH: (to MELIN):…

  • Tiger Blood

    So with the news that Pawlenty staffer Ben Foster had been arrested in Ankeny, Iowa yesterday for drunkenly terrorizing a family, our statesmen leapt into action. John “Kumar” Lesch – the DFL representative from House District 66A,  tweeted: Nixon hired thugs to invade Democratic headquarters. Pawlenty’s first hire tries to invade your bedroom. Yep, he…

  • Chanting Points Memo: The DFL And The Black Knight

    Remember the movie Monty Python And The Holy Grail?  The part where King Arthur (Graham Chapman) battles the Black Knight (the voice of John Cleese) for the right to pass through the Knight’s land? The solemn lesson; taunting is no substitute for action. The DFL is hoping Minnesota’s voters haven’t learned that lesson.  On three…

  • One Day At The House Minority Caucus Meeting

    SCENE:  The House Minority Caucus is meeting around a table at the Road Apple Saloon, at the Kelly Inn near the Capitol.  Paul THISSEN, Minority Leader, sits at a table with Debra HILSTROM, whips Larry HOSCH, Phyllis KAHN, Melissa HORTMAN, Alice HAUSMAN, John LESCH and Terry MORROW. They are joined by the rest of the…

  • I Heard It On The NARN

    Rick Rice is running for the Minnesota House of Representatives in MN44B against Ryan Winkler.

  • Shakedown

    In many ways, the classic Minnesota corporations have always been the very model of “good corporate citizens”.  These corporations – 3M, Daytons (now Target), Medtronic, Mayo, Best Buy and many more – gave profusely to Minnesota charities, schools, universities, arts, research…the whole works. But they’ve also gotten squeezed, hard; has bad as taxes are for…

  • Tickling the Shark

    I never liked Happy Days much; I very, very rarely watched it.  But to the extent that I ever did watch it, I tuned out even faster when it got to the point when every major character would walk on camera, the in-studio audience would erupt in pro forma applause; when Fonzie would go “‘eeeey”, the house would practically…

  • Dead Until Proven Innocent

    In one of the funniest recent episodes of South Park, Stan’s little brother Ike’s kindergarten teacher seduces the toddler, gets caught, and, in a press conference before the trial, declares to be sorry, and that “…I am an alcoholic”.  The crowd of reporters, cops and specators nod their heads, and eventually cheer the woman as…