As a service to my audience, I provide you the following transcript.<\/p>\n
It was surreptitiously recorded at a meeting of the Star\/Tribune editorial board, sometime last week.\u00a0\u00a0The\u00a0source’s name can not be revealed, to protect\u00a0her or his identity.\u00a0 All names are redacted.<\/p>\n
Transcript begins:<\/p>\n
EDITOR\u00a0A [MALE]:\u00a0 It’s time to run another “Roodwip” story”.<\/p>\n
COLUMNIST B[MALE] (Sotto voce, <\/em>to COLUMNIST\u00a0C [FEMALE]):\u00a0 Psst – what’s “roodwip”?<\/p>\n
COLUMNIST\u00a0C [FEMALE] (Sotto voce<\/em>):\u00a0 “Republican” who’s disappointed with Pawlenty”.<\/p>\n
EDITOR A: So – who do we use?\u00a0 John Gunyou?<\/p>\n
EDITOR D [FEMALE]:\u00a0 We use him all the time.\u00a0 Too much.\u00a0 We’re getting lots of mail from people saying he was the “Republican” budget director for a “Republican” governor that governed to the left of the previous DFL governor.\u00a0 I think we should broaden our base of “dissatisfied Republicans”<\/p>\n
EDITOR A: Why?\u00a0 Wingnut readers are all stupid!<\/p>\n
COLUMNIST C: Yaaaaaay!\u00a0 Stupid!<\/p>\n
EDITOR E [MALE]: Be that as it may, the wingnuts aren’t the audience.\u00a0 It’s the “undecided voter” we need to address.\u00a0 They need to believe that there’s a genuine current within the GOP to oppose the likes of David Strom and Tim Pawlenty.<\/p>\n
COLUMNIST C: Booooo!\u00a0 Strom!\u00a0 Booooooo!<\/p>\n
EDITOR D [FEMALE]:\u00a0 Have a drink, L__i.\u00a0 No, I hear you.\u00a0 The question is, we keep using the same ones, over and over and over.\u00a0 We’ve got Gunyou…<\/p>\n
COLUMNIST F [MALE]: …who’s kinda played out<\/p>\n
EDITOR D:\u00a0 …I agree.\u00a0 And there’s Elmer Anderson…<\/p>\n
COLUMNIST B: …who’s dead…<\/p>\n
EDITOR D: …and Arne Carlson…<\/p>\n
EDITOR A:\u00a0 We cant’ use him.\u00a0 He’s still the sitting governor!<\/p>\n
EDITOR F:\u00a0 Er, no sir, that’s Tim Pawlenty.\u00a0 Carlson’s been out of office for nine years.\u00a0 But Republican have pretty well abandoned him.\u00a0 Who else can we get?<\/p>\n
EDITOR D: Well, it’s not easy.\u00a0 Most Republicans do <\/em>support the governor, and even more support the “no taxes” line, even if they don’t explicitly support the Taxpayers’ League.<\/p>\n
COLUMNIST C: Booooooo!<\/p>\n
COLUMNIST B: But I read that Republicans are getting upset about that type of irresponsible leadership!<\/p>\n
EDITOR F:\u00a0 Er, N__k?\u00a0 You actually wrote <\/em>that column?<\/p>\n
COLUMNIST B:\u00a0 Oh.\u00a0 Well…<\/p>\n
EDITOR A:\u00a0 We need to find another “disaffected Republican”.\u00a0 Maybe we need to do like the New Republic did and have someone just make stuff up?<\/p>\n