A longtime friend of this blog, and an elected official in the west metro, sends me this analysis:
Attached is a revised copy of the GOP scumbags that voted in favor of final passage of the Twins Stadium bill. You'll note 13 of the 38 turncoats were defeated or elected not to run and a DFLer took the seat. This means: Of the 26 seats that were lost, 13 (aka 50%) voted for the Twins bill. Coincidence? Perhaps. But I call it a factor in the defeat.
Here’s the list:
Won: Abeler (Anoka County)
LOST: Blaine (Morrison County)
LOST: (retired, moved to DFL) Bradley (Olmsted County)
Won: Brod (Sibley/LeSueur Counties)
LOST: Charron (Washington County)
LOST: Cox (Scott/Goodhue Counties)
LOST: Cybart (Scott County)
LOST: Davids (Fillmore/Houston Counties)
Won: Demmer (Dodge/Steele Counties)
LOST: (retired, moved to DFL) Dempsey (Goodhue County)
LOST: (retired, moved to DFL) Dorman (Freeborn County)
Won: Finstad (Brown County)
Won: Garofalo (Dakota County)
LOST: Gazelka (Crow Wing County)
Won: Gunther (Martin County)
Won: Hamilton (Cottonwood County)
Won: Heidgerken (Stearns/Pope Counties)
Won: Hoppe (Carver County)
Won: Lanning (Clay County)
Won: Magnus (Rock/Murray/Pipestone Counties)
Won: McNamara (Washington County)
Won: (retiring, held GOP) Meslow (Washington/Anoka Counties)
LOST: Peter Nelson (Chisago County)
Won: Nornes (Ottertail County)
Won: Ozment (Dakota County)
LOST: (retired, moved to DFL) Penas (Roseau/Kittson)
Won: Neil Peterson (HENNEPIN COUNTY)
LOST: (retired, moved to DFL) Samuelson (Ramsey County)
Won: Severson (Benton County)
Won: Simpson (Wadena/Ottertail)
Won: Sviggum (Wabasha/Rice)
Won: (retiring, held GOP) Sykora (HENNEPIN COUNTY)
Won: Tingelstad (Anoka County)
Won: Urdahl (Meeker County)
Won: Wardlow (Dakota County)
LOST: (retired, moved to DFL) Westerberg (Anoka County)
No, I don’t think it’s a coincidence.
When Republicans act like Republicans, we win.
When we act like Democrats – awash in power, giddy over being in control of all the cool wheels and buttons and levers of government – we lose.
Many Republicans needed a refresher. Many of them got it on Tuesday.
Giving millions away to billionaires is not acting like a Democrat, it is enacting traditional Republican tax policy. Like the Republicans down here in Texas did when they bought Jerry Jones a new $450 million $tadium, oh and when they gave GWB his first million by buying his Texas Rangers a new $tadium. I grant you handing out tax dollars to billionaires is still idiotic, but instead lets chastise the Democrats for acting like Republicans.
Brad Finstad’s margin was cut by 5 or 6 points – and his opponent used the stadium issue against him. That was a VERY republican district.
Since Brad Finstad saw fit to raise MY taxes, I will be returning the favor by watching for pork in his area and writing my legislators to ask them to vote against it.
Finstad’s margin was cut significantly, and the stadium issue was used against him in the campaign.