{"id":83634,"date":"2022-10-17T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/?p=83634"},"modified":"2022-10-17T10:58:11","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T15:58:11","slug":"return-of-the-hack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/?p=83634","title":{"rendered":"Rochelle Olson: Still A DFL PR Flak After All These Years"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sixteen years ago, Rochelle Olson and the Strib <\/em>put out one of the yellowest bits of reporting there has ever been – a hatchet job against CD5 GOP candidate Alan Fine, who was up against Keith Ellison in his first run for Congress. A month before the election, Olson wrote a piece about an incident where Alan Fine was arrested for domestic abuse<\/a> – somehow, without finding room to mention that there was no physical evidence, that he was never charged, that Fine eventually got custody of their son (which doesn’t generally happen for men with domestic abuse raps) and that in fact his soon-to-be-ex had been arrested for abuse later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On my show, she said “there just wasn’t room” for all that extra information; I pointed out how she or her “editors” could have easily fit the relevant information into the story with room to spare<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, the old Rochelle is back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sunday, the Strib ran a piece, headlined:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bad Republican Draft Dodger Pounces On Good Democrat. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, no. That wasn’t the title. But close enough. Here’s the real thing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GOP opponent who never served criticizes Gov. Tim Walz’s exit from National Guard<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rest of the story doesn’t get any better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joseph Eustice, a 32-year veteran of the guard who led the same battalion as Walz, said the governor fulfilled his duty.<\/p>

“He was a great soldier,” Eustice said. “When he chose to leave, he had every right to leave.”<\/p>

Eustice said claims to the contrary are ill-informed and possibly sour grapes by a soldier who was passed over for the promotion to command sergeant major that went to Walz.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Eustice is indeed listed as a “Command Sergeant Major” (CSM) in the 125th Field Artillery, the Mankato National Guard unit in which Walz served. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olson’s article refers to one “Command Sergeant Major” whose stories are dogging the Governor – Tom Behrends, whose story first came out four years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there are a total of three<\/a>. Rochelle Olson and the Strib didn’t seem to think that was worthy of a mention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while CSM Eustice blames “sour grapes” by someone who maybe got passed over, all three <\/em>of the men who’ve gone on record against Walz were Command Sergeants Major – the same rank Walz held before accepting demotion on retirement. And one of those exceptionally senior NCOs was in fact the CSM of the entire 34th Infantry Division – two levels of hierarchy above Walz. There weren’t many positions to move up to<\/em> in the MInnesota Guard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That retired divisional CSM is Command Sergeant Major Doug Julin<\/a> – the senior NCO in the entire 34th Infantry Division:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Command Sergeant Major (Retired) Douglas L. Julin most recent assignment was as the Division Command Sergeant Major of the 34th \u201cRed Bull\u201d Infantry Division, headquartered in Rosemount, Minnesota<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

If Julin is upset about not being promoted, one wonders exactly how. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Julin is <\/em>upset:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julin said he spoke with Walz directly in 2018 after Behrends sent a letter to the media about Walz\u2019s military record. He said he expressed his frustration and concerns to Walz, who said he appreciated Julin talking to him about it, but \u201cthat was about it,\u201d Julin said.<\/p>

Julin told Alpha News he doesn\u2019t really take issue with Walz using the CSM title after not completing all of the requirements to earn the rank. What matters to him most is how he walked away from his troops.<\/p>

He wanted to share his story ahead of the election because he believes Minnesotans deserve better.<\/p>

\u201cWhy should we be quiet? He uses the military to promote himself when he abandoned his soldiers,\u201d he said. \u201cHe let the soldiers down. How can you be entrusted to be the governor of Minnesota when if something is not to your liking, you quit or you serve yourself and not others?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Olson’s piece studiously avoids mentioning Julin, or the other retired CSM, Paul Herr – who spoke with Alphanews over the summer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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