The image to the right is from Republican David Hann’s campaign website (link here for full view). It seems in May 2010, Hann held a Press Conference announcing the beginnings of an ethics complaint about a DFLer who had ethics problems — and is now out of office. This image of Hann’s website shows links to a press conference Hann, along with Republican Senator Geoff “I only lied because I had to” Michel, held — and it’s worth remembering what Hann had to say at that time. Let’s look!
Here’s the transcript:
“I think all of us in public office, we need to exercise the best judgement that we can to make sure that what we’re doing, uh, doesn’t send the appearance to the public that we’re, uh, seeking any kind of special treament or doing things that are of benefit to us personally.” — Republican Senator David Hann, 20 May 2010
OK, why bring that up, now? Well, because of what Hann said about HIS behavior, just the other day:
From Minnesota Public Radio:
“What I did was perfectly legal and legitimate,” Hann said. “I did not have a license at the time I did that, was not contemplating having a license at the time I did that. After the fact, I got a license, [which] would no different than anybody in the state of Minnesota who decided to get a license after the law was passed.” — Republican Senator David Hann
OK, working hand in hand with an owner of an insurance company – John Tyler – while working in the legislature as Chair of the committee that affects said insurance company owner, and then going to work for said insurance company owner after getting legislation passed affecting said insurance company owner may be “perfectly legal and legitimate” – but it sure gives the impression of, as Hann stated in May of 2010: “…doing things that are of benefit to us personally.”
Because, Hann’s behavior reeks of “…doing things that are of benefit to us personally.”
Since December of 2011, Hann has been involved in three things that really reek: the sacking of then-Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch; the infamous Lunch Hour Lit Drop; and now getting licensed to sell health insurance, taking a job with an insurance company who he worked with for God only knows how long on health insurance issues, and taking a board position with a health insurance trade association.
When the Legislature convenes in January, the Senate’s Ethics Committee needs to take a long hard look at David Hann and the timeline of what he’s done.
Assuming, of course, he doesn’t resign first…
After all, if Hann wants to walk through the ol’ Legislator-to-lobbyist revolving door so common today (except in Hann’s case, it’d be “Legislator to now-employee-of-business-owner-he-helped), he shouldn’t let the door smack him on his way out.
I’m thinking if he doesn’t, Hann will get smacked by an Ethics Committee investigation.
The House should take a long hard look at Gottwalt, too.
* * * *
Previous coverage of Hann’s latest scandal:
MPR joins Fox9 and Minnpost and investigates David Hann, adds Steve Gottwalt — Monday, December 10th, 2012
GOP legislators who pushed MinnCare cuts under scrutiny for ties to insurers — Monday, December 10th, 2012
State Senate Republicans Double Down On David Hann’s Lack Of Disclosure — Saturday, November 10th, 2012
“Republicans pick the most corrupt Senator to lead them, David Hann” — Friday, November 9th, 2012
“More Questions For The List Of Questions David Hann Hasn’t Answered” — Thursday, November 8th, 2012
MNGOP Sen. David Hann chairs Health Committee, didn’t disclose health insurance job — Friday, November 2nd, 2012
“GOP State Senator David Hann Endorsed For Re-Election – By His Boss” — Tuesday, October 30th, 2012
“BREAKING: David Hann On Board Of Directors For Trade Association He Oversees” — Monday, October 29th, 2012
“BREAKING: David Hann Scrubs His Website, or: “Let The WhiteWash Begin!” — 9:35 pm, Friday, October 26th, 2012
“TV station sees conflict of interest for Sen. Hann, others” — 2:12pm, Friday, October 26th, 2012
“Fox9 News Scandal Coverage: “What does Sen. David Hann do for a living?” — 10:41am, Friday, October 26th, 2012
“What does Sen. David Hann do for a living?” — 7:55pm, Thursday October 25th, 2012
“When is a Conflict of Interest, a Conflict of Interest? You Decide.” — Thursday, October 25th, 2012
“Conflict of Interest? David Hann, GOP Health Insurance Salesman” — 5:00am, Thursday October 25th, 2012
*** related, but not directly:
“Minnesota Senate Republicans Are Out Of Control” — Friday, November 2nd, 2012
“Brodkorb Fallout: Consider The Source” — Monday, October 15th, 2012
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com)
GOP Senator Hann’s problems started with his involvement in The Gang Of Four; which is a scandal because four Republican State Senators called the media to attend a press conference in December of 2011, smiled at the camera — and one of them, for sure, proceeded to lie through his teeth. As of this date, we don’t know what Hann knew, when he knew it, nor what his role in this scandal is – and he ain’t talking.
We’re going to skip over Hann’s role in the infamous Lunch Hour Lit Drop scandal; suffice it to say that Hann was co-chair of the GOP Senate Caucus re-election effort. If Hann didn’t know what was happening, he should have. See MnGOP State Senate: “…we are in this together…” and MnGOP State Senate: We Are In This Together Part 2.
We’ll skip to late last month, when the story broke about Hann’s apparent concealment of who he works for/what he does. What we know is Hann has a license to sell insurance and works for a company that sells insurance – Boys & Tyler Financial. Fox9 covered this story; that’s where the image to the right came from. It’s a statement Hann sent Fox9; Hann says was “too busy campaigning” to talk to the reporter. Hann’s been ducking reporters ever since.
And here’s something David Hann is probably NOT going to want to talk about either. That facebook image, to the right? That’s Brad Biers’ page. Who is Brad Biers? According to the State Senate HHS website, Biers is the HHS Committee Administrator; a Committee David Hann Chairs. And what does Biers say, in his facebook post?
“All of my political clients won last night! A Sincere Congratulations to Sen. David Hann, Sen. Paul Gazelka, Sen.-elect David Osmek and Rep.-elect Marion O’Neill. These are four of the finest public servants Minnesota has to offer.
Election cycle 2014 begins. Contact me for winning ideas and and strategies anytime.”
RuhRoh… Committee Chair David Hann’s Committee Administrator has David Hann as a political client???
Off to google, where we find Biers is a partner in a company called “Capitol Communications”.
Now we have a name, so it’s off to the Campaign Finance Board to check Hann’s Campaign’s reports. And we do indeed find an expenditure to Capitol Communications.
OK, now we have an address, so let’s look it up! What do we find? It’s owned by Brad Biers.
No doubt about it: a State Senate Staffer – Brad Biers, wages paid by taxpayers – is also doing political work for not only his State Senate Boss, David Hann – he’s also done it for three other elected officials and he’s looking for more.
And not only is he looking for more, he’s looking for more at “anytime.” Let’s look at that facebook post, again:
Election cycle 2014 begins. Contact me for winning ideas and and strategies anytime.
Including the time he’s supposed to be doing the taxpayer’s work??!?
Ladies and Gentlemen, that reeks. Don’t know if it’s illegal, or if it’s against Senate Rules, but I intend to find out.
In the meantime, in addition to all the unanswered questions Hann has regarding his role in The Gang Of Four, The Lunch Hour Lit Drop, his conflict of interest with regards to what he does for a living, Hann can now add the work his staffer did to the list.
Stay tuned!
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
The endorsement came in the form of a Letter To The Editor in the local paper; published 18 October 2012.
Now, that’s a nice letter, talking about the great job (“huge contributions”) Hann is doing – seen by the residents that subscribe to the local paper right before election day. But nowhere does Mr. Tyler, of Boys and Tyler Financial, disclose that there might just be a slight conflict of interest: Hann works for Tyler.
One would think the voters of Eden Prairie and Minnetonka, in Senate District 48, should know that.
Should Hann be re-elected, Hann will go back to the State Capitol, in the Legislature, where he’s the Chair of Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee. Why is that committee important? Because it oversees and writes legislation affecting the health insurance industry; the industry Mr. Tyler’s company (Boys & Tyler Financial) is in, which is the company Hann works for. How convenient – for them.
In the story “Conflict of Interest? David Hann, GOP Health Insurance Salesman” (25 Oct 2012), we posted a picture of “an ‘invitation-only” event hosted by the Republican Health Care Task Force (RHCTF) of the MN GOP at the State Capitol on November 3, 2011.” In the caption above the picture, it’s noted that NOT pictured are John Tyler, and David Hann.
We know by this screen shot that Tyler and Hann were scheduled for another health care forum, on 17 October 2012.
Tyler and his employee, Hann, have been involved in working on health care legislation for at least a year. What we don’t know is how long Hann has been an employee of Tyler. In fact, Tyler’s Letter to the Editor failed to disclose Hann even is an employee.
Hann needs to come clean and clear the air.
Links to previous coverage follows.
“Conflict of Interest? David Hann, GOP Health Insurance Salesman” — 5:00am, Thursday October 25th, 2012
“When is a Conflict of Interest, a Conflict of Interest? You Decide.” — Thursday, October 25th, 2012
“What does Sen. David Hann do for a living?” — 7:55pm, Thursday October 25th
“Fox9 News Scandal Coverage: “What does Sen. David Hann do for a living?” — 10:41am, Friday, October 26th
“TV station sees conflict of interest for Sen. Hann, others” — 2:12pm, Friday, October 26th
BREAKING: David Hann Scrubs His Website, or: “Let The WhiteWash Begin!” — 9:35 pm, Friday, October 26th
BREAKING: David Hann On Board Of Directors For Trade Association He Oversees — Monday, October 29th
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
For more on the MN GOP fiscal scandal, click here: “By The Numbers: The MN GOP’s Cooked Books, Part 8″
For more on the Phil Young scandal, click here: “Part 6 – A Closer Look At Republican Mayor Phil Young’s Problems, or…”
Ladies and Gentlemen, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again and Again and AGAIN:
Reasonable People Cannot Reasonably Believe What GOPers Say.
Even the least dishonest of GOPers admitted that; remember what former GOPer National Chair Michael Steele once said?
“You have absolutely no reason – none – to trust our words or our actions at this point.”
True then, true today, and it’ll be true tomorrow too.
Reasonable People Cannot Reasonably Believe What GOPers Say.
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
In today’s print edition of the Strib, former Eden Prairie school board member and current Eden Prairie math teacher AND parent of an Eden Prairie student Ann Haines has an Op/Ed: “Ousted Eden Prairie school leader charted the right course”. I happen to agree with some of it, disagree with some of it, and unequivocally agree with this:
“There have certainly been voices of opposition along the way, but, as a former school board member, I know that the vicious personal attacks and public vilification damaged and continue to diminish one of the district’s most valuable assets: its reputation.”
Especially the “vicious personal attacks” part.
Apparently, the this Op/Ed went on-line yesterday, as the predictable smears from the so-called “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability” kicked in. You’ll note the very first comment on Ms. Haines’ Op/Ed is from one of the ring leaders “moderators” of the so-called “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability” – and it’s posted, above.
Let’s look at the very first thing Debbie Finch Brandt says:
“Would someone, anyone, take responsibility for “the vicious personal attacks and public vilification” of parents by the district?”
Say, Debbie? Perhaps you – YOU – might want to take a little responsibility, perhaps?
After all, it’s that facebook page, where you’re one of the ring leaders “moderators” that inspired Jeff Strate to collect and publicly read exact and verbatim quotes in a piece called “Eden Prairie Political Poppycock”. Well, and to post the video, “They Live Among Us”. And, of course, my posts, “Braxton Bullies: We Can’t HEAR You!!!” and “Braxton Bullies: We Can’t HEAR You!!! Part 2″.
If Ms. Finch Brant wishes, she can come here and respond to this – an accommodation to her, that she won’t reciprocate.
Why, just yesterday, Debbie Finch Brandt posted, and I quote:
Now, I’m not going to call Debbie Finch Brant a “liar” – but make no mistake: she is not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. What’s the first line of Debbie Finch Brandt’s facebook post, on the so-called “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability” say?
“I’m now receiving personal e-mails through FB from Tommy Johnson…”
Let me be very clear: there have only been two facebook direct-messaging exchanges; with a grand total of ten messages in the two exchanges. In fact, the very first interaction I had with Debbie Finch Brandt via facebook direct messaging, was a message from her. Yes, Gentle Readers, she initiated messaging – to me. Here’s how it went down: she sent me a message, I responded. She responded; I responded. She responded; I responded. Total of 6 messages – 3 each.
The only other interaction via facebook direct messaging was just the other day, prior to posting “Braxton Bullies: We Can’t HEAR You!!! Part 2″. The way that went down, is I sent her a message, she responded – TWICE – and I responded to her second response. Total of 4 messages; 2 each.
The one – ONE – time I contacted Debbie Finch Brandt via facebook, was prior to a post. That contact, via facebook, was only only after she had contacted me via facebook first. But, what did Debbie claim, again?
“I’m now receiving personal e-mails through FB from Tommy Johnson…” (emphasis added)
Here’s another line:
“…if you keep contacting me personally.”
That simply is not the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Actually, it’s complete BS – Debbie is implying something that simply is not there. What IS there, is the ol’ double-standard: it’s ok for HER to initiate contact, but dammit – don’t contact her back if she doesn’t like what you have to say.
Which shouldn’t surprise those paying attention to the double-standards and other cr@p spewed on the facebook page where Debbie is a ring leader “moderator.” What makes this even worse, is this little exchange during our first of only two facebook messaging exchanges:
Debbie: “…Honestly, and I am fully aware that this conversation might be made public by you….”
TPT: “…oh – and private conversations stay private by me. YMMV”
Bottom line? I told Debbie during our first of only two facebook messaging exchanges that I’d keep private what we discussed; I still will – for her, and for everyone else that wants to have a confidential exchange.
What I won’t do is allow her to essentially perpetrate a fraud – the implication that I’m some kind of stalkarazzi. And again: I’m not going to call Debbie Finch Brant a “liar” – but make no mistake: she is not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And if she’s not telling the truth about me, what else isn’t she telling the truth about?
I also won’t stand by while the “the vicious personal attacks and public vilification” Ms Haines talked about in her Op/Ed in the Strib continue on the so-called “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability” facebook page.
Again, if Ms. Finch Brant wishes, she can come here and respond to this – an accommodation to her that she won’t reciprocate.
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
I read a lot of smug, self-serving posts, comments, etc while blogging. Occasionally, one jumps out and demands attention – like the following, from one of the ring leaders “moderators” of the so-called “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability”:
Now, here’s the part that got me: “…our freedoms to do things like have this open forum, vote, disagree,…”
Yeah, “right.”
As noted in Braxton Bullies: “We can’t HEAR you!!!” a couple of weeks ago:
I hadn’t gone back to that Facebook page, for months and Months and MONTHS – until just the other day, when I got a phone call that said they were trashing me on it. So I went and looked – and to be quite honest, it was pretty tame ‘n lame – local GOPers have done and said MUCH worse. But what got me very quickly was how quickly I noticed that in that barnyard, some animals were more equal than others. Some folk there think is just swell to rip other people and candidates, but – BUT – they turned out to have a real thin-skin when the ol’ TwoPutter took issue with what they wrote and commenced to ripping them.
Which, by the way, is the classic definition of a bully – can dish it, but slinks and whines when what they done did, is done unto them.
So, how did they handle ol’ TwoPutter pointing out the hypcrisy, in addition to encouraging blatant lawless electioneering for their favored candidates?
Yep – that’s a screen shot of their Facebook page; you’ll note that the ol’ TwoPutter has done been kicked out.
The Braxton Bullies, in a nutshell? “We can’t HEAR you!!!”
Seriously, you can’t make this up – a moderator, patting herself on the back for “openness.” OK, it’s clear that they do allow disagreement (except when they don’t). Remember what I wrote back then? “Some folk there think is just swell to rip other people and candidates, …”
Let’s take a look at a recent comment by someone (really, “someone”) the moderator apparently approves of – the anonymous (how’s THAT for “open”?) commentator that goes by the pseudonym “William Felt” (those familiar with Nixon might get the connection) on a recent Katherine Kersten rant:
Really? REALLY??!?
These GroupThinkers actually believe what they write.
Of course, it’s a whole-lot easier when you’re so open that you don’t allow those that pop balloons, pop yours; you don’t allow people that disagree with you, disagree with you – in your “open” forum.
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
Yesterday, I ran a post entitled “Braxton Bullies: “We can’t HEAR you!!!”. One point of that post was the hypocrisy of a group complaining the Eden Prairie School Administration shuts them out and won’t listen to them, doing the same dam thing to THEIR critics. GOP Actvist Sheila Kihne best exemplifies this; she commented on that post – here, on MPP. The funny thing about that is Sheila banned me from her blog, a couple of years ago. Why? Because the ol’ TwoPutter took to poking holes in her tripe. Well, she also didn’t like how I was quoting Bush The Lesser, back when I was doing the “Countdown To The End Of An Error” series. Hmmm… Sheila objecting to using exact quotes… Hmmm… Sheila objecting, to using exact quotes….
Hey – just like some on the so-called “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability” objected because Jeff Strate was going to use exact quotes!
Here’s a quote from the Facebook page, read, that goes to that point:
Michelle Fourre If anyone would like to send their thoughts about this to the Dunn Bros Smith Douglas More location, their email is dunnbros30@dunnbros.com
Friday at 12:06am
OK, if you’ll note on the poster, above, the reading was held (and will be held again this Sunday!) at Camp Eden Wood. Why? Because there are people that pressured Dunn Bros Coffee to cancel Jeff ‘n Doug out; apparently, they didn’t want what they had written to be reread in public.
How’s THAT for “accountability”?
Here’s some more quotes. This by someone going by the nom de plume o’ “William Felt”:
William Felt, Facebook page – Oct 26, 2011
Compared to the last couple years, tonight [school] Board meeting was boring. For a change Patricia Magnuson didn’t lie, mislead, and misdirect the Board – as she didn’t attend.
Character assassination, by an anonymous poster – standard operating procedure on that Facebook page — as long as you’re ripping the proper person, of course….
Dunno if this is a real name or not, but here’s a beauty that was posted on the on-line Eden Prairie News:
« jkester wrote on Wednesday, Sep 21, 2011 at 01:39 PM » Eden Prairie News
You overpay some crazy liberal superintendant for years who develops an entitlement royalty personality, redistricts what was a nice place into some bizarre integrated social experiment, people are bailing out in droves, the superintendant packs her suitcase full of OUR TAX MONEY and leaves town. Then you sit around, look at each other and wonder, with that innocent passive aggressive Minnesota attitude “Why did this happen to me?” You get what you deserve, liberals, and if you want a social experiment, it can be FUN for you, BUT AS YOU ARE LEARNING ITS VERY EXPENSIVE…think what your beloved neighborhood will look like in 10 years …exactly..THE HOOD…
It’s too bad that guy didn’t say how he really feels….
OK, another!
ruphina Sep. 29, 1111:32 PM StarTribune
The improvements came as the schools got less integrated, by natural selection. That should suggest that segregating the schools by income level would increase results even more! But the God of Diversity demands that all “professional” education “leaders” bow down and chant the hallowed mantra of “We will balance each school, class, team, work group and play group by counting noses by skin color.” What a complete joke! Bill G.
It should be noted that when the School administration came up with the “controversial” school boundry changes, the rallying cry for those against was: “it’s NOT about race!!!”
Yeah, “right.”
Maybe that guy didn’t get the memo…
Another rallying cry is that the upcoming election isn’t about party affiliation. Some folk seem to feel differently:
dflleft Oct. 15, 11 9:59 PM Star Tribune
DFL LEFT THEORY is pretty much all this plan is; Krull is now gone and this election will do away with the plan. tip your hat to residents of EP who took back their school district. If you want to see what a DFL infested district looks like, Minneapolis and St Paul are 2 good examples; and who would want that?
And what’s the local GOP have to say, about the candidates running for election?
Disclaimer: The links above are provided for information purposes only. The Senate District 42 Republican Party has not officially endorsed any candidate or campaign.
Really? Go look for yourself.
For a comparison/contrast between the parties, good luck finding anything out about the candidates on the SD42 DFL webpage…
Back to the readings!
posted by MuffyAl on Oct. 14, 10 at 8:11 AM Star Tribune
I moved there 20 years ago because of the class of people who lived there, the schools and the ammenities. The integrity of the city and the school district has gone down dramatically because of the increases in section 8 housing and open enrollment. Hey EP, how you going to get tax money out of the working poor that now flood the city?
wwallace67, Oct. 18, 10, 8:09 AM Star Tribune
Another consideration, in the minds of left wing social engineers, is to Americanize the children from a certain African nation. Disperse them to the winds, allow them to make friends with their iphone toting American counterparts. Destroy their culture.
Well, enough with the Strib, even though there was more read – AND UNREAD.
This one from the Facebook page, about the readings and before the readings were held:
Kenzie Carlson October 27 at 8:56pm Sick, just plain sick. Poking “fun” at our kids’ educational experience. Who could even THINK of doing such a thing?
Say, Kenzie? The “poking fun” was at the (alleged) adults….
I’m glad I went last night – and I wish there were more than the Baker’s Dozen that watched. If you get a chance, attend Sunday’s reading — time and place on the poster, above. I’m guessing Jeff ‘n Doug will go through some of the same, and some new ones. It’s not like there’s any shortage of unread material — like this one:
posted by mnmostlynice on Mar. 12, 11 at 8:45 PM Star Tribune
Whenever parents say it’s all about the kids…………it’s not about the kids.
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
As Jeff strate noted in his post “Eden Prairie Political Poppycock”, there’s a Facebook page set up by a group of Eden Prairie residents – and they actually have the cajones to call it “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability”. In Jeff’s video, Jeff refers to the “Braxton Bullies” – hence the title of this post.
A little background:
I went K through 12 in the Eden Prairie School District; one kid did the same – but one did not. We made the choice to put one in a private school. Eden Prairie, like so many other schools, has been under attack by “constitutional conservatives” that believe in the constitution (except when they don’t). The constitution referred to here, is Minnesota’s Constitution, which declares (and I quote):
Article 8
Section 1. The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it is the duty of the legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public schools. The legislature shall make such provisions by taxation or otherwise as will secure a thorough and efficient system of public schools throughout the state.
To make a long story short, it’s not a real “uniform” system in Eden Prairie – nor is it throughout the entire state, where nearly 1 in 3 school districts have a referendum on the ballot – they are going to the local taxpayers to pay for what the Republicans in St. Paul won’t. So we put a kid in private school, to meet her needs that public education in Eden Prairie couldn’t (because GOPers don’t want to PAY for what it takes for a constitutional educational system).
To be fair, the other kid excelled – I mean really, Really, REALLY excelled – in Eden Prairie. At her college’s “Parent Orientation/Freshman Class Registration” it literally went: “You took that class at EP, you don’t have to take this class here.” For several classes.
So I’ve been aware for a long time about the problems with a school system that tries to do the best it can with the limited resources it has. Resources, on the other hand, have nothing to do with the poor communications coming from the District’s administration; a district that threatened to trespass the local Sun newspaper. I could go on; suffice it to say the district’s communications guru – isn’t.
Anyway, back in January I read on that Facebook page that the Koch Brothers “American Majority” was holding a training session for City Council and School Board candidates. On that link, you’ll read a comment by Sheila Kihne, noted GOPer activist in CD3 and a resident in Eden Prairie:
Sheila Kihne said, I posted this up on the Eden Prairie School Board Accountability web page- we need conservative leadership here!
So I went. And they made no bones about it, this training was about getting conservatives elected at the local level so they could move ‘em up the political ladder.
There was one guy there from Eden Prairie that wanted to be a candidate; he’s not now on the ballot for November 8th. And another guy there for training as a staffer; not sure if he’s working on anyone on the ballot or not. But one has to wonder. And it kind of blows a hole in that Facebook’s claim that they want to keep politics out of the school board election.
I hadn’t gone back to that Facebook page, for months and Months and MONTHS – until just the other day, when I got a phone call that said they were trashing me on it. So I went and looked – and to be quite honest, it was pretty tame ‘n lame – local GOPers have done and said MUCH worse. But what got me very quickly was how quickly I noticed that in that barnyard, some animals were more equal than others. Some folk there think is just swell to rip other people and candidates, but – BUT – they turned out to have a real thin-skin when the ol’ TwoPutter took issue with what they wrote and commenced to ripping them.
Which, by the way, is the classic definition of a bully – can dish it, but slinks and whines when what they done did, is done unto them.
So, how did they handle ol’ TwoPutter pointing out the hypcrisy, in addition to encouraging blatant lawless electioneering for their favored candidates?
Let’s look!
Yep – that’s a screen shot of their Facebook page; you’ll note that the ol’ TwoPutter has done been kicked out.
The Braxton Bullies, in a nutshell? “We can’t HEAR you!!!”
Well, that’s ok – others will.
They’ve endorsed Karla Bratrud and Dave Espe and John Estall and Holly Parker – the so-called “B.E.E.P” ticket. If you’re eligible to vote on November 8th, a question you may want to ask is how they’re going to deal with these bullies if they get elected.
And bullies they are; they’ve already bullied one local establishment into cancelling a public reading Jeff Strate was going to do.
Why?
Because Jeff Strate (along with Doug Lind) has the audacity to do a public reading of the exact words these bullies have used in the past.
And Lord knows, there’s nothing a conservative and/or bully hates more, than being accurately quoted…..
(cross posted on MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
This one surprises me; David Hann is NOT known for throwing bombs/calling names. He is known for being a conservative extremist, and highly fundamentalist when it comes to religion – which is not a surprise; Hann served in the Chaplain Corp in the Army back in the day’s of ‘Nam.
And apparently, his theological pedigree trumps the local Catholic Archbishop’s:
Now, let’s take a look at an opinion on Hann’s opinion in the National Catholic Reporter:
A “socialist” Archbishop?
by Michael Sean WintersIn Minnesota, like many states, the Catholic Church has asked state governments not to balance their budgets on the backs of the poor. The scriptural source for this stance is, well the whole message of the Gospels speaks of compassion for the poor, but most specifically, the 25th Chapter of teh Gospel of St. Matthew: Whatever you do for these the least of your brethren, you do for me.”
But, David Hann, a Republican State Senator who is the assistant majority leader of the Minnesota State Senate has discerned a socialist agenda at work in the Church’s position. In a letter to Archbishop John Nienstedt of St. Paul, Hann accused the archbishop of endorsing a “socialist fiction.”
I am guessing that Archbishop Nienstedt does not, in fact, have a well-thumbed copy of Das Kapital on his bookshelves.
Just when you think you’ve seen crazy, you discover something even crazier.
I don’t know how “crazy” calling a Catholic Archbishop a “socialist” is, but I do know that it’s typical for an elected Republican to call people that disagree with them socialists and communists and worse.
For instance, GOP CD-04 Deputy Chair Nathan Hansen called Army LTC Joe Repya a commie – and was rewarded by GOP Party Leadership.
No surprise there; GOP Party Chair Tony Sutton called 13 distinguished and long-time republicans “quislings” – and said there’s “a special place in hell” for them.
And just last Thursday, GOP State Senator Hackbarth compared unions with communists, Hitler and Castro.
There’s more – plenty of it – and here’s the point: there’s a pattern here, and GOP Senate Assistant Majority Leader Hann is playing along. “Disagree with us – party leaders – and you’re obviously liberal/leftist/socialist/pinko/commie/(fill in the blank).”
Hey, that’s what the local GOP leadership did last election, to Eden Prairie Nancy Lukens – label her as a “big spending liberal” when nothing could be farther from the truth.
Just to be clear, Senator Hann isn’t big on government spending on social issues; just this spring, he introduced legislation to state spending for Meals On Wheels. Senator Hann only withdrew that legislation because he HAD to; NOT because he wanted to.
So I’m going to go out on a limb here, and suggest that if – IF – Senator Hann apologizes to the Archbishop, that to will be because he HAS to; NOT because he wants to.
Because Senator Hann’s record clearly indicates his theology trumps everyone else’s. Even the Archbishop’s.
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)
Back in 2007, the Republican-controlled Eden Prairie City Council (led by the disgraced former Mayor, Phil Young) wanted to slash City funding to Meals On Wheels (along with other Social Services) – not because there was a budget crisis, but because (to GOPers) funding of Social Services isn’t a “core mission” of government. The “I got mine, Jack” GOPers lost that fight in Eden Prairie – but as usual, they continue the war on the middle class and those in need. The GOP – as a party – is doing everything it possibly can to protect their Boardroom Base at the expense of everyone else. Today, they bring their battle to the state level, and are using GOPer State Senator David Hann to lead the charge.
As noted yesterday on MnProgressiveProject – “David Hann wants to cut Gramma’s Meals On Wheels so millionaires get off easy” – Senator Hann has introduced a bill in the state legislature that not only would slash state spending on Meals On Wheels, the cuts are so severe Minnesota would lose matching Federal funding. Coverage of Hann’s draconian bill is receiving statewide attention. From WinonaRadio.com:
A minor spending cut in a sprawling Senate health and welfare bill threatens home-delivered meals for thousands of poor senior citizens and could result in lost federal dollars.
The proposal from Republican Sen. David Hann of Eden Prairie would cut $2.68 million from senior nutrition program grants, costing Minnesota another $1.9 million in federal funds. The grants help feed 70,000 seniors through Meals on Wheels programs and group dining in large senior housing facilities.
From the Marshall Independent newspaper:
Are wheels about to come off Meals on Wheels?
GOP bill would cut projected state spending on senior nutrition program grants in halfMarch 30, 2011 – By Per Peterson
MARSHALL – Monica Douglas, senior nutrition program director for Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, sums up the prospect of a cut to home-delivered meals in Minnesota with two words: sad and devastating.
The health and welfare bill designed to cut state spending by $1.6 billion over two years is expected to get a vote in the Senate this week as GOP majorities work to pass a plan to erase the $5 billion deficit. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Tuesday the bill would cut in half projected state spending on senior nutrition program grants to save $2.68 million.
Douglas said it would be a devastating blow to seniors across Minnesota.
“It affects a lot of people,” she said. “If they ended up cutting 50 percent of our state funding we would lose $232,731 and we would have to cut 35,805 meals out of our budget in more than just one location like Marshall.”
“Sad and devastating” indeed.
And not surprising; Eden Prairie Republican Leadership has wanted to whack Meals On Wheels for years. David Hann is simply their current waterboy. They are cold-hearted conservatives; David Hann is simply delivering the hit.
And Hann is making a name for himself across the state. For instance, consider the following Letter To The Editor in the Albert Lea Tribune:
Family metaphor just doesn’t fly
Published 9:24am Monday, March 28, 2011I am sick and tired of Republicans such as Legislator David Hann of Eden Prairie (Eden Prairie!) claiming that the proposed cuts to Health and Human Services is what any family would do when adjusting their budgets.
Really? Not the families I know.
The families I know would not have Dad go on his annual trip to the Bahamas while his son, little Johnny, is told he will have to do without lunch for a year. Or if Johnny has an ear infection or is suffering from a fall, are we then to believe that the family decides no doctor care for Johnny? (more, here)
That letter starkly represents what today’s Republican Party’s Leadership is all about; why GOP today stands for Greed Over Principles: it’s because the GOP is asking for sacrifices from everybody but their Boardroom Base.
GOP Leaders – such as David Hann – believe in protecting the Boardroom at the expense of everyone else.
Especially little old Grannies, depending on one simple nutritious meal once a day.
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
