Currently in Minnesota, all legislative bills are fisked and given fiscal notes by an agency in the Executive Branch, MN Management & Budget (MM&B). Here’s the problem with that, for today’s GOP Legislative “Leaders” – MM&B has been pointing out GOPer numbers haven’t been adding up; for instance, GOPers “claim” their Senate File 908 will save taxpayers (using THEIR numbers) an impressive $36.6 MILLION. But, that’s using THEIR numbers.
The MM&B’s Fiscal Note shows this GOPer Bill will cost – yes, COST – taxpayers almost a half MILLION ($435,000.00, actually) over the next biennium.
GOPers have been taking fire over their Enron Accounting gimmicks. What do good GOPers do, when people they can’t control don’t give them what they want? Fire ‘em! Just like Nixon did with The Saturday Night Massacre, just like republiCon Ron’s response to The Tostenson Memo, “Fire ‘EM!!” — it’s a time honored tradition in the Greed Over Principles Party!
Hmmm… who to do the dirty deed? Need someone you can count on… a reliable numbers guy….. Hey! Here’s where “Stats” Banaian comes in!!! I saw this in a tweet, and sure enough, there it was:
There’s a lot these GOPers have been doing in this session, that reminds me of Nixon. Sometime, I might just make a list. If I do, “Stats” Banaian is sure to be on it.
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)
…and once elected, they prove it.
Do poor people cheat? Of course – just look at Denny Hecker, Tom Petters, Frank Vennes – the last two, noted pals of Michele Bachmann (well, Norm “Smokescreen” Coleman, too). People on welfare? Not so much pals of Bachmann (nor Norm), but yes, some of them have been known to cheat. And the State has been diligent in finding ways to prevent cheating, such as going from actual paper “stamps” in the “food stamp” program to using plastic “debit cards” – EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) Cards. Diligent as the State is, cheaters are equally diligent in finding ways to beat the system – which is why, for instance, that years ago the State quit allowing cash deductions from EBT cards at casinos.
I bring this up, because I saw this tweet:
It has to do with this map, that the GOPers hauled out at the State House yesterday:
That map shows that of almost $500,000,000 in assistance, about $10,000,000 was spent outside of Minnesota – with about half of that in neighboring states.
That map allegedly “supports” a bill introduced yesterday by Kurt Daudt, GOP=GreedOverPrinciples that is, in essence a solution in search of a problem. In other words, a waste of time. GOPers want to pass a law that money in an EBT account can only be spent in Minnesota – even though Federal Law says, for instance, that Food Stamp money, even in an EBT account, can be spent anywhere.
“Tentherism” ring a bell, here?
The amount of money that could – and should – be tightened up out of that $10 million is only about $3 million, according to federal law. My point is that the time to take time and tighten that $3 million up, is AFTER the GOP has put their budget plan forward AND put their plan to put Minnesotans back to work.
It’s about priorities – and so far this session, the GOP priorities have been anything but putting a budget plan forward and planning to put Minnesotans back to work.
We are staring at a budget deficit of about $6 Billion, and these GOPer Tenthers are wasting time with a $3 million stunt like they did yesterday. But hey, why work on the big problems, when you can trot out the ol’ “welfare cadillac” canard?
Which is why I have to say, once again: Republicans run on the platform “Government doesn’t work!” – and once elected, they prove it.
(cross posted to MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
We know Norm “Smokescreen” Coleman is the Court-Certified “4th Most Corrupt Senator in Congress”. We also know that someone was paying ol’ Smokescreen’s electric bill while he was the “Court-Certified 4th Most Corrupt Senator In Congress” – we just don’t know who was pickin’ up Norm’s tab.
So if ol’ Smokescreen won’t even disclose who was pickin’ up his electric bill, what are the odds of finding out who’s contributing to the shadowy group Norm’s leading in the attack on Congressman Tim Walz?
Just who are these denizens of the dark that Norm Coleman is acting as the front-man for?
Perhaps, maybe, these guys? THEY don’t seem to believe in sunlight, either…. Let’s look!
(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject.com; please comment there)
It’s been 802 days since August 4th, 2008 when at a press conference, Team Smokescreen’s Spokestool, Mark Drake, promised the assembled media he’d check with “the campaign” about providing an actual utility bill for Norm’s sweetheart deal for an apartment in a pal’s Washington, D.C. “shack” (it’s a million dollar townhouse), and get back to said media. Needless to say, Spokestool Drake never got back to ‘em.
We still don’t know – 802 days later – which GOPer Sugar Daddy(s) was(were) paying The 4th Most Corrupt Senator In Congress’ said utility bills, because – 802 days later – said utility bills have yet to be produced.
I bring this up, because it seems Minnesota’s Most Ethically-Challenged Politician, ol’ Smokescreen himself, Norm Coleman (the Court Certified “4th Most Corrupt Senator In Congress”) has popped up on the “Board Of Directors” of a GOPer money-laundering operation “independent nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization… not affiliated with or controlled by any political group. “
Yeah, “right.”
Stay tuned for the continuing saga of Norm “4th Most Corrupt Senator In Congress” Coleman, and remember:
It’s been 802 days since Norm Coleman’s Spokestool, Mark Drake, promised the assembled media he’d check with “the campaign” about providing an actual utility bill for Norm’s sweetheart deal for an apartment in a pal’s Washington, D.C. “shack” (it’s a million dollar townhouse), and get back to said media….
(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject.com; please post comments there)
OK, if you saw this tweet:
@dbrauer Cullen Sheehan might be coming back to rescue Emmer? Get out popcorn for first good @rachelsb grilling! htp://bit.ly/baFi1j #everygiftever
about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck
This just might be what MinnPost’s David Brauer was referring to – let’s watch!
As MPP’s very own The Big E tweeted:
@eric_pusey Cullen Sheehan in as @tomemmer campaign mgr? htp://bit.ly/cd7GIN #facepalm #fail please please please please please please please please?
41 minutes ago via HootSuite
Sheehan, joining Tom “I don’t think you can call yourself a freedom-loving American and be a Democrat” Emmer?
#facepalm #fail please please please please please please please please?
(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
Incredible. At the same time Norm Coleman played the “gracious concession” act, the State Republican Party showed their true colors with their official press release:
St. Paul- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman-elect Tony Sutton today issued the following statement regarding the Minnesota Supreme Court’s ruling in the U.S. Senate race.
“Today’s ruling wrongly disenfranchised thousands of Minnesotans who deserve to have their votes counted. Alongside Senator Coleman, the Republican Party of Minnesota has fought to make sure every vote counts and all voters are treated fairly and uniformly. As we move forward, our deeply flawed election system must be dramatically improved to ensure our state’s elections are fair, accurate and reliable.” (Republican Party of Minnesota)
In other words, “Norm wuz robbed.”
Classless.
That’s the way the state GOP Party was under former Chairman Ron Carey; that’s the way it will remain under new Chairman Tony Sutton.
(crossposted from MnProgressiveProject)
…today’s GreedOverPrinciples party.
It’s been a tough day for the GOPers. Fortunately for Kurt Zellers, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford – who turned down Federal Stimulus – got caught gettin’ some international stimulus:
Chris Cillizza
washingtonpost.com Political Blogger
Wednesday, June 24, 2009; 3:30 PMGov. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) admitted in a press conference in Washington today that he had an extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina and that he will resign his position as president of the Republican Governors Assocation. (Washington Post)
Yep – a “Family Values” republiCon, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, wasn’t “hiking the Appalachian Trail” as aides first claimed; he was down in Argentina – “catching up on foreign affairs”.
Which is good for Zellers; that diverts attention away from his history of campaign finance screwups. Well, and the video Dusty Trice found and posted today – the video of Zeller trashing former Governor Arne Carlson just last May. Let’s look!
That’s Kurt Zellers, trashing former two-term Governor Arne Carlson. Way to make the small tent smaller, Kurt!
And speakin’ o’ the Small Tent Party, Lieutenant Colonel Joe Repya split ranks from the likes of Zellers, Sutton, Brodkorb, et al. In today’s Pioneer Press, Colonel Repya explains why:
“Over the years I have raised tens of thousands of dollars for GOP coffers, donated many thousands of dollars to local and national GOP candidates, worked many hours at the grass-roots level and been asked repeatedly to run for state or federal office by Minnesota GOP officeholders. So why on Earth have I decided to leave the Minnesota GOP?
Simple: When a political party becomes so dysfunctional that it no longer can operate without tyrannical domination over the grass-roots, it is time to stop enabling bad behavior from that party. I have come to the conclusion that a majority of Minnesotans and many Republicans no longer trust the message of the Minnesota GOP.
After years of ineffective party leadership resulting in a record number of defeats, lack of transparency in party dealings, alleged financial impropriety by former party employees, and numerous Federal Election Commission problems, can you really blame the electorate for abandoning the Minnesota GOP?”
OK, now I’ll surmise that the “…alleged financial impropriety by former party employees,…” has something to do with this:
Read the “confidential memo” from the Minnesota Republican Party that is the basis of CREW’s FEC complaint
(Submitted by crew on 16 July 2007 – 1:26pm. FEC Minnesota Republican Party)
CREW filed a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint today against the Republican Party of Minnesota and its former treasurer, Marina Taubenberger, alleging multiple egregious violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and FEC regulations. The complaint is based primarily upon a February 15, 2007 confidential memorandum from former Republican Party of Minnesota finance director Dwight Tostenson to the Party’s Executive Committee. You really have to read that memo. Here it is:
OK, so what happened when Colonel Repya tried to ask about the alleged financial impropriety” at the state convention? Let’s watch!!!
Way to go, Tony Sutton, a/k/a “Mr. Lost Credibility”!!! Oh, and in the comments section, of the PiPress? A guy by the name of Nathan Hansen has this to say:
I am Deputy Chair of the Fourth Congressional District and one of the newer anti-war Republican activists. It’s difficult for words to describe how happy I am that you are leaving our Party. The roots of your “neconservative” philosophy lie in Straussian Trotzkyite Communism. “Corporate money” influencing our Party? Nothing compared to the damage your military industrial complex (that Eisenhower warned us about) has wreaked on our Party and our Country.
I hope you will find a happy home among your fellow communists. Your days of endless illegal wars and military industrial complex domination of our party are over.
Obama is ramping up his War in Afghanistan and continues to illegally bomb Pakistan. Perhaps you can join him to satiate your bloodlust. (emphasis added)
ROFLMAO!!! The Deputy Chair of the GOP’s CD-4 not only told Colonel Repya “don’t let the door smack ya on yer arse” — he called Joe a “commie”, too!!!
Ya really gotta admire how those in current GOPer party leadership positions honor the troops, doncha??!?
Ever hear that those who forget the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it? Well, an astute Regular Reader (thanks, Ricardo!) sent me a link demonstrating how today’s GreedOverPrinciples party’s leaders are doing just that, in an e-mail entitled “The Current State of the GOP Party”! Let’s watch!!!
Oh, and think today was bad for the local GOPers? Watch what happens if ol’ Smokescreen gets his walking papers tomorrow!
Stay tuned!!!
(crossposted from MnProgressiveProject)
Mockery. Ridicule. Scorn. They’re used all of the time; they’re actually tools of the trade. Matter o’ fact, take them three, add “satire” and some professional writers, and viola! You got a potential “Daily Show”, or “Colbert Report”! Sometimes, mockery, ridicule and scorn are the best ways to make points about folk like Little Miss Hiding In The Bushes, the unthinking unsinkable Bachmann MotorMouth Overdrive. And to make a point about ol’ Smokescreen himself, Norm “If I were Al, I’d concede” Coleman. Not to mention, but I will, George aWol Bush. Of course, there’s his misAdministration – you know, Boy Blunder And The Plunderers? And even though he won’t be around to mock, ridicule, and scorn anymore, who can forget about republiCon Ron Carey, outgoing Chair of Minnesota’s GreedOverPrinciples party? As noted a little over a year ago, by the ol’ TwoPutter:
One reason republiCon Ron still has his job, is he’s good at asking AND he’s good at ducking. It’s the GreedOverPrinciples Party’s Golden Rule: “Do Unto Others But Don’t Let Them Do Unto You.”
I bring this up, because so many of us on the left side o’ the aisle have a tendency to enjoy – if not laugh uproariously – when some brain-dead bootlicker in the “Family Values” party (they’re called the “Family Values” party because they have so many of them; for instance, in the last presidential election the only candidate that had only been married once was the Mormon – go figure) does something incredibly hypocritical – such as David Vitter replacing the disgraced Bob Livingston in Congress, and Vitter later getting caught in figuratively if not literally the exact same (cheney)in’ kind of scandal.
Well, since morckery, ridicule and scorn are heaped upon those on the right for the old-fashioned reason – they’ve EARNED it, it only seems fair to rip those on the left side of the aisle when they’ve done something incredibly hypocritical. It seems that they too should be roasted and toasted with the same types of mockery,ridicule, and scorn. And I was going to do just that, today, to an organization known as Parkwatch – but, I’m tracking down more information on them that’s recently come in — so that’s going to have to wait for another day.
In the meantime, and to whet the whistle o’ the Regular Readers, I’ll end with a couple of thoughts. First, let’s review what it says on the “About Us” page at ParkWatch:
Minneapolis Park Watch is not affiliated with any candidate or candidate’s committee.
Yeah, “right.”
Right there, on ParkWatch homepage, is this:
Posted by Liz Wielinski on Thu, 06/18/2009
Well, I guess technically that might be true, depending on what your definition of “is” is, because they could argue that “ParkWatch isn’t ‘affiliated’ with Park Board Candidate Liz Wielinski; it IS Park Board Candidate Liz Wielinski, along with a bunch of her pals.
And, it also says this on that ParkWatch “About Us” page:
Openness and Accountability
We are advocates for openness and accountability in all of the Park Board’s fiscal and administrative activities.
So, they advocate for openness and accountability of others? Where’s the disclosure and openness from them; the acknowledgement that Liz is a candidate for the very organization their website likes to trash?
This one, on that same page, made me ROFLMAO!
Observing Meetings
As a watch dog organization, members of Park Watch attend Park Board meetings on a regular basis to observe first-hand official Park Board business being conducted. Park Watch also reviews various Park Board documents. (emphasis added)
“…various documents.“??!?
How’ bout dam near EVERY piece of paper that the Park Board generates?
As noted here:
Seems like these days, a lot of people are taking shots at the Park Board. In the course of investigating the Crown Hydro Project, one group that seems to especially get in the Park Board’s face*, is a group called ParkWatch.org, who’s whole schtick seems to be “the Park and Rec Board is filled with incompetents, liars, and thieves and you can’t trust them or believe anything they say – EXCEPT when it comes to Crown Hydro.”
And I couldn’t believe the amount of paperwork ParkWatch.org demands. I asked for information regarding data requests from the Park Board; I simply couldn’t believe what ParkWatch.org wanted. Let’s look!
Well, you can go here and look, but if you don’t want to, I’ll leave it at this: ParkWatch wants copies of so much stuff, that it’s fair to say the Park Board had to add a full-time staffer just to keep up with their demands.
Which is why ParkWatch reminds me of republiCon Ron – it seems the things they accuse others of are the exact same things they do themselves.
Stay tuned!
Oh – and keep those tips coming in!!!
(crossposted from
Tagged with: Arlene Fried • Bachmann MotorMouth Overdrive • Boy Blunder • Liz Wielinski • Minneapolis Park Board Elections • MN-06 • MN-Sen • MPRB • Norm Coleman • Parkwatch • Ron Carey • smokescreen
