So, is Keith Ellison merely a misunderstood visionary who will represent Minnesota’s 5th Congressional district with distinction, bringing a Wellstonian fervor to the causes he champions? Or is he a corrupt two-bit pol with radical tendencies and a penchant for ignoring petty little things like existing law? Hard to tell; one thing for sure, don’t expect the Star Tribune to sort things out for you.
Consider the newspaper’s performance on this issue following Ellison’s victory in last week’s primary. Ellison’s Republican opponent, a fellow named Alan Fine, greeted Ellison’s victory with a fusillade of statements impugning Ellison’s character and fitness for office. In other words, Fine began his campaign by campaigning. Well, apparently he’s not allowed to do that, at least according to the Star Tribune. Fine made his comments on Wednesday, generating a broadside from Doug Grow, the more well-mannered of the two lefties that serve as Metro columnists for the Strib. His Thursday column is here:
http://www.startribune.com/465/story/675764.html
The next day, the always excitable Nick Coleman, long known for being a champion launcher of invective, took Grow’s grousings one step further, essentially telling Fine that he should be quiet now. His column is here:
http://www.startribune.com/357/story/678216.html
If that weren’t enough, Friday’s lead editorial in the Star Tribune made it quite clear that Mr. Fine needs to meekly accept his looming defeat and not do anything egregious, like point out Mr. Ellison’s shortcomings. The editorial is here:
http://www.startribune.com/561/story/678102.html
Oddly enough, Katherine Kersten, the Strib’s only out conservative, didn’t toe the evident company line, as her Monday column detailed a fair amount of evidence contradicting the earlier assertions that Ellison and his apologists have made, and more importantly demonstrating that Ellison has willingly accepted support from arguably anti-Semitic organizations for his current campaign. That column is here:
http://www.startribune.com/191/story/683044.html
In times like this, I’m reminded of one of my favorite rock lyrics, from the Dire Straits song “Industrial Disease”:
Two men say they’re Jesus/One of them must be wrong
Ellison can’t be simultaneously an honest visionary leader and a habitual flouter of the law.
There’s long been a tendency among certain leftists to rally around charismatic rogues. It is no coincidence that Che Guevara and Bill Clinton rank high in the pantheon. Both are seen as simultaneously transgressive and progressive. If they happened to leave misery in their wake, that wasn’t a big problem. I suspect that some of Ellison’s appeal stems directly from his essential dismissal of societal norms. Perhaps that doesn’t matter and Ellison will serve Minnesota well. But Alan Fine, Katherine Kersten and others who wonder about that are obliged to say so, even if the Star Tribune would prefer that they didn’t.
2 comments:
If you look at the end of Mr. Billings' column, it says it all. "If Ellison wins on November 7th, history will be made..." Libs in this district and at the Strib would love nothing more than to have the first black from Minnesota in Congress...oh yeah, first Muslim from anywhere! If we can send a doubly oppressed minority to Congress, especially during Chimpy's war on The Religion of Peace, than Minnesota's liberal "progressive" tolerant bonafides are enhanced. And liberal Minnesotans love nothing more than to be looked upon as tolerant. This is why Alan Fine will campaign, do his thing, and receive nothing but brickbats from the Strib. This is a mission to them. Sure, they endorsed Mike Erlandson in the primary, but this is just gravy to them.
This whole thing would matter more if it was in a Congressional district with actual competition. But, in a district anchored by a city that is almost as liberal as San Francisco, no one who lacks a D(FL) after his name will EVER have a chance.
If only Keith Ellison was gay...
If Keith Ellison were gay, he'd have to behead himself.
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