things that happen in Minnesota often have more immediate impact on our lives than what was being discussed in the carnival that recently left our southern neighbors. On the same night, there was a special election in MN SD 25, which is the area around Northfield. The Democrats took the seat, which now means that they have a potentially veto-proof majority in the Senate. This complicates Governor Pawlenty's life in myriad ways and it also means that the chances that taxes will go up, potentially significantly, has just increased.
We can't do anything about changing the composition of the Minnesota Senate until the 2010 cycle. The Minnesota House is another matter. I live in House District 50B and am represented by first-term DFLer Kate Knuth. Knuth is 26 years old and campaigned as a fresh young face last time around. She didn't exactly mention that her father is a longtime DFL lobbyist and served in the Minnesota House without distinction years ago. She's essentially a DFL footsoldier who happens to prefer Birkenstocks. I'm still amazed that she was able to use "qualifications" that included being the drum major for Irondale High School as part of her campaign literature and still got elected anyway.
50B has been a swing district forever. There's no reason that Ms. Knuth cannot be beaten this time around. But it requires those of us who prefer politics on the Cincinnatus model to get involved. I'd prefer to stay with my plow. But we don't have that option this year. So I'll be devoting a fair amount of time to this particular campaign.
4 comments:
I'm going to have to disagree about Ms. Knuth. I believe she has done a marvelous job representing you up there in 50B. She is a brave woman. She looked at a world where businesses restricted access to bathrooms not intended for customers (for insurance reasons or whatever) and said, "Not on my watch! Bathrooms intended solely for employees shall be liberated and be used by the masses! No longer will we live in a world where only certain bathrooms can be used by the public. Urination is a right, not a privilege!!" Ms. Knuth stood up to the greedy corporate masters who would deny your right to take a leak at any toilet, and told them where they can go....and that's ANYWHERE!!! In Kate Knuth's America, we can demand access to any bathroom we want! Hurrah!!
Just imagine what she could accomplish had she been the drum major at Mounds View instead of Ironjail. Why, we could get draconian laws against public urination overturned!!
Rep Knuth will let you let your urine go!!
Hey, it could be worse...you could be represented by Margaret Anderson Kelliher. At least Knuth isn't entrenched yet.
Mr. D has got it right. Kate Knuth has been an absolute disaster as we conservatives warned people.
She's a nice enough kid, but is absolutely clueless about the ramifications on society of the socialist policies she promotes.
Even more astounding than the apparent cluelessness of Kate is the shallowness of thinking by her supporters. I've attended a couple of her town hall meetings and observed the collection of big government liberals, tree huggers, welfare rights evagelists, and just plain intellectually lazy people that show up. It's a sobering thought that these misguided people get out and vote.
This is the root of the problem. Kate is just filling a market niche where people demand to be on the receiving end of government wealth redistribution.
Last election we did not have a strong candidate which, when coupled with the general apathy of conservatives, allowed Knuth to win.
We need a strong candidate and a motivated conservative base this time around.
- D
Thanks for stopping by, Daria!
Crediting Ms. Knuth's supporters with "thinking" may be a bit too charitable. Her acolytes don't generally think, they emote.
You are spot on about finding a better candidate for the office. In any other year, Lori Grivna would have been running as a DFLer. I'm not aware of a better candidate yet, but we need to find one ASAP. The D's know that Knuth will be vulnerable and I'm guessing that a lot of money will be coming into 50B from the port side.
This time around 50B Republicans have the potential of fielding a really strong candidate. There is at least one person that I know of that is rumored to be considering a run. He/She would really energize the base and run a take-no-prisoners, kick some ass campaign against KK.
Word on the street has it that there will be multiple candidates vying for the GOP endorsement in 50B. We Conservatives cannot allow a RINO or go-along-to-get-along "moderate" to walk away with the nomination, regardless of how pleasant and personable he or she may be. Doing so would just open the door for a another KK victory.
In order to make it happen we need a stong contingent of rock-ribbed conservatives to show at the HD50B Caucus on February 5th to take our party back.
Thanks for your "get the ball rolling" post, Mr. D!
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