A cause to coalesce

"For the Republicans his year, this should be nothing more than picking low fruit off the tree." 

I swear, this is like a bad dream. No, it is worse than a bad dream. I cannot think of a time in recent history that Democrats have offered up a weaker field. Seriously. A woman of questionable background, who many legal experts believe is one step away from doing the perp walk. Plus an ancient avowed socialist from Brooklyn/Vermont who wants to put this country's rush to bankruptcy in hyperdrive.

For the Republicans his year, this should be nothing more than picking low fruit off the tree. But somehow, they have stumbled down the path towards an easy victory. In fact, they have looked more like Keystone Cops than our Party of Lincoln. Truthfully, there has been more than one time that I just wanted to bury my head in the sand. I simply could not take it anymore.

Even the sitting Republican Senators are getting outplayed by the President (again). This SCOTUS nominee should be given a hearing. And then rejected. Many say this is the type of justice we need - very moderate. Well he is not. In fact, he is very anti-gun. Judge Merrick Garland argued against gun rights in the pivotal case of District of Columbia v. Heller.  That in and by itself should be a disqualifier in any advise and consent hearing. Period. 

My suggestion right now to pull this thing out of the fire is to do two things. First, show the American people Republicans in the House and Senate know how to govern. Quit letting this President make us look like obstructionists or morons. We are better and smarter than that.

Next, we need to stop the fratricide with the three remaining presidential contenders. For the good of the party, two need to leave and actively support the third. The most important thing (one more time), THE MOST IMPORTANT THING is that we WIN in November! If we lose to this incredibly weak Democratic team, the country is doomed. And that is no hyperbole - just fact.

The bottom line is this. We need to coalesce around one person who can beat the opposition in November. And not only coalesce, but support and edify. BTW, edify means the opposite of telling a competitor his wife is homely. And this needs to be done sooner rather than later. 

One final thing. And I was schooled on this once again at a recent town hall meeting. Regardless of what you hear from the Democrats, we do not have three co-equal parts of our government. THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE, is the House of Representatives. That is where most of the "juice" is suppose to happen. The Executive Branch is a distant second, and the Judiciary is an even more distant third. Mr. Speaker - here is your chance this session to really show your "juice". No more Keystone Cops sir - let's roll!  

Speaking Impolitic

"If perchance some of the language has to be impolitic or even flowery to answer an honest question, then so be it." 

One of the reasons many folks are drawn to Donald Trump is his ability to speak the magical language of impolitic. Well he sort of speaks it. Sometimes he crosses that fuzzy line between impolitic and downright rude and crude. However there is something very refreshing about "plain talk". When Harry Truman spoke "plain talk" instead of "Washington speak" during his term, the folks loved it.

I think the problem is very simple with our desire to hear something between "plain talk" and impolitic talk. After 8 years of Bill (depends what the meaning of is, is) Clinton and now over 7 years of Barack Hussein Obama, we are tired of being waltzed around the hyperbole Maypole. In other words, we need a leader who can tell us the truth - and damn the PC police. And yes, sometimes that might be saying something "offensive".

And by the way, that does not mean we need to have the message "dumbed down" for us. We are not 5th graders. We understand more than the pundits and politicians think we do. And when we ask a question, we want a straight answer. Not a sidewinder which will take us someplace unrelated to the question asked. If perchance some of the language has to be impolitic or even flowery to answer an honest question, then so be it.

Watching the debates so far this year has been a joke. Many of the questions asked are not the ones that many of us care about. We want direct answers in response to direct questions. No slogans, no empty promises, just a plausible answer to a direct question. I really don't know why that is so hard. On Social Security for example, the question might be, "Is Social Security going to stay solvent?" If the answer is no, then the follow-up would be, "How do we make it solvent?" The same question could also go for Medicare.

The bottom line is this - if the United States government has mismanaged Social Security, then tell us. If it has turned into nothing more than a Ponzi Scheme, then tell us. And if there is no way it can be fixed, then tell us. No more lies. No more double talk. No more legal babble. Just straight, impolitic talk.

By this time two months from now, we should know who the two candidates are. Then we will really need some straight talk. I know we will not get impolitic from the other side, I can only hope it comes from ours.  

Cleaning out the barn

"And one of the candidates has vowed to fix this country with Bible in one hand and Constitution in the other."

It is a great expression. Former Speaker Boehner said he would do it - sort of. According to sources, the former Speaker did sweep out the barn - but he left the pile of manure sitting in front of the barn door. So the new Speaker was left with a very unpleasant job to do once he took over the gavel. Ergo, we ended up with a huge omnibus type funding bill for GFY 2016.

Not that I want to sound like Mr. Gloom or Dr. Doom, but that barn was nothing compared to the much larger barn which needs to be cleaned out come next January. And this barn is not just full of manure, it is also full of broken agreements, a decimated military, a gargantuan debt, a fractured nation and a new entitlement which is bleeding red ink all over the place. 

Often times I wonder why in the world anyone would want the job of President. In my lifetime, there has not been one President who did not age right before our eyes while in office. Never a day off, even while on vacation. And to fix this great nation, to get it back to its Constitutional roots, is going to be a Herculean (maybe impossible) task.

With all due respect to one of the candidates running, fixing this country will take more than just fancy slogans. And with respect to another candidate running, fixing this country will take more than just thinking it is "her turn". No, to fix this country is going to be a hit the ground running type of effort. And one of the candidates has vowed to fix this country with Bible in one hand and Constitution in the other. To me, those are the two instruments of redemption needed to fix our floundering nation. It is as simple as that.

My biggest disappointment with all the candidates so far this election cycle is the reluctance to discuss our growing debt. In particular the entitlements. Actually, the closest thing I have heard discussed about the entitlements is one of the candidates wanting to add another one - free college. What will that do to the debt? Who cares? Nobody else seems to.

Bottom line is this. The barn is huge and the barn is dirty. And besides the big barn in D.C., there a whole bunch of smaller barns spread throughout this county. We have one in St. Paul. And after close to six years of our current Governor, that barn is pretty stinky also.   

A hearty thanks to Tom!

"It was one of the classiest things I have seen in my life. A pitched battle between two very good men ending on such a good note." 

I just got home from our BPOU convention. It was a long day, it was a good day. There were two main objectives in today's meeting. Voting for statewide delegates and endorse for the contested HD31B seat. It was a tough one. Two very good men running for the same seat. And after two ballots the contested candidate (Calvin Bahr) won by one vote. One vote! But one of the best part was yet to come.

After the second ballot, Cal did win by one vote. I was a teller and can attest to the vetting this count went through. After the nail biting finish, the results were read to the BPOU. Both Tom and Cal were invited up on stage. Cal first (as victor) was given the mic. And then for the next minute or so, Cal thanked Tom, and talked about what a great service he has been to the district, as well as the state. When the mic was handed to Tom, the audience erupted into a standing ovation. And it lasted for quite a while.

It was one of the classiest things I have seen in my life. A pitched battle between two very good men ending on such a good note. As what has happened many times in my later day political life, choosing between two very good people is a tough choice. Am I worried about Tom on what he will do in the future? Not a bit. Tom will soon find the next chapter in his life and do very well. 

Then, how will things work with Cal Bahr sitting in our 31B seat? All I have to say is this - Cal Bahr in not an iconoclast. That being said, people had better get used to answering some tough questions. Not trick questions, just Constitutional ones. And knowing Cal as I do, they better get used to having the right answer.

Tom once again, thank you from the citizens you have represented for so many years. Now take that boat out, rig your line with your presentation, and catch the one that might have gotten away when you were in session. At 64, you have run the good race, fought the good fight.  Now enjoy the fruits of your labor. You have deserved it my friend - go enjoy. 

Convention Time

"And to be with the people in my BPOU tomorrow will be a thrill. They are all, good and decent folks. A great way to spend a Saturday in early April."

Tomorrow is my BPOU convention. That is when all the delegates from the precincts who caucused will come together and hash things out. Some people think these conventions are as boring as watching paint dry. Some thing they are as exciting as watching Final Four NCAA Tournament. Me? I look upon them as neither. It is however, an excellent day long example of how the roots in grassroots politics really operates.

There will be many people who sign up to be delegates or alternates for the district and then the state convention. And not all will be chosen. If I am not chosen, that will be fine. My goal is to help chose the 39 best out of a group of very, very good patriots. I know the ones chosen will do fine by me. My goal tomorrow is to help set up early in the morning, be there for the voting, and then help by being a teller. And to be with the people in my BPOU tomorrow will be a thrill. They are all, good and decent folks. A great way to spend a Saturday in early April.

If you are not in a BPOU, I would strongly encourage you to do so. The membership standards and the cost is very high. Okay - that is an April Fool's joke. Your membership is your address and how your voting preference is. If you are a Democrat, there an BPOU for you. The same for Republican. If you are unsure, you can visit both. But I will say this. If you want a front row seat of how things happen, how things are put together, a chance to vote at the ground level, this is the place to be. 

So that is it. Short and sweet this afternoon. It is election season in Minnesota as well as the country. It is a time where all of us can be connected. As a selfish note, I will say this. I have met some of the finest people in my last few decades since I have stepped up my political game. Good, solid people. And I have learned from many of them. I am still learning. So tomorrow for the convention - game on. Let's roll!

Cal Bahr for 31B

"When I first met Cal, he did not tell me what he did. What talked about other things first. After talking to him for a while, if I had to guess what he did for a living, I would have said he taught Constitutional Law."

I live up in the hinterlands of the Twin Cities. The folks up here are some of the finest I have met. They remind me of the the patriots of old - take no prisoners, give no quarter. Many love to fish, love to hunt - most just plain love our Constitution. And one of the finest people I have met in the past few years is Cal Bahr. Now I am going to tell you just a bit about him.

When I first met Cal, he did not tell me what he did. We talked about other things first. After talking to him for a while, if I had to guess what he did for a living, I would have said he taught Constitutional Law. Yes, he is that smart. And not just our national Constitution, but our state Constitution as well. But guess what? Cal is not a law student. Nor is he a law school professor. Cal owns and operates a trucking company and EVERYTHING he knows about our Constitution(s), he has learned on his own. He, like my Father, is self taught. And Cal is very, very smart.

But it is one thing to be smart, it is something altogether to be able to apply it. And that Cal can. He never ceases to amaze me with his grasp of the facts, and how they apply to today's political issues. Now he is looking to replace a very good man in the Minnesota House. I like and respect Tom Hackbarth. He has done a good job in the past, but not as good in the recent past. Tom is about my age. He has served well for 22 years. But this job was never meant to be a "lifer" type position. We need to thank Tom, and wish him "good fishing", as he has deserved it.

Tomorrow we have the chance to endorse Cal as our representative for HD31B. Cal would carry on the work that Tom has done, probably carry it even further. It is all good folks - we are choosing between two good men. It is just at this point in time, Cal is the better choice. And he will broaden our perspective and influence in St. Paul.

It is time folks. Please join me in welcoming Cal Bahr into the mess in St. Paul that needs to be fixed. I promise you that any question given to Cal will be answered quickly and honestly. How do I know that? Because I know Cal. That is the way he rolls. Please vote for Cal tomorrow.
  

"Little Chicago"

"That brings the total of people shot in Minneapolis this young year to 60. That is double from what it was this time last year. Some are now referring to our fair city now as Little Chicago."

Anyone noticed anything different about Minneapolis as of late? I know, some of the construction is a mess. And the bike lanes are confusing to those who don't live there. No, I am talking about how the city is turning into a shooting gallery. Not to the extent Chicago is, but it is worrisome. The number of shootings in Minneapolis is about double what it was this time last year.

In 1995, our once peaceful City of Lakes became a real bloodbath. We recorded a record 99 homicides. It was so bad, our city acquired a new nickname - Murderapolis. Fortunately, this number of needless deaths as well as our new moniker, got the attention of city leaders. A big push was made through better policing and better community programs to bring that number down. And it worked - although, one murder is one too many.

This year we are on a dark and deadly path in many areas of the city, in particular the near north side. Yesterday there were 4 people shot. That brings the total of people shot in Minneapolis this young year to 60. That is double from what it was this time last year. Some are now referring to our fair city as Little Chicago. 

Remember Big Chicago? That city which is run by Obama's former Chief of Staff has been out of control for years. As of today, Chicago has had (ready for this one?), 739 people shot. In an American city in the midwest. That is over 12 times worse that what we have in Minneapolis so far. And the point is, both are bad. One number is just bigger than the other.

What to do. First off, we don't want to be referred to as Murderapolis nor Little Chicago. As I have said, one murder is one too many. My opinion? Our gun laws need to be enforced. You get caught with an illegal or stolen gun, your rear end is in jail for five years. You shoot someone, you are gone for life. Regardless if the victim lives or dies, if you shoot someone in a purposeful non-self defense crime, you are gone for life. 

Many of the crimes are drug related. Stiffen the penalties for dealing drugs. Gangs are a big problem. They need to be persona non grata anywhere in the city. Run them out of town. There is nothing wrong with "broken windows" policing. New York City once had a huge crime problem. Then city leaders got serious about taking their city back. And things got better in a hurry. They let cops be cops.

So here is my message to city leaders (including Wonder Woman) in Minneapolis. If you truly want people to come into your city to see the Vikings, the Twins, the Timberwolves, go to the Guthrie, Orchestra Hall, or whatever, you need to clean things up. The fact Minneapolis needs to have shot spotters on telephone poles is in itself obscene. 

The city I once loved to visit when I was younger, I now avoid like a plague. And I am not the only one who feels that way. Clean it up Minneapolis, or Little Chicago might be one of the nicer names you get called.