Had an interesting experience on Memorial Day. We visited Fort Snelling National Cemetery. W wanted to “plant” a flag on his uncle’s grave (the uncle who died in Belgium during WWII). Brother G and I wanted to re-find our parents’ grave in that vast sea of identical, precisely placed white headstones. Something like 180,000 of them, I read somewhere. Our father served in the Navy in Guam and Okinawa during WWII.
There was so much traffic approaching the cemetery that multiple police officers were at every intersection from I-494 north, all along 34th Avenue and up Post Road.
We discovered as we neared the uncle’s grave that a major speaking event was in progress. Heard the loud-speaker intro for MN’s senior Senator, Amy Klobuchar (who said that her previous introduction at an event was as Minnesota’s senior citizen, but I digress). Listened to her speak. Joined in the applause.
Next up was Tim (MIA) Pawlenty, who pretty much only shows up when there’s media attention. Heard his opening comment. W, G and I exchanged wordless looks, and walked away, in search of the parent grave.
Rude? Maybe. But for us, there was something akin to 60-cycle hum about the voice of the man who has utterly betrayed living Minnesotans at every opportunity to do so.
Some would say it is not nice to disrespect the governor. I would say that respect must be earned. It was perversely pleasing to turn my back on the man who has turned his back on Minnesota.
I'm moving up a couple of comments from an earlier post. It's a conversation that needs to happen. Are you in?
barbara wrote: Four years ago, we had a chance to unseat Minnesota’s execrable Unallotment Governor, but our hack-backed, hot-headed DFL candidate shot himself (and therefore all of us) in the foot/feet.
anon commented:You are correct.
It is about to happen again. Big Marg has about as much chance to be Gov as I do, which would be zilch. Doe-eyed Dayton is on the same level and the Worthington flash is likely to have "issues" prior to November. Good job DFL !
A huge wave is about to come ashore in November. You can then write a lot of posts trying to explain it. But I think you already know that.
barbara responded: You've burrowed to a core issue, I think. Explaining failure after the fact. It's become a hallmark of Dem strategery. Read on.
This is just the beginning, of course. Now the strong-arm tactics of Maricopa County's legendary bully, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, have been legalized by the State of Arizona. Concerning this arrest, Arpaio essentially said, "Oh, well, this stuff happens." Yeah, well, This. Stuff. Is. Just. Wrong.
Four years ago this very day, barbara hung her first post on the Clothesline. Four years. Pretty amazing. Would probably be more amazing if I’d written regularly over the intervening years. Some people do, you know. Have you noticed that ours is a relentlessly random site?
My first post was an awkward piece, but prescient in its way. It described the courtship of John McCain and Tim “Lord of the Veto” Pawlenty. And we all know how that turned out.
Four years ago, we had a chance to unseat Minnesota’s execrable Unallotment Governor, but our hack-backed, hot-headed DFL candidate shot himself (and therefore all of us) in the foot/feet.
Four years ago, Molly Ivins was alive. And, for what it’s worth, so was Anna Nicole Smith.
Four years ago, the Oscar for best movie went to “Crash.” How obscure is that?
Four years ago, the Twins claimed the American League Central in a breathless finish, edging out Detroit.
Four years ago, the Vikings did not win the Super Bowl. Read on.
