Posted: 02/11/08 17:22
by Dave Mindeman
Mike Ciresi is having trouble making his own argument for the Minnesota Senate seat....so he has decided to use the Republican one.... Al Franken is a bad candidate.
Ciresi has been somewhat disengaged from Minnesota politics for the last several years and trying to push past the megaphone that is the Franken campaign has been difficult. But, giving credence to the Republican tactics against Al Franken is not the best way to promote your own ideas.
If Ciresi had been a vocal critic of the war from the beginning and if he had been out in the trenches during the Democratic fight to take back the Minnesota legislature, and if he had been getting his hands dirty advocating for labor, the homeless, and the growing numbers of families in poverty instead of fighting corporate America for large fees; then maybe Ciresi could be running a real pro-Ciresi campaign instead of an anti-Franken one.
The argument about Franken is a legitimate one. Al has a lot of past baggage that will be a problem, but for a Democrat to use that argument, he must have a record that is worthy of an alternative. In fact, this argument about Franken has more legitimacy for Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer than Mike Ciresi. Pallmeyer has taken the hard positions and been vocal about them. He can argue with Franken on the war while offering a real record of difference.
It is difficult to see a path to endorsement for Mike Ciresi. He has not been connecting with activists and his message is dependent on being a trial lawyer. I had hoped for more from Ciresi...and I suspect there is more behind that methodical image; but it is hard to see any passion. If using the Republican attack method on Franken is the best he has to offer right now, then the pro-Ciresi message has been lost.
