Posted: 02/02/10 13:29, Edited: 02/02/10 13:31
by Dave Mindeman
I have to take a deep breath. (Whew.) I am getting so darn angry that my fingers are punching the keyboard a little too heavy...so watch out for weird spellings.
Anwyway, I just saw an article about my local representative (and I use the term loosely) Tara Mack. She thinks she was "unfairly" attacked by her opponent (Derrick Lindstrom) over missed votes; because she did so to attend her grandfather's funeral. Of course, she is right about one thing -- the excuse is legitimate. But to prattle on about this being a "negative" attack really gets me steamed. Especially from a candidate who is in the legislature because of horrible negative attacks.
Let's get to Tara Mack's quote shall we?...
“You can run your campaign anyway you like. In my 2008 campaign I stayed positive and focused on the issues. People are exhausted of negativity and attacks; they want a positive outlook and to move forward.”
That's right. You can run a campaign anyway you want. You can see the help from outside groups and tell them to stop or you can condone it by your silence or deny responsibility for what those groups do. You, as the candidate, set the tone.
During her 2008 win in District 37A, Mack's opponent (incumbent DFLer Shelley Madore) was subjected to the most disgusting and vile campaign crap I have ever seen (and I have seen a lot).
Madore was made to seem personally responsible for the Republican targeted music museum in southern Minnesota (part of huge bonding bill).
She was responsible for pedophiles being near children...
There were literally dozens of these pieces of crap mailed out during the final month of the campaign.
Oh, but Tara Mack had nothing whatsoever to do with it. These were independent expenditures by outside groups. The pedophile one came from the Republican House caucus.
Mack just shrugged her shoulders. Not her repsonsibility. She never condemned the ads....she never asked them to stop. Just wasn't anything she could do.
Yet, here is Lindstrom asking a legitimate question about her missing House votes and she is "incensed" by the negative implications.
Lindstrom couldn't have known. I, as one of her constituents didn't know about the funeral. You don't suppose she could have mentioned it at some point, do you?
But to me, that is all beside the point. It is this indirect claim that Mack seems to be interjecting that she has been "above" all this negativity.
Hardly. The hypocrisy reeks.
Mack has been a pretty so-so legislator. One of those lock step votes that kept Pawlenty's vetos upheld. She ends the article with here usual prattle about "we just can't afford taxes".....
“We cannot increase taxes – plain and simple. We are not a low-tax state. We need incentives for people to create jobs.” Mack also wants to focus on education, helping nursing homes and special needs families.
I guess education, nursing homes, and special needs families will get their help from the magical money tree.
You know the one that Madore was responsible for.
