Attack on Domestic Tranquility

The peace at our little household, sliding downhill to a genteel retirement surrounded by aging cats, rambunctious flower beds and traffic noise from I-94, has been shattered. The governor of the state of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, has declared war on state employees (of whom OLGS is one among more than 45,000). Not only is he going to require state employees to pay the full amount allowed (but up to now, not required) by law for pension and health care, but he is banging the drum for privatizing their pensions. And he is railroading this through next week, giving those affected little time to respond and the majority Republicans in the state assembly little time to think (if they do, which I doubt).

In addition to affecting professors and public defenders, who seldom vote Republican, the new approach will also affect folks like prison guards, of whom Wisconsin has many and who do vote Republican. It also severely affects part-time employees who are on limited contracts; their access to health care will be eliminated as of March 1. The LTE in OLGS's department makes $13 per hour, has four children and an unemployed spouse. What will happen to them? Where are the governor's anticipated savings if this family goes on welfare and uses Medicaid?

This is grandstanding of the worst type. I secretly expect that the gov simply wants to make a name for himself, a la Sarah and Michelle. Even if he's not successful -- and he probably will be -- he will have marked out his territory as the driver of a tank rolling to crush the greedy state employees and their unions. George Bush was also very good at this, drawing a line in the sand to make his point and then moving on to something else.

This travesty even made the New York Times, which is ever alert to possible train wrecks. And you gotta love the gov's assertion that he is prepared to call in the National Guard to fill in for state workers who decide to rally in Madison or go fishing. Think about your basic 19-year old Guardsman teaching OLGS's class on the prelude to the Civil War or a class on Romantic poetry. Of course, the gov would say that we shouldn't be providing such classes as state expense. He has an answer for everything.

New Year's Wish

It is now cold in Minnesota, and the natives are walking around all puffed up -- and it's not just those down jackets. Rather, it's pride in their ability to endure. When reporters describe the panic visited upon Washington by two or three inches of snow, Minnesotans smile knowingly and suggest that if they were in charge of snow removal in our nation's capital -- and probably much else -- things would be at least different, if not better. And they may be right.

But we are too tolerant, if such as thing is possible. Terminally nice Minnesotans meet idiocy with shrugs of the shoulders or a muttered, "That's different". That may be as exercised as they get. So if someone seems like an OK guy, like Governor Pawlenty, or a great mom, like Representative Michelle Bachmann, we forgive their nutso ideas.

My wish for 2010: that Minnesotans rediscover their progressive roots and start recognizing the need to care for people they may not like, who may be unworthy and who may even cost them a little money. These are small prices to pay for rediscovering their once celebrated dedication to the common good. That's a nutso idea I can support.

Happy New Year.

Snow again

Here we go again -- just when you think global warming has eliminated Minnesota winters, the snow and sub zero cold arrives (not always together). And any thoughts about staying here after we retire evaporate.

But it is a great conversation starter -- almost as good as former Gov. Jesse Ventura, or the current senatorial recount or our 6th Dictrict congresswoman, Michele Bachmann.

Yes we can, yes we did

It seems so churlish to even mention the disapointments in yesterday's election. But when we have come so far it's hard to accept that we still must keep walking.

Here's the thing: in the true blue state of Minnesota, Michelle Bachmann won convincingly, despite amazing gaffes and big dollars pumped into her opponent's campaign. There is something in the water in the MN 6th congressional district. This is the woman who suggested that we need to investigate members of Congress to make sure they don't hold anti-American views. Although Joe McCarthy is six feet under, he has a worthy heir in Michelle.

Here's the second thing: Senator Slimy (aka Norm Coleman) has a lead over Democratic rival Al Franken of less than 500 votes. An automatic recount will take place. But Norm, ever the guy with an eye for the main chance, proclaimed himself the victor this morning and suggested that Mr. Franken was being unhelpful by not declining the recount (it's automatic unless the underdog declines). Norm's vote totals got smaller and smaller during the day, making his proclamation rather hollow and suggesting the very real possibility that Al Franken was indeed the winner.

But these things pale against the memory of Jesse Jackson weeping in Grant Park. The sight of the old civil rights fighter wiping away tears should remind us that the victory of Barak Obama was not only the election of a president who may put us on the right track again. It is a symbol of so much more.

Michele does it again--gotta love democracy

Illustration by Robin Eley for City Pages

Where do we get these guys? The home of Paul Wellstone and Walter Mondale is also the place that elected Michele Bachmann, dubbed "Our nation’s loopiest congresslady" by the blog Wonkette. And is she ever. In addition to her other weird behavior, Michele is the "author" of a plan to use Personal Rapid Transit, a genuine dog of an idea, to solve the nation's transit problems. Of course, if you are paying attention, you'll have noted the word "personal" in the title of the scheme, which should tell you everything you need to know. The idea is that you can support "rapid" transit while still being a total loner, far from the madding crowd, serene in your individuality, and never rubbing shoulders (or in Michele's case, lips), with anyone else.
Just when you thought that Minnesota was too cold, too dry, too Norwegian, and too boring to be livable or interesting, along comes Michele to offer a bit of comic relief. And if we go to war in Iran because of Michele, we are dumber than we look.

And did you know that Michele was once a Jimmy Carter Democrat?

The girl in the white slinky dress, or Michele gets her man

What an embarassment. Michele Bachmann, the recently elected congresswoman from the MN 6th district, made a specatcle of herself on Tuesday night. Pawing the President, whom she admits is a hunk, Michele gave him a big kiss on the lips as he passed by her carefully selected aisle seat. She then kept her hand on his back as he pulled away from her. Luis, watching the State of the Union as part of his effort to understand Norteamericano politics, was shocked.

And Luis and I were not the only ones who noticed her surprising behavior. Even the New York Times mentioned it. And Michele is counting her lip-to-lip encounters with Current Occupant. "He kissed me in Minnesota, too", explained Michele. And I though Jesse Ventura was bad for the reputation of the North Star State....

The secret of Michele Bachman

Michele Bachmann has been lauded in the STRIB as a fahionista. She is being compared favorably to the Nancy Pelosi-Hilary Clinton types who wear tailored pants suits and try to blend in. Michele does not blend in. She wears strappy high heals, upswept, artfully disarranged hair, and not the most modest of necklines. This, apparently, is part of Michele's campaign to bring back old fashioned femininity. "Since I was a little girl, I either wore my mother's high heels or aspired to wear high heels," gushed Michele in the Strib. The Strib piece notes that some fans call her "Senator Eye-Candy." A Strib columnist observed on election night, " She was dressed as though she'd been elected Homecoming Queen."

What was totally amazing in this article was the bit about her husband (the one who told her to run for Congress)and his shopping trip to Saks or NM--he came back with a slinky white dress with a jacket, which, Michele said, "I just slipped ...on." Listen, ladies. Would you let your husband go shopping for a major item of clothing for you without being present? This just confirms my very strong belief that Michele is not able to make decisions on her own. It doesn't bode well for the MN 6th district. But it will be interesting to see how official Washington greats Michele. She does look terrific for 50. Dorian Gray, anyone?

Michele Bachmann

It feels like such a cliche to pick on Michele Bachmann. Nevertheless, the voters in the Minnesota 6th District need to think about whether they really want a representative in Washington who relies on her husband (and through him, God), to tell her what to do, what to think, and how to be. She, my friends, is not an independent thinker, capable of evaluating the current Washington nuttiness through any lens at all, let alone her own understanding of the needs of the MN 6th.

Both Michele and her husband, Marcus, have degrees from institutions such as Regent University or Oral Roberts U. These institutions, among other things, are known for their allegiance to a fairly particular and pecular variety of Christianity (I'm being polite here). I have to wonder, for example, what the Oral Roberts natural history museum features. Surely there are no displays illustrating geologic time, as, according to folks like Michele and her classmates, there is no such thing. Another telling feature of Oral Roberts is that, according to their web site, 572 applicants of the 594 who applied were accepted. This is not a selective institution.

But this is really not important, just illustrative of Michele's background. What is important is that Michele is apparently incapable of thinking for herself. Her husband told her to go to law school, study tax law (which apparently she hated), take in foster children, run for the MN House, and then run for the US Senate, changing quickly to the House of Representatives when it became apparent that Mark Kennedy was the annointed one for Dayton's soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat. She may not be able to think for herself, but boy, is she flexible.

And Michele still has a chance, at least if you read the tea leaves, or the national republicans coming to her aid. Laura Bush, Cheney, Norm Coleman, etc. But, sadly for Michele, not the Current Occupant himself. Apparently Michele has the hots for cheerleader in chief. The Current Occupant, says Michele, is "buff".

Hey, 6th District. Let's not make Minnesota a laughing stock. Vote for Patty Wetterling.