A legislator votes dozens of times - no, hundreds and hundreds of times - in the course of a two year legislative Session.
Every legislator is assigned to Committees and Sub-Committees as well as the full House or Senate, if a Representative or a Senator, and votes are taken in each of these venues and all of these votes are part of the cumulative process of defeating, amending or advancing every piece of legislation introduced by the 201 Members of the Minnesota legislature.
Hundreds and hundreds of Bills are introduced that either become law or fail of passage and every legislator is an integral part of that process. That's why we send Legislators to St. Paul - to act on our behalf!
There is not a vote that a legislator casts that does not directly affect you and me of the constituency. Legislators are in the "business" of advancing our freedom, restricting our freedom, increasing or lowering our taxes.
Senator Olseen and Representative Kalin have both seriously failed to keep the constituency well informed about the legislation they have supported and opposed.
Instead Mr. Kalin and Mr. Olseen have, in large part, chosen to carp about partisanship or gubernatorial failures or to be silent or to write only about irrelevant things like the weather and hometown activities. We don't need coaching about things like that.
Mr. Olseen and Mr. Kalin are fortunate to have had a friendly press at their disposal which they have not utilized to inform the public and it takes on the appearance that they want to keep the lid on things that may relate to the next election. This does not reflect favorably on the assertion that Mr. Olseen and Mr. Kalin are motivated to "put people above politics."
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6 comments:
"Mr. Olseen and Mr. Kalin are fortunate to have had a friendly press at their disposal..."
To my mind there are really only two papers that cover the local area - the Chisago County Press and the Post Review in North Branch. As much as I agree in general that media tends to favor the left, it shouldn't be too hard to determine who, more specifically, is "friendly" to Kalin and Olseen, and what, in your opinion, are examples of that friendliness.
Could you please name names and perhaps offer some examples of this friendliness you speak of?
It's disappointing you were unable to more specifically address the (overly) general point you made.
The initial blog message was so transparently clear that Freedomwriter thought you might grasp the points made if you had time to reflect on it.
But obviously that was an "overly" generous expectation so here is further elucidation.
We'll try to help you out. Here is what you need to know and follow - paragraph by paragraph:
"A LEGISLATOR VOTES DOZENS OF TIMES - NO, HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF TIMES - IN THE COURSE OF A TWO-YEAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION."
You don't quibble with that so I will assume that you agree and that I am right.
"EVERY LEGISLATOR IS ASSIGNED TO COMMITTEES AND SUB-COMMITTEES AS WELL AS THE FULL HOUSE OR SENATE, IF A REPRESENTATIVE OR A SENATOR, AND VOTES ARE TAKEN IN EACH OF THESE VENUES AND ALL OF THESE VOTES ARE PART OF THE CUMULATIVE PROCESS OF DEFEATING, AMENDING OR ADVANCING EVERY PIECE OF LEGISLATION INTRODUCED BY THE 201 MEMBERS OF THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE."
You don't quibble with that paragraph so I will assume you agree and that I am right.
"HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF BILLS ARE INTRODUCED THAT EITHER BECOME LAW OR FAIL OF PASSAGE AND EVERY LEGISLATOR IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THAT PROCESS. THAT'S WHY WE SEND LEGISLATORS TO ST. PAUL - TO ACT ON OUR BEHALF!"
You don't quibble that paragraph so I will assume that you agree and that I am right.
THERE IS NOT A VOTE THAT A LEGISLATOR CASTS THAT DOES NOT DIRECTLY AFFECT YOU AND ME OF THE CONSTITUENCY. LEGISLATORS ARE IN THE 'BUSINESS' OF ADVANCING OUR FREEDOM, RESTRICTING OUR FREEDOM, INCREASING OR LOWERING OUR TAXES."
You do not quibble that paragraph so I will assume that you agree and that I am right.
"SENATOR OLSEEN AND REPRESENTATIVE KALIN HAVE BOTH SERIOUSLY FAILED TO KEEP THE CONSTITUENCY WELL INFORMED ABOUT THE LEGISLATION THEY HAVE SUPPORTED AND OPPOSED."
You do not quibble that paragraph so I will assume you agree and that I am right.
"INSTEAD, MR. KALIN AND MR. OLSEEN HAVE, IN LARGE PART, CHOSEN TO CARP ABOUT PARTISANSHIP OR GUBERNATORIAL FAILURES OR TO BE SILENT OR TO WRITE ONLY ABOUT IRRELEVANT THINGS LIKE THE WEATHER AND HOMETOWN ACTIVITIES. WE DON'T NEED COACHING ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT."
You don't quibble that so I will assume you agree and that I am right.
"MR. OLSEEN AND MR. KALIN ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE HAD A FRIENDLY PRESS AT THEIR DISPOSAL WHICH THEY HAVE NOT UTILIZED TO INFORM THE PUBLIC AND IT TAKES ON THE APPEARANCE THAT THEY WANT TO KEEP THE LID ON THINGS THAT MAY RELATE TO THE NEXT ELECTION. THIS DOES NOT REFLECT FAVORABLY ON THE ASSERTION THAT MR. OLSEEN AND MR. KALIN ARE MOTIVATED TO 'PUT PEOPLE ABOVE POLITICS'."
To this you respond that "(t)o my mind there are really only two papers that cover the local area - the Chisago County press and the Post Review in North Branch. As much as I agree in general that media tends (sic) to favor the left {sic}, it shouldn't be too hard to determine who, more specifically, is 'friendly' to Kalin and Olseen, and what, in your opinion, are examples of that friendliness.
Could you please name names and perhaps offer some examples of this friendliness you speak of?
IN ANSWER TO YOUR COMPLAINT, SURELY YOU ARE AWARE THAT THERE ARE TELEVISION, RADIO AND MULTIPLE NEWSPAPERS AVAILABLE THAT COVER LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS AND THEIR LEGISLATORS. AND YOU YOURSELF, "AGREE IN GENERAL THAT MEDIA TENDS {sic} TO FAVOR THE
(l)EFT {sic}."
SINCE YOU APPRENTLY "KNOW" THAT TO BE THE CASE WHY DO YOU ASK US TO DO "DETECTIVE WORK" OF DECIDING WHICH PAPER FAVORS WHO?
OUR COMMENT IS NOT A QUIBBLE WITH THE CHISAGO COUNTY PRESS OR THE POST REVIEW OR ANY OF THE OTHER NUMEROUS MEDIUMS THAT KALIN AND OLSEEN HAVE ACCESS TO SINCE THE MEDIA ARE FREE TO BE FRIEND OR FOE TO WHOMEVER THEY WISH.
OUR ASSERTION IS THAT IT IS KALIN AND OLSEEN WHO HAVE FAILED, NOT THE TWO LOCAL NEWSPAPERS THAT YOU CITE.
THE ISSUE IS NOT THE MEDIA BUT THE TWO OFFICE HOLDERS WHO HAVE FAILED TO FULLY INFORM THE PUBLIC - THE CONSTITUENCY OF THIS DISTRICT - IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT, AS YOU SAY, "IN GENERAL (THE)MEDIA TENDS {sic} TO FAVOR THE (l)EFT." {sic}
THAT IS YOUR ASSERTION, INTERPRETATION, ALLEGATION, NOT OURS.
WE HAVE ONLY SAID THAT MR. OLSEEN AND MR. KALIN ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE HAD A FRIENDLY PRESS AT THEIR DISPOSAL. AND WITH THAT YOU HAVE AGREED.
THEREFORE, NICE TRY!
A TRY TO SHIFT THE FOCUS OF FAILURE FROM THE BACKS OF KALIN AND OLSEEN TO A QUIBBLE ABOUT TWO LOCAL NEWSPAPERS!
YOUR ATTEMPT DIDN'T WORK.
NEXT TIME, REFINE YOUR ARGUMENTATION.
Wow. You're really something freedomwriter. Ask a simple question and get a novel of shouting and insults in return.
My original (and completely ignored) question still stands: Who in the local media would you more specifically describe as "friendly" to Kalin and Olseen, and why?
You said it, not me. I'm simply looking for some clarification or explanation for your suggestion. Since you obviously will not, I'll take the pleasure of ripping your response to shreds.
"IN ANSWER TO YOUR COMPLAINT, SURELY YOU ARE AWARE THAT THERE ARE TELEVISION, RADIO AND MULTIPLE NEWSPAPERS AVAILABLE THAT COVER LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS AND THEIR LEGISLATORS."
Let the record show I didn't make a "complaint," but merely asked a simple and polite question, and one that you still refuse to answer. Second, none of the outlets mentioned do more with local legislators than local media. Therefore, it is certainly within reason to ask about the local media.
"SINCE YOU APPRENTLY "KNOW" THAT TO BE THE CASE WHY DO YOU ASK US TO DO "DETECTIVE WORK" OF DECIDING WHICH PAPER FAVORS WHO?"
I asked the question because you made the allegation. Sorry. I assumed you had some idea what the hell you were talking about. My bad. From now on I will just assume you are completely full of sh*t and move on.
I am a passionate and regular reader of this blog, who takes great pride in what it has become and even like to feel that I had a small hand in helping it along the way. If this is how you treat people who merely ask a reasonable question, you are a detriment to the blog.
Take a pill. Get a grip. Realize it is not only possible, but healthy for like-minded people to disagree and debate issues. In a single comment, you have reduced this blog to the same kind of shout-down found at the juvenile liberal blogs and fulfilled every stereotype liberals have of "wing-nuts."
If you can't be civil, get a new hobby. The local GOP deserves better representation (and gets it from the likes of E-Herd and others) than a playground bully who can't control their temper.
There's an old saying that says: "When you are losing the argument, shout."
You shouted!
Yes FW, you win. You completely dismantled me with your superior grasp of logic and unmatched way with words. I sit in awe of your debate skills.
Back to reality, your presence here serves to illustrate that unhinged rubes exist on both sides of the aisle.
Thanks for the reminder.
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