So, Norm Coleman won’t rule out a run for Minnesota Governor. Well, let’s see, what has Norm been doing to ingratiate himself with Minnesota voters since he lost to Al Franken in 2008? He:
1) Moved out of Minnesota at the first opportunity.
2) Became a Super PAC (Congressional Leadership Fund) political hit man doing the dirty work for a group of Tea Party-controlled House members sporting a 9% approval rating, an all-time historic low.
About 16-months ago at Minnesota-based Target Corporation’s annual meeting in Pittsburgh, an embattled Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel stressed that Target would heretofore remain neutral on the issue of gay rights, but would continue to make political donations. A June 9, 2011 Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal headline characterized the balancing act Steinhafel was attempting:
CEO: Target will be neutral on marriage vote, will still give politically
Steinhafel’s neutrality pledge came on the heels of a customer backlash prompted by the corporation making a large political donation to anti-gay rights Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. Remember all the news stories, boycotts, social media rants, and flash dance protests?
At the time Steinhafel made this announcement in Pittsburgh, I wondered how Target could possibly manage to support political candidates while keeping its neutrality pledge, since virtually all candidates take positions on gay rights issues. After all, the world community would no longer consider Switzerland neutral if it was funding a combatant.
So, what is Target doing now? In the 2012 election, what candidates are being funded by Target, or has Target decided to stay out of politics altogether?
My drive-by Googling can’t find the answer to this question. After all that coverage and controversy in 2010 and 2011, could it be no business or political reporter has followed up with Target?
Americans spend something like $5 billion per year on Halloween. Dressing up in costumers has become an increasingly popular form of escapism for stressed out adults. In fact, some retail outlets now report that more costumes are sold to adults than children.
This led us to wonder what our favorite Minnesota Republican politicians are dressing up as this year? Wry Wing Politics did a little investigative reporting:
Kurt Bills. The rarely spotted U.S. Senate candidate challenging popular Senator Amy Kloubachar is reportedly going as Waldo, of the Where’s Waldo puzzle books. Mr. Bills is out there in one of Minnesota’s 87 counties. Can YOU find him?
Mary Franson. The state legislator who infamously attempted to draw a parallel between not giving families in need Food Stamps and not feeding wild animals, is dressing up as a wild game hunter.
Michelle Bachman. The Member of Congress who maintains that we need to “wean” Minnesotans off of popular programs such as Social Security and Medicare, is going as a, um, weaner.
Michael Brodkorb. Brodkorb is the Minnesota Senate staffer who admitted to having an affair with a married Senate leader, and is threatening to commit mass politicide by naming others at the State Capitol who Brodkorb says also had extramarital affairs. Mr. Brodkorb is dressing up as the personification of death, The Grim Reaper. Will anyone answer the door when he comes knocking?
Allen Quist. Allen Quist is a former state legislator, current congressional candidate and ever creative Creationist who edits a website that says that dinosaurs lived alongside human beings as recently as the 12th Century. To educate more Minnesota children about this little known scientific fact, Mr. Quist is dressing up as Pope Innnocent III’s papal pet “Barney.”
Kurt Zellers. The Minnesota House Speaker who created confusion at the Capitol last year when he announced that he was going to oppose the Vikings Stadium bill, but hoped that it would pass, is dressing up as comic book figure Two-Face.
Tim Pawlenty. Former Presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty is dressing up as, get this, a banking lobbyist. Eeeek! For a nation that has suffered mightily since the banksters’ wreckless practices caused a financial meltdown, it doesn’t get much scarier than this.
Norm Coleman. Former U.S. Senator Norm Coleman is going scary too. He is dressing up as a slimey leader of a corporate Super PAC. This costume is all the rage this year with little Republicans. With millions of Americans hiding from the political pollution brought to us by Super PACs like Coleman’s, the Super PAC Man is the new Freddy Krueger.
What a fright! Then, six days after Halloween, Minnesota voters will face the same question posed on October 31: Trick or treat?
Loveland