Update: Our friend from Corner House Comments stopped by to comment and to leave the URL where the cartoon is available for viewing.[end update]
We didn't see the cartoon, but apparently the Red Wing Republican Eagle's cartoonist depicted State Senator Steve Murphy, who proudly served in the U.S. Marines, in a Nazi uniform. The cartoonist was objecting to Murphy's calls for Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau to resign as MnDOT commissioner.
Murphy writes a letter saying The line of decency was crossed. Earlier, a reader agreed, complaining that Cartoon insults Murphy, all vets. One reader didn't take offense: Veteran likes cartoon, gets point. We think it's lazy cartooning and bad taste for a newspaper to run the cartoon.
The incident recalls another graceless moment in Minnesota politics: in 2006, a Coleen Rowley intern posted a Photoshopped image of Congressman Kline as Col. Klink from Hogan's Heroes on a blog. Like Murphy, Kline served in the Marines.
Given that Red Wing is in the Second--though part of Murphy's district in in the First--we would think the town paper would use some common sense--and common civility.
Representative Murphy is right to be upset with the cartoon. I also agree that Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau must go. We need a leader at MNDOT who is an advocate for the department and an advocate for improving our infrastructure.
You can view the cartoon here:
http://www.clivingstone.com/cartooncart/products.asp?id=166&Cat=January%2E2008&SubCat=January%2E19%2E2008&SubCatID=344
Posted by: CHC | January 24, 2008 at 07:30 PM