KEYC-TV: A house divided can still be friendly

Update 9/1: Here's a letter of support in the Waseca Daily News for the Obama-Biden ticket from Marcus Penny: Obama-Biden ‘08 — It’s got a good ring to it.  Turns out that young Penny was originally a Biden supporter--and Obama was his second choice. Hmm: former Congressman Penny has indeed brought up a thoughtful son. [end update]

We'd noted a few times before how former Congressman Tim Penny and his son Marcus have split on their presidential choices. The Waseca County News reported in July that Marcus was staffing the DFL booth at the county fair, and one of our correspondents wrote that he'd seen both McCain and Obama signs on the lawn of the Penny manse.

KEYC-TV noticed, too, and the ever-charming Betsy Gessell reports that more Obama signs are up since our source drove by on the way home from the fair in July:

Campaign signs at the home of a well known McCain supporter have some Waseca residents questioning which side Tim Penny is really on. As News 12's Betsy Gessell explains... the answer is all in the family.After stepping out of the political public eye for 6 years Tim Penny is making another appearance - this time as Chair of Minnesota Citizens for McCain...Endorsing the Senator because of what he calls McCain's courage for bucking his party and President on major issues.

Tim Penny says, ''McCain is a maverick....It's a lot of personal connection with him and personal confidence in him that he in fact will continue to be the independent leader that he's been in the senate, able to work with both sides.''Working with both sides is very important for Penny.

Take his Waseca home for example.Five Barack Obama campaign signs belonging to his two children outnumber his one for McCain.Marcus Penny says, ''We're very much for Barack Obama, my sister - one day when my dad was out of town put them all up in the window to sort of surprise him when he got home.

''Fortunately, Tim supports the political diversity in his home.Marcus Penny says, ''He brought us up telling us to believe in what we believe in, and has no problem with us disagreeing with him as long as we're respectful of one another's views.''Something he feels the rest of the country should learn as well.

Tim Penny says, ''We have as citizens, I think have allowed our politics to get pretty nasty and ugly in the last number of years and we need to back away from that because it doesn't get us anywhere.''Supporting political diversity and possibly instilling the courage he says McCain shows in America.Betsy Gessell, News 12.

We've been experience a bout of civility emailing back and forth with our two old friends with Alaska roots. Christine B. respects Palin but is voting for Obama; Bill, her communications head, whole-heartedly supports his chief. Since she can be more candid, Chris's emails especially offer fascinating glimpses into Alaska's politics--a very different political world from Minnesota.