Those with an appreciation of nuance will savor statement made by Minnesota Representative Tony Cornish and Congressman Collin Peterson to greater Minnesota dailies.
In Dems say GOP conducting 'do nothing' session, Cornish notes:
Cornish said Democrats have been unwilling to compromise on issues important to Republicans and other Minnesotans, including expansion of gun rights and changes in election law.
“They wet their pants any time you mention guns and they run and hide on voter ID,” Cornish said of the DFL. “... (Voter ID) is a very important issue and they say we’re wasting time.
The Morning Take notes that Cornish will join Minnesota's bedwetter-in-chief today at a special ceremony:
TODAY: Gov. Mark Dayton will speak at the 52nd Annual Minnesota Prayer Breakfast at the Minneapolis Hilton Hotel. Dayton will hold a bill signing ceremony for Ch. 171, HF 1829, which was officially signed earlier this week. The new law allows County Attorneys to carry guns, with a valid permit, while on duty. The governor will be joined at the signing ceremony by Representative Tony Cornish and Minnesota County Attorneys from across the State of Minnesota. . . .
Perhaps the appointment on his calendar slipped Cornish's mind. He's also forgotten the photoID compromise offered by Secretary of State Mark Ritchie--the electronic poll books--and the hours of committee testimony against photoID, the prolonged floor debates, and the hundreds of protesters who showed up at every step of the process as the photoID amendment made its way through the legislature.
Given Cornish's acute powers of observation, it's a good thing he's retired as police chief of Lake Crystal. Were any criminal in that jurisdiction to flee, Bluestem has grave reservations about whether Cornish would be able to apprehend the perp since he's failed to see things in plain site at the Capitol.
And given that both photoID and stand-your-ground laws have been at the center of Colorlines' anti-ALEC campaign, Cornish may becoming a bit tone-deaf as well.
Another prairie cowboy joins him in those ranks. Collin Peterson defends "pink slime" in this morning's Marshall Independent. In You’ve been ‘slimed,’ but it’s nothing to worry about, we read:
U.S. 7th District Rep. Collin Peterson can't help but chuckle when he talks about the "pink slime" phenomenon. He finds it hard to believe an innocent, private email that included the slang term could carry so much of a shock value and cause such a societal stir with the American public.
"It's done a lot of damage," Peterson said. "It's a typical deal where people don't understand what's going on really. It's hard to say what the actual impact will be."
The ammonia-treated beef additive has created a dilemma in the U.S., not because it's bad for you or lacks nutrition, but because of the negative connotation surrounding its appearance - and its most unfortunate nickname. . . .
"You know who this is going to hurt? Consumers," he said. "Poor people who are having a hard time making ends meet the way it is. It's going to raise the price of hamburger; it's going to take another million-and-a-half cattle to make up for it, and there's no good reason for taking (LFTB beef) away."
And Peterson blames big retailers for wetting their pants on this one:
Peterson said although there is no scientific proof that "pink slime" is unhealthy, companies who own the stores that sell it have felt pressure to get rid of it because of the bad publicity it's received in the last month.
"There was no scientific reason for getting rid of it, but the retailers are so cautious about any negative publicity," he said. "What a lot of folks don't understand with food in this country, the big retailers are the ones who drive this. Everybody blames the packers, they blame Cargill, or Tyson, but it's the stores that make the decisions that actually drive this. Some of those big companies, under consumer pressure, bad publicity, whatever, decided not to use this anymore." . . .
Given endorsed Republican opponent Lee Byberg's ties to the turkey industry, which markets it own tasty burger and burger-making material, it's unlikely that Peterson will experience any heartburn over his remarks. Nevermind the larger national discussion over local food versus large industrial production.
And those who want to experience true tone-deafness can check out his band, the Second Amendments.
Photo: Tony Cornish and his teeny-tiny handcuffs.
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