When we last left our hero, Emo Senator Mike Parry, the Belle of Waseca County, he had eluded the media following a contentious hearing.
As we rejoin the life of the Emo Senator, namesake of Southern Minnesotan's most watched telenovela, fans will be comforted to find that Mike Parry has found an apparently sympathetic ear at the Owatonna People's Press. In Parry responds to opponent's Owatonna town hall, published in mid-afternoon, Parry tells the Huckle chain news hound:
Parry agrees with Quist that the rising national debt is a problem. Parry believes the best way to come up with a solution is work with others.
“We know it’s a huge problem. Where I differ from my opponent is that I don’t think I can do it myself — I know better,” Parry said Thursday. “I deal with reality. You have to rally forces together. You have to pull people over to your side and get them to work with you.”
Earlier in the morning, Minnesotans witnessed EmoSen's prodigious ability to rally forces together this morning when he told his colleagues how a hearing on the state employees' contracts was going to be. In Parry and his campaign become the focus of committee hearing, MPR's Tom Scheck reports:
[Representative Leon] Lillie later questioned why Parry continued to interrupt and editorialize "when other members were asking questions" about the contracts.
"Is that how you work it in the Senate?" Lille asked
"When you're chair it is,' Parry responded.
"So all's good and fair in love and war in the Senate," Lillie said. "It's probably a blessing your down to your last three meetings. I figure you'll milk this for three days of per diem (legislative pay), perhaps." Listen
Parry quickly called a 10 minute recess and left the room. As he walked out, a member of the audience hollered "pop some pills!" in reference to Parry's recent comments that he saw Gov. Dayton take 15 to 16 pills during legislative negotiations.
There's nothing like telling people that it's "my way or the highway" to ignite unity. And Parry is now working to bring First District Republicans by sending them mail about his opponent Allen Quist. Heather Carlson reports in Parry campaign goes after Quist in mailer at the Rochester Post Bulletin:
Candidate Mike Parry's campaign sent out a mailer this week in advance of the Aug. 14 primary ripping his opponent Allen Quist. It states that Minnesota Families CAN'T trust Allen Quist." The mailer says Quist "can't be trusted on taxes" because he voted for a gas tax increase while in the Legislature in 1986. It goes after Quist for supporting a gas tax increase while in the legislature in 1986. The mailer also includes controversial statements Quist made in the past — including that men are "genetically predisposed to be the head of the household — and for failing to take responsibility for them. It says Quist's "controversial statements and out-of-the-mainstream views" make him unelectable. Click here to Download Parry campaign mailer.
. . .Nowhere in the mailer does it urge people to vote for Parry. Rather, it urges voters to "vote no on Allen Quist." It states in small print on the back of the mailer that it was paid for by Parry for Congress.
Moreover, our hero's vast knowledge of agriculture gives him a huge edge. The OPP notes:
Where Quist is talking a lot about the national debt, Parry has been talking with voters and current politicians about the Federal Agricultural Reform and Risk Management Act, or as it’s more commonly known: The Farm Bill. Parry grew up on a dairy farm and feels he has a stronger grasp on ag issues than his opponent.
Certainly, a 59-year-old Godfather Pizza franchise owner who grew up on a dairy farm 40 or more years ago totally totally knows more about ag issues than some old dude who's farmed 800 acres near Norseland in Nicollet County since dinosaurs roamed the earth. Especially since:
Parry claims Quist said the farm bill was actually a nutritional bill or a food stamps bill.
It's like what we read in the New Ulm Journal article, Walz, Parry, Quist find common ground and a few barbs at Farmfest forum:
The candidates were quizzed on whether they supported the current farm bill. Walz and Parry said they strongly supported the bill, agreeing that it was unacceptable that the bill was stalling due to politics. Quist said he opposed the farm bill because he considered it a food stamp bill with a farm bill rider. He said that the passage of the bill without clearly defined spending limits would only exacerbate the federal deficit, which he said threatens all farms.
Funding for food stamps comprises about 80 percent of the Farm Bill.
The article should raise the spirits of Emo Senator fans after they witnessed that tustling in the committee hearing that signals the Partisan stalemate on labor contracts for state employees:
The meeting of the Subcommittee on Employee Relations, chaired by Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, who faces a primary in his congressional campaign on Tuesday, produced no decision on the contract. Instead, GOP legislators questioned the structure of public employee compensation, while DFLers got into it with Parry over how he was running the meeting.
"Excuse me, folks, don't make me clear the room," Parry said at one point, when union members in the audience guffawed at a legislator's statement.
"Mr. Chair, if this were a committee hearing to discuss business taxation, and the room was filled with businesses, I don't think that you would be making threats," said Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley.
Tune in to the next exciting episode.
Image: Mike Parry, the Emo Senator. Photoshop by Tild.
Related posts: Emo Senator: Parry promises press conference, then dodges media on way to radio interview
Tough guy or contrite? Mike Parry holds hearing on collective bargaining contract
Emo Senator: Top Republican leaders doubt Mike Parry's pill-popping gubernatorial memories
Farmfest video: MNCD1 candidate Mike Parry & Gov. Mark Dayton respond to "pills" claim fire
Mike Parry to Brown County GOP fundraiser: Scary Dayton pops 15-16 pills in negotiations
In response to Winkler, Parry said essentially, I always make threats at the start of meetings I chair.
Someone with too much time on their hands could check that, I suppose, but it was fun enough watching the steam come out of Uniter Parry's ears.
Posted by: Charlie Quimby | Aug 10, 2012 at 07:11 AM
I continue to be amazed that the RPM's West Metro One Percent crowd represented by Golnik and Gilmore thought that Mike Parry was fit to serve in the United States Congress. If their goal was to fight off the Quist-and-Paul hordes, I still say they would have been better off with a German Shepherd.
Posted by: Phoenix Woman | Aug 10, 2012 at 08:24 AM