MNCD1 Primary letters: "in Parry’s opinion, the Afghanistan war is a jobs program"

It's easy to check out the headlines about the Republican primary in Minnesota's Fighting First Congressional District, but Bluestem digs down into the letters sections of Southern Minnesota newspapers so you don't have to.

Today's headlines provide a glimmer into the murky waters of the race. In the Winona Daily News, we read Mud in the water: Fight turns dirty as Republican primary looms:

. . .With nine days before the primary election, Quist and Parry are hard at work to get their message out before voters enter the booths on Aug. 14.

For Quist, that means walking in parades, knocking on doors, and spreading his goals of cutting the federal budget and reforming Medicaid. For Parry, it means discussing his ideas for education and economic reform and job creation and meeting with voters face-to-face.

It also likely means the two will keep after each other until the votes are tallied. . . .

Read the article for more mud, if you didn't get enough this morning on Tom Hauser's "At Issue." There's also the AP report of the men going at it like irate otters in Parry, Quist clash in bruising Minn. GOP primary. ( Link updated to Full Martiga Lohn AP story in the Star Tribune).

Southern Minnesota is known for its rich topsoil and there's more of it today in the letters secton of the Huckle Media's group in CD1. In the Faribault Daily News, Brian Paukert writes in Parry's understanding of economics is lacking:

. . .Another thing that should be of great concern to voters is that Mike Parry’s understanding of economics is severely lacking. Senator Parry says that he wants to bring the troops home from Afghanistan, but not until the economy improves because if we bring the troops home now, they won’t be able to find a job and are more likely to commit suicide. So, in Parry’s opinion, the Afghanistan war is a jobs program. . . .

The comments  (scroll down on the FDN page where the letter appears) run pro-Quist, although the remark attributed to Parry after a town hall last year sounds like something out of Snopes. It should be treated as such unless someone can produce a video or audio tape.

Much shorter (and no Parry bashing): Quist is the candidate of choice for the Republican primary. That's it for now online at the daily papers.

We'll post video of the At Issue debate when it is available.

Cartoon: Allen Quist crowd surfs the base, by Ken Avidor.

Comments

[Max Hailperin]

"although the remark attributed to Parry after a town hall last year sounds like something out of Snopes." -- I'm not seeing any remark so-attributed. Where is it? Thanks.

It's in the comment section of the letter (scroll down the page at the paper):

"Mike Parry has no answers to any questions. I attended a town hall meeting at St. Lucas last summer, and when told about situations and given stats, his response was, "well, I'm not sure, I will have to check into it." Throughout that meeting, when talking about the budget concerns, he continually said that both sides will have to bleed. After that meeting, a concerned citizen, a working mom, went up to him and asked him what he meant by both sides have to bleed. His response was, "Well, maybe we should tax feminine hygiene products." Now, I ask you, would you want a person like that representing us? Not me!!!!"

That sounds like Snopes to our ears, and unless there are recordings or him actually saying that, we have our doubts.

[Max Hailperin]

Ahhh, thanks. I was reading the letter on a mobile device where the comments section was suppressed by the oh-so-helpful web site designer.

The bit about the jobs for Afghanistan veterans also sounds a bit embroidered. Unless Parry made the same blunder twice, it is based on his remark on Almanac. And although I haven't gone back to review the video, I don't remember him saying anything about suicide -- just that we shouldn't bring the troops back until there were jobs for them.

[Max Hailperin]

Yep, my memory was right. Parry's comment starts at 46:13 here: http://www.mnvideovault.org/mvvPlayer/customPlaylist2.php?id=23349&select_index=0&popup=yes#10

[Brian Paukert]

The suicide part may or may not be on the record in the papers or with video, but I can tell you he said this to me personally during a conversation we had a couple days before the CD-1 Convention in May (I was a delegate to that convention). I vividly remember it because I was so stunned at his logic. Take it for what it's worth, I didn't record the conversation or anything like that.

-Brian Paukert