Over the past year, Bluestem has posted entries critical of State Representative Mary Franson, while occasionally defending her on the blog from what seemed like unfair or inappropriate tactics, like sign vandalism or protests at her home.
The former is bad behavior, whomever does it, for whatever reason. The latter? Protest is what the state capitol is for.
What we didn't blog about on these pages were the legal problems that the freshman legislator had with an old boyfriend off-campus. The City Pages delved most into that; one can read the Blotter thread here.
Last week, Bluestem posted a reaction to an editorial column in the Mcleod County Chronicle about an unrelated matter in which that gentleman, Eric Harpel, was involved as a Republican BPOU officer.
Read the post here: McLeod Co. Chronicle: BPOU Republican executive board crosses line with last minute partisan demands on local candidates.
Mr. Harpel objected to the post and has sent a series of emails to Bluestem about it; even though Bluestem did not blog about Mr Harpel's romantic travails, he's still writing about them. We publish the emails below along with Bluestem's responses. Links are added where they will aid in readers' understanding.
Email 1: Nice one!
From: Eric J. Harpel [email address redacted]
Date: Thu, Oct 4, 2012 at 11:53 AM
Subject: Nice one!
To: [Sally Jo Sorensen]Sally,
Self appointed king…ha ha ha ha! I’ve been called a lot of things, but never that J I wonder if my board will feed raw steak and red wine as I sit in my throne??? I know you’re from around the area and I’d love to have coffee with you sometime when you’re around. We’d have lots to talk about and I’d be we’d laugh a lot about stuff. That is since you’ve got me blocked on twitter so…..Still don’t understand why though. Maybe it’s because you and Mary were kind of getting along talking about gardens (bla bla bla) and stuff. Then you fell for her victim cries which in fact you and everyone else ended up finding out all her claims against me were completely false and had zero merit! Who knows, but a Glennie’s article was highly misleading and non-factual so I’ll be clearing the air next week in the paper. I’ll send you a copy also. I don’t take what’s said personally at all in fact I laugh at how immature, misleading, and flat out false at the things said on blogs these days. What are bloggers stuck in 5th grade yet? Self appointed king……Good Lord! If that makes you feel better about yourself and helps you sleep better at night then God Bless…..
Neither you nor Rich had the integrity to pick up the phone or email me to fine out what happened to write a creditable blog about it. What ever you hear…..heck just throw whatever out there and call the guy some names, and then call it good journalism.
If you’re ever interested in knowing the truth about the HRO just let me know. The one thing that was on my side the whole time was the TRUTH! But to a blogger the truth just doesn’t matter I guess.
Good Day Sally!
Eric
Bluestem's response:
from: Sally Jo Sorensen
to: Eric Harpel
date: Thu, Oct 4, 2012 at 12:27 PM
subject: Re: Nice one!If you want to send your letter now, I'd be quite happy to post it--without comment, if you also forward a copy of the "call" that you sent to the candidates.
Bluestem hasn't covered the problems that you and Representative Franson went through; they are irrelevant to the post you reference. If you have complaints about what other bloggers wrote, you need to contact them about your concerns.
Harpel's response:
from: Eric J. Harpel
to: Sally Jo Sorensen
date: Thu, Oct 4, 2012 at 2:07 PM
subject: RE: Nice one!Sally,
I’ll certainly forward what I send over the Chronicle when I draft that up. I can also forward you over what I sent out to the candidates as well. I can’t one today as I’m getting busy ordering my peasants around before tonight’s meeting.
You’re right Bluestem hasn’t covered the HRO Mary filed against me, but you have personally, and its one in the same. You and her were kind of getting along on twitter etc and comes along the HRO where you defended her and bought story. Then she drops it and you tweet “WHAT the…..” and that was it……Oh never mind the fact she just committed perjury (which is a crime) to defame my family and me!
Rich got the story wrong. He never called or anything to verify a single thing and neither did you for that matter! You pick it up and then defame me just like Mary did and characterize me as somebody in which I’ve never been or will ever be in my entire life! So I’m a little touchy on this as my BPOU, employees, family and my children know exactly who I am. Picking up a story in which was unverified and not to mention to miss characterizing me as a “king on a throne” was reckless and irresponsible to do so. Anyone that has ever known me for more then 5 minuets knows this is an extremely false analysis of my personality.
You’ve never taken a minuet of your life to get to know the kind of man I REALLY am. Heck, even City Pages called me every time they were going to run something about the HRO to get my response on it! Remember when they did a piece on the board voting me in even though Mary had made those allegations?? Hummmmm? Well as it turned out I had the TRUTH all documented and once they saw that it was a done deal. I had the creditability of the truth and all she has was made up drama in her head. I did with them exactly what I was going to do in court with her. I would have won hands down and she knew it. The court date was nearing and she needed to do something about the information I had (the truth) so out of the blue my email account got hacked into and wouldn’t you know it. All the emails between Mary and me, Marie Thurn and me, and my attorney and I had all been deleted. HA HA the thing she wasn’t planning on I’m guessing was that I printed the whole works off already and backed it all up on a hard drive. Once she found that out……she hand no choice BUT to drop it. She’s been screwed if we went to court writing then her resignation letter minutes after court.
The woman committed perjury against me and my privacy was invaded. 2 crimes were committed against me along with my character defamed and you and other sit on your hands and say nothing! But got all kinds of time to throw unverified garbage about me on line and then finish up miss characterizing my personality as a man, a leader, business owner, and a father.
If you’d ever known me you never would’ve wrote what you wrote about me…this much is very true.
Later, Eric
Bluestem's response:
from: Sally Jo Sorensen
to: "Eric J. Harpel"
date: Thu, Oct 4, 2012 at 2:10 PM
subject: Re: Nice one!Please send the letter and the documents as soon as they are available.
Thank you.
Email #2:Byberg Coming to Hutchinson
from: Eric J. Harpel
to: Sally Jo Sorensen
date: Tue, Oct 9, 2012 at 10:48 AM
subject: Byberg Coming to HutchinsonSally,
I just thought of this! Lee will be coming to Hutchinson on tomorrow morning and I think it would be a wonderful opportunity for you to meet him. You know Lee Byberg don’t you? Remember he’s the one who started his letter off to Mr. Peterson by saying “I respectfully request”, but you in turn blog it that Lee was DEMANDING.
At the same time you can meet me, you know the “self appointed king of McLeod County” I think this would be highly beneficial and a win, win for everyone. I strongly feel that once you’ve had the chance to meet and look both us in the eyes that it will be less likely for you to blog half truths and miss characterize either one of us. Heck I’d even offer to pay for your breakfast ticket. Hope you can make it!
Surprised you yielded to Hensley and or Pusey last night about that little videoing incident up in Alex. It’s all hearsay so to a blogger that means it must be true then.
I also submitted a LTTE to rebut Glennie’s story. Look for it when it airs and I’m hoping you do the right thing and correct what you’ve done and apologize.
Sincerely,
Your Magesty
Bluestem did not reply. Those readers who might wish to have breakfast with Mr. Harpel and contribute to Mr. Byberg's campaign can view the document below.
Update
In addition to the email invitation with the attached flyer from Mr. Harpel's personal email account, the McLeod County Republican Party also tweet three invitations to the fundraiser. The first was tweeted at 11:37 p.m. on October 9, before this post went up:
@sallyjos Will you be making it tomorrow morning for the @leebyberg meet & greet? Byberg, Bishop @ericharpel would love to meet you! #mngop
— McLeod Republicans (@McLeodGOP) October 10, 2012
The next two were tweeted during the event:
@sallyjos We still have room for you! #mngop #mndfl twitter.com/McLeodGOP/stat…
— McLeod Republicans (@McLeodGOP) October 10, 2012
The McLeod County Republicans tweeted nothing else about the Byberg event and have not tweeted again in the 24 hours since the fundraiser.@hutchleader is here @sallyjos He's here to meet and gather what @leebyberg actually says & stands for! #mngop #mndfl twitter.com/McLeodGOP/stat…
— McLeod Republicans (@McLeodGOP) October 10, 2012
Byberg Hutchinson Fundraiser Letter
Related posts: McLeod Co. Chronicle: BPOU Republican executive board crosses line with last minute partisan demands on local candidates
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