Over the weekend, word came from two different sources--one from the restaurant business, another from politics--that Bridget Sutton is no longer with the Baja Sol restaurant chain.
A call to the Baja Sol corporate office this morning confirmed that Sutton was "no longer with" the company. I was directed to the company attorney for further information.
Sutton and her husband, Republican Party of Minnesota Chair Tony Sutton, first entered the faux Mexican fast casual restaurant business in 2004, when they opened a Tortilla Grill in downtown Minneapolis; by 2006, they purchased the chain with TCF powerhouse and former Republican Chair Bill Cooper, with aggressive plans to expand the chain. The enterprise drew other high-powered Republican money-men, including former chair Ron Carey. One listing for a Baja Sol Cantina franchise at the Minnesota Secretary of State's office lists the same address as the Wigley Family Foundation, (aka Michael Wigley, founder of the Minnesota Taxpayers League).
These plans failed, and the chain is down to 11 Tortilla Grills in Minnesota, after restaurants in Illinois and Ohio closed, and the sit-down cantina restaurants were shuttered last year.
Tony Sutton left the business inJanuary.
Sutton is widely touted in conservative circles as a business woman and blogs at "An Everyday Wonderwoman."
Formerly Bridget Cronin, Mrs. Sutton worked as a Republican operative, including RPM communications director, until leaving to lobby for autism causes in Minnesota. She served on the Inver Grove Heights School Board.
The long-term strength of her acumen is best illustrated by her taste in hip-hop and her 2000 assessment of a little-known congressional challenger (via Nexis):
Even if [ Mark] Kennedy loses to Minge, he has a future in Republican politics, says GOP Party communication director Bridget Cronin: He's smart, he has a business background, understands intricate policy issues, and has an attractive personality.
"He's a comer," she said. "He's an emerging leader." (Debra O'Connor, "Diverse voters fill 2nd district," St. Paul Pioneer Press, October 23, 2000, accessed 3/7/2011)
Mr. Attractive Personality beat Minge by under 200 votes, was redistricted into Minnesota's Sixth, then lost a Senate bid in 2006 by a landslide to Amy Klobuchar, known in Washington for her humor and in Minnesota for prize-winning tator-tot hotdish.
Her opponent was replaced in the Sixth by the new Queen of the Tea Party, Michele Bachmann. Mark who?
Oh, goodness yes. Mark Kennedy, the GOP's up-and-comer, the guy with more alleged electoral sex appeal than Norm Coleman, the previous GOP wunderkind.
Where are they now, pray tell?
As for Bridget, I was wondering how long it would be before she would be officially pushed out. She couldn't leave at the same time as Tony, because it would then be obvious that the Coopers had finally got sick and tired of trying to teach money-management skills to persons apparently utterly devoid of them.
Posted by: Phoenix Woman | Mar 07, 2011 at 04:43 PM