A handful of ethics-related items appear on Bluestem's radar this morning, like the low-hanging clouds promising rain. Like rain, the narratives fall on the just and unjust in Minnesota.
First, the good news.
In Our view: Walz wise to sever link to Weiner, the Winona Daily News notes:
Rep. Anthony Weiner appears to have ruined himself with the recent shameful sexting incident.
It would seem the Congressman from New York would have little to do with Minnesota's 1st Congressional District, but Weiner contributed a total of $3,000 to Rep. Tim Walz, our area member of Congress.
Though the two donations were made literally years ago, Walz decided to give the money to a local chapter of the Disabled American Veterans - a sensitive and generous move.
Walz had nothing to do with the Weiner scandal. The donations - a standard practice of Congress to contribute to each other's campaigns - were done long before the text message scandal, it would appear. The donations weren't illegal, and they were clearly disclosed. . . .
. . .But what cinched the deal for us was the nonchalant way Walz handled it. Walz didn't donate the money and then posture. He didn't call for Weiner's resignation as some have. He simply made the donation and moved on. While some might take that as an admission of embarrassment, we believe this demonstrates more about Walz's priorities. The scandal, while salacious and provocative, is nonetheless trifling for anyone outside of Weiner's legislative district. Regardless of political ideology, this scandal is disgusting and intolerable.
By not making more of this, Walz is not becoming part of the story. In other words, there are better things to be debating - better things to discuss. Like energy. Like the federal budget.
It says a lot about our congressman. He stepped up, even when he did nothing wrong in the first place.
Read the whole thing--and as is so often the case with Winona's daily, the editorial is on the money, so to speak, about priorities.
And to be fair, Walz isn't the only member of Minnesota's congressional delegation to contribute tainted campaign funds to a charity. Congresswoman Bachmann gave $9,200 in campaign contributions from scamster Frank Vennes to a charity (Minnpost said in April that Pawlenty's path was less clear) and donated her share of $10,000 from "Bobby Thompson," who bilked people who thought they were giving to a naval vets' charity, to veterans' groups.
The other ethics issues in the news? A high-profile announcement by a consultant that no charges will be filed in the DOJ investigation of the propriety of a businessman spending over $100,000 on Norm Coleman's suits, travel and other gifts. No wrong-doing worth prosecuting, apparently, but a smudge mark on the brand image of a politician who was once seen as a bright rising star, first for the DFL, then the MNGOP.
Note: The Star Tribune reported at 3:56 p.m., June 16, that Hoffman has apologized in a brand new twitter account, having deleted her old one. Judge the apology for yourself here.
Finally, a more petty case--and petty in every sense of the word. As I write this post, State Senator Gretchen Hoffman has yet to come to terms with the decision of the Senate Ethics subcommittee. Her cleary misleading tweet remains online in her twitter stream and she has yet to note the decision in her twitter stream and provide a link to the decision. No word on her apology.
Thus, the complaint still stands.
In light of the contrast between her and Paul Gardner's behavior following complaints about their respective tweets, Minnesotans can be forgiven for thinking she's an awful person.
Bluestem adds a modest proposal about another offense to her list: a course aimed at addressing Hoffman's basic skills in English composition. On May 11, Hoffman tweeted in reaction to a Minnesota Progressive Project post about The Not Brodkorb, Minnesota's other senate majority leader, Amy Koch:
Shameful!! from the folks who claim to advocate for strong, convicted women.#alinskytactic #mngop http://tinyurl.com/3ugaq32 #mnleg #mnsrc
I can see why pairing Senator Amy Koch with a Hollywood stereotype about strong women is objectionable, and indeed, the author of the MPP post apologized after being asked to do so in a comment left by the president of Minnesota NOW. Good for him--and to her.
Nonetheless, in addition to the committee-ordered apology to Goodwin, Hoffman should apologize to Koch while she's at it. It's never been remotely suggested that the Not Brodkorb has ever been charged with a crime, much less convicted. Indeed, no one ever implies that there's an ongoing investigation anywhere.
To call Koch "convicted" is misleading--and an offense to proper usage itself. Given that Hoffman is a co-author of the bill to adopt English as a the state's official language, perhaps she might learn how to use it first.
On the other hand, perhaps Hoffman took the Minnesota Progressive Project to be a non-profit aimed at rescuing robust female offenders. Bluestem leaves that question for others to ponder.
Images: Walz at a veterans' meeting (above); another offensive Hoffman tweet (below).
Tim Walz is a class act. I have been following his career from the beginning when he surprised everyone and beat long-time incumbent Gil Gutknecht. Good to hear that he is handing this the right way.
Posted by: Circlelovely.wordpress.com | Jun 15, 2011 at 01:07 PM
Has Kvetchin' Gretchen Hoffman been taking handwaving lessons from Brodkorb or Mitch Berg? I'm inclined to think the former, as he tends to be a bit subtler about such things than the guy whose verbal effusions are like unto a garbage house run by meth-heads.
Posted by: Phoenix Woman | Jun 15, 2011 at 07:18 PM