Did Frtiz Knaak sleep soundly last night? After learning about his defence of Gretchen Hoffman's odious tweet, I wonder.
PIM's Briana Bierschbach reports Senate ethics panel rules Hoffman must apologize for tweet:
Freshman Republican Sen. Gretchen Hoffman must apologize to DFL Sen. Barb Goodwin for a tweet she sent out in the midst of a health and human services debate during session, the Senate Ethics Committee ruled on Monday.
Hoffman, a freshman lawmaker from Vergas, angered DFLers when she posted to her Twitter account that Goodwin had “just called people with mental illness- idiots and imbeciles- while debating HHS bill” on the floor in May. Goodwin said Hoffman mischaracterized her comments and asked for an apology on the Senate floor, but did not receive one. . . .
. . .Goodwin was referencing the fact that state institutions for those with mental illness used to be called “institutions for idiots, imbeciles, and the insane.” . . .
. . .GOP lawyer Fritz Knaak, who was the counsel for GOP Sen. Scott Newman during an ethics hearing earlier this year, spoke on behalf of Hoffman. Knaak argued that Goodwin’s comments were made in the context of an “emotional debate” and upset Hoffman, who is a registered nurse.
“She has a great awareness of and sensitivity to the issues involved in that bill and in that debate,” he said. “It was something that was reacted to appropriately, I believe, by someone who cares deeply about that industry.” [emphasis added]
Bullshit, Fritz. Whatever Hoffman's awareness of the mental health "industry" is, we're talking about her awareness of what was actually being said on the Senate floor. If she lacks the ability to understand words in their context in a discussion, voters should rightly wonder just what she's doing on the senate floor at all, much less tweeting her nincompooperies to the world at large.
Just as disturbing: that the Senate Majority Leader and communication head Michael Brodkorb also proved himself either so incompetent or dishonest to retweet Hoffman's inanities.
Hoffman isn't a sensitive soul. She's a dolt making it up as she goes along.
And as far as "sensitivity" to the mental health "industry" goes, where in Hoffman's voting record have Minnesotans living with mental health issues or developmental disablities, and the families of those who love them, seen Hoffman's sensitivity in action? Show us the sensitive votes in this year of cutting back services to the most vulnerable among us, and I'll accept the notion that Hoffman is "sensitive and aware."
Just look at the vote Hoffman took on the bill Goodwin's remarks were addressing. The sensitive and aware Hoffman voted to cut funding for the people needing health and human services. It's apparently not a problem to hurt the vulnerable.
But use words in her presence as Goodwin did, that caused Hoffman herself discomfort (or maybe not)? The poor dear's sensibilities were apparently damaged beyond repair, along with any critical thinking skills she might have brought to the senate floor.
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Photo: Gretchen Hoffman
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Tales of Hoffman: Unsweet tweet may meet ethics complaint fate
Tales of Hoffman; or, Newman off-shores Minnesota job-killing tax blame game
Tales of Hoffman: Attention gay Raelians! Schedule your next skeet shoot in Fergus Falls!
... but Sally Jo, Fritz said Sen. Hoffman had herself been a nurse, could it be that she would be so insensitive? Would Fritz prevaricate like Limmer and Gottwalt?
Say it ain't so Sally Jo, say it ain't so.
Jeff Wilfahrt, Rosemount, MN
Posted by: Jeff Wilfahrt | Jun 14, 2011 at 08:18 AM
No - I don't think she was being emotional about those who are mentally ill. I think she used the tweet for politics and falsely accused Goodwin of doing something she did not. All you have to do is watch the tape on what Goodwin said, and it is clear.
Minnesota used to restrain for hyper politics at one point. Not anymore and Gretchen should be ashamed of herself.
Posted by: cyberaim | Jun 14, 2011 at 11:22 AM