In this week's installment of Emo Senator, the impetuous Mike Parry, state senator from Waseca, hastily closes a press conference about honor guards at military funerals when he is asked whether he plans to run for congress in Minnesota's first congressional district.
The moment came during an incident that Forum paper's political reporter Don Davis called one of the Bright spots can be found amid the political nastiness:
Several days ago, news reports indicated that the state had stopped paying for military honor guards at veterans’ funerals. The funding cut apparently slipped by all the top officials as political leaders this spring and summer debated a $34 billion, two-year budget.
Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, was one of those incensed, but also was involved with the change since he is chairman of the Senate State Government Innovation and Veterans Committee.
But being the Emo Senator, he had to point fingers at Dayton, as Davis notes and the video documents. Fans of Emo Senator will be relieved that at least Parry didn't blame the gardener at governor's residence for the slip-up.
But while the Emo Senator may be chiding the Governor, Davis goes on to use the K-word to describe the Governor's pleasure at Parry's response:
After the honor guard lapse came to light, Veterans Affairs Commissioner Larry Shellito promised to find funds to continue the service. On Friday, Parry announced he has written a bill that would give Shellito’s office a new avenue to fund the program, which gives $50 to honor guards.
Shellito and his boss, Gov. Mark Dayton, immediately praised Parry.
“I commend Sen. Parry for his leadership in restoring this important funding, and will do whatever I can to support it in next year’s session,” Dayton said.
The Dayton-Parry kumbaya came a day after law enforcement leaders and prosecutors praised legislators’ efforts led by Rep. John Kriesel and Sen. Katie Sieben, both of Cottage Grove, to make synthetic drugs illegal.
As Parry was closing the conference, he was asked if he were running for congress. He had to get to the State Fair really fast that very moment, which was captured for posperity and the Library of Congress's tweet collection by Associated Press reporter Martiga Lohn.
Tune in for the next espisode of Emo Senator, Minnesota's most popular blog telenovela.
Image: A screenshot of the Lohn tweet.
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