In last week's post, Anatomy of a smear: Jihad Watch blasts MN01 hopeful Nelson for economic development bill, Bluestem examined how a nation anti-Muslim activist stepped into the First Congressional race, slamming Rochester-area Republican Carla Nelson for being the "likely driver" for a straight-to-no-committee-hearing bill Somali community development bill authored by Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, in the Senate.
Nelson was the last of five state senators to sign on; senate rules allow only five authors for any bill. File numbers for bills in both chambers are SF1722 and HF1946.
Shrill anti-Muslim national blogger Pam Geller also credited Nelson as the leader.
As we noted then, the bill--like so many bills introduced in the Minnesota legislator--went nowhere. Bluestem thinks that the measure--like DEED's Equity Funding Program for "to improve economic opportunities for people of color, women, people with disabilities, veterans, and/or youth in Minnesota"--probably has merit, but without a hearing, who knows.
The going nowhere status of the bill hasn't stopped anti-Muslim Minnesotans--mostly Republican rank-and-file folks as from turning their attention to senate author Abeler. For example, Prior Lake GOP activist and Jason Lewis admirer Michele Even has been flooding her Facebook page with appeals to contact Abeler.
Even doesn't believe Abeler's explanation, she posted on Facebook:
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(Of course, Bluestem has screenshots of the Facebook posts embedded here, in case they somehow become no longer public).
Even posted the image at the top of this post--and a video by anti-Muslim candidate AJ Kern, who unsuccessfully challenged Sixth District Congressman Tom Emmer in the 2016 primary, Minnesotans Against Sharia" appears to be a voluntary association of citizens that's working toward a cause while spending little or no money. Grassroots efforts of this sort are quite common in the state although they're usually directed toward more lofty goals.
Here's the Kern video:
Even also blasts House Ways and Means Committee Jim Knoblach, R-Waite Park:
We're curious if Republican State Chair Jennifer Carnahan is pleased with the reaction against Republicans that her consort's pals in the national anti-Muslim movement have wrought. Jim Hagedorn and Nelson are both seeking the Republican endorsement in the open seat in Minnesota's First.
Photo: Anti-Abeler flier.
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