Bluestem is rapidly growing to love endorsed Republican US Senate candidate Karin Housley.
As a source of fodder for posts.
Take this passage supporting the present state of big money in politics, found in Gabriel LaGarde's reporting in the Brainerd Dispatch article Housley challenges opponent's 'extreme' politics in senate bid:
"I'd rather be out talking with communities," Housley said. "I wish campaigns didn't have to cost so much, but they do. I'm in support of a free market when it comes to campaigns."
She noted while sometimes it's necessary to spend large sums to campaign in population-thin areas like greater Minnesota, the high influx of donor and political action committee dollars complicates races.
Often, Housley said, a candidate is endorsed by a group or message they don't support themselves and this also plays out with how outside money—or money funding political campaigns or candidates by groups outside the constituency—is handled in national elections.
Housley said she is in support of the 2010 Supreme Court ruling granting corporations personhood, or similar rights and privileges as human beings—Citizens United v. FEC.
"I would be in support of the way it is right now," she said.
Actually, the Supreme Court granted corporations personhood the late 19th century, but it's clear Housley is completely comfortable with big donors calling the shots, although the Strib's Morning Hotdish political newsletter reports that the Republican's campaign kvetched about Smith's contributions from drug companies after Smith's campaign released an ad claiming the United States senator was fighting for lower drug prices.
There's something to Smith's claim. Fox 9 reported on July 8:
Six months into her role as a senator Tina Smith is taking on the pharmaceutical industry.
Sen. Smith has presented two bills this year that aim to lower prescription drug costs.
"It's amazing how little transparency there is and how drug prices get set and what goes into that pricing,” said Smith. ...
Smith has taken aim at “Big Pharma” since being sworn in as a senator. She’s introduced two bills this year: one aims to increase access to more affordable, generic drugs, while the other would require the pharmaceutical companies to explain why drug prices are what they are.
Other pearls dropping from the Republican candidate's lips? This one:
"Making sure that those who fight for our freedom have the tools to fight for our freedom, I think military spending is extremely important," Housley said. "I know Tina Smith would want to decrease our military spending."
On June 18,2018, Smith voted for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, so we're not sure how Housley has gained the double plus secret insight from her magic eight ball into what Smith wants to do with military spending.
It goes on and on, so read the article for more insight from Planet Housley. One additional item that caught our eye:
Since 2003, Housley has been a small business owner and is also a real estate agent by trade—though, she admitted, she almost closed up shop in 2010 because of restrictive policies by the state at that time.
"It got to a point where you're working so hard and everything you've earned is going to the government, but the government is spending your hard-earned money not on things you want it spent on," Housley said. "That's the reason I ran. We're just starting to reverse that. People are keeping more money in their pockets, and so are our business owners, so we just have to continue that trend."
In 2010, Minnesota was led by then-Governor Tiim Pawlenty, and no DFL had occupied the governor's office since Rudy Perpich was defeated in the 1990 election.We're curious how Tina Smith was responsible for state spending, but perhaps she had more power as chief of staff for Mayor RT Rybak than any of us knew.
Curiously, Housley told her audience for her Karin Housley 24/7 website in her January 22, 2010 post, Karin Housley’s Weekly Update:
My Run For Senate Press Release went out yesterday, on my 29th birthday. . . 2010 is going to be a big year, and I look forward to the challenge. For those of you that have asked (& those that have been afraid to ask), YES I am still going to be selling real estate. Matter of fact, our business is growing! 2009 was our best year ever, and I expect 2010 to be twice that. . . .
What a kidder, then and now. In 2010, Housley told readers of the Hastings Gazette she was tired of career politicians. Since then, she's run for state senate, lt. governor and now United States Senator. For more of her side-splitting humor, check out Senate campaign absurd: suburban lady rips Minneapolis gal as too "metro-centric".
Photo: Karin Housley
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