Megan, I note your hhh.umn.edu address. It may be a good
thing that the Stonewall DFL wasn't doing endorsements in the
1940s... Minneapolis Mayor Hubert Horatio Humphrey had just snuck
through the merger of the Democratic and Farmer-Laborite parties
while many Farmer-Laborites were away at war, and they were not happy
campers. I'm sure the current Stonewall DFL board would never have
given an endorsement to such a political heretic, and would have
ensured his defeat by a totally forgettable republican. That
political heretic Mayor Humphrey gave us our first in the nation
civil rights ordinance. That ordinance was amended in 1974 making us
the first city in the nation to protect gay men and lesbians from
discrimination, and again in 1975 to make us the first city in the
nation to protect intersex and trans people from discrimination. That
was just the beginning of the happy warrior's political heresy- when
he couldn't get a senate endorsement he hauled his delegates to
another hall and had them endorse him in a "rump convention". I
suspect the current Stonewall DFL wouldn't just find him
unacceptable for such heretical defiance of the DFL endorsing
procedure; They'd probably be chasing Hubert with hounds, torches,
and pitchforks. Fortunately Hubert went on to challenge the
Democratic party establishment at the 1948 national convention by
championing civil rights and served Minnesota and the nation well
until his untimely death in the 1970s.
OK, the reason Lisa McDonald did not receive an acceptable rating (note
this IS NOT the swame as being found not acceptable) is not because she
ran against the endorsement before or plans to again.
Megan, this is getting confusing... could Stonewall DFL like
the Bush administration at least come up with some consistent
excuses? RT hath committed the sin of supporting a winning Green
Party candidate and was forgiven so far as being given an
"acceptable" rating by the board. Lisa McDonald worked on a losing
Independence Party campaign and isn't even allowed an acceptable
rating... Perhaps supporting Greens is mere sin but supporting
Independence Party candidates is mortal sin in the all knowing eyes
of the Stonewall DFL?
In fact, during the meeting there was an evolution of thinking on this
issue in that we are more willing to look past that issue when it comes
to acceptable ratings.
The thinking of the Stonewall DFL's all wise and omnipotent
judges of party loyalty having evolved during the process, if such
"evolution of thinking" is complete perhaps the endorsements can be
revisited so all candidates are considered with equal prejudice,
regardless of their place in the chronological order of consideration?
Due, in part, to our responsibility to the
broader GLBT community. We issued acceptable ratings for several
candidates who are planning to run whether or not they get DFL
endorsement.
Nataliie Johnson Lee, the incumbent 5th Ward Council member,
has been seen hangin' with the DFLers so much lately that the Greens,
much like the Stonewall DFL, have questioned her party loyalty. You
are stating that if she were to run again for the DFL endorsement as
she did in 2001 Stonewall DFL might give her an acceptable rating and
maybe even an endorsement. And given that to the chagrin of the
Greens she hasn't supported their candidates while Don Samuels has on
occasion, she might even wrest the Stonewall DFL endorsement from
Don... Clearly Stonewall DFL's endorsement process needs to do a lot
more evolving!
The deciding factor with Ms. McDonald, as it was with Mr. Samuals, was
her active support of a candidate from an entirely seperate political
party in the recent past. In 2002 she served as the finance director for
the Penny for Governor campaign when he was running under the banner of
the Independence Party.
Again, the "evolution" of Stonewall DFL's alibi continues- a
previous statement said the a decision was made not to endorse for
the 5th ward.
Regarding my comments regarding the Mayor, it does appear that I was
mistaken and a apologize to the Mayor for that. This does not change my
vote on that issue, as I had other reasons, but I do apologize for the
mistake.) I would also note that I was not attributing any comments to
Gary Schiff but just thought he might have more information.
So who do you attribute that derision of RT to, or did you
just make it up?
As for those who think I am simply being an "endorsement fascist"
I was tempted to call the current Stonewall DFL the "DFL
endorsement Nazis", but thought better of it. Given that you've
embraced similar terminology I may use it.
I will
note that if that were the case I would not ahve switched to supporting
Chris Coleman for St. Paul Mayor (remember folks, I actually live in St.
Paul) on Saturday. Even though he has run against and supported other
Democrats against the DFL endorsement in the past he very much impressed
me and made it easy for me to support him.
So you have yet another set of standards for St.Paul endorsements?
Finally, if you guys keep picking on me I feel it is only fair to let
you know that my big sister is now a member of this list and you don't
want to know waht she did to people who picked on me in grade school!
Here on the Northside politics is a contact sport. Our
children, never mind our women, could easily arm wrestle the
Transportation Commissioner right out of her chair whilst discussing
the legacy of Floyd B. Olson and Nellie Stone Johnson. We are no more
in fear of your big sis than we are of being smote by the Stonewall
DFL.
BTW, Stonewall DFL's predecessor, the Minnesota Committee for
Gay and Lesbian Rights, existed concurrent with Hubert Humphrey's
last run for office. In the interest of consistency of punishment you
might want to posthumorously revoke any endorsement he may have
received...
uncommitted in Hawthorne,
Dyna Sluyter
;-)
Megan Thomas
West Seventh, (freaking St. Paul)
camped out on the lovely, keep it open, south end of Ayd Mill Road)
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