The most interesting statement in Mr. Blackshaw's post is the following:
I agree that Mr Wagenius' comments were idiotic and full of naive bravado.
Is there trouble brewing in Team Rybak, when the campaign manager criticizes R.T.'s long-time political adviser?
(disclaimer -- in my experience Peter Wagenius can be insufferably full of himself and his opinions, and I think he's given R.T. some terrible advice about how to operate in a weak-mayor system, but despite it all I rather like him. An bit of an unfair hit, IMHO, even if his comment to Nikki was inappropriate).
But Blackshaw's following statement is also problematic:
I read Nikki Carlson's post with sadness. Invoking the name and memory of Paul Wellstone to suggest that Mayor Rybak is less than honorable in his failure to endorse Mr. Lopez - for whatever reason - is disrespectful.
I really didn't read Nikki's post as claiming that R.T. was "less than honorable" or that her reference to Paul Wellstone was disrespectful.
Nikki's point is a valid one -- Wellstone was someone who frequently encouraged and endorsed underdog challengers to established candidates, and when faced with a similar situation, R.T. did not do so. Nikki did not use the word "honor" in the post -- she was saying that R.T. had made a politically safe choice with which she fundamentally disagreed.
And it's hardly disrespectful to the memory of Paul Wellstone to say that R.T. played it safe when Wellstone would not have. Virtually every prominent Democrat I can think of has played it safe at times when Wellstone would have made a courageous and risky decision.
Lastly, I suspect Wellstone himself would be amused that any comparative reference to his political characteristics would be considered disrespectful to his memory.
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