Now here's an interesting comment. The public screams for transparency and contrition when public officials and political campaigns err, but, lord, let a campaign official criticize one of his own colleague's idiotic behavior and they start portraying the campaign itself in disarray, troubled, in collapse.
Pul-leeze. Let's decide what we want and stop the hypocrisy. I'll take Blackshaw's response to Ms. Carson for what they were a fair assessment of excess in a campaign worker coupled with a call for tempering the references to Paul Wellstone. Wellstone was good, great in many ways. He was not a god. And we'd best be careful of invoking his all-too-early departure as a crucifixion. Inspiring, but human. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul -- "Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity." Lord Acton on 11/2/05 3:15 PM, Greg Abbott wrote: > 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. > > Greg Abbott > Linden Hills REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
