Minnesota State House Minority Leader-elect Marty Seifert has staked out his all-powerful position in the State House, vowing to work with DFLers ‘where appropriate’. With a mere 21 seat seperation, he can certainly make life difficult for MAK.
Seifert’s badass exterior is on the public record, just
Interestingly enough, while Johnny Cash advocated for prison reform [the image is Cash meeting with Nixon in ‘72], and often performed in prisons to entertain inmates,
he suggested that if prisoners objected to his proposal to end deserts as a way to cut the state budget, they could “eat a tablespoon of lard.”
His bill failed miserably, because it would have prevented correctional facilities from providing prisoners the minimum nutrition stipulated by law. But that’s not all, Seifert also claims the proud accomplishment of passing legislation to double-bunk prisoners and reduce weekend meals for inmates.
Not very Johnny Cash-like Rep. Seifert, but we understand -
But hey, Seifert is a tough guy [Star Tribune]:
We are going to show the people of Minnesota the suburbs are more than just an instant cash machine for Larry Pogemiller’s pork projects … that we have some responsible alternatives.”
Yeah, I’m sure MAK’s pet pork - restoring LGA, property tax relief, education, and affordable health care - will go nowhere when Marty Seifert comes around…
Don’t forget he’s the guy that tacked an abortion provision onto a bill about circuses. He comes across as an Ah Shucks kinda guy, but seems anything but that to me.
He may want to reconsider his “accomplishments” in light of Matthew 25:41-46.
One more amazing tidibt, at least about the ‘song.’ My opponent, Peter Nelson, recorded the same song for his campaign and played it during parades. It really sounded more like a farce than any real way to connect with folks. Of course, it was changed to “Pete’s been everywhere, man…” and the appropriate towns substituted. I believe he spent many hundreds - $850 if I remember correctly - on the CD’s of the song. Given my victory, one would surmise that this money could have been used more effectively by Rep. Nelson.
I hear that the dozens and dozens of my constituents who work at the Rush City prison are pretty livid that the author of double-buniking legislation is now considered his party’s leader in the House.
law breakers do not need cake and ice cream…… prison is supposed to be punishment…..
Marty is a great choice for Minority Leader. He is the perfect foil to the liberal, tax-and-spend, Minneapolis-run DFL. He’s going to make the urban leadership the party has chosen, as well as the urban policies it will pursue, a liability in the next campaign cycle.
“We are going to show the people of Minnesota that the suburbs are more than an instant cash machine’ for the Democrats’ liberal programs.” Source: Star Tribune, November 18, 2006
He’s assuming the suburbs didn’t ust vote DFLers in. Even after all of the Republicans talk on taxes, gay marriage and immigration, they STILL voted for DFLers. He’s going to do what?
Being in the Minority, the press conference will be his only power. He won’t be in negotiations, he will be a liability to the Governor and the DFL can move on their agenda with the near super majority.
He will be painted as the immature, name-calling screamer who can’t deliver anything. That’s gotten the Republicans so far in the last election.
Marty Seifert is not on par with any of the DFL leadership becuase their numbers are so far off. What you’ll see is some of the moderate Republicans voting with the DFL and many things as they want to get re-elected and understand that governing will do that, not empty, divisive rhetoric.
DJZ - totally agree with you.
Seifert will be the sacrificial spokesman for moderate Republicans in the rings who need bipartisan cover for 08.
Perhaps the House Republicans are trying to embarass Governor Timmy for not leading them to a broader victory in the election, so they elecxt someone who, get past his obligatory nicey-nice words, has no intention of practicing bipartisanship.
Perhaps they’re just fools. Why else would they put Marty “The Bruiser” in a leadership position. He has no real legislative accomplishments, and I don’t believe he has really tried for any. Seifert seems more interested in getting a few YEAHs from talk radio listeners than in being a real legislator.
No, he’s assuming precisely that the suburbs voted for the DFL and that their appetite for more government spending is going to change when their pocket books are picked to pay for all of the new spending initiatives that the DFL-controlled Legislature will propose.
Indeed? Where will the suburban legislators be when all this is going on?
That song was used by Dean Urdahl in 2004 while running in 18B.
The DFL=”big city” rhetoric is an old gray mare, too, and she ain’t what she used to be, either, to look at the DFL victories in southeastern Minnesota, central Minnesota, northwestern Minnesota…
Urdahl won handily..BTW
This guy sounds like your typical reactionary Republican… he’ll get all sorts of press time, and he’ll love it. Other than that, he won’t have much to say in the political debate. Which is good.
You don’t moderate a proposal by standing 2 miles away on the other side of the aisle and screaming. You moderate a policy by taking a stance a bit closer to the center and packaging it nicely and compromising.
The DFL has a mandate to install more liberal voices at the top (although I wish they were a bit more rural).. the GOP most certainly does not have the right to install neo-con reactionaries. It’ll be a long long time before the GOP ever controls any legislative body in MN.
Stang used the song as well. Urdahl seemed urked about it at the Kimball debate.
Urdahl’s a tough guy to beat out here. I now know what it’s like to be a GOPer up on the range.
The Marshall Independent, not exactly a liberal rag, has on numerous occasions critized Rep. Seifert for his quirky behavior. One notable occasion involved some comments regarding immigrants. Never mind that a number of immigrants (Somali, Hispanic) work at various factories in and around the Marshall area and provide a significant portion of the work force in Lyon County.
Rep. Seifert has made a name for himself not through substanative legislation, but through verbal bomb-throwing. Perhaps that is why he was chosen as Minority Leader?
(As for Dean Urdahl, know this: He lost Meeker County, which comprises 85% of his district — he did not even win Grove City, where he lives — but won big in the Wright County side.)
Type your comment here.
Mr. Kalin,
Thank you for providing such great campaign advice on how republicans should have spent money to beat you. Given your 204 vote victory in the best year for the DFL since Watergate, I am pleased that you feel confident enough in your reelection to give free advice. You must fit your district like a glove.
Realtime
Actually Jeremy does fit 17B like a glove. He beat an entrenched incumbant who ran a decent campaign but wasn’t saying enough of the right things to convince people who have voted for him in the past to vote for him again. Education was the biggy, after that health care. Pete was just offering more of the same which has resulted in 4 consecutive years of double digit property tax increases. That, coupled with 4 consecutive years of double digit increases in college tuition costs, made people decide it was time for a change. Jeremy is a going to be a good, capable legislator who will represent the district well. People up here are impressed by results more then anything.
Well to look at the glass half full with Seifert, at least we did not get Emmer…that man is a Bachaman type wacko.
He wanted to take away all money from the MN Aids project because of a site targeted at promiscuous gay men, that he believed was too graphic. (Even though the site was not funded by state money)
A week later Emmer on the house floor described what the castration process of sex offender’s would entail compared to the more common castration process. His bill was to castrate all sex offenders in the state.
The guy is nuts, and I know that he got a leadership spot, but its not the top one.
I would take Seifert any day over Emmer.