Its the last category that inspired this post. Today, Michael attacked Tim Walz for his “flip flop” in endorsing Barack Obama. Here is Michael’s evidence that Walz “flip flopped” on Obama:
“Asked if [U.S. Senator Barack] Obama is a good candidate for southern Minnesota, Walz said, ‘I don’t know.’” Source: Rochester Post-Bulletin, January 23, 2007
This is beyond weak. No reasonable person would ever call this a flip flop. For this to be a flip flop, Walz would have had to have said that he wouldn’t support Obama, a statement he never made. MDE’s attack is just silly.
Michael also puts words in Walz’s mouth when he claims that Walz “didn’t think Obama would be a candidate for southern Minnesota.”
I’m still curious as to why Walz didn’t think Obama would be a good candidate for southern Minnesota.
Everyone else understands that “I don’t know if Obama would be a good candidate” is different from “I don’t think Obama would be a good candidate.”
I’ll also point out that it was entirly reasonable for Walz not to know whether Obama would be a good candidate for southern Minnesota given that Obama hadn’t even announced that he was running for President at the time (check the date, this quote is over a year old!).
Baseless attacks like these diminish Michael’s already suspect credibility.
Several commenters on Michael’s blog have pointed out how stupid his post is, so he is now trying to shift the focus from Walz onto Obama. He is challenging his readers to answer what Obama has ever done for southern Minnesota. I answer his question after the jump.
Obama has a great record on rural issues. From his campaign website:
In 2006, Obama supported legislation that would have reversed $2 billion in cuts for U.S. Department of Agriculture programs including conservation, rural development, nutrition, and forestry programs that are vitally important to our rural communities. In addition, he supported legislation providing full funding for agricultural programs that were authorized by Congress in the 2002 Farm Bill.
Here’s some more on that subject:
Obama has worked on numerous efforts in the U.S. Senate to increase access to and use of renewable fuels, including corn-based and cellulosic ethanol. He cosponsored legislation to investigate the root causes of health disparities including for rural areas and to start addressing them. He cosponsored the Emergency Farm Relief Act of 2006 to make grants to state agriculture departments for direct economic loss payments to eligible small businesses. He cosponsored legislation that became law to combat the scourge of methamphetamines. Obama also introduced legislation to remedy years of discrimination against black farmers by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Thats all pretty good for southern Minnesota. Obama also has a great record on renewable fuels, which is very important in southwestern Minnesota:
Obama has worked on numerous efforts in the Senate to increase access to and use of renewable fuels. Obama passed legislation with Senator Jim Talent (R-MO) to give gas stations a tax credit for installing E85 ethanol refueling pumps. The tax credit covers 30 percent of the costs of switching one or more traditional petroleum pumps to E85, which is an 85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline blend. Obama also sponsored an amendment that became law providing $40 million for commercialization of a combined flexible fuel vehicle/hybrid car within five years.
More specifically, Michael wants to know what Obama has done in the last year to benefit southern Minnesota. Well, in the last year Obama has proposed:
- Investing $150 billion in renewable fuels
- New incentives for farmer owned biofuel refineries
- Increasing the renewable fuel standard
- Establishing country of orgin labeling
Obama also supported the Farm Bill, which was authored by Minnesota’s own Colin Peterson.
I know Michael Brodkorb posts here. But this topic is spot on as to how low his blog has gone. More tabloid sensationalism than fact.
Michael, I wish for once you would actually sit down with Congressman Walz and get the actual facts. But then, you would most likely misquote him as your topic headlines have illustrated.
What has Obama done for southern Minnesota?
Attended a 10,000 person rally for Walz and klobuchar in Rochester, that’s what.
He helped to get TWO great democrats elected to office. Democrats who will fight for the issues that matter to southern Minnesota citizens.
The Oct 2006 rally was more like 3,000 because the old section of the Mayo Civic was packed to the gills. I was there!!!
It sure felt like 10,000 though!!!
Well, it is kinda fun to go over there and smack “All Michael’s Children” around, though….
And I think Obama’s performance in the caucus for that part of the state proves that he’s a good candidate for that region as well — which is what motivated Tim Walz’s endorsement at the end anyways!
OBAMA is the answer to all our problems.
Come worship at the altar of OBAMA. HE IS
THE ANSWER TO YOUR PROBLEMS.
By even covering that blowhard just continues to validate his relevancy. Cut it out.
@ Loveit
Now there’s a post of substance.
@ kathleen
Oops I don’t know why 10,000 stuck in my head. I wasn’t able to attend. I’m a dolt.
Aaron, it’s important to point out the absurdity of Michael’s positions.
Plus, Michael personifies the fact you simply cannot trust nor believe those extremist wingnuts in today’s GOP.
worship OBAMA
JOIN THE CULT OF OBAMA
all the answers to all your problems come from OBAMA
Excellent post Zack! Thanks for the detail!
Zack, you have to admit that the man is a thorough professional. When he has been paid to slime, he slimes. It may certainly be beyond week, but it keeps the conservative home-fires burning, and whatever else you may accuse Brodkerb of, you can’t accuse him of not doing the job he’s paid to do.
However week the accusations may be, the man has message discipline.
…what’s the difference between message discipline and propaganda?
Just asking…
I don’t think MDE knows the difference, Ruthie.
The vitriol that spews by many posters is shameful and Brodkorb allows this.
Ruthie-
Very, very little, but I like the kind I agree with, and it helps to do it effectively if you want your side to win.
kathy,
You sound like Captain Renault in Casablanca when he said, “I’m shocked, shocked to find that there is gambling going on here!” In other words, there is plenty of vitriol on both sides. You just happen to like the vitriol that’s posted on this website and you don’t like the vitriol that’s posted on MDE. That’s fine, but don’t pretend to take a moral high ground where there isn’t one.
P.S.
I agree with MDE that it is quite a story that Walz said he wasn’t sure if Obama was a good candidate for President some months before he endorsed him. What I find funny is that Walz endorsed Obama *after* Obama won the MN DFL caucuses. Now that’s a profile in courage, let me tell you!
oh, and kathy,
If you don’t believe me about vitriol from your side, here’s one of TwoPuttTommy’s little rants about Republicans:
DAMN straight!!! Why, if we had passed that gas user fee, and built more and better roads, and had more and better mass-transit, those folks wouldn’t have been stuck in traffic!!!
Oh, wait - it’s the obstructionist republiCons that don’t want to raise the gas user fee, and don’t want mass transit.
Doncha hate it, when a perfectly good rant turns out so (cheney)in WRONG??!?
Chris, I agree 100%,
Everyone knows how angry and vitriolic these Liberal are.
I’ll never forget that time a couple of guys in AFL-CIO t-shirts beat the tar out of some old ladies at a parade I was at, just because she had a different opinion than they had.
Angry Al is the perfect candidate for these people.
Chris,,,
Tim Walz made that statement in January of 2007 many months before Obama even decided to make a run for the Presidency. Anyone could have made an honest assessment. There was no flip-flop as you have been led to believe.
There is vitriol here, but not to the degree at MDE. The language there is beyond civil by a number of posters who call themselves Conservative Republicans.
You will never site me as being uncivil or disrespectful even of your views. We disagree a lot on the issues, but I give you the benifit of the doubt and respect at the same time.
I agree with you 100% Kathy that there is incivility on both sides. I agree with you 100% that you are never disrespectful too. I don’t agree with you that nobody knew Obama was going to run for president. And I have to correct your timeline too. Walz made the statement on January 23, 2007. Obama announced for President on February 10, 2007 - less than three weeks after Walz’ comment. If you doubt my timeline, here is just one link indicating the date:
http://blog.4president.org/2008/2007/01/barack_obama_to.html
Certainly it was no surprise when Obama announced. Is it that big of a deal, not really. But it is pretty funny to point out what Walz said in light of his post-caucus endorsement of Obama.
Oh, wait - it’s the obstructionist republiCons that don’t want to raise the gas user fee, and don’t want mass transit.
Damned inconvienent fact.
Chris, I agree 100%.
He said he fas for it before he said he was against it. He also said support for Obama had to pass a global test.
Great Job!
I’ll put TPT’s comments up against Tracey Eberly’s any day. TPT has never said anything like “dirt eating heathens”. That is typical of what’s on MDE and represenitive of the right wing. Sometimes their racism bubbles to the surface.
After listening to a rousing Obama speech last night from Richmond, Va., I stand corrected.
Obama did decide in February of 2007 to run.My bad. But I stand firm that there was no flip-flop on Walz’s part.
Re. Walz’s endorsement of Obama:
As Tim is a super delegate who represents a congressional district, I’m thrilled that he waited to hear the opinion of his constituents.
I’ll choose representative democracy over blind fealty to a candidate any day.
A year ago, I wouldn’t have said that Obama was a great candidate for the democratic nomination either. Gladly, I would have been proven wrong.
Yesterday my leg hurt really bad. I called the Obama campaign and sure enough my leg felt better.
Obama can cure all our problems. ALL HAIL OBAMA
Ya know, Chris, the over-the-top rhetoric from the righties existed at MDE long before I ever posted there; it’ll exist long after I stop.
And I find it the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the righties highly amusing, when what they do is done back at ‘em.
I’m perfectly capable of discussing issues on whatever level those that are discussing, choose.
It’s really rather pathetic, how low the leve is at MDE.
And what’s really pathetic, is Michael tellin’ me, to tone it down.
What that tells me, is I’m making a point.