Minnesota’s most prominent Republican blogger is questioning Mark Olson’s candidacy for the Minnesota Senate. Olson, currently a member of the Minnesota House, was expelled from the House Republican Caucus after being convicted of domestic abuse last year. Olson is also one of the most disliked members of the Minnesota House, known for his long-winded speeches on the floor (no one wastes more of the House’s time than Olson, and that is saying something) and his violent temper (he once throw a telephone at a House staffer). Despite his criminal background and his crazy antics, Republican activists up in Big Lake decided Olson deserves a promotion. They just endorsed him for the open State Senate seat vacated by Sen. Betsy Wergin. Michael Brodkorb is not pleased by this development:
When I heard that Representative Olson had been endorsed, I was sick to my stomach. I immediately wished that I had published my personal concerns about Representative Olson last week….
After being convicted of domestic assault and admitting in a speech the he brought “dishonor and disrepute” to the Minnesota House of Representatives, I didn’t think Representative Olson would be endorsed by the Republican Party of Minnesota. I was wrong.
Sadly, Being Convicted of Domestic Abuse May Help Representative Olson’s Political Career
If Representative Olson had not been arrested, charged, tried and convicted of domestic assault, he would have likely been endorsed for re-election to the Minnesota House of Representatives. Due to his legal problems and if he wins in November, Representative Olson will be getting a job promotion. Due to his legal problems, instead of representing just HD 16B, Olson could represent both HD 16A and 16B in the Minnesota Senate. Due to his legal problems, instead of being one of 134 members of the House of Representatives, Olson could become one of 67 members of the Minnesota Senate.
It is a embarrassing and sad fact, but if Representative Olson wins in November, he will become a more influential member of the Minnesota Legislature because he was arrested, charged, tried and convicted of domestic assault.
Frankly, its pretty digusting that a convicted and unrepentant domestic abuser could be endorsed for public office by any political party. If Olson wins his primary battle in September, he will be a weight on the Republican ticket this fall.
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Weird, the party of McCaine, Gingrich, Henry Hyde… a long list of adulterers, have no problem with a man who beats his wife. The Party of Duke Cunningham, Jack Abramoff have no problem with Coleman’s weird sweetheart housing deal… nor Vitner, nor Larry Craig, well the list gets kind of long. This Party has no problem elevating the political power of a wife-beater. Will wonders ever cease?
Michael, you have all the credibility of a nun who wakes up one morning in a brothel and asks “My, Oh My, What is going on around here?”
1) Unusually prescient for Broadcorp. Probably due to the possibility of the loss of yet another republican seat in the state senate.
2) Michael’s a fool if he thinks that earlier publication of his opinion on his nothing blog would make ANY difference.
3) This is all par for the course for republicans. See Senator David Vitter and Senator Larry Craig.
It is the neoCon Republican way. Affirmative action for the rich, connected, yet completely incompetant. The worse the failure, the bigger the lie, and more heinous the crime, for some reason goes down as a mark of pride on their resume.
Anyone see Sean Hannity go on and on about Edwards, before having on for the 87th time the serial adulturer Rudy Guiliani? It is just pathetic. Hammer Edwards all you want, but then don’t go blow Rudy right after. It is typical neo-con practice.
I want to thank MnPublius for posting this. We will use this as ammo to show why Olson must be defeated in a primary.
The poop is already on the hands of the GOP for endorsing this asshat, even if voters do the right thing and dump Olson in the primary. Olson is officially a member of the GOP fold with this endorsement, in the same catagory as all their endorsees - Norm Coleman, Michele Bachmann, John Kline and Eric “Gridlock” Paulsen.
The party that endorses this criminal is going to complain about Al Franken telling some naughty jokes? C’mon.
Forgiveness, said Jesus, gains entrance to Heaven. If Mark Olson’s wife could forgive her husband for violently pushing her down to the ground, maybe the public could do the same.
But now the Republicans want to play political football with this issue lest they offend women voters. Haven’t they heard that feminists vote mainly for the DFL party? If Norm Coleman is dumb enough to get involved with the issue relating to Mark Olson’s domestic-assault conviction, he could yet blow the Senate election.
Marriages can be messy. People sometimes heat into heated arguments and sometimes blow it, using violence. Some quarreling couples reconcile; others don’t. But, again, forgiveness is usually the healing balm.
When the politicians get involved in such issues, their intent isn’t to help anyone with their relationships but to polarize voters to win elections.