Minnesota's Progressive Republicans
I'll be celebrating my 60th birthday early next year. I remember when KTCA first began broadcasting on channel 2 in 1957. I remember "Don Miguel" being shown on TV in my elementary school in the 60's. I've watched a lot of what's now called "TPT" programming since then. And I cannot remember anything so partisan, so boring, and so silly as their tribute to "Minnesota's Progressive Republicans" that aired last night.
It was co-produced by Growth & Justice, the new home of Dane Smith, former "dean" of the political reporters at the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Mostly, this is just some droll footage of speeches given by former Congressman and Governor Al Quie, former Governor Arne Carlson, and retired Congressman Jim Ramstad. These were given at the St. Paul College Club during the 2008 Republican National Convention. Quoting Dane Smith's opening remarks:
What's particularly amusing is the praise heaped on Governor Carlson. Has Mr. Smith forgotten? Carlson was hated by the DFL throughout the 1990's. The papers ripped him constantly, mostly for not spending enough, with all sorts of green eyeshade jokes as I recall.
The first few minutes would have you believe that the Republicans have gone bad. Moderates are being pushed out, leaving behind only us Neanderthals who dare to ask for a tax cut, hate kids, and embrace what they call religious intolerance. The real truth, the real problem of course is that the Democrats have "progressively" stopped being moderate. Ronald Reagan used to be a Democrat. So did Dennis Prager. So did Mitch Berg. Who left whom?
No, if there's been a shift, it's been in the DFL. Democrats and Republicans, yes, used to get along much better. Government was much smaller then, so most of the issues revolving around how to best spend the money. The modern DFL seeks only largess now.
It was not the fall of "Minnesota's Progressive Republicans" that got us in yet another huge budgetary hole. It was the rise of "Minnesota's Regressive Democrats."
Cross-posted and comments welcome at Speed Gibson.
It was co-produced by Growth & Justice, the new home of Dane Smith, former "dean" of the political reporters at the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Mostly, this is just some droll footage of speeches given by former Congressman and Governor Al Quie, former Governor Arne Carlson, and retired Congressman Jim Ramstad. These were given at the St. Paul College Club during the 2008 Republican National Convention. Quoting Dane Smith's opening remarks:
[Growth & Justice is] a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to both prosperity and fairness. We disagree with those on the left and the right who think those goals can't be achieved simultaneously. Today, we really want to emphasize the positive and the possible, what's happened in the past with the suggestion that it can happen again, take a look at great progressive role models who like us both pro business and pro government.Growth & Justice is non-partisan? Not in any meaningful sense, not even from a moderate Republican point of view. Disagree with the left? Only when the Democrats try to be moderates. Growth & Justice's solutions are all hard left, starting with large tax increases. (Real) Republicans need not apply.
What's particularly amusing is the praise heaped on Governor Carlson. Has Mr. Smith forgotten? Carlson was hated by the DFL throughout the 1990's. The papers ripped him constantly, mostly for not spending enough, with all sorts of green eyeshade jokes as I recall.
The first few minutes would have you believe that the Republicans have gone bad. Moderates are being pushed out, leaving behind only us Neanderthals who dare to ask for a tax cut, hate kids, and embrace what they call religious intolerance. The real truth, the real problem of course is that the Democrats have "progressively" stopped being moderate. Ronald Reagan used to be a Democrat. So did Dennis Prager. So did Mitch Berg. Who left whom?
No, if there's been a shift, it's been in the DFL. Democrats and Republicans, yes, used to get along much better. Government was much smaller then, so most of the issues revolving around how to best spend the money. The modern DFL seeks only largess now.
It was not the fall of "Minnesota's Progressive Republicans" that got us in yet another huge budgetary hole. It was the rise of "Minnesota's Regressive Democrats."
Cross-posted and comments welcome at Speed Gibson.
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