In June 2009, in this very paper (the PiPress), Colonel Joe Repya states exactly why he is leaving the GOP; in the comments the GOP Deputy Chair (Nathan Hansen) of CD-4 writes in the comments of Repya's opinion piece that Repya is a "Communist" and essentially calls Colonel Repya a baby-killer. Hansen is subsequently awarded a plum position at the GOP State level, chairing the Bylaws and Constitution Committee. Later, the GOP endorses Hansen as candidate for Sate House 55-A.
In September 2009, Candidate Tom Emmer told the Marshall newspaper: "I don't believe you can be a freedom-loving American and be a Democrat." Emmer essentially calls all DFL and IP veterans "un-American." The GOP subsequently endorsed Emmer.
A couple of days ago, State GOP Party Chair Tony Sutton calles two former GOP Legislators, and veterans, "quislings" and says there's a special place in hell for them. Later, Sutton backs off and says he didn't mean to compare these two veterans, one from World War II; the other a Korean War vet -- he simply meant to call them "traitors."
Now, Sutton is saying these veterans are like Benedict Arnold, from the Revolutionary War.
Neither Hansen, nor Emmer, nor Sutton served; all three have maligned the integrity and service of all veterans in all parties. All three were elected by party activists to their leadership positions.
It's abundantly clear today's Republican Leadership and many GOP activists have great disdain for veterans that refuse to bootlick for the leadership of today's Republican Party.
Actually, today's Republican "leadership" has great disdain for ANYONE that doesn't bootlick for them; locally, in Eden Prairie, they're trashing former Republican Mayors and City Council Members as "liberals."
For example, here's a line from a Letter to the Editor of the Eden Prairie News on 30 September 2010:
"The two prior budgets under Tyra-Lukens and the liberal majority ..."
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Eden Prairie City Council has never - NEVER - had a "liberal" majority.
Apparently, this letter writer, and today's Republican Leadership, forget that in 1990, Republican candidate for Governor Doug Kelley picked former Eden Prairie Mayor Dr. Jean Harris (1996 - 2001) as his choice for Lieutenant Governor on the GOP ticket.
Even if that letter writer was correct - and he isn't - that previous City Councils was dominated by "liberals" it was those so-called "liberals" that earned the City Of Eden Prairie's top rating from Moody's Investors Services - in 2003.
Then, there's GOP State Party Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb's blog trashing Lakeville Mayor Holly Dahl as a "Democrat."
Of course, if you believed GOP State Party Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb's blog, you'd also have to believe Eden Prairie's disgraced Republican Mayor, Phil Young, is a "Democrat" too.
Reasonable people can no longer reasonably believe anything today's GOP "leadership" says. |
