MSN carries an [unpaywalled] item originally published today [paywalled] by Minnesota's Star Tribune. The item unkindly but aptly calls out MN CD6's delinquent Rep. Tom Emmer's counterproductive decision making during the siege:
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Story by Rochelle Olson, Star Tribune
As Minnesotans endured weeks of brutal, chaotic federal immigration enforcement, Minneapolis Foundation CEO R.T. Rybak was a vocal and consistent cheerleader for everyone trying to protect their neighbors.
[...] He
closed by calling out Republican U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of
Minnesota‘s Sixth District, saying that Emmer alone could end the
incursion by talking to President Donald Trump.
“If
he simply said this is wrong,” Rybak wrote, and if Emmer “simply stood
up for people he represents and [said] they should not be treated
differently because of their state, this would end tomorrow.”
[...] Emmer, a lawyer,
had been fueling the fire for weeks, spreading misinformation, fanning
division and fear among residents, and vilifying the state leaders who
were working night and day to keep the peace.
I’d
like to ask Emmer how it is that he, as someone sworn to uphold the
Constitution, could support the smothering, heavy-handed approach to
immigration we saw here.
Simple answer. He did it because he's an asshole.
The item continues:
Despite
being in Congress since 2015, Emmer runs and hides from challenging and
uncomfortable questions with mainstream news organizations.
Absent
an interview, I turned to Emmer’s social media posts to understand his
thinking these past few weeks. I’ll give him credit for consistency. He
kept up a steady stream of invective to stir the boiling pot without
regard for who was getting burned.
Since
Renee Good was shot by a federal agent in south Minneapolis on Jan. 7,
through the shooting of Alex Pretti on Jan. 24 and until the Trump
administration’s announcement of the drawdown earlier this month, Emmer
has blamed and trolled Democrats.
He
did not raise concerns about the flood of ill-trained, trigger-happy
federal agents on the streets or probe the false pretext behind Trump’s
siege of this state.
On Jan. 12, Emmer verbally attacked Attorney General Keith Ellison as a “sorry excuse for an attorney general” because he had filed a lawsuit seeking to get the agents out of Minnesota and curb the siege.
The next day, Emmer roasted
“so-called leaders, like Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison
and Mayor Jacob Frey, [who] would rather go to war with the Trump
administration than get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities
and expose the fraud that’s been allowed to run rampant on their watch.”
That sure does help the situation, doesn't it? Frey said to ICE, "Get the fuck out of Minneapolis," and Emmer lacks the minimal sense to have said, "Right on, bro!" Instead he dumps, making things worse. Because he's an Emmer. I did say that already, didn't I? The item continues:
Walz issued a direct plea to Trump on Jan. 15, asking the president to stop the retribution campaign.
In
a hopeful sign, Walz spoke privately with Trump on Jan. 27. Emmer
wasn’t ready to play anything close to nice. He went on Fox News the
same day and falsely accused
the governor and Frey of “fomenting all of this nasty rhetoric and
frankly inviting these organized protesters and agitators into our state
and causing all of this violence and destruction.”
[,,,] Emmer pushed it much too far by seeking
arrests on fuzzy, bizarre allegations of illegalities that aren’t
supported by facts. Emmer suggested that Walz not only should resign, a
prospect the governor is not entertaining, but should leave office in handcuffs and that Ellison should be disbarred, kicked out of office and indicted.
Asshole!
At
least Emmer didn’t pretend to be on a quest for the common good. He’s a
bully who wants to divide, conquer and gain a personal political
advantage for his side.
When he played college hockey I bet he was a big time quentisential "hocky goon." Showing that kind of personality all the way to Congress and party whip. Baked into the DNA. Shown regularly. A crypto booster, like Trump is.
But I digress. The item continues:
[...] His fortunes may not rise, or potentially
fall, with Trump, but it’s clear he’s willing to take whatever positions
are necessary to stay in favor without regard to how they play in
Minnesota.
Consider
Emmer’s pettiness before the men’s U.S. Olympic hockey team gold medal
game against Canada early Sunday. As Minnesotans settled in at their
early-morning watch parties, Emmer proposed a deal to Canada: “We win, you become the 51st state. You win, we give you Timmie Walz.”
I did say asshole. I meant to. The item continues:
[...] Was Rybak’s proposition true? Could Emmer have single-handedly ended the siege by talking to Trump?
We
can’t say for certain, but what we do know is that when Minnesota was
down and needed his help, Emmer was focused only on his political
future.
Minnesota Dems will be caucusing this week to endorse a successor to Emmer, so stay tuned.
The item ends:
He kept his back turned to Minnesota to maintain his A-plus grade with
the president, the audience of one whose favor matters most to the
congressman.
And he doesn't hold any in-person in-district townhalls anymore. Or too few. Either he's fearful or he's smug that way.
I did say asshole, didn't I? I meant to. I really did. I also said a Dem successorship will be on the ballot this coming November. Or I meant to.
MN CD6. Vote the rascal out. Sucking up to Trump's vanity is his MO, damn the rest. And that's a hell of a well written editorial about playing shabby politics instead of helping the State and the district. The editorial, deserves being unpaywalled. It is better than anything I could have written. But we build standing on the shoulders of others.
_____________UPDATE____________
Emmer is also allied with Stauber in an effort to force sulfide mining in northern Minnesota where pristine waters are at great risk of irreparable harm. He also is a climate science denier. That's as bad a record on environmental issues as is possible. He relishes it. No shame. Keeping his back turned to sane land management.
