Unlike the Olson case, which ultimately had the unfortunate consequences of putting Mary Kiffmeyer into the legislature in Olson's place, a marriage of years with best interest of children at stake was not at issue.
Trice and girlfriend broke up. There was grabbing of the woman's arm, and allegations of browbeating language exchanged. Posting police reports flies in the face of innocence until proven guilty, but those police report page excerpts that the former Michele Bachmann staffer posted [this link] have not been publicly challenged as to correctness by Dustin Trice, "Dusty" being his blogging name. His blog is this link. His disclosure in April of this year (a half-year before the very recent GOP gotcha-blogging of the disorderly conduct situaiton) was something affirmatively placed by him on his blog; this link.
It is a situation that should not have happened. It did. The length and severity of dispute between the parties remains private.
The incident seems to have little bearing on the ideas, thoughts, information, analysis, or the accuracy and veracity of what Trice has been posting; again, read a sampling at this link.
This is unlike the situation of Mark Olson, who sanctimoniously preached "family values" while breaching every normal view of the family tranquility and freedom from overbearing conduct that any normal family would value [such tranquility also being a valued thing to the victimized part of any family forced into enduring the receiving end of an ongoing long-term abusive relationship].
I neither pretend to know all about the Mark and Heidi Olson situation, nor that between Trice and his ex. In honesty, neither is of much interest to me. Neither effects me directly, nor the way I evaluate information content and accuracy and quality of opinions in what I read.
There's no hypocrisy to anything I have read from Trice; whereas the GOP's parade of its fallen "family value" and "moral life, my way" pontificators has that undeniable dimension.
For example, to me, serving a wife of many years divorce papers while in a hospital recovering from cancer surgery, the Newt Gingrich way of being "Georgia nice," dwarfs what the Trice police reports indicate - and goes far deeper toward actual character of the individual involved. Also Mark Olson's situation, as publicly disclosed, is far less egregious than the amphibian's moral conduct.
Let's say, okay bad that it happened between Trice and girlfriend, and then move on.
Nobody was permanently injured. Each of the two presumably now enjoys a happier life apart from the other. The one peice of useful information I found in all this - I had not known Trice was an active Franken supporter and campaign worker until the GOP outlet mentioned it.
FOR A FINAL PERSPECTIVE: Let us look to Michele Bachmann - who employed the GOP gotcha-blogger and helped launch his career into GOP inner circles - where was she and her own set of "family value" judgments, when Mark Olson was at issue?
MIA, is where.
Or missing in inaction, to be more correct.
Michele Bachmann was silent as the GOP wagons were being circled with all the GOP appearing to hope the Olson situation would just go away (except for Mary Kiffmeyer, who saw opportunity in the Olson family's distress and did not care to let opportunity pass her by).
To what degree is such gotcha-blogging fiddling while Rome burns?
Decide that one for yourself. I find it distastful; especially to have multiple posts at MDE, once being sufficient for any news-worthy dimension of publishing detail of Trice's past misfortunate behavior.
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To finalize info - below are screenshot thumbnails you can click to read from the online judicial district court docket for the Trice case suggesting the matter was overcharged as an assault and disorderly conduct, with the plea bargain being continuance of the assault sword-of-Damocles so productive time without incident could pass, (i.e., an immediate plea to disorderly conduct, and a suspended sentence awaiting passage of time as the Damoclean incentive), and ultimate disposition showing time did pass without further incident so that the assault charge was dismissed roughly two years later; dates being part of the docket entries. Not a situation that was totally de minimus or free of consequences; but not earth shattering criminality either. An unfortunate event that passed without further ado within the legal system so that the plea bargain was fully processed as the State and Trice, through counsel, appear to have agreed proper. I guess but am uncertain that the assault would have had felony consequences but that disorderly conduct is below a gross misdemeanor, hence, allowing Trice ongoing right to vote and hold office.
End of story.
