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| Will the strugle for GOP Senate leadership be a CAGE match? |
Start with knowing some of the players, and such. A second hat tip to Ed Kohler's Deets, (as noted, the CAGE source), with earlier info from this summer, a post from June 6, 2011 (coincidentally the day after Sarah Brodkorb's police call per the Sunday date on the CP published police report of a domestic-verbal police response).
Ed wrote (with links and platform quote in the original, bold emphasis added):
In case you’re wondering who the Minnesota Racino lobby has been spending money on in order to increase its chances of exploiting gambling addicts, here are the names with campaign contributions [update, original Deets link failed for me, this link was found, although details between it and the following Kohler numbers were not cross-checked]:
HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CMTE OF MINNESOTA – REPUBLICAN – $5900
DEKRUIF, AL – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $500
HOFFMAN, GRETCHEN – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $500
MICHEL, GEOFF – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $500
NIENOW, SEAN – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $500
PARRY, MIKE – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $500
ROBLING, CLAIRE – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $500
SENJEM, DAVID H – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $500
WOLF, PAM – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $500
BEARD, MIKE – HOUSE – REPUBLICAN – $500
BUESGENS, MARK – HOUSE – REPUBLICAN – $500
ERICKSON, SONDRA – HOUSE – REPUBLICAN – $500
NEWMAN, SCOTT – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $300
STUMPF, LEROY – SENATE – DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR – $300
DAHMS, GARY – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $250
DALEY, TED – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $250
GIMSE, JOE – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $250
INGEBRIGTSEN, BILL – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $250
JUNGBAUER, MIKE – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $250
MILLER, JEREMY – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $250
ORTMAN, JULIANNE – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $250
PETERSEN, BRANDEN – HOUSE – REPUBLICAN – $250
WARDLOW, DOUG – HOUSE – REPUBLICAN – $250
DFL HOUSE CAUCUS OF MINNESOTA – – DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR – $250
KOCH, AMY T – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $200
PEDERSON, JOHN – SENATE – REPUBLICAN – $200
BILLS, KURT – HOUSE – REPUBLICAN – $200
HOLBERG, MARY LIZ – HOUSE – REPUBLICAN – $200
KATH, KORY – HOUSE – DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR – $200
KIEFFER, ANDREA – HOUSE – REPUBLICAN – $200
LANNING, MORRIE – HOUSE – REPUBLICAN – $200
MARQUART, PAUL – HOUSE – DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR – $200
NORNES, BUD – HOUSE – REPUBLICAN – $200
PEPPIN, JOYCE – HOUSE – REPUBLICAN – $200
SMITH, STEVE – HOUSE – REPUBLICAN – $200
WOODARD, KELBY – HOUSE – REPUBLICAN – $200
Notice any trends in that data? Quite a few Republicans, eh? That seems strange considering that the MN GOP’s platform reads (PDF):
Limit the Influence of Gambling in our State
We seek to eliminate all state-sponsored gambling and oppose any expansion of gambling in Minnesota. In regards to casinos already in place, current gambling laws should be changed so that Minnesota is allowed to tax profits and revenue of tribal casino gambling in the state.We seek to eliminate all state-sponsored gambling and oppose any expansion of gambling in Minnesota. In regards to casinos already in place, current gambling laws should be changed so that Minnesota is allowed to tax profits and revenue of tribal casino gambling in the state.
I think that makes it clear that the MN GOP can be bought. They’re abandoning their own party’s platform for a few hundred campaign dollars each.
So what if the MN GOP flips on their position on gambling? Maybe exploiting gambling addicts and destroying families is justified in tough financial times?
What is the justification for supporting the racino at this time? Building a new stadium for corporate welfare queen, Zygi Wilf and his private business, the Minnesota Vikings.
Grow horns? Turn purple? Or, do otherwise? Perhaps just let Zygi run a betting book at the stadium, if he pays for it all. Raise his return on investment that way? Build a stadium-casino complex in Arden Hills? Downtown? Possibilities are endless.
Back to GOP and specifics. Strib online today reports:
Senate GOP wants questions answered
Article by: MIKE KASZUBA and BAIRD HELGESON, Star Tribune
Updated: December 24, 2011 - 5:58 AM
As they prepare to select a new leader, Minnesota Senate Republicans are angry, frustrated, and want answers from their leadership about how Amy Koch was ousted from the top position.
"It wasn't handled very well," said Sen. Carla Nelson, R-Rochester, who predicted that Tuesday's meeting to select Koch's successor will be long and "emotional." The news that Koch had been accused of having an affair with a Senate staff member "should have been confronted earlier -- I don't understand that," Nelson said.
The dramatic disclosure about Koch this month, coupled with the news that Senate Republican leaders knew of the allegation three months ago, threatens to split apart a caucus that only a year ago reached a pinnacle. Republicans not only gained control of the Senate last year for the first time in more than a generation, but Koch became the first woman to serve as Senate majority leader.
As Senate Republicans prepare to sort through what happened, several have said privately they are not happy that their leaders held a news conference last week claiming the allegations were only brought to their attention a few weeks ago when they knew that was not true. [...]
Complicating Tuesday's meeting is the fact that some Senate leaders who are being criticized for their handling of the controversy may be in line to replace Koch. [...]
The excerpt is part of Strib reporting. For more, read Strib, again here. Strib named names, adding:
[...] Some senators have also said they plan to probe the actions of the senators who confronted Koch.
That has put the focus on Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina, Koch's deputy.
Senators became furious when Cullen Sheehan, Koch's former chief of staff, said this week that he reported the incident to Michel back in September. Michel now says he immediately notified human resources professionals and other Senate leaders to figure out what to do.
Michel said he had to fudge the timeline to protect Sheehan and another whistleblower. [...]
One Senate Republican source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said [...] "There's [now] a consternation about credibility within the leadership-assistant leadership level," he said.
Another Republican senator, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, said bluntly: "They had three months to prepare for this."
[ending emphasis added, and below] Who knew what, when, and who's lying now and why are obvious questions, to us, to Strib:
Secretary of the Senate Cal Ludeman said early this week he only learned about the issue a few weeks ago.
But Michel said that, after Sheehan approached him in September, he immediately notified Ludeman, Senate leaders and human resources professionals to devise the best way to proceed.
Ludeman again said on Friday that he was not aware of the issue until recently, but added that other members of his staff could have been informed.
Whatever the explanation, Tuesday's meeting could turn into a bitter rehash of the way Senate leaders handled Koch's final months.
[...]
In three months time to plan and coordinate, and with what cannot be anything but a coordinated pre-Christmas move against Amy Koch and Michael Brodkorb, one day to the next but with different face-to-face players and with stories of what's true changing, incomplete and inconsistent, the DFL and independents have to be happy it's the Republicans' child on the doorstep, not theirs.
In closing, given the Sheehan role in things related to the Koch confrontation and ouster events, there is this Strib-captioned photo from an interesting Strib article this summer, here,
Many Koch photos have recently been published, but not so, for Sheehan. Tidings of comfort and joy to each of them, and to the caucusing GOP Senators, next Tuesday.