The race to replace Michele Bachmann in Congress officially kicked off Wednesday evening as Tom Emmer announced his candidacy.
Emmer is the first of what is expected to be many candidates on the GOP side of the ledger. On the DFL side, it appears no one wants the task of defending high taxes, government waste, Obamacare, government spying, gun confiscation, IRS tyranny, low job growth, and the exploding government debt to the good people of the Sixth Congressional District of Minnesota.
Because the Sixth leans GOP, the endorsement process promises to be a long and arduous process, as the candidates compete fiercely for the coveted GOP endorsement.
That's a good thing. GOP delegates, activists, and donors have to get this right. The MN GOP is in need of a comeback after the 2012 elections. The long endorsement process will provide for a thorough vetting process to shake out both the positives and negatives of each candidate.
This process should be a dry run for what will undoubtedly be a rough and tumble brawl for a rare open seat in Congress.
The emerging candidate should be battle hardened and battle tested by the time the liberals start carpet bombing.
This vetting should be a thorough no-holds-barred process. Why? Because we know the liberals and their wealthy benefactors will find these issues and spend millions to exploit them, spin them, and yes, even lie about them.
No issue should be "off the table" for any candidate because no issue is off the table for liberal special interest groups.
[...] Here are our 5 questions for Tom Emmer.
[...] 4. The GOP endorsed candidate will have a high profile role and a responsibility to help GOP candidates up and down the ballot. What is your plan to assist these candidates? What unique skills and experience helps you in fulfilling this obligation?
The Chairman seems to presume the insiders will be calling the tune, yet again. Being an insider, what would he like better? My crystal ball says, big clear letters, PRIMARY. The outsiders get a vote, how quaint. But only if there is a will among the office-lusting GOP CD6 politicians toward a primary.
Earlier, the Chairman wrote:
Since we're in regular contact with thousands of freedom loving folks across this great state, we know what you're thinking.
And you're thinking that Michelle [sic] Bachmann may be in trouble for 2014.
You're thinking that she has taken on water and may be taking on more, instead of bailing out the boat.
There's nothing wrong with having that conversation.
In fact, now is that time to start that conversation.
Silence masquerading as party loyalty is downright disloyal and is a form aiding and abetting our political opponents.
That kind of thinking has produced the disastrous candidacies of Tom Emmer, Kurt Bills, and Allen Quist (pick any campaign since 1983).
Look, this piece isn't some diatribe against Bachmann or an opinion piece that reaches any conclusions other than that the family would be well served to think long and hard about who is the best candidate to keep the Sixth Congressional District of Minnesota in Republican hands.
This link, dated 4/19/13. Neither a ringing endorsement of Bachmann, nor Emmer. At a guess, the Chairman favors either Rhonda Sivarajah, or Taxpayer League front-man, Krinkie. Not, however, Mr. Bills, or Mr. Quist. And an outsider's inference might be - paying out rope, to Mr. Emmer. Not a blind eye now to "disasterous candidacies," but paying out rope.