PUZZLING EVIDENCE, MORE THAN MAJOR NEWS - Sivarajah, Emmer and Schulte, in a storied online item. It is puzzling in its timing - why now - and its instigation - why bother taking that insider item to the press?

Republicans all, the three of them, with two contesting a single general election ballot position as the CD6 GOP candidate, and the third with a story he told, whether in response to a press inquiry or as a thought it's nice to stir the pot a little, and release some steam. Note how the SC Times report, here, declines to obscure how the situation came to the reporter's attention, instead attributing instigation of press attention at the outset:

Candidate Rhonda Sivarajah says her Republican primary opponent, Tom Emmer, tried to muscle her out of the race in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District.

As evidence, she cites Anoka County Commissioner Scott Schulte, a Sivarajah supporter. Schulte says Emmer personally called him to ask that he urge Sivarajah to bow out.

Sivarajah, who chairs the Anoka County Board, hopes to convince primary-goers she's a viable challenger to Emmer, the Republican frontrunner in the 6th District. The two square off for their party's nomination in the Aug. 12 primary election.

Schulte is vice chair of the Anoka County Board and represents a district that includes Andover, Anoka and Coon Rapids. He said he's active in local Republican politics and met Emmer at a handful of events but isn't on close terms with him.

Schulte said Emmer called him in late May, before the deadline for candidates to withdraw from the race. The purpose of Emmer's call quickly became apparent, Schulte said.

"It was clearly to convince me to ask Rhonda to step away," Schulte said. [...]

So it appears Sivarajah told the reporter, "Talk to Schulte," and it seems unlikely that she said that without some form of prior conversation between her and Schulte.

Any reader knowing such a scenario to NOT be the case; or having any information at all of why this was put into play as if it were significant news regarding the Republicans' CD6 primary, is requested to shed a little light on things, via a comment.

____________UPDATE_____________
If either Sivarajah or Emmer expects any cross-over liberal/moderate voter support, that candidate should make clear how he/she would differntiate himself/herself from how Michele Bachmann did things.

Emmer appears to be both as outrageous and marginally competent for the job as was Bachmann, perhaps less a theocrat but cut from the same bolt of cloth; while Sivarajah has not made clear her theocratic tendencies, if any, and she seems not to be the zombie dunce Bachmann is/was/will forever be. But, clarify such important things and jettison such stupidity as "Emmer went to Schulte and said he'd like to get Sivarajah on his bandwagon."

So what?

Who cares?