Minneapolis Disgraces Itself: State Sanctioned Violence Against Peaceful Trump Supporters

The influential Blois Olson asked me on Twitter why I wasn't at the Trump fundraiser in downtown Minneapolis last Friday. I responded with the most famous of James Joyce quotes: "Silence, exile and cunning." Lord knows how many got the reference; doubtless few in the MNGOPe. Several republican leaders had previously made a point of signalling their absence from the event.

"I'm just not going. I got better stuff to do" said the hapless republican Speaker of the House in response to why he wouldn't be attending. His language is as slovenly as his dress.

But not even I was prepared for what followed: a sustained assault on citizens attempting to leave that venue while Minneapolis police stood by, for the most part. Some performed admirably and to them much credit should be given. Yet it wasn't nearly enough.

There were first hand reports of people being spat upon, physically assaulted and some who had their property stolen. There were even reports of people themselves being spray painted. Many of those committing the assaults on white people were identified as black, but certainly not exclusively.

Minneapolis has become a lawless city, on the verge of becoming yet another Third World City, and last Friday night proved it beyond doubt. Those who have a different political view from the reigning majority were persecuted for simply exercising their constitutional right of assembly.

Twin Cities media reporting of the night's events proved a mixed bag. There is no doubt that had the political polarities been reversed the coverage would have been far more extensive, breathless and condemnatory. But because the victims were republicans, much was glossed over. Which is to say, the violence.

Minnesota media should be ashamed of itself but it doesn't really possess the capacity.

I live tweeted reports coming in from friends and acquaintances in real time. No one in local media retweeted me even with the customary "this can't be independently confirmed." Yet time and again I've seen them retweet things favoring the Left agenda with far less credibility. Curious.

The Star Tribune's Patrick Condon filed a report that did include some of the violence but the rest of his piece is an accomplished bit of apologia, including this tidbit: "The demonstration was organized by the Minnesota Immigrants Rights Action Committee."

As far as I know, he's the only local reporter who reported this and so good for him. I try to be fair. Yet Condon gives his readers no idea who this group is or how they are funded. He gives a one sentence report which is an almost nostalgic throwback to when reporters bothered with the truth.

He then quotes one Giselda Gutierrez, a "protester who lives in Minneapolis." Great but where is she from? Has she broken into America and is one of those illegals to whom Hillary has promised instant citizenship should she become president? You'll learn nothing further from Condon's reportage about that or who funds what is likely an astroturf group that promotes illegals.

If Kate Steinle was murdered by an illegal in the Twin Cities it's doubtful we'd learn about it. Illegal alien crime simply isn't reported here. Once, though, we learned that blacks were beating up and robbing hispanics along Lake street in Minneapolis after they got paid in cash. With no white person to blame, that reporting died a quick death. I'm surprised any of it saw the light of media day, however briefly. This very much is the state of Minnesota media: dishonest.

Condon goes out of his way to note how donors arrived: "Guests began arriving around dinner time, some in limousines and other chauffeured vehicles." Forgive me for not noticing the same reporting about those attending fundraisers in Minnesota for Hillary Clinton.

He also makes much about Trump not appearing in public. Really? Trump doesn't and his supporters are still beaten? Remind me when the Star Tribune last complained about Lady Macbeth not appearing in public when she rolled into town to treat this servile state as her personal ATM and the manner of arrival of her corrupt donors.

Condon writes puff pieces about Lt. Governor Tina Flint Smith which are attempted to be passed off as either hard news or analysis. They're tiresome and transparent, fooling only those who pretend the articles aren't an in kind contribution to the DFL. Condon can at least write, however biasedly, something that can't be said about the author of the Star Tribune's Morning Hot Dish. Managing Editor Suki Dardarian's hires, as I've written previously, vary wildly in quality.

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By contrast the Pioneer Press got the story more right than wrong and with appreciable less water carrying for the democrat establishment that runs the failing city of Minneapolis. As of this writing reporter Jaime DeLage alone reached out to contact someone who was there and a victim of the violence from the thug Left. Full disclosure: I put him in touch with said person but those two took it from there. I'm proud of my friend Cynthia Schanno for coming forth and speaking honestly about the terror she experienced. Kudos to DeLage for doing what reporters used to do before most of them became an arm of the Democratic Party.

Minnesota Public Radio remains the worst, most dishonest and biased news outlet in the state and by some distance. Their story had no individual byline and mention no violence at the event. None. MPR tends to push stories praising terrorist linked MN CAIR. If you want a quick glance at the sickness of white guilty liberals all in one place, you can't do worse than MPR.

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If DFL chair Ken Martin's people had been attacked in the same way as republicans were last Friday night, he'd have scheduled a press conference for a reasonable hour on Saturday (eleven o'clock or noon, say) to blast the police for failing in their essential job: to keep citizens participating in the political process safe from violent thugs.

Did republicans do anything at all in this regard? Of course not. Getting the story out to a wider audience was left, frankly, to me and other activists on social media. When we awoke Saturday the violence and willful abandonment of peaceful citizens to thugs and scum had made the Drudge Report. Videos of the violent assault on elderly people and others were posted at Gateway Pundit and other well respected alternative media sites. 

Despite Twin City media's politically motivated under reporting of the violence, word got out. 

Minneapolis disgraced itself in front of the nation, sending a clear signal that it treats its citizens differently based upon their political beliefs. Mayor Hodges and Police Chief Harteau already preside over the decline of a once great city. They now add to their roster of incompetence and shame what many are reporting as specific instructions to the police to stand down and not interfere with the protesters who committed such violence. 

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Last Friday was a shocking turning point for many. I myself lost an enormous amount of respect for many of the local liberals I follow on Twitter. Some actually excused the violence while most simply remained silent. These are people who think themselves possessed of integrity. Yet when it came time to demonstrate it, they were unable or unwilling to do so. 

Minnesota republicans failed to seize upon this outrage to shine a light upon what is taking place in this state and attempt to reverse it. We don't have leaders, we have mediocre politicians beholden to their donors, advised by people who simply aren't very good at their jobs. Not that they don't keep them. 

The targeted, sustained abuse of peaceful Trump supporters, abetted by a politicized Minneapolis police force force, and tacitly condoned by a corrupt media, marks a descent into Third World politics. 

You can pretend this is overstating the case but only if you haven't been paying attention. 

Photo credit: Renee Jones Schneider, Star Tribune

Sham Winton

Cam Winton, pictured above shilling for Ashwin Madia outside a 2008 Obama rally in Minneapolis, this week announced his candidacy for the mayor of Minneapolis. Far too many local republican activists were taken in by his claim to have suddenly--and without any evidence--become a republican. Except he hasn't, really, and has said so depending upon which news outlet he is speaking to at the moment. Dissembling, it's good to know, will be a priority in this charlatan's campaign.

Winton fought hard to defeat republican Erik Paulsen in 2008 as democrat candidate Ashwin Madia's treasurer. Hideous Nancy Pelosi was brought to Minnesota's third congressional district in the left's strenuous effort to defeat Paulsen.

A scant two years ago Winton was moderating a debate between two far left loons vying to run against Paulsen, one of whom responded to a question as to how to get the American economy going again by demanding we immediately get off our "oil addiction." Intellectual bankruptcy is the sine qua non of Winton's provenance. The debate can be viewed by clicking here but be prepared to lose some brain cells. These are his people; he's one with them. And no, nothing has changed except perhaps the quality of snake oil now being peddled to credulous Minneapolis voters who should know better.

What, precisely, has happened in the last two years for this banal progressive to have had a political epiphany? A buyout of the "wind energy" company for which he was a lawyer and the introduction of ranked choice voting in the mayoral race. Having seen up close with Madia how little it takes to get ahead in democrat politics, Winton doubtless thought he could position himself as some sort of new, fresh face in the mayoral election, taking advantage of ranked choice voting (RCV) being used for the first time. Cornering the market on those ignorant enough to self-identify as republicans would be crucial in him slipping through to victory. They're so hungry, why not feed them? It's not like they'd expect him to keep his word or be a conservative in any meaningful sense.

Had Cam Winton remained a far left progressive, or tacked to some sort of ersatz independent position, all would be well. Dishonesty, however, should not be rewarded and he has dishonestly and repeatedly claimed he is now a republican. Oddly, he just as frequently claims he's not a member of either party. If that doesn't bother you then check your integrity meter.

He recently has parachuted into Rough Riders meetings and said what that audience wanted to hear from him. He's done the same with the Freedom Club. Maybe we can get him as a featured speaker at an upcoming Elephant Club luncheon and republican foolishness will be complete? Kelly, call Cam! A photo opportunity awaits. Our republican future, of course, won't come from either three of these useless groups but in the thinnest of rebranding attempts one supposes they are essential to the slight of hand. Desperate times, Mrs. Lovett and all that.

Winton trots out three letters to the editors as somehow tracing the arc of his political realignment. He must think republicans are as stupid as democrats if he believes they do anything of the kind, at least persuasively. The first, in September 2010, can be read here and deals with his objection to a 7.5% property tax increase. Winton himself characterizes this letter as showing he realized he no longer fit in in the DFL. Naturally it does no such thing. The second, in November 2010, deals with the same subject in the context of eliminating, essentially, some fat or non-essential programs from the budget funded by said property tax increase. Winton doesn't characterize this letter as anything in particular, which is true. It can be read by clicking here.

Anyone reading these two letters and waiting for a "scales from the eyes, how could I have been so ignorant lo these many years j'accuse" will be left waiting.

The third letter, in July 2011, is characterized by Winton as occurring when he'd fully made the transition to the GOP. No, really. Read this letter by clicking here. [It's the second letter; the first is, comically, about pedestrians and bike paths.] He writes that he disagrees with most of Gov. Dayton's political beliefs. So do most outstate DFLers. He asks for name calling to stop and expresses admiration for Jim Walsh, reporter of things locally musical for several decades now. I'm surprised he didn't quote The Boss in a spasm of enthusiasm.

Let's give Winton an enormous benefit of the doubt: by July 2011 he'd fully migrated to the GOP. What did he do next? It's hard to tell as the record is bare. Usually converts of any kind get caught up in the new environment which they've embraced. There is one $500 donation to the RPM in late 2011 and another of the same amount in late 2012. He's been thinking of running with republican support for some time, apparently, bought rather cheaply. But hey, they're buying it!

Nowhere on his Facebook page does he identify himself as either a new republican or an old DFL hack. The race is non-partisan, you see. Right. Click here to see his FB page.

Nowhere on his campaign website does he show the slightest republican belief. Vapid even by Minneapolis standards, the website is thick with cloying phraseology and Portlandia sentimentalism. This isn't the website of a leader with a principled center; it's one for whom anything can or will be said to anyone in order to exploit ranked choice voting. It's not that I don't admire cunning; I do.

His Twitter account shows a whopping 64 tweets to date. Of the three in 2012 only one deals with politics: "Thanks to all #mngop12 tweeters - very helpful for those of us who couldn't be there today."
You're welcome Cam: you did nothing to stop the destruction of the republican party by Ron Paul supporters but perhaps you weren't fully parasitical yourself yet.

Did Winton do anything for any republican in 2012? I'd love to know. I've found nothing. I know virtually all of the republican activists in Minneapolis and CD 5.

Remember conservative & liberal outrage over red light camera legislation? Cam's ok with it because, you know, longer yellow lights and a dash of due process. Here's Mr. Leadership's answer to a question on Twitter about the subject: "MN Supr. Ct. ruled unconstit. in '07 so moot if no new law. If so, make sure yellow longer & non-driver owner can contest. U?"

See? He's a technocrat and these things can be tweaked. No principles are involved. I especially like how he asks the questioner what they think. The word oleaginous comes to mind.

He flatly stated in a radio interview that he was not a republican. You can listen to it by clicking here. Letters to the editor & talking to elected officials pretty much constitutes his prior political involvement, he says in a moment of less than candor. Weirdly, no mention of wanting to make Nancy Pelosi Speaker again by being Madia's treasurer. Go figure. He's said elsewhere he's not a republican and usually hides behind the nonpartisan nature of the Minneapolis mayor's race.

He is. He isn't. Dessert topping. Floor wax.

Winton's friend, mindless liberal Joe Bodell, whom I've debated on FOX 9 before (when he wasn't interrupting viewpoints he disagreed with) wrote about his entry into the mayoral race with a headline: "Minneapolis Mayoral Race Gets Its First Republican. Kind Of." It can be read by clicking here and republicans really should make a point of doing so. Liberals know their own kind and what it takes, in Joe's opinion, for Cam to get the endorsement he now claims not to want is instructive.

Cam Winton has a lot to prove and resents being asked to do so. His thin skinned supporters on Twitter are of a piece with the attitude that someone who worked for years to take out a popular, moderate republican congressman should somehow not be required to do, say and show more than he has thus far. In this world, I'm the problem.

I'm fully aware of those who Winton claims support him: Pat Shortridge, Zack Freimark, Janet Beihoffer, Jeff Johnson, Bill Guidera (who makes Paulsen look decisive), Sheila Franey, "mega-donor" Ron Schutz & "mega-donor" Scott Honour.

I could care less. Groupthink is a hall mark of liberals and one Winton is hard wired to invoke.

David Mamet famously wrote an article titled "Why I Am No Longer A Brain Dead Liberal." Winton could benefit from reading it but could never write one of his own. Because, at heart, he still is.


Correction: The first version of this post, which was up only a few minutes, incorrectly referenced Erik Paulsen as the republican incumbent in the 2008 race. In fact, the congressional seat was open and the post has been corrected to reflect this. Hat tip Peter Glessing.