Where's Engbrecht?

Why is the DFL party keeping Special election candidate Jason Engbrecht on such a short leash? Could it be his general lack of public or political experience (other than his short stint as a school board member) which surely must qualify him for a seat in Minnesota's esteemed Senate. The other candidates in District 26 seem to be involved in various meet & greets, consulting with local business leaders and other community based directors. I hear them on the radio, see them on television and read various articles about them in the local papers. But the silence from the Engbrecht camp is almost deafening. But this should be expected from a camp who couldn't even excite more than 20 people to show up to its endorsing convention.

A quick search of all of the candidates on google lets us quickly see who is being talked about and who isn't. Mike Parry pulls up 207,000 search results, Roy Srp 169,000 and Jason Engbrecht a lowly 81,900. For crying out loud, even the mayor of Northfield pulls up at least 119,000 results! It doesn't take a rocket scientist, or a physicist, to see that there is a genuine lack of excitement for the DFL backed candidate. The only people that seem to be interested in Engbrecht are the Left wing bloggers on the DFL payroll. The DFL is so worried about this candidate and his chances of winning that they are using the tactic of last resort to try and win, smear his GOP opponent.

Frankly I don't blame them. When your ideas are bankrupt and your ideology so out of tune with the residents of district 26, what option do they have left? And speaking of ideology, why doesn't the DFL have their platform listed on their homepage? What is Brain Melendez trying to hide? If you are proud of your party and the ideals it stands for, wouldn't you proudly list them in an easy to find and prominent location or tab on your website? I suspect Mr. Melendez is smarter than most give him credit for. He obviously knows that he has sided with a party of broken promises and failed agendas. The smart thing to do is to hide what you believe and try to fool the public into voting for whichever sacrificial lamb decides to step forward each election. And if you can make the other guy look like a 'bad person' and can successfully keep your guy from contacting anyone, then you may have a shot at winning!

Way to go DFL! Your plan seems to be moving along. That is, until ultimately, your candidate has to appear in front of the public to debate his opponents. Hopefully you have been coaching him well over the last several weeks. Getting him indoctrinated into the philosophy of the left. Just remember there will be no teleprompters, no life-lines and no chance to make another 1st impression. And DFL, if you're lucky, he won't come off looking like the unpolished, inexperienced, aloof novice we believe him to be.

The DFL culture of death

I've never understood how the party that pushes for universal healthcare, an end to global climate change, civil rights and workers rights can so easily reconcile supporting the wholesale slaughter of unborn children as part of its party platform. The voters in District 26 will soon have a very clear choice to make regarding their next State Senator. Do they want to send someone up to the Capitol that believes in the sanctity of life, or send someone who "made no bones about his pro-choice stance."

The labels that we apply to the abortion debate, pro-life or pro-choice, can seem very misleading. The entire argument can be boiled down to one single point, at what point does life begin? For most conservatives that point is conception. For DFL candidate Engbrecht, that point seems to be much further along in the pregnancy cycle. His quote to the Owatonna Peoples Press gives us a little more insight. "I am however unequivocal about being pro-choice,” he said. “I do think we ought to take serious looks at restrictions on late-term abortions, and find a common sense way for us all to get together and talk about what types of late-term abortions we can restrict, and when there should be exceptions for that.”

On the surface it would appear that the common ground for both sides of this issue is to reduce the number of abortions. However, the real debate is not really over abortion, for the DFL it is about power. The DFL will not cede any moral or legal ground on this issue for to do so would diminish their position and could be seen as a blow to the rights of women. But who in the DFL speaks for the rights of the unborn? Is Engbrecht willing to defend those, who cannot speak for themselves, because they have not been born yet? We need to elect a candidate that has a strong pro-life view. By allowing politicians to treat the beginning of life so casually and careless, we slide down the slippery slope that leads to a casual and careless attitude towards the end of life. In short, I believe that it can easily lead to euthanasia.

Abortion has always been a deeply passionate and personal issue. Most folks that feel very strongly on this issue rarely change their minds once their opinion has been formed. There is some common ground for discussion. For example, most reasonable folks can agree, that there should be a ban on partial birth abortions. Also, groups like the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, have an agenda that includes protecting a program called Positive Alternatives. This is a state run program that helps women with unintended pregnancies find alternatives to abortion. The politics of abortion will always remain highly contested, but in strong church based communities such as Faribault, Morristown, Owatonna and Waseca the choice should be very clear.

Those who can, do. Those who can't....

The DFL endorsed candidate for the upcoming special election in Senate District 26 is starting to show some inexperience when it comes to understanding economics and fiscal policy. On his web-page under issues, Jason Engbrecht explains that he prefers a "mixed approach of cutting spending and raising revenue." Wow, that actually sounds reasonable, until you realize that "raising revenue" is just a euphemism for raising taxes. He goes on to further explain his position by exclaiming that he believes that most Minnesotan's favor this approach. I wonder what percentage of small business owners favor an increase in taxes, or what percent of the roughly 7.2% unemployed workers in District 26 would appreciate the honor of paying more money out of their pockets for Minnesota's spending boondoggles?

In an Owatonna Peoples Press article Jason was also quoted saying "I would like to be able to tell you that we're going to raise the revenue we need and make sure we give all the programs the boost that we would love to give them." Jason's supporters on MNPublius seem to agree with his tax and spend ideals. Dantheman commented on Engbrechts post stating "I think additional sources of revenue need to be on the table. First, we need to increase the gas tax. Increase by quite a lot, in my opinion. Second, we need to look at sales taxing food and clothes. Third, we may need to look at a very slight (1/4 of 1% or less) across-the-board increase on income taxes, in every bracket." This is the classic flaw with the liberal mindset. The government isn't spending too much money, we just aren't raising enough revenue. (please note sarcasm)

In a year where the state is estimated to have a budget shortfall of over $1.2 billion, do we really want a person in office who doesn't have a fundamental business understanding? Don't get me wrong, I believe that Jason is an intelligent guy (they just don't hand out p.h.d's.) but we need someone in office who is at ground zero. Someone who owns a business, who writes payroll checks instead of receiving them. Someone who sees first hand the effect that legislative policies have on our local economy. I believe Mike Parry is that guy. Having served with Mike on the city council in Waseca, I observed his common sense approach to our budget process up-close. Can he be stubborn when it comes to spending tax payer dollars? Absolutely. Did he get a bit of a reputation as a pit-bull in Waseca, yes he did, because he fiercely fought for the ideals he believes in. I don't know about you, but I want a pit-bull fighting for me at the Capitol, not a limp poodle.

Minnesotans want to see jobs created and retained. We want the best educational system for our children. And we want a government accountable to its people. It makes no difference if you're a Democrat, Independent or Republican, we all want what is best for our State and for our children. However, we can not achieve any of those goals without a thriving economy. That is why it is absolutely imperative to send a businessman to the Capitol. During these difficult economic times, we need proven leadership and experience. This is no time for on the job training, not when the stakes are so high.

Seeds of Discontent

I'm not sure when it happened, or if there was a specific event. Maybe it was a culmination of many events. At some point during my adult life I have accepted that my Government is very capable of lying to me, and does so on a regular basis. I've always been a bit of an idealist and I like to see the good in people. But over the years I have come to the conclusion that not everyone thinks the way I do or believes in the same principles. As I write that statement it sounds silly. Of course people are going to think differently. That is human nature, a culmination of life experiences, education, geography, religious background (or lack of) all combine to form personality, perspective, beliefs and ideals. But still, as I go through my daily life I am still surprised by all the things that people are capable of.

Children go missing and we find out that it was one of the parents who is responsible. A family murdered, and we later discover that the father was having an affair and killed his wife and children. Our politicians decide that their wedding vows are no longer important, so they decide to spice up things and ask the public for a pass after they have been discovered. Should a persons personal life be subject to scrutiny when we consider them for a job? Obviously we would like doctors and nurses to live a clean and healthy lifestyle so that they can remain alert and sharp for the life altering decisions that they make daily. Does it matter to you if your doctor cheats on his or her spouse? Does that make them any less qualified to perform surgery or to diagnose you? Probably not. So why do we object so much when politicians are unfaithful? Why does it matter?

I'll tell you why it matters to me. Why should I believe, as a citizen and voter, that an elected official has my best interests in mind when it is apparent that they are capable of lying to and deceiving a loved one? If they can do that to someone they are supposed to care about, someone that they have taken vows with, then what are they capable of doing to a faceless public? There are some good people in Government and I'm not trying to lump everyone together. People like Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich are a few that come to mind. But they are the exception, they are no longer the rule.

Gone is the era of the Statesman. The last statesman that we will see in our lifetime was probably Jesse Ventura. Regardless of what the media thought of him, he came into office, did his job, then returned to life as a private citizen. What type of government would we as a people have if we placed term limits on all elected positions? Would we have a government that more closely resembles the public? Would we have a more honest government due to the fact that corporations and special interests would only have a limited amount of time to buy someone? Congress questions the Feds motives, Senators question potential Supreme court justices, Right wingers question the Presidents healthcare plan and the citizens question nothing. They are apathetic to what is happening to their government. Hopefully we can tune in long enough to stop our Republic from disappearing. Hopefully it is not too late.