Another freshly laundered white flag of surrender is floating in the breeze. Those who raised it are quietly trying to make sure no one else sees it. They are down playing it.
Who are they?
They are the liberals in Minnesota who just lost.
Minnesota just went through the longest government shutdown of any state in recent years. It was a three-week shut down that began with demonstrations and headlines and ended with a whimper.
This battle began earlier this year. In Minnesota, Republicans took control of the state legislature and should have taken the state house as well. Unfortunately Mark Dayton, an ultra liberal, who was at one time regarded as the worst senator in the United States Senate, defeated a good conservative candidate.
Dayton was able to become governor because the RINO’s bolted from the party and the RINO candidate who ran as a third party candidate siphoned off just enough to beat the Republican.
The GOP led legislature passed what was then the largest budget in the history of Minnesota. Even in this terrible economy, the GOP budget was going to grow by 6%. This was not good enough for the extreme left wing Dayton, who demanded that the budget be increased by 15%. The difference between the two budgets, ignoring the specific items was, the GOP budget was going to be funded without any tax increases. Dayton wanted what liberals always want. He wanted to tax the rich.
Dayton is an heir to the Dayton Department Store fortune. Interestingly enough, while he demands confiscatory taxes in Minnesota, his fortune is safely stored in a, drum roll please…. A low tax state.
Dayton took a page from the old Democratic playbook. He waited until the last minute and vetoed the budget bills. He then vetoed a “lights on” bill that would have kept the state running while he and the legislature worked out their differences.
The legislature, as mandated by statute, adjourned. To come back and finish the budget, they would need a special session and only the governor can call a special session. Dayton vowed he would not call that special session until the Republicans caved on his demands.
For the most part, the Republicans stood firm.
Dayton let Minnesota’s government shut down, figuring it would be like the Clinton/Gingrich fight of 1995, where the GOP would lose the publicity war and eventually the elections next year.
A shocking thing happened. Sure there were inconveniences, but for the most part, state government was not missed. The world did not stop spinning. The sky did not fall.
Finally, after three weeks, Dayton hauled up his freshly laundered and monogrammed white flag of surrender.
He called a special session and a budget was passed and signed.
The budget was not perfect. The state is borrowing money against future tobacco settlement payments (basically robbing the state of money that was supposed to go towards the health costs of smokers). That is a one-time fix.
There is a lesson to be learned at the national level. Before Boehner surrendered on the budget, and thus avoided a government shutdown, the chattering class was saying he would be destroyed just like Gingrich was. The Republicans would be blamed.
Interestingly enough, in Minnesota, despite the left wing media and the millions of dollars spent on left wing attack ads, the GOP has won this one. Taxes were not increased and spending is still somewhat in check.
The left tried one of their old plays and discovered in this age, it did not work. The GOP leadership in Washington should take a long hard look at what happened in Minnesota. The message to the GOP leadership is simple. You have more power than you are willing to admit and if you stand and fight, a lot of Americans will stand with you.
This is your fight to win.
Permalink Reply by emilio portelli on Boehner is a RINO, and the sooner we get him out of office the better off we'll be. The same can be said for McConnell. They are nothing but sheep in wolves clothing. They should be fighting for what is right, and not worry about whether they will be elcted at the next go around.
God Bless America, and the conservative base.
Permalink Reply by EMil on Permalink Reply by Linda Cauble on 
Permalink Reply by Kristin Fecteau on 
Permalink Reply by Phil on The despot didn't care about stiffing the bond holders for G.M. did he?
I'm so sick of being MUGGED by my government which no longer has my consent.
Fire the C.E.O.
He's bankrupting the company. He lies like a rug too. 
Why no compromise? Because to come together in the middle means they get to erode our GOD GIVEN RIGHTS and REAL AMERICANS don't see anything there to compromise about.
Permalink Reply by Mark Zepik on AMEN!!
We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately
Never give an inch.
Permalink Reply by Judith R. Hannan on Permalink Reply by Brad Myers on © 2013 Created by Judson Phillips.
