Good Republicans: please get a tourniquet

To the good people of the Minnesota Republican Party, and there are many, please suggest a more strategic public relations plan to your party's leaders.

Oy Vey.

First a poll comes out showing two-thirds of the people think your contesting and protesting gubernatorial candidate should concede, and at almost the same time the party proceeds to heap on the bad publicity by ousting members of the party for voting for the last of the great "Independent" Republicans Tom Horner for governor.

I've never seen an organization bury the needle so quickly on a pile of good will they just garnered for state reps and senators in the recent election.

A look at the people they ousted looks like a who's who of the Minnesota Republican Party, the one that actually came up with solutions to the state's problems a few years back.

Among the ousted: Former governors Al Quie and Arne Carlson (historically two of the best Republican governors.) Sen. Dave Durenberger, one of Minnesota's most intelligent senators who still is making an impact on health care policies.

Bill Schreiber, longtime leader of House Republicans and a staunch, staunch supporter of small business know how. Schreiber was the kind of guy who didn't play politics as much as get something done for small business in Minnesota.

I'm surprised they weren't stomping on former Republican Gov. Elmer Anderson's grave for being too level headed and compromising.

Here's what some of them told the Star Tribune after their public flogging.

"I was never Republican enough for them, anyway," said Lynne Osterman, a former Republican House member turned lobbyist, in reacting to the ban. "I find it ironic, and somewhat telling, frankly," she said, "[that] ... for all their ballyhooing about freedom, protecting rights for our country, blah, blah, blah ... [they] would see fit to vilify fellow citizens for exercising their rights."

Said Durenberger: "I'm still a Republican, but it doesn't feel like a very welcoming party ... my reaction was to smile."


Current Republicans defended the action - kind of. Again, more from Star Tribune.

Mike Boguszewski, a Republican House district chair from Roseville, said he voted for the Saturday resolution "after a lot of consideration." Boguszewski said the issue "went beyond" allowing Republicans to freely support the candidate of their choice.

He said the active support for an opposition party's candidate, "just takes it to a level beyond disagreement about policies ... very simply, [their] actions bring consequences."


Phil Krinkie, a former Republican legislator and president of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, said he was "a little surprised to see that they actually took this step to bring it to a vote." But he added: "It's a public rebuke, and that's all it is."

Krinkie criticized Carlson, who in 2008 supported President Obama, a Democrat. "At what point," asked Krinkie, "do you [in effect] turn in your membership card?"

Pat Anderson, the former state auditor who ran unsuccessfully for the office last month as a Republican, downplayed the significance of the resolution and said Democrats and Republicans have had similar feuds for decades. "I don't think you have a bloodletting going on," she said.

Schreiber, the former Republican legislator who was among those banned, said Republican party leaders "would be more productive in focusing on issues, rather than people."
However, he said, "Am I going to lose any sleep over it? No."


I can't find a positive P.R. message in all of this. The P.R. messages that go out are:

New Republicans are disrespecting their elders, many of whom deserve respect:

Don't disagree with our dogma or you'll pay a price.

This is not the party of discussion. This is the party of repression.