Shut Up, They Explained

Yesterday's post on the Catholic Church's DVD to the faithful on the issue of gay marriage noted several instances of liberal critics attempting to oppose it by shutting down the debate. Claims included the Church has no right to speak about civil issues at all or that it deserves severe financial consequences for attempting to do so.

It's a disturbing and increasingly frequent tactic of the Left. Rather than engaging in political debate on a contentious issue, they instead try to force or, when that is not possible, shame the opposition into silence. You aren't even allowed to discuss the issue, under the rules they'd like to set. Of course, this tactic is primarily used when they are losing the argument.

I noticed a classic variation of this in today's Star Tribune. Lori Sturdevant is supposedly the premiere political writer at the paper. She validates her position by commenting on the polarized nature of today's political environment and suggesting all sides should embrace the healing and unifying message of that well known voice of centrism and moderation ... Walter Mondale. Included is this doozy:

"I think we've got to be harder on our candidates and our public officeholders, and start insisting on more moderation, more balance and a commitment to civility," [Mondale] said. "Then we have to insist that they deal with things that really count" -- jobs, homes, education, a livable planet.

On that point, permit a tentative and probably premature hopeful note. The perennial sideshows of guns, gays and gynecology have been largely missing to date from the Minnesota governor's race -- despite the best efforts of the Catholic bishops and special-interest groups to rev up several of those tired tangential issues. Tom Emmer, Mark Dayton and Tom Horner have been talking seriously about the state budget and the state's future in ways that are, by contemporary standards, on point and quite civil.

There you have it. Second amendment Constitutional rights, the bedrock societal institution of marriage, and abortion -- off-limits for debate in the moderate, balanced, and civil political world dreamed of by Walter Mondale and Lori Sturdevant. Not just off-limits for the Catholic Church, but also for tangential stakeholders such as the Governor of the state. The people and their elected officials should just sit back, shut up, and let bureuacrats and appointed judges make the important decisions. I'm sure it's just a coincidence that those outcomes just happen to typically coincide with the worldview of people like Lori Sturdevant rather than a majority of the people.

Tom Emmer ought to be accepting this pat on the head from Star Tribune over his "on-point and civil" approach to selecting his issues as a slap in the face. And a wake up call that he's on the wrong track. I see a a correlation between being on the side of the Star Tribune on what issues should be discussed rather than on the side of the people, and trailing a lousy candidate, and future Star Tribune endorsee, like Mark Dayton in the polls.

Face Off

This past week's coverage of the Minnesota gubernatorial election in the local media made it apparent that this fellow will be a constant companion for us all the way to November:


No, I'm not talking about Tom Emmer. At least not all of Tom Emmer. I'm talking just about his face, and only in a particular mood. The Tom Emmer Angry Face. AKA, the TEA Face. (Lefties and perverts Googling for the TEA bagger face should move along, you've come to the wrong place.)

The Star Tribune especially has a fondness for variations of it on their Web site. They don't always use the image in the articles they write about him. But it's the style of picture they typically use on the front page of StarTribune.com, promoting Gubernatorial race articles that lie within.

Decades of observations of the Star Tribune lead me to believe this isn't accidental. Of course, it's a way for their laughing boy photo editors to slant the coverage on the cheap. To subtly remind readers that there may be something wrong with the Republican candidate. He just isn't Minnesota nice, like say, Amy Klobuchar or Mark Dayton. He just might be angry, raging, fiery, chest-thumping, nasty, and thick-necked with a pudgy face (adjectives all appearing in this Star Tribune piece about Tom Emmer during the state GOP convention).

There's not a lot that can be done about it. It's what the local lefty media does and they do it well. But in the interest of Equal Time and the Fairness Doctrine, I think we have to treat other candidates the same way. Which is why I'm happy to announce our new stock photograph for all future Betty McCollum blog posts:


This is especially fortuitous timing too, given the title of tomorrow's big Fraters Libertas story.

Is Betty McCollum a Muslim?

Which will be followed up later this week with:

Why is Betty McCollum Cavorting Around with King Banaian at a Posh Mountain Retreat?

Stay tuned to Fraters Libertas for all the breaking news on these important stories.

SISYPHUS PREDICTS: Tom Emmer's "Get off my lawn!" face will be immortalized in at least one seed art piece at the State Fair.

THE ELDER ADDS: For the record, this is our official stock Mark Dayton photo to be used in all posts that mention him: