[Mpls] R.T.'s over-the-top rhetoric

[Greg Abbott]

I took up the challenge posed by R.T. in his robo-call and went to =20
R.T.'s website to check out the "truth" on Peter's alleged Republican-=20=

style smear attacks.  What I found what a brief repetition of some =20
facts in response to claims that crime is up, etc., and the following =20=

outrageous statement:

"Don=92t let the right-wing scare tactics of Karl Rove and his allies =20=

scare you away from participating in your democratic process."

R.T. has, in so many words, asserted that Karl Rove and Peter =20
McLaughlin are "allies."  Only one of two thing are true: (a) either =20
R.T. really means this; or (b) the statement is outrageously sloppy.  =20=

In other words, the actual truth value of the statement is distorted =20
or diluted in an effort to punch up its rhetorical/emotional impact =20
(something which R.T. has repeatedly done before).

Only the second possibility is plausible.  It is inconceivable that =20
R.T. actually believes Karl Rove is working with Peter McLaughlin to =20
defeat him.  Which in my mind makes the charge even more egregious -- =20=

making this kind of wholly fictitious claim, with the  is a far worse =20=

violation of political ethics than any charge or claim that =20
McLaughlin has made about R.T.

I supported R.T. in 2001.  In fact, if I knew then what I know now I =20
would still have supported R.T.  Four years ago the municipal reset =20
button needed to be pushed.

But this is 2005.  And in the last four years we've learned R.T. is =20
prone to over-the-top rhetoric which places him at the center of all =20
that is good and light, and casts any opponent into the dark chasm of =20=

"politics-as-usual."  This shopworn rhetorical device is now totally =20
detached from reality.

The real news story here is R.T.'s irrational and paranoid response =20
to Peter's criticism.  At a minimum it raises a big red flag about =20
what a second Rybak administration might look like.

Greg Abbott
13th Ward
Linden Hills