[Mpls] Who's got the voting power in Minneapolis

[Greg Abbott]

The most interesting statement in Mr. Blackshaw's post is the following:

> I agree that Mr Wagenius' comments were idiotic and full of naive  
> bravado.

Is there trouble brewing in Team Rybak, when the campaign manager  
criticizes R.T.'s long-time political adviser?

(disclaimer -- in my experience Peter Wagenius can be insufferably  
full of himself and his opinions, and I think he's given R.T. some  
terrible advice about how to operate in a weak-mayor system, but  
despite it all I rather like him.  An bit of an unfair hit, IMHO,  
even if his comment to Nikki was inappropriate).


But Blackshaw's following statement is also problematic:

> I read Nikki Carlson's post with sadness.  Invoking the name and   
> memory of
> Paul Wellstone to suggest that Mayor Rybak is less than  honorable  
> in his
> failure to endorse Mr. Lopez - for whatever reason  - is  
> disrespectful.

I really didn't read Nikki's post as claiming that R.T. was "less  
than honorable" or that her reference to Paul Wellstone was  
disrespectful.

Nikki's point is a valid one -- Wellstone was someone who frequently  
encouraged and endorsed underdog challengers to established  
candidates, and when faced with a similar situation, R.T. did not do  
so. Nikki did not use the word "honor" in the post -- she was saying  
that R.T. had made a politically safe choice with which she  
fundamentally disagreed.

And it's hardly disrespectful to the memory of Paul Wellstone to say  
that R.T. played it safe when Wellstone would not have.  Virtually  
every prominent Democrat I can think of has played it safe at times  
when Wellstone would have made a courageous and risky decision.

Lastly, I suspect Wellstone himself would be amused that any  
comparative reference to his political characteristics would be  
considered disrespectful to his memory.




Greg Abbott
Linden Hills