The folk from Minnesota Democrats Exposed posted a press release from former three-term MN state representative from the 80’s, Allen Quist, announcing his candidacy to challenge Tim Walz in the 1st district. This 65-year old who should be retiring is now an ambitious McCain clone with views that actually hurt our senior’s healthcare (as a nurse, I’ll never understand that conservative viewpoint). What is most interesting is Allen Quist’s lack of mentioning GOP efforts to support him, the Mayo Clinic (given the issue of healthcare and of course, the failure of Brian Davis to win in 2008), but instead mentions the Tea Party! This is awesome (or blatantly stupid on his part) considering recent posts on Bluestem and here on IDHA about the tea baggers ridiculous anti-immigrant views. Seriously, just watch the video from the two posted links above to see how proud they are of being “European Americans.” Hell, if I was there they’d be hating me simply because I am of mixed blood of two of our enemies from WWII, Germany and Japan. I’m guessing their ancestors at least have one of those two in them as well, yet they are clearly much better… sure. I’m hoping for them to announce their public support for Allen Quist very soon, especially after Quist mentions them in his press release:
“Southern Minnesota voters have been holding Tea Party rallies and contacting Congressman Walz’s office asking him not to support these wasteful government spending bills that force more government control of our lives,” said Quist.
DJ recently discussed Allen Quist’s horrible political ads when him and I were just youngin’s, but DJ’s incredible memory is relived through this post. He also mentions Quist’s tendency to be a “super-mega-ultra right winger.” If Brian Davis got a little over 30% of the vote in 2008, I’m guessing someone even more right-winged would likely get less of a turnout. Again, let’s hope for a public endorsement from the Tea Party.
Here’s MDE’s posting of Allen Quist’s press release announcing his candidacy (credit must go where credit is due):
(St. Peter, MN) – Former State Representative Allen Quist has announced that he will run against U.S. Representative Tim Walz for the First District Congressional Seat. Quist served three terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1982 to 1988, runs a family farm of 1200 acres with his son Andrew in rural St. Peter, and recently retired as a teacher at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato
Quist, a Republican, said his message will be simple and straightforward: ”If people like what Congress is doing, they should vote for the incumbent,” Quist said. ”But if they believe, as I do, that Congress is headed in the wrong direction, then I will be the alternative.”
According to Quist there have been three unusually important bills under consideration during this session of Congress: the $787 billion Stimulus bill, Cap and Trade, and the Health Care bill. ”Representative Walz has been on the wrong side of all three,” said Quist.
Quist emphasizes that government spending is totally out of control. ”Just the Stimulus bill by itself added over $10,000 of new government debt for every family of four in our nation,” he explained. Quist also said that present Congressional spending trends will almost double our national debt-from 40% of GDP today to 87% of D+GDP by 2020. Quist says this means, “continued high unemployment and burdening the next generation with a level of debt that will substantially reduce their quality of life.”
“The Cap and Trade bill will add $6,800 per year of higher energy costs for every family of four and the Health Care bill, which is supposed to reduce medical costs, will actually increase total costs by over $100 billion each year,” said Quist.
Quist added that the Health Care bill contains a huge hidden tax on the middle class and will substatnitally reduce the access senior citizens have to needed health care. ”In terms of costs,” Quist said, “big business is the big winner and the middle class is the big loser. American citizens of the middle class will be forced to pay the bills.”
“Southern Minnesota voters have been holding Tea Party rallies and contacting Congressman Walz’s office asking him not to support these wasteful government spending bills that force more government control of our lives,” said Quist. ”Congressman Walz continually shows by his votes that he is out of step with the voters of the First District.
Not a real bad press release, despite the ugly spelling error of “substantially” (spell check anyone on a major release?) to try and emphasize his agenda. In other news, I just finished my Master’s degree so I should have more time to post! Woohoo!
[Update 11/19/09, 8:00 P.M.]
In a press release sent out by the Tim Walz camp, they responded to Allen Quist’s announcement of his candidacy by mentioning the Tea Party connection as well. Check out this excerpt:
Today, the right-wing tea party Republicans announced their plans to run long-time politician and former State Representative Allen Quist from St. Peter.
I really hope the tea baggers and Quist work closely together in this race as a simple google search (”tea party rally”) of the group portrays their not so patriotic movement. A substantial amount of the news and blog links focus on the groups attacks on protesters at Tea Party rallies across the country while they appear impervious to expressing racism.
Here are some excerpts from the Christian Science Monitor about Tea Party violence around the country. Visit the aforementioned link for the entire article.
“At one anti-Obama protest in Arizona this summer, a protester carried a rifle slung over his shoulder. “[Tea-partiers] bringing weapons does suggest a stronger degree of alienation and threat,” he says.
Conservatives place the blame at Mr. Obama’s feet, saying his liberal leadership has made “union thugs” comfortable enough to confront conservatives in the streets.”
“The first spark of violence connected to the Tea Party movement came in St. Louis Aug. 6 when a Tea Party protester named Ken Gladney was injured after a confrontation with Service Employees International Union protesters.”
“A second scuffle also broke out last Saturday when Tea Party protesters in Phoenix attempted to evict a group of neo-Nazis trying to join their protest.”
Since these guys continue to be buzzworthy, IDHA will continue exposing connections between this radical conservative group and their support of candidates seeking positions in a government representing the great freedoms in our country. More to come later!