Editorial: Olson endorsement does GOP no credit

Assault conviction, ineffectiveness should have doomed bid.

Last update: August 13, 2008 - 6:17 PM

Perhaps GOP state Rep. Mark Olson is a political rehabilitation genius -- in which case, he may have a future as a campaign consultant. What else could explain the decision by Republican Party delegates to endorse for the vacant state Senate District 16 seat a man convicted of domestic assault last year and booted from the House Republican caucus?

Olson, a 53-year-old carpenter from Big Lake, said his eight terms of legislative experience provided his edge over party activist Alison Krueger in his second-ballot endorsing convention victory on Aug. 7. If that's so, GOP delegates must like being represented by a legislator who often stands alone. That's what Olson has done in St. Paul, well before his ouster from his party's caucus. He is one of the most loquacious legislators in floor debates, and one of the least likely to rally other legislators to his point of view.

Whatever their reasons, the GOP delegates of District 16 have put their state party -- and particularly the Norm Coleman reelection campaign -- in an awkward spot. How can Republicans fault DFL Senate candidate Al Franken for writing jokes they deem antifemale when they have put their official arms around a candidate convicted of assaulting his wife?

As is customary in endorsement contests, this one exacted pledges from Olson and Krueger not to continue to campaign if the other candidate was endorsed. Such pledges are an aid to party discipline. But in this case -- as in many others through the years, in both parties -- the pledge to "abide by the endorsement" does not serve the public well.

Krueger's name remains on the primary ballot. Her reasons for giving voters an alternative to Olson are as legitimate as before. She should not allow her candidacy to end at the hands of a relatively small number of delegates. On to the Sept. 9 primary.

A tale of (at least) two bar times

The Republican National Convention is about to let the nation in on something that's common knowledge for those of us who live here: Minneapolis and St. Paul are very different cities.

Recent supporting evidence: A total of 28 bars and hotels in Minneapolis have applied to stay open until 4 a.m. during the Republican National Convention. In St. Paul -- yes, Katie Couric, it's the host city -- just two establishments had requested a 4 a.m. license as of Wednesday, although more may surface before McCain Fest starts in September.

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