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When I read about Tom Emmer stepping out of the race for speaker of the House, I was reminded of that old song lyric, "When will they ever learn?" Because, as has happened to so many others, Emmer didn't show proper fealty to Donald Trump, he was publicly mocked, ridiculed and disparaged by the former president; Trump even went so far as to gloat and say of Emmer, "I killed him." If a friend or family member treated you like this, or a dog constantly bit you, you would learn to keep your distance. But like so many of his sycophants, Emmer and others in thrall to Trump, like frat boys during the pledge process, after receiving a paddling merely wince and say, "Thank you, sir, may I have another?" Meanwhile Emmer's party continues to be manipulated by a very small group that appears to have little interest in legislating or in helping their constituents and are more interested in social media and headlines; they fiddle while Rome burns.
Brian Berube, Edina
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I have been a lawyer in Minneapolis for eight years, serving blue-collar employees injured in the course of their employment. Prior to my legal career, I worked in politics. My resume includes work for two sitting members of Congress, as well as a key member of Tom Emmer's 2010 gubernatorial race. I joined the Emmer campaign prior to the Republican endorsement process, when no less than 10 different candidates were vying for the Republican endorsement for governor. Emmer was an underdog, but after one meeting, I was all aboard. I was with the campaign until the very end. There is no doubt in my mind that I picked the right guy to hitch my wagon to. Today, the national Republican Party is in shambles. Despite losing an election and contesting the results in embarrassing fashion, Trump is repeating the actions perpetrated on Jan. 6. He is holding Congress hostage, advising his few congressional pawns to stonewall any nomination that doesn't align with Trump's agenda. We would have been so lucky to have Tom Emmer as our speaker of the House — a family man, a coach, a conservative Republican who stood up to Trump. I trust him to govern and lead.
We cannot allow Trump's government of chaos and revenge to win. I hope Republicans in Minnesota will stand with me and ensure that Trump does not win the Republican nomination for president in 2024.
Ben Harper, Plymouth
