Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.
•••
Cheers to state Rep. Kaohly Vang Her
... for entering the mayoral race in St. Paul against fellow DFLer Mayor Melvin Carter. August seems a bit late to step up for a November contest, but better late than never as Carter was set to cruise to a third term even though St. Paul is going through a tough stretch and the city could benefit from serious conversations about the steep property taxes and the future of downtown. Her’s a veteran legislator who should be able to push those discussions forward. Also, St. Paul’s long overdue to elect a female mayor.
Jeers to state Sen. Omar Fateh
... a democratic socialist and the DFL-endorsed candidate for mayor in Minneapolis, for receiving two tickets in the past year for violating the state’s hands-free cellphone law while driving a black 2023 BMW X3, according to district court records. At the first stop on Aug. 12 near Mankato, Fateh told the officer he was holding his phone to punch in his GPS coordinates. At the second stop in January, Fateh again told a Golden Valley police officer he was holding the phone to look at his GPS. The officer didn’t buy it, writing on the citation that Fateh had the GPS up on the vehicle’s navigation screen, had previously been cited for the same offense and “knew he wasn’t supposed to have a cellphone in hand.” Fateh paid $135 for the first offense and $158 for the second. Once is a mistake. Twice is a habit. Fateh needs to take a break and pull over before using his phone; texting while driving is extremely dangerous.
Cheers to Colin and Sophie Hortman
... the surviving adult children of the late House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, for sharing their parents’ love of music on the Current, 89.3 in the Twin Cities. Colin said Led Zeppelin was Mark Hortman’s favorite. Sophie Hortman talked about her mom driving the blue minivan belting with Prince on “Raspberry Beret” and cleaning her D.C. apartment to “Situation” by Yaz. The two siblings recalled their parents dancing to Van Morrison’s “Moondance.” When Sophie turned 17, she and her mom cranked “Dancing Queen” by ABBA. A big cheers and virtual hugs to Sophie and Colin for gracefully sharing themselves, just as they did in June with the indelible list of ways to honor their parents, and helping us through our collective grief.
Jeers to the season of politicians chasing clout
... and votes by circling around the state’s most popular sports team, the Minnesota Vikings. There was Sen. Amy Klobuchar wearing Vikings-branded sneakers while cozying up to Coach Kevin O’Connell in Eagan. “Nothing like Vikings training camp for high hopes! Caught up with the incredible Coach Kevin O’Connell to talk everything Vikings!” Whew. If exclamation marks were pompoms, she could join the Vikings’ cheer team. U.S. Rep. Angie Craig was at camp earlier in the week along with state DFL Sens. Matt Klein, of Mendota Heights, and Nick Frentz, of Mankato. Craig also stopped by a Minnesota Lynx game but kept her Vikings cap on during a FarmFest forum Tuesday where she saluted the optimism of U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber’s decision to wear a Minnesota Twins cap at the same panel. If attending sporting events and camps gets politicians out and talking to the voters, then so much the better. Now, if only the Republicans in Congress would host town halls.
Cheers to those willing to change their minds
Sen. Amy Klobuchar last week voted for the first time to block U.S. arms sales to Israel, citing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “I’ve supported military assistance to Israel in the past, and I have made it clear that I believe Israel has a right to defend itself,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “But I believe at this moment in time it’s crucial that the Israeli government must do more to alleviate the urgent humanitarian crisis.” On a much lighter note and also representing a laudable change of mind, cheers to Brooks Cullen of the famed Moorhead hockey family for switching his commitment from Michigan State to the Gophers, meaning he will play alongside his newly committed brother Wyatt at Mariucci Arena, and we can’t wait.
Jeers, and long overdue ones at that
... to U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., who represents the Driftless Area across the border. Van Orden can be a magnetic presence and gripping speaker on the campaign trail, but his feud with fellow Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, a Democrat, sunk lower than ever this week. Van Orden started by posting a photo of a man wearing nothing but a balaclava and clogs, falsely claiming it was Pocan on a European vacation. Pocan responded by calling Van Orden, “KKKlassy.” The long-running spat devolved from there and as Minnesotans, we can be smug and most grateful that feuds among our politicians haven’t devolved into naked photos — yet.
