He Said WHAT?

So I am watching KSTP News to see what tonights weather is going to bring (I uncovered my roses yesterday so I needed to see if I needed to cover them up again). Right before the weather, they did a story that just floored me. Apparently, Senator John McCain said something on the campaign trail that upset a couple of folks here in MN.

"The bridge in Minneapolis didn't collapse because there wasn't enough money. The bridge in Minneapolis collapsed because so much money was spent on wasteful, unnecessary pork-barrel projects."

Well you KNOW that State Senator Steve Murphy was not going to stand for that comment.

State Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, said McCain "owes the state of Minnesota an apology" for exploiting the bridge collapse for political purposes

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SCREECH!!!!!! What did he just say? This coming from the man that beat Carol Molnau over the head...POLITICALLY blaming her for the collapse? This coming from the man whose one home town paper took him to task for politicizing the tragedy? THIS is rich!

Congressman Jim Oberstar....he who stood on the banks of the Mississippi River before the bodies had even been recovered DEMANDING an increase in the gas tax, also apparently took McCain to task for his comments, although I have not found a link to them yet.

But the most delicious part is yet to come. While Steve Murphy, Jim Oberstar and Keith Ellison are all excoriating Senator McCain, Sen. Barack Obama used the bridge collapse in a stump speech for political purposes....

Obama opposes it because federal gas taxes go into a highway fund for building roads and bridges.

"Remember that bridge in Minneapolis?" Obama said in Indiana last week. "We're already short on money in terms of investing."

I won't hold my breath waiting for Oberstar, Murphy and Ellison to criticize Sen. Obama. Being the hyper partisans that they are I know it will be a LONG time coming.

UPDATE: Gary Gross sent me a link to a blast from the past.

State Sen. Steve Murphy told Fox News that another bridge collapse is likely. (H/T: MDE) Here’s what Sen. Murphy said:

“We’re going to have to swallow the bitter pill, take the political hit and raise these revenues,” Murphy said, adding that another bridge collapse “is a likelihood, and we don’t want that.”

Senator Steve Murphy....politicizing the bridge collapse before it was cool.....