Correction and Clarification

Yesterday I did a post on the Star Tribune story on Rep. Ron Erhardt filing for re-election as an independent. In the comments to that post "Allie" reports that there were falsehoods in the story, but she did not indicate what inaccuracies there were. I wrote to Mark Brunswick of the Star Tribune with her allegations. While I was waiting for that clarification, "Allie" posted this letter to the Strib in my comments section...

Open on which caucus

The July 12 article "Longtime GOP Rep. Erhardt will run as an independent" states that I said that I would likely caucus with the majority DFLers if reelected. That is misleading. What I said to the reporter was that I would likely caucus with whichever party was in the majority after the fall elections.

As a moderate, I have always believed that effectively representing the interests of my constituents should take precedence over purely partisan interests. I have been able to best serve Edina citizens by working successfully with members of both political parties on issues affecting the good of all Minnesotans. That is why I am prepared to caucus with the majority, no matter which political party it happens to be.

REP. RON ERHARDT, I-EDINA

...thinking that it would vindicate "her guy". It certainly does appear that Mr. Brunswick assumed that when Rep. Erhardt said he would caucus with the majority that he meant that he would caucs with the Democrats. However, this letter gives us a window in the character of Rep. Erhardt that I don't think he or his supporters really wanted. It showed that the only thing that is important to him is being in "the majority". It is not about doing the right thing, no matter how unpopular it is (the common excuse given by some of the "Override Six" in defense of their votes). It is, for Rep. Ron Erhardt, a matter of power. If he really cared about what was "good" for the voters of Edina, he would not change who he caucuses with depending on who has the majority....he would stand up for his beliefs and his constituents no matter what. If he truly believed in what he said, he would form his own "Independent" caucus in order to bypass the "purely partisan interests".

No, this is not about anything other than power. Who has it is what matters to the so-called "moderates". Who has it and how they can ride the coat-tails of those with power.

Thanks for the insight Rep. Erhardt. It tells everyone (including those you intend to caucus with) just what your convictions really are.

UPDATE: I got a response from Mark Brunswick, Capital Reporter, from the Star Tribune. Here are his comments.

On page A2 of today's Star Tribune, there is a clarification of Erhardt's remarks. In a conversation with reporters on Friday, he said he would likely caucus with the majority party in the House, which would be the DFL at this point. In a subsequent conversation with Erhardt, he told me if the Republicans regained the majority he would attempt to caucus with them. I hope this clears up your question.

In a follow up email to that he commented.

Also to be clear, I did not rewrite any AP story and never told Erhardt that I did. I was part of the group of reporters Erhardt spoke to on Friday so any writing and reporting I did on the story was original.

Emphasis mine. So "Allie" owes Mr. Brunswick a retraction and apology for her accusations that were left in my comments. I wonder if they will be as quickly to come as Mr. Brunswick's were.

It's Been Confirmed

As was reported in the Star Tribune last Friday, today Rep. Ron Erhardt filed for re-election as an independent.

Nine-term Republican state Rep. Ron Erhardt, who failed to gain his party's endorsement after bucking the party line and voting for a state gas tax increase, said Friday that he will run for his Minnesota House seat as an independent.

Erhardt, who represents Edina, was one of six Republicans to support the gas tax increase and defy a veto by Gov. Tim Pawlenty. The six votes enabled House DFLers to override the veto and push through the state's first gas tax increase since 1988.

The Strib even confirms what many Republicans suspected....

Erhardt said he would likely caucus with the majority DFLers if reelected.

Based on his voting record, it is obvious he will be more comfortable there.

Things That Make You Go Hmm.....

Last Saturday, Michael reported that Rep. Ron Erhardt (R?-Edina) was at the 3rd CD DFL Convention last Saturday. Not only was he there, he was recognized by the assembled Democrats. Today MNBlue (HT PIM) raises an interesting question....

Last Saturday, I saw Rep. Ron Erhardt (R-Bloomington Edina) at the MN-03 convention. This is the second time I've seen him at a DFL event since the budget override. He also attended the SD41 convention at Bloomington Kennedy High School. I saw him talking to DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez last Saturday.
What do y'all think they were chatting about? The weather?It's a little late
for Ron to defect as we have an endorsed candidate Kevin Staunton running against
whoever wins the Republican primary ... if Ron's still going to run. Obviously, Brian wants DFLers to win in every district and would never do anything to weaken any DFLers chances, but I would love to be a fly on the wall if they two of them ever did meet for coffee or something like that.

I suspect that the conversion is indeed complete here. Rep. Erhardt is supposedly talking about running as an independent. We know that he is like Rep. Abeler....he feels that the HRCC "stabbed" him in the back (forgetting that the first blow was delivered when he voted AGAINST the caucus on the veto over-ride....pesky stubborn facts...). Knowing this, it would not surprise me to see Rep. Erhardt caucusing with the DFL House Caucus should he win re-election in November.

I suppose this is just one more reason to make sure that Ron Erhardt is retired from the House in November.

Overheard At The Capital

A source in the Capital told me today that Rep. Ron Erhardt (R?-Edina) will announce at the end of this Legislative session that he will run for re-election this year as an Independent. This has not been confirmed with the Representative's office but this certainly explains why his campaign website has been down for the last week.

Stay tuned to True North and Ladies Logic for updates.

My Day At The Capital

The Junior Logician has been tracking a couple of bills this session (Rep. Lesch's breed ban and Rep. Paymar's HF 2906 which is a dangerous dog ordinance) so I told him that we would try to do a day at the Capital together. Since Rep. Lesch has (apparently) tabled his breed ban and Rep. Paymar's bill is languishing in committee, we decided to go yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours. We met with our Representative, Mike Beard, and followed him to a couple of committees.

The first committee meeting we went to was Commerce. Rep. Beard had a bill in front of that Committee on Telecom regulations. Since that bill was scheduled on the committee for later, we ran to Rep. Beard's other 4pm committee meeting...Transportation. As the Junior Logician and I walked in Rep. David Bly (DFL-Northfield) was in front of the committee with a bill that was designed to allow the Met Council and the cities of Northfield, Lakeville, Burnsville and Savage to talk about whether the Dan Patch commuter rail line would be something that their communities should consider. Apparently our legislature, in their wisdom, decided that the state should be able to discuss all sorts of different rail options EXCEPT the Dan Patch Line. North Star Line...A-OK, Red Rock Line...perfect, Dan Patch - you will not speak of it!

Joining Rep. Bly was an earnest young man representing the Met Council who was making a pitch for re-opening discussion. Rep. Mary Liz Holberg (R-Lakeville) spoke against the Dan Patch Line, but she agreed that discussion should be allowed. Rep. Beard spoke in favor of opening discussion. The gentleman representing the Met Council assured the committee that no monies would be spent toward developing the line - they simply wanted to see if current freight rail corridors would be suitable for commuter rail. Sitting next to mostly silent Committee Chair Rep. Bernie Lieder was Rep. Ron. Erhardt. Rep. Erhardt launched into a tirade against his fellow Reps, throwing down a 6 year old report claiming "we have studied it and it is dead". The tirade was so bad that the Junior Logician and I both looked at each other in shock. While the erstwhile young man from the Met Council treated the assembled Representatives with the utmost respect, while Rep's Bly, Holberg and Beard spoke in calm, measured, almost hushed tones, Rep. Erhard harped and belittled and berated anyone who simply wanted to "discuss" whether this was a possibility. It got to the point where I felt sorry for both Rep. Bly and the young man from the Met Council. No one deserved that kind of treatment.

I have a hot tip for Rep. Erhardt. In the last 6 years, the south metro (Scott and Dakota Counties) have seen explosive population growth. New homes had been going up at astonishing rates. As such, the number of drivers coming out of the metro are skyrocketing. You can't have it both ways, Rep. Erhardt....if you are going to punish drivers by bumping the gas tax and demanding that we take mass transit, then you have to provide us with transit that WORKS. As I said yesterday, current light rail projects don't go from where the people are (Lakevill and Northfield) to where the wayt to go (Minneapolis). If a commuter in Lakeville has to drive from their home to Burnsville to catch a bus (as they do today) what is to incent them to not drive the rest of the way! We need transit that works in the south metro Rep. Erhardt. Stiffling discussion on all options does no one any good.

What the Junior Logician walked away with yesterday is that politics stinks when people are allowed to get away with bad behavior because they have "seniority". I walked away with the knowledge that forcing "transit" on the masses is great....as long as it doesn't come through your back yard - as the Dan Patch Line does for Rep. Erhardt.