Senate District 15 Republican delegates, on a 38-17 initial vote, endorsed
Dan "The Ox" Ochsner for their candidate to replace outgoing St. Cloud Mayor-Elect
Dave Kleis's Minnesota Senate seat.
The endorsment gave Dan Ochsner the nod over SCSU Aviation professor Jeff Johnson, a jet aviator and former business owner, who gave a well-prepared, well-polished power-point enhanced stump speech.
Jeff Johnson was also backed by
Dan Severson, who described Johnson as "tenacious, hard driving" personality with consistent conservative values. SCSU's College Republicans also gave a resounding endorsement of Johnson (who happens to be one of their campus advisors). Johnson gave an emotional appeal for his candidacy, based curiously more on his original ideas on national security issues, such as overcoming hand-held rocket launchers employed by terrorists, avian flu, etc., (as applied to Minnesota) but touched little on Minnesota bread-and-butter issues. He did present a good idea to employ GPS technology to track sexual offenders. Johnson ended his speech with a play on emotions, with visuals citing a conversation he had with
Deena Burnett, widow of
St. John's graduate Tom Burnett, one of the heroes who went down on a flight over Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, and told of the pledge he made to Deena to fight for security issues for Minnesota.
Despite the fact that it was a very well-polished speech, and the fact that Mr. Johnson had some well-thought ideas, his focus was mostly on national issues vs. the local issues at hand. I have no doubt in my mind that he would make a viable candidate running for a national office.
Dan Ochsner was backed by Dave Kleis and Sue Ek. Kleis gave a resounding endorsement of Ochsner, saying that Ochsner has already developed working relationships with the movers and shakers in St. Paul by virtue of his
morning talk show here in St. Cloud. Ochsner is also active in the local chamber, as well as with the
Minnesota Office of Tourism. Ochsner knows and has a working relationship with the governor, as well as with many senators and congressman currently in St. Paul. Kleis characterized Ochsner as a candidate who could "hit the ground running" and could not only win in the special election (supposedly to be held on December 27), but could also hang on to the seat in the November 2006 elections. Sue Ek (endorsed GOP candidate for the seat of outgoing Minnesota 15B Representative
Joe Opatz) also gave a sound endorsement of Ochsner, noting that he was
MCCL endorsed, and emphasizing "The Ox's" consistent conservative views that he espouses day in and day out on his show.
The difference between the speaking styles of Ochsner and Johnson were night and day. Where Johnson was well-polished and professional, Ochsner presented himself as an "everyday Joe", with no spit and polish, no power point presentation, and plenty of lighthearted humor. With no podium on which to place his speech (which a reliable source states that he penned last night) "the Ox" opted to sit down at a table on the stage (which was rather refreshing in its own right). Ochsner was all business, however, in outlining the issues. He stressed his pro-life, pro marriage stance, and vowed that he would vote for anything that strengthens those issues, and vote against anything that would weaken those issues. He also expressed his support to change committee rules, so that all bills brought before the Minnesota senate would be given a due up-or-down vote, instead of being stonewalled by a powerful few. He also stated his intention to work toward tort reform in Minnesota.
Aside for the
raison d' etre for the convention, the entire compliment of GOP candidates for the U.S. 6th Congressional district were on hand to stump their stuff.
Jay Esmay gave his usual good stump speech on the notion that much like
Mark Kennedy and
John Kline, Jay could use his newcomer status to his advantage. He spoke of being "the real article", and that he would strive to combat the "obfuscation" practiced by democrats with regard to the Iraqi war and other issues. Additionally, Jay expressed that in being a newcomer, he would not need to defend any unpopular legislative decisions and could be viewed by voters as a "fresh start". In a later conversation with Jay, he confided that he feels he is the only candidate that is "allowed to be (him)self", as the other congressional candidates needed to move to the right in order to receive delegate endorsement. Esmay answered in the affirmative when asked whether he supported having access to ANWR, offshore drilling opportunities, and other domestic sources of energy.
Jim Knoblach also gave a great speech, noting how he was an "electable conservative that gets things done". Knoblach co-authored the
Minnesota Defense of Marriage Amendment (Yours truly had a hand in that, but I'll tell that story another time). Also, as the chair of the Bonding Committee, Knoblach stated that he cut 40% off of the bonding budget. In his first year as the Chairman of the powerful
Minnesota House Ways & Means Committee, Knoblach put together the 2003 budget that all but erased a 4.5 billion dollar budget deficit, "without raising taxes." Knoblach also cited his leadership on the Minnesota Republican Campaign Committee as being instrumental in giving the State of Minnesota House a Republican majority. He also emphasized his ability to win big against formidable opponents in an area that has not, at least traditionally, reliably voted republican. If elected, Knoblach vowed to tackle social security, immigration, and what he sees as the erosion of our Constitutional rights. In a later conversation, Knoblach also supported the opening of domestic sources of oil, including ANWR and offshore drilling opportunities.
Phil Krinke also made an appearance. Krinke spoke of the need to defend our civil rights, mainly our Second Amendment rights, as well as the rights of the taxpayers to have their money spent in a responsible manner. Krinke gave a stirring speech in which he related what he held was a true story in Iraq, in which a 5 year old Iraqi girl stood in the street, blocking a convoy, while holding a beanie-baby doll given to her by a U.S. Soldier. The leader of the convoy got out of the humvee, and asked her to move, several times, but the girl refused. Finally, as the story goes, the girl pointed to an IED planted in the roadway. Krinke emphasized the importance of our mission in Iraq, and the need to counteract those who would have us "cut and run". I wanted to speak with Mr. Krinke afterward, but he had left quickly after the end of the convention. It is my guess that Mr. Krinke didn't feel that his chances with these voters were good, especially since two of his challengers come from this very area.
Michelle Bachmann gave what I like to call her
"June Cleaver on steroids" speech. Now, just to set the record straight, I do not say this in a disparaging manner toward Bachmann. Sporting a "permasmile" (which I take it she gets from her very nature, which exudes unbounded energy), Bachmann touted herself as making up for those who "lack the guts to lead." Bachmann, who has raised a total of 23 foster kids, as well as her own five biological children, presented herself as a passionate pro-lifer. She touted her expertise in the tax arena, both as a state legislator and as a tax lawyer. She wants federal laws passed that would raise federal taxes only by public referendum, and she also expressed limiting the scope of the judiciary as another of her main priorities. In a private conversation later, Bachmann expressed dismay and "suprise" that Mark Kennedy was against accessing domestic sources of oil (specifically
ANWR;) even though this has long-known to be Kennedy's Achille's heel with many conservatives. Bachmann stated that she had spoken to many conservatives that were disappointed in Kennedy's stance on this issue, and told me that she personally thought that the stance was irresponsible in a time of high energy need and war. She told me that if she was elected, she would continue to press for more domestic oil production and discovery.
As I have stated before, I believe that we have a great field of candidates from which to choose, and whomever receives the final nod from delegates will serve us well. There are no bad choices in the field.
Curiously, one of the highlights of the affair was a chance to re-aquaint myself with Commander Jeff Howe, of Rockville, who just two days ago returned from a 17-month deployment in Iraq with the Minnesota National Guard.
Being the great American that he is, Commander Howe stated that it was his intention to soon take a delegation from his Unit to Mississippi, where my son happens to be currently training. Jeff wants to bring the expertise that they have enmassed in being able to spot trouble situations, as well as signs of IEDs, and relate their experience to those of the Minnesota National Guard who will soon be deploying. Howe related that although he put in the request, he was not sure if the Guard would approve the funding to be able to make it happen. I assured him that if there was anyone I could contact as a parent of a soldier to make it happen, to let me know. (I will pass this information on to my readers, as well)
Howe related that he lost a man in combat on the turret of a humvee. Howe also opined that if that Humvee was equipped with a $17,ooo electronic remote turret, that the soldier's life would probably have been spared, although he acknowledged that fitting all humvees with that technology would have been expensive. Howe did state that he believes that the current crop of humvees are as adequately armored as is currently possible, but that the technology that the terrorists are currently using to make bombs make nearly any kind of available armor practically useless, as the technology is such that the schrapnel, as he put it, virtually "melts through" the armor plating.
Howe's wife was also on hand. At the end of the festivities, Howe was thanked for his service, and his lovely bride, in tears, was grateful to have him in her arms again.
Thank you, Jeff Howe--for your brave service, and for continuing to help our soldiers' cause!
And congratulations, Dan "The Ox" Ochsner, our next Minnesota State Senator from St. Cloud!
(Filed under Elections, Heroes, Iraq)
