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chuck holtman

minneapolis, MN
Commenter for
3 years 41 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 01/27/11 at 10:01 am in response to Kiffmeyer unveils Photo ID bill as battle over election law changes begins

No, Myles ... there's clearly a problem that needs this solution: too many poor people exercising their franchise. (And another problem: the risk that folks might start thinking about the REAL obstacles to a democracy worthy of its name.)

Posted on 01/26/11 at 06:25 pm in response to Kiffmeyer unveils Photo ID bill as battle over election law changes begins

Focusing like a laser on jobs and the economy.

Posted on 01/24/11 at 10:47 am in response to Northstar's rough start shouldn't derail Southwest LRT

It is the difference between spending and investment, the latter even more important in recessionary times. We begin decades behind metropolitan areas with efficient mass transit, and pay for it every day. A light rail investment should be based on our collective civic judgment of what a vibrant and sustainable region will look like in 2035, not on how many people rode Northstar last year.

Posted on 01/20/11 at 05:25 pm in response to Obama leads Bachmann 51-33 in early head-to-head poll

Among white voters, they are essentially even (42-39).

I agree with Mr Tester. That Mr Obama only gets 51% against a relatively unknown (and deeply unserious) congressperson, and runs even with her among the palefolk, is embarrassing.

Not for Mr Obama.

I weep for my country, and particularly (and literally) for my own daughters.

Posted on 01/20/11 at 11:27 am in response to Minnesota and nuclear power

Myles (#4), the point in your deduction where I would take issue is that "green" options are "insufficient to meet our needs." I don't think that can be said, because we have never sought, as a society, to determine what our "needs" are. There is a reason why we consume so much energy (and why China and India will dwarf our consumption before long), and it doesn't have to do with "needs" or quality of life.

Posted on 01/20/11 at 11:14 am in response to Obamacare is 'crown jewel of socialism,' says Bachmann

"Screamer" or not, anyone who continues to refer to Mr Obama or his agenda as "socialist" is admitting that she is not a serious person with any interest in cogent public discourse, but is just an opportunist in the business of confusing the susceptible for her own purposes. Can we at least start drawing these sort of lines? They will help us dispense with silly notions such as trying to find "bipartisan" solutions or "common ground" with those who have no actual interest in sound...

Posted on 01/14/11 at 12:32 pm in response to Bill would create 'Choose Life' license plates

I recall something about an Establishment Clause, but maybe that one isn't in there any longer. I'll have to go watch the recent congressional reading of the Constitution and check back on that.

Posted on 01/12/11 at 06:12 pm in response to Tucson tragedy: What it means for Pawlenty and Palin

Eric: I would like to offer a serious caution to you and your colleagues. In assessing Mr Pawlenty's candidacy, the parallel to GW Bush is startling. Mr Bush's strategists fabricated a "record" for him, as well as an identity (nice guy, fun to drink a beer with) that he could pull off. The media and the opposition party (such as it is) in Texas, i.e., those who could inform the rest of the country about Mr Bush's actual personality and performance as governor, were so caught up in home-...

Posted on 01/10/11 at 05:20 pm in response to Republicans roll out first jobs bills

Ms Lahammer -
I have not read the bills, but from your description they deal with lowering taxes and making regulation less effective. The relation between these actions and job creation is unproven at best; many would say that their effect on infrastructure, workforce readiness, quality of life and the rest will make the state less attractive to employers. So in the interest of journalistic scrupulousness, shouldn't your headline resist the spin of calling them "jobs" bills?

Posted on 01/10/11 at 11:47 am in response to Arizona shootings stun Minnesota lawmakers

Mssrs Larson (#4/#5): Though your comments purport self-evidence, I fear they are inscrutable to me. The 9-year-old that was killed might have been one of my daughters, who face the prospect of life in a much uglier world due in large part to intentional political strategies. I am angry for this. It is not enough to say the human soul is dark and unfathomable and to wring our hands. It is not disrespectful to the victims to take seriously the question of what caused this to happen, to...