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Peter Swanson

Golden Valley, MN
Commenter for
5 years 8 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 04/14/11 at 02:07 pm in response to Blue Cross Minnesota suspends KDWB ads over Hmong song

Blue Cross wants them to be "sincere and accountable." Accountable? Yes. Sincere? Probably not.

The first apology is probably what they meant in their hearts. Anything subsequent to that is just pressure from advertisers. In a free society, KDWB can say what it wants on the air (except certain curse words) and those offended can protest to listeners and advertisers. So far, so good. But the idea that economic pressure will result in sincere soul searching is nonsense.

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Posted on 04/11/11 at 04:18 pm in response to Republican budget roadmap is from 'fantasyland'

Is it possible that Ryan is courageous AND you also disagree with his approach? What makes it courageous is that it deals with problems that will happen after he is long gone from public office. He is touching the "third rail" of politics even though it will not help him or his party at the ballot box in the near term.

Now if his numbers are bad, or his proposal is too draconian in cuts, that makes it a bad plan. That does NOT make him any less courageous.

Posted on 03/18/11 at 08:18 am in response to Whoa! What's this? A GOP-backed tax increase?

YOU: "...conservative commentator Juan Williams."

ME: Really? "Conservative"?

Posted on 03/25/11 at 01:58 pm in response to Minnesota Public Radio attacks KSTP's 'Welfare Waste' series -- who's right?

John Clawson (#9),

1. I didn't say "federal" tax dollars, I just said tax dollars.

2. Some people like the KSTP report, others like the MPR report. Each one has a perspective. In one case, however, your tax dollars directly or indirectly support the reporting.

3. "KSTP/Swanson evil eye of resentment" - Always list Swanson's name first, even for evil things!

Posted on 03/17/11 at 09:21 pm in response to Minnesota Public Radio attacks KSTP's 'Welfare Waste' series -- who's right?

1. Can one purchase "convenience-store food," other than chips and candy, at a liquor store?

2. In this battle between MPR and KSTP, which one is supported by your tax dollars?

Posted on 03/08/11 at 08:59 pm in response to 'Blogger trial of century' produces pro-journalist ruling

One more thing: That "rookie" lawyer won an important legal ruling on a motion.

Posted on 03/08/11 at 08:12 pm in response to 'Blogger trial of century' produces pro-journalist ruling

I was not present in the courtroom, but even if I were, I would be careful about questioning the competence of the defense attorney. He might be satisfied with the answer. Here are Irving Younger's Ten Commandments of Cross Examination:

# Be brief.
# Short questions, plain words.
# Always ask leading questions.
# Don't ask a question to which you do not know the answer.
# Listen to the witness' answers.
# Don't quarrel with the witness.
# Don't...

Posted on 03/08/11 at 08:57 pm in response to Ellison says Pawlenty has 'no connection' to his blue collar roots

This relies on the belief that GOP positions hurt the poor. The belief may be true or false, but a person can belong to either party and still be trying to support the poor.

The Teamsters (I assume that's the union membership of his father we are talking about) have supported Republicans in some elections in the past, so there is no big shock, here. Pawlenty was coming of age right as the Reagan Republicans (often ethnic, blue-collar union members) became a political force.

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Posted on 02/24/11 at 03:05 pm in response to The Republican Party and the F-word

I should mention that Jonah Goldberg has written extensively on the F-word. If you get beyond the title of his book (aren't we supposed to move beyond labels), he has some really good history and insight.

http://www.nationalreview.com/liberal-fascism

No Eric, Jonah is not going to give you a link. Conservatives are hip to that trick!

Posted on 02/16/11 at 10:47 pm in response to Obama's re-election prospects in historical perspective, with an intriguing historical tendency

Dan Hintz (#11),

Please provide a source for "under any method of counting." I am particularly interested in the "any" part. You go further than Eric Black, who qualifies it with reference to overvotes and undervotes, but does not specify dimples, etc.

And one more minor point. You imply that Gore would have lost had his recount request been granted. Yet the Supremes "screwed" him by preventing his requested recount from going forward. Hm.