Anyhoo, the GOP has gone so far as to issue a talking points memo about Ritchie<\/a>, with such shocking revelations as:<\/p>\n Truly, these are dizzying allegations, which have been summarized neatly<\/a> by local GOP mouthpiece and Strib <\/em>columnist Katherine Kersten, and by “summarized” I mean “repeated verbatim.” Kersten spends paragraph after paragraph detailing these shocking allegations of a partisan Democrat being a partisan Democrat, before leading up to her big conclusion:<\/p>\n Thus far, Ritchie has shown no evidence of misconduct. But many Minnesotans are questioning the openness and transparency of the vote tally that just ended.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n That’s right! There’s no evidence that Mark Ritchie has done anything but operate a fair and above-board process; indeed, today he appointed the canvassing board<\/a>, and included on it such crazed liberals as Chief Justice Eric Magnusson and Justice G. Barry Anderson, both appointees of Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican.<\/p>\n Sure, but look at this photographic evidence that Ritchie is a Democrat, ganked from Mikey Brodkorb:<\/p>\n Shocking! A DFLer who supported DFL-endorsed candidates! Franken’s predecessor, Mary Kiffmeyer, never would have done such a thing. She was totally moderate and non-partisan all the time. Right?<\/p>\n Oh.<\/p>\n But still, that aside, Kiffmeyer was a totally above-board player, right<\/a>?<\/p>\n The head of the DFL Party on Wednesday accused Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer of playing partisan politics<\/strong> in brochures her office printed up to explain Minnesota\u2019s precinct caucuses.<\/p>\n The brochures say the caucuses will be held Tuesday, March 7. That\u2019s true for the Republican, Reform and Constitution parties. But the DFL, for the first time, will hold its precinct meetings the following weekend in an effort to improve attendance.<\/p>\n DFL chair Mike Erlandson said that Kiffmeyer, a Republican, was trying \u201cto politicize a democratic process that\u2019s intended to be accessible to all Minnesotans.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Ah. Yes. That’s right. Kiffmeyer was a partisan hack — which is why the GOP is as freaked out as they are. The Republicans are all about projection, and they know darn well that Mary Kiffmeyer would be working overtime to put her thumb on the scales, if only she had the chance. The idea that Mark Ritchie might value the state above his party never crosses their minds — he’s obviously guilty, evidence be damned.<\/p>\n Incidentally, while reading the GOP’s state stenographer<\/a> lose his mind in ALLCAPS, it’s important to remember that Mike Brodkorb is far from a neutral observer:<\/a><\/p>\n Since her failed re-election bid, Kiffmeyer has appeared more concerned with her legacy than she is with a smooth handover to Ritchie, who takes office next month. The paranoid election official even told The Fargo Forum in November she plans to have a Capitol Security officer accompany her on a pre-departure walkthrough of her office to \u201cprotect my record and my reputation\u201d against \u201cany potential false claim.\u201d<\/p>\n After thinking it over, however, it appears Kiffmeyer decided a Capitol Security officer can\u2019t really provide good political cover. After all, the security force is non-partisan, which doesn\u2019t play to her strengths. Instead the vanquished secretary of state called in the Republican cavalry \u2013 in the form of Michael Brodkorb, of Minnesota Democrats Exposed fame.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t take long for the high-profile disinformation specialist to begin his campaign to \u201cdefend\u201d Kiffmeyer\u2019s record by impugning Ritchie\u2019s.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my opinion, Ritchie did not seem prepared to discuss the transition nor was he versed in the functions of the Secretary of State\u2019s (O)ffice,\u201d Brodkorb opined shortly before noon Thursday.<\/p>\n What\u2019s his basis for that judgment? Brodkorb has been a very successful political operative for more than a decade, but nowhere on his Web site\u2019s \u201cAbout Me\u201d page is there information that would indicate he has anything more than a cursory knowledge of the Secretary of State\u2019s Office \u2013 unless peddling propaganda for Mark Kennedy can somehow be construed as comparable to overseeing elections statewide.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It’s simple, though. To Mike and his fellow partisans on the right, all DFLers are unqualified, partisan boobs until proven otherwise. The real story of today — that Ritchie appears to have appointed a fair, ideologically balanced canvassing board with ties directly to the head of Minnesota’s GOP — is lost in the screaming about how Ritchie’s party affiliation disqualifies him from serving his state. If\u00a0the right\u00a0wants to argue that the Secretary of State’s office should be truly nonpartisan, then fine — I’ll be the first one in line to back that proposal. But the right doesn’t object to partisanship in the Secretary of State’s office — they object to Democrats in the Secretary of State’s office. Partisan Republicans who went on to fundraise for anti-Catholic preachers<\/a>? Totally fine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You have to hand it to the modern Republican Party. Most candidates facing a recount would be quietly going about their business, lining up their legal advisors, maybe making a few points about what they view as important in the … Continue reading \n
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