Thursday, June 19, 2008

I wonder as I wander

So hums Justin C. Adams this morning when he runs down the race for District 41A in Edina. He touts Kevin Staunton, the DFL candidate for the seat, and Kevin is a good candidate.

But Adams says some things about Ron Erhardt, at least by implication, that need to be corrected.

Erhardt never signed the "no new taxes" pledge, unlike our liege from the upper house, Geoff Michel. In fact, Erhardt has been a proponent of raising the gas tax for several years prior to being one of the Override Six.

And Adams implies that Staunton's "conservative opponents" will drive wedge issues. If Adams means to include Ron Erhardt in the list of "conservative opponents," he is dead flat wrong.

Erhardt is the last pro-choice Republican in the Minnesota House.

Erhardt has never supported the gay marriage ban amendment to the Minnesota Constitution.

Erhardt was unalterably opposed to conceal and carry, a stand that was quite popular in Edina, so popular, in fact, that Geoff Michel checked the political winds and changed his position on conceal and carry.

Behind Dennis Ozmet, who is retiring, Ron Erhardt is the most senior Republican in the Minnesota House.

Whether you support him or don't, you have to recognize that taking the override vote that he did on the eve of the Republican convention in District 41 was an act of political courage.

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