Daily Archives: October 26, 2010

Rand Paul Rally Head Smasher was Local Campaign Coordinator

Uncategorized,

The man who stomped on the head of a woman at a Rand Paul campaign event has been identified, and it is a person close to Paul and involved in the campaign. He was one of several campaign workers who seemingly premeditated the attack, part of which was recently caught on videotape.

i-29c9d546b72e6bfe7d83b395be255b6c-Assailant_Tim_Profitt_and_Teabagger_Rand_Paul.jpg

Assailant Tim Profitt, who works for Rand Paul, and Rand Paul.

Here are more details, from the woman who was wrestled to the ground and stomped on by Tim Profitt, who has been identified as one of Paul’s local campaign coordinators (a volunteer position). These are the words of the stompee herself, Lauren Valle:

Continue reading Rand Paul Rally Head Smasher was Local Campaign Coordinator →

Clarence Thomas’s GF confirms Anita Hill’s allegations

Uncategorized

In principle, if not in detail:

Lillian McEwen was that woman.

At the time, she was on good terms with Thomas. The former assistant U.S. attorney and Senate Judiciary Committee counsel had dated him for years, even attending a March 1985 White House state dinner as his guest. She had worked on the Hill and was wary of entering the political cauldron of the hearings. She was never asked to testify, as then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), who headed the committee, limited witnesses to women who had a “professional relationship” with Thomas.

Now, she says that Thomas often said inappropriate things about women he met at work — and that she could have added her voice to the others, but didn’t.

The story

Hat tip: Virgil Samms

Who should be Anoka county Attorney?

Uncategorized

I have looked at the records, statements, and endorsements of the two candidates running for the open Anoka County Attorney’s office, to determine which I should support and, indeed, endorse on this blog. And I’m stuck.

It is a hard decision because both candidates have impressive backgrounds. Of the two candidates, Brad Johnson of Coon Rapids (currenly an assistant Hennepin County Attorney) and Tony Palumbo of Blaine (an assistant Anoka County Attorney) both have diverse and impressive experience as prosecutors. Johnson is the lead in the complex crimes unit for Hennepin County, though he’s only done that for a few years. In addition, Johnson has extra experience in while collar crime prosecution, something we will be seeing more of a need of as the current mortgage crisis develops into it’s next stage when it becomes realized that the banks are more responsible for this than the home owners, in many cases. Palumbo has been a prosecutor for over three decades, and has done so in Anoka County.

Palumbo has endorsements from business, labor, and law enforcements. He has considerable and divers experience, including an appointment by the Minnesota Supreme Court as chair of the of the 21st Bar District Ethics Committee. He is also an actor, which somehow makes him a more interesting candidate.

Johnson has connections to some attorneys and politicians whom I respect, including Humphrey and Freeman (they were dorm mates of dad’s) and Mike Freeman, who “lured Brad Johnson from private practice in North Carolina back to Minnesota, assigning him to prominent cases that have included the land-condemnation case involving property needed to build the Twins’ new Target Field*” and who seems to be endorsing him.

Johnson’s dad, of course, hired Palumbo out of law school.

I’m not the only person having a hard time deciding this one.

For many county workers, picking sides could prove awkward. Dick Lang, a five-term Anoka County commissioner, says “the most important thing for a county attorney with a big staff is how they can deal with people.”

Lang says both men “are very capable.” He praised Palumbo’s knowledge and experience and then added, “I think Brad, possibly, is the same way.”

Anybody want to help me out here?