The lies Republicans tell each other in SD57

Down here, south of the river, in MN SD57B, which is Coates, Rosemount and a portion of Apple Valley, our local state Representative, Anna Wills (R), plays a little loose with truth.

Now for a Representative who is quick to identify as a follower of Jesus the Christ you might think lying might be out of bounds.

But lying is a strong term so let’s use …. hmmmm….. “puffing” instead.

Puffing is when you play loose with a truth. Let’s say you took a few AP classes in high school. Then later, when you have reason to develop a resume, you might jade the truth and say you attended the sponsoring college when in truth you took an AP course, possibly even at home as part of a homeschooling program. That might be construed as puffing.

So our Rep Wills sent out a financial beg letter. Let us examine some of her statements.

She opens with gusto,

“The radical Left has been attacking me relentlessly!”

Poor thing, maybe a dozen letters over the course of two years in the local papers suggesting she let the electorate down on some particular issue. Relentless is a bit of overkill, or shall we say puffing.

“The truth is that our state has incredible potential, but we are not achieving it.”

Gee, two years ago this GOP crowd shut down the government altogether. Since they’ve been out of the majority we haven’t had to shut down, borrow from the schools or seen our state credit rating slip. There’s some puffing here since the truth got buried under the implication the GOP alone can achieve that potential.

“For a lifelong Minnesotan and Republican like me, it is very difficult to see Governor Mark Dayton and the DFL-controlled legislature tax, spend, and regulate away our opportunities.”

Well actually Ms. Wills you align with the Tea Party and Liberty Caucus. No less an individual than your local Tea Party organizer Leslie Henschel said the Tea Party is not Republican at all. You should know, you were their key speaker some weeks back. They aren’t Republicans, ergo neither are you.

Here’s Leslie’s quote “Some people think the Tea Party is Republicans — we’re not. We’re non-partisan.” So you’re really not a lifelong Republican, you’re just posing as one. 

Now if your argument is that zero taxes, zero spending and zero regulations could and would guarantee full opportunity for all well maybe some of us would be swayed. But that’s the third world type of thing you’re invoking and most of us don’t want to live that third world life you and the GOP seem to salivate over.

“But, it fuels the fire in me to do what is right – to do my part to turn this around.”

Wow, some real puffing there, apparently we’re doing everything wrong, and it has put you on fire. I guess it was indeed all for the good to shut down the government, try and cut over 200,000 Minnesotans off from the courts and fiscally starve the school districts. Those were the right things per your statement, lower unemployment, a strong manufacturing base and lots of newly insured people were the wrong things to do.

“I’m counting on you, because I am a top target for defeat. Here’s why:

I am a freshman legislator who won in 2012, a year that liberals won big in our state.

I won in a district that elected a DFL State Senator for the first time in over a decade. [your district is +7 Republican Ms. Wills, you were expected to win, that would have been a brag in a DFL leaning district, here it is just puffing]

I have a solid conservative voting record and have been active in authoring bills.

I oppose ObamaCare, which flies in the face of Democrats’ ‘war on women’ accusations. [guess you showed us, whoa!]

I am a Christian, a homeschool  graduate, and pro-2nd Amendment, pro-life Republican.

It’s clear why Democrats want me gone – and they’ll throw every trick in the book at me to defeat me.”

Well now Ms. Wills, as a Christian, is this really fair, are you puffing here? Lying to people is a dirty trick, misrepresenting a thing, that is a dirty trick. Have you considered the possibility you are guilty here of your own accusations?

“My well-funded, liberal opponent has opened an office in downtown Rosemount. The attacks will undoubtedly increase in intensity, but – with your help – I will be ready to answer them.”

Your most recent CFB report suggests you have ~$29k versus your opponent with under $9k. Puffing, no, this is an outright lie. And moreover you have large donations from the ever so put upon private sector employers, who, having insufficient funds to pay taxes or employees have ample cash to help your ilk get into government.

“With your help, I’ll be able to expand my communication strategy to present our common-sense conservative message to voters throughout our area.”

You already have three times as much money. Common sense is not really all that common. This should have been taught you on your mother’s knee.

“From the $153 million spent on the MNsure boondoggle to raising taxes by $2.1 billion to brag about a budget surplus…”

You’d rather brag about the deficits when the GOP was in control?

“From spending more money on an office building for themselves than on Minnesota roads to taxing corporations so much that they leave the state…”

Well the Medtronic thing is about Federal taxation and loopholes put in during who knows administration and congress. Republicans will also be sitting in the new building. Unless of course it is possible to designate it as a DFL only building in which case the lie would be demoted to a puffing.

“I have experience working in the private sector and I have felt first-hand how high taxes, overregulation, and red tape hold Minnesota businesses back.”

C’mon, you worked at McDonalds. A shift supervisor or some such thing. You just turned 30 years old. Huffing yourself as a weary and beleaguered business person, bound by regulation, and weary of the red tape is a long stretch even for you. Puff, puff, puff. And why only the concern for businesses? Oh yeah, you’re a Chamber of Commerce shill. Trickle down and all that.

“Which is exactly why liberals want me gone!”

Finally, a fact, no huff, no puff. It’s true, we’d like to see you go away. We’d like to see someone with critical thinking skills.

It is a +7 Republican district Ms. Wills. You should be able to run on zero dollars.

You certainly seem to be huffing and bordering on lies to Republicans to get a few bucks out of their pockets. Not a very Christian thing to do indeed.

But the real transgression here Ms. Wills is that this is a form letter. Ms. Mack on the A side sent out pretty much an identical letter. So these are not even your own personal words. And that is yet another form of puffing.

Please quit lying puffing to us. It might establish some credibility.