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ANOTHER BAD PRESS DAY FOR ELLISON
By Michael B. Brodkorb | August 16, 2006
KSTP aired a story at 10 p.m. about Keith Ellison's tax problem. Is this the end?
"However, those three factors will not mean squat if there are any more credible allegations about Ellison. Should any more bad news about Ellison surface — particularly if it comes from anybody but Ellison himself — then stick a fork in him, because he will be done, and rightfully so." Source: Minnesota Spokeman-Recorder, August 13, 2006
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36 Responses to “ANOTHER BAD PRESS DAY FOR ELLISON”
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August 16th, 2006 at 11:50 AM
I almost feel bad for Dave Colling. It can’t be any fun running a campaign that can’t avoid disclosure of embarassing facts about it’s candidate. Chalk up one more “DFL Endorsed” Candidate who won’t be the one on the ballot in November.
August 16th, 2006 at 11:54 AM
So the guy from the “Tax the Rich” (read: almost everyone) party has a history of not paying his own taxes.
I love it!
The big question remains: Will Hatch and Klobuchar step in and help someone else, or will they continue to support this crook Ellison through the Primary?
August 16th, 2006 at 12:09 PM
If he drops, where does his support go?
August 16th, 2006 at 12:29 PM
Luckily, we won’t have to hear much more bad press about Ellison after the Sept. 12 primary, when he will lose badly to Ember Reichgott-Junge.
August 16th, 2006 at 12:45 PM
He has to withdraw. How can an individual who willfully refuses to pay his taxes legitimately run to be a United States Congressman? Even worse, he INTENTIONALLY LIED ABOUT IT! Several months ago he said that his tax problems were the result problems created by starting his own law firm.
http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/2006/05/15/ellisons-memory-clears-about-his-previous-tax-problems/
In reality, when he first started ignoring his taxes, he was a highly paid associate at the Twin Cities law firm of Lindquist and Vennum. For anyone who questions the accuracy of that assertion, check the “bio” section of Ellison’s own website. It says that from 1990-1993 he worked at the Minneapolis law firm of Lindquist and Vennum. Last night, channel 5 news displayed a document showing that Ellison’s first unpaid tax obligation is from 1992.
Failing to pay taxes as a high paid lawyer = AWFUL. Lying about it = EVEN WORSE.
August 16th, 2006 at 1:09 PM
This is old old news. The Star Tribune revealed the tax lien issues back in May, and repeated it in later articles with other recycled dirt from professional dirt dwellers (most specifically Michael B). KSTP is apparently just trying to create a sensation while pursuing its rightwing agenda.
August 16th, 2006 at 1:12 PM
Wait, I thought the TaxPayers League were the tax dodgers.
August 16th, 2006 at 1:22 PM
“Highly paid” and “associate” do not belong in the same sentence. Consider that his student loans were kicking in about then, too. Everything (parking at a meter instead of a ramp, unpaid tickets, unpaid taxes) can be explained by living beyond his means and having it catch up to him. The only question is whether he played the race card or the politician card to get out of some of these obligations.
August 16th, 2006 at 1:54 PM
The issue isn’t even the tax lien, that is the consequence of not obeying the law. The story is that he failed to file his personal income tax. This is new, the other finance problem was from his business and the campaign. It just keeps on coming. If the mainstream media doesn’t research and play this out (and I know your reading this MSM). Do your job. DO YOUR JOB. We know that Rochelle is lazy. But there are others that will research this story. I believe in the profession of journalism. Excerpts from the Journalist’s creed:
“I believe that the public journal is a public trust; that all connected with it are, to the full measure of their responsibility, trustees for the public; that acceptance of a lesser service than the public service is betrayal of this trust.
I believe that suppression of the news, for any consideration other than the welfare of society, is indefensible.”
August 16th, 2006 at 2:03 PM
If Channel 5 were to learn of the parking tickets and do a story on that, would it constitute “another bad day?”
This is old news being rehashed by a station not known for their dedication to reporting the news in a timely manner.
August 16th, 2006 at 2:14 PM
I believe that even if this was a woman, the press, the party, and the public would think she needed to step down, and they would make her do it. Entenza had to step down for far less deeds. This person not only lied to the government and the people, but went above and beyond by not obeying laws.
August 16th, 2006 at 2:15 PM
Liberal Scandal Response Progression:
1. First, always deny.
2. Next: `My enemies are digging up this dirt’
3. Follow with `Everybody does it’
4. Then say `it wasn’t my fault’
5. Finally: `It’s old news’
August 16th, 2006 at 2:35 PM
“KSTP is apparently just trying to create a sensation while pursuing its rightwing agenda.”
KSTP is the station that lead off their news one night last year about the scandel that a car owned by a Republican staffer had a green bumper sticker on it that said “He’s dead. Get over it”.
Okay, I gave you an example of a left wing agenda by that station. Your turn.
August 16th, 2006 at 2:35 PM
So, if I accuse Rod Grams of being a bad parent because his kid was arrested for all that stuff in New Mexico, you are not going to use the defense that it is old news?
August 16th, 2006 at 2:41 PM
Perhaps if Ellison didn’t have enough money to pay his taxes, he should be more careful with his parking and driving habits. It seems to me that Ellison has developed a habit of making bad decisions.
As someone who usually votes Republican, I should be supporting Ellison since he would probably be the least effective representative in the House. I just can’t do that, though.
August 16th, 2006 at 3:41 PM
Let’s see – so many parking tickets, his license is suspended; refusal to accept certified letters and failure to appear in court after being personally served; now not paying taxes to the point where liens are filed by both the State and the IRS. I want a person of integrity who obeys the law to represent me in Congress. Ellison will never get my vote.
I want someone with experience and integrity – that’s why I’m voting for Ember Reichgott Junge who served brilliantly in the state senate for 18 years – Remember Ember in September!
August 16th, 2006 at 3:53 PM
My theory is that he risks letting his parking meter expire because he can’t afford to park in the Hennepin County ramp. No cash and his credit is maxed, thus the parking meter is a form of credit — park now and pay later.
August 16th, 2006 at 4:00 PM
Wow — This is great. It’s hilarious to watch the Ellison toadies struggle to justify behavior that would disqualify someone from an assistant manager position at WalMart. Even 16 year old stoners who work at the local record shop pay their taxes. That’s why they call it a 1040 “EZ.”
I especially like Peter’s suggestion that it’s ok for someone with a big law firm salary to skip the whole “taxes thing” because they were “living beyond their means.” Ahh, doesn’t that make them ridiculously irresponsible?
Gut check time boys. Ellison is so bad he has the potential to bring all the other DFL candidates down with him.
If he had any integrity, he would withdraw. Time to reevaluate your support for THE WORST local DFL nominee in recent memory.
August 16th, 2006 at 4:01 PM
Go Leiberman! I mean Ember! I mean . . . . oh just forget it.
August 16th, 2006 at 4:37 PM
Not making excuses. Just suggesting that it is a different character flaw than what you are accusing him of. Not living within his means is an explanation for most of the problems.
It does not explain his work with the City, Inc. and his activities after the murder of police officer Jerry Haaf, though. And then there is the Nation of Islam stuff.
August 16th, 2006 at 4:55 PM
I’m so puzzled and saddened about the support he receives on a political level. I can totally understand friends supporting him on a personal level and helping him out financially or spiritually due to his past associations and problems. But this is about sending a person to Washington to make laws.
August 16th, 2006 at 5:05 PM
“I am praying that Castro does not get to the point where he has to really barter with these guys over here because they’re going to get Assata Shakur, they’re going to get a whole lot of other people, they just want to get them so badly. They just want to throw them away. And so, I hope the Cuban people can stick to it because the freedom of some good decent people depends on it.”
Keith Ellison Feb. 2000
August 16th, 2006 at 5:15 PM
Any viable Republican candidate would have withdrawn months ago with Ellison’s track record, but the difference is he is a Democrat.
He resonates as a “victim”; personal responsibility is NOT an admired Democratic virtue.
He knows the path of the “downtrodden”.Let’s let him dangle in the wind for all to see. This case vividly illustrates the difference between the parties.
August 16th, 2006 at 6:55 PM
Good job Roving, when you cannot defend your guy any longer, you mention Rod Grams’ kid. How can you compare (1) not paying your taxes; (2) not paying your parking tickets; (3) not keeping your house to code; (4) not filing your campaign reports on time to having a 20 something kid go off and do something stupid?
I’m waiting for Ellison to blame the Jewish media like Cynthia McKinney did. Keep an eye out for the New Black Panther Party.
August 16th, 2006 at 7:05 PM
Why even try to justify or rationalize Ellison’s parking tickets? Is it really about money? There are lots not far from the government buildings where you can park for $3 a day. There are ramps connected to the government buildings by skyway and tunnel where you can park for $9 a day. If money is really the issue, frequent bus service is available between Ellison’s house and downtown for about $2.50 a day roundtrip.
I don’t think it’s about money. I think somewhere in all this Ellison thinks he’s above the law.
August 16th, 2006 at 8:30 PM
Peter S.
Thanks for bringing up Jerry Haaf, City Inc., and The Nation of Islam. I don’t think the public is sufficiently informed on this.
August 16th, 2006 at 9:02 PM
I think that I addressed this in some other comment. When you are a lawyer, you have to dress a certain way, drive a certain type of car, etc. This is hard to do when your student loans are kicking in and you are just starting out. Doesn’t excuse it, but it is a common thread through the troubles we have heard about these last few weeks.
August 16th, 2006 at 10:10 PM
Wow, these Republicans have never been late on their taxes?
I betcha there are plenty of regular Minnesotans that have been late on their taxes and gotten a few parking tickets. Can’t get a spot in the garage, have to park on the street, get stuck in court…
These tax problems were cleaned up years ago. Have there been any recent tax problems? Not according to the Ellison campaign person I spoke to tonight.
So lets go into the way-way-back-machine, shall we? What old dirt can we dig up on Bush, Cheney, and their neo-cons? Remember, no dirt is too old!
August 16th, 2006 at 10:16 PM
Peter:
Are you at home, sitting in your PJ’s, and watching Boston Legal reruns while fantasizing about what it must be like to be a lawyer? Because you appear to be living in a fantasy world. The only thing that you “have to do” when you are a lawyer is buy a suit or two in case you need it. The OTHER thing you “have to do” is live by a code of professional ethics. OOOOPS. Guess Boston Legal didn’t mention that aspect of the profession, huh? (And yes, in case you were wondering, Keith totally screwed the pooch on that one too).
By the way, let me explain this situation to you in a clear manner so that you can begin to understand. It is obviously taking you awhile. Keith did not screw up because he did not having enough money to cover the bill. He didn’t even file his return! For all he knew, the IRS owed him money.
Haven’t you ever heard of a payment plan? Arranging for the IRS to deduct a shortfall from the return of a subsequent year. Changing the withholding on your W-2′s? Picking up a telephone? Do you know how many different things you have to do wrong, and how many notices you have to willfully ignore, before the IRS will jump through the hoops required to slap a lien on someone’s house and car? Jeez man, lay off the sauce.
Of course, why should Keith pay attention to trivial matters like THE LAW. He can ignore it forever as long as there will be bootlickers like you to pick up the slack for him, not matter what he does.
August 17th, 2006 at 12:07 AM
Chris-
I was making a point to the person who said people on our side of the political spectrum are defending his actions by calling it old news.
Channel 5 rehashed old news, and yet Michael is pretending it is new. I simply asked the question that if we are not allowed to use that defense, should it be a problem if we rehash Morgan Grams as well? I mean, if that jackhole truly believes what he/she is writing, then all past transgressions belong on the table, no matter how completley they were dealt with at the time of the incident.
Wouldn’t you say?
August 17th, 2006 at 6:18 AM
BradleyM:
We will have to agree to disagree on which one of us is living in a fantasy world. There probably are some lawyers who can get away with riding the bus and “buying a suit or two in case you need it.” My own experience (before getting sauced in my pajamas and watching Boston Legal reruns — is that show syndicated already?) is different. Keith worked at a large firm (L&V) and then started his own firm. Maybe his experience was similar to yours, Bradley, I don’t know.
As I have said before, I think that there are more disturbing things Keith must answer for.
August 17th, 2006 at 8:53 AM
Roving,
How are the actions of a grown child the fault of the parent? How do you know it was Rod Grams’ fault that his kid got messed up and not the fault of the mother, who by the way was an alcoholic?
You’re scraping the bottom of the barrel when you have to bring up the Grams case while defending Ellison. There is no comparison. Keith Ellison has a pattern of not following the law. I’m actually surprised he has been able to keep his law license.
August 17th, 2006 at 11:20 PM
Seems to me he paid his tickets and his taxes. Never parked downtown, and had a ticket? Never late on your taxes?
Betcha a lot of regular Minnesotans understand it.
Besides, Keith apologized for being late on those tickets. Get over it already.
Your president has been illegally wiretapping Americans, while lying about it to the public. He’s been torturing POWs, ignoring the Geneva Conventions.
Get some perspective.
August 18th, 2006 at 6:29 PM
OMG, Brian! Did you just compare the captured Al Qaeda terrorists to our Prisoners of War???!!!??? You are an even bigger moron than I even thought.
August 19th, 2006 at 9:44 PM
If we don’t know their status for sure, they should be treated as POWs until we can find out.
So says the Supreme Court of the USA.
Unless trumped by King George, of course.
August 28th, 2006 at 10:16 AM
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