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PIONEER PRESS: “THEIR PEERS FORGIVE BUT DWIS HAUNT LAWMAKERS”
By Michael B. Brodkorb | May 29, 2007
"Shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday, Minnesota Senate President James Metzen was caught on a road Minnesota lawmakers have driven before: He was arrested for drunken driving. South St. Paul police say they spotted him weaving between lanes on U.S. 52 Tuesday morning, two hours after the Legislature adjourned for the year. According to police reports, his blood alcohol level was 0.15, well above the state's drunken-driving threshold of 0.08. 'I plan to be accountable for my actions,' Metzen, DFL-South St. Paul, wrote to Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller. 'I am truly sorry for my lapse of judgment.' If he is convicted, that accountability may last a while. According to others in the Legislature who have been caught driving drunk, the aftermath is long and traumatic." Source: Pioneer Press, May 29, 2007 Click here for complete story.
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36 Responses to “PIONEER PRESS: “THEIR PEERS FORGIVE BUT DWIS HAUNT LAWMAKERS””
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May 29th, 2007 at 12:37 PM
You know, everybody overlooked Bill Janklow’s poor driving too. Then all of a sudden it became not so funny anymore.
May 29th, 2007 at 12:37 PM
An interesting pattern develops in this story. Democrats drive drunk, the Legislature does nothing of substance about it (even after Bob Johnson tallys 3 DWI’s in one summer), and those who vote Democrat dutifully return them to office.
Then there’s this gem:
“Legislators are, the last I checked, human. They make mistakes just like everybody else, and we’ve all made mistakes,” said former Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe, DFL-Erskine.
Since driving drunk is, in fact, a criminal act, substitute the words “committed crimes” for “make mistakes”. “We” do not all commit crimes, Roger.
Although in your circles, I can see how you’d make that mistake.
May 29th, 2007 at 12:46 PM
I must disagree with this statement made by Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon:
“People have problems in their lives. They use bad judgment …” she said. “Once you atone for it, it is time to move on.”
Doesn’t it make sense that bad judgment should be taken into account when evaluating a persons fitness for a particular office? To forgive/forget /”move on from” all the “bad” things and remember only the “good” sounds like a recipe for poor representation.
May 29th, 2007 at 1:04 PM
It is estimated that 1 in 8 Minnesota adults have a DWI on their record. Did those people lose their job when that happened? As long as he admitted his guilt, admitted he may have a problem and did not get special treatment the only real reason to keep pressing the issue is purely political.
If you want to question a person’s character then ask the public which they think is worse, driving drunk or beating your wife?
May 29th, 2007 at 1:10 PM
Sadly, I don’t think anything will happen to Metzen. He’ll go back to his Senate seat and pretend like nothing happened.
May 29th, 2007 at 1:24 PM
“If you want to question a person’s character then ask the public which they think is worse, driving drunk or beating your wife?”
Hey, how’s it goin’, Mr. Mondale?
May 29th, 2007 at 1:30 PM
I bet there were quite a few legislators that thought “Whew, that could have been me.”
May 29th, 2007 at 1:57 PM
I have to agree with Ted and Zeebus.
If Metzen is sincere about his apology and plans on seeing if he has a problem with alcohol, then let’s write this off as a very very bad judgement in error. Thankfully, no one was killed or injured as a result of this. Metzen should be treated like any other Minnesota who gets nailed for their first DUI – maybe more harshly because he is in the public eye.
Metzen will go back to the Senate early next years and act like nothing happened – though many colleagues and staff may snicker behind his back.
If he runs for re-election in 3 years, the vast majority of his constituents won’t remember nor care.
May 29th, 2007 at 2:36 PM
Fucking apologist for the DFL!
As long as you have a DFL behind your name all can be forgiven.
Ted and Zeebus not sure where you come from but I know many who have lost their job due to DWI and rightfully so!
Last I checked it is a CRIME, not a bad judgment! Bad judgment is voting in DFLrs in to begin with! All the liberals who piled on no more than rumors for facts about how President Bush was a coke head and such. It seemed to really matter to the same jokers back then what his personal decisions were when they could point at the other side.
I believe when you take into account of how well these knuckle heads make out in public office that there should be a pay scale for convicted DFL’rs.
Let’s say first offense is 1/3 off your pay. The next the 2/3 left is cut in half. Eventually there would be no DFL’rs who could afford to work in public office!
I assume we can then cut his per diem? After all he will not have a need for fuel costs. The public sure as hell best not be paying for this joker to get a ride to work after this. Though I could see how liberals would argue it is the publics fault so we should pay for him to come to work and try to pass more taxes on the rest of us so next time he can just rent a limo on the public dime and save him all this trouble.
May 29th, 2007 at 2:42 PM
I love how the Democrats are saying it’s ok since he’s apologized, etc. Don’t forget, Metzen has other alcohol related issues on his record.
By the way, how is it ok for Metzen when he’s currently serving in an elected office, yet it is so horrible the President Bush had one on his record MANY years ago and who now doesn’t drink?
May 29th, 2007 at 3:28 PM
“People have problems in their lives. They use bad judgment …†she said. “Once you atone for it, it is time to move on.â€
Tell that to Don Imus.
May 29th, 2007 at 3:32 PM
Who’s apologizing for his behavior? I think people are just putting it in the proper perspective, that they should not be treated any different from your neighbor down the street.
Anyone who is a politician has to answer to their constituents and they will be the ultimate judge if their behavior warrants removal from office.
May 29th, 2007 at 3:42 PM
Police officers and other officials that make and enforce laws are held to a higher standard because they are given additional power. We need to hold them to these standards regardless of their party affiliation.
May 29th, 2007 at 3:46 PM
“Last I checked it is a CRIME”
As is shooting off bottle rockets, parking at an expired meter, catching one walleye over the limit, last time I checked 4th degree DWI is a misdemeanor.
May 29th, 2007 at 3:50 PM
Manny you ass hat! My neighbor worked for a trucking company and got a DWI off the clock. Guess what, that state would not let him have a work driving permit so he lost his position and had to find other work. Why should it be any different for DFL law makers?
I know of many who have lost their jobs due to a DWI offense and I believe they got what they deserved as they knew thier pay checks depended on their drivers liecense and how they conducted themselves inside and outside of work.
Law makers are in the public eye and for as much crying I have heard from the left of how baseball, basketball and other sports figures who are in the public eye need to behave and think of their action more than others they sure forget this very quickly when there is a chance one of them could be out of a job.
Good lord look what the left did years ago in getting Mr. Ted Kennedy off for his actions! Something that has never been nor will ever be possible for a Republican to do as there are two standards when it comes to democrats and Republicans.
May 29th, 2007 at 3:58 PM
I do agree that people make mistakes, and I’m not willing to throw these guys out of office for one DWI (I’d like to throw them out of office because they have zero respect for my tax dollars, property rights and liberty).
Kahuna, I don’t think your friend should have lost his job.
With that said, there was one glaring pattern at the end of this article. With regard to the very specific crime of DWI/DUI, look at the list. The press had to dig deep and find a GOP legislator whose mishap was dropped to a careless (go ahead with your comments on Bush and Cheney).
All I’m saying is that among MN legislators, it appears the DFL has a little bigger problem with this particular issue.
May 29th, 2007 at 4:09 PM
As is shooting off bottle rockets, parking at an expired meter, catching one walleye over the limit, last time I checked 4th degree DWI is a misdemeanor.
How many DWI’s do you have Torez??
That or you just have no problem letting democrats off the hook for their wrong doings.
Not only do I think he should resign in shame but all democRats should be excused from their position just due to the fact they fail at every last thing they try to accomplish.
Thank Gad for Pawlenty or how many liberals would have to move due to taxes being too high?
I know talking with my neighbor we found it kind of funny that the homes now for sale in the neighborhood all belong to neibors that lean well to the left.
One said they could not believe how much the school levy affected their taxes! 
I alomst split my pants laughing so hard as he was the same idiot who took his kid around the year before and asked all his neighbors to vote for his kids education.
Only now is he starting to realize money was not the problem, it is the public school system that is corrupt and broken.
Still made my heart warm a little to know that the first hurt by liberal policies are often liberals themselves.
May 29th, 2007 at 7:51 PM
Question for the “Why should he lose his job?” crowd:
If you were well known to drink on the job, supplied alcohol to your co-workers while on the job, would never be caught without your trusty vial of Binaca (presuming everyone else is too stupid to know the reason why you’re constantly using it) and finally you got arrested for DWI after a post work “celebration” with still more co-workers – how long do you think YOU would last?
May 29th, 2007 at 8:42 PM
Anybody with an ounce of decency would simply resign after blowing a .15 only hours after doing “the people’s business”. But nope, not a Democrat. Why should they? They’re lawmakers– why on earth would one expect a lawmaker to resign after breaking one of the most taboo laws out there- drinking while driving?
Thank God they passed that smoking ban to protect us all from the horrors of second hand smoke, but they’re not going to pressure this guy (AT ALL) when he could have easily killed somebody. What hipocrisy.
It’s disgraceful and any fellow lawmaker not calling for (at minimum) his immediate removal as President of the Senate ought to be ashamed of themselves.
May 29th, 2007 at 11:18 PM
Yeah, he blew a .15, and that was after he’d sobered up from the day’s work. I bet he was .20 when he cast his last vote for the day.
May 29th, 2007 at 11:23 PM
In replying to the posts earlier about him not wanting to be represented by someone with a DWI or someone who lacks character and such, I would say that when it comes down to it, I couldnt careless what a politician does in their personal lives (except in extreme circumstances) as long as they vote how I want them to. That is why I vote for them, not because of their smile, their charm, their personality etc. I want to be represented by a Democrat and would never vote for a Republican because the Democrat had a shit personality.
With that said, I would certainly not vote for a person with serious character flaws or who has made big mistakes in their life in a primary, but if they still win, if they vote how I want them to, then I am voting for them.
If I was in his district and had the option of nominating someone else for the DFL endorsement, I would more than likely be looking to do that but I am voting DFL in November regardless. If we turned the tables around on you Republicans, Im sure you would do the same thing. Try to get someone else on the ballot and if that doesnt work, vote for the DWI getter anyway.
This could all be ignored if the guy chooses to just retire but that is ultimately up to them, if the people in his district think he should’ve stepped down, they will vote for someone else in the endorsement process.
I really doubt you guys would be saying the same things if this happened to a Republican.
May 29th, 2007 at 11:31 PM
I agree with Andrew on that… Democrats should defeat the guy in the primary… If he’s still on the ticket, the other candidates should hold this against him.
As for whether or not we’d comment on a Republican… You’re probably right, but only because this site isn’t Minnesota Republicans Exposed.
Jeez.
May 30th, 2007 at 5:18 AM
One little problem there Andrew. Metzen has been caught drinking in his congressional office, so he was drinking on the job. If he’s drinking while on the job, it definately isn’t part of his private life.
May 30th, 2007 at 7:21 AM
Hopefully the people of S. St. Paul will realize that Metzen and Tom Pugh are doing a poor job of serving the working people of their city.
What the Republicans need is a solid candidate with good ideas to run against Metzen. This scandal hurts Metzen but it won’t win a race next year all by itself.
May 30th, 2007 at 8:36 AM
“I really doubt you guys would be saying the same things if this happened to a Republican.”
Wrong- if a Republican got a DWI– most especially with the timing that this clown got one- I would be saying the EXACT same things. See, I’m embarrassed of my party when these types of things happen– most Republicans are. Hence the resignations of the vast majority of Repubicans when they break the law, heck- even when they say bad things.
Then there’s you on the left with the absurd holier-than-thou European sentiment of “I don’t care what someone does in their personal life”. Never mind that when the President of the Senate drinks and drives and gets to keep his job, a kid is thinking– gee, I could still be in the Senate, break the law and it’ll be OK. (Oral sex isn’t sex anyone)? Never mind that his personal life crosses the line of his job when he’s blitzed a mere few hours after the legislature lets out. Nope- it’s his personal life- we’re covered.
May 30th, 2007 at 8:37 AM
As is shooting off bottle rockets, parking at an expired meter, catching one walleye over the limit, last time I checked 4th degree DWI is a misdemeanor.
Well, last I checked, I didn’t have to worry about being killed by someone with an extra walleye in the cooler or an expired parking meter. Drunk driving is public endangerment. The public being endangered by a leading public servant, a law maker, is unacceptable. Period!
But he is a Dem so even if he ran a school bus full of children off a cliff he would still just be an unfortunate victim of a disease. Okay, fine. I understand the leftist play book means there is never personal responsibility but he should at least step down until he has completed treatment. Then he can go back to his constituents to see if they want him back.
May 30th, 2007 at 10:24 AM
Honeydog,
Glad to know you think Metzen should be a Congressman since he got a DWI. I guess he would join Ramstad then
May 30th, 2007 at 10:38 AM
Kahuna,
How is being arrested, going to court and publicly acknowledging your guilt letting Metzen off the hook?
Nobody has praised him for driving drunk and he didn’t receive special treatment.
If you complain that Democrats would ask for a Republican’s resignation if it was a similar situation, why isn’t the House leadership asking for Rep. Olson’s resignation for doing something much worse (assaulting his wife)?
On another note, I have had a fair number of friends receive DWIs and none of them have lost their job as a result. All of them learned their lesson and have not repeated their stupidity either.
May 30th, 2007 at 11:29 AM
Jay -
Time to leave the kool-Aid party and join 2007, Pugh is out of the legislature. Pawlenty appointed him to the PUC.
May 30th, 2007 at 11:36 AM
yea chuck…where he shows up at the office about 2 times a week.
May 30th, 2007 at 2:36 PM
Yeah, so what, so do all the other PUC members. Responsibility lies with the guy who appointed him and (all the others). The point is that erroneous fact presented as real facts destroy credibility – there’s enough legit info out there to put up a good fight. When someone uses stupid, outdated, or utterly wrong facts, it does nothing for anyone. Call me the debate police, but I find ignorance to be a far greater offense.
May 30th, 2007 at 3:47 PM
Andrew – when someone’s “private life” includes driving down our highways in an impaired state of capability, that ought to cross the line. Like I said, everyone thought Bill Janklow was harmless until that one time…
May 30th, 2007 at 9:34 PM
It is important to note that having a DUI/DWi is grounds for denying health care coverage when applying for individual coverage for one year. Having gone through treatment, it’s five years. So hopefully, he will not lose his job. This is serious stuff, not a good indicate of mature judgement or worse yet, an indicate of an alcohol abuse problem.
May 31st, 2007 at 4:52 AM
Manny, take some reading comprehension 101. I never said Metzen should be a congressman.
May 31st, 2007 at 12:45 PM
colson:
of course you’re justified pointing out stupidity…i have no umbrage with that. i just saw an opportunity to take a shot at a career government tit-sucker. apparently you think pugh is a great american. blame whoever you want, we are all responsible for our own actions (or inactions).
May 31st, 2007 at 9:59 PM
I find it interesting to note that we have this HUGE investigation on Capitol Hill in Washington when Sen. Chuck Schumer calls for Attorney General Alberto Gongolez’s resignation because of “Political” firings of 8 U.S. Attorney’s (nevermind the fact that Bill Clinton fired all 93 U.S. Attorney’s without even a single breath mentioned about it) – yet when the Republicans demand the head of the DFL Senate President over driving on the public roadway endangering the lives of people on the roads – the refrain is “Oh, he shouldn’t resign….I don’t care what he does in his private life…Isn’t pleading guilty to DWI enough….etc…”
When Democrats demand the heads of Republicans it’s acceptible and widespread in the media (even if the Republican has done no apparent wrong) but when the Republicans demand the head of the Democrat for wrongful behavior it get’s hushed up.
I just LOVE the double standard.