MNGOP: THE MARK DAYTON RECORD PART 2

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By Luke Hellier | January 19, 2010

DAYTON’S DISASTROUS SENATE TERM

Dayton Only Member Of Congress To Shut Down Office Over Hypothetical Threat

Dayton Shut Down His Washington Senate Office Over Theoretical Terrorist Threat. “When Senator Mark Dayton shut down his Washington office last week, ostensibly out of concern for his staff’s safety, many on Capitol Hill wondered if the Minnesota Democrat knew something everyone else didn’t. The answer, it turns out, is far from it. Dayton last month received the same briefing as his fellow Senators about a CIA worst-case scenario involving simultaneous terrorist attacks across the country. Yet he apparently took the hypothetical threat as an imminent one. ‘Most people who heard the briefing,’ sniffs an intelligence official, ‘understood the context. It was theoretical.’” (Elaine Shannon, “Why Didn’t 99 Other Senators Close Up Shop Too?” Time, October 25, 2004)

Star Tribune Rebuked Dayton For Shutting Office. “We join the Capitol Hill security chief, the Homeland Security leadership, the mayor of Washington and, apparently, every other member of Congress in scratching our heads at Mark Dayton’s preemptive shuttering of his Senate office. What can he really be thinking?” (Editorial, “Dayton’s alarm; A self-defeating take on terror,” Star Tribune, October 14, 2004)

“It’s simply impossible to take Dayton’s alarm seriously in the absence of any other lawmaker or security official, so far, coming to a similar conclusion. Take it as political theater, it is farcical – and counterproductive. The vulnerability of this nation and its institutions to terrorism is an urgent and vital subject, one that is generating too much sloganeering and too little scrutiny in this election season. If Dayton’s purpose was to underscore a legitimate issue of national security – how much remains to be done to ensure Americans’ safety from terrorist attack – he could have chosen many a better way of making the point. Indeed, it’s difficult to imagine a worse way. Instead of pointing out the emperor’s startling nakedness, Dayton has cast himself as the lone little chicken who claims the sky is falling.” (Editorial, “Dayton’s alarm; A self-defeating take on terror,” Star Tribune, October 14, 2004.)

Roll Call: Dayton’s Actions “Irresponsible.” “Sen. Mark Dayton (D-Minn.) has done himself, his staff and Congress no good by shutting down his Senate office through the election period because he fears a terrorist attack. His action seems panicky and based more on speculation than information. Thankfully, not one other Member of Congress has followed Dayton’s example.” (Editorial, “Irresponsible,” Roll Call, October 21, 2004)

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D- D.C.) Blasted Dayton Decision To Close Office. ‘I regret that any office in the Capitol would be closed today,’ Norton said. ‘Such action is particularly perplexing,’ she said, ‘in light of the briefing of House and Senate Members that occurred two weeks ago. I have been unequivocally assured by security officials this evening that there was no specific intelligence concerning a risk at the Capitol two weeks ago and there is none today. Like every Member of Congress, I would never put any of my staff or constituents in danger. The Capitol is in a residential neighborhood where I also reside. At the same time, we have an obligation to avoid signals of alarm to the public when there is no evidence to support increased danger.’” (Press release from Eleanor Holmes Norton, “Del. Norton Says No Evidence or Inlelligence Of Risk To Personnel At Capitol,” October 12, 2004)

Other Minnesota Democrats Kept Offices Open. “Mary Kerr, a spokeswoman for Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., said that her office had checked with the office of the House Sergeant at Arms , and was advised not to do anything differently…’My staff and I rely on the sound professional judgment of U.S. Capitol Police to keep us informed and safe. At this time, our office has not received any notice of a heightened threat,’ said a written statement from Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn. ‘My congressional offices in Washington and St. Paul will remain open for business.’” (Allison Stevens, “Sen. Dayton Closes Washington Office, Citing Security Concerns,” Congressional Quarterly Today, October 12, 2004)

D.C.’s Democrat Mayor Puzzled By Dayton’s Decision. “‘I’m literally scratching my head, trying to figure out what frequency he’s on,’ Anthony Williams, Washington’s Democratic mayor, told reporters. ‘This is a safe city. I just think this is a very strange aberration.’ (Fred Frommer, “Dayton defends decision to close office,” The Associated Press, October 13, 2004)

D.C. Residents Questioned Dayton’s Move. “In addition to mocking responses from city leaders and congressmen, Mr. Dayton’s decision was greeted with outrage yesterday from D.C. residents, including hot dog vendor Imam Lete. ‘I think he’s selfish,’ said Miss Lete, 49, at her hot dog cart on C Street NW near Capitol Hill. ‘He’s rich, he can afford to stay home. If I stayed home, I wouldn’t eat. I’d be broke and I’d be homeless.’” (Tarron Lively and Charles Hurt, “Leaders in D.C. mock Dayton,” The Washington Times, October 14, 2004)

Dayton Attacked South Dakota

Dayton: Mayo Clinic “Worth A Hell Of A Lot More Than The Whole State Of South Dakota.” “The Mayo Clinic, which is in Rochester, Minn., was opposed to a South Dakota–based company’s plan to expand its railroads into Rochester because it would mean dozens of trains passing by the clinic each day. Dayton told FORTUNE magazine the Mayo Clinic is ‘worth a hell of a lot more than the whole state of South Dakota.’” (“America’s Worst – Mark Dayton: The Blunderer,” Time, April 14, 2006)

“Thune, R-S.D., who lobbied for the railroad while campaigning for the Senate in 2004, condemned the comments Tuesday, calling them ‘unconscionable, offensive and wholly unbecoming of a United States senator.’ ‘Unlike Senator Dayton, we may not all be millionaires in South Dakota, but we understand the value of hard work and appreciate real-world experience,’ he said.” (Aaron Blake, “Dayton apologizes for dig at S. Dakota,” Star Tribune, March 1, 2006)

Dayton Sued By Former Staffer

Former Dayton Staffer: I Was Fired Staff Because Of Medical Condition. “Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn., has been sued by a former aide who alleges he was illegally fired after developing a heart condition. Brad Hanson, who served as Dayton’s Minnesota office manager until last September, said Dayton fired him after he met with the senator to discuss the need for an operation to correct his cardiac arrhythmia. In the lawsuit, filed last week in U.S. District Court in Washington, Hanson claims the dismissal violated the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. He is seeking his old job back, with back pay, and unspecified monetary damages.” (Staff Report, “Dayton faces suit by a fired aide”, Pioneer Press, June 4, 2003)

Barney Frank Filed Friend Of The Court Brief On Behalf Of Former Dayton Employee. “Retired Sen. Mark Dayton has been trying to shield himself from a lawsuit by a former congressional aide by using a legal defense so unusual that it has alienated his former colleagues and been scorned by the courts…After the senator left office last year, he changed legal tactics by arguing he could no longer be sued for conduct that occurred when he was an elected official. That argument was rejected by a federal court last month, but not before Reps. Barney Frank, Massachusetts Democrat, and Christopher Shays, Connecticut Republican, filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the former employee. Granting Mr. Dayton immunity because he had left office ‘would render the protections [granted by the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995] wholly illusory and defeat the goals of the [law],’ the two lawmakers argued. The Senate Legal Counsel’s Office also filed a brief in the case, saying Mr. Dayton should not be allowed to escape liability just because he had left office.” (Tom Ramstack, “Ex-senator’s legal tactics spurned”, The Washington Times, March 6, 2008)

Other Lowlights From Dayton’s Senate Term

Dayton Boycotted Visiting Foreign Leader. “Sen. Mark Dayton boycotted the congressional address of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Wednesday, saying the visiting leader had unfairly blamed Israel in its standoff with Hezbollah in Lebanon…’I further believe that addressing Congress should be a rare honor, one accorded to historic international leaders, such as Winston Churchill or Nelson Mandela,’ Dayton added.” (Fred Frommer, “Dayton boycotting Iraqi Prime Minister’s speech,” The Associated Press, July 26 2006)

Dayton: “Giving A Bible To A Politician Is Akin To Giving A Blowtorch To A Pyromaniac.” “In addition to being un-American, this amendment is also Un-Christian. I hesitate to bring religion into this debate. I am highly skeptical of politicians who do so. Giving a Bible to a politician is akin to giving a blowtorch to a pyromaniac.” (Mark Dayton, Congressional Record – Senate, S5467, June 6, 2006)

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