Ad points to Emmer’s DWI, voting records

Wow, that’s pretty low. Bringing up a 10-year old DWI. Maybe someone should make an issue of Dayton’s daily regimen of psychotropics or the source of Entenza’s money or Margaret’s eating disorder.

Be careful what you wish for.

That’s not low at all. It just shows what the ‘morality’ and ‘values’ of fundies like Emmer are, and how hilariously low their ‘standards’ are. It may be 10 years ago, but there is not a 10-year statute of limitations on being held accountable for endangering the lives of others by driving drunk, and the guy was 39 when he did it.

Not one but two DWI’s? Does this guy not even care about the well being of the people around him? He also is trying to reduce the punishment of DWI”s?? Wow what gall. This guy is starting to look like he is on par with Bachmans moral ground. Or should I say lack of morals. This Emmer guy is a complete jackass and needs to thrown away like a pile of stinky garbage.

I’m really uncomfortable with this ad. It seems like when a conservative gets past a reflexive lock-em-up attitude, that should be encouraged. This is why politicians are always afraid to vote against longer sentences, and that’s why our prison population has boomed. Also, I could take from the ad that Emmer his his DWIs until he proposed his bills, which isn’t what I understand to to be the case. It seems if Emmer told the truth and suffered whatever the penalty was, there isn’t anything to use against him. If he claimed he had never driven drunk or never committed a crime, that would be different.

I’m already sick of this election. Every time any political ad come on I flip the channel.

I think its a legitimate campaign issue but two things:
What has Emmer done to curb his his alcohol abuse?

(Mark Dayton (dem) has been public about seeking treatment for his chemical dependency as did former rep. Jim Ramstad (republican).

Where is Alliance for a Better MN getting its money?

Some people prefer to belittle people based on their skin color, sexual preference, and social status, and not their actions. Right, Dennis?

http://minnesotaindependent.com/52623/mark-dayton-depression-alcoholism-steve-miles

“Former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton insists his alcoholism (recurrent but treated) and depression (mild and controlled) aren’t debilitating.”

Drunk driving laws punish people hard for something that might happen, but usually doesn’t. I know overweight guys, and their friends, usually can’t tell if they’ve passed a limit without a test.

There’s a ton of really relevant stuff to go after this guy on. Going after him for this looks petty to me, but I suppose most sheep don’t understand the issues well enough. Hopefully this is just a part of a well-coordinated campaign, and they’re just starting with the “low-hanging fruit.”

No, these are democrats. Next they’ll be telling us that one of his 7 kids got a D in science.

“one of his 7 kids got a D in science”

Actually, as long as it was true, that would be a real improvement over the typical BS coming from the opposition.

HA HA HA

That’s a good one, Dave. Why? ‘Cuz it is true.

HA HA HA

To clarify, I am agreeing with Dave’s sentiment as opposed to verifying that one of the seven kids got a D in science.

HA HA HA How so true! HA HA HA

I remember the coverage of this when it happened and there was much more specific information pointing to major character flaws. DWI, making a mistake is actually very damning as it puts others lives at risk. But in addition was his avoidance and noncompliance with the law and the revengeful voting record and speeches. Painting this as a slip in youth is such bull! Very Bush like! This site should post that information front and center. And that this happended twice in late adulthood is evidence of a pattern of character. There are a host of other bad stories from people who know this clod including those behind the bench, and then add that to his crappy record and showy and assinine performances at the capitol on tape. Is there anything else to know, or are you looking through a rose colored booze glass? You get a great big finger from anti government corporate sociopaths like Target (Made in China, no wonder its red), Best Buy (dito), Red Wing Shoe (I may have one of the last US made shoes made there its all China now, no wonder its Red.) paying money to broadcast his filth. “Look at you, dumb Americans!” Most any citizen of the state would do a better job and has better character.

I am so tired of the hypocrisy in politics. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child. But has anyone mentioned the driving record of Margaret Everson’s son. It’s something that is so easy to check on. Her son also had DWI charges, but was not drinking at the time of the accident. But how does Emmer become anymore reprehensible than her son for the same arrests? I have no love for Emmers and would not vote for him. I believe there are many more important policies to attack him on. But I really think this ad is “the pot calling the kettle black”

Do any of you ACTUALLY KNOW the bill he voted on? He did not vote to reduce penalties for drunk drivers but did vote to not suspend a person’s license until they went to court and were FOUND GUILTY! Are we not INNOCENT until PROVEN guilty in our country or has that changed too? If guilty then take action.

Why is everyone forgetting the biggest part of this: Emmer has 2 DUI’s, so basically if elected we have a governor 3 beers away from a felony. (if he drives.) Is that really something responsible? I have many friends who have had 1 dUI and most people have had a time where they were lucky and not caught, but if you get a 2nd, you really have a slow learning curve. Plus, his argument that he’s much more mature and has children. That’s something to argue if he had the tickets before age 25 and close together. He was 39 for pete’s sake. That’s middle aged.

At least do your research and get the facts straight. First DWI was in ’81 (29 years ago – he was 20), second in ’91 (19 years ago – he was 30). Second DWI was dropped, he pled guilty to reckless driving. I have other reasons not to vote for him, but Dayton’s record on substance abuse isn’t any better. As usual, nobody actually focuses on the issues and how to solve the state’s problems . . another reason not to bother with the TV

You may be surprised how many people you know and elected officials (city council members for my city) have DWIs or other violations. Public record. Web site listed above allows you to search.

The Dayton Family is a huge contributor to Alliance for a Better Minnesota. If he wanted to stop these ads – he could. He chooses not to and hide behind the fact they they’re a 3rd party.

While DWIs are relevant, I think people should be allowed to heal/change.

The link to public records: pa.courts.state.mn.us/default.aspx

First off the bill never made it past committee.
The bill that Emmer supported tries to address the shortfalls in the current judicial system. (You know, how were supposed to be innocent until proven guilty)
Currently, suspected drunken drivers face revocation before they go to court. (Guilty before proven guilty? Isn’t that a violation of a fundamental concept in the United States justice system? A principle known as due process of law) Under current law, the minimums are 90 days for failing a sobriety test, and a year for refusing a test. Under Emmer’s proposal, drivers would be subject to revocations of at least 30 and 60 days for failing or refusing tests, but only after they’re convicted or plead guilty.
So basically he was trying to change the law to make it so you’re guilty ONLY after you’re proven guilty.
Now you see why they never gave details in the commercial?

By the way, his latest DWI was from 1991. So much more than 10 years ago.
Democrats running with misinformation?
No wonder I say DFL =’s “Dumb F%ck League”

FWIW, http://www.startribune.com/opinion/letters/102109109.html

In her Aug. 29 column “Dayton goes negative, from a safe distance,” Katherine Kersten wrote about an alleged “misleading” ad from the Alliance for a Better Minnesota that claims that Rep. Tom Emmer had sponsored a bill to “reduce penalties for drunken drivers.” Kersten quoted and endorsed the claim of FactCheck.org saying the bill, “actually sought to prevent suspected drunk drivers from losing their licenses … before they have been given a chance to defend themselves in court.”

The drivers in question were not suspected; they were apprehended and charged after being stopped for probable cause, driving erratically. Kersten’s implication was that these drivers were being treated unfairly.

Emmer’s bill would have repealed an extremely important change of the implied consent law, passed in 1982 with overwhelming bipartisan support, that provided for immediate driver license revocation, under the law, with speedy judicial review available thereafter.

The reason for this change was that the prior law allowed people who refused the test to continue to drive (and drink) for as long as it took for their cases to make it through the court system, leaving the arrested driver, some with serious alcohol problems, to continue to impair the safety of public streets and highways.

This change has been upheld by the Minnesota Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. In fact, the Reagan administration flew a member of the attorney general’s staff to other states to encourage them to emulate the Minnesota change.

The swiftness and certainty of consequences has been shown by research to have contributed significantly to making Minnesota’s alcohol-related traffic toll among the lowest in the nation. To begin to tear down the mechanism the state has carefully built over the last 50 years is not a good idea. Eliminating prompt license revocations under the implied consent law would obviously have reduced the consequences drunken drivers face for their irresponsible actions.

Perhaps Kersten should do more thorough fact-checking.

WARREN SPANNAUS, FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MINNESOTA

I think it is a shame that Margaret Everson let herself be used in a misleading political ad.

It is a really sad that the ad is allowed to run. Shame on those resonsbile and shame on Dayton for not requesting it be pulled. To imply that Emmer is responsible or linked to any alcohol related death is just plain wrong. Statisistics show that speed kills. Do we blame anyone with a speeding ticket for speed related accidents? I hope people with common sense will not be swayed by these ads.

Margaret, your son must have rolled over in his grave to see the cheap and disgusting way you used him as a political tool for the DFL. Shame on you but may your son rest in peace.

I am voting for Emmer BECAUSE he voted to level the penalties for DUIs. The laws are retarded.Under these totalitarian laws, the DUI hitlist includes: People in their own driveways having no intention of driving; folks who realized maybe they had a couple too many so they pull over to sleep it off; faulty breathilizers and BAc blood tests; corrupt cops filling quotas; in general, 1000 people who were endangering no one to every genuine would-be manslaughter perpetrator. Many “alcohol related” statistics are gleamed from the time of the accident, or the debris found rather than toxicology tests performed on the drivers. Teach your kids better defensive driving skills to begin with. Sorry for your loss but you can’t bring them back by scapegoating future drivers with your lobbyist bulls**t.