Parry to challenge Walz in 2012, DFL slams him as “angry, ultra-conservative” tea partier
Monday, October 10, 2011 at 10:25 am
- 9 Comments
State Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, announced on Friday that he is challenging DFL Rep. Tim Walz for his seat in Minnesota’s First Congressional District.
Parry, a relative newcomer to politics, won his seat in the Minnesota state Senate in a special election in February 2010 and then won re-election that November. He’s the owner of a pizza restaurant in Waseca.
Parry is facing a host of potential competitors for the GOP endorsement, but on Monday received the support of GOP State Party Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb, who resigned to advise Parry’s campaign.
MPR reports that State DFL Chair Ken Martin slammed Parry as “an angry, ultra conservative Tea-Party Republican more concerned with pandering to the right wing and special interests than he is with working to improve our state economy, create jobs or build a more prosperous future for middle-class families.”
Parry’s become known in Minnesota politics for his liberal and incendiary use of Twitter. He created a minor national incident when he was running for his current seat and tweeted that President Obama “is a power hungry arrogant black man.”
Another tweet at the time read, “What’s with the Dems and Pedophiles?”
During the 2011 state government shutdown, Parry tweeted that he thought Gov. Mark Dayton should resign.
“With all due respect, Mondale and Carlson need to stay in their rockers unless they can get Dayton to do the right thing. … RESIGN!” he tweeted.
That led to a strong rebuke from the editorial boards of newspapers in his district.
On the legislative front, Parry proposed a constitutional amendment on Minnesota sovereignty.
The bill would have made Minnesota the first state to require a two-thirds majority vote in the legislature to approve federal laws affecting the state. “Minnesotans enjoy inherent, natural, God-given rights,” the bill read, and “Citizens of Minnesota are sovereign individuals, subject to Minnesota law and immune from any federal laws that exceed the federal government’s enumerated constitutional powers.”
Follow Andy Birkey on Twitter9 Comments
Comment posted October 10, 2011 @ 1:49 pm
… I’m going to guess that rats like cheese. Did I get the right answer?
Comment posted October 10, 2011 @ 2:11 pm
“rats like cheese…..”
Sounds good to me.
It is kind of freakish odd – the pizza, cheese, nut jobs thing this year.
Comment posted October 10, 2011 @ 3:08 pm
I look forward to watching Tim Walz browbeat Parry across the 1st district. Mike Parry isn’t half the candidate Randy Demmer was, and that’s not saying much.
Comment posted October 11, 2011 @ 12:45 am
The thing about Tim Walz is that he does not intimidate easily. Retiring as a Command Sargeant Major, a position not many make it to, shows that Tim cannot be bullied. Even Karl Rove learned that pretty quickly. Also a 2 time State Champion Football Coach for Mankato-West. Tim understands the strageties Republicans often play.
I also know that the Walz campaign will stick to the facts and handle personal attacks from Parry and anyone else who challanges him with the strength and dignity. Nor does Tim take anyone for granted. He is too smart to underestimate an opponet. FOr it is tough to beat a competent incumbent who communicates well. Perhaps that is the teacher in Tim.
Comment posted October 11, 2011 @ 7:45 am
I don’t have facts to back this up but there is a big conspiracy among Republicans to ruin pizza. That’s why so many of them own and operate terrible pizza chains. Herman Cain and Mike Parry are just two examples of this conspiracy. Also, I don’t have facts to back this up but I know that Mike Parry spends his off days working at his pizza place. Every pizza they make Mike Parry rubs some body part on it. He stands in the back of his restaurant completely nude singing Toby Keith songs as he makes sure every pizza made touches his naked body multiple times.
Comment posted October 11, 2011 @ 8:27 am
t-paw -
I don’t think they want to ruin pizza – i think they want to co-opt it and make it synonymous with the republican party – red state/red sauce?
I don’t know how they are going to do it, but sooner or later pizza will be involved in the gay marriage question, voter fraud and taxing the rich.
i’m waiting for Michelle Bachman to announce her recipe (the recipe Jesus gave her) for home-made pizza.
we can’t let them get away with it.
Comment posted November 28, 2011 @ 8:30 pm
This is supposed to be the “The Minnesota Independent”??? That is one of the most biased articles I’ve ever read. Don’t advertise your little website as one thing and have your content display another. Andy, are you employed by the DFL?
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