Bachmann Campaign Worker to Become MnSCU Trustee?

[Avidor]

http://buildourparty.blogspot.com/2007/06/governor-pawlenty-taking-trust-out-of.html

Recent discussions I have had with colleagues in St Cloud and Mankato have produced a third candidate for the Board, a candidate who has been supposedly recruited by someone in Governor Pawlenty's office, in a blatant attempt to thwart the work of 4 year students across the state.

Luke Hellier's name has emerged as a candidate for the MnSCU Board of Trustee's, as the 4 year student representative.

More at:

http://dumpbachmann.blogspot.com/2007/06/bachmann-campaign-worker-to-become.html

[Minnesota Raindog]

1. Where is the DFL on this issue?

For that matter, where are the College Democrats? They're the ones who should be putting out news releases on this travesty. Is there anything Republicans won't try to skew anymore?

[Avidor]

2. Is Hellier a GOP "Manchurian Candidate"?

http://thecuckingstool.blogspot.com/2007/06/manchurian-candidate.html

[Avidor]

3. Listen to a Right-Wing radio jock (and SCSU) professor go berzerk about Hellier..

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3473287141036590204&hl=en

[MnFats]

4. that guy's a loon. google him and it gets worse n/t

[barefootguy]

5. Young Dems not doing anything? Alert the press!! :-S

They merged with MYDFL this past April. I would explain why there hasn't been a response from MYDFL regarding Luke Hellier's appointment, but than again saying that MYDFL isn't getting anything done is pretty redundant. Does anyone know when the confirmation vote in the Senate will be?

[Avidor]

6. King Banian Continues the Attack on Hal Kimball...

King Banian, a tenured SCSU professor continues to attack former SCSU student, Hal Kimball in his blog:

http://www.scsuscholars.com/2007/06/lets-review.html

It's creating a lot of heat in the blogosphere:

http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/2007/06/25/recap-on-saturdays-radio-show-liberal-blogosphere-attacks-college-student/#comments

Could be trouble for the Governor:

http://minnesotamonitor.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1976

[Avidor]

7. The Facebook messages....

http://idonthateamerica.com/2007/06/22/mnscu-student-trustee-post-becoming-even-more-partisan

Hellier’s supporters have reacted through the social networking site “Facebook”(add me if you like, just do a search for “DJ Danielson”). These reactions have fueled already mounting suspicion that the consideration of Hellier has been based on partisanship as opposed to qualification.

Facebook features a “wall ” feature on which “friends” (contacts) can leave “posts” for all to see.

Some of these posts have showed apparent enthusiasm for the blogosphere’s attention to this issue.

The main catalyst for this has been Tim Ibisch, a former MSUSA board member representing MSU-Mankato (again coincidentally, his term followed Adam Weigold’s departure from MSU-M).

Today he wrote on Hellier’s wall: “libs are really going nuts its (sic) great.”

He wrote on Michael Boulton’s wall (the current trustee): “i(sic) know, its(sic) great to see the hippies go nuts, did they really think that a lib would get it?”

Boulton, seemingly responding to the Ibisch comment (or vice versa), says “I heard about that….oh well, he qualifies for the position, so what is the big deal?”

Two other posts on Hellier’s wall from other people include one, seemingly sympathetic, saying “rough day on the blogosphere?” Another, which seems to think Luke should find glory in all of this attention, says “I’m so proud of you, Luke! It’s pretty sweet to be known as “the Manchurian Candidate” by the Lefties.”

[Avidor]

8. Hal Kimball Answers his critics

http://www.mncampaignreport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=568

Bucket of range balls $7
Lunch after 9 holes of golf $12

Green fees with cart rental at Wendigo $55

Being savaged by right wing talkers on the 5,000 watt flamethrower, AM 1280 PRICELESS

Imagine what the righty blogs would be doing right now if a liberal professor attacked a conservative student the way that Banion has attacked me?

Attack the source. Work to discredit them.

That's what King Baniain and other conservative bloggers have set out to do, going to another page in the Republican page book.

King Baniain posts rants from his blog years ago, in a move to discredit my post about Hellier.

Mr Brodkorb sent an email Friday night (which I received on Sunday night) and called late Saturday morning, not Friday as he asserts at another source) to ask if I could appear on their show. I was near Grand Rapids golfing with high school friends and was unable to respond.

For that, King Baniain labeled me as a coward and suggested my mother dial the phone for me to call into the show?

You stay classy King Baniain!

Progressive bloggers have exposed a candidate for the MnSCU Board who outflanked a student association vetting process, never asked for their support, has limited experience in student governance, and no experience in a public higher education atmosphere.
Deep down, they know that Luke Hellier is unfit as a candidate for the MnSCU Board of Trustee's and are now engaged in damage control.

Hence, King Banion's attacks.

I could respond to every statement Banion makes in regards to my service to students at SCSU and MSUSA. I served students during both of those terms honorably, and in collaboration with other student leaders across the state on our campus, we made the lives of students better. I feel pretty confident that if you asked students who actually knew me and the work I did, you'd have a much different impression that what Banion portrays and distorts.

Anyone, such as Banion, who would say otherwise is either misinformed or is moved to speak by considerations that have nothing to do with the truth.

Banion has also taken shots at my military past, labeling me as a "Gomer Pyle". Once again, it shows the desperation on the righty blogs, working to save their unqualified candidate.

I have gotten 4 posts/emails from Mr Brodkorb today alone, asking about the MnSCU Board situation and asking for sources. Brodkorb continues to ask questions about how this story broke, who our sources are.

I spoke to my sources in confidentiality and will continue to protect their identity on this issue.

Hellier has not responded to a series of questions I offered up last week before I left for vacation as well.

If Hellier is appointed, these questions will be answered.

In all of the scuttle on the righty blogs, I have yet to hear or read even a single piece of information on how Hellier is qualified for this position.

No one seems to be able to answer that question, or the other 10 I asked on Wednesday.

So while the righty bloggers continue their attack on me, look at the sources of info for the first Hellier story here. A lot of it is his own words, and not the opinion of a biased reporter.

I stand by my research on Hellier as well as the strength of my sources.

---------

One of King's rants about me was my lack of courage.

From the Creed of the Non-Commssioned Officer, which I was for more than 7 years in the Army, the 10 most important words of that creed (to me).

"I will not compromise my integrity nor my moral courage."

Say what you want. Rant all day long about me.

My sources will remain confidential, unless they tell me I can reveal their identity.

Then, and only then, will I reveal the source(s) to a real journalist with credentials.

Not a right wing blogger.

You love the semantics behind all this...

You say on your blog "Attending a MnSCU school is not a requirement to be on the Board of Trustees, in fact, numerous members of the current MnSCU Board of Trustees have never attended a MnSCU school."

From 136F.02

Three members must be students who are enrolled at least half time in a degree, diploma, or certificate program or have graduated from an institution governed by the board within one year of the date of appointment. The student members shall include: one member from a community college, one member from a state university, and one member from a technical college.

Reads pretty clear to me.

So explain to me why Hellier is qualified? More qualified than Weigold? Kazee?

[Avidor]

9. Link to podcast and new You Tube Video...

http://lloydletta.blogspot.com/2007/06/michael-brodkob-and-king-banian-talking.html

[Avidor]

10. King Banian's Apology to Hal Kimball

Right-wing blogger, NARN (AM 1500 The Patriot) talk show jock and SCSU Professor King Banaian (King Banian):

http://www.scsuscholars.com/2007/06/where-is-line.html

In an update to the story yesterday about the MnSCU board spat, I identified Mr. Kimball as not being a student. In this I could only rely on information I had in my control, such as the student directory and the online email list. He was not found in either one. I took that to mean he was not a student on the campus in 2006-07. Students not registered for classes have their email accounts suspended by the university's computing staff.

Shortly after my 10pm update, Mr. Kimball emailed me from a student account here on campus. I confess at first to being surprised. He indicated he was enrolled in classes. The only way this can happen, as best I can surmise, is that he is enrolled for a class or more this coming fall. (Here's the automated way he can do that.) Due to data privacy issues, there is no way for me to tell that someone is an incoming student (or returning after some hiatus) unless they identify themselves.

When I decided in 2004 to join the NARN as a radio personality, I resolved that it had to be clear that I spoke on the air in a personal capacity. I try hard to avoid the impression that a listener thinks I speak on behalf of the university. I thought I had taken due care in establishing, within the rules of data privacy, that he was not a student and therefore unlikely to be seen as someone with whom I might have any professional responsibility.

Had Hal identified himself as a returning student before our Saturday broadcast, I would have hesitated on running the story and would certainly have been more tempered in my discussion of his role; I can understand the confusion it causes to think I may be criticizing him as a professor. Again, he has never been my student and given his course of study (identified publicly as a masters program in social responsibility) he likely never will. But my line is a little further out than that; the potential that criticism of a person is seen as my speaking officially to a student is over that line.

My obligation is to the university in this regard. To them, I apologize for any confusion I may have caused in mistaking Hal as an ex-student. While I believe I took due care to ascertain his status, it is nevertheless my mistake for which I will take responsibility. I have communicated my regrets to Hal, who has been gracious in his reply. I will write no more on this matter, and I will clarify my mistake on the air next Saturday.

[Minnesota Raindog]

11. That's more than you'd ever hear from Mitch Berg or Mike Brodkorb

And the rest of the assholes at NARN, for that matter.

NARN:
Never
Accurate,
Really
Nauseating

[Avidor]

12. Will Pawlenty Appoint Luke Hellier?

[Minnesota Raindog]

13. Pawlenty has a history of appointing his own political hacks to MnSCU board

WINONA, Minn., Oct. 8, 2003 -- The appointment of Winona State University senior Tyler Despins to the state colleges board of trustees was a slap in face at students, leaders of the Minnesota State University Student Association said. In an article by Paul Sloth in the Winonan student newspaper, the association's president, Rhys Gaffer, said that Gov. Tim Pawlenty passed over MSUSA's two recommendations for the board seat: grad students Linda Palmer of Metro State and Becky Rothmeier of St. Cloud State. By law, the governor is required to seek recommendations from MSUSA for trustee vacancies. Said Gaffer: "You just don't snub your nose at a recognized organization." Although Despins had expressed interest in a trustee slot to MSUSA, the association did not include him on its list for the governor. Despins then went directly to the governor's staff with his statement of interest. Now, after a 3-1 vote, MSUSA's leadership group has called on Gov. Pawlenty to explain himself. Becky Rothmeier, one of the two MSUSA-endorsed candidates for the position, said the students specifically did not recommend Despins: "He applied but they said no."

More here:

http://dumpbachmann.blogspot.com/2007/06/reader-comments-on-luke-hellier.html

[secretdj]

14. Hellier is a "Johnnie"

So if he got his undergrad at a school not in the MnSCU system, the private St. John's University, why would he care about student tuition, financial aid and services for others?

To say he is representative of students is like saying Mike Tyson gave out free face massages.

True only if you're willing to bend the truth into a pretzel.