Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party 7th Congressional District Nominating Convention: A study in racism, corruption and the subversion of democracy

I am sure most people will not believe what I am about to write about the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party 7th Congressional District Nominating Convention.

One almost would have had to have been present at the Best Western Motel's "Bigwood Event Center" in Fergus Falls, Minnesota on Saturday, April 10, 2010 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to understand just how racist, rotten and corrupt the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party has become since 1948... but, for anyone in attendance at this so-called nominating convention the stench of the anti-democratic and racist corruption will fill their nostrils for years to come... for anyone who sees politics as a way to achieve better lives and livelihoods this 7th Congressional DFL Nominating Convention is sure to be the beginning of the end of their association, affiliation and even voting for DFL candidates.

A "nominating convention" is supposed to be just what the word implies; delegates coming together  to "nominate" candidates... in this case, a "convention" to "nominate" a "candidate for the United States Congress" from the "Seventh Congressional District" from the "Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party."

For many years, Collin Peterson has been the Congressman from the 7th District.

Other 7th District Nominating Conventions have been very corrupt and anti-democratic; like the one where the Vice-president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO--- Mark Froemke--- who was registered to vote in Grand Forks, North Dakota actually "nominated" Collin Peterson to run because Minnesotans had already been thoroughly fed up with Peterson who it is well-known, is a Republican who chooses to run on the MNDFL ticket even though he does not support any part of the DFL's "Action Agenda."

Collin Peterson is a vile racist who is opposed to affirmative action when it comes to people of color and he is equally bigoted when it comes to the rights of women and the handicapped.

Peterson has been a gung-ho supporter of these dirty wars under both Bush and Obama.

Amy "Republican Lite" Klobuchar thinks Collin Peterson is the cat's meow--- better than sliced bread. For Klobuchar, Peterson's thoroughly reactionary positions are a sign of "independence," which she claims the people of the 7th Congressional District want--- which would lead any thinking person to conclude, if Klobuchar is correct, that 7th District voters have no use for the MNDFL... and, this just might be the case more than Amy "Republican Lite" Klobuchar and the DFL hierarchy understand--- not only for the 7th Congressional District; but, for most of Minnesota--- so, why would anyone even bother to vote for the DFL unless they support racism and anti-labor corruption?

Ostensibly the 7th Congressional District Nominating Convention was run according to Robert's Rules of Order. But, isn't the purpose of Robert's Rules of Order supposed to be to assure the most democratic process possible and open a nominating convention up for greatest participation of all in order to assure the protection of the democratic process? Of course, anyone with the least little respect for democracy understands that Robert's Rules of Order is not a process that is intended to be perverted to thwart and stymie democracy--- yet, at the 7th Congressional District Nominating Convention this was precisely the way Robert's Rules of Order was used--- or, more properly abused--- to prevent the democratic participation in the political process... nothing really new to the MNDFL; but, for the first time displayed so publicly as hundreds of racists and bigots of every stripe and persuasion who managed to get themselves elected as delegates through a similar corrupt process participated in a completely rigged convention that didn't even have a pretense of being democratic.

Robert's Rules of Order was abused in the most undemocratic fashion to allow and enable Collin Peterson to be nominated be racists and bigots equal to himself as a sea of white faces raised their delegate cards in approval knowing a number of people had come to the convention to nominate alternative candidates--- one of whom was a Native American Indian and an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Reservation.

Brian Melendez, the Zionist warmonger, stood at the sidelines providing hand signals to Paul Wright the racist Chair of the MNDFL 7trh Congressional District--- Wright is known for his undemocratic behavior as is Melendez, who recently tried to derail precinct caucus resolutions in support of affirmative action and for divesting from the murderous Israeli killing machine.

Saturday Wright displayed his racist arrogance as he tolerated a racist white man to step up to the microphone as Native American Indian, Greg Paquin, was about to speak. Wright admonished Paquin that the Convention "will get to your issue."

The racist who so disgracefully stepped in front of Paquin who was next in line to speak; was then allowed to bring forward the use of Robert's Rules of Order for the purpose of closing all nominations for the 7th Congressional District seat before any nominations had even been called for! Thus creating a nominating convention where only one nomination was allowed even though it was widely known there were other nominations to come in addition to Peterson--- specifically the nomination of Curtis Buckanaga. I have the photos of the vote on this most disgraceful motion commenced under Robert's Rules of Order... the racist Chair of the Rules Committee just shrugged the entire thing off as one group of people having a better grasp of how to use Robert's Rules of Order than others.

But, has it ever been the intent of Robert's Rules of Order to be used to stifle democracy or prevent the nomination of all but one candidate at a "Nominating Convention?" Of course not. But, to a Zionist supporter of the Israeli killing machine like Brian Melendez who finds it completely appropriate to mistreat Palestinian people in the exact same racist manner as Native American Indians have been mistreated through centuries of racist abuse including most recently being denied jobs at the Bemidji Regional Event Center where United States Congressman Collin Peterson and his racist coterie of DFL'ers including Belrami County DFL Chair Nelson and his racist colleagues like Mike Simkins, John McCarthy, Rita Albrecht, Brita Sailer, Mary Olson, John Persell who worked in collusion to deny jobs to Native American Indians--- these are the very same people who perverted Robert's Rules of Order to assure ten-term Congressman with a racist, anti-labor, pro-corporate agenda would once again be nominated without any discussion of his thoroughly reactionary policies that United States Senator Amy "Republican Lite" Klobuchar calls "independent;" about as "independent" as the racist anti-labor Tea Baggers trying to similarly smother democracy.

In fact, the greater part of the delegates to the 7th Congressional District Nominating Convention had the exact same racist and anti-democratic attitudes and behaviors as Tea Baggers... is it any wonder the racist, fascist Tea Baggers support Collin Peterson?

Fergus Falls is as much the burial grounds for democracy as Minnesota has been a burial grounds for generations of Native American Indians targeted for centuries of a racist campaign of genocide and it is no coincidence that these disgusting racists who dominated the 7th District DFL Nominating Convention were active participants in this ugly dirty campaign of genocide part of which is denying Native American Indians the right of representation in Minnesota's State House and among its Congressional delegation--- every DFL politician and voter should be hanging their heads in shame after sitting in silence with what has taken place is Fergus Falls, Minnesota this past Saturday. 

Fergus Falls, Minnesota... the burial grounds for democracy.

I would note that the Management of the Best Western Motel... well known for its own racist hiring practices, was engaged in supporting Brian Melendez and Paul Wright and the majority of the white racist delegates who had assembled for the 7th Congressional District Nominating Convention where they once again saddle voters with the choice of "Republican heavy" Peterson versus the nominee of the Republican Party who is, like Amy Klobuchar, "Republican Lite."