Looking Backward 2

I ran across my comments on the Republican National Convention...

Patrick told me recently that the businesses on West Seventh next to the Xcel Center, where the convention was held, are still angry about the business they did not get, because the tight security meant the delegates could not move around freely.

And he says the St. Paul Police officers he's talked to are still upset. They feel they could have handled the convention by themselves. Instead, a bunch of cops were brought in from other towns, who were not adequately trained and knew there would be no consequences for them, no matter what they did. As a result, they did a bad job, which gave St. Paul and its police a bad reputation nationwide.

There was an investigation, which cleared the city. I think this was a whitewash; and our current mayor, Chris Coleman, does not deserve re-election.

I really miss the former mayor, Randy Kelly. He made one mistake, which was endorsing George Bush in 2004. I think he did it because he thought it might help the city get aid from the federal government. Maybe I am being too kind to Kelly. In any case, that finished his career in St. Paul, which is solidly DFL.

Kelly was a tough professional pol from the blue-collar, pro-union East Side of St. Paul. He believed in the importance of the arts, maybe because one of his sons is professional dancer. What's better than believing in unions and art? It's bread and roses.

Chris Coleman is a hole in the air.