Ex-Sen. Dean Barkley on Pig’s Eye Podcast
October 29th, 2007 – 11:27 AM by Dennis J. McGrath
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Former Sen. Dean Barkley says a lot of people have been bugging him to run for the Senate seat that he was appointed to five years ago, after Paul Wellstone’s death. You can hear Barkley talk about that and his possible involvment in the presidential race in the Pig’s Eye Podcast we recorded this morning.
You can listen to the podcast here.
Barkley recently started a national political consulting firm, along with Minneapolis adman Bill Hillsman. The firm is called D’Amore, Hillsman, Oliver and Barkley, and here is its website.
Barkley burst onto the political scene in 1992, winning 16 percent of the vote as an independent in Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District. Republican Rod Grams won that race.
Barkley ran for the Senate twice, winning more than 5 percent of the vote, and qualifying the Independence/Reform parties for public campaign financing, which was a key factor in Jesse Ventura’s election as governor.
Question: Who is the best candidate the Independence Party could put up in the 2008 Minnesota Senate race?
8 Responses to "Ex-Sen. Dean Barkley on Pig’s Eye Podcast"
Dennis,
Paul Wwellstone is dead. Why do we continue to re-hash ex-political figures?
I would like to focus on real issues that will have an effect on all of us in the near future.
Please note the following information:
I’d like to hear a response as to how you feel about this topic.
33 Senators Voted Against English as America’s Official Language June 6, 2007
On Wed, 6 Jun 2007 23:35:23 -0500, “Colonel Harry Riley USA ret” wrote:
Senators,
Your vote against an amendment to the Immigration Bill 1348, to make English America’s official language is astounding. On D-Day no less when we honor those that sacrificed in order to secure the bedrock character and principles of America . I can only surmise your vote reflects a loyalty to illegal aliens.
I don’t much care where you come from, what your religion is, whether you’re black, white or some other color, male or female, democrat, republican or independent, but I do care when you’re a United States Senator, representing citizens of America and vote against English as the official language of the United States .
Your vote reflects betrayal, political surrender, violates your pledge of allegiance, dishonors historical principle, rejects patriotism, borders on traitorous action and, in my opinion, makes you unfit to serve as a United States Senator… impeachment, recall, or other appropriate action is warranted.
Worse, 4 of you voting against English as America’s official language are presidential candidates: Senator Biden, Senator Clinton, Senator Dodd, and Senator Obama.
Those 4 Senators vying to lead America but won’t or don’t have the courage to cast a vote in favor of English as America’s official language when 91% of American citizens want English officially designated as our language.
This is the second time in the last several months this list of Senators have disgraced themselves as political hacks… unworthy as Senators and certainly unqualified to serve as President of the United States.
If America is as angry as I am, you will realize a backlash so stunning it will literally rock you out of your panties… and preferably, totally out of the United States Senate.
The entire immigration bill is a farce… your action only confirms this really isn’t about America ; it’s about self-serving politics… despicable at best.
“Never argue with an idiot; they’ll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.” ~ anonymous
The following senators voted against making English the official language of America:
Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE) Wants to be President?
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Clinton (D-NY) Wants to be President?
Dayton (D-MN)
Dodd (D-CT) Wants to be President?
Domenici (R-NM) Coward, protecting his Senate seat…
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI) Not unusual for him
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA) Wanted to be President
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT) Disappointment here…..
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL) Wants to be President?
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV) Senate Majority Leader
Salazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-M)
I personally find this extremely concerning. I also feel this type of thinking is one reason our Congress has an approval rating of 11%.
C’mon Bob. You really think those 33 “hate America” or something? Any chance there was some useless crap attached to that bill worth voting it down over? (I know - that NEVER happens).
Republicans are courting the Hispanic vote too, so the fact that it’s largely Dem’s voting “no” here suggests there’s a partisan edge to the bill.
English is already the nation’s language. Passing a law over it just sounds like jingoistic paranoia. How do you enforce such a law, and who gets to pay for THAT? I have to assume you’re a “no new taxes” kinda guy (?).
I’d like to see the question more accurately reflect the article: “Is Barkley the best Indy candidate?”
(Nuh-uh!)
That we are one of the few countries without an offical language speaks highly of our inclusionism. I am proud that we do not have a national language, that we try to live up to the ‘melting pot’ mission stated on the base of the Statue of Liberty, even though it is sometimes problematic for our society to balance this with security.
It should be pointed out that to make English the offical language would do absolutely nothing whatsoever to deal with the problems of illegal immegration. Nothing whatsover. You and your republican friends have a solution which is lacking a problem.
You are incorrect, Robert, when you surmise that these senators are acting out of loyalty to the illegals. Many of them are simply CONSERVATIVE in that they do not want to change a long established norm.
The tounge of the British should not be our official language. Perhaps Britain is our contemporary ally, but we were ruthlessly held under their boot until we undertook an armed rebelion against them.
Maybe you really care about secure borders, and you’re not just trying to play politics. Many on both sides are not in that group with you, if this is the case.
Both parties have really failed us in this regard. President Bush had a perfectly reasonable plan and a congress controlled by the GOP wouldn’t let him have it for 6 years. If they had given it to him the first year, they could have strengthened it over time.
Instead, no comprehensive plan whatsoever is going to get done until the next president.
Hasn’t Dean Barkley been trading on his ex.Sen. title? What would he be running for except to get free PR to increase his fees? The best way for Minnesotans to repudiate Bush-Coleman is to unite behind the major party opposition.
Methinks it is unconstitutional to establish a national language, but perhaps states can. I’d prefer making English the national language of Norway instead.
Republicans are courting the Hispanic vote too, so the fact that it’s largely Dem’s voting “no” here suggests there’s a partisan edge to the bill.
Obviously. I should have come to that conclusion from the voting results.
Why don’t you research it further for yourself.
You can also look into Ms. Kahn’s suggestion about legal voting rights for illegal immigrants. I’d like to hear your spin on that.
*Obviously. I should have come to that conclusion from the voting results.* - RG
Hmmmm.. sarcasm deserved.
I meant to suggest that the bill’s obvious partisan divide was over something other than establishing a national language.
There are plenty of short-sighted, reactionary Democrats who would have jumped at the chance to appear extra-patriotic in supporting this bill - if that’s all it was.
I know nothing of Ms. Kahn’s suggestion. At face value from your single sentence, it doesn’t sound like something I would support. But I would need to do much more study before ’spinning’ about it.
Fair enough.
If you get a chance, I would suggest looking into her past suggestions/ideas.