Simonson receives DFL endorsement for House 7B seat over second candidate
September 8, 2012 at 7:00 am in Duluth News Tribune
Duluth assistant fire chief Erik Simonson received the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party endorsement for the Minnesota House District 7B seat today over a second candidate who also sought party support. Continue Reading
The DFL went from bad to worse…
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It is clear that government union wants trump children’s rights in the DFL in Duluth.
Simonson’s other 2 daughters didn’t know they had a sister. What is Simonson keeping from the people of DFL Duluth? Where is the trust?
This is very low and very dark as the DFL had many other better choices.
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You forgot deadbeat fathers’ rights and child molesters’ rights. Seems the DFL is all about those, too.
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Yes, we all saw how the Democrats honored women’s rights by having standing ovations for Bill Clinton, a man who raped Juanita Broadrick. Or how they respected minority rights when they eulogized KKK Grand Kleagle Robert Byrd. Or their respectful words toward Senator Kennedy, who left the scene of his girlfriend in a submerged car…right. You are right on one thing, the Dems may not be so hot on workers or animal rights, but they are working daily for “animal” rights…the two legged variety.
Are you the same Claire who I heard on the radio talking about her gynecology (TMI)? If so, you have no right to speak for respectful women out there. And if you are that “Claire”, then you also must be the one who cyber-stalked Congressman Cravaack’s wife and children? Is that you?
I found the story:
http://dflduluthexposed.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Radical-Extremist-CyberstalkerREVa.pdf
If this is not you, I apologize in advance. If it is, you have no place speaking about the rights of children and women, who you so obviously want to violate.
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Oh come on. If elected you know he will be a nice little union puppet. That is what the DFL likes so all good little DFL lemmings should like this little mindless puppet too.
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LOL
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It’s bad enough when your party has craigslist solicitors in it, or even a deadbeat dad in it. It’s especially terrible that even when known, the DFL chooses to endorse this kind of a person. Unreal.
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And don’t forget…they also have labor behind them. Look at the labor endorsements Gauthier received after he stated he was going to continue his campaign. You cant make this stuff up!
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Josiah….LOL! I agree…..and remember, this has been going on ( the same kind of skulldugery )…..for 5 decades now….non-stop……50 years and running….in the Duluth area! People around here never learn….influenced very heavily by the unions and the DNT…..and the unions and the DNT know this fact……so, why should they change? SAD….but true!
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Someone out there still has high hopes that Gauthier’s name is coming off the ballot. Sorry DFL, it’s not. His name is locked in there by election bylaws and I’m pretty sure the assembly isn’t going to call a special session to change it. I would have stuck with Gauthier, let him run, let him win it and then if he still feels the pressure to resign do it after the election. Let’s face it, from what I understand what the Democrat party stands for he really didn’t do anything wrong in their eyes other than being in a public place.
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Trust me Katy, it makes total sense if you’re a die hard liberal. You cheer for their team, but it’s good to see you’re just another fan in the stands.
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Democrats like to spend money, lots of it. Just look at the Dayton and Obama record.
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Let’s face it. The DFL took 7B for granted this election. Yes everyone was surprised and shocked by what Gauthier did. Then this week issues about Simonson come out. The DFL still endorsed Simonson, but I sure how the voters in 7B will vote for the person rather than the political party. It looks like it’s time to vote for a Republican (Travis Silver’s) this time.
He has my vote.
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I understand the DFL needing to endorse a candidate (they just did a bad job). Fosle on the other hand is basically running as an independent and dint’ try to get endorsed. If Fosle wanted to run as an independent why didn’t he get the signatures in place prior to the deadlines to get his name on the ballot?
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You may be correct about Fosle splitting the non-DFL vote. If Fosle is a Republican as you mentioned why didn’t he seek their endorsement? Again I can understand a Democrat jumping into the race, but Fosle isn’t running as a Democrat or Republican. He should have either seeked one of their endorsements or ran as an indepenent a long time ago.
The other problem with Fosle would be his influence in St. Paul. Unless he is the swing vote he would really have no influence and would be left out in the dark as an independent.
I’ve voted for Democrats before in 7B, and it may be the perfect storm for the Republicans, but I’ve just gotta vote for Silvers (maybe more of a vote against the DFL in this one).
I’ve had the chance to meet Travis Silver’s and he comes across as a clean cut, nice young man, and he has ideas. Why not give the guy a chance at this point? I like to vote for the person over the party…with that as my guideline I pick Silver’s.
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Katydud, Fosle is not a republican. Fosle is a union member, has been labor endorsed in the past, is honest, an independent thinker, and will make a very good representative for the people of 7B. Silvers also in a much better choice than a creep that abandoned his child. ABS, ABS, ABS! ANYBODY BUT SIMONSON!!!
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Nice work Duluth Dems. I guess you ran out of fine outstanding citizens. What a complete waste. Shameful. Time to re-evaluate your system of selecting political representatives. OR wait, you did already? And that’s still your best eh? Are you guys promising 72 virgins with a victory as well? My goodness, whats next?
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Dave, I understand your point, but Fosle is well respected amongst both Dems and Repubs, and I feel confident he will probably pull more votes from Democrats who understand what a position their party has put themselves in with Gauthier, and now Simonson. Silvers, on the other hand, would surely be the preferred Republican…ordinarily…but I was somewhat confused by his message on designer drugs at the “Last Place on Earth”. He seemed to be siding with some Libertarian ideal about these drugs being legal, and not wanting to take away people’s right to buy them as long as they are. But the answer in most people’s minds is they probably shouldn’t be legal in the first place–”bath salts” being considered as strong or stronger than meth. I think this “gray” outlook hurts him, even if it sounds noble to the average Libertarian.
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Katydid….Just STARTING to wonder about the DNT??? The DNT does NOT “investigate” or dig for a lot of facts usually….just usually passes on the “story”…..to sell newspapers….and as you can tell ( very easily ), they are very Liberal…..one of the several reasons why this area is so saturated with Liberals….and has been for the last 65 years…..NON-STOP!
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Katydid…..I believe you are so used to seeing the as Liberal….and since Forum Comm took over, you have notice a change in the DNT stance on politics….they have only SLIGHTLY moved a bit from the left! You are prolly remembering their endorsements of Cravaak ( 2 yrs ago ) and for McCain….BUT, those are the ONLY conservatives the DNT has endorsed. ( at least in the way of more prominent elections ). Everything else….is LIberal endorsed! The only reason DNT endorsed Cravaak and McCain was because they were told to from Corp Hdqtrs…..when left to their own devices….it is still VERY Liberal! It really does not matter too much anymore who they endorse…..as they are not taken seriously, no where close to where they were respected in the past…..BUT, the locals around Duluth, still play follow the pied piper around here! All I ask, is for them to print the candidates opinions and plans…..and allow the readers to choose for themselves….instead of almost always being slanted! I want the views from the candidates……all sides…..and NOT to hear the DNT OPINION! I vote for whoever I feel would best represent the area….not along any party lines! As far as “digging” for facts to install into a story…..I guess I would not consider “running across the street” and paying for a document…..as nowheres near enough digging for info…..media outlets in the past always dug into matters to install into a story…..that has vanished from the DNT…..and quite a while back….before Forum Comm came into play here in Duluth! Compare the quality of a written story from the DNT to…..say a very small paper like the Ely Timberjay….the Timberjay stories have so much more info…..much better written etc etc etc…….just some “food for thought”!
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Claire, perhaps you should do a video on youtube called “Leave our ingrates alone!”. I would enjoy seeing that one.
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Katydid said:
I’ve started to wonder about the DNT…and if they’re actually being an objective news source or, if they’re looking to give the National Enquirer competition.
Seems like almost daily, they run a story where they can figure out how to wiggle in a little blurb about the Gauthier “scandal”.
OMG…..are you serious? The DNT writes a story about Paul Ryan allegedly fudging his marathon time from 20 years ago. I see you made several posts about that story….along with all the other libs in this area that were all over Ryan. But this is ok for this story to be run because Ryan is a republican. As far as Gauthier goes….the stories about him dried up after he took his hat out of the ring. When those stories were running you made several posts in support for Gauthier basically saying it was a non-story and why all the fuss….you know your post…well you know the teens used to steam up the car windows at the drive in so whats the big deal…… Even Huntley called Gauthier out as a child molester.
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He is included in stories because he dropped out of the race. Simonson is running because of Gauthier. We had the DFL endorse Simonson because someone was needed to replace Gauthier. The DNT has to mention Gauthier in articles to give readers background info on why things are happening. Its basic journalism. If Gauthier has immediately stepped down the story would have died sooner.
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I think one has to recognize that someone coming from the Left like Katydid, anything that is not hard Left in nature is biased. She probably thinks that Barack Obama is in the middle, even though he was raised by Communists and the most Liberal Senator in the US Senate.
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Finally we can comment!
When a line FF, he worked two days per week and had FIVE off. Five full days. Days that he spent I’m sure hunting, fishing, hanging out with his union buddies, but couldn’t spend ANY with his daughter?
He’s lucky his daughter turned out smart and hardworking, as his actions are a direct reason why there’s strippers.
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Which candidate will get Leah Simonson’s endorsement?
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“Maybe he was wrong, but is it our business to hang him for what has nothing to do with his professional life ?”
Yes, especially when Simonson is running on the moral high ground that Gauthier’s personaldecisions affected his professional life. I am especially disturbed by Simonson’s reaction & still not accepting responsibility for the pain and suffering he has caused his own child. Instead he’s concerned about how this news will affect his running for office by suggesting “someone” is looking for attention – well at least he got that part right. Yes Erik, she is wanting your attention. If the above scenario you are suggesting were the case I highly doubt his parents and siblings would be so upset with him they didn’t speak for 18 years.
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Your questions might make sense except that he’s had joint custody from the beginning. He’s said himself that it was a conscious decision on his part to turn his back on her. I would think a father who has joint custody would move heaven and earth to spend any amount of time that he can with his own daughter. You don’t get that time back if you let it get away. But he sounds like a man driven by spite and vindictiveness whose only concern is his own massive ego.
Well done, DFL, especially when you had other options. I remain less than surprised.
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That Duluthdflexposed site seemed to have a reasonable explanation for Simonson’s actions, he has an anti-social personality. When his wife broke it off with him because he had cheated on her, he used the child in an attempt to hurt the mother. Instead, it deeply hurt the child, and that is reprehensible. I think if he broke up with his current wife, he would try to get his children to side with him, and if they didn’t he’d jettison them as well.
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Spare us all the psycho-babble and spin. What Simonson did is a form of child abuse plain and simple!
His daughther is in his office on a field trip and he looks down. Read the first article!
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Not exactly true….Simonsons parents and sister have not spoken to him for 18 years. Gives everyone a perspective on what they think of Erik.
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I know his family has not spoken to him in 18 years. And I know Simonson has not had contact with his daughter since the age of 2. If they thought so highly of Erik then why the lack of contact? I know……..this is so page 3 compared to Paul Ryan’s marathon time. That was huge.
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What more do you need to know? That kind of sums it up.
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Erik Simonson’s mother, Beatrice Simonson, said she, her husband and their daughter haven’t had contact with their son and brother since he stopped seeing his daughter. She said she and her husband wanted to maintain a relationship with their granddaughter.
“It’s sad. It’s a heartache,” she said. “But there’s nothing you can do.”
Erik Simonson said he has spoken with his brother several times but that he hasn’t spoken with his parents or a sister for about 18 years.
“We just disagreed at the time about the way things were happening, and chose our separate ways,” he said.
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The DFL party in Duluth today is not the same DFL party I had grown up with. I am truely disappointed and as such will look much more closely at who I will support in these local elections. If they dont find something wrong with Simonson behavior then I wonder what they would ever find fault with.
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This sets an interesting precedent. I wonder what the criteria will be the next time the DFL has to endorse a candidate. Can’t set the bar much lower.
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This cold fish paid the child support money so feels he’s under no further obligation to acknowledge his child’s existence. What the law says is irrelevant – a deadbeat dad is one who does not provide for his children in the ways we all recognize are his duty. He didn’t even apologize to his daughter who reached out to him 2 or 3 times and not acknowledging her on a field trip was devastating. How does he reside with his own little girl for 2 years and form no bond or attachment? It’s cruel and inhumane for a daughter to grow up asking herself ‘how come daddy doesn’t want me?’ This self-centered guy is gonna go far in politics.
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You’re right Jim, true character really shows best when the law is silent on the issue. If the law forbids you from doing something bad, it doesn’t necessarily show character if you don’t do it since you may be more fearful of the penalty of violating the law than any other reason. If the law forces you do something good and/or necessary and you do it, again, it may have more to do with you fear of the penalty of not acting in accordinance with law.
Those things that the law doesn’t either forbid or force you to do (in this case having a supportive relationship with ALL your kids), that’s where your actions speak volumes about your true character. You’re given a choice in these situations, and the action you choose says more about you than any amount of fancy words (or campaign literature ) ever could.
We of course don’t know the details of Mr Simonsons divorce and probable acrimony between him and his ex-wife, but the fact that he’s not spoken with his own parents for many years due to this very same situation (as was reported anyway), says a lot of how his very own parents, who most certainly know a lot more details than we do, have judged his actions.
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Character is what you do when you think nobody is watching.
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As a democrat, a union member, a women, and a mother, I cannot vote for this DFL-endorsed candidate because of his treatment of his child. All values count toward the integrity of an individual, not just financial ones. I’m sad that my own party does not see this endorsement as a mistake in judgement.
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What ought to bother you, too, is when Prettner Solon has the gall to claim that Simonson has handled this fiasco with “compassion.” I would venture to guess that his daughter feels differently.
When are you DFL types going to learn that the people you perpetually keep in office are just a tweak or two out of touch with their constituents? Prettner Solon didn’t support Simonson until her own pick wasn’t endorsed and then suddenly she’s all about Simonson. How empty and shallow and predictable. Replacing a child molester with a deadbeat father…well done, DFL.
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Stay on topic and keep it civil, folks. No one wants the thread to get shut down, people still have things to say!
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Good that we can stay on track. This thread was supposed to be about Simonson. Some people are uncomfortable with the topic but it is something voters should be aware of.
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Simonson severs all ties to his child, and because his parents and siblings choose to maintain a relationship with his daughter, he severs those ties too, but claims that he is the best to represent district 7B !?!? This clown clearly has communication problems. A track record of 18 years with little or no communication with his family is hardly and endorsement for public office, a job where communicating with his district is paramount! SHow this guy the door!
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Claire Kirch give us all a break! You are not the victim. All your attempts will not distract from the truth regarding the child abuse that the DFL’s latest puppet committed.
Stop with the lies and show some compassion for the true victim, a child who was abandoned and total neglected by her donor father.
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There’s no such thing as bad publicity, eh Claire? One would think that someone with 17 years in the field such as yourself wouldn’t need to do the self promotion thing on a variety of blogsites. But even I can be wrong sometimes.
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Claire wrote “….That is a person who really doesn’t believe in anything, but is just desperate for attention, however negative, because they can’t win an argument based on facts….” Ok. Well here are some “facts” that originate from Simonson himself. Fact. He all but disowned his daughter, his parents, and his siblings over the divorce from his wife?!?! What kind of person does that? Fact. By his own admission, he doesn’t get along well with those he disagrees with. Question, So how will this benefit the district? And how does any elected representative expect to do his job if he can’t get along with those he doesn’t agree with?
I hope that Eric hasn’t hired you are his PR spokesman, because you’re not doing him any favors.
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Claire Kirch, for someone who claims to not participate in web sites such as these, you appear here often enough, and also seem to offer several tidbits of information regarding other sites. So,,,, that seems to be inconsistant with your earlier statements. It is clear to me Claire, you present your own agenda as well. There is a reason your comments typically show a large amount of dislikes. Sorry, those are a few more facts for you to swallow! And you can quote me on that!!!
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I hope he’s paying you for all the free publicity you’re giving him. Why not list all the local blogs you don’t like and drive more traffic to their sites, too?
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Claire, quit your preaching. You’re a publicist and a political hack. You seem to think that conservatives are unable to think for themselves. That might describe you, but DFLexposed does more real journalistic research in a day than you probably do in a month. That you would support Erik’s behavior speaks volumes about your only character. Stop making excuses for the guy’s behavior and move on.
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Claire Kirch, I have been to that site youre constantly referring to. I do not see ANYTHING on that site that specifically bashes “Women”. So, to catagorize the way you do is pathetic. Your agenda is obvious. You need to bring facts forward rather than spew nonsense. For you to continue on this site after you claim you don’t participate in these kind of venues says alot about you.
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The DFL is filled full of victims and enablers. From her postings, it is plainly apparent that Claire considers women, not the strong, warm, intelligent, nurturing people that they are, but as victims who are too weak to stand for themselves. I also assume that Claire sees herself as the savior of these women. Personally, I see Claire as a master enabler. And just as the DFL portrays conservatives as angry white men, her postings have enabled us to portray liberals as angry, whiny, women unable to fend for themselves. Neither characterizations are wholly true or accurate, of course, but Claire’s rants have allowed us a glimpse of the liberal psyche.
Without victims, there isn’t a need for savior/protectors. So I posit that the Left is intentionally brainwashing groups of people into “victimness” for the sole purpose of casting them selves as the great liberators. This is why the Left panders so strongly to the ignorant, because anyone with an once of intelligence can see through this charade. Maybe that’s why our schools are failing?
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Paranoid much? 4 days ago you basically said you don’t and won’t post much, but 4 days later here we are reminding you. Your behavior parallels that of a psychotic individual. I suggest you seek treatment. I know several individuals who swore other people were doing things to them, stalking them, etc. None of it was true.
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I asked for you to provide facts, and you continue with opinion. Nor have you provided a point that is rational. Your comments above are even more hypocritical than those you accuse. According to what I have heard it is YOU (Claire) who is the blinded by untruth and happen to be making a very weak attempt at covering your tracks within the very forums YOU claim to never participate in.
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