Welcome to St. Paul

The thought of Republicans descending on St. Paul to decamp at the House that Norm Built (Xcel Center) for the Republican National Convention next September is enough to unhinge some of the local Democratic humanoids. For example, take Saint Paul City Council President Dave Thune — please. Last week he led the Council in voting 4-3 to deny a request to let Saint Paul’s bars stay open until 4:00 a.m. during the week of the convention.
Fair enough on the merits, maybe — except that Thune’s rationale was that he didn’t want 8,000 “drunken Republican lobbyists,” well, “puking” in his yard. The remark led Sandy Pappas — the Democratic state senator who represents Thune’s ward in Saint Paul — to apologize from the floor of the Senate. Over the weekend, Thune elaborated: “I may have unfairly sullied the reputation of lobbyists….” It only gets worse. Over at Shot in the Dark, Mitch Berg administers justice, and keeps pouring it on.