Brian McClung is the head of his own local Twin Cities public relations firm. I think I first met Brian when he served as press secretary or chief of staff to Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. His parents lived a block or two from me. I haven’t seen him for a long time, but we always exchanged friendly greetings and talked about his parents whenever we crossed paths. Earlier this week Brian paid tribute to Minnesota Senator Tina Smith when she announced her intention to stand down from reelection. This is what he had to say.
Want to pause amidst the scramble to say @TinaSmithMN is a class act & one of the kindest people I’ve gotten to know in politics. From serving as chief of staff to the Mayor of Mpls and the Governor to Lt. Gov. to US Senate, she’s served with integrity. Thx for doing it, Senator. https://t.co/gUiRjlEDJh
— Brian McClung (@bmcclung) February 13, 2025
I responded to Brian on X:
Brian, she is a complete nonentity. In your thanks, you don't point out one thing she has "done" in her "service" as our Senator. She was nothing more than a party line vote for the Dem/Schumer agenda. https://t.co/gPYi0xzIN5
— Scott Johnson (@scottwjohnson) February 14, 2025
Tom Hauser is the chief political correspondent for KSTP-TV. Hauser chided me:
How dare Brian say something civil on X? Not every little thing needs to be an attack on someone.
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) February 14, 2025
I adapted the wisdom of Samuel Johnson to make what I thought might be a good point to the chief political correspondent of a local news outlet:
A man is not upon an oath in lapidary inscriptions, but c’mon, she’s in office another two years. It’s a little early for polite tributes. https://t.co/RVAfODHknR
— Scott Johnson (@scottwjohnson) February 14, 2025
Hauser wasn’t buying it:
For many there is never a time for polite tributes…and I'm pretty sure your response would be the same two years from now. Also, don't forget there are plenty of Senators who are or will be "nothing more than a party line vote" for the Trump agenda. It cuts both ways.
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) February 14, 2025
Hauser does not know me personally. His prediction of what my response would be two years from now seems a tad presumptuous. In two years, however, if we are lucky, Tina Smith will still be Tina Smith and I will still be me, so there is that. I will add only that Hauser doesn’t dispute the accuracy of my comments about Smith. He speaks as arbiter elegentiae.
Notice: All comments are subject to moderation. Our comments are intended to be a forum for civil discourse bearing on the subject under discussion. Commenters who stray beyond the bounds of civility or employ what we deem gratuitous vulgarity in a comment — including, but not limited to, “s***,” “f***,” “a*******,” or one of their many variants — will be banned without further notice in the sole discretion of the site moderator.