Minnesota House Republicans Response
The Republicans in the Minnesota House dismissed the idea of speech being an ethics violation, maintaining “Lindner's comments were offensive, but Lindner has the right to say them.” Republican House Speaker Steve Sviggum pointed out that "House Republicans didn't complain when Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, called State Auditor Pat Awada, 'Osama Bin Awada'" when Awada proposed to curb local government aid. Sviggum said "everyone is entitled to First Amendment rights. 'At some point or another people have freedom of speech even though that speech may not be appropriate, politically correct or even the most wise speech.'" Sviggum said "I don't think that we want to take this to the ultimate end and put that chilling effect upon speech, upon feeling, upon values and principals that one has or doesn't have in this entire process." Lindner also invoked freedom of speech, saying "I still believe in the First Amendment -- that we're allowed to express our views and so forth -- and it's getting close to maybe not being able to do that, but while we can, I'm doing it." In their rebuttal the House Republicans also played a recording of Ellison’s interview with a radio station. In the interview Ellison had said “People should feel free to express themselves as long as they don’t violate the law. ...I would never invoke the powers of the state to restrict Arlon Lindner from expressing himself.”
Read more about this topic: Lindner Ethics Complaint Of The 83rd Minnesota Legislative Session
Famous quotes containing the words house, republicans and/or response:
“Only in a house where one has learnt to be lonely does one have this solicitude for things. One’s relation to them, the daily seeing or touching, begins to become love, and to lay one open to pain.”
—Elizabeth Bowen (1899–1973)
“For America is a land of Commies and Prohibitionists but Anne does not see it. Anne is locked in. The Trotskyites don’t see her. The Republicans have never tweaked her chin for she is not there.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“Because humans are not alone in exhibiting such behavior—bees stockpile royal jelly, birds feather their nests, mice shred paper—it’s possible that a pregnant woman who scrubs her house from floor to ceiling [just before her baby is born] is responding to a biological imperative . . . . Of course there are those who believe that . . . the burst of energy that propels a pregnant woman to clean her house is a perfectly natural response to their mother’s impending visit.”
—Mary Arrigo (20th century)