Tom Emmer Tiptoes Away From Bradlee Dean - Will Bachmann do the Same?

At a recent press conference, MN GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer said the following:

"I bought a table. That's a non-issue. You got some information yesterday when I was on the road. Bradlee Dean, Jake... I met them a couple of times. One of the my constituents is a great supporter of theirs. He asked me to get involved. We were going to have some young kids go to one of their annual events. We bought a table. That's what that's about."

Reporter: "Do you support his comments or where do you stand on what he's been saying?"

Emmer: "I met Bradlee and Jake a couple of times. I think they're good people. I don't know what they said. I don't know, wasn't there, haven't heard it. Some folks have told me in the last 12 hours that somebody might ask about it. This is a non-issue. I don't condone violence and would never support it. When somebody says something that's strong and suggests that, that's not what I'm about.

The only violence should be with a couple of referees on a hockey rink with sticks and puck.

Tom Emmer really didn't know about Bradlee Dean's extremist views? See yesterday's post for a small sample.

But at least, Tom Emmer said something about his association with Bradlee Dean.

What does the MN GOP leadership have to say about Bradlee Dean and YCRBYCH?

Andy Birkey's MnIndy article quoted Dean's and radio co-host Jake McMillian :

“We were at the GOP, the GOP saw what we do and they identified with it,” McMillian said. “Even when I was sitting down with Tony Sutton and just going over what we do as a ministry, I said to him, ‘Do you know any other groups that are reaching the demographic we are reaching with the message that we are?’ And, of course, it was blink-blink, ‘No, I don’t, so I want you guys a part of this convention with us.’”

He added, “And then they invited and they gave us a free table. Amen.”

McMillian goes on to say the MN Republicans were "very supportive" of YCRBYCH.

Listen:



Is the MN GOP really supportive of YCRBYCH. Did Tony Sutton really say he wanted YCRBYCH to be a part of the convention?

Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out and the author of "Bashing Back: Wayne Besen on GLBT People, Politics and Culture"comments on the close association Minnesota Republicans have with Bradlee Dean and his ministry of hate:

Minnesota is a troubling example of GOP leaders in bed with extremists. According to the Minnesota Monitor, a radical anti-gay ministry, You Can Run But You Cannot Hide (YCR), has solidified ties to the Republican Party of this state. The group is linked to Rep. Michele Bachmann and gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer.

YCR recently said on its radio show that Muslim countries that use the death penalty for gays and lesbians are “more moral than even the American Christians”. While this has caused Emmer to tiptoe away from YCR, the question remains, why is the GOP cavorting with crazies?

Good question for Michele Bachmann and other leaders in the MN GOP.