Wednesday, July 14, 2010

To know, know, know him!

Is to love, love, love him!

Well, maybe not:

Many of the servers, already reeling from the tough economy and fearful of a wage cut, didn’t like Emmer’s refusal to get specific.

“He’s not telling the truth and he’s back-peddling and we don’t buy it,” said Connie Gott-McCoy, a server from Woodbury.

“I didn’t know of him before this,” she said. “I know him now. And I don’t like him.”

Tom Emmer, Stonewall Emmer, the Big Red One, held a “listening session” today with servers over his “tip credit” proposal. It ended, well, badly — and early — with Emmer sneaking out the back to the relative safety of the reporters:

Emmer didn't give his closing statement, instead he headed over to servers who had been the most critical.

A few minutes later, Emmer emerged from the back of the restaurant to talk with reporters.

“You guys aren’t going to throw (stuff) at me, are you?” he said with a laugh.

It was truly a “Nobody Loves Me” moment.

It’s a family newspaper, but I am very curious to know what Emmer was afraid would really be thrown at him.

(mixed metaphor alert) I’m guessing the Big Red One got an earful. He may be home even now, having salve applied to the boot marks on his butt.

And if all of this was not enough, there was even a Depression-era “Pennies from Heaven” moment:

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer’s sometimes testy and raucous town hall meeting with servers ended abruptly Wednesday after someone poured a large bag of pennies on the table in front of the candidate.

“Here’s your tip, Tom Emmer!” said Robert Erickson, saying it was in part for his support of Arizona’s immigration bill.

A stunned Emmer looked flustered as Erickson rushed out of a side entrance.

There is no word on whether the Big Red One collected the pennies, but from what I hear about his fund raising numbers, he probably needs them.

All of this was entirely predictable. The zenith of Emmer’s popularity was the Tea Party rally at the Capitol this spring and the Republican state convention. As people got to know Tom, well . . .

It’s not too late for the pool party.

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