And Arne Carlson prefers his oatmeal unsalted!

Vote for the third hand

Standing in front a throng of three dozen supporters perhaps trucked in from the Dorothy Day Center, Arne Carlson today announced his fervent support for middleman Tom Horner. The Vikings roster is bigger than the crowd for the announcement.

In a moment of apparent confusion for the former governor, Carlson said, “You can’t tax your way to success; on the other hand, you can’t cut your way to success.”

“Tom Horner is the third hand.”

Okay, he didn’t really say that last sentence. But he might just as well have said it.

Horner does agree with Mark Dayton that we need to raise more revenue; Horner just wants to do it regressively, by broadening sales taxes to include clothing and at least some (more) services. Let’s ask our Tea Party friends what they think of that:

Seems like a nonstarter with the Tea Party, eh? Most of them are Emmerians (or is it Emmerites? cast your vote in the comments) anyway, so it is not likely this the group Horner is after.

In spite of Carlson’s, um, glowing words, Horner does seem to represent a deadly status quo for Minnesota, more of a “more of the same” candidate, stretching all the way back to the Carlson administration: a series of trimmers and tuckers and hemmers and hawers. And “put offers;” Carlson is not entirely free from blame here, either.

Since Horner is in the news today, I thought I’d put up some links to old posts (older to newer) here at the Stool about Tom Horner.

Tom “I’m in the middle” Horner, Spot’s foot (on Rachel Stassen-Berger’s description of Horner as a centrist)

Tom Horner, meet the Tea Partiers! (Dean Barkley says, “Come on over!” to the Tea Partiers)

The tuba trio (Horner on health care)

And the dead shall be raised . . . Incombustible! (Horner throws his chapeau in the ring)

Jesse Ventura without the charisma (Horner is endorsed by an empty room)

Dr. Spin will see you now (or Southbound in the Tom Lane, about the tip credit)

The eighth grade campaign (Horner’s juvenile campaign)

Tom Horner’s big lies (no further description needed)

There’s one other link I’d like to mention; it’s to a post about the relative fairness of sales tax and income tax increases: Taxing Harry and Louise.