Is Walz weird? Judge for yourself

OK, that’s been cleared up.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz misspoke when in 2018, he said this: “We can make sure that those weapons of war that I carried in war is the only place where those weapons are at.”

He was never in war. The closest he got to war was when his artillery unit was sent to Italy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom,  but was not part of the Operation, according to what a spokeswoman for the Harris-Walz campaign told The New York Times.

It was not the only cleanup on military aisle four.

The Harris-Walz website claimed he retired with the rank of command sergeant major. Walz did achieve that rank on an interim basis, but he did not complete the required paperwork and retired as a master sergeant.

Then there was the brouhaha initiated by some men who served with him, that he quit the Guard to avoid being sent to a combat zone. While there were rumors for a long time about his unit being sent to Iraq, Walz retired before those orders were cut.

 The Washington Post offered an extensive fact check.

I salute him for his service. Full stop.

Since only 1% of Americans serve in the military, that might be considered “weird” by some, 😁 but it is not the most weird thing about the former teacher and football coach.

How about this?

He has been to China 30 times and was on his way to teach there even as the Chinese government was throttling pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square.

I am not kidding you. And he married his teacher wife Gwen on the fifth anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre, so, he would have a date he could always remember, Gwen was quoted as saying. They honeymooned in China.

Choosing June 4 for your wedding day, to keep it memorable, is like choosing 9/11. 

Weird.

Maybe as weird as Tim shaking Gwen’s hand when she came out on the stage after his introductory speech at Temple University. She took the handshake but pulled him in for a smooch.

The couple operated educational trips to China for years through their own travel company, which apparently was not a huge financial success.

I say that because despite an online “report” that Walz is worth $128 million, Forbes reports his net worth as less than half a million, making him less well-of than the average American of 60, his age. His salary as governor of Minnesota, $127,629, is less than Philly pays City Council members, $158,949.

He and Gwen have been married 30 years, and she must be a great match for him. During the devastating 2020 riots — more of that in a moment — Gwen said she kept the windows open. “I could  smell the burning tires, and that was a very real thing. I kept the windows open as long as I could because I felt like that was such a touchstone of what was happening.”

She kept the windows open so she could smell the burning tires. The revolution was televised, and it could be smelled.

Not to mention $500 million in damage, 164 incidents of arson, and two riot-related deaths.

In a news conference explaining the destruction, Walz pretty much gave a progressive pass to the rioters by saying, “Minneapolis and St. Paul are on fire. The fire is still smoldering in our streets. The ashes are symbolic of decades and generations of pain, of anguish unheard.”

A little later, perhaps choking on the smell of burning tires, Walz said the rioters disgraced George Floyd’s memory.

The riots began on a Tuesday night, the Minnesota National Guard was not fully mobilized until Saturday, was partially mobilized earlier, but the hometown newspaper is unclear who called them out. However, only the governor can mobilize a state’s guard units.

It seems like a delay on Walz’s part, but I am not certain.

As I researched this, I saw many stories reporting that in retrospect, Donald J. Trump criticized Walz’s actions, but at the time, Trump praised him. True, but Trump’s praise came after Walz called out the Guard. Trump’s offer of federal troops was rejected by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. The mayor had criticized the governor for being tardy in sending troops, but later reversed himself.

The woke mayor was slow to request the National Guard because, well, who the hell knows why? The riots were as predictable as snow in Minnesota.

In a related note, woke Mayor Jim Kenney also declined to ask for the National Guard, even after riots had broken out in other cities. Only after Chestnut and Walnut streets were trashed, and police cars were set ablaze, did the lunkhead request help. 

We can’t close without talking about Tampon Tim, as the Right has labeled him.

Why?

Because he signed a bill that required products for all students who menstruate be put in school bathrooms, including the boys bathroom. What did you say? Boys don’t menstruate. True, so the bill protects the infinitesimal number of girls who have transitioned into boys and apparently have no girl friends from whom to borrow a Tampon. 

It would have made more sense, and less costly, to have Tampons in medical offices. 

To wrap it up, and to be fair because that’s how I roll, here are some of  Walz’s progressive accomplishments as governor. How much you like them depends on which team you root for — red or blue.

He acted to provide low-cost or free health care for illegals, and driver’s licenses for them to get to jobs (that are illegal for them to hold). Minnesota is a sanctuary state, not just for illegals, but also for minors who want sexual mutilation “gender affirming” surgery without parental approval.

Minnesota’s school children get free meals, K-12, irrespective of ability to pay, and free college tuition for kids in families with under $80,000 income. There’s paid family and medical leave for up to 20 weeks. And a $1,750 tax credit per child. Abortions are available upon demand through nine months, and they don’t have to be performed in a hospital or by a doctor.

Plus even more. Check this link.

If all of the above makes you wonder what kind of people Minnesotans elect for governor, remember they elected wrestler Jesse Ventura.

And, in case you are wondering, yes, I’ll be writing about JD Vance next.