Bradlee Dean Running and Hiding

My letter yesterday was about Bradlee Dean, written and sent before I knew he'd been invited to open the legislature with a prayer. It was a divisive prayer. I'd actually addressed my letter to the local media, who over the past ten years has managed not to cover this hatemongering talk-radio-jock-pastor-rock-drummer or his close ties to the GOP leadership. His "ministry" is called "You Can Run But You Can't Hide."

Running and hiding. This from Politics in Minnesota describes Dean's and the GOP leaders' avoiding the press conference they set up to address the controversy.

The GOP leadership has managed to erase the event from the public record. Can they do that? They did. It never happened. Stop complaining.

Mayor Rybak has a very good response to this eruption of hate politics.

From MNPublius, a good summary of the cozy bed-time Bradlee Dean has spent with Republican leaders over the years.

It made the national and world news too.

Mother Jones. Their midweek article anticipated this uproar nicely. I posted it to local media, but I think a lot of them were caught by surprise. "Who is this guy?" They ought to have read about him by now, if not in the local media that had carefully avoided noticing him.

Bradlee Dean shows that he can run and can actually hide too, for the time being. But he'll be on the radio this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon.

1280AM, the "Patriot"

...where the talk is mostly about taking down the government, avoiding taxes and misquoting the Founders.

Although I am hearing rumors that his program has been cancelled. Maybe he's been hustled to a secret location.

Hate Radio Jock Opens Minnesota Legislature for Republicans

Just after I'd sent my Pasquino letter this morning I heard that this same hatemonger, Bradlee Dean had been invited by MN Republicans to open the legislature with a prayer. I've heard it. It wasn't the usual non-denominational, non-partisan stuff. It wasn't a hate-filled screed like his radio show, but it was very very partisan. It drew an appropriate but very measured response from the Democrats. It deserves a much louder and angrier response from the public.

This next clip is especially good. And it isn't new. Dean was a chum of Tom Emmer's last fall. Did it get him noticed by journalists?

Why, if Rachel Maddow was reporting Dean's creepiness and GOP friendliness in 2010, is he unreported enough to be invited to open the Minnesota legislature. I realize the Dump Bachmann website is a tad partisan. But Maddow does her reporting well.

The Strange BFF of Minnesota Republicans

Maybe you think we shouldn't give Bradlee Dean any more attention, but "no-comment" tends to validate his message.

I often listen on weekends when I'm in the car, and my jaw drops. I can't quite describe the spiel. A cross between Jack Van Impe and Father Coughlin, with Ozzy Osbourne and a little bit of gushing twelve year old valley girl thrown in––lots of "hell-O!" and "Wake up Am-merr-ick-A!". There's also the eager sidekick saying amen to everything. Faux evangelism can be riveting.

Here in town we get a couple of hours twice each weekend full of Obama is a Nazi (and/or a Commie), Come-to-Jesus, Gays are stalking our kids, the country is in danger so grab your guns, heed/ignore the Constitution and take back/take down the government. Two full hours of tinfoil hats and bible verses. I've also heard bits of race baiting and Jew hating slipped in, like the accidental disclosure of KKK robes worn under his radio costume. Muslim hating and gay hating are the main agenda. And hatred of our present elected government and the president, lampooned with the familiar racist schtick.

It would be interesting and helpful to get some intelligent analysis of the spiel, the linguistic or rhetorical trickery of it. Why is it so mesmerizing? Why is it attractive? Who does it fool? How can advertisers be comfortable with it? Who is funding this guy? And how has he evaded criticism, not to mention his taxes.

And why the hell is it on radio every weekend? Possibly because it's hypnotically interesting. Like Glenn Beck done by an adolescent boy. But why no local criticism? When filth like this goes out on the air unchallenged a lot of people assume it's because it's valid and true. But it's a familiar flim-flam. An updating of Lonesome Rhodes and Father Coughlin with a heavy metal guitar haircut.

http://minnesotaindependent.com/2652/because-god-said-youth-ministry-uses-deception-to-gain-access-to-public-schools

This from a Presbyterian minister, writing in the Pioneer Press ten years ago. Note that there is no mainstream media reporting on this goon.

http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0616-02.htm

The alleged Muslim/sharia/homosexual threat:

http://minnesotaindependent.com/74635/bradlee-dean-keith-ellison-is-advancing-sharia-law-through-homosexual-agenda\

The Bradlee Dean spiel linking Obama-Nazis-Muslims-homosexuality-the Holocaust and (in case that isn't interesting enough) saying the execution of gays is a moral act. As Dean himself would say: "Hell-O!"

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/bachmann%E2%80%99s-favorite-ministry-joins-fischer-link-gays-holocaust

http://minnesotaindependent.com/58393/gop-linked-punk-rock-ministry-says-executing-gays-is-moral

http://minnesotaindependent.com/59761/bradlee-dean-says-minnesota-independent-twisted-his-words

http://minnesotaindependent.com/59568/hard-rock-ministry-says-jailing-gays-is-right-thing-to-do

http://minnesotaindependent.com/53940/bradlee-dean-sharon-lubinski-u-s-marshal

It doesn't take long with some of these charismatic rockstar "ministers" before you find the actual reason they became a religion. Tax exempt status. Rock and roll doesn't allow you to not pay taxes.

http://www.rippleinstillwater.com/2010/12/did-you-can-run-but-you-cannot-hide-get.html

Some youtube video on Dean and his Republican/right wing friendships

http://www.youtube.com/user/MNPOLITICS#g/u

Michele Bachmann praying for Bradlee Dean's "ministry" of hate:

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/bachmann-supported-group-claims-rep-ellison-using-gays-impose-sharia-us

If you would rather learn constitutional law from a former drug addict and rock performer than a professor of constitutional law at Harvard, you can enroll in Bradlee Dean's class for $240:

http://shop.youcanruninternational.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=106