The Tinklenberg08 blog would have you believe that there’s this huge groundswell of support for El Tinklenberg. Here’s how they’re trumpeting their newfound momentum:

We’ve compiled a digest of coverage from local news and blogs.

From WCCO:

Tinklenberg is positioning himself as more moderate than the conservative Bachmann and trying to win over middle-of-the-road voters.

“What this says about our campaign is that we are trying to do what we talk about, and that is to build through addition rather than division,” said Tinklenberg, who worked as transportation commissioner under former Gov. Jesse Ventura, who won office as a third-party candidate.

From the Strib:

“It happens from time to time,” he said. “We tend to want to support good candidates and Tinklenberg was much more in line with our platform and beliefs than the Republican.”

From the Pi-Press:

“As important as all the issues are, it’s equally important that we find ways of coming together and getting things done,” Tinklenberg said after he received the endorsement. “That’s what this endorsement conveys.”

Also Saturday, the IP endorsed Stephen Williams, a farmer from Austin, Minn., to run for the U.S. Senate. At first, Williams opposed cross-endorsing Tinklenberg. He said the Independence Party should have a representative of its own in the race. “I would much rather have a candidate who would walk in a parade with me,” Williams said.

But by a show of hands, the majority of the IP convention chose to endorse Tinklenberg.

This is Tinklenberg’s big momentum push? The IP endorses someone that their endorsed Senate candidate doesn’t enthusiastically support and that’s supposedly the parties coming together? Please.

What’s also laughable is that the IP portrays itself as a bunch of moderates. It’s nothing of the sort. It’s the home of liberals who’ve failed in DFL politics. In this respect, the IP is the perfect home for Tinklenberg. He talks moderate and acts outside-the-mainstream liberal.

Whatever minimal impact this has on Mr. Tinklenberg’s momentum, it’ll quickly disappear when I remind people that Mr. Tinklenberg did nothing when HNTB told him to replace the gusset plates on the I-35 Bridge.

That’s before I start talking about Tinklenberg’s overture to the MoveOn.org extremists by promising to vote for impeachment before articles of impeachment were even debated.

Does that sound like a moderate to you? Personally, it sounds more like a pawn or a panderer than principled politician to me.

Technorati: DFL, El Tinklenberg, MoveOn.org, Endorsement, Independence Party, Election 2008