The first reaction I had after reading DFL State Party Chairman Brian Melendez’s statement was “That’s the best you could do”? My next reaction was that Chairman Melendez had just publicly accused Tom Emmer of being principled. Here’s the text of Chairman Melendez’s statement:

“Tom Emmer’s dismissal of ‘compromise’ as a valuable political tool is just a recipe for more of the same self-serving gridlock that we have seen under Governor Pawlenty. The failure to compromise has produced a government shutdown, frequent stalemate in policy debate, and historically staggering deficits, and it has put the state’s credit rating at risk. We can’t afford another governor who refuses to compromise when so many Minnesotans are out of work and the state’s deficit is spiraling out of control.

“Politics is the art of the possible, and compromise is what makes real solutions possible in a heated political environment. Minnesota needs a governor who will be a governor for the entire state, not just the political right or the political left or the special interests. Tom Emmer’s recent comments show that he lacks those skills, or, if he has them, he thinks that they are a waste of time.”

This type of gotcha communications doesn’t persuade voters. I know the intent is to ‘put the other guy’ on the defensive but that isn’t what it accomplishes. It merely informs John Q. Public that the DFL isn’t addressing things important to voters.

Frankly, I’m left wondering what the real message behind this is. I’m certain that I know what its intended message is: Tom Emmer doesn’t believe in compromise. This year, I don’t think that’s what voters will think, though. What I think they’ll hear is that Tom Emmer is a principled man who doesn’t compromise just for the sake of looking agreeable.

With spending restraint being one of this year’s hot button issues, saying no to status quo spending is a positive thing. It’s worth noting that Gov. Pawlenty vetoed the GAMC bill, which led to Matt Dean’s work in negotiating with the DFL and winding up with vastly superior legislation that brings accountability to the system and saves Minnesota’s taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

Chairman Melendez says that “Politics is the art of the possible.” I can’t argue with that. Thanks to the House GOP standing on principles, what became possible was significant GAMC reform. That’s the type of possibility most Minnesotans hope our next leader exhibits.

Finally, what’s evident is that Chairman Melendez doesn’t like it when the DFL doesn’t get its way. He’d rather see Republicans moving in his direction. Thankfully for conservatives, Tom Emmer thinks that the purpose behind reaching across to the other side of the aisle is to pull the DFL in our direction.

Tom’s principled conservatism is appealing to a wide range of voters, from conservatives to common sense independents to conservative Democrats. That’s the type of coalition we’ll need to keep the governor’s mansion in GOP hands.

Tom’s common sense approach and his principled conservatism is why I’m proud to serve on Tom Emmer’s Steering Committee.

Technorati: Tom Emmer, Conservatism, Negotiation, Matt Dean, GAMC, Reforms, Tim Pawlenty, Veto, Fiscal Restraint, MNGOP, Brian Melendez, DFL, Election 2010