Regarding the News Tribune's endorsement of Pete Stauber for Congress (Our View/Endorsement: "Stauber emerges in heated race," Oct. 15), I don't know Stauber. He's obviously known and respected by many. He appears to be accomplished and energetic.
But Stauber is both a former long-time law enforcement officer and a Trumper, two things that should be irreconcilable.
Inevitably, Stauber is associated, if only for political expediency, with President Donald Trump's ongoing incitement of racism, bigotry, violence, misogyny, and, it seems, every other known form of repellent and unethical behavior. One might mention Trump's recent endorsement of a violent attack on a Guardian reporter.
By endorsing Stauber, the News Tribune essentially endorsed violence against reporters, a shameful stance for a newspaper. What will the paper have to say when one of its reporters is violently attacked?
Equally absurd was the Oct. 11 endorsement of Doug Wardlow for attorney general (Our View/Endorsement: "Remove politics from AG's office with Wardlow"). Even a casual review of Wardlow's record and his campaign statements makes it clear enough he would put the AG's office at the service of Minnesota's fat-cat interests. His opponent, Keith Ellison, on the other hand, has a different record: He's one of the sadly few of 435 members of Congress to consistently side with the people and against abusive special interests. This seems a pretty solid credential for an attorney general.
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If the News Tribune wishes to promote the interests of the Republican Party, it could better do that by holding that party and its candidates to reasonable standards.
Alan Muller
Red Wing, Minn.
