Angie Craig – Not Clicking with the Cliques

All politics isn't just local. It's also a lot like high school – complete with unforgiving teen cliques. Remember those little groups that used to scatter around the classrooms, lunchrooms, and hallways?

Whether their members were comprised of jocks, nerds, cheerleaders, bad boys, good girls, Jesus people, or creative vigilantes, they all adapted the same clique credo. Although these groups were created in the first place because teen outcasts felt isolated and disrespected, once they founded their own exclusive units they lost no time in isolating and disrespecting others who weren't like them. Anyone who was "different" – i.e. not like them – couldn't get their approval or protection.

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Their governing mantra? If you don't think like us – maybe even if you don't dress like us – you can't join our group. You're the enemy, and we hate you.

Please don't tell me you don't know what I mean, dear readers. You know. I know you know. You just don't want to revisit that fascist imprisonment of a school that was probably the lowest point of your life, even though it was called high school.

Think back, however, and you'll inevitably remember that girl, that one girl who stood up to unfair, incompetent teaching methods and the relentless bullying of students that so many others tried to ignore(or else go along with so they wouldn't get bullied too).

She was the one who abided by the rules but also became the outspoken advocate when rules were inherently unjust or only designed to control students in silly Mickey Mouse ways…As in, do not store winter boots or potato chips in your lockers or shave your heads.

She was that friendly, down-to-earth girl who wasn't afraid to stand up for others or fight for what she believed…In other words, she knew her own mind, did her own thing, and didn't always blindly follow the ways of any clique.

That meant she was also the enemy of their rigid "group think."

Sound familiar?

Sounds a lot like Angie Craig…and we do need more Angie Craigs in Congress than ever before.

So why is it that every time an experienced, grassroots fighter for justice emerges from the school of hard knocks she gets knocked down again?

Why such venom spewed for someone who only tries to ensure that ordinary hardworking citizens can have their fair share of the American Dream?

Why this media deluge of half-truths, outright lies, and downright smears about Angie Craig when she only wants to make her country a better, safer place for everyone?

Why keep attacking someone who understands the concept of public service so well?

I'm not sure, but it's impossible to ignore the irony in this competitive Senate primary race.

Today, more than ever before in the history of this country, people are entertaining their widespread reverse prejudice about women. No, no one's admitting they have this bias. No polling about it is being carefully studied and researched, either. It is, however, a reality for Minnesotans, along with citizens in other states. Here it is, hiding in plain sight: WOMEN ARE BETTER THAN MEN, AND WE WANT MORE WOMEN IN POLITICS!

So many people are believing that women are intrinsically better than men that they want them elected to political office. Yes, they're ready to vote for women because they also entertain this fantasy that women can come into Congress itself and clean up the mess their male counterparts have been creating for the past 10-20 years or more. I AM WOMAN, WATCH ME SWEEP AWAY THE CRAPPY CORRUPTION AND STALEMATES THE MAN HAS CREATED!

Unfortunately, women are individuals like men. Good public service can be delivered – or denied – by both sexes. Dirty political campaigns can also be launched by both sexes.

If that sounds too simplistic, then consider the current campaign ads that have been airing too often on commercial TV. Then consider the actions and reactions of both Angie Craig and Peggy Flanagan as competitors.

When a PAC ad supporting Angie Craig aired with a picture of Peggy Flanagan looking like an extra on "The Walking Dead," Flanagan complained about it during a televised interview between the two candidates. Although she knew that Craig had no control over any PAC ad, she made a big point about how it had upset her daughter.

Craig responded that she had no control over PAC ads but did regret that this particular ad had upset Flanagan's daughter. Her remorse seemed genuine, as did her regret for voting for the Laken Riley Act.

That remorse didn't stop Flanagan from airing her own TV ads that blamed Craig for "unleashing ICE" on Minnesota. Now that's an inaccuracy any male candidate would be proud to use for smearing! So much for women cleaning up dirty campaigns.

In contrast, subsequent campaign ads that Angie Craig did control emphasized her achievements, not her opponent's shortcomings or political inactivity. Positive feedback about her accomplishments were also presented in testimonial form from others she had helped while working as a Congressional representative.

Meanwhile, Peggy Flanagan's chosen ads continued to harp about her opponent's vote for The Laken Riley Act.

FYI, The Laken Riley Act was introduced after an illegal alien with a known criminal background murdered Laken Riley. This bill was designed to address the problem of illegal aliens who were known criminals who were arrested or had been charged with crimes, or who had admitted to criminal activity, who then posted bail and disappeared. In response to outcries about public safety, The Laken Riley Act was supposed to help ICE agents and others in law enforcement to more efficiently locate and process criminals who were also illegal aliens.

That's not what happened, though. The real problem here was that ICE agents who infiltrated Minnesota during the winter of 2026 abused their own authority and reportedly broke this law that had been specifically designed to help them. ICE continually arrested and detained innocent people who had brown - not white - skin, who WERE in the country legally and had the correct documentation, and who had no criminal records!

In fact, the weirdest report that I remember was when ICE arrested, then detained, a Native American and were getting ready to "send him back where he belonged before he came here illegally."...Wow. That's the kind of STUPID no training can remedy.

So it's doubtful that Angie Craig or any other legislator who had voted for The Laken Riley Act could have foreseen how diabolically braindead ICE would really be. Certainly, supporters of this bill never could have imagined that these agents would flagrantly disobey a federal statute like this, then use the same statute to justify their illegal and brutal actions.

At least when it became evident that ICE was out of control, Angie Craig and other legislators showed up at The Bishop Henry Whipple Building in Minneapolis that cold January day to check on the people who had been detained there.

Peggy Flanagan wasn't there.

Isn't it time that women like her – and men – who want to serve their country in political office should start heeding the better angels of their nature instead of behaving like members of irate high school cliques?