BoingBoing earlier today posted an excerpt from the Star Tribune about Minnesota House Majority Leader Matt Dean declaring war on the Duke Boys, er, Neil Gaiman:
House Majority Leader Matt Dean said he reminded Urdahl of the “importance of making sure he has [Republican] caucus support” for Legacy funding for arts and cultural heritage projects, an area of spending that Dean acknowledged had rankled some Republicans. “MPR, its safe to say, has been a concern in the past,” said Dean.Dean also singled out a $45,000 payment of Legacy money that was made last year to science fiction writer Neil Gaiman for a four-hour speaking appearance. Dean said that Gaiman, “who I hate,” was a “pencil-necked little weasel who stole $45,000 from the state of Minnesota.”
While we’re name calling, I suppose only a loathsome troglodyte can hate a seemingly mild-mannered person who happens to write well, speak eloquently, and help causes he believes in. In fact, Mr. Gaiman is the most upstanding author who I have had the pleasure to meet [he definitely takes the third way in his blog response to this here]. Besides being an all-around stand-up guy, he chooses to spend most of his time in Minnesota rather than his native UK, says many nice things about Minnesota, publicly speaks in exchange for an agreed upon fee reasonable of his status and prestige (this is market capitalism–something I suppose Dean believes in), and then donates said money to good causes.
Mr. Dean, who represents the interests of the New Gods of unbridled capitalism and anti-government support of public works, will, I suspect, be held accountable by the Norse Gods of Minnesota’s ancestors and more importantly by the great people of Minnesota. Perhaps in the meantime, Mr. Dean, you should steer clear of the new movie Thor. Maybe you should do some reading over the weekend like reading some of Mr. Gaiman’s novels. You should begin with American Gods.
via GOP targets Legacy funds for MPR, arts | StarTribune.com.
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