Harris Dances Farther Left with Walz for VP

Harris Dances Farther Left With Walz for VP

Commentary by Sanford D. Horn

August 7, 2024

While Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris and the so-called legacy media are doing their level best to bamboozle and gaslight the American people by whitewashing her entire failed record from prosecutor to vice president, she doubled-down on her progressive, far left, socialist bona fides with the selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.

In her introductory speech in Philadelphia on Tuesday, August 6, Harris read a cadre of titles Walz has held throughout his career, from teacher to coach to National Guardsman to Congressman to Governor. What Harris neglected to include in that list is liar and dictator.

In her Philadelphia speech Harris referred to Walz as having been the “highest ranking enlisted man to ever serve in Congress.” Walz did, in fact, serve in the United States Army National Guard for 24 years. For that, he is owed a “thank you for your service,” as he served honorably - until he did not. Walz claimed to have served overseas in combat. He did serve overseas, in Italy, but not in combat. First lie. Walz addressed a group of constituents discussing gun control and referenced a specific gun he carried into combat. Second lie; and there are those who would correctly call those lies “stolen valor.”

In 2005 the First Battalion 125th Field Artillery, to which Walz belonged, received orders to mobilize for a mission to Iraq. Upon those orders, which undoubtedly would have put Walz and the soldiers he was charged with leading in harm’s way, Walz bailed. He retired from the Army National Guard to avoid the deployment and announced he would run for Congress in 2006. Upon how many bodies did Walz stand in order to get to Congress? 

Because Walz retired from the Guard, the claim of “highest ranking enlisted man to ever serve in Congress,” is also up for dispute. Throughout his six terms in Congress Walz lied about his rank in the Guard, declaring it to be Command Sergeant Major, E9. In reality, because Walz retired when he did, he failed to complete the course work and requirements that would have earned him that promotion. Instead, Walz retired as a Master Sergeant, E8, according to Alpha News MN. With these lies, Walz sullied what may very well have been honorable service in the Army National Guard. What purpose did those lies serve? Virtually everybody would have applauded Walz for his service regardless of rank. Retiring to avoid the mission to Iraq - most definitely not honorable. How carefully and deeply vetted was Walz before Harris tapped him for her number two?

Next in line behind Walz to lead the mission, Tom Behrends, said, “What the hell kind of leadership is that?”

Walz demonstrated poor leadership skills, once again, as governor of Minnesota during the Covid-19 pandemic. Described by many residents of the Land of 10,000 Lakes as serving as a totalitarian dictator, Walz ruled with an iron fist imposing draconian lockdown policies pertaining to schools, businesses, restaurants, and houses of worship, extending beyond what most states inflicted upon their citizens. Walz introduced a snitch hotline, encouraging Minnesontans to rat out their fellow Minnesotans who individuals deemed to be violating the Covid lockdown rules. As an observant Jew, and not one to frivolously employ words like Nazi and Hitler, this comparison is apt. The Nazis mandated the populations, especially children, to spy on one another and report their neighbors, teachers, religious leaders, even their own parents to the Nazi authorities for speaking ill of the Third Reich and/or Hitler.

Yet, in spite of Walz’s dictatorial rules, he hypocritically reminded the Philadelphia audience on Tuesday that “In Minnesota we respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make. Even if we wouldn’t make the same choice for ourselves, there’s a golden rule: mind your own damn business!” Walz most certainly does not practice what he preaches.

Another disturbing example of the Walz leadership style, is his best imitation of Nero - fiddling while Minneapolis burned to the ground in 2020. During that riotous spring turning into summer, 1,500 businesses burned, many unable to reopen costing owners their livelihoods, and $500 million in property damage. Then police chief Medaria Arrdondo said “these events over the last 72 hours absolutely overwhelmed public safety.”

Walz reported on May 29, 2020 that, “I got a call from a friend and a dedicated public servant - Senator [Patricia] Torres Ray called in her district [63], and it was on fire. And there weren’t any police there. There weren’t any fire fighters. There was no social control, and her constituents were locked in their house wondering what they were going to do. That is an abject failure that cannot happen. If the issue was that the state should have moved faster, that is on me,” said Walz, who declined to call in the National Guard.

“When the police are not supposed to do their job, it is the most vulnerable people in our community who suffer,” said GOP vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH). “We saw that, of course, in 2020 with the summer riots with our new vice presidential nominee on the Democrat side. As he was promoting rioters and looters burning down the City of Minneapolis, Kamala Harris was helping to bail the rioters and looters out of jail - a really vicious cycle if you own one of those businesses that was burned down, and, of course, a very vicious cycle if you’re one of the poor kids who needs law and order, who needs common sense safety, but doesn’t have access to it because our government, so often, refuses to do its job,” said Vance at a campaign rally in Detroit on Wednesday.

Also, during his tenure as governor, Walz has supported and signed into law the following edicts or bills that would not make America great again:

Established a DEI council with his first executive order

Signed an executive order guaranteeing gender-affirming care for transgender youth - minors

Signed an order requiring tampons in boy’s/men’s bathrooms

Signed a radical abortion rights bill into law

Signed a free college tuition bill into law

Signed a free universal school meals bill into law

Supported BLM that set Minneapolis ablaze in 2020 and refused to call in the National Guard, suggesting they would be “19 year old cooks”

Did not prevent statues from being overturned during the riots

Burned through an $18 billion surplus

Is not welcome at the funerals of police officers

Signed into law the North Star Act making Minnesota a sanctuary state

Supports recreational marijuana use

Signed into law the right of illegal aliens to procure driver’s licenses 

Living in Indiana, these are not remotely close to the Midwest values former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi incorrectly credits Walz with having. Walz makes Sen. Bernie Sanders (S-VT) look like a conservative.

Former UN Ambassador and governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley said the Walz pick is “a win for open borders and socialism.”

Just take Walz’s words for it. Objecting to President Donald Trump’s border wall, Walz said, “If the wall is 25 feet, then I’ll invest in the 30 foot ladder factory.” Walz also said, “One person’s socialism is another’s neighborliness.”

By picking Walz, or following the orders of whomever is pulling her strings, Harris demonstrates to whom she is answerable, and the strength of the pro-Hamas, anti-Israel wing of the Democrat Party. The Republican Party dodged a bullet with Walz on the Democrat ticket versus Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Regardless of what Trump or anyone else said about Minnesota being in play, Richard M. Nixon, in 1972, was the last GOP candidate to win that state. Picking Walz should put an end to that pipe dream and hopefully the Republicans will not waste resources in Minnesota when there are many other battleground states in need of serious attention - particularly the Keystone State.

By not picking Shapiro, the Democrats did the GOP a huge favor. Shapiro is less socialist than Walz, is younger, more popular, seemingly more affable, and Jewish. (Quite frankly, the Democrats may have done Shapiro a favor should he seek his party’s nomination in 2028.) The GOP has a more reasonable chance of winning Pennsylvania than Minnesota on a normal day. By omitting Shapiro from the Democrat ticket, the edge goes to the GOP, when including him would have given that edge to the Democrats. There is also an important Senate race in Pennsylvania that could tip the balance of power should Republican businessman Dave McCormick deny Senator Bob Casey, Jr. a fourth term. See the companion piece on the importance of Shapiro’s religion:  https://sanfordspeaksout.blogspot.com/2024/08/from-lieberman-to-shapiro-turning-back.html 

President Trump kept the United States out of new wars, oversaw a solidly growing economy, energy independence, miniscule inflation and unemployment figures, and the beginnings of a border wall that must be restored and completed. After all, under border czar Kamala Harris more than 10 million illegal aliens have invaded the United States. Harris-Walz will continue to drag this country toward the bottom, putting America last by giving illegals free hotel rooms while there are homeless veterans, giving illegals free healthcare, education, driver’s licenses, and in some jurisdictions, voting rights. This can all be put to a screeching halt by voting for Donald Trump on November 5, and help make America great again.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.