Pastor who made secret recording of Senate leader has no regrets

pioneer press ^ | 3-17-06 | ap

[Rakkasan1]

WILLMAR, Minn. - The pastor who secretly recorded Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson comments about the Minnesota Supreme Court and the state's law against gay marriage says he has no regrets about what he did. Brent Waldemarsen, senior pastor at Harvest Community Church of God in Willmar, acknowledged in an interview published Friday in the West Central Tribune that his recording of Johnson, DFL-Willmar, had opened up a can of worms. "Unfortunately, it's the senator that opened it," he told the newspaper. Waldemarsen recorded Johnson telling a January meeting of the New London-Spicer Ministerial Association that Supreme Court justices had told him the high court would not overturn a state law defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

[Rakkasan1]

Johnson remarks target of petitionDFLer offered assurances about marriage law

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/legislature/14108513.htm

[rottndog]

On the recording, Johnson can be heard saying he had spoken three Supreme Court about the issue, including former Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz.

"I have had a number of visits with them about our law. All of them, every one of them, including the lady who just stepped down, Kathleen Blatz, was my seatmate (in the Minnesota House) for four years. She was the chief justice. You know what her response was? 'Dean, we all stand for election too, every six years.' She said 'We're not going to touch it.' That's what she said to me."


It's so hard to believe that people in power are so stupid as to make these kind of comments, in public to boot.

[camle]

"He said his finding memos of Kennedy seeking to delay confirmation of judges until after key decisions had been made without telling him should not "overshadow the fact that Sen. Kennedy said some things that should not have been said.""

Amazing how the propriety of obtaining damaging info depends upon who's ox is being gored...

[blueminnesota]

Sad when pastors stoop to dirty political tricks.

[blueminnesota]

It's dishonest and underhanded to secretly record private conversations, IMHO, therefore, dirty. My opinions of an action don't change depending upon who is doing it.

[blueminnesota]

I know it's politics and I know politics are dirty but I would prefer pastors to keep a little cleaner. That was the point of my initial comment.

[RHOACO]

"I have no respect for professional clergy who conduct themselves in this manner," Johnson told the Star Tribune.

Oh REALLY now Senator!!!!!!!!!!

And squashing a vote and lying to a group of people is OK.........NOT.
It is LEGAL to record in a public setting in MN.therefore the pastor was not charged

[proudpapa]

I don't believe this was a private conversation. Johnson was recorded giving a speech to meeting of the New London-Spicer Ministerial Association.

Sounds like pastor/senator Johnson has some 'splaining to do.



Since when has it become wrong to record, or secretly record a politician giving a speech?

[blueminnesota]

He wasn't giving a public speech, he was sitting at a table with a group having a conversation.

[festus]

My kind of pastor.

[blueminnesota]

It's certainly legal. It's also dishonest. I don't address Dean Johnson's conduct because I don't expect any different from him. I was suprised by the pastor, however.

[ikka]

It's dishonest and underhanded to secretly record private conversations, IMHO, therefore, dirty.

Consider Scenario A: what the senator said is repeated by this guy, but he has not tape to back him up. The senator denies it, the press doesn't run the story. Scenario B: the existence of the tape proves that what is being reported is accurate. The press does run the story.

Which scenario serves the truth? A senator, speaking to a group of people, is not having a private conversation.

By the way, do you feel that Linda Tripp was wrong to record her conversations with Monica?

[blueminnesota]

I hold by my opinion of secretly recording private and personal conversations, regardless if I'm happy about the outcome. If it was another politician doing this I wouldn't say anything. I'm just suprised at it being a pastor. That's all. I won't say any more because I see people will misunderstand and think I love Dean Johnson or gay marriage or something.

[Dark Knight]

It's certainly legal. It's also dishonest. <<

I don't get the dishonest thing. I read the origninal article, and it shows the the MN justices may have violated their ethics rules by discussing the case prior to it being brought before the court. There were discussing the politics of gay marriage.

How is recording a politician at an open meeting, who is asserting an ethics violation of justices, a bad thing?

He was pandering, no doubt. He may have been lying, he IS a politician. But he is now responsible for what he said. And that is a bad thing...HOW?

DK

[Galveston Grl]

That is right. Politicians should not try to get away with presenting different faces to different people in order to deceive voters. I love it when they get nailed doing this.

[VOA]

"Sad when pastors stoop to dirty political tricks."

Well, the pastor did "push the envelope" IMHO, but...
It's also a sad state of affairs when pastors have to do the investigative
reporting job that "journalists" claim as their job.
The public has been served by:
1. exposure of a lying legislator
and/or
2. judges NOT making their rulings without pre-judging

[Irene Adler]

"I hold by my opinion of secretly recording private and personal conversations..."

What was private (or personal) about the conversation that was recorded?

[proudpapa]

You probably would've been appalled back when Moses parted the Red Sea.





I'd like to see more red in Minnesota, and less blue!