Checkin' in.

While watching a little MLB Network this evening, the telephone rang. The Caller ID said "Abeler Chiropractic."

Hoo Boy!!!

Having recently moved to MN House District 48B, my state representative is a man named Jim Abeler. In the few seconds before picking up the phone, only two things leaped to my mind: My gratuitous shot at Rep. Abeler's haircut and his being known as one of the MN GOP's "override six."

Since I am now a delegate in Abeler's district, he was gracious enough to call me to ask if I had any questions of him. I mentioned how we moved into his district 17 months ago and how I had been a delegate in 49B (then represented by Abeler's "override six" cohort Kathy Tingelstad). And yes, the subject of the highly controversial mass transit subsidy transportation bill did come up. I freely expressed my objections to the bill and Abeler's vote on the matter. Rep. Abeler was very accommodating in my criticism and understood my concerns. However, he emphasized that the bill did result in a third lane being added on Hwy. 10, a fact not lost on my wife as she commutes down that road on a daily basis.

Overall, it was a nice conversation in which we broached several subjects like the Minnesota gubernatorial race, the ongoing health care debate in Congress, etc.

In the end, the main purpose of Rep. Abeler's phone call was to ask for my endorsement at our March 6 BPOU convention. Abler was denied the endorsement in 2008 but won handily in the HD 48B primary. In poring over his record once I knew I would be living in 48B, I found that Rep. Abeler has been on the right side of a vast majority of the issues important to me (the vote on the transportation bill notwithstanding).

Nevertheless, I have decided to endorse Jim Abeler's re-election bid.

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