Then again, even just leaving it at that might be a misrepresentation since the material quoted at creepingsharia was taken verbatim from the original MinnGOP news release - and we all know, courtesy of what the democrats do to republicans, that selective quotation is often better than simply lying.
So here's the
entire MNGOP press release, in all its glory:
The Republican Party of Minnesota is proud to announce that Abdimalik Askar is the endorsed Republican candidate running for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 60B in Minneapolis. Askar is the first Somali Minnesotan to be endorsed by Republicans to run for the state legislature.
“Abdimalik Askar is a dynamic candidate, and we are so pleased that he stepped forward to run,” said Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman, Keith Downey. ”It is exciting for Republicans to endorse someone from the Somali community, but more importantly, he would represent his district so well. He is a very talented individual. And he stands strongly for the American Dream and the values of his community “
Askar is basing his positive message of opportunity on conservative values including better schools and school choice, small businesses, family values, and promoting diversity within our communities.
As a young Somali Minnesotan, Abdimalik Askar is a respected leader, speaker, television producer, and assistant principal in his community. Minneapolis has been home to Askar and his family for over twenty years, providing him with the understanding to bring positive change to his community and bring forth opportunity for young Minnesotans.
Concluded Downey, “We are excited to have Abdimalik as a future Minnesota Representative, and we wish him luck on his campaign.”
Even better, here's a more comprehensive bio of Mr. Askar from
Somali Public Radio:
First East African Candidate Abdimalik Askar, Officially Throws his hat in District 60B, Minnesota House of Representative Race
Saturday, December 28 2013
Minneapolis (SPR): Abdimalik Askar has called Minneapolis his home for more than 20 years and he’s worn numerous hats in an effort to make improvements in his community.
And now he’s ready to take the next step to serve his home: a seat on the Minnesota House of Representative.
On Sunday, he formally announced his plans to run for District 60B house of representative seat, currently held by Phyllis Kahn, who plans to seek re-election.
Askar if elected would be the first East African legislator in Minnesota, but notes that he’s running to represent all residents of the district if elected.
“I’ve lived in Minnesota most of my life, and I call this district home,” Askar told Somali Public Radio on Sunday. “I’ve been part of this community for over 2 decades.”
Askar, a Somali American immigrated to Minnesota in the early 90’s in search for a job. He began working as a factory worker in Marshall, and then quickly pursued education by registering for courses at local community colleges. Years later he enrolled in Normandale Community College; where he was among a batch of Somali students who created “Somali Student Association” there.
“We built relationships with administrators and faculty who encouraged us to use the Writing Center, the Student Affairs Office, financial aid and part-time jobs,” Askar told Somali Public Radio.
It was within this new environment that Abdimalik’s leadership skills and entrepreneurial spirit began to flourish. He became a role model for other minority students and active in the Somali community.
Askar, 37 was drawn to community service, and it was his local upbringing that sparked the attraction.
“Why I’m running is because I love giving back to my community,” he said.
Askar has made a career of doing just that.
In 1998, he founded Somali TV and became the producer and anchorman of a one-hour show on the public access channel. In 2006, Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) picked up the show for Sunday nights during the winter. He went to attain a Master’s degree in 2006; currently an assistant principal at a local charter school and a PHD candidate in education at Saint Mary’s University.
Askar said his priorities would include advocating for business, public safety, improving education and fighting for affordable housing.
Here's another summation of his accomplishments, from
Minnesota Public Radio:
MN GOP endorses Somali-American for Minneapolis state House seat
Jon Collins March 5, 2014, 5:50 PM
The Republican Party of Minnesota announced Wednesday that it’s endorsing a Somali-American for a seat in the state Legislature for the first time.
Abdimalik Askar will carry the Republican Party’s endorsement in his bid to win DFLer Phyllis Kahn’s seat in House District 60B in Minneapolis.
Askar is a Dinkytown resident who has lived in the city for two decades. He came to Minnesota in 1993, and worked as a cab driver and dishwasher. Now an assistant director for Best Academy East school in Minneapolis, he aims to serve as a role model for children in the district.
“I’ve worked hard, so it’s time that I work for Minnesota,” Askar said. “I’m advocating for school choices, I’m advocating for family values, and also for promoting diversity.”
While he admitted that many in the city’s Somali-American community are more aligned with the DFL, Askar said he shares more values with Republicans. A party spokesperson confirmed that Askar is also the first Muslim to be endorsed for a legislative seat by the Republican Party of Minnesota.
“Republicans always are for freedom for religion,” said Askar. “My colleagues in the DFL want to run away from the religion. We wanted to keep faith and family values and [make] the community stronger.”
The district has historically been won by Democrats. In the last election in 2012, the Republican candidate received only 21 percent of the vote. That voting history doesn’t deter Askar.
“I’ll meet with the people individually; I’ll knock on doors,” Askar said. “Sometimes it doesn’t matter about who you represent or the differences with the Republican Party — it’s the person.”
The Republican Party of Minnesota recently moved its headquarters to the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis, close to the district and the largest Somali-American population in the Twin Cities metro area.
“It is exciting for Republicans to endorse someone from the Somali community, but more importantly, he would represent his district so well,” Chairman Keith Downey said in a statement. “[H]e stands strongly for the American Dream and the values of his community “
Kahn has served 21 terms in the state House of Representatives and was first elected to the seat in 1972. Another Somali-American candidate, Minneapolis school board member Mohamud Noor, is challenging Kahn for the DFL endorsement.
A scuffle at the DFL caucus in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood forced the DFL Party to reschedule the caucus. Its endorsing convention for the seat will take place April 5 at DeLaSalle High School.
Hmmm, let's see
immigrated to find a job,
started at the bottom, went to community college and pulled himself up by his bootstraps,
values religious freedom and recognizes that the democrats/libs/progs are running away from religion,
looks at the individual, not the pigeonholes into which the individual can be fitted,
leader,
speaker,
entrepreneur,
television producer,
assistant principal -
at a charter school no less!!,
PhD candidate in education at Saint Mary's University,
lived in Minneapolis for 20 years
Yeah, I'd say he's held himself aloof, refused to integrate, and simply taken advantage of the welfare entitlement system.
Yeah right.
Oh, and by the way, another Somali-American is trying to take the DFL - that would be the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party - nomination away from the crusty leftist who's had the seat since 1972, so I rather doubt that he's some sort of a manchurian candidate.
See, here's the thing: there is nonstop bi*ching about how "those people" refuse to integrate, refuse to assimilate into the society and culture in which they live, and just want to mooch off the entitlement system - valid arguments all,
when applied to an individual who actually engages in that behaviour - but when you get one of "those people" who has (a) integrated, (b) assimilated into the society and culture in which he lives, and (c) is standing four-square on his own two feet, that bi*ching just doesn't stop, when logically, rationally it ought to stop and the individual in question should be congratulated for living up to the principles of his adopted country.
But the bi*ching doesn't stop; it's classist and tribal, based on the very same identity politics that the democrats are so justly derided for, and utterly antithetical to the core principles this country was founded on.
Is it any wonder why so many people who by all rights, judging from how they live their lives, ought to be republicans refuse to join, or even vote for, the GOP? It would take a political masochist under the sort of Catch-22 all this bi*ching creates, and people who live by traditional American principles generally don't tend to be that masochistic.
Rand Paul has it right - the GOP either gets over its own stupid identity politics and starts to see individuals as individuals, and really starts to respect the values of freedom and individual liberty it claims to hold near and dear, or else the GOP pushes itself into permanent minority status, if not extinction.