Date: August 24, 2004
Subject: Return to sender, part deux

OK, maybe this is just a tempest in a teapot, but over the weekend I received a mailing from EdWatch that featured the letter from the Stillwater Area High School "class of 2004" to Sen. Michele Bachmann. At the bottom of the page that included the entire text of the letter, it says, "40 students (of the 700) returned the congratulatory cards that Senator Bachmann sent them, with this letter, however, no names or signatures were included." Sen. Bachmann's office confirmed this information to me.

As Darth Vader said, "Impressive." Or not.

King Banaian over at SCSU Scholars is amazed at the apparent ability of the class of 2004 to get this letter written and signed by, say, 50% plus 1 of the graduating class of 700 or so "At the graduation? At the senior party? Then why does the letter bear the date July 7? Afterward? How? By mail?"

For his part, the always provocative Michael Boucher of MinnBEST weighs in with "Mainstream Minnesotans are rising up everywhere to reject the far right agenda that Sen. Bachmann represents."

Although this letter was signed "the class of 2004," it apparently does not represent the views of the majority, or even a significant minority, of the class. So who really sent it?