JNS BLOG EDITORIAL: Lennie Chism Needs To Go To Jail...

Stock photo by John Hoff, Lennie talking b.s.

First, check out the Star Tribune and its recent article about Lennie Chism. Chism, a candidate for the 5th Ward, has charges pending against him in a domestic assault case stemming from an incident with his girlfriend. Click here for that article. Chism is married, although involved in what appears to be a very long separation from his wife which has gone on for, like, years. (One report says 15 years, this is unconfirmed)

Several months ago, Lennie took a plea deal to a theft case involving the woman's bed, so apparently the new charges will make that old charge come back to haunt him, like the Ghost of Furniture Past. (Addendum: it appears the "haunting" will be in the public eye by having the old charge brought up and mentioned again, if the charge is indeed beyond the threshold of however many months as one commenter to this post asserts)

Lennie has truly made his bed and now will have to lie in it. The Star Tribune article is informative, but unfortunately had only police and Lennie Chism as sources. Thus, Lennie is simply allowed to blast his victim as a "woman scorned" without any response from the victim, if she feels like speaking to the media at all. In fact, Lennie has gone even further and characterized the assault case as a...

..."set up," as though political opponents or personal enemies somehow contacted his girlfriend and arranged an elaborate espionage-like scenario to use Lennie's mooching of her vehicle to create a domestic violence incident. This complete lack of remorse, along with blasting his victim through quotes to a reporter--a fine reporter, just doing his job with the sources available--is something the prosecutors should take into consideration when dealing with the charges against Lennie Chism.

Lennie's actions would be bad enough if he were just an ordinary, standard-issue version of the big-talking two-bit player, all flash and no cash, involved in various business schemes and dreams that don't pan out, mooching a car off his long-suffering girlfriend and then blowing up when she wants the car back. That's bad enough. But Lennie is running for public office. Lennie (who can't take responsibility for his own messy, failed relationship) now asserts he is good enough to take responsibility for an entire city council ward.

Frankly, I'm not terribly concerned Lennie could win this election. Roger "Garden Gnome" Smithrud has a better chance. Lennie has put relatively little energy into campaigning. I see that he did erect a campaign sign at 1901 Glenwood Ave. N., the location of his Springboard Economic Development Headquarters.

(Gee, since that's the headquarters of a non-profit, why is there a political yard sign erected on the property? Am I unclear about that rule? Somebody feel free to explain the application of that "non-profits not being involved in political campaigns thing" to me)

No, I'm more concerned that a ruthless character like Lennie Chism might produce fake voters, and that the second choices on those votes could tip the election now that Instant Runoff Voting is being used for the first time.

I sincerely hope the prosecutors involved in this domestic violence case take note of Lennie's lack of remorse and his harsh words against his victim, blasted into the world via "dead tree" media and the supporting Star Tribune website. No disrespect to the reporter, Steve Brandt, but I felt a response was warranted in defense of the victim.

And now here's a little song, click here. Let us think hard about the reality of domestic violence and what it does to our society.

To Lennie Chism: you are off the rails. You need to get some professional help. Be contrite in public, drop out of the Fifth Ward race and cast yourself on the mercy of the court before it's too late to salvage your messed-up life and you go to jail for a good long stretch.