Controversial preacher Bradlee Dean is taking his charms to the world of higher education on Tuesday. And the Minnesota Republican Party is warning college Republicans at St. Cloud State University that hosting Dean might have “consequences” in the future.
Minnesota Republican Party Chair Pat Shortridge told the Star Tribune: “Sometimes young people need to have better judgment in who they invite to things under the Republican banner. If you are going to do dumb things, and not take the advice of the state college Republicans and the state chairman of the Republican party, it might have some consequences.”
Dean’s band, Junkyard Prophet, is slated to perform and hold an open-mic event in an auditorium at the college. Not long ago, Dean caused a stir down in Iowa after the group performed at a high school.
So what consequences are we talking about in Minnesota? According to the Star Tribune’s report, state party executive director Ben Zierke told the college Republicans that they might have trouble getting GOP jobs in the future if they host the event. The students, so far, aren’t backing down. Abbey Gooch, chairman of the college Republicans at St. Cloud State University, told the paper that “I am sticking with my guns and going through with it.”
Jake MacAuley, a spokesperson for Dean, told TPM Tuesday morning that the group will go ahead and perform. “We kind of got put in the middle of it,” MacAuley said. “Those students love their party, their organization, their school. We’ve got nothing bad to say about those students.”
There’s a bit of irony to the state GOP warning college Republicans about hosting Dean. It was, after all, Republican Rep. Ernie Leidiger who last year invited Dean to deliver a controversial morning prayer on the Minnesota House floor. In the prayer, Dean questioned President Obama’s faith and sent the legislature into a tizzy.
Shortridge explained to the Star Tribune why the party objects to Dean’s appearance: “One word: Google.”
The Minnesota Republican Party and St. Cloud State College Republicans did not respond to TPM’s requests for comment.
David Taintor
David Taintor is TPM’s News Editor. He contributes to TPM’s Livewire coverage, among other areas. David is from Chanhassen, Minnesota, where, yes, it gets very cold. Reach him at taintor [at] talkingpointsmemo.com
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