Hillary Clinton Nutcracker

Finding humor in politics can be tough, but one local businessman has come up with a product that does just that. Its a nutty contraption that the Minnesota inventor hopes will not only make people laugh, but also make some cash. Its a Rochester original: a nine-inch tall, plastic Hillary Clinton with serrated, stainless steel thighs. Nuts not included. Its called the Hillary Nutcracker, and its all yours for $19.95, found only at the Little Bear Trading Post in Apache Mall. "It doesnt have any political mumbo jumbo with it, its just you look at it and you laugh," says store manager Sarah Rabe. People are laughing, and buying. In the few weeks its been on sale, 36 nutcrackers have been sold. "I suppose I might use it to crack nuts with once, just to say Ive done it," says buyer Dan Carlson. After that, Carlson says, his political keepsake will stay in the box, up on a shelf, far away from the political hype surrounding next years election. Inventor and Rochester businessman Frank Freeman says he just hopes to have some fun and make a buck, and whether you love her or hate her, you can count on Hillary to crack over 500 nuts. "It took a lot of time to make sure that when she was cracking nuts and she was being used that the stainless steel didnt come apart, that the molding stayed together, so this went through a lot of testing before it was put to market," Freeman says. It was tested, approved, and sold, and while some say political humor is a tough nut to crack, one businessman seems to have squeezed out some fun. While the nutcrackers are only available in Rochester, Freeman does plan to sell them in New York and Washington, D.C. You can check out the Hillary Nutcracker online at www.hillarynutcracker.com.