Here's what news and commentary we're finding about Minnesota Fighting First:
FROM THE DIARIES
An Arkansas Democrat assesses the AG endorsement and Governor's race, with a nod to Tim Walz:
But hopefully the continuing Democratic trend will help us perform well in this fairly evenly mixed, (urban/suburban/rural), district. Having Tim Walz on ballot and running in a competitive race against Gutneckt [sic], one in which he is raising a large amount of money, is a HUGE help for us. Walz should drive up the Democratic turnout everywhere, which should help Hatch.
Vote in ArkDem14's poll.
Mark27 is less optimistic:
District 1--Gil Gutknecht has the appearance of a man on the ropes with his flip-flops on free trade and, just this week, the war in Iraq. This was the district I grew up in and while Gutknecht has always managed to win here against token opposition, he's never had the kind of rock-star presence in the district that would help him overcome a serious challenge. Having seen Democratic candidate Tim Walz speak, I can attest to the fact that Dems at least have the potential to pose that serious challenge this year. His fundraising has been phenominal and most independent race analysts like Charlie Cook have even taken notice, placing Gutknecht's seat in mildly vulnerable terrain. Walz will need a strong debate performance and, most importantly, a blitz of well-crafted political ads seizing upon Gutknecht's vulnerabilities (like the fact that he promised us he wouldn't even be running for a seventh term this year) and projecting his own energetic style to voters, if he's gonna win. I would definitely give Gutknecht the advantage here because of knee-jerk incumbent favoring in House races, but this should be his toughest challenge at least since 1996.
The "never had the kind of rock star presence" swipe must pain Wobbly Gil's campaign manager, whose remark that Gutknecht was a rock star was met with gales of laughter, with even GOPWingman pulling a post about the remark. We disagree agree with Mark27's conclusion, but his remarks should caution Team Walz against getting overconfident and lazy in this race.
FROM THE BLOGOSPHERE
Another fine Vox Verax contribution: "Gutknecht & the DM&E — caught between "Iraq" and a hard place." The post asks pertinent questions of both candidates :
Mr. Gutknecht is caught between multiple competing forces. Will he side with the folks in Rochester or with the pro-DM&E forces and the Thune faction of the Republican party? The outcome is anyone's guess.
Suffice it to say that whatever he decides won't come from his own gut instincts. Instead, any decision he makes will be dependent upon the PACs and wealthy interests that fund his campaigns.
But that's the way Congress operates today. The question for Mr. Gutknecht — and for his Democratic opponent, Tim Walz — is what are you going to do about it?
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