A Bluestem Prairie

Gutknecht campaign: Can we just change the subject, please?

Self-confessed Wikipedia editor Bryan Anderson, who fell on his sword for his boss in response to an editorial in the Winona Daily News several weeks ago, now claims that Tim Walz has no immigration plan. From the front page of Gutknecht's campaign website:

Rochester, Minn. - DFL candidate for Congress Tim Walz introduced himself to First District voters by running negative television ads against Congressman Gil Gutknecht. But Walz has failed to tell First District voters where he stands on key issues such as immigration reform.

"Tim Walz said building a fence at the U.S.-Mexico border was a 'waste of money,' but, as is typical for Mr. Walz, offered no solutions," said Gutknecht for Congress campaign spokesman Bryan Anderson. "First District voters want to know: if he opposes the U.S. House immigration reform bill to beef up border security, does he support the U.S. Senate version?"

We think that Mr. Anderson's skills as an attack dog rival his editing skills. Anderson obviously hasn't visited Tim Walz's issues page, where there's been a four-page white paper on immigration posted for several months.  Perhaps the Gutknecht campaign might consider reading it and responding to the details.

Even the immigration "reform" folks in Hanska (who've endorsed Gutknecht) link to it, though they're challenged by details like the correct spelling of Walz's last name.

Funny, but there's nothing about immigration on Gutknecht's campaign web site's issues page yet. (Yes, we made screenshots in case anything changes over there).

This looks like an attempt to change the subject once again. Agriculture was supposed to be Gil Gutknecht's policy strength, but Farmfest and the Steele County Fair debate erased that notion. We're guessing the Iraq flip-flop thingie, visits by Gingrich and Hoekstra, and the DM & E hearings didn't work so well for Gutknecht either, so he's back to talking about immigration. 

According to Gutknecht in March and April, people in his district were only concerned about immigration, though there's been some dispute about why immigration came forward as an issue in the First. 

Just how negative are the Walz ads? Watch them yourself and decide.  The first draws a clear distinction between the candidates. The second?   Let's make it easy:

OLLIE OX UPDATE:  Paul Schmelzer of the Minnesota Monitor reviews of "Every Day Heroes."  A solid review, with one problem: it wasn't the conservative National Review that commented on the imagery, but the National Journal.

OLLIE OX UPDATE II (SUNDAY): It looks as if Gutknecht's spokesman is simply mimicking a prepared script on fall elections, to judge from this AP article in today's PiPress:

Maneuvering toward a pre-election showdown on immigration, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist on Sunday said he would seek passage of legislation to secure the borders and predicted Democrats would resist.

"Right now I got a feeling the Democrats may obstruct it," said Frist, R-Tenn.

The bill is all that is left of a comprehensive immigration proposal generally backed by President Bush that included provisions for a guest worker program and ways for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants to work toward legal status and eventual citizenship.

Frist led a bipartisan effort to pass that measure this year, but House Republicans opposed it as too lenient on immigrants in the country illegally.

Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada, accused Frist of playing politics by seeking to blame Democrats. Frist's move is an attempt to cover up his failure to push through more comprehensive changes, Manley said.

"The Senate spent almost a month debating and then passing tough and smart immigration reform that included border security, but Republican obstructionism has prevented us from completing that bill," Manley said in a statement.

In December, the House passed legislation that concentrated on border security and enforcement of laws banning employment of undocumented workers; the Senate in May then passed its broader bill. Since then, there's been no progress in efforts to reconcile the two bills.

With no prospects this year for passing broader immigration changes, House GOP leaders said taking action to seal the border was a matter of urgency. Some GOP lawmakers including Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., however, have said they're not sure immigration could be addressed "on a piecemeal basis."

Frist said he is willing to push ahead with a narrower bill favored by House Republicans that would require the building of a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border at a cost of billions of dollars. Even so, action may not be possible before the November elections, he said, blaming Democrats.   . . .

War? What war? Deficit?

Odd bedfellows: DM & E lobbying and fiscal conservatives

THUNE V. STROM
Yesterday evening, Vox Verax looked at the latest odd bedfellow in the politics of DM & E: David Strom of the Minnesota Taxpayers League, who uses a Townhall column to scold South Dakota Senator John Thune for his role in working for the massive federal loan to the privately-held company. Strom concludes:

Because deals like the DM&E loan are becoming common practice, barely worthy of notice by the media and the political class. Back in 1979, Congress vigorously debated the bailout of Chrysler before putting taxpayers on the hook for a $1.5 billion loan. Today, a Freshman Senator can earmark $2.3 billion in loans for his former employer without eliciting a peep.

That’s just how its done in Washington these days, and we are supposed to shut up and take it.

This isn’t what Republican control of Congress was supposed to mean. And for anyone dedicated to free markets and limited government, it’s a scary indicator of what the future could be like without serious reform.

Judging from the comments that follow Strom's column, fiscal conservatives from around the country who supported Thune are not pleased.

Missing from Strom's column?  Any mention of the role--or non-role--of Congressman Gil Gutknecht in the DM & E story.

The head of the Minnesota Taxpayers League doesn't touch on the Minnesota politician in whose district the DM & E runs.  Senator Thune isn't up for re-election for four more years, but Gutknecht faces a tough challenge in his own district this year.

Fiscal conservatives do have a target upon which vent their displeasure; the Townhall column's comments section is open if BSP readers wish to clue them in.

THUNE V. DASCHLE II ?
There's another wrinkle to this story of prairie companions who are, as we would say in our most proper Minnesota English, "different."

Today's Post Bulletin picks on the Sioux Falls Argus Leader's Sept 17 business section coverage of former South Dakotans taking the side of the Mayo Clinic in the fight.  The Argus-Leader's story began:

Former Gov. Bill Janklow and former Sen. Tom Daschle are coming under fire from state business leaders for their roles in the Dakota Minnesota & Eastern Railroad project.

Both Janklow and Daschle have lined up with the Mayo Clinic, which doesn't want DM&E coal trains passing within blocks of the Rochester, Minn., medical facility. Key business leaders in South Dakota say the former lawmakers have put themselves behind an effort that would do serious harm to the state's economic future.

Janklow refused to talk to the Argus-Leader, but Daschle, who is on Mayo's board of directors, says he doesn't oppose the project; he simply thinks the railroad should bypass Rochester:

In a statement e-mailed to the Argus Leader, Daschle said he supports DM&E.

"This railroad has the potential to be quite beneficial to the economic development of our state," he said.

But Daschle said the railroad should not jeopardize the safety of Mayo, which he called "an American treasure." Daschle thinks the railroad should circumvent Rochester in order to negate the potential for an accident near the clinic.

Aside from coal, DM&E trains also haul ethanol and other hazardous materials.

"Arguing for an alternative route is vastly different than opposing the project," he said.

"This should be win-win, not win-lose."

MN-01 Endorsement: Wes Clark on Walz

WesPac, headed by General Wesley Clark (ret), has endorsed Tim Walz. Here's what the General has to say about the Command Sargeant Major:

"As a retired Command Sergeant Major, serving our country in Operation Enduring Freedom, Tim Walz has the post-9/11 perspective to be a thoughtful and effective leader in Congress. As a teacher and entrepreneur, Tim Walz knows what it takes to create positive and impressive change in this country.

"The people of Minnesota deserve to have Tim Walz in Congress. Southern Minnesota can cast a vote for him with pride, knowing that he will serve them as honorably as he has served his country.

“With a strong background in military service, education, and small business, Tim Walz will work tirelessly to develop new and innovative plans make our nation more secure, while continuing to create educational and economic opportunities for Americans. Tim Walz brings new leadership, vision, and a plan to Washington."

MN-01 Friday Evening Netroots & News: Firedog Lake, Iraq editorial, DailyKos diary

FIREDOG LAKE: WALZ AD SHOWS "A REAL, HONEST-TO-GOODNESS HUMAN BEING"
Over at Firedog Lake, Christy Hardin Smith discourses on Democratic campaign ads in "Political Ads-- Which Catch Your Attention and Why?"  Her greatest praise is reserved for Tim Walz's new ad:

The last ad is a Quicktime video (via StarTribuneBlog, with a big hat tip to reader BarbaraM for the links).  It’s for a candidate in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District — Tim Walz. I love a lot about this ad.  It starts off a little stiff and preachy, and I’m not in love with the scripting particularly, but it gets better as it goes along.  And the end, where the candidate himself comes on is the best part for me — this fellow doesn’t look like some self-absorbed butthead who has been running for office his whole life because he likes to hear himself talk.  This is a real person who is fed up with the problems that he sees every single day not being fixed, and who has decided that he has an obligation to stand up and do something to make things better.  A real, honest-to-goodness human being who cares about his community and his country.  (Yeah.  I know.  How great is that in a candidate?!?)

[snip]

I watched a bunch of ads putting this post together, and I thought I might have gotten bleary when I got to this particular ad, because I had such a good reaction to it overall.  So I road tested it on Mr. ReddHedd — and he had the same reaction, which is funny considering how opposite we tend to be on advertising viewing and reactions.  His comment was that he would vote for that guy — and if he lived in his district and saw this ad, he’d go right to the website and look him up.  I’ll be interested to see if everyone else has the same reaction.

Her readers had a similar response: wow!  We emailed her with more information about the race, including the Walz campaign's YouTube site, GoTimGo.

ROCHESTER POST-BULLETIN EDITORIAL: IRAQ DIVIDES
A kind friend sent today's Rochester Post Bulletin editorial to us. We reprint  "Iraq divides national figures and local politicians" here:

So far, the 1st District race between incumbent Republican Rep. Gil Gutknecht and his DFL challenger Tim Walz cruises below the nationwide radar of election watchers.

Things look different here on the ground.

The issue:

The competitiveness and differences between Gutknecht and Walz is highlighted by the campaign support from aligned political heavyweights.

Support for Walz came from a visit to Rochester by Pennsylvania Democrat Rep. John Murtha. On the same Sunday, former Speaker of the House and possible 2008 presidential candidate Newt Gingrich came to raise money for Gutknecht.

The differences between Murtha and Gingrich are as great as they are between Walz and Gutknecht. It's over Iraq where the lines are most clearly drawn.

Gingrich sees the United States in the early stages of what could be another world war. The struggle, says Gingrich, is against "Islamo-Facists" such as Hezbollah, Hamas and al-Qaida and nation states such as Syria, North Korea, Somalia, Venezuela and Iran. He is no apologist for the Bush administration, implying the administration isn't doing enough.

For Gingrich, Iraq is a battlefront that the United States cannot abandon without ceding regional control to a potentially nuclear armed Iran.

Gutknecht maintains an overall position of support for the war. He argues that the United States will be in Iraq for "a very long time." Gutknecht believes in the continuation of a national policy that encourages Iraqis to take the lead from the United States in the management of Iraq.

Murtha does not envision current events in the Middle East as a precursor to a world war. He also believes Iraq cannot be won militarily. Murtha shook Congress when he called for the pullout of American troops from Iraq with a reasonable redeployment.

Walz said the Bush administration's Iraq policy is "a failure." For Walz, the way out of Iraq is with "robust diplomacy."

Gingrich looks at Iraq and sees a symptom of a more expansive problem. Murtha sees Iraq in a far more isolated way.

Walz sees an urgent need for a substantively changed U.S. Middle East policy. Gutknecht argues that, overall, the right path to take in Iraq is the goals and strategy of the Bush administration.

Our view:

Iraq is a separator. It divides national figures and local politicians. Its influence on the November election with be significant in an election that will decide which party controls Congress for the next two years.

DAILYKOS DIARIST POSTS "RAILROADED"
Diarist KKJohnson posted on the "Railroaded" YouTube video earlier this morning. Her take on the authorship:

Anyone of a number of people/groups who oppose the trains could have put this video together.

We doubt the highly professional Rochester Coalition would do this without a disclaimer. Whodunit? We don't know.

NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO: Gil Gutknecht stars in "Railroaded"

This one is making the rounds in the First; a friend in Rochester sent it to me. 

Whoever put this together isn't very happy with Gil Gutknecht's performance on the DM & E loan proposal.  The poster started his or her account 11 hours ago. The footage is of higher quality and shot from a different angle than the Walz campaign's YouTube videos.

MN-01 Friday Morning Minimum Wage Blues

DODGE COUNTY INDEPENDENT: MINIMUM WAGE INSULT TO WORKING CLASS
In his weekly "Interrupted Thoughts" column, editor Randy Carlsen chastizes Congress for not raising the minimum wage:

The minimum wage law we have now is an insult to the working class. There is no way anyone can work for $5.15 an hour and make ends meet. There is a proposal to raise the minimum to $7.25 over the next three years. The plan failed earlier this year in the Senate.

I don't understand why that would fail. Does big business have that much clout with our politicians? This is a situation where I think business needs to take care of the people making them money. I would be embarrassed to pay a working adult $5.15 an hour unless they made good money in tips. What is even more embarrassing is the fact the wage has not been raised for nine years. Not many people have gone without a raise for nine years. Our politicians need to wake up.

MANKATO FREE PRESS LTE: PASS CLEAN MINIMUM WAGE LAW
Lavonne Craig of North Mankato shares his outrage, while addressing the need for Congress to quit playing games with the issue in her letter  "We need clean minimum-wage bill":

Over these last few weeks, I have seen articles that debated if welfare reform did what it set out to accomplish. That was to get people off public assistance and out into the workforce and lift them out of poverty.

Yes, we got people into the job market, but in many cases it has not gotten them out of poverty.

This brings me to the next news item that I followed with great interest: The bill in Congress to raise the minimum wage and to again reduce the taxes on a few very large estates.

This was a dishonest and cynical bill, in my opinion. The $5.15 per hour wage has not been raised in nine years. What happened to the idea that a good economy would raise all boats? I feel what we have today is a Roman gallery ship. Above deck, the party is going strong with a favored few getting ahead by leaps and bounds. A good example is CEO salaries as compared to the average worker. Below deck are a mass of people who are stuck pulling those ores to keep the ship moving. They have little hope of improving their lot in life. It is time to open the hatches and let some light and hope reach the galley down below. Congress should put forth a clean bill on raising the minimum wage — and pass it.

Minnesota's state lawmakers raised the minimum wage to $6.15; the federal minimum wage remains stalled at $5.15. The issue was taken up in Tim Walz's first tv ad.

MANKATO FREE PRESS: STUNNING TUITION HIKES
Reporter Robb Murray of the Free Press engages in a startling exercise to lead into his story:

Want a good laugh? Go up to any student at Minnesota State University right now — go ahead, walk right up to them — and ask them how much they think tuition has gone up during the past few years. :

Chances are the response will look and sound a lot like the one Kari Kettner, a junior mass communications major from Nicollet, yielded.

“Gosh ... I don’t ... Maybe 10 percent?” she said.

Try 95 percent since 1999.

“Oh my gosh!” she said. Truly. “For real? I definitely wouldn’t have thought that.”

Kettner and her response — her guess, her indignation — in many ways say a lot about the framing of the debate surrounding tuition. In the vast majority of cases, college tuition is a problem for people with little knowledge of how the system works, and little clout with which to change it.

They come to college with big dreams and they want to pursue them, and in many cases it just seems so much easier to accept the dollar figure on the bottom line of that tuition bill. Accept it and move on with the real business of higher education, and a few years down the road, when the big paychecks start coming in from the “real job,” the student loan repayment booklet can just go on top of the bills pile.

The problem is that as tuition goes up and financial aid remains stagnant, the amount of borrowing needed to finance a college education goes up dramatically, and many more graduates leave campus on graduation day with a diploma in one hand, and into unimaginable debt. [read more]

Earlier in the year, Minnesota Central discussed the increased cost of student borrowing because of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2006, which

increases the rate on student loans taken out by parents, known as PLUS loans. It had been scheduled to rise to 7.9 percent from the current 6.1 percent on July 1; it will now increase to 8.5 percent as of that date. Also, the interest rate on federal Stafford loans, taken out by students, will rise to 6.8 percent from 5.3 percent. The legislation, which President Bush signed in February, also potentially generates nearly $14 billion in revenue over five years by capturing what has at times been a windfall to lenders: the difference between the interest rates paid by students and rates paid by lenders.

Gil Gutknecht voted for the measure. A ECM Publishers editorial by Don Heinzman reported that Gutknecht defended his intentions::

Republicans, on the other hand, contend one problem is soaring double-digit tuition increases. Rep. Gil Gutknecht, says he’s empathetic to students’ needs but “we can’t keep up with that.” Not one of the state colleges and universities in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, however, is proposing a double digit increase in tuition and fees for fiscal year 2006-07.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS PARTY
Aaron Landry snapped a couple of dark shots of Walz and Franken and posted them to his moblog.

NO FRUITCAKES: GETTING MEDIEVAL ON YOU IN THE FIRST
Tired of accusations hurled by campaigns? Head down to Fairmont, where local enthusiasts of medieval instruments of war are setting up shop in the local soccer fields:

Trebuchets will be lined up and launching projectiles in Fairmont on Saturday, but there will be no fruitcakes flying through the air.

Mike Wasmund, winner of the Fabulous Fairmont Fruitcake Follies launch the last two years, gathered some other competitors and their launchers to promote the event during warmer weather. Wasmund and company will roll out as many as seven launchers beginning noon Saturday at the east end of the Prairie Avenue Soccer Fields.

“Last spring at the Follies it was so cold a lot of people were unwilling to come out and they missed a lot of fun,” Wasmund said. “So we want people to see how powerful and beautiful these machines are.”

Every February, these guys gather to hurl holiday fruitcakes with their trebuchets. Not so in tomorrow's participatory event:

“We want to introduce people who’ve not seen trebs to trebs,” Wasmund stated. “We want to demonstrate and also let people participate. They can crew (trebs), and for the Medusa, people can shoot it themselves. The Medusa is a fun machine and we really love throwing with it.”

The items launched Saturday will not be the usual and much-maligned fruitcakes featured in the February event. Instead, the projectiles will be ice balls and, in the case of the Medusa, a water-soaked Nerf basketball, which Wasmund said can fly 500 feet.

Evening Update: MN-01 in Hotline's "The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates" and other news

AD-ING ATTENTION
With Walz's new ad, the dogfight in the First makes Hotline on Call with "The Big Five: Hot House Race Updates":

5.  Just Call Him Rudy: In his new MN 01 ad, teacher/Nat'l Guard veteran Tim Walz (DFL) says he's an "everyday hero" and "not a politician" (Hotline sources).

Eric Black at the Big Question notices the new ad, too.  Here's how the readers responded:

L David says:
September 21st, 2006 at 1:59 pm
Wow…I’m very impressed with this ad. I’m glad he is in my district. I’m guessing this will be countered by “Swift Boat” style ads.

Chip says:
September 21st, 2006 at 2:08 pm
This is one of the best political ads I’ve seen. Impressive candidate.

steve says:
September 21st, 2006 at 2:44 pm
I saw Walz’s debate against Gutknecht. I was very impressed with Walz and am also glad he’s in my district. He seems like a genuine person with a passion to do something right.

Barbara says:
September 21st, 2006 at 3:03 pm
I met Tim Walz a few months ago at a house party. I’ve seen him a couple times since then. Walz is all the things we’ve been missing in Congress for the past several years. He is a personable guy. He’s authentic. He’s truthful. He’s self-effacing. He’s smart. He’s funny. Jeez! Next on my list, I suppose, should be reverent, thrifty, brave, kind . . . . He’s no Boy Scout. He’s a grown-up military vet. What a great day when this guy politely shows Gutknecht the way out of the Capitol. In case you’re wondering? No one asked me to write this.

Aaron says:
September 21st, 2006 at 4:57 pm
Incredible commerical.  Well done!  and Positive!

Perhaps the Strib will actually put some boots on the ground in the First by assigning a reporter to cover the race, rather than merely asking the opinions of experts.

GOVERNMENT CENTER: ROCHESTER COALITION DM & E COMMENTS PDF
Scholars of the DM & E struggle will find a pdf of the Rochester Coalition's comments   to the Federal Railroad Administration at the Post Bulletin's Government Center.  GC blogger Jeff Pieters reflects:

My reading of it? Well, I'm not an attorney or at all familiar with federal rules or procedures, but I'm strapping in for a few more years of this. My prediction all along has been that, when I retire in about 30 years, I'll be passing along my DM&E files (by then filling a good-sized warehouse) to a young reporter who inherits the job. I'm not even sure if I'm joking anymore.

 

MN-01 Views: Opinion from Mankato and Rochester

MANKATO FREE PRESS: "DEBATES WILL HELP VOTERS DECIDE"

The Free Press urges people to attend this fall's political debates. Could anyone concerned with the state of the country disagree? We suspect that the October 19 Walz-Gutknecht debate will draw a good audience, given the interest in (and response to) their first two match-ups:

Political debates and town hall meetings don’t generally draw large crowds. But maybe this year will be different.

We hesitate to say that this is an especially important election year. They’re all important. And there is so much at stake in the election of 2006, with the balance of power in Washington up for grabs and leadership in the Minnesota statehouse also in voters’ hands. The debate season is now upon us, and it would be well worth it for area voters to try to attend one or two local events.

[snip]

A relatively new organization called Debate Minnesota, which made a significant impact on the Minnesota debate scene in 2004, is back again with 15 debates scheduled throughout the state. Among them: a Minnesota District 23 Senate debate between Mark Piepho and Kathy Sheran at 7 p.m. Oct. 5 at Meyer Hall Auditorium, Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato; and a 7 p.m. Oct. 19 matchup of U.S. House candidates Gil Gutknecht and Tim Walz at the same location.

 

We applaud all local and state organizations sponsoring debates. It is crucial that Minnesota voters gain information about candidates that go beyond campaign appearances and TV and radio advertisements. Seeing candidates firsthand in a debate setting can reveal much about the candidates’ philosophies, their people skills, and how they are likely to respond under pressure.

The League of Women Voters has enjoyed a well-earned reputation for public service in this regard, and Debate Minnesota is another public-minded group headed in the same direction. The group was formed to promote civility in politics through fair and open candidate forums. The foundation stresses civilized discourse, and its moderators are schooled in steering candidates clear of anything that might confuse or frustrate audiences. The famous Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 still serve as the inspiration for Debate Minnesota, which lists among its board of directors Al Quie, David Durenberger and Hubert H. Humphrey III.

Civility in politics. What a refreshing idea — and one that is especially needed today.

Readers can view clips on earlier Walz-Gutknecht debates at GoTimGo on You Tube.

ROCHESTER POST BULLETIN LETTERS: SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Readers don't have to dig beyond the subscription firewall at the P-B to get the drift of these letters:

  Gutknecht  Leader or follower?
  The Post-Bulletin editorial on Sept. 15 says "Gutknecht said he would follow Hoekstra's lead." If the Post-Bulletin's statement of Gutknecht's comments is accurate, I'm appalled. It appears that we have a congressman who doesn't seem to think for himself ...
Read Full Story
(Wed, Sep 20, 2006)

Gutknecht breaks term pledge
I was first able to vote in 1951, and I have voted for somebody ever since -- from primary to general. I have voted for all different parties, depending on the person and not the party. I have seen politicians come and go all this time and, unless it was a ...
Read Full Story
(Wed, Sep 20, 2006)

 

Evening news: MN-01 debate makes Hotline on Call weekly highlight reel--and more

HOTLINE ON CALL: WALZ AND GUTKNECHT DEBATE
Clips from the Rochester forum dogfight are thrown into the Hotline's weekly debate highlight reel:

Our weekly '06 debate highlight reel -- Hotline's Barbs and Jabs -- is now available on nationaljournal.com:
http://video.nationaljournal.com/barbs.ram

This week, we'll bring you the must-see moments from Allen/Webb on MTP,  the only Case/Akaka debate from Hawaii, and a dip into MN-01 fight between Gutknecht and Walz.

The Walz-Gutknecht section begins at 3:15 into the clip.

THE HILL: "DEMS TO SPOTLIGHT IRAQ"
House Democrats plan to hold hearings on Iraq in Washington and across the country.  Look who is thinking about tagging along:

Congressional Democrats plan to hold Iraq war hearings on Capitol Hill and around the country, turning an election spotlight on an issue much as the GOP did with immigration during the summer recess.

The Democrats’ will highlight the fact that they intend to go toe-to-toe with Republicans on the issue of national security, believing that this election cycle it can play to their advantage rather than to their detriment as it has in elections past.

And Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), a leading House critic of the war, indicated yesterday that he would give the hearings a degree of bipartisan cover by attending them when he can.

“Any [hearings] up here that I can get to, I’ll attend,” said Jones, who voted for the resolution authorizing President Bush to use force in Iraq but has since pressed to bring American troops home. “I wish it was my party, the committees in the House, doing the same thing. The American people want answers.”

Jones said he would try to attend the Senate Democratic Policy Committee’s (DPC) first planned hearing on Monday, provided he can make the five-hour drive from his district in time.

Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.) also said he would consider taking part in the hearings, which Democrats say will be open to Republican lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol.

“I might take them up on it,” Gutknecht said. “I would certainly consider sending them some written testimony.” [more]

NETROOTS
U-DFL and the Worst Hippy Ever (a college student from Winona) follow Minnesota Campaign Report's lead and post on the new Walz ad. WHE observes:

Tim Walz is the reason that I still have faith in the Democratic party to get anything right with campaigns anymore. He is truly the real deal. He's fought for our country and taught in our schools. He has the experience and outlook of exactly what should be brought to the table when governing our nation. I think, because of that he's going to win.

Over in the DailyKos diary section, Ultrageek looks at the congressional races in Minnesota, and readers talk back, while Mark27 looks at the Minnesota Republican party's ground game.

MN-01: "Every Day"--Tim Walz's Second Commercial

"Every Day" is up at Tim Walz's campaign site. Hot stuff.

Hat tip to Minnesota Campaign Report, who has posted the text and notice of the You Tube video.

Here's the YouTube version:

MN-01 You-Tube: A day in the life of Tim Walz

MN-01 in the news: The Goodbye Gil?

WINONA DAILY NEWS LTE: "SAY 'GOOD-BYE" TO GIL"
Kevin Krenske of Rochester decides to not hold back when he writes what's on his mind in "Say 'Goodbye" to Gil":

If there was ever a time to demand a United States Congressman to step down for not doing his job, this is the time to do it.

Mr. Gutknecht seems to ignore all the problems that have occurred and are currently occurring in his state. Making last minute deals and claiming not to know about loans on the transportation bills. What kind of person have we got voting for us?

He has to be just another yes man in Washington, D.C. Do we want someone who never asks a question? Over the past four years he seems to never be around over the Dakota Minnesota and Eastern talks. Neither does Kevin Schieffer, President of DM&E. Gil says he did not even know about the $2.3 billion loan in the most recent debate with Tim Walz.

Walz has met with Kevin Schieffer, Mayo Clinic representatives and the citizens who have come to the gatherings to share their problems and concerns over this — problems that will make a difference in thousands of lives.

Why haven’t Schieffer and Gutknecht shown up for these meetings after being asked? Why won’t they come to the table to discuss, listen and represent us? They say they will represent and hear our problems anytime, but the door seems to be always closed.

It’s time for a change and this year. Democrats need to come out as strong as ever to show feelings over the nonexistent care given by our current Congressman, who is only worried about his money and sneaking behind the scene.

Walz, the Democratic contender, has done an awful lot and will represent everyone.

Show your disgust for Gil Gutknecht this Nov. 7, and let’s have a landslide victory for Walz as our next great U.S. Congressman from southern Minnesota.

GIL GOES TO CALIFORNIA; WALZ ISSUES AG POLICY
Meanwhile, Gutknecht showed up in Fresno, California, to head a dairy subcommittee meeting, according to a Brownfield ag news report out yesterday, "California dairy the topic of a farm bill hearing."

Ironically, the Brownfield ag news report hit the internets the same day the Walz campaign released the candidate's agriculture policy proposals.

CHATFIELD NEWS: TALES FROM LAKE WOBEGON
Some folks, like Minnesota's Grouchiest Neighbor, think that Garrison Keillor is an angry comedian out of step in MN-01 values. Other look at evidence.

The Chatfield News reports that 480 people attended a DFL fundraiser in Lanesboro headlined by Keillor. A potluck supper was held before the performance, which in turn was followed by a special invitation and a little pie:

Following Keillor's presentation, the self-appointed "Rhubarb Sisters," Peggy Hanson, Beth Hennessy and Stela Burdt, thanked him with an official invitation to Lanesboro's annual Rhubarb Festival and a homemade rhubarb pie . . .

SPRING GROVE HERALD LTE: WEDGE ISSUES DISTRACT FROM REAL CONCERNS
Houston County DFL Co-Chair Stephen Kemp chastizes the loyal opposition in  "Republicans distracting voters from the real issues":

The homophobic bigotry spewed by Jaynie Sheffer of Hokah is a prime example of the wedge issues that the Houston County Republican party is using to divide the people of the county and take away the focus on the real issues.

Most of us are more concerned with the high cost of health care, the skyrocketing cost of energy, our crumbling infrastructure of roads and bridges, our decline in real wages, and other important issues that affect our everyday lives. [there's more]

Are those wedge issues continuing to work in greater Minnesota?  Not so much, says the Pioneer Press after last Tuesday's primaries.

ROCHESTER POST-BULLETIN: GOVERNMENT CENTER DOC DUMPS
The Post-Bulletin's Government Center blog offers new information and documents about DM & E.

MN-01 Netroots: Things that matter most

 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE THINGS THAT MATTER MOST
Minnesota Central scrutinizes his local television station's coverage in "Manipulation, Bias, or Ineptness - Gutknecht & KEYC" and writes the station manager about it.  Here's the lead:

Question : Does Mankato’s television station have a favorable bias for Congressman Gutknecht? Or is it, the power of the incumbency that allows Gutknecht to manipulate the media in his favor? Or is it the ineptness of KEYC’s reporters?

Being a concerned citizen, I pay attention whenever the media presents a story with Minnesota politicians. Over time, I have noticed that Gutknecht and Coleman get a number of stories. I’ve heard WCCO’s Pat Kessler state that Coleman is on constant-press-release-overload while Mark Dayton rarely tries to influence the media. I do not see the same frequency coming from Gutknecht’s press releases on his website. But somehow, Gutknecht gets “good” coverage from KEYC – recently stories included: farm listening sessions; Kids for Hunger Relief; and yesterday, a “prescription drug importation hearing”. He shows up and they film him. These appear to be nothing more than an opportunity for Gutknecht to vocalize his position without any prodding or challenge from the “journalist”. A check of the KEYC website, indicates only one similiar story involving Tim Walz - a veterans benefit picnic in St. Peter - and as I recall, Walz was not interviewed. [there's more]

In his letter to the station manager, MC raises a few  interesting points about Gutknecht's legislative efforts on behalf of legalizing individual importation of prescription drugs [emphasis added]:

I believe that the reporter should have asked the following questions :
H.R.328 (Prescription Drug Importation) was introduced by Gutknecht on January 25, 2005 and has been sitting in committee for over a year-and-a-half. Despite 121 cosponsors, it has not been moved forward by the Republican majority. Why haven’t you started a discharge petition to get a vote on your legislation?

Your presentation points out the price discrepancies between US and Foreign prices on a select group of drugs as a reason to allow importation. But couldn’t the same be accomplished by aggressive negotiations. The Veterans Administration has successfully done this. There is legislation pending in Congress that would accomplish this – H.R. 376 which has 167 co-sponsors including Gutknecht. It was introduced on January 26, 2005 but is being held up by the Republican leadership. A discharge petition has been started; why haven’t you signed the petition if you support the bill?

Does it bother you that Amy Klobuchar has television ads running embracing the same proposal that you are endorsing ? Why cannot you convince your fellow Republican Mark Kennedy that your solution is better for the country?

PIM REAL TIME
Tim Walz's television ad on You Tube gets noticed by Politics in Minnesota. As goes Minnesota Central, so goes the rest of the blogosphere.

OLLIE OX UPDATE: Vox Verax expands on the theme in today's article, "Gutknecht visits seniors to talk about liberalizing drug importation, Or: If you can't bring about the big solution, make political hay with the small one." A headline that says it all about Gutknecht's approach to health care issues.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS NIGHT
Minnesota Campaign Report notes a Walz appearance at a DFL meeting for young professionals, along with his friend and supporter Al Franken:

Tim Walz, candidate for Congress in the First District, will be at a Young Professionals Night at DFL Chair Brian Melendez’s house in Minneapolis this Thursday.  We’re seeing great things from the young and youth DFL organizations this cycle, and this is one of them.  Al Franken will be there too.  That’s right, wingnuts, Al Franken. Shudder in horror at a guy who knows what he believes and is all too happy to speak up on behalf of great candidates like Walz.

Another firsthand account of Franken speaking out for Walz.

THE PULSE
Eighteen more people signed on to Tim Walz's Facebook Election Pulse on Monday, with thirteen signing up on Tuesday. By contrast, seven signed up for Gilbert on Monday, while ten climbed aboard on Tuesday. This contrast helps explain why Walz commands 69.36% of the Pulse for MN-01 around 7 this morning.

ActBlue Netroots Candidate numbers: $11,310.77.

MN-01: Quiet Tuesday morning

After yesterday's rush of articles, netroots, and the new television ad, it's a quiet morning on the prairie. Stay tuned: the Rochester Post Bulletin yesterday called this "a dogfight," and chilly, slow mornings have a way of heating up in this race.

In the picture at left, veterans surround Tim Walz and John Murtha in Rochester on Sunday. We hope to post reflections on this event later in the day.

The Mankato Free Press looks at Gutknecht's advocacy for reforming drug importation laws in "Push for Parallel Trade." 

Vox Verax reprints an article from Connect Business Magazine by Mankato business owner and fromer city council member Bob Freyberg.  Freyberg considers the assumptions about coal and grain transportation upon which the DM & E loan is predicated, raising a question in closing:

Wouldn't it be ironic — even with a $2.5 billion federal loan — if this project fails woefully because of changing market conditions over the ten-year period it took to put the project together?

KAAL-TV: Iraq war critic rallies support for Walz

KAAL-TV (Austin/Rochester) web site features the Murtha visit as it's top story tonight.  Here's "Iraq war critic rallies support for Walz", which includes Gutknecht playing defense:

Sunday night in Rochester, one of the most vocal critics of the war in Iraq said the conflict cannot be won with U.S. troops.

Democratic congressman and former marine John Murtha spoke at a fund raising event for Tim Walz.

Walz is challenging republican Gil Gutknecht for a seat in the U.S. house.

Representative John Murtha from Pennsylvania rallied in Rochester to raise funds and support for DFL congressional candidate Tim Walz. The big issue one the agenda, the war in Iraq.

"Once you lose the hearts and minds of the people in a guerilla war you can't win it militarily," said Murtha.

Both Murtha and Walz are apposed to the war and feel it cannot be won with U.S. troops.

"I think it's incredibly appropriate that we are standing here today," said Walz. "Today is Constitution Day--the day that's set aside to remember what this country was founded on.  There are many soldiers out here--I just talked to a young man who came back, Nathan, from Afghanistan a short time ago. Talked to his wife who took care of their children while he was gone. They hear the politicians tell them freedom isn't free, they don't need to hear it."

Tim Eggenberger is a veteran and Walz supporter, "My feelings are that we shouldn't be in Iraq. I feel that the American people were lied to...Most of the republican party including congressman Gutknect supported Bush and his stand and now he's kinda back peddling."

But Gutknecht says that's not the case, "I believe that based on the information we had then we made the right decision. Obviously its tough sledding right now and it's much different than we had expected, but the world is a better place today."

Gutknecht also brought up that a majority of the democrats in congress also voted for the war.

- Lauren Dittmer

The video news clip is available at the top of the page.

Contrast with the station's about the other heaver-hitter in Rochester last night: "Gingrich speaks at Gutknecht fundraiser":

(KAAL) -- A famous face was in our area at a big-ticket moneymaker for Gil Gutknecht.

Newt Gingrich was in Rochester Sunday night speaking at fund raising dinner for the republican congressman.

Gingrich is a former speaker of the house and some say he may have his eye on the White House.

Gutknecht's campaign told us Gingrich was not available for an interview.

Jeepers, no video.

MN-01: Tim Walz's first television ad

OLLIE OX UPDATE: Like what you see?  Help Tim Walz's message reach more voters in the Fighting First by giving through the ActBlue Netroots Candidate page. Over at the Swing State Project, they're trying to push Walz and the other new candidates to over 500 contributors each.  Check it out.

Netroots Afternoon: DCCC names MN-01 "emerging race"; MnCentral on Walz tv ad

There's no rest for bloggers in the Fighting First. Over at MyDD, Chris Bowers considers today's news from the Dee-Trip (DCCC).  While the contest in MN-01 has yet to be put on "Red to Blue" status, the Walz race has moved up another important notch:

The DCCC also  released their list of seats that apparently they are looking for in a wave election, their "emerging races.":

Charlie Brown (CA-04), Jack Davis (NY-26), Judy Feder (VA-10), Peter Goldmark (WA-05), Larry Kissell (NC-08), Tim Mahoney (FL-16), Eric Massa (NY-29), Jerry McNerney (CA-11), Dave Mejias (NY-03), Maxine Moul (NE-01), Dan Seals (IL-10), Bob Shamansky (OH-12), Ellen Simon (AZ-01), Tim Walz (MN-01), Victoria Wulsin (OH-02)

Minnesota Central discusses Tim Walz's new television ad:

Walz’s ad is very good. It speaks of general issues, gives a brief candidate profile and includes a zinger on Gil Gutknecht’s ever-increasing salary. Hey, I like it. I wrote challenging Gutknecht to justify his pay increase based on performance before Walz issued his press release. Walz’s ad combines positive and negative and leaves the voter with a better understanding of the candidates without implying questionable, unverifiable assertions.

We've contacted the Walz campaign to see if the ad will be made available via You Tube.

Rochester Post Bulletin: MN-01 race shaping up to be "a dogfight"

Today's Rochester Post Bulletin reports that "Gutknecht, Walz bring in heavy hitters."  As BSP has earlier noted, the heavy-hitters are John Murtha and Newt Gingrich.  Reporter Matthew Stolle outlines the case:

GOP Rep. Gil Gutknecht and DFL challenger Tim Walz brought in a couple of political heavyweights on Sunday in the latest sign that the U.S. congressional race is shaping up to be a dogfight.

Rep. John Murtha, a 16-term Pennsylvania Democrat and former Marine, stumped for Walz during a political rally at the home of a southwest Rochester couple. Meanwhile, former GOP Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was the main attraction at a Gutknecht fundraiser in the Radisson Hotel in downtown Rochester.

Their speeches and comments reflected the political divide over the four-year-old Iraq war and its relationship to the war on terrorism. They also underscored the issue's prominence in political races across the country, including Minnesota's 1st Congressional District, where the 12-year incumbent Gutknecht is fending off a challenge by political newcomer Walz.

Regular readers of Bluestem Prairie have learned how important this issue is for people in the Fighting First, from the headlines generated by Gutknecht's wobbling on the issue to letters-to-the-editor in newspapers across the district.

Stolle leads off with Murtha's afternoon appearance:

In Rochester, Murtha said the public was tired of what he called the Republican-controlled "rubber stamp Congress" and was eager for change. The rally was at the home of Sarah and John Pacchetti of southwest Rochester, the same couple who hosted Sen. John Kerry when he ran for president in 2004.

"I see an intensity out there I have not seen for years. People want a change. They want somebody to speak up like Tim," Murtha said about Walz, who stood next to him on a porch overlooking a crowd of an estimated 60 people.

Murtha catapulted to the national stage with his call for U.S. troops to leave Iraq. Murtha said American troops did a "marvelous" job in the early stages of the war, but were let down by political leaders who were wrong about Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction and having connections to al-Qaida. The Bush administration also failed to adequately plan for the occupation, he said.

He said that by any number of measures, the war in Iraq is a failed policy: Iraq produces less oil and electricity now than it did under Saddam Hussein and incidents of violence, much of it Iraqi-on-Iraqi attacks, have soared, while America spends $8 billion a month on the conflict.

"I see no way that it can be won militarily. It's a police action. And we have to revert to diplomatic effort in a police action," Murtha said.

Gingrich met with the press before a $1000-a-plate fundraiser at the Marriott.  As we predicted, Gingrich sounded the terrorism alarm:

. . . he said a U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq would spell disaster for America and a bloodbath for Iraq.

"My question would be: What signal does he think it sends to all our allies around the world who watch the United States abandon an ally and walk out as (Iraqis) get slaughtered, which they will," Gingrich said.

"Gingrich said an American withdrawal would effectively turn the Persian Gulf over to an Iran desirous of nuclear weapons that "wants to defeat the United States and eliminate Israel from the face of the earth."

While Democrats have argued that the war in Iraq has been a distraction from the war on terrorism, Gingrich says Iraq is part of a larger global threat. An anti-American coalition is emerging, composed of such countries as Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Syria and Venezuela. In an age of nuclear and biological weapons, America's response should be not to "stay the course," but to redesign the war and the country's strategy for the threats ahead, he said.

"I believe if we mobilize now, that we still have a huge net advantage over our enemies. But if we wait and let them get nuclear weapons, and wait and let them get better organized, we're going to be potentially in a Third World War," he said.

It's unclear from the article if Gingrich was talking about Murtha or Walz sending a signal.  Stolle points outs the policy differences between Murtha and Walz:

While the Iraq war has opened a political divide between Democrats and Republicans, it has tended to obscure tensions within each party. While Murtha has called for a military withdrawal from Iraq, Walz has not. Walz, a high school teacher and retired National Guard Command Sergeant Major, reiterated his call for "robust diplomacy" as a critical element in bringing the troops home.

"I can tell you for certain the one plan that's not working is the Bush administration's plan. That one is a failure," Walz said.

MN-01 Monday Morning: Murtha, letters, netroots and more

VETERANS FOR WALZ: MURTHA VISIT
We attended the Veterans for Walz house party in Rochester yesterday afternoon and sat in on the press conference with Walz and Murtha along with Matt Stolle of the Rochester Post-Bulletin, Larry Dobson of the Dodge Center Star Record,  Leigh Pomeroy of Vox Verax/Minnesota Monitor and others.

Since we left the party to meet with aRochester resident who had useful background information about DM & E, we didn't get home until late. We'll post our impressions and some photos later in the day as time permits. 

In the meantime,  Charley at Across the Great Divide and The Wege share their coverage of the Rowley-Murtha rally in Rosemount.  From the sounds of it, Murtha's main message about Iraq and the fight against terrorism was consistent at both speaking events, while his praise of Walz focused on Tim's military experience and leadership.

Walz spoke about the need for vision and solid plans for important issues such as Iraq, education and health care, and Gutknecht's lack thereof.  Looks like his team has visited his opponent's "issues" page.

OLLIE OX UPDATE: Leigh Pomeroy provides excellent coverage of the veterans for Walz houseparty at Minnesota Monitor.

WINONA DAILY NEWS LTE: DO YOU FEEL SAFER?
Robert Hively-Johnson of Winona writes to condemn the rules for detaining and trying noncombatant terrorists.  He concludes with this observation about the political strategy underlying the proposal:

At first blush, what the administration suggests might be cited as a good example of what people mean by constant conservative “over-reaching.” Rather than getting a good feel of what Congress and others might think about a plan and finding common ground, they blunder on and worry about the fallout later, like Iraq. But that is the wrong assumption.

The Bushies did not over-reach. Not this time. This is a contrived gambit specifically designed to bait liberals into react and be labeled “soft on terror.” In other words, despite spin about detention and torture preventing attacks, this administration is really toying with America’s security and safety, playing fear-mongering politics. Well, Duh-bya, even conservatives dare not tamper with our constitutional rights.

Think about the string of screw-ups since Bush and company took over. Think Katrina. Think Iraq; all the casualties. Now, think about what Bush did not do, when informed about the Trade Center destruction. (No reaction. Decider absent.) If Bush and the neocon trademark is incompetent governance, how is America safer? What does common sense suggest?

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: WIKI EDITING, THE STORY LIVES ON
The Chicago Tribune picks up Elizabeth Austin's column, "Hold the `Wikiality,' please pass the truth" which was originally published online at faithfuldemocrats.com. Money quote:

For me, this is literally an article of faith. I believe in a God who is the Way, the Life and the Truth. Deliberately misleading others--even in fun--smacks of heresy. That's why I was so offended when Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.) got caught engaging in Wikiality a few weeks ago, after a reference to his self-imposed 12-year term limit--announced 11 years ago--suddenly vanished from his Wikipedia bio. Gutknecht is far from alone; so many staffers--on both sides of the aisle--were massaging their bosses' entries that Wikipedia's editors briefly banned all entry edits from congressional Internet provider addresses.

Here's the Winona Daily News' take on the incident.

NETROOTS
Just in time for yesterday's Veterans for Walz houseparty, Trillian over at the TPMCafe posts about Fighting Dem Vet Nominees are... 56 Fighting Dems for the GE!.  Tim Walz is on that list.

Minnesota Central asks "Do Klobuchar and Walz scare Bush ?"  He raises a good point about the incentive for Democrats to hold the line on fiscal responsibility:

. . . In fact, the Democrats have a greater incentive to demonstrate fiscal responsibility. With the 2008 Presidential election at stake, the Dems will want to prove to the voters that the Clinton-era of fiscal management of pay-as-you-go budgeting works better than the Republican’s tax-cut and spend policy.

Why is it that pro-growth tax policy sounds so righteous and yet is just code-speak for tax subsidies? Damn the deficit, if it means helping big business. Gil Gutknecht’s June 30th eline trumpeted the importance of passage in the House of H.R. 4761 which concerns itself with allowing drilling for oil on Outer Continental Shelf. Those of us that are concerned about our fiscal future heard a different trumpet and that one was expressed on June 29th, when the White House issued a statement on that bill. “The Administration strongly opposes the bill’s revenue-sharing provisions because of their adverse long-term consequences on the Federal deficit . The Administration’s preliminary estimate is that the revenue-sharing provisions of H.R. 4761 would reduce Federal Receipts by several hundred billion dollars over 60 years.”

America’s fiscal future is not at risk with Democrats in Congress. It is at risk with individuals that use fear-mongering to mask the real issues. . . .

Leigh Pomeroy was so impressed by Tim Walz's standings in Facebook's Election Pulse that he was one of 15 people who signed up for Walz yesterday. Fear not--college instructors aren't stacking the Election Pulse: the rest of yesterday's enrollees are all students. 

For Gutknecht, four students signed up, and at least one of them is eligible vote in the district.

Facebook is much more important for political organizing than the unscientific poll of Election Pulse. Its real value is in creating a social networking tool for young people to create their own presence as an independent grassroots force in elections.  Even before Election Pulse was created, a Walz volunteer put together a Facebook group that attracted hundreds of volunteers.

But judging from the people on Gutknecht's current header photo at his web site, perhaps the incumbent has decided to focus on a different age demographic than young voters.  Maybe not.

MN-01 Sunday Morning: the clear contrast between Walz and Gutknecht

WINONA DAILY NEWS WIKI WAR LTE
Reader Jake Taylor of Winona asks if it's time to send Gutknecht "Back to the Auction Barn":

I would like to thank the Winona Daily News for its views on Gil Gutknecht’s bending of the truth on Wikipedia. No matter who tried to change the information that he supported a 12-year term limit and signed his name on the bottom of the 1995 Contract with America, whether it be a staffer or Gutknecht himself late at night at his home, the offense is the same. If Gutknecht takes enough time to, not once, but twice, try to change the facts, what else is he doing to alter truths that we as Minnesotans should know about?

He signed a contract that said he would leave in 12 years so that he would not become a career politician and now wants to become just that. Well, that is not the only thing he lied about in the contract with America.

He also promised to restore the faith and trust of the American people in their government.

Sounds like Gutknecht needs to go back to auctioneering.

The DCCC has a rundown of Gutknecht's current activities in the GOP Auction Barn.

CONTRASTING ONLINE CAMPAIGNS: WHAT MATTERS MOST
Apparently Team Gutknecht decided that editing Wikipedia wasn't such a great idea, and  overhauled his campaign website instead.

It now has even less content than before. Gone is the link in the issues section touting Republican accomplishments in the last Congress. Gone are links to photo album pictures of Presidential visits and Bush Farm and Ranch Team rallies.

But Gil does have a new slogan: "Working on the things that matter most." 

Curious what that might be, we visited Gutknecht's issues section.  Descriptions of his four issues are limited to one-paragraph squibs about agriculture, health savings accounts, prescription drugs and renewable energy.

Iraq? Education?  Immigration? Perhaps these issues don't matter most to Gutknecht's campaign strategists, but judging from the letters sections of MN-01 newspapers, the citizens of the district care enough about these concerns to let their neighbors know their concerns.

Voters hoping to find substantive position papers on Iraq, education, immigration, health care, Washington reform, and other concerns should try the Walz campaign site.

Other sharp contrasts abound. Gutknecht's media section contains only press releases and radio ads, while the Walz campaign site includes news coverage.   At the Walz site, it's easy to locate an event or find out when the Rochester Chamber of Commerce forum is being shown on local television. At the Gutknecht site? Nada. 

 ROCHESTER POST-BULLETIN
The paper issued a correction for the Gingrich event:

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will appear Sunday at a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht at the Radisson Hotel. The dinner is at 7 p.m., and the speeches are scheduled for 8 p.m. 

The dinner is $1000 per person.  We suggest the more common sense alternative of the Veterans for Walz event at 4 pm. at the home of Home of Sarah and John Pacchetti, 930 8th Ave. SW, Rochester.

Can't make it?  Give to Tim Walz via Act Blue.  So far, $10,726.27 in small contributions has been raised since Walz became an ActBlue Netroots candidate.

STRIB REPEATS ITSELF
Yup, that Al Franken sure can raise money and give it to DFL candidates like Tim Walz, the Strib reports for the third or fourth time. Here's Franken on campaigning with Walz in St. Peter.

NETROOTS
Kid Oakland sums up the contrast between the candidates in the Walz/Gutknecht race:

On the one hand there's GOP incumbent Gil Gutknecht who has invited his buddy Newt Gingrich to help him campaign for a promise-breaking, "chuck the Contract with America" out the window seventh term in Congress. On the other hand there's Democratic challenger Tim Walz who's appearing this weekend with Congressman John Murtha. Gutknecht/Gingrich versus Walz/Murtha. That's a clear contrast for Minnesotans come November on issues as diverse as the war in Iraq to fiscal responsibility to privatizing Social Security.

The Wege has the bumpersticker for the Gingrich/Gutknecht fundraiser.

Over the past week, Bluestem Prairie has discussed the involvement of Gutknecht cronies Hoekstra and Gingrich in raising the alarm over Iran, which sounds like deja vu all over again.  Sydney Blumenthal on the meaning of the midterm election for Congressional Republicans in How Bush Rules: How Republicans Are Hyping Fear to Keep One-Party Rule

. . .Last month, the House Intelligence Committee issued a report, according to its chairman, Rep. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, "to help increase the American public's understanding of Iran as a threat." Claiming to be authoritative, the frightening report, however, bore the earmarks of a partisan political operation. A single Republican staff member (Frederick Fleitz, a former aide to John Bolton, now the hard-right ambassador to the United Nations) wrote the document without any input from or consultation with the Democrats. It painted a dire picture and blamed the usual suspects for complacency and worse: the CIA for inadequately assessing the threat and the International Atomic Energy Agency for complicity in "Iranian deception."  

In the run up to the Iraq war, the Bush administration tried unsuccessfully to oust IAEA director Mohammed ElBaradei for having stated with pinpoint accuracy that Saddam Hussein did not possess weapons of mass destruction and that Bush's case, moreover, was based on forged documents. This week, the IAEA responded with a counter-report debunking the Republican document as "outrageous and dishonest." "This is like prewar Iraq all over again," David Albright, a former nuclear inspector and president of the Institute for Science and International Security, was quoted in the Washington Post.

The Bush White House needs a Republican Congress to protect and defend it for its radicalism to thrive. And congressional Republicans continue to stifle oversight, instead manipulating national security fears for political advantage. The closer the mid-term elections approach, the more desperate the tone.

THE HEAVENS FALL?  HAVE A LITTLE PIECE OF PIE
Not that Southern Minnesotans back away from real threats to their security.  In non-campaign news from my mom's hometown of Madelia, citizens re-enacted the 1876 shoot-out with the Younger Brothers in the Hanska Slough.  The New Ulm Journal reports that even then, Madelians understood the civility of a little lunch:

Johnson said the Youngers were surprised at how well Madelians took care of them after their capture, since it was common for crowds in the 1870s to lynch people who were captured after the kind of shootout they had with the posse. The Younger brothers were held in the Flanders Hotel on Main Street and were given clothes and food and were well-guarded. Johnson said the entire town came to see the Youngers, who regularly got visits from women.

Now that's Minnesota Tough.