A Bluestem Prairie

Strib: Federal investigators to review handling of Marine's case

The Strib carries news of federal investigators coming to review the handling of the case of the young Marine who killed himself.  Kevin Giles reports:

A team of federal investigators will arrive Thursday at VA medical centers in Minneapolis and St. Cloud to look into family claims that U.S. Marine veteran Jonathan J. Schulze was denied a bed for psychiatric care days before he committed suicide last month.

The Office of the Medical Inspector at the Veterans Affairs central office in Washington will conduct the investigation, said Joan Vincent, public affairs officer at the VA Medical Center in St. Cloud.

Schulze hanged himself in New Prague, Minn., on Jan. 16. His father and stepmother, Jim and Marianne Schulze, said that days earlier, the veteran twice told VA staff — at the St. Cloud VA hospital on Jan. 11, and over the phone on Jan. 12 — that he felt like killing himself. VA officials, citing privacy laws, have neither confirmed nor denied that account.

In the story, Representatives Walz and Ramstad react to the news. Walz is a veteran who trained many Nationl Guard soldiers now serving in Iraq; Represnetative Ramstad is a leader creating prity for mental health treatment for all Americans. The Strib continues:

Two other members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation expressed concern about the VA’s ability to cope with a growing wave of troops returning from Iraq. Many of those veterans are expected to need mental health counseling because of combat stress, lengthy separation from families, financial problems and other worries.

“The hidden costs of this war are not being addressed,” said Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., a member of the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and a veteran. “I’ve been deeply concerned. I think there’s been almost nothing done to prepare for this.”

Schulze’s death, Walz said, points to a looming problem as more veterans return to Minnesota from Iraq. “I’m anguished over this,” he said of Schulze’s death. “What’s heartbreaking is that Jonathan had the foresight to reach out.”

Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., said he’s written a letter to R. James Nicholson, who heads the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, asking what it would take financially to meet the needs of returning Iraq veterans.

“None of our brave troops who are suffering from mental illness should be placed on a waiting list for treatment,” Ramstad said. “It’s unfortunate that it takes a tragedy like this to focus congressional attention.”

Walz said that VA hospitals in Minnesota are “taxed to their limit” and that families of Iraq veterans are “totally lost” in the struggle to provide care to mounting numbers of men and women who have served overseas.

“I don’t think we’ve seen anything like it,” he said.

We are hearing more about the terrible total the war is taking on our soldiers, and hope to be able to report firsthand about one veteran's struggles.

For more background on Schulze's story, see our earlier post here.

DM & E Breaking News: Walz's Statement on Department of Transportation's Record of Decision

Update: The Rochester Post Bulletin has posted a story article about the decision, including this link to the press release below [end update].

Apparently, the Department of Transportation is going to release an important environmental ruling tonight on the DM & E expansion proposal.

Rep. Tim Walz's office has issued the following statement in reference to that Record of Decision, which will be issued later tonight by the Department of Transportation as part of its consideration of the DM&E Railroad expansion proposal:

"The Record of Decision issued by the Department of Transportation is not unexpected.  I believe it is always in the best interest of all involved parties to have the most complete and accurate information available, which is why I am disappointed that the Department chose to accept an outdated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) as suitable information for use in the final evaluation of this loan proposal.

"Today's decision is an environmental ruling, which initiates the final review of the loan application.  The next and final phase of the loan review process is the evaluation of DM&E's financial health and the risk to taxpayers if this loan is granted. During this phase, I will be at the forefront of a bipartisan group of lawmakers working to ensure that the administrators conducting the review are adequately addressing concerns about safety, transparency and accountability.  This loan is the largest taxpayer-funded loan to a private company in American history and is deserving of an appropriately large amount of and input from the taxpayers and oversight from the Congress."

Jeepers, we didn't even get time to proofread when this came in from another friend:

FRA Issues Final Environmental Review on Proposed DM&E Powder River Basin Project,
New Safety and Air Quality Requirements Added

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced it has determined that the proposed Dakota, Minnesota, & Eastern (DM&E) Powder River Basin project has met the requirements of the federal environmental review process, and outlined new measures the railroad must take to improve safety and air quality if the pending DM&E $2.3 billion Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan application is approved.

The release of FRA’s final environmental review, known as a Record of Decision (ROD), marks the start of a 90-day clock within which the agency must approve or disapprove the DM&E loan application. The final decision will be made after thorough consideration of an extensive and independent evaluation of the railroad, the proposed project, and the RRIF loan application.

If the loan is approved, FRA will require DM&E to make additional safety improvements at 10 highway-rail grade crossings in Minnesota and South Dakota to address projected increases in both highway and rail traffic. FRA also will require that locomotives used for the proposed project west of Huron, South Dakota, meet or exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) most stringent air pollutant emissions standards to reduce impacts to sensitive national park areas.

In completing its review, FRA adopted the environmental impact statements issued by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) in its evaluation of the proposed DM&E project, including all 147 environmental and safety conditions to address the impact of the project on communities along the route.

In addition, the FRA released a Final Section 4(f) Statement, required under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s strict environmental review process. It addresses environmental issues not fully covered by the STB review to assess the potential impact of the proposed project on public parks, recreation areas, wildlife and waterfowl refuges or historic sites of national, state or local significance.

During the 90-day period, FRA will issue a final decision on the loan application submitted to the agency’s RRIF program. If approved, the FRA safety and air quality measures listed above, and any additional conditions, would be made part of the final loan terms.

FRA considered nearly 2,500 public comments before reaching its conclusions. A full and complete copy of the ROD and the Final Section 4(f) Statement can be found at www.fra.dot.gov.

And this from the Rochester Coalition, via an indirect route (update: press release here)

ROCHESTER, Minn. (Jan. 31, 2007) - The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has announced its decision to proceed immediately with the preparation of a full environmental impact statement (EIS) on the environmental effects of the proposal by the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E) to route coal trains from the Powder River Basin (PRB) on the former I&M Rail Link (IMRL) system in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Missouri.

"The decision affirms the Rochester Coalition's belief that the environmental review of DM&E's overall proposal is incomplete and outdated and requires extensive additional review before any decisions are made concerning DM&E's loan application," says Chris Gade, spokesperson for the Rochester Coalition.  "The STB has admitted more extensive environmental review is required."

Also today, the Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a ruling on the environmental aspects of DM&E's $2.3 billion loan application. The ruling sets the stage for the Bush Administration to approve or reject DM&E's controversial request for an unprecedented $2.3 billion federal loan. The taxpayer-backed loan, the largest to a private company in U.S.history, would be used to finance the railroad's proposed expansion. The environmental ruling is believed to initiate the final, critical stage of review focused on DM&E's finances and the risk the $2.3 billion loan poses to U.S. taxpayers. 

"We disagree with the FRA's environmental ruling, but it was not unexpected," said Gade. "The FRA's reliance on an incomplete and inadequate environmental review casts a cloud of doubt over the ruling."      

Billions of tax dollars and the safety of communities that lie in the path of the DM&E railroad's expansion plans are at stake," added Gade. "This loan can and should be stopped."

Opposition to the DM&E loan is widespread, politically diverse and growing. Republican and Democratic members of Congress and several leading national government watchdog groups oppose the loan, including the National Taxpayers Union, Citizens Against Government Waste and FreedomWorks - a prominent 800,000 -member organization headed by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey.

Recently, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN) requested a Congressional probe into the DM&E's loan request and the behind-the-scenes amendments that radically increased available funding and changed program criteria to make the DM&E eligible for the unprecedented federal loan. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), a well-known critic of Congressional earmarks, also opposes the loan as does former Vice President Walter Mondale, who has called the DM&E's loan among the most "egregious" he's ever seen. Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have called for the loan to be rejected if local communities and Mayo Clinic are not protected from the project's adverse impacts.

Remarkably, the DM&E's $2.3 billion taxpayer-funded loan proposal has not received any Congressional oversight or public review. DM&E's loan request is entirely secret, as is information about who owns the railroad and how much its investors will benefit financially as a result of the low-interest government loan, which requires no payments for six years and no collateral. The DM&E already received a $233 million federal loan in 2003. Financial analysts estimate that the railroad has annual revenues of just $200 million, which means, that if the loan is approved, then its debt could be more than 12-times its annual revenue. Nearly a decade after the DM&E first announced its expansion plans, the project has secured no private sector investors and no coal-supply contracts.

"Taxpayers take all the risk, and DM&E isn't being required to answer a single question publicly about its proposal, its ownership or how it plans to repay taxpayers more than $2.3 billion," said David Strom, president of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota. "The railroad has displayed shocking contempt for the American people, who are essentially being told to 'butt out,' despite the unprecedented and highly questionable use of taxpayer funds for private purposes."

The DM&E project presents a serious safety threat to several communities, includingRochester, the largest city along the rail line, and Mayo Clinic.

"The project currently poses an unacceptable risk to Rochester, allowing up to 34 high-speed trains carrying coal and hazardous materials to bisect the city each day, passing mere yards from Mayo Clinic, and threatening thousands of patients and doctors at one of the world's premier healthcare destinations," said Dennis Hanson, president of the Rochester City Council. "We simply have too much to lose to not get better protection than the railroad has been willing to provide."

In November 2006, the city of  Brookings, S.D., voted on a referendum that rejected the DM&E's community partnership agreement with that city. In addition to growing opposition from taxpayers and local communities, land owners in Wyoming and South Dakota are in court fighting DM&E's strong-arm tactics and use of eminent domain in South  Dakota.

"This railroad project is a threat to my livelihood, my strategic planning for my business and my whole life's plan. Everything I own is tied up in my 100 plus-year-old family ranch. Make no mistake, this project is about private greed," said Paul Jensen, a  South   Dakota rancher whose land will be impacted by the coal project. "No 'reasonable compensation' can repair or replace what it has taken many generations to build, maintain and protect."

In an effort to reflect the mounting opposition to the DM&E loan and to give taxpayers and concerned citizens a way to voice their opinion, the Rochester Coalition today launched an online petition at www.dmetraintruth.com. The petition will be sent to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters and other federal officials.

###
Background
For nearly a decade the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DM&E) has proposed extending a rail line to haul coal from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming to Winona, Minn. Unable to secure private financing, DM&E is seeking the largest federal loan to a private company in American history - a $2.3 billion subsidy from U.S. taxpayers to finance a major rail expansion project through the Midwest. The loan far exceeds the famous Chrysler bailout, which was debated vigorously in the halls of Congress and by the American people. The proposed $2.3 billion taxpayer loan to DM&E has not been subject to a single minute of debate in Congress, and the public has been barred from examining details of the loan application, the company's finances, and the company's shareholders.

According to the New York Times ("Lobbyist Turns Senator But Twists Same Arms," Feb. 28, 2006), DM&E's loan was made possible in 2005 when Sen. John Thune, a former DM&E lobbyist, championed legislation to increase the Federal Railroad Administration's loan program from $3.5 billion to $35 billion and modified the loan criteria to benefit his former employer.

A poll conducted by KRC Research in the summer of 2006 showed that a majority of registered voters in Minnesota's First Congressional District and more than two-thirds of Rochester residents oppose the DM&E's request for the $2.3 billion federal loan. The same poll conducted statewide in South Dakota found a plurality of residents also opposes the railroad's loan request.

The Rochester Coalition represents the city of Rochester, Minn., Olmsted County, the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce and Mayo Clinic. The coalition opposes DM&E's $2.3 billion federal loan and the railroad's efforts to expand its rail line through Rochester.

DM&E, which according to government statistics has the worst safety record in its class, currently operates three to four slow-moving trains carrying mostly grain products each day through Rochester.

The federal loan would enable DM&E to haul as many as 34 mile-long trains each day through the heart of Rochester at high speed, carrying coal and unspecified amounts of hazardous materials a few hundred yards from Mayo Clinic, Rochester Methodist Hospital, several nursing homes and other health-care facilities. The project threatens Mayo Clinic patients, many of whom are critically ill and unable to evacuate in the event of a DM&E derailment involving hazardous materials. Information on the issue and an online petition against the loan are available at www.dmetraintruth.com.

Strib: keeping the Blackbird

Volunteers at the Minnesota Air National Guard Museum had rescued and restored the A-12 Blackbird, a  60s era spy plane that had been at the museum since 1991.  Now the Air Force wants to give the plane to the CIA for its 60th birthday.

Minnesota's congresional delegation opposes the move.  Today's Strib reports that Coleman-Klobuchar bill would keep spy plane in Minnesota:

Minnesota Sens. Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar introduced legislation Tuesday aimed at helping the Minnesota Air Guard Museum retain a 1960s spy plane that is slated for transfer to CIA headquarters in Langley, Va.

Last week, Air Force workers began disassembling the A-12 Blackbird, which has been at the museum since 1991. A team of Minnesota volunteers had rescued the 99-foot-long plane from the scrap heap in California and restored it, including a rare refurbishment of its cockpit instruments.

The bill by Coleman, a Republican, and Klobuchar, a Democrat, would transfer ownership of the plane to the Minnesota Air National Guard Historical Foundation, which runs the museum. It would also require the U.S. Air Force to finance the plane's reassembly. . . .

The House delegation is working on a companion bill.

Last week the Strib reported:

. . .U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., began circulating a letter that asks the secretary of the Air Force to hold off on the plane's removal.

"The Minnesota Air National Guard Historical Foundation operates one of the most unique aviation museums in the nation," says the letter, which was signed by Coleman, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and U.S. Reps. Jim Ramstad, Collin Peterson, John Kline, James Oberstar and Tim Walz.

"Losing the centerpiece of their aircraft display would drastically reduce the overall effectiveness of their museum," the letter read.

The letter cites Minnesota's historical association with the plane, which includes components made by 3M, Honeywell and Rosemount Inc.

Let's hope the museum gets rewarded for its preservation of this piece of American history.

DM & E News: Tina Liebling's letter and Rochester on Tour at the Capitol

Tomorrow, the Rochester Chamber of Commerce hosts "Rochester on Tour at the Capitol" which includes the following events:

• 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch at the Crowne Plaza St. Paul - Riverfront Hotel. Invited speakers include the Governor and House and Senate Leadership.
• 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Rally in the Capitol Rotunda.
• 2:30 - 5:00 p.m. Watch legislature in action, tour the Capitol, visit with legislators, tour the Science Museum of Minnesota.
• 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Grand Reception at the National Guard Armory, 600 Cedar Street. Join local businesses and community members to promote our city to state legislators while enjoying Rochester food, beverages, and music.

Track the Truth,  a public education project sponsored by the Rochester Coalition, will have a booth at the reception for those wishing to learn more about the problems DM & E poses for Rochester and its citizens.

In anticipation of the visit, one of our favorite lawmakers, Rochester's State Representative Tina Liebling (DFL-30A) released a "Dear Colleague" letter today (below) calling attention to the DM&E rail expansion issue and the threat the project poses to Minnesota.

Liebling calls on her colleagues to learn more about the "safety, economic and ethical concerns" surrounding the project.  Liebling also urges her colleagues to voice their opposition to DM&E's request for a $2.3 taxpayer-financed federal loan. 

The DM&E loan, the largest to a private company in U.S. history, could result in as many as 34 mile-long high speed trains carrying coal and hazardous materials each day through Minnesota cities, including Rochester.    

Download Liebling_DM_E.pdf

OLLIE OX UPDATE: Odd bedfellows department, DM & E version
A friend just read this post and a sent us a link to a letter former U.S Representative Dick Armey sent to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters in opposition to the DM & E loan. 

We're not sure if there are many issues upon which a sensible progressive like Leibling and a staunch conservative like Armey would agree, but there's something about the DM & E project....

Roll Call: So Six Days Ago

Today, Roll Call noticed last week's New Ulm Journal article that a Lake Crystal man is exploring challenging Tim Walz for Congress. Our readers know we posted about that story six days ago, the very day the news article was published in the Journal. 

Worthington Daily Globe: Clean Energy Act worth supporting

Charles Magyar is pleased with his new representative's vote on energy, he tells the editors of the Worthington Daily Globe in Clean Energy Act worth supporting:

I applaud Representative Tim Walz for supporting the Clean Energy Act of 2007. This bill would shift $14 billion in subsidies and lease arrangements with big oil toward investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

This is a good step toward reducing dependency on oil as the president set forth in his State of the Union. It will also support southwest Minnesota’s new energy industries — ethanol, soy-diesel and wind. Hopefully Amy Klobuchar and Norm Coleman will support the bill when it comes up in the Senate.

Looking good: new site for Winona State bloggers
Jason Bauman has moved I don't hate America to Wordpress and added a couple of co-bloggers.  Go check it out.

Winona Daily News: American Indian vets honored at WSU
Native vets were honored yesterday on the Winona State University Campus. WDN photographer James Bowey's picture of Duane Wanna, from the Sisseton-Wahpeton Lake Traverse Reservation in northeast South Dakota, documents the tenor of the Daily News' story:

The contributions of American Indian Veterans were celebrated Monday with a ceremony at Winona State University’s Kryzsko Commons’ East Hall.

Representatives of the Flandreau Color Guard, Sisseton Vietnam Veteran Color Guard, Sisseton Bravo Color Guard, Sisseton Agency Village American Legion Post 314 Color Guard, American Legion Post 9 Color Guard of Winona, Veteran of Foreign Wars Post 1287 Color Guard and Hiawatha Valley Color Guard marched and carried flags in honor of all those who served.

An estimated 12,000 American Indians served in World War I and 44,000 served in World War II, according to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs. That was out of an estimated total American Indian population of less than 350,000, making them the largest ethnic group to serve per capita. . . .

. . .[Donald] Loudner introduced Clarence Wolf Guts, a World War II veteran who was a Lakota code talker during the war.

“These code talkers were the real heroes of World War II,” Loudner said.

American Indians transmitted messages using codes based upon their native languages. Wolf Guts joined the service when he was 18, serving in the Pacific.

“I’ll do whatever I can,” Wolf Guts remembers thinking when he was called upon to be a code talker.

Wolf Guts is a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and lives on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota. Wolf Guts is modest and brief when talking about his time in the service.

“I love everyone. It doesn’t matter what color you are,” Wolf Guts said. “In the eyes of the good Lord, we’re all brothers and sisters.”

New York Times: Agency Says Higher Casualty Total Was Posted in Error
A story that speaks for itself:

For the last few months, anyone who consulted the Veterans Affairs Department’s Web site to learn how many American troops had been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan would have found this number: 50,508.

But on Jan. 10, without explanation, the figure plummeted to 21,649.

Which number is correct? The answer depends on a larger question, the definition of wounded. If the term includes combat or “hostile” injuries inflicted by the enemy, the definition the Pentagon uses, the smaller number would be right.

But if it also applies to injuries from accidents like vehicle crashes and to mental and physical illnesses that developed in the war zone, the meaning that veterans’ groups favor, 50,508 would be accurate. . . .

. . .About 1.4 million troops have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, and more than 205,000 have sought care from the veterans’ agency, according to the government. Of those, more than 73,000 sought treatment for mental problems like post-traumatic stress disorder.

No one disputes that more 50,000 troops have been injured in Iraq and Afghanistan or that nonhostile injuries can be serious. Of the more than 3,000 deaths that have occurred, 600 have been listed as nonhostile.

Go read the whole thing.

Mankato Free Press LTE: We can be proud of rookie Congressman Tim Walz

 

We can forgive Waseca's Beverly Wildgrube for thinking Tim Walz is on the Armed Services committee, since that's how C-SPAN identified him. Walz serves on the Veterans committee.

Wildgrube likes what she sees, she writes in a letter, We can be proud of rookie Congressman Tim Walz:

As just one of the 650,000 constituents of our newly-elected Rep. Tim Walz, I want to say how proud I am of him.

He was on C-Span the morning after the State of the Union address by President Bush, answering questions in his status as a member of the Armed Services committee.

A more knowledgeable person could not be found.

Such good, common sense is refreshing to hear. It comes from a practical background as a teacher and a member of the arms services who had authority in the training of soldiers.

If this was the performance of a rookie in Congress, then bring on more like him. He said he is a steward of the public trust and I believe him.

The C-SPAN interview can be viewed here.

Rochester Post Bulletin: On radio, Walz gets a 'Penny' for his thoughts

The Post Bulletin has more about Tim Walz's appearance on "It's Your Call," hosted by former representative Tim Penny.  Walz may at some point move ahead with his own show:

What is it with 1st District congressmen and the radio?

Rep. Tim Walz debuted Friday on former Rep. Tim Penny's Waseca radio show, in what Walz's spokeswoman said will be a once-a-month appearance on the show hosted by Penny, who represented this region for six terms in Congress from 1982 to 1995.

It was Walz's opponent last fall, six-term Rep. Gil Gutknecht, who took to the airwaves every Friday morning on a network across the 1st District for his show "Conversations with the Congressman."

Penny's show is called "It's Your Call."

Walz could move ahead with his own show at some point, said Walz's spokeswoman Meredith Salsbery. She said they are looking at a number of radio proposals as well, but no decisions have been made about a show format.

After Penny's show started, Lynn Ketelson, the station owner, told the Mankato Free Press newspaper that the show is being considered for a larger statewide audience on the Linder stations.

Walz will be a regular guest on Penny's radio show from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the last Friday of each month. The first broadcast paired the men in the Waseca studio, but Salsbery says congressional work schedules likely will require Walz to phone in on some shows.

Penny's show airs from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Fridays on KOWZ radio (AM 1170). It cannot be heard in Rochester, but Salsbery says its airwaves reach a region approximately from Mankato to Owatonna and Albert Lea to Northfield.

David Heiller, rest in peace

We are saddened to learn of the death of David Heiller, editor of the Caledonia Argus, whose columns we completely enjoyed, especially those about sheepshead fishing and rattlesnakes.

His obituary from the Argus:

David R. Heiller, 53, of Brownsville, MN, died unexpectedly January 24, 2007 while attending the MN Newspaper Association Convention in Minneapolis.

David was born August 13, 1953, in LaCrosse, WI to Rona Peter Heiller and Mary Fern (Schnick) Heiller.

David touched countless lives around the world with his compassionate, adventuresome spirit. He graduated from Caledonia High School in 1971. Camp Courage in Maple Lake, MN was blessed to have David during the summers and off-season from 1972-76, which is where he met Cindy. After graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1976, David spent two years with the Peace Corps teaching in Morocco. He married Cindy on May 31, 1980 and the couple moved to Sturgeon Lake the next year, when David began work for the Askov American newspaper. David and Cindy purchased the paper in 1987, and David continued to serve as editor until they sold the publication in 2003. The Heillers then moved to his hometown of Brownsville where David worked as the editor of The Caledonia Argus from 2003 to the present. In November, David was honored as Writer of the Year by ECM Publishers, parent company of The Argus.

David was a gifted writer, musician, singer, and conversationalist. An avid baseball fan, prolific gardener, and voracious reader, David never stopped learning about the world around him. David loved the outdoors and spent many trips in the BWCA, sharing his passion for canoeing, camping, and fishing. He reached out to everyone he came in contact with in the local community and wherever he traveled, and will be remembered for his sincerity, kindness, and sense of humor.

David was preceded in death by his father, Rona P. Heiller; sister, Lynette Heiller; his grandparents; mother-in-law, Lorely Olson; and father-in-law, Gordon Olson.

David will be lovingly remembered by his family and friends. He is survived by his mother, Mary Fern Heiller of Brownsville; wife of 26 years, Cynthia Anna (Olson) Heiller of Brownsville; son, Noah David Heiller, attending Fond du Lac Community College; daughter, Malika Lynette Heiller, attending Gustavus Adolphus College; sister, Sharon Stiegemeier of Shorewood; brother, Glenn (Marilyn) Heiller of Louisville, OH; sister, Kathleen (Jim) Westberg of St. Charles, IL; sister, Mary Ellen Douglas of Plano, TX; sister, Jeanne (Tom) Roster of Klamath Falls, OR; brother, Daniel (Lisa) Heiller of Casper, WY; brother-in-law, Randy (Therese) Olson of Monticello, MN; sister-in-law, Nancy Olson of Brooklyn Park; and 14 dearly loved nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held on Monday, January 29, 2007, at the Brownsville Community Center in Brownsville, MN. Visitation will begin at noon, with the service at 2 p.m. Arrangements by Cremation Society of MN.

Supporting the troops: out of the mouths of babes

Winona Daily News: Llamas canvas Winona Mall for troops
We'd never thought we'd ever read a lead like that which opens Llamateers help bring in goods for U.S. troops in today's Winona Daily News:

With more U.S. troops headed for Iraq, and those there facing extended tours, service men and women need all the support they can get — even from Argentine llamas and their Winona area handlers.

People accosted by camelids in their local mall are persuaded to be generous:

The Winona County 4-H Club Llamateers — a group of about 15 grade-school students — and a tawny-colored pair of the peculiar camelids launched “Operation Pillowcase” at the Winona Mall on Saturday morning.

Organizers (and llamas) collected snacks, letters of support, and money for calling cards for Winona area service men and women serving in the Middle East.

The goodies will be packaged in community-decorated pillowcases and sent abroad the second week of February.

Two hours into the drive, the Llamateers had amassed nearly $1,400 and a grocery cart full of donations.

“It seems like everyone thinks it’s a good idea,” said Gayle Nottleman, a Llamateer mom. “I’ve been overwhelmed by the reaction.”

Army Sgt. James Hertling, 26, and his 19-month-old son Jack showed up to thank the Llamateers.

“Nothing that’s sent over goes unused,” Hertling said. “It’s unbelievable.”

Hertling, who was stationed in Kuwait when the World Trade Center fell and has served two tours of duty — 16 months and one year — in Iraq since 2003, returned home for good in November and recently bought a house with his wife and two children in Rushford, Minn.

“I’ve never seen a patriotic llama,” Hertling said with a laugh.

The llamas, Azul and Moreno, were mostly indifferent and accommodating to neck petting. Their presence in the middle of a shopping mall might have been the first of its kind.

“They’re just unusual,” said Llamateer president Liz Polachek, 12, describing her interest in llamas. “And not everybody gets to work with them.”

The Llamateers and llamas — two of the 70 wooly critters Lynda Carothers houses at Carothers Llama Farm in Minnesota City — will collect additional donations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at the Winona Mall..

Mankato Free Press: Military kids lend willing ears
The Minnesota National Guard, 4-H, the U.S. Army Reserve and the Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network sponsored the Speak Out for Military Kids in Mankato.  Two Iraq War veterans met with kids whose parents are serving in the military, mostly in Iraq:

By Mark Fischenich

For about an hour, they looked like a typical group of adolescents at an adult-organized event on a Saturday morning.

Maybe a little bit sleepy, not particularly talkative, willing to ask a question only when pressed to come up with one.

The eight kids were children of men and women serving in the military, mostly serving in Iraq. They’d been brought to Minnesota State University for the day to let them know they weren’t alone, to help them express their fears and frustrations, and — for 90 minutes in the morning — to ask questions of a pair of guys who had been in Iraq.

So they asked about the sand, about what soldiers do with their free time, if they’d personally come under attack, if Iraq has a lot of snakes. Sgt. Ben Schlag, an MSU student who returned from his deployment a year ago, and retired Staff Sgt. Steve Robbins of Mapleton, who served in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, answered them all.

But the typical group of adolescents changed when Schlag started asking questions back. Like when he asked what the hardest thing was of having a father or mother serving in Iraq.

As the answers came, so did the sniffles and some tears and a bit of undisguised anger.

“The hardest thing is I thought he was going to come back in a couple of months,” said Nick Seibring, whose stepfather is a National Guard soldier serving with the 1st Brigade Combat Team. “Now it’s going to be September.”

President Bush’s decision to boost the number of American troops in Iraq, particularly in Baghdad, prompted the six-month extension.

“I think it’s stupid,” one youngster said. “I wish Bush would just die.”

Tony Spurling, a boy Schlag had been teasing because of his unwillingness to ask any questions, started to offer his opinion of the extension.

“It’s dumb,” Spurling said. “It’s ... Oh, never mind.”

One of the adult organizers of Saturday’s event asked Spurling if he wanted to share the word he used during a smaller group discussion to describe his feelings.

“Rage,” he said. . . .

There's more. Go read the whole thing.

Finding common ground for Walz and Bachmann

Most observers find little in common between populist moderate Tim Walz and conservative Michele Bachmann.

However, they do share one thing besides being freshman representatives from Minnesota: a birthday. Both were born on April 6 (Bachmann in 1956; Walz in 1964). So much for astrology.

Of waiting lists and war vets: why committee appointments matter

DailyKos: Iraq Vet denied health care, commits suicide
Rochester  kos diarist kkjohnson looks at a Strib article about a Iraq vet's suicide in New Prague (a town in MN-02) after being put on a waiting list for the VA's mental health facility in St. Cloud. She calls for congress to act:

The new congress needs to take immediate action to insure that these vets coming home have health care. AND THIS INCLUDES MENTAL HEALTH CARE COVERAGE! My personal, unprofessional,  opinion is that if this vet was sick enough to be placed on a waiting list, a bed somewhere should have been found for him.

Representative Walz has been appointed to the House Veterans Committee.  Southern Minnesota's ABC affiliate, KAAL-TV,  reports that Walz talked about the needs of returning vets on yesterday's radio show:

Walz to use committee to advantage

(KAAL)---Minnesota congressman Tim Walz says he'll use his membership on the House of Representatives Veterans' Affairs Committee to help ease the transition for troops returning from war.

Walz made that comment today on former congressman Tim Penny's radio show in Waseca.

Penny will host Democrat Tim Walz and Republican US Senator Norm Coleman on his show on the last Friday of each month.

"We have a 600 thousand, just imagine this, 600,000 person backlog right now in the VA system in some of the cases. People waiting for services,” Tim Walz said on the radio. . . .

Yesterday KEYC-TV in Mankato broadcast a segment about the possibility of the VA opening a satellite clinic in Mankato. Story and video here.

KEYC-TV: Walz on Penny's radio show
KEYC-TV in Mankato has posted a story and video about Walz's appear on former representative Tim Penny's radio. Story and video here.

Saturday morning: SPAM, dairy and towhee edition

Mankato Free Press: Towhee update
The Mankato Free Press covers the story of the green-tailed towhee wintering in Mountain Lake.  The internet has

Austin Daily Herald: SPAM, SPAM, SPAM (for the troops)
The Austin Daily Herald reports that Hormel is donating 38 cases of SPAM singles for care packages for Minnesota National Guard members:

Minnesota National Guard troops like their SPAM.

They like it so much they listed it as one of their most desired items to receive in a package.                                     

Well the Hormel SPAM marketing team wasn't going to let that desire  go unfilled.

After reading the Web site poll on Twin Cities news station KSTP that named the famous meat as No. 6 on their top 10 list, the Hormel crew got busy.

On Thursday Swen Neufeldt and the SPAM Team of Paul Krapf and Dan Goldman made sure SPAM continues to support troops.

“We'll send a taste of home to our troops,” Neufeldt, group product manager for SPAM, said while his mini van was being loaded with the meat. “SPAM's been supporting troops from Vietnam to the Korean War.” . . .

The single-serving packages are easy to open in the field.

Winona Daily News: Walz a voice for farmers in D.C.
Eunice Biel, of Harmony, Minnesota, is a dairy farmer active in the Minnesota Farmers Union. Her letter, Walz a voice for farmers in D.C., is published in today's Winona Daily News:

We are thrilled that Tim Walz is our new congressman for Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District. As the fifth largest producer of agricultural products in the U.S., it is important to have a congressman who recognizes the value of a strong rural economy.

Walz will be a strong ally for our agricultural communities. Tim has been appointed to the prestigious House Agriculture Committee, which was his top choice. Collin Peterson, from the 7th District will chair the committee. He said, “Congressman Walz will be an outstanding addition to the House Agriculture Committee, particularly as we begin to write the 2007 Farm Bill.”

This shift in leadership to the Midwest will have a positive impact for Minnesota farmers. Tim is already working hard for us, and we are fortunate that he will be representing us.

TGIF News digest: radio and netroots edition

Minnesota Monitor: Walz on Tim Penny's radio show
The Minnesota Monitor provides a succinct synopsis of Representative Walz's appearance on Tim Penny's radio show:

. . .On the Jan. 26 show, much of the discussion with the lawmakers dealt with the Iraq deployment and how it has affected Minnesota members of the Army Reserve and National Guard. Coleman also addressed stem cell research and Walz discussed congressional ethics reform.

Penny quizzed Walz on whether the Democratic-controlled Congress was going far enough in terms of limiting earmarks. Walz termed the president's call in the State of the Union address for reducing congressional earmarks by 50 percent "ironic" since those earmarks have grown exponentially during Bush's six years in office — up to 10,000 in 2006. Cutting them in half, Walz said, would only bring them down to 5,000, which Penny noted was 10 times the number in 1994, when he served his last year in Congress.

Walz advocates tagging each earmark with the sponsor's name, which he says will limit earmarks because members of Congress will have to justify their legislative requests. Penny would like to see earmark limitations go further. . . .

Since the station broadcasting the Penny show doesn't have streaming audio, this is a great service.

DailyKos: Freshman Dems refuse to follow DLC playbook
Kos analyses a National Journal column about the first-term Democratic representatives who won in conservative districts:

It's delicious irony watching loser Harold Ford take the helm of the dying DLC, while Democrats who won tough conservative districts (the ones only DLC moderates are supposed to win) gear up for reelection utterly rejecting the DLC accommodationist playbook. Just goes to prove that 1) we're evolving as a party, becoming more effective, and 2) our freshman Democrats are no idiots. Even those elected in solid Republican districts are beginning their two-year re-election drive by -- get this -- establishing clear distinctions between themselves and Bush and his Republican Party.

In interviews with several of those freshman House Democrats following Bush's State of the Union address this week, an interesting trend emerged: Democrats not only appear confident about their prospects of holding onto power in '08, but despite (or perhaps because of) their perceived vulnerabilities, they're preparing to seek re-election on platforms that openly oppose the Republican president and the agenda he unveiled Tuesday night.

In often hostile terms, freshman Democrats in GOP-friendly districts said their increasingly partisan tone reflects a dramatic shift they've noticed back home regarding constituents' willingness to question and criticize the president they elected.

"In the 18 months I've been on the campaign trail, I've noticed a huge difference," said Rep. Jason Altmire (D), who ousted Republican Rep. Melissa Hart in a Pennsylvania district Bush won by 9 points in '04. "People once asked me to blindly support the president [on Iraq]. They said supporting the president was synonymous with supporting the troops. That's no longer the case."

Tim Walz shows up on the list of feisty freshmen:

Netroots hero Tim Walz:

"The reality is that the president has been wrong on almost every single occasion and I think my constituents want me to be skeptical," said Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., who ousted six-term Republican Gil Gutknecht in a rural district Bush won by 4 points. Walz called Bush's speech a "laundry list of broken promises and empty rhetoric."

The National Journal column here.

IDHA: Winona student senate supports DREAM Act
Our friend Jason at I Don't Hate America writes up the Winona State University Student Association's resolution to support the DREAM Act.  An in-depth in a student's paper.

 

League of Conservation Voters LTE: Walz praised for energy advocacy

The president of the League of Conservation Voters, Gene Karpinski, applauds Walz in a letter published in today's Winona Daily News:

We applaud Rep. Tim Walz for demonstrating that he heard the American people’s call for change in Washington by voting for the CLEAN Energy Act, which takes away subsidies for big oil and invests the money in clean energy and energy efficiency. This bill is an important first step in a new direction for our nation’s energy policy, based not on the dirty energy practices of the past but on clean energy solutions for our future.

Walz has gotten off to a strong start in the new Congress when it comes to supporting sound legislation to help reduce our dependence on oil. By investing in clean alternative energy technologies, this legislation will create good jobs and cut global warming pollution.

Afternoon update: Walz on the radio and everywhere

The Walz press office has put on a media alert about Representative Walz becoming a regular guest on Tim Penny's radio show:

Rep. Tim Walz will be a regular guest on former Rep. Tim Penny's radio show starting tomorrow, Friday, January 26^th.  Walz will discuss current events and policy topics with Rep. Penny on the last Friday of each month.  Rep. Walz will team up with Rep. Penny for the last half hour of the show, which broadcasts from Waseca, Minnesota.

Rep. Penny's show airs weekly from 9-10am on Friday mornings on KOWZ Radio.  KOWZ can be heard on AM 1170 in the central area of the 1^st Congressional District. (Approximately region: Mankato to Owatonna and Albert Lea to Northfield.) 

Who: Rep. Tim Walz and Rep. Tim Penny

Station: KOWZ AM 1170

Time: 9:30-10:00am CST

Date: Last Friday of every month

Unfortunately, the broadcasts are not available online.  There has been talk of the show going statewide, however.

Minnesota Monitor picks up on the contrast between Tim Walz and Michele Bachmann that our friend McPherson Hall first explored Monday at Minnesota Central, a thoroughly original blog, and the difference between the two representative's reactions to the SOTU that we pointed out yesterday morning. There is an original catch in the Politico article. 

A State Senate caucus member sees Walz coming in to meet with  Sen. Jim Vickerman. Nice. Busy.

C-SPAN: Tim Walz on surge

C-Span on Demand doesn't have the committee right, but it's a Walz clip:

Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN), Armed Services Cmte. Member comments on the President’s remarks on Iraq and sending 21,500 additional troops to Iraq. This freshman member is a 24-year member of the Air National Guard, the highest-ranking Guard member in Congress. He was deployed in support of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan in 2003. He opposes sending more troops.    00:12.

Walz serves on the Veterans committee, not Armed Services. Last year, C-SPAN spelled the representative's name "Waltz."  Nobody's perfect.

Thursday morning news digest: of war, ethanol and meat packing

Austin Daily Herald: Nothing new in SOTU
The Austin Daily Herald's editorial board declares there's Nothing ‘new' to wait for:

Even with voters, Democrats and many in his own party against him, President Bush in the State of the Union Address Tuesday urged lawmakers and the public to wait for his “new” strategy in Iraq to turn things around.

Unfortunately, there is not much “new” to wait for, other than a large surge in the number of troops sent into harm's way.                                     

The voters have asked for something different, as have the new representatives they have elected; yet the president continues on a failed path. And while the voters aren't all military strategists, their wishes should be an important part of the direction of the war.

New Ulm Journal: Lake Crystal man explores bid for Congress in 2008
The New Ulm Journal reports that the head of the Lake Crystal-Welcome school board has formed an exploratory committee to run as a Republican against Walz.  Unlike the Austin Daily Herald and a majority of Americans, Meyers supports the president's plan for escalating the war in Iraq:

LAKE CRYSTAL — A Lake Crystal employee-benefits consultant, Mark Meyer, 53, is getting an early jump in exploring the possibility of running against the First District’s new congressman, Democrat Tim Walz.

Meyer announced Wednesday that he has formed a Meyer for Congress Exploratory Committee to “test the waters” for seeking the Republican nomination in 2008 to run against Walz. He said his early start wasn’t necessarily a record as Walz started his campaign “about the same time [in 2005].”

A native Nebraskan, Meyer has lived in Minnesota since 1978 and moved from the Twin Cities to Lake Crystal in 1994. Meyer who also is an actuary, attorney and farmer, currently is chairman of the Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial School District Board.

While it is too early to critique Walz’ performance in Congress, Meyer said, “I am exploring the possibility of running for Congress to make sure that, come 2008, people have a real chance to choose a congressman that is the best fit for southern Minnesota.”

If he were in the Congress today, Meyer would support the president in his “surge” request because “after all, he is the Commander-in-Chief.”

While he hasn’t talked with former Congressman Gil Gutknecht, whom Walz defeated in the 2006 general election, “I’ve heard that he isn’t planning to run again for office,” Meyer said. . . .

Rochester Post Bulletin: Ethanol producers applaud Bush; Swift to be sold in pieces?
Ethanol producers in southeastern Minnesota are happy about the ethanol portion of the SOTU, the PB reports in Ethanol producers applaud Bush.  Another article on Bush and ethanol in the Washington Post.

In business news, the PB reports that Swift & Co. may be up for sale:

Swift & Co., one of the nation's largest meatpacking processors, may find it more lucrative to sell its assets separately instead of as a whole or testing the market with a stock offering, industry analysts said Tuesday.

The privately held Swift, which was targeted by a wide-scale immigration raid last month, is looking into strategies ranging from refinancing to a sale or initial public offering, a decision executives said was made after they received some unsolicited inquiries over the past six months.

With beef and pork processing plants in six states, including Minnesota, and an operation in Australia, Swift may find buyers more interested in pieces rather than the whole company, the analysts said. . . .

. . .Swift said it has received a series of unsolicited inquiries from a number of third parties, and it has hired JPMorgan to help review strategies. Swift spokesman Sean McHugh declined further comment Tuesday.

Federal immigration authorities rounded up 1,297 workers at Swift plants in Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas and Utah on Dec. 12. The company later said the raids could cost up to $30 million due to recruitment and training costs for new employees.

Last week, Swift laid off 58 employees, or about 10 percent of its corporate office staff, and said it took other cost-cutting steps to improve its competitive edge. The company said the actions were unrelated to the raids.

D.A. Davidson and Co. analyst Tim Ramey speculated Swift may be facing some financial pressures as weld as dealing with the aftermath of the Dec. 12 raids. "I think consolidation in this category would be a good thing," Ramey said.

One potential buyer is meatpacker Smithfield Foods Inc. of Norfolk, Va., whose Chairman Joe Luter has indicated interest in Swift operations. A company spokesman did not return a telephone message left Tuesday.

Based in Greeley, Swift's majority shareholder is HM Capital Partners LLC and its investment partner is Booth Creek Management Corp. It has more than $9 billion in annual sales and a work force of 20,000 worldwide. It is privately held with publicly issued debt.

Winona Daily News: Frozen River Film Fest focuses on global warming
The second annual Frozen River Film Fest is bringing in a speaker to talk about a hot topic:

Will Steger first taught about global warming in the mid 1960s. He knew someday it would be a problem, but he never thought it would be this soon.

Steger will kick off the Frozen River Film Festival tonight [Friday?] with a talk about the impact of global warming on the Artic.

The Minnesota explorer has led dogsled explorations to the North Pole, Greenland and Antarctica. He led the International Artic Project in the first and only dogsled traverse of the Arctic Ocean from Russia to Ellesmere Island in Canada in 1995. He says his travels have shown him firsthand the affects of global warming.

“It’s catastrophic in the Artic,” Steger said. “Huge blocks of ice are melting, and the populations of polar bears and walrus are dropping.”

“The vast majority of people are disconnected from their surroundings, but the changes are happening now,” he said. . . .

. . .Steger says there are economic, moral and ethical reasons for us to make these changes, but they don’t have to be an imposition on our lifestyle.

In February, Steger is going on a four-month, 1,200-mile dogsled trip through villages in the Canadian Arctic. He will post video on www.willsteger.com showing the effects of global warming. Near the end of 2007, he will kayak around masses of sea ice in Antarctica.

“We have a small window of time — eight or nine years really — to act,” Steger said.

If you go

What: “Eyewitness to Global Warming,” presented by Will Steger and J. Drake Hamilton

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 25, 2007

Where: Somsen Auditorium, Johnson and Sanborn streets

Cost: $5, free with Frozen River Film Festival pass

Info: www.frff.org

More about the FRFF in the Winona Daily News.

Worthington Daily Globe: Swift & Co. examines options
The Globe's ace reporter Julie Buntjer looks at the possible Swift & Co. sale.  Worthington's mayor is concerned

. . .Locally, Swift & Co.’s Worthington plant manager, Bob Krebs, deferred comment on the company’s future to Sean McHugh, vice president of investor relations and communications for Swift & Co. McHugh did not return a phone call placed to his office on Wednesday.

Worthington Mayor Alan Oberloh views Monday’s announcement with caution.

“It makes me think back to the Campbell’s Soup closure,” he said. “They put $18 million plus in renovations into that facility, and two years later announced they were closing … and left people holding the bag. You’re not going to make me believe that a large corporation isn’t going to abandon a plant, ’cause we’ve seen it in the past.”

Oberloh said if something as drastic as a plant closure would occur with Swift & Co.’s Worthington operation, the impact would be far-reaching.

“The impact would be felt greatest in the producer level, which will also trickle down right into our cities,” Oberloh said.

Swift & Co. was established in September 2002, when Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Inc. and Booth Creek Management Corp. acquired majority interest in the processing business from ConAgra Foods Inc. The group purchased the balance of ConAgra’s interest two years later.

Worthington Daily Globe: Walz on SOTU
The Worthington Daily Globe's Ryan McGaughey looks beyond the sound bites in Walz reacts to president’s State of the Union address:

Rep. Tim Walz didn’t have all bad things to say about President Bush’s State of the Union address Tuesday night.

For the most part, though, Walz was unhappy with Bush’s proposals — particularly his plan to increase U.S. troops in Iraq by more than 21,000.

“The president is going to have to face the reality on this,” Walz said by telephone Wednesday morning from Washington. “Politics-wise, you’re always better off if you can create a black-and-white choice that forces people into camps. But I think people realize the solution is probably grayer … and not clear.”

Walz, DFL-Mankato, defeated multi-term Rep. Gil Gutknecht, a Republican, last November for the right to represent Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District. He acknowledged Wednesday that senators and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle are uneasy with Bush’s latest Iraq proposal.

“My Republican colleagues on this — I think even if they believe there can be a semblance of victory in Iraq, I don’t think they believe this is the way we can achieve it. It’s almost impossible to find anybody to believe in this plan.”

Walz acknowledged the surge in troops could result in a decrease in violence over the short term but doubted the long-term prospects, using a historical comparison.

“Ask our British allies. … Belfast was a 35-year proposition,” Walz said.

Walz shared the enthusiasm for the president's increased push for renewable energy development:

Walz praised the president for some of his proposals pertaining to energy, adding that a stronger push for renewable fuels would pay dividends for southwest Minnesota and the nation. But, while praising Congress’ “huge bipartisanship support for closing some of the outrageous subsidies given to oil companies,” Walz added that he was opposed to increased drilling as proposed by Bush on Tuesday.

Walz applauded the intention but not the substance of the president's health care plan:

Walz also had kind words for Bush on his proposal to expand health insurance coverage, though he said he disagreed with the context of the plan.

“The discussion that it’s an issue is good, because the president hasn’t really addressed that,” Walz explained. “I’m not really enthusiastic with his proposal on that because it’s very difficult for me to get around the fact if you don’t have money to buy a policy … how are you going to save something from nothing?

“It’s a great starting point,” Walz continued. “I think we make a mistake right away by being so critical. In terms of why some of my colleagues are so critical, perhaps it’s because they’ve been here the last six years and seen promises made.”

About the first month of the new Congress?

“I say this for the people of Minnesota to understand: In January ’06, Congress worked for one day and passed no legislation. I said I would never stay here if that was going to be the case. We’ve been here Monday through Friday (so far) and passed great legislation. I think there’s a change in attitude — I know I was sent here to work and do as much as possible for people of the First District.”

 

Albert Lea Tribune: Walz Blasts Bush's Iraq War Policy

Another of Southern Minnesota's dailies reports Representative Walz's response. Sarah Light writes in the Albert Lea Tribune:

Congressman Tim Walz responded to President George W. Bush’s State of the Union speech with heavy criticism, saying Bush should have spent more time on concrete details of plans for the war in Iraq and less time on a “laundry list of broken promises and empty rhetoric.”

“Tonight, the president spent too little time on the issue that most directly affects the current state of our union — the war in Iraq,” Walz said. “His plan for a troop escalation received poor reviews from experts and citizens alike and tonight was his chance to prove his willingness to listen to the Congress and more importantly, to the American public. He did little to convince me that he will take these concerns to heart, which is why this escalation will receive an up-or-down vote in both chambers of Congress.”

He said he agreed with Bush’s statements that as president, he and the new Democratic-majority Congress need to work across party lines to face the nation’s challenges, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure this would come to pass.

“The problem with it is in the past we’ve heard this kind of rhetoric, but we haven’t seen anything done,” Walz said. “Year after year, President Bush has promised change and progress for the American people. Tonight’s speech was no more than a laundry list of broken promises and empty rhetoric...Today’s serious problems call for more than just rhetoric.”

He noted the Democratic Congress is dedicated to take the timely action that is needed at this time and to provide visionary leadership.

“Last November, the country sent a clear message and demanded a change in the direction and leadership of the country,” Walz said. “Democrats are providing new direction and acting on the priorities of the American people. … The new Congress will do much more to strengthen the state of our union in the coming months.

Netroots
Using the plain speech and earthy metaphors common in the part of rural Iowa where he was raised,  our friend The Wege assesses Walz's response (scroll down).  Not for the timid-hearted.

Waseca County News: DM&E protest surfaces in Waseca

The lead to the Waseca County News article:

The debate over the proposed $2.3 billion loan to Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad has been ongoing for years, but there has been little or no sign of the process in Waseca until recently.

A few months ago, Brianna Johnson received a postcard in the mail that detailed the problems with the DM&E loan.

She became interested and checked out the Web site that sponsored the postcard. After finding out more information, she wanted to help spread awareness of the issue.

Johnson helped by posting a sign out in her yard and sending letters to government officials

"It's a government issue," she said. "And it's supposed to be run by the people."

There's more to the well-written article behind the subscription firewall, which fairly presents each side to the readers, but BSP readers are probably familiar with both--check out Track the Truth and GOTRAC.