Bluestem Prairie: news about Tim Walz (MN-1)

Don Cazayoux wins Louisiana special election

The  Hill has reported Dems add to majority with Cazayoux win in La., Associated Press notes that Democrat Cazayoux wins congressional seat in Louisiana and the Washington Post, Democrat Wins La. Special Election.

Here's some of what the Hill had to say:

House Democrats continued to expand their majority Saturday night after Louisiana state Rep. Don Cazayoux emerged victorious in a special election for retired Rep. Richard Baker’s (R) district, which had been in Republican hands since 1975.

Cazayoux narrowly beat former state Rep. Woody Jenkins for the 6th Congressional District seat. With all 512 precincts reporting, Cazayoux had 49.2 percent of the vote compared to 46.27 for Jenkins, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State. 

Republicans held the 1st Congressional District, with Steve Scalise beating Democrat Gilda Reed for the seat formerly held by newly-elected Gov. Bobby Jindal. With all 505 precincts reporting, Scalise took 75.1 percent of the vote to Reed's 22.5 percent.

But it was the Cazayoux-Jenkins race that the national parties were watching.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said Republicans failed again to “nationalize” the election by tying Cazayoux to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

“For the second time this cycle, Republicans were reminded that ‘all politics is local,’” Van Hollen said. The in Louisiana came two months after Democrats picked up their first seat of the year. In March, Democrat Bill Foster won the seat of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.).

“House Republicans tried to nationalize this election, illegally coordinated with Freedom’s Watch, used false and deceptive special interest smears, and funneled nearly a million dollars into a district that Republicans held for more than three decades,” Van Hollen stated. “Don won by focusing on the concerns of LA-06 voters -- good paying jobs, affordable healthcare, and better education.” . . .

What does that have to do with Southern Minnesota?  We'll have more tomorrow.
            

MNBlue looks at coverage of the Senate rumors

Over at MnBlue, Grace Kelly examines media coverage of Senate rumors in Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer Leads, Franken Talks Franken Woes.  Upon reading the Schlutz Report highlights at the Minnesota Monitor, Kelly contacted Schlutz:

Tom Bakk running for DFL senate? So now I am curious, where is this coming from, so I found David Schultz on the web.

David is a nationally-recognized expert on political ethics, money and politics, political participation, and eminent domain law and has been a frequent commentator.
(David Schultz's e-folio page)

 Being a commentator, he leaves contact info including phone numbers so I called him. To be fair, I totally described who I was. I asked if he did the commentary above, he said yes. I asked if you remember the source of Ciresi, Walz and Bakk as suggested senate candidates. He said he couldn't remember the source. Hmmmmm.

But he did mention a source in passing about Walz--MPR--and as Kelly notes, we "straighten[ed] out the Tim Walz world."

But hey, details and facts and due diligence. We gather that readers should trust every word; after all, Schlutz is an expert.

Saturday noon news digest: spring plowing edition

It's a great sunny day, so we're headed out to Swan Lake, Fort Ridgely and the Minnesota River Valley for some afternoon birding as soon as this is up. We hope the sun will dry the fields enough for the farmers to start working.

Not all farmers are doing great. The Post Bulletin reports that USDA to buy surplus pork:

Aiming to boost a sagging American pork market, Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer has committed to $50 million in emergency pork purchases.

The pork products will be used for child nutrition and other domestic foods assistance programs.

On April 10, U.S. Rep. Tim Walz sent a letter to Schafer, urging him to make the purchases to help pork producers, who are being squeezed by high expenses and low hot prices.

"These purchases will help to stabilize hog prices and mitigate the economic losses faced by our producers in southern Minnesota," Walz said Friday.

The ag secretary has the power, under a law passed during the Great Depression, to purchase surplus commodities to support farm prices.

Minnesota's First Congressional District, in the southeast corner of the state, ranks second in the United States in pork production with more than 2,500 pork producers raising 9 million hogs a year. The industry employs 22,500 Minnesotans. . . .

Whether you're buying meat direct from a farmer, from a co-op or at the grocery store, try these roasted pork enchiladas. Mmmmm. These days, it's easy to find queso fresco cheese at any grocery store, though many Minnesotans' taste buds may favor the Monterey Jack.  BTW, Farmers' Markets are opening today throughout Southern Minnesota. In Winona, Scone Lady’ adds flavor to local farmers market. We may have to wait a week or two for asparagus.

And probably that long for the details of the Farm Bill coming out of conference committee. Minnesota Public Radio reports in Farm Bill agreement in hand:

A congressional conference committee will be working through the weekend in an effort to finalize a $300 billion Farm Bill. The legislation pays for farm subsidies conservation, alternative energy, and nutrition programs for the next five years. The process has been contentious and may end with a showdown between Congress and the President. . . .

. . .Peterson expects the Farm Bill to be on the House floor next week. It's expected to have strong bi-partisan support in both the House and Senate.

U.S. Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) is also on the conference committee crafting the final legislation. He says there's been a good faith effort to work with the president, now it's time for a showdown.

"We want the White House to sign this bill, we're trying to accommodate their concerns. But if they don't, this bill will have the full participation by both political parties as it passes the House and Senate," Pomeroy says. "We believe we're going to have a level of support where if veto override is what it takes, veto override is what we're going to give them."

Farmers, conservation groups and social service agencies will all be watching closely as that showdown happens sometime in the next two weeks.

KTTC-TV reports Disabled Veterans Meet in Rochester for the group's annual convention.

Congressman Walz will hold an economic summit in Mankato on June 2.

This event will feature thought-provoking discussions and panels on the most important economic issues facing Southern Minnesota and the country. The Summit offers an opportunity to have a regional conversation about the kind of community, State and Nation we are striving for. The event will gather academic leaders, industry experts, the business community, local residents and policy experts to discuss and debate issues of importance to us all.

When: Monday June 2, 2008

Where:    Alltel Convention Center,  Mankato, MN

The Summit Agenda:

7:15: Registration opens

8:00– 8:15 Welcome by Congressman Tim Walz

8:15 – 8:45 An Analysis of Minnesota’s Economic and Demographic Trends and Outlook?

8:45 – 9:00 Building a Competitive Advantage for Rural Regions/p>

9:00 – 10:15 Panel #1: Healthcare

10:15 – 11:45 Panel #2: Early Childhood and K-12 Education

11:45 – 12:45 Lunch and Keynote Address by U.S. Congressman Tim Walz

12:45 – 2:00 Panel #3: Higher Education

2:00 – 3:15 Panel #4: “Agriculture and Energy: Energizing Rural Economic Growth”

3:15 – 4:30 Capitalizing on our Regional Competitiveness

The event is free and open to the public, although the lunch meal is $15. A registration form is here (Word doc).

Michael Travers' letter to the editor, Walz has earned support for second term, has been published in the Mankato Free Press and the New Ulm Journal. The New Ulm resident writes:

Last weekend, the DFL endorsed Tim Walz as its candidate for Congress in the First District.

Walz deserves to be re-elected for a second term. He has been a fresh breath of air in an otherwise business as usual government. To Walz, good ideas come from both sides of the aisle; from people like you and me.

Walz is a true representative of the people of his district. You and I may not agree on every issue with Walz, but one thing is for sure, Walz will listen.

As a family man, Walz gets it. As you hear his wife, Gwen, speak she’ll tell you that each time she comes home from the grocery store or the gas station she’ll remind him of the price of a gallon of milk or a gallon of gas. The pride he has in his family is evident by the smile on his face.

As a former teacher and coach, Walz understands the importance of the issues that face young people everyday and the impact the decisions we make today will have on their future.

This time, the first congressional district has a keeper. This time, the first congressional district has the representation of a man who is genuine, committed, and will not forget that it is a privilege to serve as your representative.

Congratulations to Irma Marguez of St. James, who has been selected Minnesota's Homecoming Queen.

The Olmsted County DFL will hold its Fifth Annual Dinner tonight in Rochester.

Schultz Report distorts Senate rumors

We have to wonder when we read passages like this in the post The Schultz Report: Some Minnesota Dems said to be eyeing primary run against Franken:

"Tim Walz is sort of the new darling of the Democrats. Normally people wouldn't think a freshman would try to move from the House to the Senate. But the rumors about him running or being interested in running or being pushed to run were strong enough that he had to go on Minnesota Public Radio to deny that he was going to run for the Senate."

Here's the entire text of MPR's Polinaut post, Walz not considering U.S. Senate run,  published within minutes of  a 10 a.m. conference call's conclusion:

DFL Rep. Tim Walz held a conference call this morning. MPR's Sea Stachura says he is not considering a run for the U.S. Senate. His name popped up after Democrat Al Franken said he owed $70,000 in taxes to 17 states.

Poor David Schultz probably wasn't a party to that call, and doesn't seem capable of listening to the radio, googling for more information, or contacting MPR or the Walz press staff in an act of basic due diligence. He simply has invented the circumstances of the conference call.

Unlike Schlutz, we were a part of the media call. Nearly all of the discussion was about the Farm Bill. At one point, MPR's Stachura asked about the Senate bid rumors (a legitimate question), and Walz explained he wasn't interested; in fact, he was focused on representing the First and on getting re-elected so he could continue to serve the people of the First. The conference call is mentioned here in the Political Party blog at the Post Bulletin and we  blogged about it as well in Walz to reporters: Positive on Farm Bill, negative to 2008 Senate bid.

Here's the report on the Farm Bill that Stachura filed based on the conference call with the press: Rep. Tim Walz says farm bill vote could come next week.

Perhaps the Minnesota Monitor can produce a tape of an MPR broadcast in which Walz is declaring he's not running and evidence that Walz went on MPR specifically to quash the rumors. Funny, but we can't seem to locate any, while the conference call we participated in was a weekly, regularly scheduled press call.

If Schultz's commentary is based on the answer to Stachura's press call question, the post at MinMon should be corrected. It's third-hand interpretation, with no documentation--and an inaccurate account. 

The Schultz Report may be the new darling at the Minnesota Monitor, but Dave Schlutz's account of Walz's response and the circumstances that generated it has no particular relationship with reality.

 

Post Bulletin: Nap time for Olmsted County GOP?

Via Politics in Minnesota, we find this questioning headline in the Rochester Post Bulletin: Olmsted County Republicans asleep at the switch?

Here's the lead:

During her years in the Legislature, former state Sen. Nancy Brataas never had a reputation for biting her tongue when she had something to say.

Now Rochester's political grand dame is raising her voice anew, warning of the growing influence of what she calls "right-wing" extremists in the area Republican Party.

Yet other GOP leaders see the issue differently. They say the party is simply being rejuvenated by the introduction of new blood and new ideas.

At issue is the growing political muscle of area supporters for GOP Texas congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul. The tension between those views reached a flashpoint last weekend when Republicans endorsed Jacob Dettinger, a local businessman and Paul supporter, for House District 30A. The seat is now held by DFL Rep. Tina Liebling.

Brataas calls what happened at Saturday's endorsing convention an "absolute travesty." Out of 50 delegates eligible to be seated, only 19 attended, she said. Dettinger eventually won the party's endorsement to represent a district of more than 32,000 people with 11 votes.

Read the whole article. There's also an interesting companion article, War of words, philosophies at root of GOP rift, in which we find an explanation for the low turnout at the endorsing convention.  It sounds like there aren't enough Republicans activists to go around in Rochester:

. . .Yet, area Republican leaders say there is a simple explanation for why the convention was so poorly attended. The race for the endorsement was uncontested. There is less motivation to attend a convention when the outcome is preordained.

Duane Quam, chairman of the GOP First Congressional District, says there also were competing political activities going on at the same time. Statewide campaign activities for GOP Sen. Norm Coleman's reelection were scheduled for the same time. So with the conventions for Dettinger and Johnson considered noncompetitive, supporters of the candidates were instructed to participate in the Coleman activities rather than attend the convention, Quam said. . . .

Some more tidbits from the second article:

. . .since receiving the GOP endorsement for House District 30A, Dettinger has found his views on the receiving end of critical remarks by former state Sen. Nancy Brataas.

Brataas, the state's first elected woman senator who served from 1975 to 1992 and who identified with the party's moderate wing, emphasized that her criticisms should not be viewed as personal attacks. But she believes Dettinger and other supporters of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul are filling a political vacuum created by the fact that area Republicans aren't paying attention. . . .

. . .Dettinger, owner of two Erbert and Gerbert's restaurants in Rochester, is one of two House Republican candidates from the area who support GOP Rep. Ron Paul for president. The other is Jason Johnson, a technology contractor who is running for House District 29B, a seat held by DFL Rep. Kim Norton.

There's been blogosphere chatter about the Ron Paul issue in the Sixth's GOP, but no mention of the complications it's causing in the First.

KAAL-TV: Walz on the economy

Update: KEYC-TV covers the story here (video at link too):

Congressman Tim Walz is floating a suggestion he says could help lower the price of gas. The Minnesota Democrat is among a group of lawmakers calling on President Bush to stop sending oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The President has resisted the idea, but Walz says his concerns are unfounded. Rep. Walz says, "He's bought up to 97 percent of that, and most experts agree that if we would stop, our national security issues are not put in any jeopardy, and prices on gas would fall 24 cents a gallon." The reserve was created in 1975 to guard against disruptions to the nation's oil supply; it currently holds over 700 billion barrels worth of crude. [end update]

There's more of  Congressman Walz speaking in the video clip that accompanies this short article at KAAL-TV, Walz Speaks Out on Economy:

The rising cost of gas is forcing Washington to come up with some solutions to ease that pain at the pump.

Minnesota congressman Tim Walz spoke out about the struggling economy. Walz says he is excited to see stimulus checks make their way into mailboxes across the state, but he says more needs to be done.

“This new Congress understands that this is only the first step. That’s why we’re working on the second part of the stimulus package: to address the home loan crisis, to address gas prices, and to address some of the issues facing middle class families, like food prices.”

Walz also stresses that he wants the president to stop buying into petroleum reserves. Walz says this move will drop gas prices by as much as 24-cents a gallon. . . .

MPR: Walz and Coleman support Farm Bill

In Walz says farm bill vote could come next week, MPR reports:

Democratic Rep. Tim Walz said a new five-year farm bill could get a vote as early as next week. Congress will likely pass another one week extension of the current farm law.

Walz said the bill would cut more than $300 million in direct subsidy payments to farmers. He said the cuts may not be enough for the president, but he said both the House and Senate have strong support for the bill.

"We're very optimistic at least that this thing could be on the floor as early as next week. We will probably vote later this afternoon for another one week extension," Walz said.

According to an Associated Press report from three hours ago, Congress sends Bush sixth extension of farm law.  The extension is for two weeks:

Congress has sent a sixth extension of farm and nutrition programs to President Bush as lawmakers struggle to finish a farm bill that can survive a presidential veto.

Both the House and the Senate on Thursday passed a two-week extension of current law. Bush has threatened to veto the new legislation and has indicated he is not happy with the bill's progress, saying earlier this week that it is "bloated" with subsidies for wealthy farmers

It's not just farm state legislators working to get the bill passed:

Farm groups are not the only interests lobbying for the bill. Anti-hunger organizations are also pushing Congress to finish the legislation, as around two-thirds of the bill's cost would pay for food stamps and other nutrition programs. The legislation includes a more than $10 billion boost for nutrition.

Rising food costs* have added to that urgency.

"I cannot overemphasize how important it is for our elected officials in Washington, including President Bush, to complete their work on the farm bill and bring hope to the 25 million Americans our network serves," said Vicki Escarra, president of America's Second Harvest.

The MPR report also notes that President Bush has threatened to veto the legislation.  Who will be working to override that veto, if it comes?  See if you can figure out which lawmaker the report stresses:

Republican Sen. Norm Coleman said he will  work to override a presidential veto.

Coleman said the nation needs a farm bill that helps feed hungry people and provides a strong safety net for farmers.

"I believe that would be a terrible mistake," he said. "The president's wrong if he vetoes the farm bill. I will work very aggressively to override that veto. You know perhaps we won't get to that point but this is not -- the farm bill is not a partisan bill."

Coleman and other farm bill supporters say the legislation contains significant reforms. Coleman would not say whether he thinks a congressional override attempt would be successful if the president follows through on his veto threat.

Walz said he believes lawmakers who support the farm bill have enough votes to override a potential presidential veto.. . .

Update: Ed Felker has posted more on Walz and Coleman's statements at the Post Bulletin's Political Party blog [end update].

We look forward to the letters to the editor and talking points scolding Walz for his work on the Farm Bill, while praising Senator Coleman. That will be a good one.

*Bush doesn't attribute rising food costs to biofuels nor does he seem to object to subsidies for the biofuels industry. See the third and fourth questions and answers during his April 29 press conference.

Secretary of Agriculture greenlights Walz's request for help in pork producers' woes

We were just reading a lengthy article in the Star Tribune about the Lean times for pork producers:

In this year of rising food prices and skyrocketing commodity costs, the profits raining on farms across the country have not fallen evenly.

Just ask a pig farmer.

Faced with runaway feed and energy costs, the pork industry has gone months without turning a profit. Analysts say it will be a year, possibly longer, before prices and costs break even.

The fallout will shutter some pig farms, shrink others and raise the cost of pork at supermarkets. It also has members of the Minnesota Congressional delegation asking the federal government to help shore up farmers' losses.

"Consumers are going to get drilled in this," said Brian Buhr, an agricultural economist at the University of Minnesota. "You can see it in eggs and milk. Meats are just a little bit behind. Eventually, consumers are going to pay more for food." . . .

. . .Most farmers today lose $40 to $50 per pig, according to Buhr. . . .

. . .Pig farmers had more than three years of profitable times before the recent troubles began, and that will help them weather what's ahead, said Mark Greenwood, a swine specialist for AgStar, a Mankato-based lender for the hog industry. Still, farmers today are losing an average of 4 to 5 percent of their equity each month. Six months from now, that could mean serious problems. . . .

As anyone who has driven through Martin County can tell you, the pork industry is big in Southern Minnesota. We didn't realize the First was #2 in the country in hog production. The importance of the industry for Southern Minnesota's economy led Congressman Walz to ask the USDA to purchase pork products for nutrition programs. (Click on the photo to read the letter).

A press release from the Walz congressional office shows that the request has been acted upon:

Congressman Walz said today that he is pleased that the Secretary of Agriculture has agreed to his request that USDA take action to help address the growing crisis in the pork industry.

On April 10, Congressman Walz sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Schafer, urging him to make purchases of pork products for USDA's nutrition programs to help pork producers throughout the country who are experiencing serious economic difficulty due to high input costs and low cash hog prices.

"I am pleased that the Secretary has agreed to my request and will be purchasing up to $50 million in pork products for child nutrition and other domestic food assistance programs," Walz said. "These purchases will help to stabilize hog prices and mitigate the economic losses faced by our producers in southern Minnesota."

Minnesota's First Congressional District ranks second in the United States in pork production. More than 2,500 pork producers, who raise 9 million hogs each year, make their home in southern Minnesota. The industry employs approximately 22,500 Minnesotans and generates more than $7 billion in economic activity for Minnesota.

Earlier this month, wholesale pork prices hit the lowest level in four years. This comes at a time when producers are paying record high prices for energy, feed and trucking. By most estimates, producers are losing between $30 - 50 per head which could account for about a $3.5 billion loss for the United States pork industry this year.

Some very short-term relief for farmers has also come in the  past two weeks as hog prices jumped, according to Pork, a trade magazine. Hog prices had dipped to under $50 per hundredweight near the end of March, but climbed to $73.70 on April 28--a return that's less than the cost of feeding a pig to market weight.

However, this blip isn't expected to last:

"April is a mixed bag in that summer price trends may start in April or they may not," says Shane Ellis, Iowa State University ag economist. Retail pork prices held above 2007 prices, even when hog prices were at their lowest, he notes, "so demand was strong enough to absorb some of the added supply."

Of course, this positive price spurt could delay the much needed sow-herd cuts. "It looks like everything is going to be fine. I don't think that's the case at all," says  [Chris] Hurt. A 6 percent to 8 percent sow-herd reduction is still needed, he says. He adds that if corn were to reach, "say, $7 a bushel, producers would need to cut sow herds by 16 percent to 18 percent to keep prices ahead of costs.

[Steven] Meyer predicts that the price run up won't last. "I think there will be a slam on the brakes this week as packer margins fall out of bed," he says.

Livestock producers often can't take advantage of a short spike in livestock prices, given the nature of the contracting process and the fact that animals must be at or near their market weight. Nor can they ride out low prices when their herds are ready, since those pigs just keep eating that corn.

Update: The Star Tribune covers the news inU.S. steps in to help pork producers. The Mankato Free Press reports Emergency pork buys approved and the emergency pork buy gets picked up in ag sources such as Minnesota Ag Connection - Walz Joins Iowa Delegates in Urging Schafer to Address Pork Crisis and Nebraska Ag Connection - Fortenberry, Smith Join Iowa Delegates in Urging Scafer to Address Pork Crisis.  The move has support from both sides of the partisan divide.

Photo: market hogs, rustled from the Minnesota Pork Board.

Walz to reporters: Positive on Farm Bill, negative to 2008 Senate bid

Update: It's worthwhile to read our May 2 post to read how one new media outlet played this story.[end update]

Congressman Walz just concluded a district press call that focused on the status of the Farm Bill. We'll be doing so reading about the legislation and will try to put Walz's remarks in context with other news reports. As the bill stands right now--and Walz stressed that the bill's language is fluid--it sounds like Minnesota will get some good news for prairie pothole wetlands, acreage flexibility, cellulosic energy research, and beginning farmer programs.

The press asked again about the possibility of a Senate race. Walz was firm about this: he is absolutely not going to be running for U.S.Senate this year, and considers his re-election bid for his congressional seat to be a job performance review.

Kind reminds me of an old country song.

When asked about the status of the Franken campaign itself, Walz said that his attention had been focused on the Farm Bill, updating the G.I. Bill, and next week's war supplemental bill.  What a concept: minding the people's business.

We'll be back with more Farm Bill news in a bit. In the meantime, head over to the Southwest corner of the state and read the Corner House Comments post about McCain’s Attempt to Sabotage The 21st Century GI Bill. That should steam your butterbeans!

Strib business commentary: Wind and our own power

In An energy incentive is drifting in the wind, John Farrell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance looks at the way the federal tax code discourages local small investors from getting into the wind industry.

Congressman Walz has proposed a cure:

. . .One solution has been offered at the federal level by U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn. His bill would allow up to $40,000 of the tax credits to be taken against any income taxes, not just taxes on passive income. This would allow as many as 1.5 million households to become investors in Minnesota and tens of millions more nationwide.

Think how much faster America can achieve energy security if it can add millions more investors to the renewable-energy market. Think how much better investment can be if these locally owned projects are returning significant dividends to their rural communities.

Energy independence shouldn't be limited to avoiding oil or gas from the Middle East. It should also mean individuals and communities becoming energy producers. Community-based energy projects create a preference for clean energy, since the owners live next to the power plant. Locally owned energy projects double the return on our investments in wind energy and, more importantly, mean paying ourselves for our own power.

And now  "I Envy the Wind," a morning ditty by Lucinda Williams, inspired by natural power sources. (Disclosure: we studied poesy with her daddy at the Ozarks Famous Writers School).