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

Friday morning news and netroots digest: moving forward edition

CQ Politics includes the contest in Minnesota's Second in Key House Races Shift, and it’s in the Democrats’ Favor. Despite Sarvi's middling fundraising, the race has been moved from Safe Republican to Republican Favored. THE RPM shouldn't take that one for granted.

The latest rankings at Cook's Political Report leaves MN-01 status unchanged at "Likely Democratic."

The CQ rankings change reflects a post at the Washington Post's Capitol Briefing blog, Dems Expect to Gain  a 'Whole Bunch of Seats'. In the House:

As he has in the past, Van Hollen warned against "irrational exuberance" on the part of his fellow Democrats, and cautioned that outside groups like Freedom's Watch could help the GOP compensate for the National Republican Congressional Committee's relative lack of cash. Still, Van Hollen emphasized that "the big story is that we're in offense."

In the 2006 cycle, Van Hollen said, the DCCC spent $70 million on 47 House races, 40 of which where Democrats were on offense and just seven on defense. This cycle, Van Hollen estimated that as many as 75 seats were in play, with Democrats on offense in roughly two-thirds of them.

"We will pick up seats in the next election," Van Hollen predicted. "Even our colleagues on the other side recognize that."

Capitol Briefing also says Ethics Office Takes a Step Forward. House leaders Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner have finally announced their selections for the panel:

But today there is finally some progress toward getting the OCE going, as Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) jointly named the eight members of the office's board -- technically six members and two alternates. The members are ex-Reps. Yvonne Brathwaite Burke (D-Calif.), Karan English (D-Ariz.), Porter Goss (R-Fla.) and David Skaggs (D-Colo.), former House Chief Administrative Officer Jay Eagen and former Federal Election Commission Chief of Staff Allison Hayward. The two alternates are ex-Reps. Abner Mikva (D-Ill.) and Bill Frenzel (R-Minn.).

Congressman Walz was one of the handful of representatives who started the ball rolling on changing the House rules so that the panel could be created.

The Winona Daily News and its sister Lee newspaper, the LaCrosse Tribune look at the upswing in Amtrak passengers in More riders could spur more Amtrak service. The skinny:

That trend has spurred a group of mayors in Minnesota and Wisconsin who want to lobby for funds to expand rail service between St. Paul and Chicago. The Minnesota-Wisconsin Amtrak Corridor group — which includes mayors from St. Paul to Watertown, Wis. — gathered Wednesday in Winona to build support for a proposal to double service on the line.

Winona Mayor Jerry Miller, who organized the meeting, said expansion of Amtrak service is linked to Winona’s effort to renovate the city’s Amtrak station into a rail, bus and car hub for southern Minnesota. . . .

. . .Federal legislators from Minnesota say they’ll examine the viability of expanding passenger rail from St. Paul to Chicago, though some aren’t yet ready to pledge full support for the proposal.

Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., has long supported upgrading the Union Depot in St. Paul, which could accommodate both light rail and the Amtrak line, a spokeswoman said. Coleman “welcomes the idea of an additional train in Winona,” spokeswoman Megan Turnell said.

Rep. Tim Walz, DFL-Minn., is requesting an analysis of ridership on the Amtrak line, a spokeswoman said.

“If the passenger demand exists for a second daily train, the Congressman would be supportive of providing additional transit options for people along the line,” spokeswoman Meredith Salsbery said.

Salsbery said Walz co-sponsored the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, which could provide more than $14 billion for Amtrak capital projects — including additional trains and track upgrades — over a five-year period. The measure passed the House and is awaiting action in the Senate, Salsbery said.

The Mankato Free Press reports in Walz, Coleman: Housing bill necessary:

It was a tricky congressional task: restoring confidence in mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, helping homeowners struggling with loan payments, giving a boost to cities facing a rash of foreclosures — all while not leaving taxpayers feeling like they were bailing out foolish decisions made by homebuyers and lenders.

Democratic Congress-man Tim Walz and Republican Sen. Norm Coleman think congressional negotiators, after months of effort, pulled it off with the bill that passed the House Wednesday and is expected to clear the Senate Saturday. President Bush also has been persuaded, dropping threats to veto the bill.

“They got it right, I think,” said Walz, DFL-Mankato. “It’s a tough one. ... My first take is, I wish we didn’t have to do this.”

But the risks to the economy of a further deterioration in the condition of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac made it imperative the federal government act, Walz said.

“The fact of the matter is this is an unprecedented situation, and we have to stabilize the housing market,” he said.

Although fewer than one in four House Republicans backed the bill, Coleman said he will support it in a procedural vote today and a final vote he expected Saturday.

“This is a crisis. We have to deal with this issue,” Coleman said. “Between the housing crisis and the energy crisis, those are the two things that are dragging this economy down.” . . .

Read the rest at the Free Press.  In Coleman, Franken bound for Farmfest the paper yesterday reported:

House candidates, too

At 1:30 p.m., congressional candidates will take the stage at Farmfest.

First District Congressman Tim Walz, DFL-Mankato, and his Republican opponents — endorsed candidate Brian Davis of Rochester and state Sen. Dick Day of Owatonna — have said they’ll be there.

This should be interesting, since Davis has said little to the press about ag issues. Walz serves on the House Agriculture committee, while Day has criticized the new Farm Bill. In the same article, the paper looks at name calling in the race under the subheading, Sticks and Stones, while noting Walz's recent statement on drilling and oil production.

Walz has told the press in the past that the election will be A referendum on Rep. Tim Walz, and the title for Sea Stachura's dispatch from St. Charles runs with that concept. The lead:

It's Saturday morning at Mike's Food Center in St. Charles. Democratic Congressman Tim Walz holds court in front of a display of baked beans and ketchup. Ten or so shoppers form a circle around him, nodding their heads.

"Get together and compromise. Make it work. Even those who are staunchly opposed to drilling are saying if takes a little compromise on that to get them to compromise to move toward investment in renewals, do it," Walz tells the group.

One woman chimes in, "That sounds really good."

Walz talks fast. In 2006 he beat another fast talker by six percentage points. That was auctioneer and Republican Congressman Gil Gutknecht. Gutknecht had served the district for 12 years, and in 2006 most political scientists said the district was too conservative for Walz. They said a tidal wave of anti-Republican sentiment was the only way he'd get into office. . . .

Read or listen to the story at MPR.

Former DFL congressman and IP gubernatorial candidate Tim Penny may be supporting John McCain this year, but his son Marcus staffed the DFL booth at the county fair, the Waseca County News reports in Fair game for campaigns.  Some snippets:

“The fair booth gives us a chance to meet and talk with people and let them know what the party is all about and hear their concerns,” said Waseca County DFL chair Bob Hunter.

Democrats’ immediate concerns are economic, especially gas costs. On the national level, the war in Iraq is a clear second and locally, it is probably education, he said.

Katie Mullen and Marcus Penny said they were excited about working the DFL booth Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s really good to see younger people behind the booth because there are so many young people at the fair and it grabs their attention,” Mullen said.

Penny said he’s a Democrat because he grew up as a Democrat. Even though his dad, former Democratic congressman Tim Penny, changed his views, Marcus Penny said he stays with “what I grew up knowing and believing.”

This year, the added excitement for Penny and Mullen comes from presidential candidate Barack Obama. They believe he has done a lot of good for the Democratic Party, drawing new voters and disenfranchised and independent voters by bringing a new tone to politics.

Penny said, “I absolutely think he can win.” . . .

There's more at the Waseca County News.

On July 12, the Wall Street Journal editorial page scolded the Walz-Graves NCLB Recess bill, falsely claiming that if the measure passed:

schools would no longer have to file progress reports that expose achievement gaps between kids of different races, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Yesterday, the NEA fired back in Walz-Graves is Common Sense to Us:

Your July 12 editorial "Wrong Education Fix" is flat wrong in describing why the National Education Association supports the Walz-Graves bill, the No Child Left Behind Recess Until Reauthorization Act. In fact, what this bill does is very simple. It says that for the next school year and until Congress reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (more commonly known as No Child Left Behind), schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress will not be subject to additional sanctions.

The bill does not suspend any testing required by NCLB. It does not suspend any reporting of test and other achievement data required by the law. And it does not minimize or eliminate the consequences for schools and districts that have already been subject to sanctions. The bill simply recognizes that because Congress has not reauthorized the law, there should be a pause from subjecting schools to new or additional sanctions, since it is very likely the consequences applied against schools will be changed during the reauthorization process.

The Walz-Graves bill offers a common-sense, moderate approach to NCLB's current system of snapshot, multiple-choice tests that are one-dimensional and unfair to children -- a system that is widely believed to need modification and improvement.

The NEA and a diverse coalition of education, civil rights, and other organizations will continue to work hard for a final version of ESEA that will not only require testing, but provide resources for programs that improve test scores, such as smaller class sizes and quality pre-K programs.

Congress should get on the stick on either fixing or flunking NCLB--but since it's been sent to the back burner, Walz-Graves is a common-sense interim.  While we at BSP aren't too keen on local schools ceding control, we also think that schools should set standards, teachers should be accountable, and yes, the "achievement gaps between kids of different races, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds" that concerns the WSJ is a very real problem.

How can NCLB be tweaked--or replaced--in order to better achieve those goals? As is the case for so many of the policy issues facing this country, we think finding the "sweet spot" between ideals and practicality is going to have to take more than bickering and simple talking points.

Polinaut notes:

The Pi Press, the Rochester Post-Bulletin and the Star Tribune pick up on 1st District Republican Brian Davis' late property tax payments.

Winona Radio also picked up the story in Davis-Property taxes; WCCO ran with Minn. Candidate In 1st  Dist. Missed Tax Deadlines. Minnpost's David Bauer says:

Complicating a partisan narrative, now it's a GOP Congressional candidate with tax problems. Dr. Brian Davis, the 1st District endorsee, was delinquent on his property taxes 10 consecutive times over five years, the Strib's Kevin Duchschere reports. Davis calls it an "unfortunate oversight" and says he has no excuse.

Except, of course, that he excuses himself by blaming the fact that the bill comes in the mail.

 

Update: Christopher Truscott places Davis's tax tardiness ("arrogant") in the context of Republican pearl clutching over Al Franken filing in the wrong states ("stupid") in Unintended Consequences.[end update]

The Rochester Democrat has posted Congressman Walz's summer Veterans' Newsletter.

CQ Politics: ethics swamp not drained yet

CQ Politics takes a look at Democratic efforts for ethics reform in Congress and judges the performance as a "mixed bag."  Walz agrees:

Yet the lawmakers who ought to be most nervous about facing the voters — the “majority maker” House freshmen — say they think they can campaign on their party’s successes on ethics improvements.

“I think we have a good record to stand on,” said Rep.  Jason Altmire , D-Pa., who defeated three-term GOP incumbent Melissa A. Hart in 2006. “Ethics is a key issue for what we want to be judged by, and certainly there is more to be done.

“I think it would be difficult for someone to characterize us as being inactive on that issue,” he said.

“I think we’ve made great strides. But I would be the first to say there is much more to go,” said Rep.  Tim Walz , D-Minn., who made it into the freshman class by ousting Republican Gil Gutknecht, who served six terms.

More on that freshman class:

Many of the freshmen said they’re trying to go the extra mile on ethics. Many of them post their requested earmarks on their Web site — when the rules only require them to reveal the ones they get written into legislation or committee reports, not everything they seek.

Congressman Walz is one of those who goes the extra mile by disclosing his earmarks, a fact duly noted by the Sunlight Foundation's Earmark Disclosure Project.

The article does point out a development that must be a disappointment to Walz: the slow pace at which new House ethics panel has been seated. It was created by a House rules resolution Walz and a handful of freshman legislators proposed and shepherded toward passage in March 2008. Walz had hoped that the panelists would be picked in two months.

According to today's CQPolitics article, current freshman Class Paul Hodes hopes that Charlie Rangel's request for an investigation of his own office will goad leadership into seating the ethics panel.

Muggy afternoon news digest: neigh-saying edition

A. How do we know when Brian Davis is lobbing horse apples at the world?

B. Because his lips are moving--or his campaign manager is sending out a press release. A friend in the Sixth sent us the latest which begins:

"Today, the Brian Davis for Congress campaign announces that their second quarter net fundraising was the strongest of all candidates seeking election to Minnesota's First District in 2008.   

During the second quarter - April 1 to June 30 - Brian Davis for Congress had $391,601 in total receipts and a net gain in cash-on-hand of $326,273, compared to $186,584 for Congressman Walz.

Total contributions from individuals to the Davis campaign were over $268,000 with a net of $376,718 cash-on-hand.   This difference in net fundraising is due to campaign expenses with the Davis campaign reporting $65,330 in disbursements compared to $251,502 for the Walz campaign. [emphasis added]"

Perhaps Davis will elect to continue that lack of spending in order to get the media and voters to ignore Walz's actual cash on hand: $1.2 million. Or the fact that Walz has hired a field staff and created the infrastructure for a contemporary campaign. The Walz campaign is doing just that: running for office, putting that money to work.

Davis? The strategy leaves us recalling the parable of the talents.  We must confess that the press release does show an improvement from Davis's abbreviated term as 2007 treasurer for the Olmsted County RPM. At least he's saving his paperwork.

Sadly for Davis, the press continues to report real figures. Now that all the FEC reports are in, more stories are coming out about the First's money race that look like this item in the Twin Cities Daily Planet:

In the First Congressional District, DFL incumbent Tim Walz raised $430,000 in the second quarter, ending up with $1.2 million cash in hand. Challenger Brian Davis raised $291,000 during the quarter, and loaned his campaign $100,000.

It's the loan that won't die.

Did we mention that Tim Walz's $97,617.24 from small itemized individual contributions nearly equals Davis's loan to his own ambition?

Even if everyone in that unitemized pool gave $199, that's still 490 individuals. We're guessing there were a lot more $25, $50, or $100 dollar contributors.  Davis only had $29,709.55 in small unitemized individual contributions. As a percentage of their total fundraising (including loans) for the quarter, Walz's small contributions equal 22 percent of the swag, while Davis's small donors add up to a mere 7.6 percent of his haul. Subtract Davis's loan, and it's still only 10.2 percent of his new cash for the quarter.

Walz raised $306,720.59 in individual contributions versus $268,380.55 for Davis for this quarter.  For the entire cycle, Davis has raised only $395,929.05 from both large and small contributions from individuals; for Walz, it's $1,197,449.58.

What's each candidate's ratio for the cycle? We'll be looking into that. For this quarter, at least, Walz  looks to win the grassroots money race as well as PAC support. Davis? Big donors and party support.

Update: The Hill notes Davis's improved fundraising, but omits cash in hand figures.

The Mankato Free Press reports in  State primary races shaping up:

The primary election also will decide whether Dr. Brian Davis of Rochester, the GOP endorsed candidate, or state Sen. Dick Day of Owatonna will be the Republican facing Democratic Congressman Tim Walz of Mankato in November. . . .

. . . For every area legislative and congressional race but one, the Nov. 4 ballot will show one Republican and one Democrat with no appearances by the Independence Party, the Green Party or other third parties. Changes could still occur only if a candidate withdraws (that can happen until 5 p.m. Thursday).

The exception is the 1st Congressional District where Lake Crystal farmer and grain dealer Greg Mikkelson filed as an Independence Party challenger.

Mikkelson is a frequent candidate who has previously run as a Green Party candidate (2002), a member of the Independence Party (2004), and as a Republican (2006), never with much success at the ballot box. He didn’t top 5 percent of the vote in either general election and picked up just less than 13 percent in his primary challenge of then-Congressman Gil Gutknecht two years ago.

The Rochester Post-Bulletin notes in Day raises only $10000 for race in 2nd quarter. Notable quotables for $10,000:

Day said he decided not to compete with Davis on cash and instead will run a grassroots campaign based on meeting voters in person and using volunteers to distribute literature and make phone calls. "I decided, let's turn this thing around and let's go talk to voters," he said.

Vowing to stay in the race to win, Day said he has enough money to get through the primary election, and will bank on his name recognition and ties to southern Minnesota communities. He said he will personally campaign in every community of 800 people or more.

"This will be a good old-fashioned race to see if money carries the day," Day said, adding later, "I just changed the entire game plan and we'll see how this all works out."

Good luck with that.

Business Week says  in Oil's Free Marketeers Rise Up:

Representative Timothy Walz (D-Minn.) greeted the speculators' arguments with skepticism. At one point, he noted that U.S. airlines are among those industries under serious threat from soaring energy prices, and they are calling for more oversight of oil trades. He asked Zerzan, the swaps and derivatives chief, what explanation he could offer Walz's constituents and large companies based in Minnesota, such as Northwest Airlines (NWA).

"Northwest should have gotten a swaps agreement," said Zerzan, referring to the successful use of hedging in the oil markets (BusinessWeek.com, 5/7/08) by Southwest Airlines (LUV). Because of extensive hedging contracts on its fuel purchases, Southwest is the only major U.S. carrier that has remained profitable. The airline also has much of its expected fuel use covered for 2009 at prices far below the current market rate. Walz pressed him further, pointing to the growing chorus of voices targeting speculation: "So ExxonMobil (XOM), consumers, Northwest Airlines…everybody's wrong but the commodities traders?" asked Walz. "We haven't found a better method [than trading] to determine prices," Zerzan replied.

Winona Radio reports about Walz's St. Charles Saturday grocery store stop in Walz-Mike's Grocery.

The NCAL asked Congressman Walz to present to Joe Warner Patient Advocacy Award to Howie Graff, we learn in NCAL Chair Recognized For Outstanding Federal Advocacy [pdf file].The organization represents long-term care providers. My Wonderful World notes Congressman Walz's own award from the NAtional Geographic Education Foundation in No Geography Left Behind?

The ever thoughtful Minnesota Central writes that MN-02 : Kline Protest results in 8% Cut in Federal Dollars for Minnesota.

We'll be back with an update after we read the rest of the local papers.

 

Mid-day news digest: sunny skies after the storm edition

We're going to be heading out to enjoy the wonderful post-storm weather (maybe even going to look at some tornado damage near a friend's place in Kandiyohi County; the tornado at left went down a county road within a mile of the home), so here's a quick news digest.

Another comparison of Walz and Second district candidate Steve Sarvi turns up in Can Steve Sarvi become this year's Tim Walz? by Paul Demko at the Minnesota Independent.

A great new site for Democrats in Southeast Minnesota.  The web site includes news and other information for Senate Districts 27, 29, 30, 31 and surrounding counties in Southeast Minnesota. We've added it to our "Dems in the First" typelist at right.

The Worthington Globe praises the work for the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System done by a bi-partisan coalition of lawmakers from Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota, in Lewis and Clark poised for boost:

The Lewis and Clark regional water system, ignored by George W. Bush earlier this year for reasons that may only be known to the president, got a needed boost Tuesday.

A spending bill passed in a Senate subcommittee allots $30 million to the project, which will pipe Missouri River water throughout the region. The system is a partnership of 15 cities and five rural water districts in South Dakota, Iowa and southwest Minnesota.

Area legislators have all pledged their support for Lewis and Clark, which should certainly solidify the chances of new funding for the project. The water system also has a history of strong federal support — last year, the project received nearly $27 million in funding after an initial Bush proposal of $15 million. Bush’s proposed 2009 budget — the fiscal year starts Oct. 1 — left out funding for Lewis and Clark entirely.

The funding for this common sense project was upgraded through congressional earmarks, the likes of which both Republican contenders in the September 9 primary have said they will give up. No doubt their supporters will be trashing Walz with this "pork alert" for Energy and Water, without bothering to ask what was being funded in the district. 

Some candidates may oppose federal funding for good water, flood mitigation projects, and the like, in order to score cheap talking points, but that talk does nothing to help gain valuable public works projects needed by southern Minnesotans. Does the earmark system need to be reformed? Absolutely. Congress Walz has worked for transparency in the process, as well as co-sponsoring other bipartisan reforms. As we posted back in June, the Sunlight Foundation earmark disclosure project notes Walz's online list and:

Even some of the more conservative newspapers in the district have noted the common-sense nature of Walz's requests. A good example is the Owatonna People's Press editorial about the budget request for a flood mitigation project: An earmark that makes sense.

Winona Radio reports Davis files. After all the pressure that Ron Carey put on Senator Day and Davis's own rattling bravado about how there's no primary until candidates file, it's amusing to see how the short article was worded.

Since Davis was the last to file, the phrasing is that his action forced the primary, not Day's presence in the race:

Rochester Physician Brian Davis has officially entered the race for the District District Congressional seat.

That's because fellow Republican, and State Senator, Dick Day, of Owatonna, officially entered the race earlier. Davis has the Republican party endorsement while Day does not.

One of the two will be selected in September to move on to the November general election to face Democratic incumbent Tim Walz of Mankato.

Poor baby can't even claim media bias, since the station is owned by one of his campaign contributors.

And as promised, we'll post something this weekend about the latest tin-foil hat conspiracy theory floating around. It's a humdinger.

Photo: Willmar-area tornado. Photo by Paul Smith.

 

WDN editorial: "it's about government accountability"

While Senator Day and Doctor Davis are mouthing empty NRCC pieties about earmarks, Congressman Walz has been open and transparent about his budget requests. He's also been keen on government accountability.

Today's editorial in the Winona Daily News, Despite ranking, DOJ grant-giving full of politics, praises Walz for his actions to prompting the investigation of the project of giving grants at the DOJ:

A federal grant application by Winona State University to the DOJ appears to have been DOA.

The National Child Protection and Training Center, the remarkable WSU-affiliated program that’s on a mission to protect children from exploitation and danger, found itself thrust into the national spotlight after it was revealed that a U.S. Department of Justice administrator had passed up the center when divvying up grant money, along with many other deserving programs, in favor of programs that he had personal connections to. . . .

. . .But, adding insult to injury was the fact that the DOJ went through the hassle of reviewing and even ranking the grants based on the criteria the agency itself devised and developed.

Even worse, the National Child Protection and Training Center got the fourth-highest score. That’s the fourth-highest score in the nation. Yet, the justice department overlooked it. Winona State shouldn’t feel so bad, though. The top five programs were also passed over.

That’s when Minnesota 1st District Congressman Tim Walz stepped in, and an investigation was launched.

We applaud Walz for sticking up for the center, asking questions and pursuing this issue.

It’s not just watching out for a center that happens to be in his district; it’s about government accountability. . . .

. . .This wasn’t just some special-interest bacon in an already overcrowded federal barrel of pork. This money goes to help prepare adults to protect children.

After the center's grant was turned down by the DOJ, Walz and Minnesota's senators requested and secured earmarks for the highly effective program.

The newspaper board wants Walz and others in Congress to push for less patronage and more accountability in the administration's grant-making process:

We thank Walz and other representatives, such as R. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., for the scrutiny, but we suggest that they didn’t go far enough. Not only is it a shame and a sham that WSU and other DOJ-approved grants got passed over, it seems to represent a waste of DOJ employees’ time. It’s time for more answers — if the process is rigged in the name of politics, then so be it. But it’s even worse than that, it’s wasteful, disingenuous and takes away time that could be spent helping protect children.

Assuring the federal grant process is fair, efficient, and sticking to standards is a good idea. Please contribute to Congressman Walz's campaign by June 30 to make sure he can follow through on the next step of watchdogging the administration's own budgeting.  And sign up to volunteer--here's a great opportunity to be in an Independence Day parade with the Congressman.

Photo: Victor Vieth of the National Child Protection and Training Center.  Photo taken from Lost case led to improved prosecution, a compelling Mankato Free Press article which tells the story of how Vieth and others came to develop the tools to fight child sexual abuse. 

The primary color is black: most MN congress member mass mailings cut off on June 11

A letter writer complains in today's Rochester Post Bulletin about receiving too many franked puff pieces in Free postage being abused by Kline. Complaints about representatives abusing the franking privilege abound, with Michele Bachmann being the champ in scoring them in Minnesota.

This incumbent advantage was diminished earlier this month.  House rules governing Pre-Election Communication Restrictions have put Minnesota's incumbent representatives under a mass mailing and communications blackout.

Here's the general rule:

Section 3210 (a)(6)(A), Title 39 U.S.C. provides that a Member may not mail any mass mailings during the 90 days immediately preceding the date of any election (primary, general, special, or run off) in which the Member’s name will appear on the ballot as a candidate for election or re-election to any public office.

Since Minnesota has a September 9 primary, and all House members are in the Blackout period between August 6 and Nov. 4th for the General Election, many mass franking privileges for Minnesota's representatives were blacked out on June 11.  A member need not have an opponent in the primary; his or her name simply has to be on the ballot; unopposed candidates still appear on the ballot in Minnesota's primary.

Here are the rest of the regulations:

A mass mailing is defined as an unsolicited mailing of 500 or more pieces of substantially identical content - whether mailed singly or in bulk - over the course of a legislative year (January 3 of one year through January 2 of the following year).

Mass Communications

Likewise, the Regulations of the Committee on House Administration governing the use of official resources and the Member’s Representational Allowance prohibit the reimbursement of any expenses incurred in support of the preparation, production, distribution, etc. of any mass communication – regardless of  media – if such communication occurs during the 90 days immediately preceding the date of any election (primary, general, special, or run off) in which the Member’s name will appear on the ballot as a candidate for election or re-election to any public office.

A mass communication is defined, consistent with the definition of a mass mailing, as any communication of substantially identical content to 500 or more individuals over the course of a legislative year, regardless of media.  Examples of mass communications include but are not limited to:

• Automated telephone (“robo”) calls.
• E-communications distributed to a non-subscriber e-mailing list.
• Advertisements (radio, TV, internet, newspaper, etc.) of town hall meetings or of the personal appearance of the Member and/or the Member's employees at an official
• Mass mailings, e.g., newsletters, meeting notices, newspaper inserts, surveys and questionnaires, etc.
• Facsimiles.
• Posters, flyers, leaflets, handouts, etc.
• Video or audio communications for which a Member may incur expenses for production, distribution, and/or broadcast.

                                                    The restrictions do not apply to:                          

• Advertisements for employment and internship opportunities in the Member’s congressional office, U.S. Military Academy Days, and An Artistic Discovery.
• E-communications distributed to a subscriber e-mailing list of residents of the Member’s district.
• Mailings or communications which are in direct response, i.e., a solicited response, to inquiries or requests from the person to whom the response is directed.
• Mass mailings or communications to Members of Congress, government officials (Federal, state, and/or local, and mailings of news releases to bona fide communications media outlets.
• Updates to the Member’s official web site.
• Video teleconferencing services in support of the conduct of a meeting being hosted by the Member.

One issue raised by the use of teletown meetings is their fit within franking regulations. In Lawmakers flock to tele-town meetings, Politico noted this issue:

Rep. Michael E. Capuano (D-Mass.), who chairs the House Franking Commission, the body that oversees lawmakers’ official communication with constituents, said current rules don’t adequately address telephone town meetings.

“The rules are out of the 18th century, and we all know it,” he said. “Many things were never anticipated by the rules, and this is just a classic example.”

The rules carefully prescribe the content of mailings to constituents, limiting, for example, the number of times they may refer to “Republicans” or “Democrats.” Telephone town halls receive no similar scrutiny, although lawmakers must seek approval for any pre-recorded audio messages.

Capuano said telephone meetings are akin to traditional town halls, in which no one censors what lawmakers say. Nonetheless, he said he began an overhaul of the franking rules in December with the aim of addressing new technologies.

If we read the regulations correctly, under current rules, those Representatives who utilize teletown conferences could legally inform those constituents who have signed up, or opted in, that a teleforum is going to take place, and contact only 499 or fewer constituents who haven't signed up.

It's hard to tell if the process of revising the regulations that Representative Capuano discussed is complete, and we have a call in to the Committee on House Administration press secretary to learn the status of the revision process.

Since Walz only holds face-to-face town hall meetings, the answer will be more relevant for voters in the Second and Sixth, where John Kline and Michele Bachmann have substituted the new technology for the more traditional meetings.

In Brian Davis on Franking Privileges, our friend Hal Kimball at Blue Man noted in May that Davis had complained about the perceived advantage of Walz's franked mass communications to residents in the First. With the blackout now in place until after the general election, Davis's perceived disadvantage is largely moot.

Image: 19th Century Harper's cartoon, "Beauties of the Franking Privilege."

Sunlight Foundation earmark disclosure project notes Walz's online list

We just received a kind note from the Sunlight Foundation about its Earmark Disclosure Project. The goals for the project are described in a blog post by Bill Allison:

We think, at a bare minimum, lawmakers–both Senators and Representatives–should release the same information that House rules require them to send to the Appropriations Committee. They should disclose the recipient of the earmark, a description of the project the earmark would fund, and the address of the recipient. They should additionally disclose the amount of money they asked for.

Congressman Walz is listed as a congressman who discloses his earmarks online; the site links to his earmarks. Open and transparent.

More about the number of lawmakers who disclose, from Allison's blog post:

. . .So let’s see if, while we’re waiting for the official disclosures from the committees, we can prevail upon members to be a bit more forthcoming. Sunlight, in conjunction with Taxpayers for Common Sense and Citizens Against Government Waste is asking for your help to reveal which lawmakers post their earmark requests online.There are a small number of lawmakers—some 46 of them—who have posted some information about their earmark requests to their official Web sites. [emphasis added] We are providing a list of them that includes links to the their requests. We also list the names of 46 other members who say they won’t request any earmarks. . . .

In addition to disclosing his earmark requests, Tim Walz supports earmark reform.  Even some of the more conservative newspapers in the district have noted the common-sense nature of Walz's request. A good example is the Owatonna People's Press editorial about the budget request for a flood mitigation project: An earmark that makes sense.

Update: Politico reports on a little sunlight of another kind in Dems who flipped on FISA immunity see more telecom cash.  Walz voted against telecom immunity last week and The Hill posted his statement in one of its blogs.

 

Watch now: Committee Holds Hearing on Grantmaking Practices at the Department of Justice

In Walz brings DOJ grant process to Waxman's attention, posted back in May, we wrote about how the WSU-based National Child Protection Training Center was denied grants by the DOJ, despite the program's grant application received a high score for grant evaluators. Instead, grants went to youth golf programs and other projects--often run by administration cronies.

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is holding a hearing titled, “Examining Grantmaking Practices at the Department of Justice” on Thursday, June 19, 2008, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building. 

Watch video of the hearing that's taking place right now.

Chairman Waxman's opening statement:

At today’s hearing, the Oversight Committee will examine the process used by the Justice Department to award millions of dollars in grants to organizations that address national juvenile justice initiatives. These grant awards were made by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, which is headed by Administrator J. Robert Flores. Mr. Flores is here today, and I thank him for testifying and for his cooperation in our inquiry.

This Committee has held many hearings on waste, fraud, and abuse in federal contracting. We’ve also held hearings on waste, fraud, and abuse in other types of programs, such as crop insurance and workers’ compensation insurance.

But we have held few hearings on abuses in federal grants. In 2006, the federal government spent $419 billion on federal contracts. It spent even more — $488 billion — on federal grants. So examination of waste, fraud, and abuse in grant programs is a high priority.

My staff has prepared a supplemental memorandum for members summarizing what we have learned from our investigation. I ask that the memo and the documents and transcripts it cites be made part of the hearing record.

Last year, the Justice Department held a competition to select worthy grants for funding juvenile justice programs. Over 100 applicants submitted proposals. Career staff at the Justice Department then conducted a peer review of these applications, grading them against criteria in the Department’s public solicitation and ranking them according to their numerical scores.

Of the 104 proposals, the career staff ranked 18 as the best qualified for funding. Mr. Flores largely ignored these recommendations. He did not fund the top-ranked program; he did not fund the second highest-ranked program. In fact, he did not fund any of the top five programs. Of the 18 organizations recommended for funding by the career staff, only five were awarded funds.

Instead, Mr. Flores chose to give the majority of the grant funding to five programs that his staff had not recommended for funding. One was an abstinence-only program. Two were faith-based programs. Another was a golf program. What’s more, they appeared to have special access to Mr. Flores that other applicants were denied.

Mr. Flores awarded a $1.1 million grant to the Best Friends Foundation, an abstinence-only organization, that ranked 53 out of 104 applications. The career staff who reviewed this application said it was “poorly written,” “had no focus,” “was illogical,” and “made no sense.” Documents provided to the Committee show that while the grant was being developed and competed, Mr. Flores had multiple contacts with Elayne Bennett, the founder and chairman of Best Friends and the wife of Bill Bennett, who worked in the Reagan and Bush Administrations.

Mr. Flores also awarded a half-million dollar grant to the World Golf Foundation that ranked 47 out of 104. Mr. Flores says that despite the application’s low ranking, the grant was awarded on the merits. But the record before the Committee raises questions that need to be addressed. We know that Mr. Flores traveled to Florida in 2006 to visit foundation officials and play golf. We know that Mr. Flores directed his staff to help the group with its proposal. And we know that before the peer review process even began, a senior career official wrote that he was “certain” the group would be funded because Mr. Flores’s chief of staff “has said as much.”

And Mr. Flores awarded a $1.2 million grant to Urban Strategies LLC, a consulting firm, and Victory Outreach, a “church-oriented Christian ministry called to the task of evangelizing.” This grant application also received a low ranking: 44 out of 104 applications. But the head of Urban Strategies was Lisa Cummins, who formerly worked in the White House Office of Faith Based Initiatives. Documents provided to the Committee show that Ms. Cummins had several high-level meetings with Mr. Flores and other Justice Department officials before and after receiving the grant.

On the other hand, the Justice Research and Statistics Association was the top scoring group out of the 104 applicants. It scored a 98 and was universally praised by career employees for its effectiveness and good work. It provides training and technical assistance to state juvenile corrections workers. But it was not selected or funded.

There is no question that Mr. Flores had discretion to award grants. He is entitled to use his experience and judgment in determining which grant applications to fund. But he has an obligation to make these decisions based on merit, facts, and fairness. And the reasoning for his decision must be transparent and available to the public.

Nearly every official the Committee spoke with, including the Justice Department peer reviewers, the civil service program managers, and the career official in charge of the solicitation, told us that Mr. Flores’s approach was neither fair nor transparent. Mr. Flores’s superior, the Assistant Attorney General, told the Committee: “I am for candor and clarity, especially when dealing with the people’s money. And that did not happen. And I am upset that it did not happen.”

The only exceptions to this view are Mr. Flores himself and Mr. Flores’s chief of staff, who has now asserted her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination.

Yesterday I received a letter from the nation’s oldest organization devoted to fighting juvenile delinquency: the National Council of Crime and Delinquency. The Council wrote:

We … have grave concerns about recent decisions on grant proposals and how these have hurt the credibility of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. … [We] expended substantial time and resources in good faith to prepare … proposals. Now it seems the review process was far from fair.

I hope today’s hearing can answer the question being raised by the Council and other groups. Ultimately, the issue before the Committee is whether the grant solicitation was a rigged game and whether it has best served children across our country. Today’s hearing will give members a chance to examine this important question.

Flashback: In early April we posted this:

Harpers: "More Corruption at DOJ?

At Harpers "No Comment" Scott Horton picks up on the "brazen politicization" of the Office of Juvenile Justice grant making process at the Justice department in More Corruption at Mukasey’s Justice Department?.

As we noted this morning, WSU's National Child Protection Training Center, which teaches law enforcement, teachers, social workers, prosecutors and others the best techniques for recognizing, reducing and preventing child sexual abuse. The center has received funding this year only because of earmarks requested by Senators Coleman and Klobuchar, as well as by Congressman Walz.

So what's the problem? Horton writes:

A Congressional probe has been launched by Henry Waxman’s House Oversight Committee into how Flores “bypassed the top-scoring bidders for National Juvenile Justice program grants, giving money instead to bidders that its staff ranked far lower,” Youth Today reports.

The probe was requested by Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), who was approached by administrators at Winona State University after the Youth Today story was published. The university’s proposal for its National Child Protection Training Center was ranked fourth by OJJDP staff, with an average score of 96.5, but it didn’t win a grant. The university is in Walz’s district, and he helped get the center $1.2 million in earmarks in the 2008 Justice Department budget, including $446,000 from OJJDP.

So the highly qualified, well-scored contenders didn’t get the grants.  But who did?  The Juvienation blog reports:

Meanwhile, Flores handed the bulk of the cash to lower-scoring organizations he deemed his favorites. Word has gotten out among organizations that scored high but didn’t win; some of them are furious and want OJJDP or Congress to explain the process. “We all play by the rules,” said Earl Dunlap, CEO of the National Partnership for Juvenile Services, whose losing bid ranked second out of 129. “The rules for Flores are pretty much whatever he decides when he gets out of bed in the morning.”

Flores, Boyle wrote, “has repeatedly pushed to get agency money to organizations that fit his priorities, which include faith-based programs and those that combat child sexual victimization.” Thus the low-scoring Best Friends Foundation (79.5), headed by the wife of right-wing moral crusader (and gambling addict!) Bill Bennett, won more than $1 million for its abstinence-only/anti-drug curriculum. Enough Is Enough, which combats sexual predation online–admittedly a worthy cause, but not quite in line with the historical mission of the OJJDP–took $750,000. The faith-based Victory Outreach Special Services got a windfall of $1.2 million but had to turn down the grant because, Boyle noted, “it doesn’t have the organizational capacity to carry it out.”

Horton observes:

The Flores contract awards help us understand once more exactly how the Justice Department defines “public integrity.” Doling out public funds to your political retainers and friends and circumventing a legally mandated public competition system is how the Republican Party and its minions understand the political game is to be played. It would be “corrupt” if Democrats played by these rules, of course, but the rules are suspended for the G.O.P. And what better venue to use to dole out contracts to political friends and retainers than the Department of Justice itself?

 

 

Early afternoon news digest: Father's Day edition

Today is Father's Day; we hope our readers are enjoying the day with their families.

The Winona Daily News reports in Coleman pledges bipartisan bridge aid:

Minnesota’s congressional delegation will cross the political aisle to secure funding for bridge inspection and repairs, U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman said at a press conference with city and transportation officials Saturday morning at Levee Park. . . .

. . .Democratic Reps. Tim Walz and Jim Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, made similar statements last week. Oberstar wants to introduce a $2 billion bridge-funding package, and Walz said he’ll work to change federal guidelines to reimburse Winona for shuttle expenses.

MnDOT will likely expedite a previous plan to replace the Interstate Bridge, originally scheduled for replacement in 2017, Coleman said.. . .

Congressman Walz is looking for ideas about how to curb wasteful spending. We found this June 12 press release via Nexis-Lexis:

Over the next few weeks, I will be developing legislation to eliminate wasteful spending and unnecessary tax breaks for corporations, in order to use the savings for other important national priorities.

Since I came to Congress last year, I have worked to take bring common-sense ideas from southern Minnesota to Washington and put them into action. From my Farm Bill amendments to help young farmers get their start in agriculture, to my Wind Energy Promotion Act that will provide clean, renewable energy, some of my top priorities in Congress began with an idea someone in southern Minnesota shared with me in a grocery store or over a cup of coffee.

So, I need your help in identifying examples of unnecessary, duplicative, or wasteful government spending that can be eliminated from the federal budget. This is critically important as I work to restore fiscal responsibility to Washington. Please click here to share your thoughts with me.

Walz's congressional office contacts are found here.

Image: Norman Rockwell's "2 o'clock"

Post Bulletin editorial: Hormel Institute earmarks pass muster

The Rochester Post Bulletin approves of earmarks for the Hormel Institute's war on cancer:

Someday, Austin and Hormel might be more associated with cancer research than with Spam.

OK, that might be a bit of a stretch, but don't be too quick to laugh off the possibility -- especially if U.S. Rep. Tim Walz succeeds in his efforts to bring $5 million in federal funding to the Hormel Institute's International Center of Research Technology.

Those dollars, combined with more than $1.4 million raised by local residents and a $5 million pledge from Hormel for the institute's ongoing $20 million expansion, would help make Austin a major player in the fight against cancer. More than 100 jobs would be created here, and the positive economic impact would be felt throughout our business community, school district and residential neighborhoods.

So, as popular as it is in an election year to rant about politicians who try to bring home money for "pork-barrel" projects, this "earmark" is one that passes muster. City residents have bought into it, the city's largest employer has invested in it, it will be good for the local and state economies, and the entire country -- perhaps the entire world -- stands to benefit from the discoveries scientists will make in Austin.

The only way this project comes close to "pork" is in the institute's proximity to Hormel.

Photo: Dr. Dong, head of the Hormel Institute. He wowed us in his presentation in Mankato today.