Instead of a speech, Mondale and Congressman Tim Walz spent Saturday
just speaking individually to voters and eating hamburger steaks at The
Kitchen. It was part of a tour around southern Minnesota to energize
voters about getting out the vote.
“The case is pretty well
made,” he said. “We think we’ve made a strong case to them and now
we’re just into executing the get-out-the-vote effort.” . . .
. . .As a newcomer to the world of politics, Walz earned 46 percent of the
Steele County vote compared to the 53 percent garnered by his
Republican opponent Gil Gutknecht, the incumbent who Walz managed to
unseat.
But in his first term, Walz described Owatonna as
pragmatic, with voters wanting to see effectiveness. He considers the
city as a “solid, middle-of-America middle-class town” and believes he
can have a better showing here.
“We want to give them a good look and let them know where we stand,” Walz said.
Walz was also campaigning in Republican Dodge County yesterday, as well as Mankato and Rochester. His campaign stops contrast with those Davis has chosen, which seem to be aimed at shoring up the GOP base. Walz's schedule for today, which includes another stop in Owatonna, is here.
Brian Davis was hitting his base in Pipestone, Martin and Brown Counties, with a stab at Nobles County, the New Ulm Journal reports in Davis on the road. He does his usual denial about the down side of privatizating Social Security, while backing away from his earlier, extended flirtation with the national sales tax. Davis would still like voters to believe that the issue only came up once, but BSP readers learned better in our post Brian Davis and Minnesota's flat tax organizers.
He also said he’s opposed on principle to the
numerous tax credits available to individuals and businesses, something
he considers government micro-managing of the economy
was out touting a few tax credits in Brown County, according to the Journal article:
Asked about the record third quarter profits ($14.8 billion) that Exxon
reported this week, Davis said he thinks the investment tax credits oil
companies received for drilling should end. But there should be
incentives to encourage oil companies to go after the large amounts of
U.S. oil that exists in oil shale.
He also favors a John McCain style of tax credit that can be used to
purchase health insurance that goes from job to job, rather than
expecting employers to provide health coverage.
In an email, the Franken campaign tells us that Al will be in Rochester for a little GOTV on Monday:
MONDAY
WHO: Al Franken, Sen. Ann Lynch and former Congressman Rick Nolan WHAT: Franken Joins Rochester GOTV Phonebank WHEN: 9:45 am, Monday, November 3 WHERE: Rochester DFL Office
401 16th Ave NW
Rochester
Wags in the Waseca County News comment section suggest that anybody who mows corn has to be plowed, though at least he wasn't stalking anyone. One wiseacre thinks the perp must have been drinking Grain Belt.
The property damage to the corn was greater than that of the signs--on the other hand, stealing a person's right to political expression dampens democracy. All puns aside, we hope the farmer recovers the lost income and Rice County throws the book at the sign stealer.
Photo: If our selfish feline friend can do his bit, you can help get out the vote, too. Volunteer via the DFL or your local candidate. Sign up to help Walz here.
And now a little White Stripes; if this tune doesn't make you want to get up and at 'em, we don't know what will:
Update: We have no idea what G.R. Anderson was smoking when he wrote his Minnpost article which posits this race as a model of civility. Sounds like neither he nor Hamline prof David Schlutz has ever seen a Davis television ad or press release or read any of the district dailies
Since Davis doesn't have any money to advertise in Twin Cities' media markets, it's quite likely neither has. Trust them: they're experts. Joel Kramer pays good money for this tripe? [end update]
After months of preparation — both in and out of the
classroom — Dakota Meadows and Mankato East hosted mock elections on
Thursday. Dakota Meadows’ election, coordinated through National
Student/Parent Mock Election, was decidedly in favor of Obama, who
garnered 347 votes to McCain’s 153. In the U.S. Senate race, Franken
won by just eight votes while Tim Walz, in the U.S. House race, won in
a landslide with 75 percent of the vote. Results from Mankato East’s
mock election, through the Youth Leadership Initiative, weren’t
announced until this morning.
Al Franken made a campaign stop in Mankato today.The senate candidate
was joined by Congressman Tim Walz and Senator Amy Klobuchar at
MSU.During ''For the Middle Class, For a Change'' rally, Franken said
he plans on helping Minnesotans and Americans reach for what he called
the ''promise of America,'' something he says has become a distant
reality over the last 8 years.Al Franken says, ''What I believe is that
what this election is about and what the next 4-8 years are gonna be
about is bridging that chasm and fulfilling once and for all the
promise of America.''The team started their campaign earlier in the day
with stops in Rochester, Owatonna, and Faribault.
He’s an opponent of abortion and gay marriage, is
doubtful that fossil fuel consumption is the primary reason for global
climate change and opposes embryonic stem cell research. He wants to
make the Bush tax cuts permanent, would like to eliminate the estate
tax and would be interested in studying a nationwide sales tax as a
replacement for income taxes.
Davis's pivot makes this statement in the MFP profile all the more ironic:
“Minnesota is a great place, and a lot of people look
at the candidates for who they are,” he said. “And they may not agree
with them on every issue, but they feel they can trust that person to
be straight with them
And we suspect that those in Southern Minnesota's renewable energy industry will raise their eyebrows at this, given the importance of the production tax credit:
He also said he’s opposed
on principle to the numerous tax credits available to individuals and
businesses, something he considers government micro-managing of the
economy.
And when it comes to PAYGO, in Brian Davis's world, evasive is the new straight shooting:
Davis also doesn’t say whether he would
support the pay-as-you-go budget rules — a strategy to reduce budget
deficits by requiring that any new spending increases or tax cuts be
offset with spending cuts or tax increases in other parts of the
budget: “That’s one strategy.”
The companion profile for Walz, Walz hasn't slowed down, was published in yesterday's Free Press
. . .In his first term in the
United States Congress, Minnesota’s First District Representative Tim
Walz has earned the support of two nonpartisan environmental groups,
the League of Conservative Voters and the Sierra Club. Both
organizations are endorsing Walz for a second term.
LCV President Gene Karpinski said,
“Congressman Walz has done a great job of reaching across the aisle and
working with other freshmen members of congress to promote bi-partisan
legislation that will make a real impact on the environment and the
economy. He has bright new ideas for his next term and will continue to
be a strong ally for clean energy in Congress. He has supported
groundbreaking initiatives that will end our addiction to oil, invest
in renewable energy sources and create jobs right here at home.”
I hope others will join me in voting for Walz so that he can continue this good work.
The
Republican Party’s endorsed candidate, oncologist and neophyte
politician Brian Davis, has not gained much traction against freshman
Walz. The incumbent has a serious financial lead in the district, which
runs the width of the southern part of the state.
The 2008 race stands in sharp contrast with that of 2006. CQPolitics and other political handicappers have moved their predictions steadily toward the incumbent as this year's Election Day draws near. Two years ago, the race was red hot, with media and third party groups drawn to the district as Gutknecht and Walz duked it out. This year? Barely on the radar.
In the netroots, Jeff Rosenberg revives his analysis From the archives: Walz’s secret to success in CD1. It's a solid piece, though we tend to shun labeling anything about successful campaigns as "secret." It's no secret that the Walz camapign is smart, strategic, well-funded and firmly planted in the grassroots.
Alex Knutsen has been hard at work for months working to re-elect Congressman Tim Walz
in the first district. He considered jobs in the corporate sector, but
is confident that his choice to work for a campaign following
graduation was the right decision. He says this job has taught him
that, "compensation for the effort you put in comes in many forms."
Between the long hours and grueling schedule, especially as
campaigns make their last push before voters hit the polls, Knutsen
finds many aspects of his work rewarding. "[The knowledge that] the
work I do directly contributes to the encouragement of ideas, to the
empowerment of others, and to the process of making laws work for
people, means more to me than the sort of rewards I saw myself earning
in any number of positions," Knutsen said. He says he receives
intangible rewards from his daily work all the time. "In this job," he
said, "those rewards greatly out-value anything money can buy."
Looks like Congressman Walz is helping to grow the bench of positive, progressive political talent in Southern Minnesota.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced Thursday that 399
Southern Minnesotans have not yet claimed their economic stimulus or
regular refund checks.
First District Congressman Tim Walz urged
taxpayers still waiting for IRS checks to update their addresses so the
IRS can send them out.
"If you haven't gotten your check yet, the
time to act is now - the IRS needs your updated address by Friday, Nov.
28," Walz stated in a press release.
Brown County residents who
have not yet claimed stimulus or refund checks include Sleepy Eye
residents Waldemar and Jean Harmening, James J. Hernandez and Garrett
M. Meyer; plus Springfield resident Cory B. Prescott.
Addresses can be updated with the "Where's My Refund?" tool at IRS.gov.
It enables taxpayers to check the status of their refunds.
Taxpayers must submit their Social Security number, filing status and amount of refund shown their 2007 return.
The tool will provide the status of their refund and in some cases, provide instructions on how to resolve delivery problems.
Taxpayers without internet access should call 1-866-234-2942.
In Minnesota, the average economic stimulus check was $560.
Taxpayers
who continue to have trouble receiving their checks or have other
outstanding issues with the IRS should contact Walz's Rochester office
at 507-206-0643.
Through September 2008, the government
distributed 116 million economic stimulus payments. About 279,000
checks remain undeliverable across the country.
The Waseca County News reports that convicted Enron exec Jeffrey Skilling has left the building and has been transferred to a correctional facility in Colorado. FCI Waseca is converting to an all-women's prison by the end of the year.
And in honor of those middle school kids, here's a Walz ad about "Lessons":
Photo: Congressman Walz visits his old classroom; photo credit New York Times.
Fifty-two years ago today, our father stopped by the maternity ward of Mankato's Immanuel Hospital to see our mom and us, then went back out to canvas the streets of the Key City for Dwight Eisenhower's re-election campaign.
Since then, attitudes about fathers' roles in birthing have changed. We don't know any man who wasn't at the side of the mother of his child--with the exception of a couple of guys in the Army and National Guard, who weren't happy at being away but understood their duty.
But the crunch time of GOTV has remained a constant companion on our birthday in even-numbered years. We urge everyone to get out and volunteer--whether by phone banking, doorknocking, stufing packets, or making food for the hordes of volunteers who are giving their time in this important election.
There will be work to do on Election Day as well; one task is driving voters to the poll. If you're civic minded but not into political parties, consider volunteering for this GOTV work. Non-profits in Minnesota can hook you up with non-partisan GOTV volunteer opportunities.
We wouldn't want anyone to have to give that greedy cat a burger in order to exercise his or her right to vote.
Minnesota's Democratic nominee for U.S Senate, Al Franken, will be on
campus today along with fellow Democrat Tim Walz, a candidate for the
House of Representatives.
The event will take place at 3 p.m. in the Minnesota State Centennial Student Union Ballroom.
John Rassieur of Owatonna, Carl Witty of Kasson and Laura Askelin of
Rochester participate in a press conference Wednesday in Owatonna to
support Congressman Tim Walz, and to criticize a national sales tax
supported by Walz’s Republican opponent Dr. Brian Davis. Walz was not
in Owatonna Wednesday to participate in the press conference, but will
be appearing with Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken at 11:45
a.m. today at the Owatonna Elks Club.
Rep. Michele Bachmann is now notorious for her appearances on cable
TV news programs, having sparked significant controversy with her
recent “anti-America” statements on MSNBC. But as Politico reports,
Bachmann, a Republican, has done 23 major television appearances since
the beginning of September — far more than any member of Minnesota’s
congressional delegation. How does a freshman Congress member from the
minority party find herself in the limelight so often?
Easy. You and I pay for it.
Bachmann has built an impressive communications staff in Washington,
D.C. She has a press secretary for national media, a press secretary
for local media and a “new media director” who harnesses “the
networking and outreach power of the internet.”
According to congressional salary data, none of Minnesota’s Congress
members has more than one press secretary. Minnesota’s most influential
members, Democratic Reps. James Oberstar and Collin Peterson, who chair
the House Transportation and Agriculture committees, respectively, each
have only one press secretary.
Bachmann’s fellow freshman colleagues, Democratic Reps. Keith
Ellison and Tim Walz, each have just one communications lead, and Walz
has combined the communications director and district director
positions into one entity.
"It's an honor to receive the support of Congresswoman Bachmann," Davis
said of Bachmann. "She is a dynamic leader for Minnesota and for our
conservative causes. I value her leadership and advice, her principles
and energy. I look forward to serving with her in the 111th Congress."
No word on whether Davis holds fast to that opinion.
Over the weekend, I read something very concerning. When the Republican
candidate for Congress, Brian Davis, was asked to name a specific way
he would improve education or health care benefits for veterans, he
couldn’t come up with even one idea.
I can’t believe that
someone could run for Congress for over a year and in all that time not
manage to develop a single idea about how to improve veterans’ care. I
have heard how hard it is for veterans to make use of their educational
benefits.
When I returned from Vietnam in 1971, I was able to enroll
in law school without having to jump through all kinds of hoops to get
my benefits as veterans do today. Anyone who has taken the time to talk
to a veteran and get their perspective on these issues would have been
able to come up with an answer to that question. But not Davis, I guess.
[Robert]Youngerman is a retired major in the United States Army Reserve.
Billed as a presentation of Davis's heath care plan, last night's meeting in Albert Lea turns out simply have been a chance for Davis to rally the GOP faithful. Check out the intense excitement rippling across the faces of the faithful.
LaPrensa endorses Congressman Walz; Brian Davis didn't bother to return the four-question survey. The nod joins the long list of endorsements Walz has received.
I am writing to urge veterans to support the re-election of Congressman
Tim Walz. I had become resigned to all talk and no action by his
predecessor.
When Tim first went to Congress in 2007, I was
especially glad to see him volunteer for the Veterans Committee. As a
leader of the group of newly elected Congress men and women, his impact
was immediate. This was one of the best places for a retired National
Guard Command Sergeants Major to continue taking care of veterans.
In
the two short years that he has been working in Washington for southern
Minnesota, Tim Walz has helped produce significant veterans’
legislation. First was the passage of the new GI Bill that helped
restore the value of GI education benefits to close to where it was
after World War II, when the first GI Bill was enacted. Our returning
veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan will be able to afford go back to
school when they finish their service. Second, this Congress passed the
largest-ever increase to funding for the Veterans Department. We see
this locally in the increased dollars flowing to the Luverne Veterans
Home.
Much of this legislation was achieved with bipartisan support. Both
parties worked to accomplish significant legislation for Veterans, and
Rep. Walz was one of many that reached across the aisle to get this
done. I know Tim Walz, and he will work without regard to party
affiliation to get things done for veterans.
It is so refreshing to
see Congress take veterans’ issues seriously. Veterans need to keep
this retired Command Sergeants Major working in Congress.
In the netroots, McPherson Hall asks an interesting question raised by language in the Fairmont Sentinel's endorsement of Davis. The retired accountant's query in MN-01 : Davis Endorsement – The End of Mortgage Tax Deduction warrants an answer.
Does Brian Davis agree with the paper's editors about ending the mortgage tax deduction for homeowners? The paper cites the tax break as a cause of the recent financial meltdown.
The National Journal's Hotline cites the New Ulm Journal's endorsement of Congressman Walz inIf You Work Hard, You'll Go Places...Like DC. Funny how people in Southern Minnesota like it when their representative works for them.
Some of our friends in the labor movement are working pretty hard in organizing GOTV phone banks and other efforts to contact union members. Here's a little dance music to get everybody in motion this Monday morning, in a shout out to Laura especially, but also to Dale and that troublemaker Jussein:
Photo: House Veterans Affairs Committee chair Bob Filner, Wayne Stillman, Congressman Tim
Walz & Chris Schmitter by "Nurse" at the Soldiers Field Veteran Memorial in Rochester.
The biggest challenge for Davis has been gaining traction in a
political environment that has not favored Republicans. Unlike Walz,
whose candidacy two years ago was boosted by an unpopular war and an
unpopular president, Davis has been facing mostly head winds.
"It's an environment that helps Democrats right now," said Steven
Schier, a political science professor at Carleton College. "People are
blaming Republicans more than Democrats for what they see in the
troubled state of the nation. That's just a problem for Davis."
Schier said the dynamics of the race could change as a result of
some unforeseen event or comment as they did in Minnesota's 6th
Congressional District, when GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann described Barack
Obama's views as "un-American." But nothing like that has happened so
far.
Other advantages for Walz include:
. . .From the beginning, Republican leaders have sought to portray Walz
as out of sync with the district's values -- a supporter of San
Francisco values and not southern Minnesota values -- citing his record
of voting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on many issues.
But Walz has been able to deflect such charges by citing
endorsements from organizations ranging from the National Rifle
Association to veterans groups to receiving the "Friend of the Farm"
award from the Farm Bureau. . . .
And there's the grassroots and fundraising advantage:
Walz has been no slouch on the campaign trail. When he accepted the
party's endorsement earlier this year, he promised to wage the largest
grassroots campaign in the district's history. Chris Schmitter, his
campaign spokesman, estimates that the campaign has knocked over
100,000 doors and made more than 160,000 phone calls.
His record over the past two years includes his opposition to the
proposed Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern railroad expansion. Months
after his election, the federal government rejected DM&E's bid for
a $2.3 billion loan after a decade of simmering controversy.
Walz also helped secure the largest increase in funding in the
Veteran Administration's history. As a member of the House Agriculture
Committee, he played a role in shaping the Farm Bill.
And with three times the war chest, Walz has had a megaphone to
promote his message, while roundly criticizing Davis for supporting a
partial privatization of Social Security, a move he says would cut
payments to seniors.
Rep. Tim Walz, a Democrat from Mankato, outspent Republican
challenger Brian Davis by a better than 3-1 ratio in the first two
weeks of October, according to new campaign financial disclosures.
Walz, running for his second term, spent $346,005 from Oct. 1
through Oct. 15. Davis, a Mayo Clinic physician from Rochester, spent
$104,988. Walz entered the stretch run with $730,464 in the bank, while
Davis had $265,570.
Walz spent $222,501 on advertising, $27,592 on telemarketing and
$30,600 on polling, his disclosure showed. Davis spent $73,995 on
advertising and $4,355 on polling.
We noted earlier in CD1 pre-election reports: struggling and shining that Davis's cash balance doesn't tell the whole story, since his report included over $9,000 in unpaid bills to vendors and $124,000 in loans from the candidate that need to be repaid.
In the Fillmore County Journal, Tom Driscoll bases Davis challenges Walz on the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce debate, but not before providing a fascinating snapshot of Minnesota values culled from a 2008 survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Politics.
My father died at the young age of 59, leaving my 57-year-old mother
with the prospect of providing for herself and her college-age son on a
part-time college bookstore clerk’s salary.
Because of Social
Security Survivor benefits, my brother was able to finish college and
my mother was able to make ends meet after losing her primary source of
support. I don’t know what would have happened if Social Security
hadn’t been there to provide support for our family.
Dr. Brian Davis, and the Minnesota Republican party want
to allow individuals to invest Social Security funds in the stock
market, which could be quite risky as we have seen from watching the
market these past few weeks. I won’t be voting for Davis this November
for a number of reasons, one of which is his plan to privatize Social
Security, which I believe is bad news for families, for retirees trying
to make ends meet and for those on Social Security disability.
Instead, I’ll vote to return Tim Walz to Congress, who will continue to oppose privatizing Social Security.
The Martin County DFL chair asks readers to Exercise right to vote in a thoughtful letter. The Mankato Free Press editorial board praises the jumps in voter registration in Southern Minnesota while giving a thumbs down to lawn sign meddlers. The New Ulm Journal condems vandalism of the homes of the state's U.S. Senators and four representatives.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development has
guaranteed a $3 million loan through First State Bank Southwest for the
new YMCA and City of Worthington Aquatics Center, which is scheduled
for a groundbreaking ceremony at 2 p.m. Nov. 2. The money will go to
the YMCA through the city.
The new building, which will be on the
Minnesota West Community and Technical College campus, will cost
approximately $9.5 million and should be finished in 2009.
During a program Friday at the Y, one word was brought up numerous times by various speakers — collaborate.
. . .
. . .But the collaboration between the entities made the funding
possible, with the addition of Rural Development. It wasn’t easy, but
the efforts of several people paid off, Raymo said.
“Collaboration
is truly what it takes to build a project like this,” stated Matt
Wohlman of Rep. Tim Walz’s office. “Minnesota has the unique ability to
collaborate and be partners in order to get things done.” . . .
It's the sixth anniversary of the plane crash that claimed the lives of Paul and Sheila Wellstone, their daughter Marcia, everybody's friend Mary McEvoy, two campaign workers and the pilots. We urge everyone from all parties to continue the spirit of the Wellstones, and spend some time volunteering today for the candidate or candidates you support, whether DFL, Republican, Independent, or any of the other third parties.
Photo: Regardless of how much mud gets slung, volunteers for Congressman Walz's campaign simply scrape off their shoes and continue doorknocking.
From accusations of lies to reminders of past DUIs, DFL Rep. Tim Walz
and GOP challenger Brian Davis are getting noticeably nastier as
Election Day draws near.
The candidates in Minnesota’s 1st
Congressional District agree on few issues but hadn’t yet thrown many
personal jabs in the fight to determine if Walz represents southern
Minnesota for a second straight term. A flurry of accusations in recent
days changed that: A Walz spokesman accused the Davis campaign of lying
about Walz’s tax positions in television and radio ads, while Davis
demanded Walz apologize for an ad claiming Davis wants to cut Social
Security benefits.
Davis’ new television ad, which slams Walz for his tax
record, drew the most attention on Friday. Vote Smart, a nonpartisan
voter-information group that’s cited in the ad, chided Davis for
violating its ban on the use of its survey responses in partisan
advertising. And the Walz campaign accused Davis of issuing “the
biggest whopper of the campaign” in the new ad, which says Walz
co-authored a bill to increase taxes on oil companies by $1 trillion.
That
bill, a bipartisan energy proposal that Congress hasn’t approved, would
have opened up new offshore areas to oil drilling. To access new
offshore drilling land under that proposal, oil companies would have
paid the same royalties they pay to drill on other sites — with the
revenues going to alternative-fuel research and development.
Davis
objects to the new drilling royalties being dedicated to
alternative-fuel development; he said at least some of the funds should
go to the Treasury’s general fund, as they do now.
Walz
spokesman Chris Schmitter noted most cosponsors of the National
Conservation, Environment and Energy Independence Act were Republicans,
including Minnesota Reps. John Kline and Michelle Bachmann.
“Does Dr. Davis honestly think that 178 Republicans in the House voted for ‘a trillion-dollar tax hike?’” Schmitter said.
Schmitter hits the nail on the head at the close of the article:
“We’re 11 days before an election — it’s pretty obvious what they’re
doing,” Schmitter said Friday. “We want to be talking about the issues.
That’s what people want to hear about.”.
Since so many of our friends will be up tomorrow, rain or shine, calm or wind, to door knock and phone bank, here's a little Scots music to roust themselves in the morning, from the legendary Phil and Johnny Cunningham:
Bachmann is whining that it wasn't her fault that the words came out of her mouth. Blaming someone else seems to be fashionable among conservatives these days. In his letter, Recent debate fair in form, not in content, Preston Smith whines about the bias of the moderators in the Debate Minnesota forum in Mankato.
Funny, but we recall a debate that centered on the economy and energy policy. Moreover, since conservative challenger Brian Davis chose domestic drilling as "the" issue in his race, conservatives have little room to kvetch if the media keeps its attention glued to the topic pressed by their candidate.
. . .First, Bachmann failed to do the basic job requirement of a congress
member; that is, listen and respond to constituents. Bachmann has not
made any serious effort to meet with citizens of the sixth district.
Holding
town hall forums is a long standing tradition and a great way for House
Representatives to listen to their constituents.
Bachmann has held zero town hall forums in the district.
Now
compare that to the other two freshman congress members: Rep. Tim Walz
has sponsored 172 community meetings and public events, and Rep. Keith
Ellison has had 20 town hall forums plus dozens more community meetings. . .
We attended a number of those town meetings, and it was fascinating to see citizens who felt free to share their opinion on a range of issues from the Iraq War to abortion. Walz's frequent contact with district citizens was one of the reasons that the New Ulm Journal cited as reason for its endorsement of the congressman's re-election.
Hayfield cattle farmer Lisa Heggedahl tells the editors and readers of the Owatonna People's Press that Walz takes the Correct stand on Social Security:
. . .Congressman Tim Walz has done a great deal for Minnesota[n]s — for our
veterans, our active duty military, and farmers like me — and he
continues to protect those dependent on Social Security by opposing
privatization of Social Security.
Thanks, Tim Walz, for all the work you do on our behalf.
Read the whole thing at the Owatonna People's Press. The OPP also notes Rudy Giuliani will stump for Norm Coleman in Owatonna, Rochester, and Mankato. Maybe Brian Davis will tag along and explain to voters why Coleman is wrong on opposing drilling in ANWR. Or maybe Rudy can talk up conservative social issues for Davis in Mankato since the debate moderators were such meanies. Do you think?
The business of primping and dressing on the
campaign trail has become fraught with political risk in recent years
as voters increasingly see an elite Washington out of touch with their
values and lifestyles.
In 2000, Democrat Al Gore took heat for changing his clothing
hues. And in 2006, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was ribbed for two hair
styling sessions that cost about $3,000.
Then, there was Democrat John Edwards' $400 haircuts in 2007
and Republican McCain's $520 black leather Ferragamo shoes this year.
A review of similar records for the campaign of Democrat Barack
Obama and the Democratic National Committee turned up no similar
spending.
But all the spending by other candidates pales in comparison to
the GOP outlay for the Alaska governor, whose expensive, designer
outfits have been the topic of fashion pages and magazines.
What hadn't been apparent was where the clothes came from — her
closet back in Wasilla or from the campaign coffers in Washington.
The answer can be found inside the RNC's September monthly
financial disclosure report under "itemized coordinated expenditures."
Guess Pat Nixon's respectable Republican cloth coat just wasn't good enough for Palin's handlers, who apparently trusted the Alaska governor's natural good looks less than Nixon had faith in his wife's appearance. Why not Herberger's, Penney's, Walmart or, if designer togs are imperative, Discount 70?
Photo: Congressman Walz and farmers in Southeastern Minnesota.
This choice meant that those looking for Davis's positions on social security, retirement security, affordable health
care, long-term care, and making a commitment "to help end gridlock by
working across party lines to
develop and support common-sense, bipartisan solutions on health care
and financial security" are simply out of luck when they turn to the AARP 2008 Minnesota Voters Guide.
We're especially baffled that Davis made this choice since the Walz campaign has chosen to point out the risks inherent in Davis's notion of privatizing social security.
Just in from the Walz campaign:
Austin Citizens Oppose Dr. Brian Davis’s Plan to Gamble Social Security on the Stock Market
( Austin , Minn. ) – In light of recent turmoil in the U.S. stock market, a group of Austin-area residents held a press conference today to oppose 1st District Congressional candidate Dr. Brian Davis’s plans to gamble Social Security on the stock market.
“For decades, working families have relied on Social Security,” said Dale Chidester, a local UFCW leader. “When Brian Davis talks about jeopardizing Social Security on the stock market, he makes it clear that working families can not afford Brian Davis”
Dr. Davis has routinely expressed support for some privatization of Social Security and has pledged to follow the MN Republican Party platform, which promotes privatization of Social Security for Americans of all ages.
Char Blowers, a local worker and Social Security Disability recipient said, “I worked and paid into the system for 32 years. Social Security has been a safety net for me. When the stock market yo-yos like it did this month, I want to still be able to pay my heating bills.”
“My generation is paying into Social Security and we want it to be there when we retire,” said Penny Skauge. “ But Dr. Davis wants to gamble our Social Security in the stock market, which has lost 35% of its value in the last year. Anyone who would put our retirement security at risk like that does not deserve to be in Congress.”
Last spring, Davis Said He Supported the Privatization of Social Security. Davis said, “I do believe that people below a certain age should have the option to invest some of their Social Security in the private market.” [Winona Youth GOP Debate, 2/23/08, full transcription available on request]
Again, Despite the Economic Crisis, Davis Recently Said Again That He Supported Privatizing Social Security. “Davis says privatizing, or allowing some of the payroll taxes to be invested, would be one way to help. ‘So let's say 40% or 50% of payroll taxes could be included into a secure type of even a 403B plan, which would be bonds and securities that are very stable,’ says Davis.” [KAAL News Interview, 9/25/08]
Privatizing Social Security Would Cut Benefits, Increase Federal Debt and Put Retirement Benefits at Risk. According to the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, the privatization of Social Security would cause benefits to be cut, retirement to be put at risk and an increase in federal debt. “Privatization is not a plan to save Social Security; it is a plan to dismantle Social Security. Privatization means increased retirement risks, severe cuts in Social Security benefits, and a multi-trillion dollar increase in federal debt. Privatization diverts money out of Social Security into individual accounts, leaving an even larger solvency problem. Privatizers fill this funding gap by dramatically cutting Social Security benefits. They cover the rest by borrowing money, thereby increasing the debt burden on all taxpayers by trillions of dollars over the next half century. With market-based accounts, the risk of an adequate retirement is placed entirely on the individual.” [National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, accessed 10/1/08]
Davis Said If You Want to Know Where He Stood on an Issue to Look at the Republican Party Platform. Davis said, “I want to reassure you that I’m a conservative platform republican I will cast those votes and I will advocate on behalf of our causes. I think our Republican Party platform in this state is great. Do you want to know where I stand; you can start with that document.” [Fillmore Co GOP Convention, full transcription available on request]
Republican Party Platform Section 1, Letter P (Page 2): Allowing all Americans to invest some or all of their Social Security payments, continuing to fulfill our obligations to older Americans, and prohibiting Congress from using Social Security funds for any other purpose.
AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons,describes itself as "a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and
over ... dedicated to enhancing quality of life for all as we age." It claims 38 million members nationwide.
Each election year, AARP asks major candidates in selected races key questions about the issues most important to
our members and their families. Candidates are allowed up to 125 words to answer each question. AARP does not
edit or modify the candidates’ answers to our questions. In addition, AARP provides a summary of our position
for each of the issues addressed.
Given the power of the older voter (people in the 50+ age group are among those groups with the highest voter turnout), candidates tend to answer the questionnaire by the deadline.
Brian Davis, the Republican candidate running in Minnesota's First Congressional district, didn't respond on time.
Voters looking to the guide for Davis's positions on social security, retirement security, affordable health care, long-term care, and making a commitment "to help end gridlock by working across party lines to
develop and support common-sense, bipartisan solutions on health care
and financial security" are simply out of luck.
The only other instance of 2008 major party candidates runnning for federal office who didn't answer is in the Fourth with both Ed Matthews and Betty McCollum not responding. We have no idea what they were thinking.
Photo: Congressman Walz and seniors in a Mankato town hall meeting, from the Mankato Free Press.
Congressman Walz's participation in the House Agriculture Committee's hearing on credit derivatives is capturing national attention. The Washington Times has posted the AP report, Credit default swaps targeted, along with the photo of slot machines.
The caption says it all: "Credit default swaps turn out to be more unregulated than gambling..."
As does Laurie Kellman's article for the Associated Press in the WaTimes:
Debt insurers, say hello to government regulation. Say farewell to voluntary compliance and disclosure.
Congress and financial regulators for the first time appear willing to
impose rules on obscure financial contracts that are increasingly being
blamed for igniting the global financial crisis.
"Please excuse the healthy skepticism of my constituents," Rep. Tim
Walz, Minnesota Democrat, said Wednesday during a House hearing,
referring to the relative free rein given those involved in so-called
credit default swaps. "They're not buying that right now."
Republicans, traditional opponents of regulation, acknowledge that Congress needs to lay down the law.
"There are at least some limits to market economics that we're going
to have to make," said Sen. Richard G. Lugar, Indiana Republican,
during a hearing earlier in the week.
Lawmakers and state and federal regulators are a long way from
agreeing on specifics. But they're marching in rare bipartisan lockstep
toward making the terms of credit default swaps transparent and subject
to government supervision. . . .
Go read the whole article. Southwestern Minnesota's citizens tuning in to Sioux Falls' ABC affiliate KSFY-TV could watch reporter Drew Sandholm's INTERVIEW: Walz Investigates Wall Street Abuses. A sample:
KSFY: Going into your Congressional hearing, you
said the use of credit derivatives had the American economy operating
on a "...Vegas casino mentality..." Did you find that to be true?
Walz:
Well, that's pretty much what the experts said. This was held in the
Agricultural Committee hearing and it's the Commodities Futures Trading
Commission. It was dealing specifically with the credit default swaps.
These are kind of shadowy backroom deals that equal 55-trillion
dollars. They were at the heart of bringing down AIG and the problem
with them is: there is no oversight to them. There is no one that knows
who's trading these things, how leveraged they are, and the risk was
obviously one of the contributing factors in the problems we're
experiencing in the economy.
So, we were there to hear
from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the CFTC, experts from the
University of Texas, amongst others -- Chicago Mercantile Exchange and
then representatives from this industry who was pretty much the only
one in the room that thought everything was okay. Everybody else said,
'No, there's a problem here.'
. . .Walz, who sits on the committee, returned to Washington on Wednesday
to attend the hearing. He pressed witnesses to understand citizen anger
over apparent manipulation of the markets through the unregulated
derivatives, and called on the government to be vigilant about future
unregulated financial tools.
In later interviews, Walz had more:
. . ."It's about bringing back trust. I keep coming back to that," he
said. "People want to know that these people are being asked to play by
the rules and that the investments are on the up and up and that
they're not in the shadows."
Walz, who voted against both versions of the $700 billion Wall
Street bailout package said the initial anger over the bill has
subsided somewhat, but constituents still want to know what is being
done to prevent another crisis.
"They've lost trust, they've lost confidence," he said. "So anything
we can do to restore confidence, I don't know that you can measure in
sheer numbers, but they want to know ... that somebody's minding the
store, somebody's got to make sure this doesn't happen again, and
somebody's looking out for their interest."
Meanwhile, back in Rochester, the Post-Bulletin's Matt Stolle covered the Davis campaign's press event with John Boehner. Readers can check out John Boehner's stoic attempts to paint the town red in the article. Here are some tidbits from the article:
. . .Polling information on the race has been scarce, but what has been
released so far has shown Walz with a lead. Even a poll released by the
Davis campaign late last month to illustrate a shift in momentum in
Davis' favor had Walz, a Mankato high school teacher, with an 18-point
lead.
The Web site Realclearpolitics.com, for example, doesn't include the
1st District race among its rankings of the top 50 seats most likely to
switch parties.
We missed that one. Check it out yourself here.
. . .Meanwhile, the Walz campaign continued to hammer away at Davis for
supporting a partial privatization of Social Security, an idea Walz
spokesman Chris Schmitter called the equivalent of "gambling away on
the stock market."
"In this economic climate, when he's talking about a plan to
partially privatize Social Security, that right there is an indication
that's not what people want," Schmitter said.
Events have not necessarily conspired to help Davis' campaign. In
debates, Davis has pledged to keep the promise of Social Security, but
has argued that young workers should be given the option of diverting a
portion of their Social Security contributions into private accounts.
But his argument has come at a time when the stock market has plunged
in value. . .
Read the whole article at the Post Bulletin. Since Davis had not yet released his fundraising report to the FEC nor released any numbers to the press, the article doesn't consider how the Davis campaign is Not waving, but drowning.
The Owatonna People's Press reports that the congressman is seeking to expand his share of the vote in Former vice president Mondale dines with Walz supporters:
