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

Monday morning news digest: small town values edition

Today's Winona Daily News editorial says Winona should get some from Amtrak in Get on board the idea for more rail service. In part:

. . .It’s also nice to see leaders such as U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., and Mayor Mark Johnsrud of La Crosse, Wis., come together with Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, U.S. Rep. Tim Walz and Miller to form a coalition that stretches beyond state lines. When it comes to both transportation, commerce and tourism, state lines seem to dissolve and become less important.

When it comes to lobbying for money or more service, it’s even more impressive when we speak not just as one city or one state, but as an entire region, which realizes the growing importance of alternative transportation (which now means anything but a gasoline powered automobile). The Highway 43 Bridge shutdown reminds us of both the connection we have to each other and the importance of good transportation.

We also applaud Walz’s recent legislation that, if passed, would provide more than $14 billion to passenger rail improvement, including Amtrak. .. .

The Worthington Globe reports Walz touts energy plan in Worthington visit with area truckers:

Rep. Tim Walz visited Smith Trucking on Saturday, where he met with truck fleet owners and operators from southwestern Minnesota who are members of the Minnesota Trucking Association.

While at Smith Trucking — a family-owned, second generation trucking company — Walz and local truckers discussed how high fuel costs have affected the trucking industry, as well as the comprehensive energy bill Walz and the Bipartisan House Energy Working Group introduced in July.

Read the rest at the Globe.

Congressman Walz and Senator Klobuchar are visiting Rochester, Albert Lea, Waseca, Mankato and St. Peter today to talk about equalizing Medicare payments between states and to visit with veterans at service clubs. Details and full schedule here.

The Worthington Globe also makes note of the coming Republican primary by printing the AP story Davis, Day head for showdown; it's picked up in the WDN as Republicans prepare for primary. This is the same story that WCCO ran. We commented yesterday:

From the sounds of things, Brian Davis should spend some of that money on the primary, since Day is a master at getting the press's attention.

In the netroots, Walz makes a brief cameo appearance in the Rook's Is The MN Republican Party Eating Itself?, which contrasts the Republicans' inner-party feud over the endorsement of Mark Olson for State Senate with DFL reaction to Al Franken's Playboy article. More interesting chronicles of this over at Lloydletta's place.

The Washington Post looks at Alternative Energy's Front Lines in Colorado. Included in the story is the tale of the state's renewable energy standard for electricity. Fascinating who that works.

In its newsline Friday, the state Republican party sent its faithful readers back to an April 15th profile of their candidate in the Strib. We're guessing they're trying to refocus on his upbringing by parents of "modest means," rather than a doctor making $411,000 a year at Mayo. 

This is the article where Davis inflated the value of his medical school rotations at public and veterans hospitals. Rather than being a standard piece in a medical education where students observe doctors working, on Planet Davis, their location makes him an expert on public service. From the article:

"I've always been interested in politics, but have always understood that in our system of government, it's the life experiences that people bring to the table that's valuable to government," Davis said, adding that he has worked in public and veterans hospitals while in school . . .

After all, watching doctors work during a student rotation is such a hard-wrought life experience. Likewise, if we are to believe his Facebook resume rather than his hype, Davis spent all of eight months--twenty-five years ago--working as a nuclear engineer after completing his undergraduate degree. His earlier experience for the firm where he worked was in summer jobs and work study.

The article also noted his hometown of Waukegan, Illinois, on the "North Shore" of Chicago. Given the spin that the Davis campaign's followers have put on Davis's "small town values," readers might consider the birthplaces of each man still in the race. In the 1960 census, the first one taken after Davis's birth, Waukegan's population was 61,784. The town (and Lake County) is now included in the Chicago metropolitan area, though we don't know if this was the case when Davis was young. Davis's undergraduate years were spent at the University of Ilinois in Urbana-Champaign, metropolitan area population 210,275 (2000 census), attended grad school in the Boston area, medical school/interning in the Chicago area and did his residency in New York City. He has lived in Rochester since completing his work in New York City.

Senator Dick Day was born in Rochester, Minnesota. In the first census following his birth, Rochester's population was 26,312. He is a lifelong resident of the district and longtime resident of Owatonna, population 24,533. A Winona State University grad, Day says that the only time he's left Minnesota for long was to serve in the Navy.

Congressman Walz was born in 1964 in West Point, Nebraska. We haven't been able to find figures from the 1970 census online, but the population of the entire county was 12,034 in 1970, the first census after Walz's birth. West Point is now home to 3,660 people. Walz graduated from Butte High School in a class of 25; fewer than 400 people now live in Butte. The 1980 census placed 3,331 in all of Boyd County, Nebraska, with only 2,835 remaining in 1990. He met his future wife, Gwen, while teaching in Alliance, Nebraska (pop. 8,959).  Gwen Whipple Walz was born in Glencoe, Minnesota and raised in Ivanhoe. Moving to Mankato, population 32,493, must have been a big step up in the mid-1990s.

What are "small town values"? Some conservatives like Davis (and his supporters) would probably want to co-opt the phrase to mean a hardcore extreme right agenda. Mostly though, we think people take it to mean places where  people know and care for each other, center their lives around family, schools, faith, and the local Legion, VFW or Lions club. That vision includes people from across the political spectrum. Sadly, small towns don't always live up to their values, but when they do, these are great places to live and raise families.

Maybe the most famous recent song about small midwestern towns is Indiana rocker and rural activist John Mellencamp's "Small Town." Interesting thing about Mellencamp, whom Rolling Stone called an ardent Democrat: his songs tend to get grabbed by conservative politicians to illustrate their "values."

Mellencamp has typically grabbed them back when he finds out--most recently asking John McCain to cease playing the progressive, pro-labor song "Our Country" at rallies. Originally an Edwards supporter, Mellencamp now backs Barack Obama.  That background certainly makes one wonder about the use of "Small Town" in this pro-Davis YouTube slideshow put up by a Davis campaign consultant.

Universal Music Group has disabled the embed on his YouTube of "Small Town," so you'll have to follow this link to watch his own take on the song. Here's another great song about small town life, with Emmy Lou Harris joining the under-appreciated Iris Dement in "Our Town."

 

Saturday afternoon digest: competition edition

The latest Cook Political Report on competitive house races continues to place MN-01 in the least-likely-to-change category, "Likely Democratic." The handicapper defines this category this way: 

"Likely: These seats are not considered competitive at this point but have the potential to become engaged."

Cook updated ratings for two Congressional races on Thursday, as it believes the odds have improved for the Democratic candidates in two seats in Missouri and Alabama.  The assessment for the MN-01 general election has remained unchanged.

Some competition is happening in the First. There's definitely a Republican primary on. LaCrosse CBS affiliate WKBT reports in Minn. State Sen. Dick Day makes push for Congress:

In a visit to Southeastern Minnesota Thursday, Day said his 25 years of experience in politics makes him a good candidate, and he wants to make his campaign about the issues.

Those who slept through geography class  may not know that LaCrosse  is just across the Highway 61 bridge from LaCrescent. Day is not the only one working the edges of the district.

A friend who travels across large swaths of rural Southern Minnesota for his job writes:

On Highway 68 from the Brown County line north through Morgan to Redwood Falls , there are a series of groups of Republican signs. They are every 1-2 miles. They all appear on the same person’s property, namely that of a person that bought the railroad line that runs along the road in that area. Each grouping had Colemen, Davis, a local representative candidate, often McCain in small signs, but most curiously, “Pawlenty for governor” signs. They must think he has coat tails. Likely they went up for Farmfest and were left up.

That is a fair assessment, especially since the Redwood County vote is unlikely to play a key role in either the primary or general election in the First. Our sign watchers in the field also reported another Day sign up in Madelia, in a field next to the Tony Downs food processing plant.

In an interview with ABC-affiliate WXOW in LaCrosse, Day brought up immigration as an issue for the race;  Day's candidacy may get a boost from this meeting in Austin.  As the Divine Tild noted in the waning days of 2007, Day made a run for the border last year as he sought to make immigration the signature issue for the district. The meeting on Monday:

Town Hall meeting on immigration

Oak Park Mall Community Room, 1301 18th Ave. N.W., Austin. 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Panelists are Susan Tully, Midwest field director for Federation for American Immigration Reform; Ruthie Hendrycks, founder/president of Minnesotans Seeking Immigration Reform; Dell Erickson, author and educator; Ron Branstner, minuteman from California.

What looks to be a press release about the event, the Austin Herald's notice of the meeting called the panelists "experts" and today's editorial recommends that people attend it. We want to know where the employees at the Herald are scoring Pineapple Express.

Loyal readers may remember that this is the paper that employs a reporter who contacted a severe case of Davis Misinformation Syndrome that led her to write that Tim Walz had defeated Brian Davis in 2006; in reality, Walz defeated six-term incumbent Gil Gutknecht.

The U.S. State Department's Election 2008 project recently reported on immigration as an issue in Immigration Reform Major Issue in Minnesota Food-Processing City. The reporter noted the positions on immigration of the three congressional candidates in the First:

The candidates for Minnesota’s 1st District congressional seat have varying views. Republican Dick Day, who is challenging the party-endorsed Republican candidate Brian Davis in a September primary, says a fence is the way to go. He also believes in heavy fines for employers if they are found to have hired workers illegally.

Davis also favors a fence and enforcement of existing laws. He says a “tamper-proof system” should be created to determine if employees and people applying for work are legally entitled to work in the United States.

Both Davis and Democrat incumbent Tim Walz favor a system that would allow people in America illegally to return to their home countries and apply for permanent residency. Davis also thinks knowledge of English should be required to obtain U.S. citizenship.

We can't vouch for the accuracy of McConnell's reporting (which is routinely republished by the Newsblaze site in California--where a Davis supporter has already hijacked the story's comment thread to claim that only his candidate favors a border fence). She seems to face enormous challenges when it comes to identifying Congressman Walz, much less his positions on issues (the example above leaves out a lot, including Walz's position on biometric ids).

This isn't the first story in the series that we've wondered about McConnell's misrepresentation through omission. In yesterday's Republican Area in Minnesota Could Go Democratic in November (Newsblaze posting, but attributed to the U.S. State Department project, McConnell reported first:

The majority of visitors who spoke with America.gov at the Olmstead County Fair - an annual celebration of the area's agricultural economy held in Rochester - said they would vote for Obama over Republican John McCain for president.

We like that part. But then she must have burned one, suffered a relapse of Davis Misinformation Syndrome, or both:

Finding alternative energy sources to relieve high gasoline prices and confronting climate change are issues that concern the people surveyed.

Most voters said they believe every individual can do something to protect the environment, such as recycling waste, driving less and using less electricity. They split on the question of whether America should drill for oil off America's coastlines or in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.

Both McCain and Obama favor some form of offshore oil drilling. Brian Davis, the Republican-endorsed candidate for the area's 1st Congressional District seat, strongly favors looking for oil offshore and drilling in Alaska, while 1st District incumbent Representative Tim Walz, a Democrat, favors developing alternative energy sources such as wind and ethanol.

This is the second time the poor child been unable to mention H.R. 6709, which would expand offshore  drilling. Walz and the bipartisan House Energy Working Group introduced the bill at the end of July, so we're not sure why the State Department can't find it in Thomas.  Maybe McConnell scored from the Herald staff when she visited Southern Minnesota.

Former mayor of Preston and an Independence Party congressional candidate in 2004, David Pechulis writes a Letter about Oil Drilling to the editors of the Fillmore County Journal. We're not sure about his claim that refineries are working close to 100 percent of their capacity; most figures we've seen put it between 85 and 90 percent. On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that it was at 85.9 percent of capacity the week before.

In Early Voting, Minnesota First's Apollo suggests that if anyone is up for Operation Chaos action, he or she can find it in the district's Republican primary (we assume he's talking about absentee balloting):

Early voting started last Friday, so if you are going to be away from your precinct on September 9, be sure to go vote. Tim Walz is unopposed in the primary, but if anyone is feeling up for a little Operation Chaos, Dick Day is an inviting option!

While we assume that the MF blogger is teasing, we don't recommend such tactics. People should use their vote in good faith, picking the candidates they feel will best serve the country, state or district.  In Minnesota's open primary, voters pick to vote for a party's candidates, but must pick those from one party  only. And DFLers, after all, have an important U.S. Senate primary vote, so it's also in their own interest not to go down the Operation Chaos path for the sake of the congressional race.

The Winona Daily News editorial board says Sorry, we don’t need reports, just money about the Walz amendment to the bridge bill. We think that both are needed, but the editors' suggestion that the government should act on report recommendations is a good one. The trick is spending the government dime wisely.

The Fillmore County Journal looks back A year after the great Rushford flood.

Swaney gets life sentence, according to the Worthington Globe. Good.  Swaney was convicted this week for the brutal murder of 20-year-old  Blue Mounds State Park worker Carrie Nelson.

Photo: A still of State Senator Dick Day in one of two appearances on Lacrosse-Southeastern Minnesota  television news.

Farmfest congressional forum: background on ag leaders and groups

Our farmer friends (and those who work in ag-related industries) know the in-and-outs of ag policy debates, but often those whose livelihood isn't tied to the land aren't up on the intricacies of the discussion or identities of the players.

Since the questions on Tuesday afternoon's congressional forum at Farmfest will be asked by these folks:

Ag Leader Panel :
* Lynn Ketelsen, Linder Farm Network, Moderator
* Kevin Paap, President, MN Farm Bureau
* Doug Peterson, President, MN Farmer's Union
* Kristin Weeks Duncanson, Vice President, MN Agri-Growth Council
* Roger Moore, President, MN Corn Grower's Assn.
* Lance Peterson, Past-President, MN Soybean Grower's Assn.

We thought it might provide some useful context for Tuesday's congressional to link to biographical info about the ag leaders,as well as policy statements from the organizations they represent--and those of their national organizations for those that are so affiliated. In the order listed on the program:

Kevin Paap, President, MN Farm Bureau

Learn about the MFB's 2008 state and federal legislative priorities here. The group maintains FBACT, a legislative action center that includes links to alerts and other information. 

The state organization is part of the American Farm Bureau; its site includes these  backgrounders on various policy issues. AFB President Tom Stallman will be take part in Wednesday's "Beyond the Farm Bill" forum with Senator Klobuchar and NFU President Tom Buis.

Information about the Minnesota Farm Bureau's tent, pork-chop-on-a-stick booth and other activities is available here. MFB will host a free pancake breakfast for the first 1000 people on Wednesday morning starting at  8 a.m. State history buffs should check out the county-by-county database of Century Farms.

Kevin Papp farms in Blue Earth County.

Doug Peterson, President, MN Farmer's Union

Those who want the MFU's rather extensive policy statement should contact the organization here.

The MFU is part of the National Farmers Union; NFU President Tom Buis will be a panelist on the "Beyond the Farm Bill" forum with Senator Klobuchar and AFB President Tom Stallman on Wednesday.  Buis will be a part of the MFU's  team for the buffalo chip tossing contest later that afternoon.

The Minnesota Farmers Union sponsors the yummy Minnesota Cooks demonstrations at the State Fair, where they'll also be featuring the amazing mocha-on-a-stick frozen treats once again.  At Farmfest, they'll be serving their fresh-roasted Fair Trade Farmers Coffee at their booth just west of the forum tent.

A former state representative,  Doug Peterson farms in Lac qui Parle County.

(Disclosure: I'm a Minnesota Farmers Union member and sit on the by-laws committee.  I have not been on the policy committee nor have I been a voting delegate to recent state conventions.)

Kristin Weeks Duncanson, Vice President, MN Agri-Growth Council

The Minnesota Agri-Growth Council membership  ranges from agribusiness giants like ADM and Monsanto to MNSCU colleges and universities and the U to commodity groups and individuals. Its state legislative agenda can be found here [pdf file].

It bills itself in press releases as:

an advocate for the state’s food and agriculture industry. Founded in 1968, the Council is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that represents the shared interests of its 200-plus members, which include food and agriculture businesses, organizations and producers, as well as the service industries that support them.

A former Boschwitz aide and past MN Soybean Grower director, Duncanson raises kids, grain, and livestock near Mapleton in Blue Earth County; she also serves as the president of SoyPAC.

Roger Moore, President, MN Corn Grower's Assn

Policy statements are available by request. The group promotes profitability for corn farmers and research for corn growing and corn products. Legislative support for and research  into ethanol and other biomass derived from corn is a major emphasis on the site. The group celebrated its 30th year in 2008.

It is an affiliate of the National Corn Growers Association. The group's policy positions can be found here.

Like Papp and Duncanson, Moore lives in the First. He farms nears Blue Earth.

Lance Peterson, Past-President, MN Soybean Grower's Assn 

A Word document of the MSBG's 2008 policy resolutions can be downloaded here and its priority issues--biodiesel, conservation, transportation, livestock and soybean research--can be explored online here. The group describes itself as:

the lobbying arm of the soybean producer. MSGA is a non-profit, farmer-controlled membership organization established in 1962. Its goal is to assure profitable soybean farming by monitoring government policies and supporting research and market development activities.

Headquartered in North Mankato, the MCGA is an affiliate of the American Soybean Association. Its current issues are found here. Peterson farms near Underwood, Minnesota.

Tuesday's forum will mark the first time Congressman Walz, a member of the House Ag Committee, and the Republican primary candidates Senator Dick Day and Brian Davis will meet. House Ag chair Collin Peterson will be paired with his Republican rival Glen Menze, whom Peterson readily defeated in 2000. DFL endorsed candidates Steve Sarvi (MN-02) and El Tinklenberg (MN-06) have confirmed that they will take part; incumbent representatives Kline and Bachmann are not on the schedule at this time.

Curiously, Bachmann does have an exhibitor's booth--next to the 1st and 7th congressional district booth--and her mobile office will be on hand.

In a show of fiscal conservatism, Congressman Walz will be sharing a booth with Representative Peterson.

Photo: A Minnesota farm.

Excerpt from Tim Walz's statement about the bridge collapse

Via the St. Louis Examiner, an AP article about House members statements on bridge anniversary:

Excerpts from statements by Minnesota House members on the first anniversary of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse...

-Rep. Tim Walz Democrat: "Ordinary residents of  Minneapolis displayed extraordinary courage on August 1st. We are here today to note this sad occasion and to remember those whose lives were lost."

Walz: infrastructure safety should be a top priority

A year ago today, a bridge fell into the Mississippi River. Keep the bridge collapse victims, their families, and all of those who pitched in for their rescue in your thoughts and prayers today.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune looks back in One year after: Remembering, rebuilding.

In Our bridges: To do nothing will cost more, Walz speaks to safety:

And Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., who is on the Transportation Committee with Oberstar, said infrastructure safety should be a top priority.

The I-35W bridge collapse and the recent Winona bridge closure are two examples of what is happening across the country, he said.

Image: The Strib offers an interactive map of Minnesota bridges that are "'structurally deficient,' 'functionally obsolete' or have gusset plates like those on the I-35W bridge."

Walz introduces legislation to up vets mileage rate

More action on veterans' needs from Congressman Walz. We received the following press release:

Representatives Walz, Courtney Introduce Legislation to Increase Mileage

Reimbursement Rates for Veterans:
Congressmen say it will make the system fairer for our nation's veterans

(Washington, DC) - Congressmen Tim Walz and Joe Courtney introduced legislation to improve the system the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) uses to compensate veterans for the cost of their travel to and from VA facilities for care. In April, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Walz met with veterans from southern Minnesota, who told them that unfair mileage reimbursement rates were causing economic hardship for our nations veterans.

"Earlier this year, mileage reimbursement increased from 11 cents per mile to 28.5 cents per mile," said Walz. "While a welcome change, that increase hardly matched the increase in gas prices at the pump. Veterans residing in rural areas like my district are hit particularly hard by the cost of commuting long distances to VA facilities and this bill mitigates those costs. Now, more than ever, is it important for us to ensure that it is affordable for our veterans to travel to the VA to receive essential medical care."

"For all they have done for our nation, our veterans deserve the support they need to access the care they have earned," Courtney said.  "Because of long distances to drive to medical appointments at VA facilities across the state, high energy costs have made it extremely difficult for many veterans.  This permanent fix is critical because we cannot leave open the chance that future Congresses may fail to increase the reimbursement each year - that is not a risk I am willing to take.  I am proud to join with my friend and colleague, Tim Walz, in introducing this legislation today."

Currently, veterans are reimbursed for their travel costs at a lower rate than federal employees.  Additionally, current law requires the VA Secretary to raise the deductible that veterans must pay every time the mileage reimbursement rate is increased. The Walz-Courtney legislation  would eliminate the deductible provision and provide a more generous reimbursement program for our veterans.  It would set the mileage reimbursement rate at a level equal to that received by government employees for their official travel; eliminate the deductible veterans must pay; and eliminate income, pension and service-connection restrictions on eligibility, so that more veterans who need VA care would have their travel costs covered. 

Wednesday morning news digest: train wreck edition

It seems like only yesterday--or was that Monday--that  Marcus Piepho, a young Mankato conservative letter writer, recommended that the American oil industry should be celebrated. At the time, we suggested that the Republican National Convention could stage an oil industry appreciation pageant next month in St. Paul.

Looks like the festivities were already underway. Today, the Washington Post reports the The GOP Suffers a New Setback with the indictment of Senator Stevens (R-AK) on charges that he failed to "disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts on his Senate financial disclosure form." The paper notes:

Senate Republicans had planned to spend the week hammering Democrats for not pushing energy legislation allowing for more domestic oil drilling. Yesterday, as Republicans assembled at their political headquarters for a talk about the campaign season ahead, they learned that their most senior colleague had been indicted on corruption charges related to energy executives.

On the op-ed page, Michael Crowley writes:

If the charges announced yesterday are true, the powerful Alaska Republican Ted Stevens will end his four-decade Senate career in a sleazy flameout; the conservative committee baron is accused of concealing more than $250,000 in payments from the oil firm of an Alaska businessman who was allegedly seeking legislative rewards. . . .

. . . Stevens's style of intimidation reached its apex just when it was most welcome. Before Democrats regained power in 2006, the Republican Congress played by Tom DeLay rules, marginalizing Democrats, brooking little dissent and, most saliently, enabling committee chairmen to funnel huge amounts of money to their home states and districts with little opposition -- despite the GOP's stated dedication to fiscal discipline. . . .

The New York Times says Senator Charged in Scheme to Hide Oil Firm Gifts. The Times article provides a link the the Anchorage Daily News detailed look at The Alaska political corruption investigation. Teaser paragraph:

[VECO CEO] Allen pushed legislation that would benefit the oil industry in Alaska, and the charges largely involve his actions regarding a controversial oil industry tax being debated in 2006.  In a telephone call secretly recorded by the FBI in 2006, Allen  tells  Conoco Phillips Alaska chief Jim Bowles how he had then Rep. Pete Kott and then Senate President Ben Stevens - to whom who he later admitted paying bribes - working to stop a version of the tax that the industry didn't like. Conoco Phillips and the other oil producers have said they had no knowledge of any illegal acts by Veco.

Go read the details: look like there wasn't too much to celebrate. The DFL has called upon Senator Coleman to divest his campaign of VECO cash.

Speaking of train wrecks, more details are available about the Houston County ICE/DM & E train derailment. Although earlier reports had railcars in the Mississippi River, more recent reports place the wreckage in the Reno Bottoms. The Winona Daily News reports that it's unclear whether the wooden railroad bridge over which the train was traveling failed and caused the accident, or if the accident damaged the bridge.

The WaPo notes that Bush Signs Massive Housing Relief Bill.

CQ Politics reports Obama Meets With House Dems. The Democratic Presidential candidate told House members to:

emphasize, “Not larger government, but responsible government, honest government and efficient government.’’

Senate and House Leadership are cautioning against overconfidence:

Democratic Senate and House campaign leaders, who expect the party to pick up seats in both houses in November, are warning Democrats against over-confidence as they head into the fall campaign. Christopher Carney , D-Pa., said Democrats aren’t overconfident.

“Most people in the caucus are pretty smart. They read the polls, They see what’s ahead. And I think Senator Obama knows he’s got a lot of work ahead of him. This is not put away by any means,” Carney said.

Some of the work to be done: con bloggers are making much of McCain's most recent attack on Obama. The WaPo headline is blunt: McCain's Charge Lacks Evidence.

The National Rifle Association | Political Victory Fund republishes an article that urges support for pro-gun rights legislators such as Tim Walz.

In national political news closer to home, Minnesota's open House seat turns up in the CQ Politics report, Top 10: Democrats’ Cash Domination Extends to Open-Seat Races. DFLer Ashwin Madia is number ten. The lead:

Here’s another reason the Democrats probably will gain ground in the House of Representatives this year: of the 35 House districts where incumbents are not running this November, 28 are held by Republicans. Given the GOP’s strong defensive crouch, it may not be surprising that Democratic candidates dominate the roster of best-funded candidates for open seats — a key finding of a CQ Politics analysis of recently filed campaign finance reports.

Using campaign cash-on-hand at the end of June as the measuring criterion, seven of the 10 best-funded House candidates in open-seat contests are Democrats. The party’s edge is even more pronounced when you consider that the three Republicans on this list are seeking Republican-held seats, so their victories would not help the Republicans come any closer to overturning the current 236-199 Democratic majority. By contrast, six of the seven Democrats on this list are seeking seats that Republican incumbents are leaving open; Democratic victories in one or more of those six seats would help the party augment its majority.

The 10 best-funded open-seat House candidates are profiled below. Please click here for a chart that includes a longer catalog of candidates. All figures are current to June 30.

One important point to note is that while Madia raised more money than GOP-endorsed conservative candidate Erik Paulsen in Q2 2008, Paulsen maintains a cash-on-hand advantage. At the end of June, Paulsen had $1.1 million cash on hand, with Madia's campaign bank account clocking in at $738,000.

By way of contrast in the First, the Walz campaign $1.2 million on hand and no debt, while Davis had banked $376,718. The Davis campaign owed vendors over $19,000, as well as $124,000 the doctor loaned to his campaign for the cycle (pledging $385,000 in real estate as collateral for the $100,000 he loaned his committee at the end of June). Senator Day's campaign had $44,877 on hand; he loaned his campaign $23,000 in 2007.

It's important that those who support Congressman Walz not grow complacent, since it's likely that the  RPM, the NRCC, and their allies will throw more horse apples into the mix. Readers can help Congressman Walz's campaign by contributing here and signing up to volunteer here.

Photos: Above: Reno (MN) train wreck (Winona Daily News);  Below: Congressman Walz.

A splash from the past?: ethanol railroad tank cars fall into Mississippi River

Update Wednesday, July 30: The Winona Daily news provides a more accurate update on the wreck in Train carrying ethanol comes off the tracks in Reno. Reno, Minnesota, is just north of the Iowa border in Houston County. [end update]

This morning, a Twin Cities blogger wondered why the PiPress didn't name the rail company which experienced a derailment on tracks along the Mississippi River.  The Rochester Post Bulletin wasn't so stoic:

Minnesota Highway 26 between Brownsville and New Albin, Iowa, is closed because of the derailment of 20 cars of an Iowa, Chicago & Eastern train.

The Houston County Sheriff's Department said the derailment was reported at 5:22 a.m. There are no known injuries, the department reported, and traffic is being detoured around the area.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation says at least one of the cars is carrying alcohol and 20 are in the Mississippi River. A hazardous materials team is enroute to the scene, MnDOT said.

The Iowa, Chicago & Eastern is part of the DM & E railroad. A November 2006 DM & E derailment near Courtland caused Highway 68 to be closed while an ethanol spill was cleaned up.

The controversy over a $2.3 billion loan for the DM & E railroad to upgrade its track in order to run up to 34 mile-long coal trains each day was an important issue in the 2006 MN-01 congressional race. The Mayo Clinic and Rochester Coalition opposed the expansion over safety and quality-of -life issues. The loan was turned down by the federal government in late February 2007 when a reviewer determined that the railroad was not a good credit risk for such a large amount.

The DM & E was soon acquired by the Canadian Pacific Rail. Plans for the upgrade are continuing. In May 2008, the Rochester Coalition and the Mayo Clinic raised questions about  the amount of ethanol that the railroad planned to ship through Rochester.

The Post Bulletin published a letter from the Track the Truth grassroots committee on July 11, 2008, DM&E isn't sitting still, and Rochester can't afford to, either.

Even more transportation news: Albert Lea city council favors I-35 passenger rail

KAAL-TV reports  the Albert Lea City Council [is] in Favor of Rail Line. There's video at the link. The story:

Albert Lea city officials have cast their votes in favor of a rail line to Minneapolis.

The council unanimously agreed they want a high-speed rail line between their city and Minneapolis.

Earlier this month, Freeborn County commissioners also voted unanimously in favor of the rail.

It’s the first county along Interstate 35 to give the go-ahead to the idea.

They hope more counties will follow suit.

Freeborn County leaders already met with congressmen Tim Walz and Jim Oberstar about the plan.

Oberstar is the chair of the House Transportation Committee.

Photo:  Albert Lea' s train depot in 1917. Swiped from the MSHS.

North Mankato MNDOT meeting: media coverage

Mankato Free Press, KEYC and the New Ulm Journal covered yesterday's meeting about MNDOT's plans. The MFP reports in MnDOT plan heavy on maintanence: Projects put on back burner:

State transportation department officials were short of chairs and short of cash to meet the demand they found at a public hearing to discuss a new 20-year highway funding plan.

Staff at the Best Western in North Mankato fixed the chair problem by bringing more seating to supplement the 120 chairs already filled.

A solution to the money problem wasn’t as easy to find. Minnesota Department of Transportation leaders showed slides to area city and county officials, slides filled with numbers that suggested virtually all of the new money from a rising gas tax would be consumed by inflation, bridge repairs and preservation of existing highways.

“It clearly shows that we don’t have enough funding for these major projects in the next 10 years, probably not the next 20 years,” said Lisa Bigham, the planning director for MnDOT’s Mankato-based District 7.

The response to that, at least from many of the southern Minnesotans who spoke at the meeting, was simple: Then you need to reprioritize.

Read the rest at the Free Press. The paper's editorial board concludes in Confidence in MnDOT is lacking:

If there was ever justification to create a massive infrastructure repair program on Minnesota’s bridges and roads, it seems one year after the biggest infrastructure disaster in the state would be a good time.

KEYC-TV covered the meeting in Area Road Projects Could Be Missing Out. Go over and watch the video clip.

The New Ulm Journal reports in Plans for highways:

. . .The part of the plan that stuck in the craw of most people at the meeting was the Highway Department's $2.5 billion allocation to repair of replace 120 structure critical bridges by 2018.

The Highway Department stated that a Legislative Audit finding was "to meet its 'preservation first' commitment. Virtually all trunk highway construction funds will need to be directed to preservation projects."

Rep. Terry Morrow, D-St. Peter, disagreed.

"Putting all this money into bridges wasn't the intent of House File 2800, (the transportation finance bill that appropriated money for highway maintenance, debt service, local roads, emergency relief funds for the I-35W bridge collapse, establishing a trunk highway improvement program and requiring a study of value capture to reduce public costs of large transportation infrastructure investment...). . . .

Read the whole article at the Journal. It editorial board says in Greater road risks, fewer road funds:

Urban roads may be more crowded, but more deaths occur on the lonely country road. Which makes it hard to fathom why the Minnesota Department of Transportation continues to push rural roads down on its list of priorities. . . .

. . .MnDOT's formula is not serving rural Minnesota well, and should be changed.

It's great to see citizens coming out to public meetings like this.

Photo: In early April, Congressman Walz and the Highway 14 Partnership gathered at an intersection of the road west of Mankato to talk about the press need to improve the highway. Photo from the Mankato Free Press article covering the event.