A Bluestem Prairie

Austin Daily Herald: DFL candidate says Austin ‘critical' in bid

DFL candidate says Austin ‘critical' in bid                                      

By Bryan Clapper/Austin Daily Herald

Mankato schoolteacher Tim Walz has been hitting the road to raise support for his campaign to unseat six-term Republican U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht, putting on 85,000 miles driving around the 1st Congressional District in the process.

Walz visited Austin Wednesday, calling the city “critical” in his bid.                                     

“It's traditionally been a Democratic stronghold, (but) we need to do better than just a stronghold down here,” Walz said.

So far, the hard work has paid off for the campaign, Walz said, noting he equally matched Gutknecht in fund raising in the previous quarter.

“We're speaking true populism: solve the issues here, put the partisanship aside,” Walz said.

Walz is a retired National Guardsman who served in a support capacity in Italy during Operation Enduring Freedom. He retired as a command sergeant major after 24 years in the National Guard. Walz now teaches geography and youth service learning in Mankato.

“When you're teaching geography in April and running for Congress now, that's a pretty big jump,” Walz said. “I quite honestly never expected to be running for Congress, but when I was approached about a year and a half ago, a group of people said, ‘Well maybe not, but you're exactly the type of person who needs to be in Congress.'”

The first-time political candidate calls himself a moderate Democrat who supports gun-owners' rights and says he is fiscally conservative.

“I think government's an extension of what we can do together, but I'm also a realist,” Walz said.

The incumbent, Gutknecht, has been in the House since 1994, and won re-election in 2004 with nearly 60 percent of the vote. And while Walz outraised Gutknecht in the first quarter of this year and equally matched him in the second, Gutknecht's cash on hand coming into 2006 leaves him with a three-to-one cash advantage.

                                    

Afternoon delights--and a debate challenge

No doubt about it: the congressional race in Minnesota's Fighting First is sizzling. It's 92 degrees in Mankato right now, according to the Free Press's front page, with a possible 101 forecast.

The Free Press has published another round of letters. The Noah Palm letter  and Jim Gurley letter mentioned here over the weekend are online now.

In today's paper, Mindy Bartell writes:

Republicans unfairly trash military records

I’m writing in response to the attempted “swiftboating” of Tim Walz’s military service in the Your View letter by Major Walter Gates on July 22nd. Tim Walz’s military record has never been a secret. His campaign literature is clear. Mr. Walz served our country for 24 years in the Army National Guard. He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to Italy where he served doing the supply lines between Turkey and England, and providing base security and training for soldiers on their way to Afghanistan

The Republican Party has used this tactic of questioning someone’s honorable military service to assassinate their character in the past couple of elections on Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and former Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia. In both cases the information put forth was proved to be lies and misinformation.

It’s sad that there are people who are serving in our military that are willing to unfairly trash a fellow soldier’s record for political means.

Mindy Bartell

North Mankato

It's said that those who point fingers get four pointed back at them.  So it is with Jack Halverson, who--after thanking Tim Walz, Major Gates, and all American troops for their service-- wonders a bit about Gil Gutknecht's ratings by some veterans' groups:

Web site raises questions in Congressional race

In a recent letter to the editor, a reader expressed a desire to find out deployment information of Tim Walz, candidate for Congress in the 1st District. Numerous newspaper articles and Tim himself have included the specifics of that deployment to Italy — a year he spent away from his wife, daughter and his job as a classroom teacher. I would like to express my gratitude for Tim’s sacrifice. I also want to express my gratitude to the letter writer, currently serving in the military, and to thousands like him for their sacrifices. Our country owes them and all veterans our most sincere thanks and support.

But, like the letter writer, I have a question to which I would like an answer. What has Tim’s opponent (not) done to earn the 33 percent approval rating of the Retired Enlisted Association in 2004, and the 20 percent approval of the Disabled American Veterans in 2005 (a huge jump from the 0 percent he earned from the same group in 2004), according to www.Vote-smart.org? 

Jack Halverson
Mankato

Over at Minnesota Campaign Report, read all about Walz's challenge to debate Iraq policy with Gil Gutknecht. MnCR notes:

Keep watching for how quickly Gutknecht responds  to this call for debate.  If he responds too quickly, it makes him look desperate.  If he waits too long, it makes him look like he’s stonewalling the voters of CD1.  Debates are always a tense little tango between opposing campaigns.  Nevertheless, it is good to see Team Walz taking the initiative and forcing Gutknecht to play the game on Walz’s home court.

On Saturday, Power Liberal observed that "Blue Stem Prairie is gracious enough to note the coverage of the first in this week's blog house without mentioning the fact that they should probably have been included." 

That's mighty kind, but we didn't mind. Other blogs did the thinking, I did the linking. If you can make it to Club 331 in Minneapolis, help rew and The Wege supply another rhyme Thursday.

A morning cuppa Joe and more

An Eye Opener
Over at Minnesota Campaign Report, Joe Bodell reflects on the source and history of quotations found on Wobbly Gil's campaign page. The skinny: Gilbert needs to get real about issues and his actual opponent, Tim Walz:

None of these quotes are taken from his opponent in the upcoming, Tim Walz. If a Congressman is running against a challenger, should not the debate be taking place on the basis of the issues that the candidates take positions on? Of course the war is an issue, but the difference here is that Walz has real-world experience in the military and a realistic worldview to contrast against Gil Gutknecht’s cheesy attempt to use connective logic to smear all Democrats, and by extension, his opponent. I wonder out loud when Mr. Gutknecht will engage in a real debate with Tim Walz on the merits of the war his Dear Leader started.

Another Prairie Companion
Rochester's Michael Wojcik, at siouxnami's blog, loves UND hockey but doesn't care much for Gil Gutknecht.

"Hat Trick"
Via Polinaut, an article in the Washington Post about D M & E. DM & E's exec Kevin Schieffer mentions the "hat trick" of hauling corn and coal to ethanol plants, then carrying away the ethanol. 

With nearly 1000 farmers and investors signed up, Heron Lake's new ethanol plant is scheduled to be fired by coal (a response to soaring natural gas prices). More on the new-generation of coal-fired ethanol plants from the Christian Science Monitor.

The Proud Liberal (a South Dakota blog) points out that the project involves the use of eminent domain, something of a hot topic since Kelo.

Farmfest Congressional Forum Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 1:30 p.m.
The problems with DM &E are centered in Rochester, while business and civic leaders elsewhere in the district have favored the project. Both Gutknecht and Walz have been accused of focusing too much on the Mayo controversy and both should expect to take tough questions at tomorrow's Farmfest candidates' forum at 1:30 p.m. The forum will include candidates from Minnesota's other agricultural districts.

The U.S. Senate candidate forum will take place earlier tomorrow (August 1) at 10:30 a.m. The gubernatorial candidates forum  will be on Wednesday, August 2 at 10:30 a.m.

Weather forecasters predict that the heatwave will break by Tuesday, with temperatures in the Redwood Falls area to hit the upper 80s. Those who can should travel to the historic Gilfillan farm and  take in some pastoral pleasures with their democracy.

There may be a storm or two.

Bluestem Prairie's Act Blue page

It's a pretty lazy day out here on the parched and wind-swept prairie, so I've created an Act Blue contribution site for Bluestem Prairie visitors.

So far, there's just one candidate on it, though that will probably change. Go drop some coin on the drum.

Sunday morning around the First

Another letter in the Winona Daily News:

Your views: Health care reform is overdue
By Hans Madland Winona

In his July 25 letter, Herbert Peter claims that Tim Walz is in favor of “socialized medicine.” That old bugaboo deserves to be challenged. For years we have been told that any effort to change our health care system is “socialist.”

Let’s consider the facts. The CIA World Factbook of 2005 is a good place to start. Of every 1,000 live births, six die in the first year in our country. In Great Britain five die. In Germany four die. In Canada five die. In 1996, our infant mortality ranked us 26th among industrialized countries — in 2005, our rank has slid to 36th. This is a shameful trend.

One might come to the conclusion that other countries spend a lot more than we do on health care, thereby explaining our high infant mortality rate. That would be wrong. In fact, our per-capita health spending is more than twice what the next highest country spends. In other words, we spend more and get less.

Change is difficult and throwing political labels at a problem is not helpful. We simply need to recognize that our health system is inefficient. It is a drag on our economic growth, and it has social and moral consequences that must be confronted. It’s time to quit the political name-calling and get on with fixing our broken health care system.

Scott Urban's letter in the Mankato Free Press praises area DFL candidates, including Tim Walz. A taste:

Throughout our nation’s history, forward-looking liberal Americans have fought to defend and advance the rights, freedoms and liberties of all Americans. This month, let us celebrate the candidacies of Command Sergeant Major Tim Walz, Saint Peter School Board Chairman Terry Morrow, nurse and community activist Kathy Sheran, and Mankato School Board Chairwoman Kathy Brynaert. Their passionate commitment to public service is unquestioned and their unyielding dedication to our progressive Minnesota values is an inspiration.

OLLIE OX UPDATE (6:19 p.m.): Vox Verax reprinted Mankato Free Press another letter to the editor (source unnamed but I think it's from the Rochester paper) in which the writer points out that travel to China with students (via the Walz's company) isn't the same as trips to 5-star resorts paid by special interests. (Thanks to Vox Verax for clarifying the source).

What's clear in the First is the number of attacks against Walz that are distractions from issues of policy and integrity. Pretty transparent material. Back to our regular morning post.

Vox Verax: On Tim Walz's military record

Vox Verax posts two letters about Tim Walz's military record that were published in the Mankato Free Press today:

Open debate, clear understanding critical

On Saturday The Free Press printed a letter which implied I embellished my military record. The details of my record can be easily found in numerous articles by The Free Press and other newspapers. Therefore, I must assume that the letter is meant to slander my good name.

For the record, I served 24 years in the Army National Guard and retired as a command sergeant major in May of 2005. I served in three NATO training missions to the Arctic and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, serving in Italy in 2003-2004.

Last week my opponent admitted his inability to understand issues of national security when he did an about face and publicly acknowledged two things I’ve been saying all along — Baghdad is a mess and the information coming out of this administration is unreliable.

Open debate and a clear understanding of who the candidates are is critical in ensuring we have the most representative and honest government possible. Using innuendo to defame a candidate’s character has no place in this debate. This nation must do better because we have too many important issues facing us to do anything less.

Tim Walz
Candidate for 1st Congressional District
D-Mankato

Walz a man whose life has been about service

This is in response to the letter from a Major Walter Gates in the July 22 Free Press, in which he questions the character of Tim Walz.

I want Major Gates and Karl Rove to know that the voters of southern Minnesota are getting to know Tim Walz, and we like what we see. We see a man who served his country for 24 years in the Army National Guard, a man who tells it like it is, who talks straight with us and who does not play political games with the truth.

We see a man whose entire life has been about service. Service to the young men he has trained and worked with for decades in the Guard. Service to his students at the high school. Service to the young athletes he has coached. And now, service to his country again, making the sacrifice to run for office and do his best to represent us in southern Minnesota.

Tim is a humble man and a true human being. He is a man I will be proud to cast my vote for in November.

Jim Gurley
Winona

For a review of Tim Walz's public statements about his service record, see our earlier post.

ATR Heroes: Say What?

Just as Gil Gutknecht, man of ideas, was confused about the gender of candidates that Emily's List supports* (hint: they're the ones given pink booties), Grover Norquist's ATR doesn't seem to know who Gil's opponent is.

Under "Take Action," the Norquista can learn that Wobbly Gil's "major opponent" is Leigh Pomeroy.  Great field intelligence--for 2004.

Other fascinating tidbits of information are Wobbly Gil's 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 PAC contributors. most interesting is the $1000 contribution from the Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation Employee Political Action Committee in 2003-2004 election cycle, which was apparently returned in the 2005-2006 cycle.

Question: according to FEC record for the Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation Employee Political Action Committee, Gutknecht's campaign committee received this tobacco PAC contribution on March 11, 2004 (2003-2004 election cycle) and returned it on May 31, 2005 (2005-2006 election cycle).  In between those dates, voters in MN-1 did go to the polls.

Breaking a promise or an oversight? A judgement call, I guess.

A complete list of Representative Gutknecht's FEC filings, in reverse chronological order, is found here.

The Blog House: Gutknecht vs. Walz

In The Blog House, the Star Tribune's Tim O'Brien notes how Minnesota's netroots have helped change perception of the congressional race in Minnesota's Fighting First:

Gutknecht vs. Walz

On paper, this race shouldn't be as close as it apparently is. Granted, Tim Walz -- a Mankato teacher and coach who served in Iraq in 2005 with his National Guard unit -- is an attractive candidate, but he is facing a six-term incumbent who hasn't received less than 60 percent of the vote since 2000.

OLLIE OX  7/28 UPDATE:  A Navy veteran active in the DFL Veterans Caucus emailed us a note about Tim O-Brien's misinformation about Walz's military service. Good catch. The Strib's O'Brien gets paid, and should know enough to fact check. Tim Walz served with his battalion in Italy in support of troops in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom).  Back to the Blog House:

But things got a little strange. MnPublius (3) reported that "A very credible source ... 'Was talking to a Canadian MP last night, who said that he met Gutknecht last week at some conference, and that Gil told him, "I have a real fight on my hands right now, I might not be seeing you at this time next year..." ' "

Then, after a trip to Iraq, Gutknecht told the Washington Post that conditions in Baghdad were far worse "than we'd been led to believe" and called for immediate troop withdrawals. Combine that with Walz's impressive fundraising, and you have a competitive race.

Gutknecht's change of heart was just crying out for Lapis' response at Broken Nails (4). "What was that? Flip Floppers? Surely, those must be Democrats! That is the favorite term GOPers have for Dems. That and cut-and-run ... Yep, Cut and Run Democrats! But wait ... It isn't a Democrat at all! It's Gil Gutknecht!"

Mr. Sponge at Minvolved (5) said that Gutknecht's change of heart was an attempt at political survival. "Gil is losing the race for Minnesota's 1st CD. We believe that Mr. Gutknecht has conducted internal polling that told him not only did he need to begin talking about Iraq, but that he needed to adopt a stance that is further away from the President's position than anything else that he had previously expressed."

Gutknecht Backtracks On Iraq?

In the latest edition of Gil Gutknecht's "E-Line" newsletter, produced by his House office, Gil opens by detailing his latest concerns about the situation in Iraq:

On Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki spoke to Congress. He made clear that Iraq is the pivot point in the worldwide war against those who would use terror to enslave freedom-loving people.

His closing, " Iraq will become the graveyard of terrorism" will be remembered for years. We all hope and pray that his prophecy comes true.

Is Gutknecht backing off from his previous criticism of the situation in Iraq? It certainly sounds like it.

To be fair, Gutknecht follows this with an almost unbelieveably weak attempt to hold on to his credibility:

Obviously, I wish that the Prime Minister had offered to shoulder a larger share of the burden of securing Baghdad. But, I do understand that the new strategy will involve principally Iraqi units with small numbers of US Special forces imbedded. This will be welcome news.

But Gutknecht then undermines this shaky attempt to maintain his credibility on Iraq by linking to an article which belittles the dangers our soldiers face in Baghdad, the very city Gutknecht believes requires more security:

For a soldier, ducking a sniper's bullet in downtown Baghdad is all in a day's work, no matter how alarming it looks on television. The soldier will shrug it off and walk the same streets the next day if he believes in his mission. The key for Bush is to communicate that same sense of mission to the people back home.

Last week's statements on Iraq from Gil made national headlines. But as we've seen more and more since then, Gil's comments upon returning from Iraq were really nothing more than a media stunt. He's the same old Gil, utterly blind to the realities of the situation in Iraq.

PiPress: "other scary things"

The Pioneer Press editorial makes a point about Wobbly Gil's conversion, under a larger headline: "On zombies, gators, taxes and other scary things:

EVERYTHING'S (R)ELATIVE

U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht, a Republican seeking re-election in southern Minnesota, went to Iraq this month and returned with a sobering assessment. He praised the troops but said the situation in Baghdad is worse than it was three years ago.

He questioned the "spin'' from the Pentagon on the extent of the insurgency. He said he believes Americans are starting to lose faith in the war. He said he believes some U.S. forces should be withdrawn to show the Iraqis that they can't rely on the U.S. military forever.

These are unusual comments from a Republican who has supported President Bush. Similar comments from Democrats in Congress have prompted criticism from Bush aide Karl Rove that these war critics want to "cut and run.'' But when Bush's spokesman, Tony Snow, was asked about Gutknecht's criticism last week, and whether that amounted to a "cut and run'' attitude, Snow said: "No, he's expressing his opinion.''

Which shows: that partisanship and war are a toxic brew. That flag-wavers like Rove are rarely uniform-wearers. That defenses and criticism of U.S. policy are equally patriotic.

And that Gutknecht is, as we said, running for re-election.

This observation has by now become a commonplace in Left Blogisota. Scary, but true.

Kenneth Ramage: Tragedy on the campaign trail

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kenneth Ramage and his family:

Rochester teen wanted to make a difference

As Kenneth Ramage grew into his late teens, he craved knowledge about politics.

Even before he could vote, he sifted through political candidates' agendas, vowing to support those with his own ideals and values. He scoured newspapers and watched political TV shows with similar motives.

Ramage, 18, of Rochester, was riding his bike to a meeting with Rep. Andy Welti, DFL-Plainview, when he was hit by a vehicle on Hwy. 52 near Rochester. He died Thursday at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.

Ramage was a volunteer for the legislator's campaign.

He went door to door Wednesday, handing out campaign literature, then headed out on his bike to meet with Welti in Marion, southeast of Rochester.

Welti said Ramage was crossing Hwy. 52 when he was hit near a gas station.

"Kenneth was a wonderful young man whose goal in life was to leave a positive difference in the lives of the people he met," Welti said in a statement.

"I am deeply saddened by this and ask that you keep Kenneth's family in your thoughts and prayers."

Ramage's father, Timothy, said his youngest son had drive beyond his years. On the day Kenneth Ramage turned 18, he was eager to donate blood. Volunteering at a food shelf with his mom gave him a sense of satisfaction, but the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and Hurricane Katrina inspired him to major in emergency management at North Dakota State University in Fargo, where he would have started classes this the fall.

          [snip]

Ramage's father said knowing his son died helping someone is a bittersweet irony but also exemplifies who he was.

"He was a kid that would get involved and wanted to make a real difference," Timothy Ramage said.

OLLIE OX UPDATE: I've bumped this sad news to the top. Be safe, all campaign workers from every party who are in the field this weekend.

Christian Science Monitor: Endgame in Iraq? A six-month equation

Jeffrey Shaffer at the Christian Science Monitor explores the reasons for using the "six month equation" for talking about the war in Iraq:

Here's an Iraq war math problem: What do you get by adding "timetable for pulling our troops out" to "staying as long as it takes?" To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure how anyone would make such a calculation. But if you guessed the answer is six months, you'd be in agreement with a number of high-ranking officials.

The six-month time frame is like a political pressure-release valve that helps keep public debate about US policy from building up to explosive levels. . . .

His commentary puts Wobbly Gil's recent conversion experience in context:

Using the six-month gambit to keep morale from slipping during wartime isn't a new tactic. In a brilliant memoir entitled "Those Who Fall," World War II aviator John Muirhead recalled a visit from an intelligence officer who exhorted the squad of B-17 pilots to improve their bombing by saying, "Keep your formation tight. Hit your aiming point. Be sure and pick up your IP, clean and fast. You do that, gentlemen, and you'll shorten the war by six months."

So I wasn't surprised to see a story in the July 20 issue of The Washington Post that included a quote from Minnesota Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R), a onetime backer of the war. He now favors a partial troop withdrawal as a way of prodding the Iraqi government. "If we don't take the training wheels off," Mr. Gutknecht said, "we will be in the same place in six months that we're in today."

All of which brings up this question: How many of these six-month units can we keep adding to the Iraq timeline? I know that's another tough calculation. Does anyone want to take a wild guess?

Friday morning around the First

New Ulm Journal
Both Walz and Gutknecht get criticized by western district leaders for focusing only on the Rochester controversy in the DM& E matter. Article here.

Kids these days: another myspace journal
We've noticed a number of myspace blog entries about Tim Walz.  Here's one from a former student now living in Minneapolis.  More netroots?

Snark Contest
The Wege may be back, but he'll have a hard time keeping his crown as the state's snarkiest progressive blogger.

Evil Bobby spanks a local conservative blogger in Rochester.

Capitol Letters
The Rochester Post-Bulletin may keep most of its content behind a subscription firewall, but it does maintain several journalist blogs.  Capitol Letters picks up the on White House press conference where Gil's name came up. Scroll down to June and read a Gutknecht statement on progress on Iraq.

Vox Verax: Replace the orchestra

Vox Verax looks at whether the planet is better now than six years ago in "The planet burns while George Bush fiddles; But if we can't replace the fiddler, we must replace the orchestra."

After reviewing the issue of climate change, Vox Verax has a suggestion:

Surely, no rational person can say that the planet is appreciably better off now than it was six years ago. Blame can be attributed to many sources, most visibly the principal fiddler, Mr. Bush. But blame is not where we should be putting our energies, especially when that fiddler has another two and a half years on his contract. Instead, our energies should be spent working for positive change — change that can be manifest in the November elections.

Right now Mr. Bush and his orchestra are badly out of tune. If the screeching of misplayed notes were merely harmful to our ears, that would be bad enough. But this orchestra and its conductor are harmful to lives not only in the U.S. but around the planet.

There is only one solution: It's time for all Americans to tear up this orchestra's contract, select better, more accomplished musicians, and call for a newer, sweeter tune.

They get letters at the Winona Daily News. Here's another one--about the Tim Walz fundraiser attended by 900 people. Olga Draskoci-Johnson likes Tim Walz's tune:

Listen to what Walz has to say

By Olga Draskoci-Johnson / Winona

First, thanks to Sarah Dixen for her letter, quoting Al Franken correctly. I agree that the misquotation is much different from what he said. Perhaps Don Eger would not agree, but his letter seemed to be based on the misquotation, not the truth. Surely he would agree it’s important to scold people or put them down only for what they actually say.

I would guess Mr. Eger did not attend Tim Walz’s fundraiser. If he had, he would have heard both Al and Tim talk about their shared moral and social values: being just, good, and compassionate; their stands for health care for all, public education, support for veterans and Social Security and their stands against the huge deficit we are leaving to our children, this senseless war the Bush Administration has gotten us into, and the war profiteering associated with it — values shared by millions (most?) of Americans. Yes, there were jokes and laughter, but mostly there was talk of serious issues that affect our country, and our world.

If Mr. Eger had attended, he could have rationally explained to the Winona community exactly what he disagreed with and why they should continue to support this administration. As it is, he can only insult 900 people — “I can’t believe any intelligent person would pay $15 to listen to such garbage.”

I agree with Mr. Eger that it is time to put our heads together to fight terrorism, though we might not agree on what should be done. I also believe terrorism is not the only thing that is threatening to destroy our way of life: allowing our government to trample on our constitution; forgetting that “the system of balances and checks is the cornerstone of our democracy” (to quote Al Franken) could accomplish that as well.

Mr. Eger, next time you get a chance, I suggest you might want to attend a Tim Walz event and listen carefully to what he has to say. Who knows, you might be surprised. If nothing else, come November, you will know exactly what you are not voting for.

MnCR: Continuation of Gutknecht-Altria, expanded edition

Over at MnCR, Joe Bodell supplies the important link missing from the DFL press release:

Ahh, I see how this works.  In some circles, this is called money laundering.  This article from way back in 1998, when Altria didn’t own Philip Morris (and, come to think of it, may not have been called Altria), highlights the financial arrangements between tobacco company PACS and those of their sibling companies within the larger conglomeration. It also shows that Gil did accept money from those sibling PACS during the 96-98 cycle.

“You don’t really want to be associated with an industry that consistently lied to Congress and the American people,” said Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio), who stopped accepting tobacco contributions after being tapped to oversee anti-smoking legislation in the House.

Yet when Pryce and Dunn were hosts to 700 people for the Republican Women’s Leadership Forum here last week, they relied on tobacco to help foot the bill. Kraft donated $ 25,000, UST Inc. — which owns the U.S. Tobacco Co. — gave $ 5,000 and its subsidiary Chateau Ste. Michele, a Washington state winery, donated $ 5,000 worth of wine.

Federal Election Commission records show that Philip Morris transfers far more money into the Kraft and Miller PACs than it receives from executives of those two subsidiaries. Last year, for example, the Philip Morris PAC received a little more than $ 13,000 from Kraft executives but sent $ 37,000 to Kraft, which then doled it out to politicians. Miller executives gave a little more than $ 8,000 to the Philip Morris PAC, but nearly $ 15,000 was transferred to the Miller PAC.

I won’t take issue with the donation of wine in and of itself - that’s pretty awesome, and CSM is a pretty good winery. But just because the money looks clean doesn’t mean it’s not wearing makeup. Scratch beneath the surface just a bit, and the dirty, moldy core is exposed.

Now of course, we can’t prove that those $1,500 are among those tranferred from tobacco subsidiaries to non-tobacco subsidiaries for the purpose of political donations. But isn’t that the point of money laundering? As I updated in the previous post, if I were in Mr. Gutknecht’s position, I would be avoiding donations from companies such as Altria like the plague, simply because of the appearance of wrongdoing. But the lack of current proof shouldn’t stop us from continuing to look for it - and I will.

So let’s help Tim Walz make up that $1,500 in “clean”, “not-from-tobacco” money.  Remember to add $0.51 (or subtract $0.49), so they know.

MnCR has launched a worthy project; if you have some spare coin for Tim Walz, follow the instructions above.  Since MnCR took the lead on this idea, please add  $0.51 or subtract $0.49 so that the campaign will know who inspired your generosity.

The full 1998 WaPo article digested  by the anti-smoking organization is still availble online here:  "Big Tobacco Filters Into Campaign Coffers" (Washington Post, May 8, 1998).

A couple more pieces in the puzzle.

First,  a Gutknecht staff member's explanation to the Star Tribune of why the contributions aren't tobacco money:

Common Cause, a government watchdog group, said the tobacco industry's Minnesota lobby - spending as much as $ 2.4 million from 1994 to 1996 alone - has been so effective that the state's rate of taxing tobacco products slipped from the highest in the nation in 1991 to 17th last year.

During the first 15 months of this election cycle, the industry contributed more than $ 4.4 million to federal candidates and national parties. (During the 1995-96 election cycle, Philip Morris gave more than $ 4.2 million in campaign contributions, making it the single largest donor in the country.)

The figures are even more impressive considering that many in Congress refuse to accept tobacco money.   .  .  . Gil Gutknecht, R-Minn., accepts donations from non-tobacco subsidiaries such as Philip Morris' Kraft Foods. Kraft "does a lot of business in his district," Gutknecht's spokesman said. (Star Tribune, June 21, 1998, Metro Edition)

In light of the Washington Post investigative article, this explanation seems wanting. And Gutknecht also was flagged by the Star Tribune as getting tobacco money channeled through a committee seeking support for another issue:
 

News and views from around MN-1

A Mankato resident responds to the Major Walter Gates' letter: Letter writer impugned Tim Walz's character

I was wondering when the Republicans would start “swift boating” Tim Walz, the DFL candidate for Congress in southern Minnesota. Now in Saturday’s Free Press Wally Gates has a letter implying that Walz has lied about his service overseas with the Army National Guard.

Tim Walz has never lied about his service. I have heard him speak several times, and he always explains that the battalion he led was sent to Italy during Operation Enduring Freedom to provide support to the U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan. He served overseas for 10 months in 2003-2004. Walz’s web page (www.timwalz.org) simply says he served 24 years in the Army National Guard, and “prior to retiring, Walz served overseas with his battalion in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.” Yet Wally Gates says that Walz “strongly suggests that he fought in Iraq or Afghanistan.” Neither the web page nor the candidate has ever suggested that, and it is underhanded and mean-spirited for the Republicans to impugn Walz’s character. Readers who want the truth should go to www.timwalz.org, click on “About,” and read Tim’s biography - it’s very impressive, as Mr. Gates admits in his letter.

James Manahan

Mankato

Is Major Walter Gates, the original letter writer, a Republican?   I have asked several politically active friends in Mankato if this is the case and will post a summary of credible information as I get it. However, I don't think it's entirely fair to impugn the motives of a writer asking a question, without evidence that suggests motive; rather, one should answer the question.

Has Walz tried to give a false impression?

James Manahan is spot on about this point in his letter. Whatever the political affiliation--or lack thereof--of Major Gates, facts suggest that Command Sergeant Major Tim Walz (retired) has been truthful about his National Guard service.

Others on both sides of the political fence have not been so careful. I did find a curious editing omission online by a fairly well-trafficked, out-of-state conservative blogger back in February who misquoted a sentence from a CQ article about Walz. The conservative blogger left out a key phrase from the CQ story (omitted material in bold):

Minnesota Democrat Tim Walz, who is running in the state’s 1st District, is a high school teacher and Army National Guard veteran who served in support of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now Walz is looking to add the title of congressman to his resume.

Read the sentence above without the five words in bold.  Given the misinformation that omission creates, I won't be linking to the "edited" copy created by the conservative blogger, though those with time on their hands could surely find it and speculate (if they so desire) on the writer's failure to use standard editing conventions.

For myself, I tend to avoid attributing to malice those things that are more readily explained by haste or incompetence.

Those who wish to know why CQ Politics thought Walz's unit provided support for troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq should ask CQ.  After all, Al Franken's Air America Fighting Dems page got it right in January 2006.

William Anderson, another Free Press letter writer, renders a harsh judgement of  Representative Gutknecht:

Gutknecht must be held responsible

— How should we react to Gil Gutknecht’s revelation that Iraq is a degenerating mess? Glad he has finally realized he has been a zealot for a tragic lie? Angry that it took him so long? Instead, I hope as his term of service nears an end, that he has some insight and remorse over the failures of his party’s policies and their fatal consequences. What he calls State Department or Pentagon “spin” is what the rest of us call bald-faced lies, and the lies are not limited to the quagmire in Iraq/Afghanistan.

Read the rest online.

Given the heated debate and spin in this race and others, it's to be expected that we'll be seeing more editorials like today's Free Press editorial. It argues along the lines of New Ulm Journal editor's commentary cited by yesterday's BSP.

Subscription required: The Rochester Post-Bulletin reports "DFL candidate Walz rips Gutknecht on DM&E."

Tobacco road update: Other important chores (a test; a group presentation) take my time away from composing the post that explores the question of Representative Gutknecht's Altria contributions.  Look for it late this afternoon. 

Tobacco Road in MN-01

OLLIE OX UPDATE:  I usually don't post research directly from party or campaign press releases without first checking the research against the original sources for context and accuracy. MnCR posted an entry here based on a state DFL press release this evening, but after looking into the matter more fully, I've pulled the original post, since contemporary news sources indicate a more complicated tale than the DFL research revealed.

The MnCR material in found on Minnesota Campaign Report.

More here later--readers will read both sides and be able to decide how firm Gutknecht's "no tobacco money pledge" has been.

Welcome, Norwegianity Visitors

The revived Norwegianity gave BSP a kind review today, and has directed traffic this way.  We appreciate it, as well as the chance to once more flog the story and tv video about a dedicated Walz supporter organizing hundred of students through Facebook.

Bluestem Prairie focuses on news from Minnesota's Fighting First, where educator and retired citizen-soldier Tim Walz is running for Congress against a six-term incumbent.  It's a great story, and you can read about it here.  If you're not from around here, I've posted a map below.  It's lovely country, from the bluffs of the Upper Mississippi River to the pure prairie of Blue Mounds State Park and the sacred Jeffers Petroglyphs.

But we're not the only blog telling great stories in the state; please visit some of the other blogs in our roll.

Ollie Ox Update:  Wobbly Gil Gutknecht is a subject of conversation between Brit Hume and Denny Hastert at Media Matters.

Developing: KAAL6 reports on DM& E story and Walz' Facebook organizing

OLLIE OX UPDATE:  Video and text are now available at KAAL-6 on the Walz Facebook organizing project.

On the phone just now, a kind friend just told me that Rochester's ABC station, KAAL 6, just reported on today's developments in the DM & E story.

A second story was broadcast, this one about Nick Burkhart's  Facebook organizing for Tim Walz's campaign. Apparently, the young 2006 National Merit Finalist from Mankato (who was one of the high school students  in Walz's company who was tossed from a 2004 Bush rally in Mankato) took it upon himself to rally young people to work for Walz through this social networking tool.  Over 500 responded.

Every culture tells cautionary tales about inhospitality. Be kind to the stranger, the outsider, the naif, the feeble old,  the powerless, this folk wisdom instructs us, for they may be the instrument of the divine, or at the very least, of fate. 

Young Mr. Burkhart's expulsion from the quarry two years ago was one of the instances for Tim Walz's decision to run for Congress.  And the talented Mr. Burkhardt has generous talents of his own to use against incumbent Bush lapdog Gil Gutknecht.

KAAL Rochester: South Dakotans worried about D M & E safety

Rochester's ABC affiliate Channel 6 reports on an Argus Leader poll that measures South Dakotans' safety concerns for the DM & E raliroad:

(KAAL) -- After getting called into question by Mayo Clinic, DM&E Railroad's safety record isn't getting a vote of confidence from folks in its hometown.

A new poll from the Argus Leader--a Sioux Falls, South Dakota newspaper--found most people think cities should worry about the safety of the railroad.

Last Friday, the paper held an online poll asking, "Should cities be concerned about DM&E's safety?"

Of the 3200 people who voted, almost 74 percent said yes.

Mayo sent its concerns about DM&E's safety record to the Federal Railroad Administration last week.

DM&E President Kevin Schieffer says Mayo's report distorts his company's record.