KTTC exclusive with Gil Gutknecht

Since election day, Representative Gutknecht has kept a low profile. He break his relative silence in an interview with local television station in NewsCenter Exclusive: Sit Down with Gil Gutknecht:

Tom Overlie
KTTC TV
 
ROCHESTER, MN -- It has been an emotional couple of weeks since that fateful November 7th night.
 
That's when 6-term congressman Gil Gutnecht lost a heated battle to his opponent,
Tim Walz.
 
And the congressman has kept fairly quiet since the election until now.
 
We met up with him on monday, before he heads on his final trip back to Washington D.C.  To find out "what's next?"
 
He came in with the republican tide of '94
And he left with the tide of 2006.
 
Congressman Gil Gutknecht has served the First Congressional District for 12 years. But in a few weeks, he'll be concluding that chapter of his life and beginning a new one.
 
And so, over a cup of 'Caribou' coffee, we looked ahead and looked back at his time in office. Including his most recent battle to keep that office.
 
Representative Gil Gutknecht says, "people asked me how I felt on the day after election, and I said relieved. It had gotten to be such a nasty campaign."
 
On the national level , Iraq was perhaps the congressman's weight. Locally, some would say it was DM&E. Going up against a strong Rochester coalition dead-set against increased coal-trains through town.
 
Gutknecht says, "maybe it's my detriment on the dme. In retrospect, politically, I would have been smarter to say "I'm all with you." when you leave this place, whether it's voluntarily or not, you need to leave with a measure of yourself."
 
But that measure extends itself over some big moments in the congressman's 12 years. Playing a role in the 'Contract With America' from the 90's, working on a balanced budget, serving as chairman of a house AG subcommittee, among others. He spearheaded efforts to lower prescription drug costs and earned awards as a friend to the farmer.
 
So what happens to the man when he loses the title and the power?
 
Gutknecht says, "I'm still Gil. I'm curious, and optimistic. And I see the opportunities out there."
 
And those opportunities might include a new nationwide radio show, consulting jobs or perhaps maybe, even another run for office.
 
But until we see those chapters unfold, Gil Gutknecht says he'll continue living a life of no regrets.
 
Gutknecht says, "I've done my best. Let's turn the next page. Let's start the next chapter. And that's where I am."
 
The Congressman's official final day in office is January 3rd.
 
We might also note, the Congressman is a relatively new grandfather and so part of this new chapter in his life, he says, will mean finding more time for his growing family.

Judging from the interview, it's possible that Representative Gutknecht may run for office again.  We're reading blog buzz about challengers to Representative-elect Walz.  BSP will keep readers posted as news develops.

Comments

[MinnesotaCentral]

The image of Alfred E. Newman “What Me Worry” pops in my head whenever I think of Gil’s re-election campaign.

The question is : did Walz beat Gutknecht or did Gutknecht lose ? I think a little of both, but more so that Gutknecht lost. With a history of decisive re-election victories, a war-chest of $900k and being the incumbent, I wrote in March that the only person that could be Gil was Gil.

I do not understand the reference to Iraq. In Minnesota, there were three contested Congressional races – Bachmann –v- Wetterling, Kline –v- Rowley, and Gutknecht –v- Walz. The pro-war Republican won over the “Bring’em home tomorrow” Democrat in the first two contests. But Gutknecht injected himself into the debate when he returned from a visit to Iraq and suggested reducing the troops … that was a politically stupid comment that eliminated his ability to use the War as an issue … albeit it would have been a difficult issue considering Walz’s support of the troops.

The DM&E was actually two issues in one. Gutknecht should have known that this was viable issue considering how Mary Reider used to campaign against him. Ignoring the “coal trains” issue, the other issue was that it illustrated how pork/earmarks are driving excessive Congressional spending. Gutknecht’s fiscal hawk status was seriously questioned when anti-tax advocate David Sturm showed up with Walter Mondale to denounce this legislation. Gutknecht may feel that he “stood up for his principles” when he didn’t back down on the “coal trains”, but he never understood that fiscal conservatives were outraged.

The comment that this was a nasty campaign is also interesting since I never received one piece of mail from Gutknecht that wasn’t an attack on Walz. The TV commercials, including those by the RNC, were attack ads. Gutknecht never spoke about what he would do in the future … it was just that Walz would raise taxes and give benefits to immigrants.

Looking at the election results, it was clearly a rejection of Gutknecht and not a rejection of Republicans. Pawlenty won in Rochester; Gutknecht lost. Pawlenty polled better than Gutknecht in Winona. Those two areas were critical to his defeat.

Let’s also give some credit to the Walz campaign. He persevered by talking to people at county fairs and was well versed on a variety of issues. I had a one-on-one talk with him in January and hit him on issues that were not in his talking points (trade deficits, China, global warming, workforce education, national debt, immigration, etc.) Walz was knowledgeable and impressive. I’m an independent and I knew after a twenty minute talk with Tim that if all voters could spend that time with him, that the First District would elect someone who could represent us rather than big business.

So Gutknecht is thinking of becoming a radio personality. Makes sense … Coleman spent time after losing the Governor’s race spewing his views and keeping his name on the radar. If Gutknecht is looking for a wacky sidekick, how about Gingrich? Can you hear the promos now for a national morning show “Gil & Newt in the Mornings” ? Ah, that is what I suspect that Reagan was talking about with “A New Morning in America.”

Regarding Dick Day, I think that is unlikely. Day is almost 70 and not even in a leadership capacity in the State Senate. Making a commitment for a Congressional run is a major impact on a family and I suspect that Day would be unwilling to due that at this time in his life. I would think the Republicans would look for a candidate that would be able to hold the seat for at least a decade. Besides, isn’t it too early to consider 2008 match-ups?