Matt Stoller over at Open Left wasn't happy about Walz's recent national security vote, but yesterday he cited Walz's understanding of renewable energy as an economic development tool--and as a way to build rural-urban coalitions
"By turning global warming into a jobs issue, Solis is working to reframe the often depressing and disempowering rhetoric of the environmental movement into language that different groups can get behind. There are interesting and unexpected allies here. A few weeks ago, I accompanied a Sierra Club lobbyist to a visit with freshman Tim Walz, and he's using the same strategy in his rural Minnesota district - sustainable energy means jobs. Conservative rural residents are now proud of wind turbines, because it means economic growth. The political combination of rural and urban constituency groups is quite potent."
Before our loyal opposition on the right start with the shrieks about a lobbyist in Walz's office, they need to consider that importance of the wind energy industry in Southern Minnesota. The First is fifth among congressiona districts nationwide in production of wind energy. The concern for environmentally-freindly, economically-sustainable energy brings rural and urban together.
In Austin last month, we saw the beginnings of that coalition at work in the agriculture and energy panel.
UPDATE: The Hill Heat picks up on the story as well.
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