We stumbled across the Valentine Day box covered with Congressman' Walz's campaign stickers in a photo sharing site. We're not sure what it's about.
First district residents who want to give Congressman Walz a Valentine or a piece of their mind can find him tomorrow at the Hy-vee in Owatonna:
Walz Saturday Store Stop
Saturday, February 16
10:30 a.m. - Noon
Owatonna Hy-Vee
1620 S. Cedar Ave.
Owatonna, MN 55060
507.451.0138Constituents can find Rep. Walz and his staff at a table near the Hy-Vee dining area.
This will be the first store stop of 2008 for Walz. During his first year in Congress, Walz conducted hundreds of meetings with individual constituents and representative organizations around southern Minnesota and in his Washington, D.C. office. Constituents can also contact Congressman Walz through his website or by calling his Mankato office at 507-388-2149.
Over on Lexis-Nexis, we came across this Canada AM interview with host Seamus O'Regan on CTV, Canada's oldest private television network. Guess our neighbors to the North are as puzzled by the super delegate system as U.S. citizens are. Walz repeats his populist take on the super delegate system:
O'REGAN: Senator Obama may be fresh off his win at the Potomac primaries, but don't count Hillary Clintonout just yet. With the Democratic race for the White House as tight as it is, the nomination may ultimately be decided by superdelegates. Who are superdelegates? Well, we're going to talk to one.
Joining us this morning is Representative Tim Walz. He's a Democratic congressman from Minnesota.
Congressman, thank you very much for joining us.
WALZ: Thanks for having me.
O'REGAN: A lot of people north of the border are trying to figure out who these superdelegates are. Tell us who exactly they are.
WALZ: Well, I had to find out, myself. I know after you see me it's a bit underwhelming, probably. [laughter]
O'REGAN: I know there's a cape under there.
WALZ: Yeah, absolutely. My seven-year-old daughter loves the name.
What it is, the party has about 800 of our 4,000 delegates that will select this. About 800 of them are unpledged or superdelegates. They're free floaters and they can make up their own mind. They're members of Congress, the Senate, former presidents and --
O'REGAN: Governors.
WALZ: Yeah, governors and so forth. And those delegates are not bound by the popular vote, supposedly. And that's the superdelegates [overtalk] --
O'REGAN: And they effectively serve as a tiebreaker then, I take it, correct?
WALZ: Well, I guess so. I think they were also supposed to serve as a buffer from the craziness of the people, if you would. I disagree with that. I decided to cast my vote and always thought it was best to go with what the popular vote was.
So, Senator Obama won my district two to one. And I voted that way. And had Senator Clinton won I would've done the same thing. I don't claim any special privilege. And I think it's actually a bit undemocratic to have a superdelegate.
O'REGAN: So, I guess superdelegates really, you know, as you say, I mean, they're kind of caught between almost three different decisions, whether they ratify the decision of the regular delegates for whoever has the most, let's say, in June or, you know, regardless of how big that lead is, or you go with, as you did, your constituents or you go with whoever you think can defeat the Republican candidate, regardless of how the constituents or the delegates go.
WALZ: That's right. And I sure don't want to pass judgment on my colleagues. I think that's their thought. I was teaching high school in 2006, and if I had had to depend on the party establishment to win I would still be teaching geography.
And the popular uprising is one that I kind of trust. But I do understand that passion. And it's a calculated decision of who can beat the Republican candidate. And the excitement around this race is like nothing any of us in my generation have ever seen.
O'REGAN: No, I'd agree.
WALZ: So, it becomes pretty important.
O'REGAN: No, and the eyes of the world, including the eyes of this country, are certainly watching. It is quite phenomenal. As Hillary Clinton has said, what a great problem to have when you've got possibly the first female candidate from the Democratic Party or the first black candidate from the Democratic Party.
But let me ask you, I mean, I guess, had you been approached by either candidate? Because what we're hearing is that the Obama campaign is going to superdelegates and saying: Listen, go with your constituents or go with the delegate count. While Hillary's campaign is saying: Go for who you think can defeat the Republican candidate, go with the experienced candidate -- which of course they believe to be Hilary Clinton
WALZ: I think that's true. And they do it through themselves and through surrogates. It's not done heavy-handed. It's done with great respect.
O'REGAN: Right.
WALZ: I had made the decision to go [with the way my constituents would vote] before Senator Obama started talking about that. I just happen to agree with that philosophy. I don't claim that it's right. But it sure is comfortable for me.
And we Minnesotans are a bit populist by nature, I think. And I find it hard to imagine that I would go against my constituents' wishes.
But they're lobbying for it. And they're trying to make their case. And I guess that's what they should be doing.
O'REGAN: Do you think this time next year I'll be talking about "President Obama"?
WALZ: Well, I think so. I think it's a very real possibility. I know you'll be talking about a Democratic president, without a doubt. And whoever it is will be the improvement and the change that Americans are looking for.
So, I can tell you this, that more people know about the candidates this year than they do about "American Idol" contestants. And that's a good thing.
O'REGAN: Indeed it is. Indeed it is, sir.
Thank you very much, Congressman. Appreciate your time.
WALZ: Thanks for having me.
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