The Associated Press, via the Strib, reports that Democrats headed toward big - maybe even huge - gains in House, Senate on Nov. 4. Desperate circumstances create desperate Republican tactics, which Mark Sommerhauser chronicles at the end of an article in the Winona Daily News.
A political climate that favors Democrats is mentioned repeatedly in Snapshot: Will Davis take a page out of Walz's book? in the Post Bulletin. Nuggets in the Matt Stolle piece:
The biggest challenge for Davis has been gaining traction in a political environment that has not favored Republicans. Unlike Walz, whose candidacy two years ago was boosted by an unpopular war and an unpopular president, Davis has been facing mostly head winds.
"It's an environment that helps Democrats right now," said Steven Schier, a political science professor at Carleton College. "People are blaming Republicans more than Democrats for what they see in the troubled state of the nation. That's just a problem for Davis."
Schier said the dynamics of the race could change as a result of some unforeseen event or comment as they did in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, when GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann described Barack Obama's views as "un-American." But nothing like that has happened so far.
Other advantages for Walz include:
. . .From the beginning, Republican leaders have sought to portray Walz as out of sync with the district's values -- a supporter of San Francisco values and not southern Minnesota values -- citing his record of voting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on many issues.
But Walz has been able to deflect such charges by citing endorsements from organizations ranging from the National Rifle Association to veterans groups to receiving the "Friend of the Farm" award from the Farm Bureau. . . .
And there's the grassroots and fundraising advantage:
Walz has been no slouch on the campaign trail. When he accepted the party's endorsement earlier this year, he promised to wage the largest grassroots campaign in the district's history. Chris Schmitter, his campaign spokesman, estimates that the campaign has knocked over 100,000 doors and made more than 160,000 phone calls.
His record over the past two years includes his opposition to the proposed Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern railroad expansion. Months after his election, the federal government rejected DM&E's bid for a $2.3 billion loan after a decade of simmering controversy.
Walz also helped secure the largest increase in funding in the Veteran Administration's history. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, he played a role in shaping the Farm Bill.
And with three times the war chest, Walz has had a megaphone to promote his message, while roundly criticizing Davis for supporting a partial privatization of Social Security, a move he says would cut payments to seniors.
Read the whole article. PB Washington bureau reporter Ed Felker writes in Walz, Kline outspend opponents in home stretch:
Rep. Tim Walz, a Democrat from Mankato, outspent Republican challenger Brian Davis by a better than 3-1 ratio in the first two weeks of October, according to new campaign financial disclosures.
Walz, running for his second term, spent $346,005 from Oct. 1 through Oct. 15. Davis, a Mayo Clinic physician from Rochester, spent $104,988. Walz entered the stretch run with $730,464 in the bank, while Davis had $265,570.
Walz spent $222,501 on advertising, $27,592 on telemarketing and $30,600 on polling, his disclosure showed. Davis spent $73,995 on advertising and $4,355 on polling.
We noted earlier in CD1 pre-election reports: struggling and shining that Davis's cash balance doesn't tell the whole story, since his report included over $9,000 in unpaid bills to vendors and $124,000 in loans from the candidate that need to be repaid.
In the Fillmore County Journal, Tom Driscoll bases Davis challenges Walz on the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce debate, but not before providing a fascinating snapshot of Minnesota values culled from a 2008 survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Politics.
In Walz opposed Social Security privatization, Eric Bartleson tells the readers of the Winona Daily News:
My father died at the young age of 59, leaving my 57-year-old mother with the prospect of providing for herself and her college-age son on a part-time college bookstore clerk’s salary.
Because of Social Security Survivor benefits, my brother was able to finish college and my mother was able to make ends meet after losing her primary source of support. I don’t know what would have happened if Social Security hadn’t been there to provide support for our family.
Dr. Brian Davis, and the Minnesota Republican party want to allow individuals to invest Social Security funds in the stock market, which could be quite risky as we have seen from watching the market these past few weeks. I won’t be voting for Davis this November for a number of reasons, one of which is his plan to privatize Social Security, which I believe is bad news for families, for retirees trying to make ends meet and for those on Social Security disability.
Instead, I’ll vote to return Tim Walz to Congress, who will continue to oppose privatizing Social Security.
The Martin County DFL chair asks readers to Exercise right to vote in a thoughtful letter. The Mankato Free Press editorial board praises the jumps in voter registration in Southern Minnesota while giving a thumbs down to lawn sign meddlers. The New Ulm Journal condems vandalism of the homes of the state's U.S. Senators and four representatives.
In YMCA receives loan guarantee, the Worthington Globe reports:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development has guaranteed a $3 million loan through First State Bank Southwest for the new YMCA and City of Worthington Aquatics Center, which is scheduled for a groundbreaking ceremony at 2 p.m. Nov. 2. The money will go to the YMCA through the city.
The new building, which will be on the Minnesota West Community and Technical College campus, will cost approximately $9.5 million and should be finished in 2009.
During a program Friday at the Y, one word was brought up numerous times by various speakers — collaborate. . . .
. . .But the collaboration between the entities made the funding possible, with the addition of Rural Development. It wasn’t easy, but the efforts of several people paid off, Raymo said.
“Collaboration is truly what it takes to build a project like this,” stated Matt Wohlman of Rep. Tim Walz’s office. “Minnesota has the unique ability to collaborate and be partners in order to get things done.” . . .
Michele Bachmann's new warm fuzzy ad? In her heart, she knows she's right. Much of the rest of the world has doubts.
It's the sixth anniversary of the plane crash that claimed the lives of Paul and Sheila Wellstone, their daughter Marcia, everybody's friend Mary McEvoy, two campaign workers and the pilots. We urge everyone from all parties to continue the spirit of the Wellstones, and spend some time volunteering today for the candidate or candidates you support, whether DFL, Republican, Independent, or any of the other third parties.
Photo: Regardless of how much mud gets slung, volunteers for Congressman Walz's campaign simply scrape off their shoes and continue doorknocking.
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