A Bluestem Prairie

Fairmont Sentinel scolds Coleman on recount

The Fairmont Sentinel is arguably the most conservative newspaper among the First's many weeklies and double-handful of dailies. When its editors scold Norm Coleman for his opportunistic calls for no recount, that's saying something.

As the following editorial observes, it's hard to believe they're writing this:

This newspaper endorsed U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, a Republican, but it cannot agree with his pronouncement Wednesday that he has "won" his race against Democrat Al Franken and Independent Dean Barkley. With more than 2.9 million ballots cast, Coleman received a slim 438 votes more than Franken. The incumbent suggested Franken forego a recount and let the race end.

But that ignores the law, which provides for automatic recounts when the margin is so close.

Franken told Minnesota Public Radio on Thursday that "candidates don't get to decide when an election's over - voters do."

Franken added that if the recount determines he lost, then "I'll be the first to congratulate Senator Coleman."

It's hard to believe we're writing this, but it's clear that Franken - known for his over-the-top humor and partisan antics - is the one acting with class in this serious situation. [emphasis added]

Voters, indeed, deserve to know the outcome of a recount. It's not up to those who may or may not be the winner.

            

Minnesota Central on the paucity of third-party ads in the First

The ever-sharp McPherson Hall of Minnesota Central writes in Club For Growth TV Ad for Doctor in the First District that that ad hasn't been aired--nor have many others. He contrasts the First's political ad environment with that in 2006:

. . . unlike last election where there were a number of independent groups (such as Chamber of Commerce) running television ads in the First District supporting Gil Gutknecht, that this year they are absent ? . . .

Our favorite retired accountant worries that Walz supporters will gain a false sense of security:

. . .The evaluation of the District’s newspaper editorial boards is that Moderate Everyman Tim is deserving of a second term and that the unabashedly conservative, political novice Dr. Davis is the one that is out of sync with the district.

So is the election is over, right … hardly. 
Unlike other states, Minnesota does not have an early election period … as the media continues to report that Obama will win Minnesota’s electoral college votes and voters see long lines at the polling booths, there is the temptation to turn back when the lines begin to expand. Apathy is Walz’s main challenger … and the lack of independent expenditures lulls the voter into a state of [complacency].

That could be so--but we have to believe that the importance of the up-ballot choices will stoke voters' drive to go to the polls--and the Democratic GOTV efforts across the board are in overdrive.

Photo: Our little friend Felix isn't old enough to vote, but once he learned about the complacency of the frontrunner's supporters in the 1948 election, he's been putting in triple shifts at the local DFL phonebank.

Franken and Walz: flip over to Rochester breakfast Thursday morning

Mmmm....pancakes. Wouldn't that be tasty and expeditious?

From the Rochester Democrat:

Al Franken is coming to Rochester on his "For the Middle Class, For A Change" Tour with a few of his friends, Congressman Tim Walz and Senator Taryl Clark– And we want you to be there.

Join Al & Tim on Thursday the 30th from 9:00-10:15 am at the Masonic Lodge in Rochester for a free Get-Out-The-Vote pancake breakfast. They will be talking about the change that Al will bring to Washington and how he will be a partner with Congressman Walz. And, we'll be letting you know about opportunities to help elect Barack Obama, and the entire DFL ticket.

So join us on Thursday the 30th and don't forget to bring an undecided friend. The Masonic Lodge is located at 2002 2nd St. SW in Rochester.

If you can make it or if you have any questions, please let Chelsie know by emailing [email protected] or calling 507.382.9879.

And what better tune to drift off into sweet dreams of butter and syrup than this 1970s classic:

Winona Daily News endorses Tim Walz for re-election

The paper's editorial board endorses Congressman Walz's bid for re-election:

House of Representatives 1st District: Tim Walz

Two years ago, Tim Walz surprised many Washington insiders by knocking off incumbent Rep. Gil Gutknecht. Today, Walz has established himself as one of the up-and-coming stars of Congress because of his plainspoken and down-to-earth politics that have served the 1st District and the country well. [emphasis added]

Walz wasn’t afraid to break with his party to vote against the bailout package. He worked hard for a new farm bill. When the Winona bridge was shut down, he brought the chairman of the U.S. House Transportation Committee to Winona. And, when southern Minnesota flooded, he rushed to do what he could to help.

While Walz has more than earned another trip to Washington on our behalf, we would also be unfair by not pointing out that Walz’s opponent, Dr. Brian Davis, is certainly one of the sharpest, most insightful candidates we’ve seen in quite awhile, and we hope that he continues to campaign to use his formidable intellect on the public’s behalf.

Another good measure of Walz’s character happens rather quietly, yet it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Walz continues to send staff into the field several times a month in a mobile unit to meet with constituents — where they are, in their hometown. This isn’t just some gesture, it’s politics at the most local and most effective level.

The paper also endorsed Barack Obama and Al Franken, while urging a "No" vote on the Clean Amendment. Read the entire piece here.

So far, the Albert Lea Tribune, the New Ulm Journal, the Rochester Post Bulletin and the Minneapolis Star Tribune have endorsed Congressman Walz. The ultra-conservative Fairmont Sentinel endorsed Brian Davis.

Elsewhere, KAAL reports that the candidates are feuding in Walz and Davis on Taxes. See the Walz campaign critique of the Davis ad here.  The Worthington Globe reports in Davis tax proposal subject of eventthat Worthington residents worried about Davis's support for a national sales tax will have a press conference today. 

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America explains non-partisan status

In a report broadcast by KEYC-TV, Republican candidate Brian Davis slammed the "A+" the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of American (IAVA) assigned to Congressman Walz on the group's Congressional Report Card. Davis attacked the group as partisan and tied to Democrats.

Here's the transcript of the part of the KEYC-TV clip where Davis makes his claim:

Davis countered saying . . .that Walz received the A plus rating from a partisan organization.Dr. Brian Davis says, "They gave Senator Harry Reid an A rating. Senator Reid is the same Senator who on the floor of the U.S. Senate, stated that the Iraq War is lost. This organization really has strong Democratic ties. . . ."

We emailed IAVA with questions about the group's involvement in partisan politics. Chrissy Stevens, a spokester for the group, replied [emphasis added):

In the last few years IAVA has become a non-partisan, non-profit force for new veterans in Washington and around the country.  On Capitol Hill, we have pushed relentlessly to achieve bipartisan progress on the issues facing our troops, and to ensure today’s veterans get the support they have earned.

I’m proud to say that with very limited resources, we have achieved great results.  IAVA was instrumental in the passage of the new GI Bill that makes college affordable for every veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and we were strong supporters of new funding for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, which received its largest budget increase in 77 years.   Above all, our report card shows the tremendous progress we’ve seen on Capitol Hill. The Report Card also serves as a crucial tool for holding those in Congress accountable when they fail to vote in support of our troops and veterans.

It is important to emphasize that both IAVA and IAVA Action, IAVA’s 501(c)(4) advocacy organization that releases the Congressional Report Card, are strictly nonpartisan. We do not engage in political giving or endorse candidates. The organization is about improving the lives of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families. Day in and day out, we are all over America, and on Capitol Hill, working hard to make positive change and fulfill this mission.

There's local evidence to support that claim. In an earlier post, The Zombie Jamboree: Davis campaign to haunt GOP tour, we noted that the IAVA had bestowed an "A" on Senator Coleman:

On his official senate site, Coleman said of the group:

". . .I appreciate IAVA’s recognition and I look forward to working with them in the future as I continue to fight for our nation’s veterans.”

It's pretty clear IAVA is nonpartisan. But we're also think it's worth taking another look in passing at what Davis said about the IAVA's "A" grade for Reid. At its core, the Davis comment implies that only those who strongly support the war can be considered friends of veterans. We think that many Southern Minnesotans would challenge that kind of thinking. The IAVA's agenda for veterans issues is clear, while Davis is muddying the waters.

Davis's crack about the IAVA is cut from the same cloth as his recent ad, dissected in a Winona Daily News article:

Davis’ new television ad, which slams Walz for his tax record, drew the most attention on Friday. Vote Smart, a nonpartisan voter-information group that’s cited in the ad, chided Davis for violating its ban on the use of its survey responses in partisan advertising. And the Walz campaign accused Davis of issuing “the biggest whopper of the campaign” in the new ad, which says Walz co-authored a bill to increase taxes on oil companies by $1 trillion.

That bill, a bipartisan energy proposal that Congress hasn’t approved, would have opened up new offshore areas to oil drilling. To access new offshore drilling land under that proposal, oil companies would have paid the same royalties they pay to drill on other sites — with the revenues going to alternative-fuel research and development.

Davis objects to the new drilling royalties being dedicated to alternative-fuel development; he said at least some of the funds should go to the Treasury’s general fund, as they do now.

Walz spokesman Chris Schmitter noted most cosponsors of the National Conservation, Environment and Energy Independence Act were Republicans, including Minnesota Reps. John Kline and Michelle Bachmann.

“Does Dr. Davis honestly think that 178 Republicans in the House voted for ‘a trillion-dollar tax hike?’” Schmitter said.

How toxic is the Davis campaign these days? Our earlier post noted that Davis had bragged to a local television station about how he'd be campaigning with Coleman and Giuliani yesterday.

However, as we look at print and electronic media coverage of the Coleman campaign swing at the Post Bulletin (includes video), KTTC-TV,  KEYC-TV, the Mankato Free Press, the Owatonna People's Press, and the New Ulm Journal, we noticed that the rallies only featured Coleman signage, and Dr. Davis himself was nowhere in sight. There may be what appears to be a Davis sticker on one man in a brief group shot at the Happy Chef in Mankato, though we're not certain.  Go check out all the links and see what you see.

From the looks of things--repeatedly--we're guessing that the Coleman event handlers weren't keen on helping Davis grab any share of the earned media. The candidate we support, Al Franken, did score a number of rebuttal points in most of the coverage, along with the DFL.

The Zombie Jamboree: Davis campaign to haunt GOP tour

Last week, one of those cute boys at MnPublius reported that Brian Davis had been "left for dead," according to a Republican source.

We took his word for it; however, today it looks as if the corpse of Davis's campaign has joined the ranks of the walking dead and will infect Senator Coleman's swing through southern Minnesota.

The Rochester Post Bulletin's Matt Stolle reported that Giuliani to campaign in Rochester for Coleman:

With the race for U.S. Senate largely deadlocked, GOP Sen. Norm Coleman is returning to Rochester, this time with former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani in tow.

Coleman, who has promised to spend the rest of the election season on the campaign trial, will be at the Kahler Grand Hotel at 11:15 a.m. Friday. Both he and Giuliani will also hold campaign events in Mankato and Owatonna before arriving in Rochester.

But it was not to be. In Midwest Campaign Swing, KAAL-TV reports that Brian Davis is inserting himself into the tour as aggressively as a GOP tracker invading Ashwin Madia's conversations with union painters.  Davis told the station:

"It’s great that Mayor Giuliani will be here,” says GOP U.S. Congressional Candidate Brian Davis. “He's an American hero and a patriot. I'll be campaigning through the first district and I’m honored to be campaigning with him and Senator Coleman.”

The GOP trio will make stops in Mankato, Owatonna and Rochester later this week.

With luck, Davis might even be able to get some new clothes from the deal. That is, if he controls himself from chanting about drilling in ANWR (which Coleman more or less opposes and has repeatedly voted against) or cackling that the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association is a partisan group, as he told KEYC-TV yesterday.

In Walz Gets 'A' Rating from Iraq and Afghanistan Vets Group, KEYC-TV paraphrased as Davis saying:

Walz received the A plus rating from a partisan organization.

That's news to several Iraq War vets we talked to last night, who thought the group was like the VFW, "except focused on 21st century wars," as one former soldier put it. (The VFW PAC, btw, endorsed Walz a while back). 

Even more, Davis's opinion will probably be news to Norm Coleman.  Like Harry Reid, whom Davis denounced to KEYC-TV, Coleman received an "A" from the group. On his official senate site, Coleman said of the group:

". . .I appreciate IAVA’s recognition and I look forward to working with them in the future as I continue to fight for our nation’s veterans.”

The KEYC-TV report said that Davis will be issuing a statement responding to a letter Veterans for Walz sent to him asking about vets issues. The vets letter was written after Davis repeatedly  said he couldn't think of any way that medical or educational benefits could be improved for our nation's vets.

Perhaps the out-of-touch doc can also explain why Coleman was ranked high by a "partisan" vets group. Somehow, we doubt Coleman will beginning scorning the high grade and encouraging Davis to carry on this way in joint public appearances.

Readers should visit the IAVA's web site to decide for themselves how "partisan" the IAVA's agenda is.  We've emailed the group to ask for a response to Davis's statements.

Update: We've just gotten word from the Franken campaign that Rudy supplied the voice for an anti-Obama robocall. Will Mr. "No Negative Campaigning" Coleman wink at this instance of nasty politicking as well? [end update]

To celebrate the campaign swing, we present the Notre Dame Glee Club in concert covering a Rockapella and Kingston Trio classic. No word if the tuxes came from Neiman Marcus:

Wednesday morning digest: fashion plate edition

CQ Politics reports House Rating Changes Topped by Bachmann Blow-Up. Need we say more?

Bachmann is whining that it wasn't her fault that the words came out of her mouth. Blaming someone else seems to be fashionable among conservatives these days.  In his letter, Recent debate fair in form, not in content, Preston Smith whines about the bias of the moderators in the Debate Minnesota forum in Mankato.

Funny, but we recall a debate that centered on the economy and energy policy. Moreover, since conservative challenger Brian Davis chose domestic drilling as "the" issue in his race, conservatives have little room to kvetch if the media keeps its attention glued to the topic pressed by their candidate.

A letter writer in Woodbury says it's Time to grade Rep. Michele Bachmann’s job performance. Andrea Myers compares the Sixth district congresswoman's performance with that of her fellow freshmen from Minnesota:

. . .First, Bachmann failed to do the basic job requirement of a congress member; that is, listen and respond to constituents. Bachmann has not made any serious effort to meet with citizens of the sixth district.

Holding town hall forums is a long standing tradition and a great way for House Representatives to listen to their constituents.

Bachmann has held zero town hall forums in the district.

Now compare that to the other two freshman congress members: Rep. Tim Walz has sponsored 172 community meetings and public events, and Rep. Keith Ellison has had 20 town hall forums plus dozens more community meetings. . .

We attended a number of those town meetings, and it was fascinating to see citizens who felt free to share their opinion on a range of issues from the Iraq War to abortion. Walz's frequent contact with district citizens was one of the reasons that the New Ulm Journal cited as reason for its endorsement of the congressman's re-election.

Hayfield cattle farmer Lisa Heggedahl tells the editors and readers of the Owatonna People's Press that Walz takes the Correct stand on Social Security:

. . .Congressman Tim Walz has done a great deal for Minnesota[n]s — for our veterans, our active duty military, and farmers like me — and he continues to protect those dependent on Social Security by opposing privatization of Social Security.

Thanks, Tim Walz, for all the work you do on our behalf.

Read the whole thing at the Owatonna People's Press.  The OPP also notes Rudy Giuliani will stump for Norm Coleman in Owatonna, Rochester, and Mankato. Maybe Brian Davis will tag along and explain to voters why Coleman is wrong on opposing drilling in ANWR. Or maybe Rudy can talk up conservative social issues for Davis in Mankato since the debate moderators were such meanies. Do you think?

Update: The Post Bulletin reports more Davis whining in 'Card check' act would transform labor landscape. [end update].

The PiPress reports GOP spends $150,000 to outfit Palin and her family, reports say.  The article puts the spending at Neiman Marcus, Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue into perspective:

The business of primping and dressing on the campaign trail has become fraught with political risk in recent years as voters increasingly see an elite Washington out of touch with their values and lifestyles.

In 2000, Democrat Al Gore took heat for changing his clothing hues. And in 2006, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was ribbed for two hair styling sessions that cost about $3,000.

Then, there was Democrat John Edwards' $400 haircuts in 2007 and Republican McCain's $520 black leather Ferragamo shoes this year.

A review of similar records for the campaign of Democrat Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee turned up no similar spending.

But all the spending by other candidates pales in comparison to the GOP outlay for the Alaska governor, whose expensive, designer outfits have been the topic of fashion pages and magazines.

What hadn't been apparent was where the clothes came from — her closet back in Wasilla or from the campaign coffers in Washington.

The answer can be found inside the RNC's September monthly financial disclosure report under "itemized coordinated expenditures."

Guess Pat Nixon's respectable Republican cloth coat just wasn't good enough for Palin's handlers, who apparently trusted the Alaska governor's natural good looks less than Nixon had faith in his wife's appearance.  Why not Herberger's, Penney's, Walmart or, if designer togs are imperative,  Discount 70?

Photo: Congressman Walz and farmers in Southeastern Minnesota.

Senator Harkin to join Al Franken for ag roundtable at Mankato cafe

One of our fondest memories of Amy Klobuchar's campaign in 2006 was a meeting with Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, dairy men and grain farmers in a small town cafe. People in the Mankato area will have a similar chance tomorrow.

Just in from the Franken campaign:

Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, will join Al Franken and Minnesota farmers on Tuesday for a roundtable on ag issues. Franken will lay out his agenda for rural Minnesota and his plans for rebuilding the middle class economy.

WHO: Al Franken, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Thom Petersen of the Minnesota Farmers Union and local farmers
WHAT: Farm Roundtable
WHEN: 10 am, Tuesday, October 21
WHERE: Wagon Wheel Café
609 S. Front Street
Mankato

America.gov: "Congressional race does not appear close"

Back in August, State Department staff writer Kathryn McConnell described the Congressional race in the First as unpredictable. But she concludes Minnesota Senator’s Vote on Rescue Bill Boosts Rival’s Campaign with this passage:

CONGRESSIONAL CONTEST DOES NOT APPEAR CLOSE

In Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, Democratic incumbent Tim Walz in an October 9 debate defended his vote against the massive financial rescue plan. He said government should not be a player in the market. He said the lack of government oversight led to the economic turmoil.

Republican challenger Brian Davis said several parties can be blamed for the financial crisis, including Wall Street banks that were allowed to make risky loans and the federal government for pushing financial institutions into risky mortgage lending.

A mid-September poll showed Walz leading Davis by better than a 2-to-1 margin.

Voter registration in Minnesota is at a new high. The Minnesota secretary of state’s office reported that as of September 30, 84 percent of eligible Minnesota adults — 3.15 million people — were registered, with another two weeks left before the registration deadline.

The well-organized, well-funded Walz campaign has its eyes of the prize, with an army of volunteers calling and door knocking. Join them by volunteering here or consider giving a contribution here. 

And the rest of the article is good news for the Franken and Obama campaigns as well.

Here's another one of Congressman Walz's positive ads:

Photo: Walz with some supporters at the Michele Obama rally on Monday. Thanks, Laura.

Tim and Marcus Penny agree: Tim Walz

In Community Perspective: Disagreeing without being disagreeable, Tim and Marcus civilly disagreeabout their opposing points of view on the top of the ticket. As we've noted before, father and former Congressman Tim Penny supports John McCain, while his son is an Obama man.

They write:

. . .In all, on the presidential race, when we don’t agree, we have managed to disagree without being disagreeable.

That is possible, in part, because we don’t disagree on everything. Our ballots on November 4th might look different at the top, but there are other candidates who will be receiving our undivided support. . . .

Both concur about the House candidate for the district Penny once served:

. . .We also endorse the same candidate for Congress, incumbent Tim Walz. One of us (guess who?) worked as an intern for the Congressman for six months and saw firsthand the idealism, enthusiasm, and energy that Walz brought to the office. Both of us have been impressed with Walz’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and “pay-as-you-go” budget rules. We have watched as he led his fellow freshmen in re-establishing much-needed strict ethics policies for Congress. We applauded his recent efforts to build bi-partisan support for ambitious energy policies that will lead to energy independence for our nation. His record reflects common sense and good judgment. We both believe he has represented southern Minnesota well and deserves a second term.

So, that is the view from our house - just in case you haven’t yet noticed the signs in our yard.

For Senate, both Pennies favor Dean Barkley. Go over and read the whole thing. Great piece about civility. For ourselves, we're voting for Al Franken, but respect our friends who are making other choices.

Obama debate watch parties in Southern Minnesota

The Obama Campaign for Change Minnesota just sent us a release noting a couple of debate watch parties tonight:

Mankato
Buffalo Wild Wings
12 Civic Center Plz # 1715, 7 p.m.

Rochester
Hosted by the Olmsted County DFL – Lynn Wilson, Chair
Marriott Ballroom
101 1st Avenue SW, 7 p.m.

Have fun!

Speaking of debates, our friend Chad posts his observations at the Franken/Coleman/Barkley debate Sunday in Getting Back to Normal. Walz's challenger makes a cameo appearance:

I would guess it was around 6 p.m. that a bus full of Coleman supporters was brought in. The stayed in a group, together, near the door. It looked like the first district's favorite millionaire self-financing before the reporting period ends doctor, Brian Davis, made an appearance. The ridiculous chant of “drill baby, drill” was heard briefly. And I thought Davis was an oncologist. I guess I was wrong. He must be a dentist.

We suspect that the "drill baby drill" chants were heard only briefly because someone figured out what Dr. Davis hasn't: Norm Coleman opposes drilling in ANWR and is a member of the so-called "Gang of 20." Oopsie!

Minnesota Central notices that Palin Disagrees with Davis (again) and concludes:

Governor Palin has been far from impressive, but Dr. Davis’ ideology makes Governor Palin seem that she is the one with the engineering degree.

We surrender any claims as champion Davis snark generators to Chad and McPherson.

Monday morning news digest: Senate race edition

Southern Minnesota's political news is naturally dominated today by last night's debate in Rochester between Al Franken, Dean Barkley and Norm Coleman.

Around 850 people packed the University Center to watch the event, sponsored by Debate Minnesota. KAAL-TV and KTTC-TV posted original coverage; the Winona Daily News picked up the AP story with U.S. Senate candidates trade jabs, as did the Worthington Globe in Senate debate showcases intensity.

Update: Those who missed the debate can watch the entire uncut version or separate  clips on each question over at The Uptake. Thanks Jason. [end update]

The Worthington Globe also looked at the somewhat below-the-radar fight for a veto-proof DFL majority in  the Minnesota State House, publishing Forum News political reporter Scott Wente's Election to shape state House.  Wente quotes our favorite Judson Township native:

. . .Democratic-Farmer-Laborites must defend seats they narrowly won in the 2006 election that handed them control of the state House, and they will try to pick up another five to secure a veto-proof majority.

“The architecture that’s set up here is really, I think, set up for victory again for Democrats,” House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis, said of the political climate....

. . .Top House Republicans and Democrats say that improving the economy and creating jobs are key issues for voters. Democrats say the public turns to them in difficult economic times and they already have demonstrated an ability to pass legislation that results in job growth.

“There’s a higher degree of trust around the Democratic brand when it comes to handling the tough economic situation and dealing with what needs to be done to reposition the Minnesota economy to make it even stronger,” Kelliher said. . .

The Mankato Free Press editorial board notes it's Not too late to register:

If you are an eligible voter who plans to vote and haven’t yet registered, it’s time to mark your calendar with a big red X on Oct. 14.

That’s the deadline for submitting a voter registration application to your county courthouse so your name will be on the roster Nov. 4 at your polling place.

Minnesota allows same-day registration at the polls, and that’s a convenient thing for procrastinators. But you would save much time and effort for yourself and everyone in line behind you at your precinct by taking care of business by Oct. 14 if possible.

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie is predicting this to be “a watershed year” when it comes to voters flocking to the polls for this presidential election. . . .

. . .Absentee ballots also have been in demand. In Blue Earth County, Patty O’Connor handles elections and she told a reporter the phone had been ringing like crazy for ballots. The last time she’d seen that kind of demand was when Jesse Ventura ran for governor.

The high interest in the election is invigorating, and eligible voters not yet registered still have plenty of opportunity to take part in the process.

For more information on voting and elections, visitwww.sos.state.mn.us

Read the entire piece at the MFP. 

The Owatonna People's Press reports on the rural driver's need to take extra care in A safe harvest:

It might be tempting to get frustrated when you’re late for work and the fat raccoon in the ditch next to you just passed your car because you’re behind a combine on Highway 14. But, farmers most likely won’t have far to go before they can get off the roadway and out of your way.

The first week of October has brought farmers back to the fields to begin harvest of soybeans and corn, the main crops of the Steele County area — but that also means the large trucks, equipment and tractors are also back on the roads.

That's certainly been our experience, and we give the farmers a wide berth as they do their job. The recent rains may also make the soil left on roads slick up, so drivers should pay attention to road surface conditions, too.  Anybody who has ever driven on a county road on a rainy day during the sugar beet harvest knows how slippery mud can be.

The title of this YouTube is "If you rear-end this, you shouldn't be on the road":

Saturday nightcap: heatwave edition

The Post Bulletin leads off Political involvement by young citizens is 'off the charts' with the story of Ashley Ozuna:

Ashley Ozuna voted in the last presidential election, so it would be unfair to call her apathetic about politics. She was, as she says, "not involved" politically.

What a contrast four years can make. As the 2008 campaign rounds the final turn, this 25-year-old Rochester woman is juggling life as a mother, a student at Winona State University-Rochester, and a staff volunteer at Olmsted County DFL Headquarters. Unlike four years ago when the sum of her political activity consisted of casting a vote, Ozuna is immersing herself in virtually every aspect of grassroots campaigning.

The reason is simple, she says. Politics no longer feels so unreal, so theoretical. As prices rise at the pump and the cost of attending college becomes ever more expensive, Ozuna said the connection between politics and everyday pocketbook issues has never seemed so obvious -- or imperative.

"It's in our face. Before, it was just like an (abstraction). Now, it's really hitting home," said Ozuna after working at DFL headquarters one evening.. . .

Read the whole story at the PB.  We hope that inspires readers to sign up to volunteer.

In Bailout signed, now wait, the Albert Lea Tribune reports:

Getting the financial rescue through Congress may have been the easy part. Getting it to work may prove the tougher task. . . .

. . .First District Rep. Tim Walz, DFL-Mankato, voted against the measure.

“Inaction is not an option. We must move fast to address it, but after you peel away all the extras the Senate added, this is still the same bad deal for taxpayers I voted against on Monday. I cannot in good conscience vote for this bill.”

The Swing State Project reminds readers that Tim Walz is up by 18 percent in House Poll Roundup. The Minnesota Independent posts a great picture of Tim Walz getting the 1,500 person crowd at Founders Day fired up for the Als in Former VP Gore campaigns with Franken in Minneapolis, Go over there and look at it.

And for our nightcap,a little music from the 1960s charts, in a shout-out to R, who's helping "knock the snot" (in the best possible way) out of Southern Minnesota's doors:

Small town values: DFL sets up shop in Albert Lea

One thing we've been seeing across rural Minnesota are DFL offices opening in small towns. A letter in the Albert Lea Tribune notes DFL Party sets up shop in downtown Albert Lea:

Roselyn and I were invited to the National Security Town Hall Meeting in Rochester on Sunday, Sept. 21, at the Mayo Civic Center.

The speakers were Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., chairwoman of the House Strategic Forces Subcommittee, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton (retired), former Ambassador Robert Gelbard, U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn. and U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn. C. Scott Cooper was the emcee.

They explained that Barack Obama has a strategy to get us out of this war responsibly and to get our country back on the right track. The hotel that was bombed last week was the one that our diplomats used to stay at. Ms. Tauscher was there two weeks ago and was warned not to stay at that hotel.

We all need to talk to our friends, neighbors and relatives to have them back Barack and get our country going in the right direction

We finally were able to buy some Obama yard signs at the DFL office in Rochester, so you can pick them up at our Freeborn County headquarters at 400 College St. across the street from the courthouse from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the time being. The phone numbers of the headquarters are 552-1459, 552-1460 and 552-1461.

Arthur Anderson

chairman

Freeborn County DFL Party

Albert Lea

No wonder RPM Chair Ron Carey is barking again.

Wednesday morning digest: finding a vein edition

At Minnesota Central, the ever-insightful McPherson Hall writes in Davis Poll Reveals Challenger’s Threat:

Dr. Brian Davis, Republican candidate for Minnesota’s First District, has commissioned a  poll that reveals incumbent Congressman Tim Walz with a commanding 50-32 lead.

The obvious question is why did Davis waste his money on a poll . . .[Ollie's note: we think the NRCC may have wasted some of its money on the poll too]

Let’s look at what Walz has going for him.

Being a former high school teacher, Walz used his “ student council ” to energize the district in 2006 and with 22% of the state’s population being between 18-29; this bodes well for Walz in 2008.

Walz has gotten the endorsement   from the NRA.  Statewide 41.7 households are gun owners.

Walz was a prime proponent in the passage of the Farm Bill (despite a veto from President Bush). The First District is primarily a rural district. Davis’ performance during the FarmFest debate was less than stellar as the crowd seemed to enjoy Walz’s defense of his support for farmers using wit and knowledge to his advantage.

Walz has listened to Veterans and brought their issues to the forefront during his first term. 10.5% of Minnesota’s households have a veteran.

Statewide, there are more DFLers (Dems) (38% in 2004) than Republicans (35%) leaving 27% as Independents. The inference is that Walz is getting support from Independents while Davis hasn’t even gotten all the Republicans ( not surprising when State Senator Dick Day amassed a third of the votes in the recent primary election. )

Over at the Post Bulletin, Matt Stolle comes as close as any journalist to drinking the Kool-Aid for Brian Davis, though even he doesn't swallow in Davis says recent poll is good news, Walz camp disagrees.

For an example of a reporter who raised this story beyond the "one said--the other said" level, we recommend that readers check out Mark Fischenich's Six weeks left, Walz leads Davis from yesterday's Mankato Free Press.  Fischenich went beyond barbs tossed back and forth, and compared an independent poll from 2006 with Davis's internal poll from this cycle. It's quite revealing.

The PB's Stolle begins:

Republican challenger Brian Davis is pointing to a new poll released by his campaign as a sign of DFL Congressman Tim Walz's growing vulnerability in a race with 42 days to go.

That survey shows Walz now polling at 50 percent, a four-point drop from a previous poll conducted a month earlier, even as Davis rose in the polls over the same period, from 27 percent to 32 percent.

The 50-percent mark is often seen as a red line by political analysts below which an incumbent is considered to be in possibly dangerous territory. But the poll still shows Walz with a significant 50 percent to 32 percent lead over the Mayo Clinic doctor. [emphasis added]

He ends:

So far, Walz, at least in the eyes of political analysts, looks to be in a comfortable position. The Cook Political Report, for instance, ranks the race as "likely Democratic." That means the seat is not considered competitive, but has the potential to become engaged.

Somewhere in the middle:

The data also suggests that if voters were given the choice between a Republican and a Democrat for Congress on a generic ballot, 44 percent would prefer a Democrat, while 39 percent would prefer a Republican, with 16 percent undecided. Given the margin of error, that makes the seat a toss-up, the pollsters at the Tarrance Group say.

Ah yes. The hypothetical "seat" is a toss-up. Here's where the bait and switch happens. The actual race according to the poll (if we're to accept a sample of 300 with a MOE of 5.8)?

But the poll still shows Walz with a significant 50 percent to 32 percent lead over the Mayo Clinic doctor.

As Walz's campaign manager pointed out:

But the Walz camp argues otherwise. Schmitter says Davis is not even polling as high as what a generic Republican is getting in the district.

The GOP likes to claim that the First is "conservative", and yet the Davis/NRCC poll shows that it's a statistical dead heat between Obama and McCain:

The poll shows GOP Sen. John McCain with a 45 percent-to-43 percent edge over Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, with 9 percent undecided. That ranks it as a toss-up, given the poll's 5.8 percent margin of error.

Davis's poll should not bring smiles to elephant faces. For DFLers, it should provide an extra incentive to get out, door knock and call. The district is not only Walz's for the taking, it may finally have turned blue on the Presidential level as well.

This isn't entirely surprising. Not only did Walz and Klobuchar win in 2006, but more DFLers represent the district in the state legislature than do Republicans. Nationally, OBama is polling better in rural areas than Kerry, Craig Crawford writes in Obama's Amazing Rural Opportunity.

Back at Minnesota Central, McPherson Hall thinks that Republicans may be more motivated, while Walz supporters will be lulled into complacency by the numbers Davis released: 

Walz’ main challenge is still APATHY. Voters may feel comfortable with Walz and not bother showing up at the polls. Conversely, the Republicans have reasons to be motivated. The anti-Obama crowd is further re-enforced by the anti-Franken voters. With the potential of budget problems at the state level where, all House seats are on the ballot, the Republicans will want to have their voices heard. The First District voted for Republicans solidly in 2004 and may do so again.
 
Davis’ publishing of this poll may have more of an impact to suppress Walz voters and give Davis a squeaker victory. Be warned … Apathy is the real challenger.

You heard the man. If you're looking to have progressive values take the day in November, get off your duff and volunteer for Walz (and Obama, Franken and state house candidates--the coordinated DFL sign up is here) and contribute as well to make sure Congressman Walz can keep getting his message to voters.

Tell them the heifer sent you.

In more serious news, it doesn't look like Minnesota's congressional delegation is going to write Bush  a blank check to bailout those Wall Street fat cats who gamed the financial system into its present dismal state while engorging their own wealth. The PiPress reports in Bush rescue proposal falls flat among Minnesotans:

Minnesota's political leaders flatly reject President Bush's call for an unrestricted $700 billion financial bailout. 

But fearing economic calamity, many remain open to some type of costly financial bailout — provided it includes tougher regulation, limits exorbitant Wall Street salaries and gives taxpayers a stake in rescued companies.

For the First:

First District: Republican Brian Davis, challenging Rep. Tim Walz, said he'd be "very unlikely" to support any bailout.

"Seems to me that Congress and the administration have hit the panic button, and this could result in a 20-year problem," he said.

Note how Davis blames Congress first for a proposal that's coming from the White House. This from a guy who, when interviewed by the Fillmore County Journal in late July, compared George W. Bush with Harry Truman.

The PiPress continues:

Walz issued a statement that didn't say whether he'd support or reject a bailout plan, but he did urge caution and said he hoped to protect middle-class Americans.

"We've seen before what happens when Congress allows itself to be backed into a corner by President Bush and forced to make a hasty decision with long-term consequences," Walz said. "We need answers before Congress votes on the bailout."

Given the quality of the answers the administration has given in the past, we hope Walz stays skeptic, and shows more of the spine he grew in this year's FISA votes.

The MinnPost reports Bailout package a slam-dunk? Far from it, state's bipartisan delegation says. KEYC-TV reports Pawlenty 'Reluctant Supporter' of Wall Street Bailout. Oh, good. CQ Politics asks: Bailout Bill: An Election Season 'Stink Bomb?'

October 2 may provide an opportunity to learn more about where the candidates stand on the bailout, when they meet for the first time since Worthington's King Turkey Day. Those who wish to attend the first Walz-Davis debate should register here. Sponsored by the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, the cost is $20 for RACC members and $30 for all others. The focus: 

The debate will allow our membership an opportunity to hear first-hand where the candidates stand on the national issues of importance to the business community.

The debate will take place from noon - 1:30 p.m. Ramada Hotel & Conference Center; 1517 16th St. SW.

Veterans Today picks up on a Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform press release in Historic Legislation To End Delays in Veterans Health Care Funding. The Walz nugget:

American Legion National Commander David K. Rehbein, also speaking for the Partnership, praised the bill’s bipartisan cosponsors: Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), Ted Stevens (R-AK), and John Rockefeller (D-WV in the Senate; Congressmen Walter Jones (R-NC), Michael Michaud (D-ME), Phil Hare (D-IL), and Tim Walz (D-MN) in the Senate.  “We applaud all of the bill’s sponsors who have taken the lead in Congress to create a lasting legacy for our veterans by reforming the budget process to ensure that veterans health care funding is sufficient, timely and predictable,” Rehbein said.

The new legislation, called the “Veterans Health Care Budget Reform Act,” would authorize advance appropriations for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care programs one year in advance of the start of the fiscal year, an idea favored by more than 80 percent of American voters, according to a survey released today by the Disabled American Veterans.

The House OKs plan for Great Lakes water to stay put. The bill passed 390-25. We'd like to know what was on Representative McCollum's mind when she voted against it--the only member of Minnesota's delegation to do so.

Last night on the Daily Show, former President Clinton talked about how concentrating investment in housing and mortgages in the early part of this decade helped led to the mess Wall Street is in now. He suggested that investment in new technologies and renewable energy would have left the nation stronger. The Mankato Free Press editorial board thinks it's still the time to Nurture renewable energy.

At the Mountain Lake Observer/Butterfield Advocate, editor Kris Langland looks at the economy in Which cut is deepest?

Our favorite Minuteman, Ron Branstner, held another immigration reduction meeting in Austin last week according to the Austin Herald's Media, Austin history discussed at immigration forum. A taste:

There were mirrors, but no smoke at Thursday night’s forum on immigration issues at Oak Park Mall.

Less than 30 people attended the forum in the mirrored community meeting room.

The two-hour session began with the playing of a video, which most people ignored. . . .

Since Brian Davis thinks (well, at least back in late July when he was chasing the Republican base) that Bush can be compared to Truman, we close with the Daily Show's John Oliver presenting a somewhat different analogy:

Will the Mn-01 GOP primary be a September Surprise?

We've been getting our fair share of emails asking for speculation (and bets) about the outcome of Tuesday's Republican primary in the First. Let's just say that we're in with two-bits on Brian Davis to win.

Our correspondents aren't the only ones to wonder about the race. Forum papers State Capitol Bureau reporter Scott Wente writes in Surprise: Primary is Tuesday:

Perhaps the most competitive statewide primary race is the battle among Independence Party candidates for U.S. Senate. Party-endorsed candidate Stephen Williams faces two key opponents – ex-Sen. Dean Barkley and former party chairman Jack Uldrich – and four others.

Ritchie said the hot Independence Party primary, an intriguing Republican primary between Brian Davis and state Sen. Dick Day in southern Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District and a slate of interesting Minnesota House primaries could lead to a higher-than-average turnout. Local races also could draw more voters.

Still, long lines are not predicted.

“Generally speaking if we look historically at past practice we can estimate it will be in or around the 15 percent range,” Ritchie said of turnout.

We encourage everyone to vote in the primary, and we hope DFLers will get out and vote for Al Franken for the nomination for the U.S. Senate seat. The talk of DFLers getting out to vote for Brian Davis--as the weaker of the two Republicans--should remain just that, regardless of pundits' ideas like:

"Democrats would much rather run against Brian Davis than Dick Day because Dick Day does have more name recognition," Janecek said.

Let those voters who identify with the Republican Party should vote on the Republicans on the ballot (Minnesota's election laws do not allow split tickets in primaries---a voter can only choose from candidates in one party). Democrats and their allies should focus their attention on the contested U.S. Senate race.

And don't forget to head over to Minnesota Central and compete for the bragging rights as the Most Knowledgeable Political Junkie in MN-01. Entries must be made by Sunday.

Wednesday evening update: playing the Republican ponies edition

Go over to Minnesota Central where the irreplaceable McPherson Hall is conducting a New Poll – Davis versus Day in anticipation of the Republican primary. The prize in this homespun betting pool:

The ultimate … bragging rights as the Most Knowledgeable Political Junkie in MN-01.

The deadline : Since this is pure prognostication, there is no reason to wait. The winner will be determined based on entries made by SUNDAY, September 7th … just two days prior to the election.

For Southern Minnesota political junkies, this more fun than a racino.

The St. Peter Herald reports about Congressman Walz's efforts to help new and beginning farmers in Local farmers consider cultivation of  2008 Farm Bill:

During a special on-farm meeting near New Ulm Aug. 26 with members of the Land Stewardship Project (LSP), U.S. Rep. Tim Walz committed to pushing for implementation of 2008 Farm Bill gains that support beginning farmers and working land conservation.

“Passage of a Farm Bill is one thing, but how it gets implemented so farmers and others can really use the programs and policies is what’s key at this point. This is something I am committed to seeing through,” Congressman Walz said to a group of 16 farmers and area residents who met at Carl and Bernie Schwermann’s diversified hog and crop farm north of New Ulm. Congressman Walz, who serves on the House Agriculture Committee, recognized LSP for its engagement in the Farm Bill process.

“The Land Stewardship Project is one of those groups I look to for guidance on farm and rural issues,” he said. “The organization took a pragmatic approach to this Farm Bill, and they’re a big part of the reason we have new initiatives that help beginning farmers and better conservation programs that will be available to more farmers.”

One of the practical Farm Bill proposals pushed by LSP and championed by Congressman Walz was the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP), an initiative aimed at supporting community-based organizations and networks that provide beginning farmer training, education, mentoring and assistance. Congressman Walz was an original co-sponsor of beginning farmer legislation last year that became part of the final Farm Bill. In the end, BFRDP received $75 million in mandatory funding in the new Farm Bill, and will help create community-based beginning farmer training programs across the country. . . .

Read the rest at the St. Peter Herald.

KAAL reports in  Walz Weighs in on Gas Prices:

It was time to talk gas prices.

Today, Representative Tim Walz visited a local truck company where he talked about how his bipartisan energy bill will help alleviate some of our dependence on foreign oil.

Filling up one of these can cost up to $13-hundred dollars.

Milt Ronnenberg says he's been trucking for 24 years and a lot has changed.

"I was trucking back in the 50's and you can buy fuel for 19 cents a gallon,” says Ronnenberg.

Even though the price of oil has dropped in the past week, truck drivers haven't seen it at the gas pumps.

Congressman Tim Walz says his bipartisan energy bill will help expand drilling at home and fund renewable energy research. . . .

KEYC-TV covers Walz's visit in Owatonna in Walz Talks Energy with Truckers. The station also covered Walz and Franken's campaign stop in Democrats Swing Through Mankato.  Video available for all three reports at the stations' websites.

The Rochester Democrat notes an Olmsted County DFL fundraiser on the 20th that will "Rock the Vote" with an Elvis impersonator.

The Man at Talk the Talk recommends Walz's column on energy policy in Ask Real Questions.

And since the trucking industry was a theme for today, a lullaby for our readers:

Turn Around America rally in Rochester

We've received press releases from the Southeast Minnesota Area Labor Council about today's Turn Around America rally in Rochester, and yesterday's gathering in St. Peter.

Today's rally:

Working Families Rally

Rochester to Turn Around America

Labor Movement makes push to seize historic opportunity

On Thursday, August 28^, 2008 at 4:30 pm in East Park (E. Center Street and 15^th Ave. NE) in Rochester, the Southeast MN Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO is sponsoring a rally to Turn Around America.

All over Minnesota, working families are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet. Skyrocketing healthc are costs, stagnating wages, increasing unemployment and attacks on our retirement security are just a few of the issues we are facing.

Corporate America and its high priced CEO’s are doing better than ever, but at the expense of working families. And these problems are happening right here in our own communities. Truly, America is headed in the wrong direction.

But this fall, the labor movement will be doing something to change it. All union members and community supporters are invited to join the Southeast MN Area Labor Council for a presentation on an economy that works for all and rally about what our community can do to: TURN AROUND AMERICA

Turn Around America
15th Ave. NE
Rochester MN
Thursday, August 28th, 2008 Time: 4:30 pm.

And from St. Peter yesterday:

Today, the Southeast Minnesota Area Labor Council hosted a Turn Around America event at Minnesota Square Park in St. Peter. Over forty concerned citizens from the area turned out to listen to distinguished speakers on the urgent need to turn around America.

Jeff Van Wychen, Minnesota 2020 scholar said, “The no new tax policies that the state has been pursuing over the last five years were supposed to create an economic boom in Minnesota.” Instead it has created underfunded schools and crumbling public infrastructure and public services.

To speak about how the community is suffering first-hand, Audra Waylett – Security Counselor at the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center shared how difficult it has been with pending layoffs for her and her co-workers. Waylett said, “We’ve been fighting for our jobs with everything we have, and the fight isn’t over, and it won’t be for a while and that’s scary.” She continued, “What really matters and what none of us can be silent about is making sure that we have public safety and that we have worker safety. It’s important that we invest in our community by ensuring that we have good paying jobs right here in our town.”

Validating the fear that America is moving in the wrong direction, David Wehde, State Director of Minnesota Working America, said that two thirds of the people they talked to in St. Peter last night signed up to be a Working America member because they are frustrated with “flat incomes, skyrocketing personal debt, and out of control health care and energy costs.”

Special guests also included Ruth Johnson, former State Representative voicing her concern that security counselors at the local treatment center are not receiving the state’s appreciation for the work that they do.

Thomasin Franken, daughter of US Senate candidate Al Franken and elementary school teacher, spoke on the importance of revitalizing our education system. She emphasized the need for re-investment in early childhood education so that parents are confident that their children are off to a good start.

Photo: Concerned citizens at the St. Peter rally.

Monday morning news digest: small town values edition

Today's Winona Daily News editorial says Winona should get some from Amtrak in Get on board the idea for more rail service. In part:

. . .It’s also nice to see leaders such as U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., and Mayor Mark Johnsrud of La Crosse, Wis., come together with Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, U.S. Rep. Tim Walz and Miller to form a coalition that stretches beyond state lines. When it comes to both transportation, commerce and tourism, state lines seem to dissolve and become less important.

When it comes to lobbying for money or more service, it’s even more impressive when we speak not just as one city or one state, but as an entire region, which realizes the growing importance of alternative transportation (which now means anything but a gasoline powered automobile). The Highway 43 Bridge shutdown reminds us of both the connection we have to each other and the importance of good transportation.

We also applaud Walz’s recent legislation that, if passed, would provide more than $14 billion to passenger rail improvement, including Amtrak. .. .

The Worthington Globe reports Walz touts energy plan in Worthington visit with area truckers:

Rep. Tim Walz visited Smith Trucking on Saturday, where he met with truck fleet owners and operators from southwestern Minnesota who are members of the Minnesota Trucking Association.

While at Smith Trucking — a family-owned, second generation trucking company — Walz and local truckers discussed how high fuel costs have affected the trucking industry, as well as the comprehensive energy bill Walz and the Bipartisan House Energy Working Group introduced in July.

Read the rest at the Globe.

Congressman Walz and Senator Klobuchar are visiting Rochester, Albert Lea, Waseca, Mankato and St. Peter today to talk about equalizing Medicare payments between states and to visit with veterans at service clubs. Details and full schedule here.

The Worthington Globe also makes note of the coming Republican primary by printing the AP story Davis, Day head for showdown; it's picked up in the WDN as Republicans prepare for primary. This is the same story that WCCO ran. We commented yesterday:

From the sounds of things, Brian Davis should spend some of that money on the primary, since Day is a master at getting the press's attention.

In the netroots, Walz makes a brief cameo appearance in the Rook's Is The MN Republican Party Eating Itself?, which contrasts the Republicans' inner-party feud over the endorsement of Mark Olson for State Senate with DFL reaction to Al Franken's Playboy article. More interesting chronicles of this over at Lloydletta's place.

The Washington Post looks at Alternative Energy's Front Lines in Colorado. Included in the story is the tale of the state's renewable energy standard for electricity. Fascinating who that works.

In its newsline Friday, the state Republican party sent its faithful readers back to an April 15th profile of their candidate in the Strib. We're guessing they're trying to refocus on his upbringing by parents of "modest means," rather than a doctor making $411,000 a year at Mayo. 

This is the article where Davis inflated the value of his medical school rotations at public and veterans hospitals. Rather than being a standard piece in a medical education where students observe doctors working, on Planet Davis, their location makes him an expert on public service. From the article:

"I've always been interested in politics, but have always understood that in our system of government, it's the life experiences that people bring to the table that's valuable to government," Davis said, adding that he has worked in public and veterans hospitals while in school . . .

After all, watching doctors work during a student rotation is such a hard-wrought life experience. Likewise, if we are to believe his Facebook resume rather than his hype, Davis spent all of eight months--twenty-five years ago--working as a nuclear engineer after completing his undergraduate degree. His earlier experience for the firm where he worked was in summer jobs and work study.

The article also noted his hometown of Waukegan, Illinois, on the "North Shore" of Chicago. Given the spin that the Davis campaign's followers have put on Davis's "small town values," readers might consider the birthplaces of each man still in the race. In the 1960 census, the first one taken after Davis's birth, Waukegan's population was 61,784. The town (and Lake County) is now included in the Chicago metropolitan area, though we don't know if this was the case when Davis was young. Davis's undergraduate years were spent at the University of Ilinois in Urbana-Champaign, metropolitan area population 210,275 (2000 census), attended grad school in the Boston area, medical school/interning in the Chicago area and did his residency in New York City. He has lived in Rochester since completing his work in New York City.

Senator Dick Day was born in Rochester, Minnesota. In the first census following his birth, Rochester's population was 26,312. He is a lifelong resident of the district and longtime resident of Owatonna, population 24,533. A Winona State University grad, Day says that the only time he's left Minnesota for long was to serve in the Navy.

Congressman Walz was born in 1964 in West Point, Nebraska. We haven't been able to find figures from the 1970 census online, but the population of the entire county was 12,034 in 1970, the first census after Walz's birth. West Point is now home to 3,660 people. Walz graduated from Butte High School in a class of 25; fewer than 400 people now live in Butte. The 1980 census placed 3,331 in all of Boyd County, Nebraska, with only 2,835 remaining in 1990. He met his future wife, Gwen, while teaching in Alliance, Nebraska (pop. 8,959).  Gwen Whipple Walz was born in Glencoe, Minnesota and raised in Ivanhoe. Moving to Mankato, population 32,493, must have been a big step up in the mid-1990s.

What are "small town values"? Some conservatives like Davis (and his supporters) would probably want to co-opt the phrase to mean a hardcore extreme right agenda. Mostly though, we think people take it to mean places where  people know and care for each other, center their lives around family, schools, faith, and the local Legion, VFW or Lions club. That vision includes people from across the political spectrum. Sadly, small towns don't always live up to their values, but when they do, these are great places to live and raise families.

Maybe the most famous recent song about small midwestern towns is Indiana rocker and rural activist John Mellencamp's "Small Town." Interesting thing about Mellencamp, whom Rolling Stone called an ardent Democrat: his songs tend to get grabbed by conservative politicians to illustrate their "values."

Mellencamp has typically grabbed them back when he finds out--most recently asking John McCain to cease playing the progressive, pro-labor song "Our Country" at rallies. Originally an Edwards supporter, Mellencamp now backs Barack Obama.  That background certainly makes one wonder about the use of "Small Town" in this pro-Davis YouTube slideshow put up by a Davis campaign consultant.

Universal Music Group has disabled the embed on his YouTube of "Small Town," so you'll have to follow this link to watch his own take on the song. Here's another great song about small town life, with Emmy Lou Harris joining the under-appreciated Iris Dement in "Our Town."

 

Wednesday morning news and netroots digest: turbine edition

In It Takes a Village to Raise a Turbine: Making the Case for Community-Owned Windpower, Francesca Rheannon of Social Funds interviewed Dan Juhl about developing community-based wind projects. The federal policy side: 

Francesca: Are there any subsidies out there to help this happen?
Dan: There’s the federal production tax credit for wind energy that's production based. So if you produce a clean kilowatt hour of electricity you get about a two cent per kilowatt hour tax credit. The problem with that subsidy is that it's more geared to the large C corporations, not to you and me.

The rules of the tax credit are that if you and I want to use it, it would be subject only to passive income and subject to the alternative minimum tax. You get the credit for the energy you sell, but you have to use that against your tax base. And if you can’t use it against your ordinary income, then it really is worthless.
IWe want to make it so that Americans can invest in their own energy using these tax credits and not just the big C corporations or the multinationals using these credits. That would really catapult community-based development into a real long-term economic development vehicle. So we're working on Congress to change the rules.

Francesca: Are there bills right now pending in Congress that impact on the ability to go forward with these community-based wind systems?

Dan: Yes. We've been working with our Congressmen Tim Walz and Collin Peterson who have introduced a bill in the House that allows the tax credit to be utilized by average Americans. Hopefully this next session after the election we will be able to get that bill out front and center.

Commenting about a different Walz tax bill, Glen E. Peterson evokes Warren Buffet's observations about rates of taxation in  Walz plan fixes unfair taxes.

Jeff at Twin City Liberal crunches the voting data in Tim Walz’s secret to success in CD1. We think the up-and-coming blogger (catch him at Minnesota Campaign Report as well) is on to something:

Nonetheless, the point remains: in a district that leans Republican, Walz relies on voters’ willingness to split tickets. A Congressional candidate without Walz’s charisma and down-to-earth attitude toward policymaking might have trouble in this district.

Take, for instance, GOP endorsed candidate and ideologue Brian Davis (please) and his extremist statements about those nutritional "entitlements" in the Farm Bill. Logo-designer Tild posts about Physicians Against Nutrition. Centrisity eats it up with Dr. Davis, Anti Nutrition. Yep, he'll save the market from the terrors of emergency food relief for Midwest flood victims, WIC programs and other such policy staples.

Senator Coleman must really like Congressman Walz. First, he evoked his name at a campaign stop in Winona (we gather Brian Davis was in the room though he wasn't mentioned in the WDN report Coleman, Franken visit Winona). Now he's put Walz's words in one of his campaign ads according to the Strib's New TV ads: All sniping, no substance?  Walz has endorsed Al Franken, so we're thinking that there's something to this observation by a Franken staffer:

Franken spokesman Andy Barr said: "From his too-cozy relationship with special interests to his falling in lockstep with George W. Bush, it's clear why Norm Coleman is desperate to distract from his record."

Walz is helping out Minnesota's other senator with her crusade for fairer Medicare funding. According to this release from the MMA, Klobuchar, Matson to stump for Medicare fairness, Congressman Walz joined the Senator and medical leaders in Rochester and Mankato to talk about Medicare funding formulas:

Klobuchar will [call] attention to the geographic unfairess of Medicare funding. In Miami, Medicare spends about $8,000 per patient per year, whereas Medicare spends about $4,000 per patient per year in Minneapolis. This happens even though the care outcomes in Minnesota are measurably higher.

More later.