A Bluestem Prairie

Saturday digest: roads, rest stops, recovery money and urban legends edition

 News is getting out about the projects MNDOT will be funding with Recovery Act dollars. The Jackson County Pilot reports in Stimulus upgrades local rest areas:

Federal stimulus money will pay for repaving of the parking lots at Interstate 90's Clear Lake and Des Moines rest areas in Jackson County, according to a list of state projects announced Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The $320,000 parking lot overlay and rehabilitation of curb and walkway at both rest stops is expected to start in September.

Bridge work in Windom was the next closest state project.

MnDOT earlier announced federal stimulus package projects being undertaken by local governments, of which one was the replacement of the Highway 20 bridge over County Ditch 3 a mile and a half west of Okabena by the Jackson County Highway Department. That project has a price tag of $378,000 and construction is expected to start right away this spring.

Click here for a map and click here for a list of the state transportation projects funded by the federal stimulus program.

Click here for a list of the local transportation projects funded by stimulus money.

In We need solutions, not slogans, an LTE from DFL activist Phil Castrovinci published in the Rochester Post Bulletin, we read:

Just three months into his second term, right wing Republicans have begun their attacks on Rep. Tim Walz, as demonstrated by Mr. Klinger in your paper on March 4.

Shame on them.

Rather than come up with sound solutions for the devastating problems facing our country, they want to use funny names (like "Porkulus," coined by Rush Limbaugh) and associations with tired old rhetoric to describe Democrats (tax and spend).

Sadly, right wing ideologues have made it clear they are rooting for failure that seems to be their only hope.

Mr. Klinger, Rush Limbaugh and the other right wingers should take a deep breath and actually think about proposing solutions rather than partisan slogans.

Thank you to Rep. Tim Walz for standing up for Main Street rather than for the Wall Street banks. Walz voted to create jobs in southern Minnesota and he voted against spending billions on a Wall Street Bank bailout. Clearly, his priorities are to represent and fight for Southern Minnesota.

The comments that follow the letter are instructive, as the Republican line seems to be that none of the funding in the Recovery Act or Omnibus spending bill is destined for southern Minnesota. For ourselves, we can only hope that, whatever the passion that informs their denial, those Republicans slow down for the safety of the construction workers on Highway 14 (Omnibus funding) and I-90 (Recovery Act), as well as using the rest areas as needed when passing through Jackson County.

Kudos to the Pilot and sister paper, the Lakefield Standard, for posting a pdf of the local projects. The Winona Daily news reports that Low I-90 project bids announced in the eastern part of the First.  Local police hope for federal grants because they'll be losing state fudning, the WDN reports. The Money would come from the Recovery Act:

Winona and Goodview police will lose state funding in 2009 but hope to bolster or maintain their forces with grants from a federal program re-invigorated by the federal stimulus bill.

The departments are joining thousands of police forces nationwide vying for $1 billion in the stimulus bill to hire officers through the Community Oriented Policing, or COPS program. Winona police hope a COPS grant will pay to replace an officer position they expect to lose next month, while Goodview police say the grant could fill a longstanding need to expand patrols in that department.

The Rock County Star Herald reports in Luverne HRA gets $92,000 in stimulus money:

Luverne was among more than two dozen southern Minnesota communities to receive funds for the express purpose of modernizing and developing public housing.

In Luverne that translates to more money for maintenance and improvements at the Blue Mound Tower apartments.

Luverne HRA Director Marcia Linssen said the money will be a welcome addition to the capital improvement fund at the Blue Mound Tower.

"Every little bit helps," she said. "We're looking forward to finding good ways to utilize that money, either by upgrading apartments or by making improvements to the building itself."

She said Luverne's HRA has been receiving roughly $72,000 in federal funds for capital improvements, so the $92,287 will allow for extra or more thorough improvements.

HRA owns the Blue Mound Tower apartments, which were built in 1970.

"It's an old building, and there are always capital projects that need attention," Linssen said. "Whether it's air exchange issues, plumbing issues or structural issues."

The Mankato Free Press Dan Linehan reports in Politicians weigh in at Futures Summit:

An ambitious project to identify and seize economic opportunities in southern Minnesota sought advice Friday from hundreds of southern Minnesota leaders from the public and private sectors.

Using hand-held voting devices, 250 participants winnowed six key industries to three: bioscience, health care and renewable energy. It’s in these areas the region has the best resources and opportunity to create jobs, they agreed.

The wider process is called the Southern Minnesota Regional Competitiveness Project, led by the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. . . .

. . .Next up was Margaret Anderson Kelliher, speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives and a Mankato native.

“This is not the southern Minnesota of the 1970s,” she said. No one here is looking back, Kelliher said.

After her address, she said the best economic strategy takes advantage of home-grown entrepreneurs, who are looking at a range of factors, not just tax breaks.

“Relocation is a bit of the Old World of economic development,” she said.

Both Klobuchar, currently the state’s only senator, and Rep. Tim Walz touted the recently passed $787 billion stimulus bill as promoting similar goals.

Walz acknowledged the bill essentially borrows from the future and said he doesn’t like deficit spending.

But doing nothing was a worse option, and the only way out of the recession is creating growth, Walz said.

Read the entire article about the Summit at the MFP.  A biobusiness in coming to Pine Island. The Post Bulletin has published more about the Elk Run project in Elk Run seems to have all the right stuff. along with companion articles, $1 billion in a 'pile' for Elk Run and Pine Island city administrator pleased with infusion of capital into Elk Run.  There's even more in Much to be found under biotech umbrella and Interchange is necessary, but unfunded, piece of the project.

URBAN LEGEND ALERT: Finally, loyal readers know we're always on the lokkout for false urban legends being circulated as if they are factual. The Worthington Globe has published an LTE attributing a prayer to the late Paul Harvey. The text instantly set our bull detector tingling; sure enough, it's an item at the Urban Legends Reference site. The praye, falsely attributed to both Harvey and Billy Graham, wasn't aired on radio, but rather delivered on the opening day of the Kansas State House in 1996.

Photo: A waggish friend sent us this lolcats, recommending it as an allegory of First District Republican efforts to unseat Congressman Walz. We have some really funny friends.

If you've stuck with us and read this whole post, you deserve a song. How about a little Anthony and the Johnsons:

Friday digest: small towns talk economic stimulus edition

Many of the district's papers are reporting about area leaders' hopes that Obama's proposed economic stimulus package might take some of the sting out of state budget shortfall.  In Lawmaker warns businesses that state might target taxes, the Post Bulletin's Heather Carlson writes:

The Senate Tax Committee chairman issued an ominous warning to Rochester-area business leaders today: Lawmakers and the governor might look to property taxes to solve the state's massive budget deficit. . . .

. . .Bakk joined six other legislators in speaking to members of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce as part of the group's annual legislative preview. Other speakers included Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, Assistant House Minority Leader Andy Welti, DFL-Plainview, Assistant House Minority Leader Randy Demmer, R-Hayfield, Rep. Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, Sen. Ann Lynch, DFL-Rochester and House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall.

. . . John Eckerman, the chamber's vice president for government affairs, told lawmakers it is critical that businesses get the tools they need to weather these tough times, including economic development tools, affordable health care and transportation upgrades.

But getting that wish list filled will likely prove challenging. Both Republicans and Democrats doubt there will be a bonding bill because of concerns about the state's debt. The hope is that Minnesota will benefit from a federal stimulus package being pushed by President-elect Barack Obama.

Demmer said he was told by U.S. Rep. Tim Walz that Minnesota is in line to receive $870 million in federal stimulus money.. . .

Read the entire article at the PB. The Caledonia Argus notes in Federal program may help fund highway department complex. 

. . .Houston County Finance Director Casey Bradley laid a potentially fantastic Christmas present on the laps of the county commissioners at the end of the Dec. 16 board meeting. Bradley informed the board he learned of a federal program that could fund up to 100 percent of the construction costs of the new county highway complex.

“It’s not a sure thing,” Bradley cautioned. “But it certainly is something I felt we needed to apply for. Even if we would receive partial funding, it would be a real plus for Houston County taxpayers.” . . .

The full article will appear in the paper's December 24 issue. The Fairmont Sentinel calls it a "bailout" in Area officials air concerns:

. . .Rosen offered the local officials some good news. She heard from Congressman Tim Walz that of the $700 billion federal bailout, $85 billion is slotted for transportation. Rosen said Minnesota is currently slated for $878 million of that, and $488 million would go toward highways and bridges, with other funds toward buses, clean water and other areas. She said those details just emerged and further specifics need to be worked out. . . .

We find this choice of words by the reporter to be fascinating, since the Sentinel's readers might readily conclude that Congressman Walz was talking about, oh, maybe the Wall Street bailout that shelled out roughly that amount--and which he voted against twice in the waning weeks of the 110th Congress. Who would know that it's an as yet to be approved economic stimulus package that the  111th Congress will debate at the beginning of its first session?

In Budget deficit dominated discussion, the New Ulm Journal reported yesterday:

The projected budget deficit took center stage Tuesday morning as Brown County officials sat down to discuss the upcoming legislative session with the two state legislators that represent the county.

As in years past, the county board scheduled one hour for each legislator. County department heads brought - and voiced - their own concerns to State Sen. Dennis Frederickson of New Ulm and Representative-elect Paul Torkelson of St. James.

Frederickson was the first to meet with the board, one minute after the meeting began. He started the conversation by saying, "I don't like to be compared with Scrooge. I would rather be compared with Cratchet." . . .

. . .The Representative-elect [Paul Torgelson] had a similar outlook to his Senatorial counterpart. He said the budget is "the big topic at the capitol." Local Government Aid is one topic being discussed, but Torkelson said he hasn't been privy to any discussions about the budget.

County Board Chairman Andrew Lochner asked the freshman representative if he had a feel for his committee assignments. Torkelson said he applied for the Clean Water Council and requested to join the finance committees for environmental and natural resources, agriculture, transportation and telecommunications committee, though he thinks the possibility he will be allowed to join those committees are slim.

He mentioned talk of federal money for infrastructure projects as mentioned by President-elect Barack Obama, saying he is meeting with Congressman Tim Walz today to talk about the possible infrastructure investment and what it could mean for this state. . . .

The Rushford Tri-County News also discusses a potential use of money from Obama's stimulus package in Could Obama economic stimulus plan help R-P district schools? Supt. Ehler meets with Congressman Walz:

. . .[The] R-P [school leadership] still made important personal contact Monday with another political figure, namely Congressman Tim Walz, DFL-Mankato. Walz, the District One incumbent in the U.S. House of Representatives, happened to be in his Rochester office and took time to meet and greet three local persons.

Supt. Chuck Ehler, Dan Munson from the board, and Community Education Director Beth Theede made the journey. All went away feeling good about what they were told.

The reason for the visit?

Ehler came across a weekend Associated Press story about President-Elect Barack Obama's plan to rejuvenate the nation's roads, buildings, and schools. Obama, who assumes the presidency from outgoing George W. Bush on Jan. 20, 2009, is hoping Congress will pass a $64.3 billion economic aid plan and create millions of jobs.

It's no secret that the Rushford-Peterson District needs a new school, and obtaining a chunk of federal money as part of the national stimulus package might solve a lot of problems.

Ehler presented a letter to the congressman outlining thoughts on the subject of the district's quest for a new pre-school, elementary, and high school building in Rushford and remodeled middle school in Peterson.

Fortunately, Walz is already familiar with R-P's circumstances in wake of the August 2007 flood. He visited shortly after the disaster. . . .

Read the rest at the Tri-County News, which also contains more news about the costs and character building involved in restoring the town since it was submerging by record-breaking flooding in August 2007.

In the rush to reach for a quick study of Congressman Walz, some writers forget that the educator is a well-educated guy. Not so with one of the First's unversities. St. Mary's in Winona offers its congratulation to Alums elected senator, representative. Mike Johanns, Nebraska's new Senator, former governor and USDA secretary, graduated from St. Mary's in 1971. Closer to home:

. . .Congratulations also go to Tim Walz, who was re-elected as U.S. Representative from Minnesota’s 1st District. Walz, a Democrat from Mankato, is a candidate in our doctoral program in leadership.

Additionally, four alumni retained their seats in the Minnesota House, each of whom have received a Master of Arts from SMU. The group of four will be entering their second terms, including David Bly M’04 (DFL-Northfield), Carolyn Laine M’03 (DFL-Columbia Heights), Robin Brown M’99 (DFL-Austin), and Will Morgan M’99 (DFL-Burnsville). . . .

In Rahm Emanuel's Strategy For Progressives, Chris Bowers at Open Left repeats the story of Rahm Emanuel's reaction to a critical LTE one of Walz supporters sent to a small town paper. The post does note that  Walz is "one of the few Bush Dogs to drop off the list." 

We've noticed that this anecdote, which first appeared in The Hill several weeks ago, seems to have a life of its own, though only one email correspondent has asked about the LTE itself.  We're not certain but pretty sure this epistle from Fillmore County's Neil Haugerud is the document in question, from November 2007. We blogged about it at the time. 

By the time the letter was published, Walz had taken a lot of heat for his August 2007 vote for a bad FISA bill and had voted for the RESTORE Act. In early 2008, attack ads from a Washington PAC had aired in the First urging Walz to vote for another bad spying bill that would update FISA. In June, Walz voted against the final version of that bill and was removed from Open Left's list.

It's Friday; have a fun evening and remember your winter driving skills.

Photo: Local leaders and elected officials in the First are digging talk of a federal economic stimulus package focused at rebuilding infrastructure and schools, rather than bailing somebody out. We're hoping we see more groundbreaking ceremony pictures like this one for the Waeca Highway 14 bypass.  (picture swiped from MnDot).

Rochester Obama Town Hall meeting: media coverage

From the looks of the audience in the clip at KAAL-TV, the Obama Town Hall Meeting at the Mayo Civic Center yesterday was well attended. Not bad for a gorgeous football Sunday.

In the first town hall meeting for Senator Barack Obama in Rochester national security experts took the stage stumping for the democratic hopeful. 

They unveiled Obama's foreign policy vision for national security.
    
It includes withdrawing troops from Iraq within 16 months and refocusing the fight towards Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

. . ."The currently policy under president bush supported by Senator McCain has been solely focused on Iraq that had nothing to do with 9-11 and had used our resources, our troops to the point where it's very difficult to focus on the greater need," said Walz.

We will hear more as Obama and McCain square off next Friday in Oxford, Mississippi, where the focus of their first presidential debate will be on national security and foreign policy.

The latest Gallup survey found 48% of registered voters support Obama while 44% preferred John McCain.  . . .

KTTC-TV reports in National security town hall meeting:

Our National Security is top of mind for many people and is one of the big issues in the presidential race.

Today some state leaders came to Rochester to discuss Barack Obama and Joe Biden's national security plans.

State representatives Tim Walz and Betty McCollum were among the participants.

The event was free and open to the public. 

The focus of the discussion was the country's situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, our diplomatic relations with countries around the world, as well as solutions for energy independence. 

Former Major General Paul Eaton says, "Militarily, we are in a less adventages position today than we were eight years ago and as a retired soldier and father of soldiers, I have a real problem with that." 

Representative Tim Walz says, "We've gotten ourselves in a situation where we don't have the allegiance and allies that were once there and I think Senator Obama's been talking about building those alliances for the 21st century, reconstituting this force and using all the tools of diplomacy of soft power, economic power as well as military to bring about true national security." 

The panel made their last stop of the day in St. Paul.

National security experts in Rochester on Sunday

From the Post Bulletin:

On Sunday, national security experts will be stumping for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama at noon at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester.

The town-hall-style meeting will feature retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, who was in charge of training the Iraq military and later became a critic of former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's management of the war.

Other panelists will include Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and chairwoman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, and former ambassador Bob Gelbard, who served as President Clinton's special representative for the Balkans from 1997 to 1999.

The article also notes that Brian Davis will be speaking to a Palin-McCain rally in Blaine. Since he'll be in the Sixth, perhaps Davis can share Political Muse Eric Austin's Open Letter To An Absent Representative with his BFF Michele Bachmann:

My question is what will it take for you to pay attention to the people of your district?

It seems even in an election year and at the height of election season you are displaying an attitude of ownership over this area and thus feel no need to be in personal contact with the people living here. Granted, you and I don’t agree on much and I support Elwyn Tinklenberg but how can you and more importantly, how can your supporters justify a 20-month tenure in office with nary a single open forum or constituent meeting in the district?

Are you simply too busy? If so, perhaps you could talk to Rep. Tim Walz in the 1st District and ask him how he juggles three times more committees than you and has still found time to meet on numerous occasions and in numerous places with his constituents. . . .

The letter appeared in the St. Cloud Times. How interesting of the Post Bulletin to report that the "local action" in the First heats up when Davis speaks. . . at a rally in Blaine, but can't manage to report that the first encounter between Congressman Walz and Davis already occurred in Worthington? (We can't recommend enough that readers watch the Globe's video of the candidates speaking.  The contrast speaks volumes).

Monday morning digest: scavenger hunt edition

We had a grand time at King Turkey Day on Saturday--the organizers really know how to trash talk about turkeys and put on a show, and the visiting Texans give as good as they get. The talent wasn't so equally distributed in the political speeches.

The Worthington Globe's coverage of Saturday's speeches in Rivals Davis, Walz talk politics doesn't report on the crowd's reaction to the speakers. Davis blew his own jokes, while Walz drew laughs and cheers throughout his speech, especially when he talked about the passage of the new G.I. Bill. 

Julie Buntjer reports:

Walz, nearing the end of his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, spoke of the work he helped accomplish and the work yet to be done, while admitting he’s “as frustrated as you” when things don’t move forward.

“If we lose faith in City Hall, if we lose faith in St. Paul, if we lose faith in Washington, we’re saying we lose faith in this great democracy,” Walz said. “It’s our responsibility to rise up and move this country forward.”

Walz spoke of the bi-partisan farm bill passed by Congress and the Senate this year, as well as the “first sweeping GI bill since 1944 to care for our veterans.

“It’s our moral responsibility and a national security responsibility — take care of them and they’ll take care of us,” he said.

During his first term in office, Walz said Congress also passed legislation to fund rural water projects, including both the Red Rock Rural Water system and the Lewis and Clark pipeline.

As for energy, Walz said, “Partisan statements that don’t coincide with fact hamper us from getting solutions. We’re working on a bipartisan bill that allows us to drill in our off-shore areas responsibly — not all of them, some of them.”

Walz said he wants to take the royalties earned from offshore drilling and invest a trillion dollars in renewable energy — from wind turbines to biofuels.

“When it comes to energy, this nation can do it. We can use the resources we have here,” he said.

“The best ideas don’t come from the democrats, and they don’t come from the republicans — they come from the American public who puts partisanship second and solutions first,” Walz continued. “This nation can solve those problems, this nation can lead and this nation can do what every other generation has done before — leave this country better than the way they found it.”

The candidate's respective parade units also illustrated the level of enthusiasm. Twenty people wearing Walz t-shirts walked with the Nobles County DFL, along with Thomasin Franken and a number of her father's supporters. Davis walked with ten people, including Representative Magnus. 

Parade watchers responded well to Walz, often calling him over to shake hands. Davis? Just at the moment when we could see his sign carriers coming toward us, Dale and I were startled to see a turkey vulture gliding over the street. The crowd where we stood was nonresponsive to Davis. The vulture, too, took a pass.

The scavenger may have some company with that oversight.

It's our understanding that, as of Thursday, the Davis campaign had not made a television or cable media buy for post-primary advertising. Time--and space--are going fast. Judging from Mark Fischenich's Campaign Notebook, it looks as if Davis's supporters hope the hapless doc will win on Sarah Palin's coattails:

Neal Breitbarth, a Fairmont businessman and delegate to the Republican National Convention, didn’t agree with a suggestion that Palin was the star of the convention. But Breitbarth might have been trying to protect McCain’s feelings, because he asked that Palin — not McCain — do a campaign rally in the district with GOP congressional candidate Brian Davis.

Breitbarth said he thinks the district is perfect for Palin and that residents would respond with great enthusiasm, helping Davis in his attempt to unseat freshman Democratic Congressman Tim Walz of Mankato.

We'll see if the McCain campaign decides Southern Minnesota is a good fit for the Alaska governor. Fischenich adds that she and Walz have something in common:

One organization that was a big supporter of Palin as governor of Alaska is also endorsing Walz. The National Rifle Association announced its endorsement of Walz last week, something the Democrat’s campaign publicized with a pair of press releases.

A retired Army National Guard command sergeant major, Walz has a strong record of backing Second Amendment rights.

According to Fischenich:

No debates have been finalized in the 1st District. . . although the Walz and Davis camps are said to be talking about it.

If Davis is as smart as he claims, he'll try to avoid one-on-one meetings with Walz. We've seen them twice now--at Farmfest and King Turkey Day--and the comparison isn't flattering to the Republican. It's no wonder that observers like Beyond the Polls put this seat in the "safe for now" category.

MSU-Mankato Dean of Nursing Mary Bliesmer writes the Mankato Free Press to observe Walz’ energy bill would make a real difference:

Tim Walz, southern Minnesota’s energetic new representative in Washington, D.C., along with other legislators, has introduced a new energy bill the National Conservation, Environment and Energy Independence Act, a bipartisan bill proposed to make a real difference for our future.

This is a bill that has vision for not only tomorrow but also 10 years from now. The proposed bill expands offshore drilling responsibly, lifting the moratorium on the Outer Continental Shelf in some areas as a short-term solution.

Revenues (around $1 trillion) raised from taxes and royalties on new drilling would be invested in renewable/alternatives research and conservation over the next decade and Americans may even find it easier to buy hybrid vehicles that get better gas mileage.

This is a groundbreaking bill, written by moderates from both parties who realize that partisan bickering about energy policy does not bring lasting results.

The Rochester Democrat looks at one reason why offshore drilling is more complicated an issue than Brian Davis admits in Dr. Davis’ Sloganeering Approach Ignores National Security.

In a letter to the editor, Walz supporter Ronald von Arb tells readers Walz brings integrity, accountability to D.C.

Congressman Walz will be at this morning's press conference at the new I-35 bridge and then back to Washington.

Photos: Above: from the Worthington Globe, Tim Walz and a couple of turkeys. Below: from the USGS, a stock photo of a turkey vulture. Dale was familiar with the species because they roost on the local law enforcement communications towers in Luverne; we've seen them while out birding.

 

Sunday afternoon news digest: stumping, spitting and bowling edition

Dick Day grabs the lion's share of earned media in WCCO's report, Republicans Face Off In 1st District Primary. 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 WCCO news report, Davis has little name recognition. Day was featured on two station's news last week.

We got a chance to look for signs of the primary yesterday in parts of Nicollet, Brown, and Blue County on the way back from the ruins of Farther and Gay Castle.  When we drove through New Ulm, we saw a few signs for both candidates in the Day-Davis primary, and they seemed evenly matched.  We were most impressed by the signage for both Skillings and Torgelson in the 21B open seat. Neither faces a primary, but are hustling for visibility and their work shows.

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

Outspoken Owatonna conservative Marlene Nelson writes to say Walz’s office staff was quick to help, in the Owatonna People's Press. When she encountered a problem with transportation to the V.A., she turned to Walz's congressional office.  Go read the outcome at the OPP. This is how congressional constituent services are supposed to work.

Phil Heim of Medford did a little research and praises H.R. 6709 (National Conservation, Environment, and Energy Independence Act) in Energy bill is what we should expect. He concludes:

Without labeling ourselves as Republicans or Democrats but as Citizens, isn’t this the type of working together we expect from our governmental leadership? Why not call or write your representative or senator and express your concerns?

In Winona, DFLer Jim Gurley writes ti say Rep. Walz helps hard-working families. On the editorial page, the board is ticked off at state legislators from both sides, except for Gene Pelowski. We have to hand it to the WDN's Darrel Ehrlick: he's not one to mince words.

Winona Radio reports that Women in Business will host a meeting featuring congressional and state house candidates:

Four political candidates will be the special guests at next weeks meeting of the Winona Women in Business group.

The event will take place at noon on Thursday, August 21st, at Westfield Golf Club.

First District Congressman Tim Walz and his Republican challenger Brian Davis will be on hand. Also attending will be Minnesota State Representative Gene Pelowski and his Republican challenger, Rhett Zenke.

All four will address current campaign issues.

The deadline for registering for the event was August 11.There will be more forums and debates as the general election nears. One post-primary debate, sponsored by Debate Minnesota, is in the works; readers can probably expect at least as many post-primary debates and forums as Gutknecht and Walz attended in 2006.

The Austin Herald reports Local voter registration up. The local League of Women Voters is facilitating the process:

. . .Members of the Austin Area League of Women Voters offered voter registration at the Austin Public Library Friday and Saturday in preparation for the Sept. 9 primary election and the Nov. 4 general election.

. . .The Austin Area League of Women Voters will also be offering registration at its primary forum Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. at the city chambers. The event is open to the public. Registration can also be made at city hall, which is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Minnesota's election laws allow same-day registration on election days,  but registering in advance will speed an individual's time at the polling place. Those who is wish to be on the roster at their polling place for the September 9 primary need to register by August 19; for the general, it's October 14.

The Minnesota Secretary of State's website provides information about how to register.  Voter qualifications:

You may register and vote in Minnesota on the next Election Day if you:

• will be at least 18-years-old on Election Day 
• are a citizen of the United States
• will have resided in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding Election Day
• have any felony conviction record discharged, expired, or completed
• are not under court-ordered guardianship where a court has revoked your voting rights
• have not been ruled legally incompetent by a court of law

Again, one need not be registered before election day in Minnesota to vote (registration is available at the polls) but you must register. Doing it in advance saves everybody time on Election Day.

The blogger at Minnesota First started posting because of concerns about FISA. In Here We Go Again he links to an article about a proposal to expand domestic eavesdropping. At Minnesota Central, McPherson Hall takes several looks at drilling as an issue.

A letter writer tells the editors of the Mankato Free Press Backyard hens are nothing to fear. We agree, unless you're Mickey Rourke in this 1987 film.

In Owatonna, Steele County politicians engaged in a watermelon seed-spitting contest. Now think how much more fun it would be to see Norm and Al go bowling? (h/t) to THM.

Speaking of bowling--there's going to be a one-sided immigration reduction forum in Austin tomorrow night that features a panelist from FAIR. The convergence of bowling news and  FAIR news is as good a superficial excuse as ever to post a video of our favorite bowling song.

Saturday afternoon news and netroots digest: linkage edition

he letters section in the Owatonna People's Press has been getting pretty feisty since the paper adopted a new format. Recent letters include Tim Walz does well, despite his debt and Congressman is a breath of fresh air.

A widely-email urban legend that a Republican commentator posted in comments back in May when the Rochester Post Bulletin used a different comment software package is recycled in comments at the paper's Political Party blog. This time, it's two falsehoods for the price of one; a wild misreading of a Tax Foundation document is thrown in for good measure. Good times!

Yesterday we looked at a hilarious example of a MarketWatch article misused to defend the honor of the Honorable Mrs. Bachmann. Our friend the talented Mr. Quimby caught another example as well.

At the Mankato Free Press, reporter Mark Fischenich takes a gimlet-eyed look at both party's position on the pain at the pump in Political gas is at a premium.

Another federal grant announcement; this one in the Winona Daily News: Catholic schools awarded $500000 grant for phy-ed programs.

Our friend McPherson Hall has a number of interesting post up at Minnesota Central.  First, Walz Rated Top Impact Congressman – Could Sarvi Be Next ? Those who want to help make it so can contribute via the Red2Blue MN Act Blue page.  Earlier, MC posts about earmarks in Politics Trumps Governance UPDATE : Republicans Delay (?) Earmark Proposal and the "Article 1" campaign in In an Obama Administration Will Republicans Defend Article 1 ?.

A reader writes the Winona Daily news to lament his anger that Congress is selling our rights with the pro-FISA vote. It was reported that a number of representatives who changed from being against telecom immunity to approving it received large campaign contributions from telecoms.

Congressman Walz voted against the bill.  The Mankato Free Press reported that Brian Davis, the endorsed Republican candidate in a primary battle with Dick Day, would have voted for it.

Individuals can reward Walz's standing strong against telecom immunity by contributing by June 30 or volunteering to help with the campaign.

MFP: Congress fails to defend Constitution by going along with FISA bill

The Mankato Free Press editorial board opines today that Domestic spying needs restriction. The editorial is headed by this statement:

Congress is failing in its sworn duty of defending the Constitution by going along with the administration's domestic surveillance program.

The lead:

It seems surprising that 80 United States senators, sworn to uphold the Constitution, voted Wednesday to mow down the last attempt to get them to think seriously how their actions might damage the long-help principles of American democracy and justice.

The editorial draws strongly on Senator Dodd's impassioned speech against cloture. You can access video of the speech via C&L's Senator Chris Dodd, Constitutional Champion.

As the MFP notes in the article Walz sees good, bad news for civil liberties, Tim Walz voted against the FISA bill in the House last week. GOP contender Brian Davis tells the newspaper he would have for the bill,  siding with the DC special interests that ran a scare tactics ad that FactCheck.org said used Fear and False Claims  to attack Walz on his resolve. 

No word on where GOP primary challenger Senator Day stands on the issue.

Congressman Walz drew much justified fire when he voted for the PAA last August. He listened. Since then, he has repeatedly voted to protect civil liberties--with the RESTORE Act last fall, turning back the Senate bill this spring in the face of an expensive ad campaign urging him to stand down on the RESTORE Act, and now voting against the bad bill that was passed in the House and that will most likely pass in the Senate.

Reward Walz for heeding the good sense of his constituents by contributing to his campaign by June 30 or volunteering.

And now, a cover from the Boss, with a shout-out to Richard. Keep your hand on the plow.

The Hill: NRCC circulates FISA opponent names to telecom PACs

As we mentioned earlier today, the Politico reports that Dems who flipped on FISA immunity see more telecom cash.  Walz voted against telecom immunity last week and The Hill posted his statement in one of its blogs.

Now it looks like the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has tried to use the votes of telecom immunity opponents to raise cash against them. In   FISA overhaul spat moves from Capitol to campaign, The Hill's Walter Alarkon writes:

A new poll suggests that the FISA debate hasn’t resonated with voters in the way Republicans would like it to. According to the Rasmussen survey, 32 percent of likely voters think the government worries too much about protecting individual rights, while the same proportion believes that the government is too worried about national security.

Republicans may also have a difficult time paying for attacks focusing on FISA, with the NRCC raising far less money than its Democratic counterpart and with polls showing other issues — the economy, energy costs and the Iraq war — more on voters’ minds.

Republicans may have to rely on outside advocacy groups to push the issue; the NRCC has even circulated the names of Democratic opponents of the White House-backed FISA deal among telecom companies and their political action committees (PACs). One advocacy group advised by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, ran ads earlier this year criticizing House Democratic freshmen for not supporting a bill that included immunity. The ads ran in the districts of Reps. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Michael Arcuri (N.Y.), Nancy Boyda (Kan.), Tim Walz (Minn.), Chris Murphy (Conn.) and several others, according to Factcheck.org.

Don't like special interests setting the agenda? With the June 30  FEC deadline for Q2 looming, now's a good time to contribute to and volunteer for Congressman Walz's re-election.

And if you have more coin, please help elect more good Democrats to join Walz in Washington by giving to Red to Blue.

 

Hill Blog: Walz on FISA

In FISA Compromise Bill Undermines Law, the Hill Blog has published Congressman Walz's statement about his no vote on FISA.  It's worth repeating here, since some of our readers might have missed it at the end of last week:

There are many parts of this bill that I support. It reaffirms that FISA is the exclusive means for electronic surveillance, and it strengthens protections for Americans at home and abroad.  If this was all that this bill included, I could support it.

Unfortunately, the bill also contains an unprecedented free pass for the Bush Administration’s past actions.  It does not allow judicial review of the Administration’s use of warrantless wiretaps, and the process it puts in place to review the telecommunications companies’ participation in that illegal program has a predetermined outcome – immunity.

Incredibly, this bill actually says that as long as the telecommunications companies can prove that the Bush Administration told them this action was legal, they can get off scot-free.  Today, my colleague Roy Blunt called the process of granting immunity to these telecoms “a formality.”

When Richard Nixon said that “when the President does it, that means it’s not illegal,” many Americans were horrified that any President would consider himself above the law.  This legislation is even worse, because it essentially says ‘if the President tells you do so something, it’s not illegal,’ even if it violates the plain letter of the law.  The process set out in this bill to rubberstamp the actions of the Bush Administration is contradictory to the rule of law in this country.

This free pass for the phone companies isn’t needed to protect Americans – in fact, it protects only those in the Bush Administration who knowingly broke the law. We can protect our security while protecting our shared values and our freedoms. Unfortunately, this bill does not do that, and I have no choice but to oppose it.

I have repeatedly said that I could not support a bill that provides a free pass for illegal behavior, no matter who committed it.  Our laws matter, and they should be applied equally and fairly to the President, Congress, telecommunications companies, and every other citizen.

We're also reposted our response to a statement issued on Friday by RPM Chair Ron Carey about the vote. It began:

"By voting against this bipartisan compromise on FISA legislation, Tim Walz has made clear he will side with national liberals and special interest groups....

We think Ron Carey is deeply confused about Southern Minnesota:

. . . Ron Carey, chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, is seething--and very confused as well. Chairman Carey seems to have forgotten the special interests that paid real money to run those fearmongering ads that got severely ripped by Factcheck.org in  Fear and False Claims. Special interests opposed Walz's position--and spent thousands to trash him. The citizens in the First were appalled by the ads. Wow, Mr. Carey needs to get a firmer grip. Really.

Photos: Richard Nixon (top) and RPM Chair Ron Carey (bottom).

Yesterday's FISA vote removes Walz from "Bush Dog" list

Reading around the netroots, we see that Chris Bowers at Open Left has moved Tim Walz off the "Bush Dogs" list because of his "no" vote yesterday against giving retroactive immunity to telecoms.   

We don't believe that Walz's  change of heart on FISA--which began last year with his votes for the RESTORE Act in November--is a consequence of being put on a list with a vile-sounding name by the netroots.

Instead, Walz was schooled, sometimes harshly though justly, by people in his district, and he responded accordingly.  Walz kept the promise about reactive immunity that he made at his  Iraq Town Hall meetings last fall, at the Rochester caucus last February, and at dozens of other encounters across the district. We hope this experience will encourage First district voters to continue to let Tim Walz know what's on their minds.

And perhaps volunteer or chip in some coin to his re-election.

Update: Recovering Republican Ron Amundson gets it in Way cool on Tim Walz on voting against HR6304.

He concludes:

It's a risk he is taking, yet it is also a risk he must take to uphold his office, irrespective of the consequences. Thats a whole lot of courage he has to take such a stand, and I applaud him for it. I also know, should this come back on him during election time, he won’t back down, and likely any mud thrown, is going to come back at the thrower in a huge way, if not from Tim, by a bunch of us supporters who will not stand for those who throw the constitution under the bus for expediencies sake.

Amundson, who heads a product development company, hadn't updated his blog since March; he resumed a couple of days ago with a truly original post about the nuclear power industry from the perspective of someone who has actually worked with engineers in this century. A great read at McCain Sees Need for More Nuclear Power - WSJ.com.

Also back from long silence was the Minnesota First blog, who once once more aroused by the spectre of a  bad FISA bill.  Fortunately, Apollo was pleased by Walz's vote, though disappointed with the outcome overall.

The Rochester Democrat also praises Walz.

On the other hand, Ron Carey, chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, is seething--and very confused as well. Chairman Carey seems to have forgotten the special interests that paid real money to run those fearmongering ads that got severely ripped by Factcheck.org in  Fear and False Claims.  Special interests opposed Walz's position--and spent thousands to trash him. The citizens in the First were appalled by the ads. Wow, Mr. Carey needs to get a firmer grip. Really. [end update]

Thank you: House passes telecom immunity spying bill--Walz votes no

The headline says it all: House immunizes telecoms from lawsuits:

The House has approved a compromise eavesdropping bill that, in effect, shields telecommunications companies from civil lawsuits for their alleged participation in the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program.

The House's passage of the FISA Amendment bill marks an apparent end to a monthslong standoff between Democrats and Republicans about the rules for government wiretapping in the United States in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks. It's an attempt to balance privacy rights with the government's need to protect the country by spying on foreign agents and terrorists. The Senate is expected to easily pass the bill as soon as next week — before Congress' Fourth of July vacation.

Walz voted no. In the Minnesota delegation, the DFLers voted no, with the exception of Collin Peterson, who joined all three Republicans in voting yes.

His office has issued a statement on the vote:

Today, Congressman Tim Walz voted against H.R. 6304, legislation which makes changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA): 

"There are many parts of this bill that I support.  It reaffirms that FISA is the exclusive means for electronic surveillance, and it strengthens protections for Americans at home and abroad.  If this was all that this bill included, I could support it.

"Unfortunately, the bill also contains an unprecedented free pass for the Bush Administration's past actions.  It does not allow judicial review of the Administration's use of warrantless wiretaps, and the process it puts in place to review the telecommunications companies' participation in that illegal program has a predetermined outcome -immunity. 

"Incredibly, this bill actually says that as long as the telecommunications companies can prove that the Bush Administration told them this action was legal, they can get off scott-free.  Today, my colleague Roy Blunt called the process of granting immunity to these telecoms 'a formality.'

"When Richard Nixon said that "when the President does it, that means it's not illegal," many Americans were horrified that any President would consider himself above the law.  This legislation is even worse, because it essentially says 'if the President tells you do so something,  it's not illegal,' even if it violates the plain letter of the law.  The process set out in this bill to rubberstamp the actions of the Bush Administration is contradictory to the rule of law in this country.

"This free pass for the phone companies isn't needed to protect Americans - in fact, it protects only those in the Bush Administration who knowingly broke the law. We can protect our security while protecting our shared values and our freedoms.  Unfortunately, this bill does not do that, and I have no choice but to oppose it. 

"I have repeatedly said that I could not support a bill that provides a free pass for illegal behavior, no matter who committed it.  Our laws matter, and they should be applied equally and fairly to the President,  Congress, telecommunications companies, and every other citizen."

Thank you, Congressman Walz.

FISA vote today: call Tim Walz and tell him to vote no

As much as Steny Hoyer and other Democratic leaders have tried to spin the new version of the bill up for a vote today in the House, the New York Times is right when it writes Congress Makes a Bad Deal on Wiretapping:

As we expected, and feared, Democratic and Republican leaders in the House of Representatives announced a deal today on a new bill that will expand the president’s powers to spy on Americans without bothering to get a warrant.

It will also give retroactive immunity to the telecommunications companies that participated in President Bush’s unlawful wiretapping program after Sept. 11, 2001.

As we also expected, those who negotiated this bad deal are saying it strikes a balance between the needs of the intelligence community and Americans’ civil liberties.

Balance? Only if you consider it balance to tip the scales heavily toward letting the government spy on its citizens whenever it wants and away from the public’s privacy rights.

“It is the result of compromise, and like any compromise is not perfect,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer in a rather strained press release that tried to explain why he agreed to this bad deal. . . .

Go read the rest there. The new bill includes supposed cover for those representatives who have said that they oppose telecom immunity, but the "bad deal" is just that: political cover.

Tim Walz had a bad vote last August on the PAA, was justly criticized for that vote, and by the fall voted for the RESTORE Act. Though under an onslaught of an expensive television ad buy by the Defense of Democracies this February, he voted against allowing telecom immunity in the roll call vote taken on March 14, 2008.

He should stick to those guns and show the same political courage again. Call and email Tim Walz's offices and ask him to vote no on this bad deal. Constituents should call 1-800-TIM-WALZ; the Washington DC number is  (202) 225-2472. Constituents can email Congressman Walz here.

For more on the not-so-grand compromise, read the ACLU's This Spade is a Spade: FISA Deal Is Bunk, McJoan at FISA Fight: Capitulation Reached, Think Progress's New wiretapping bill dubbed ‘repugnant’ and ‘a capitulation, and Glenn Greenwald's George Bush's Latest Powers, Courtesy of the Demcoratic Congress.

Update: A reader calls our attention to the WaPo's pro-bill editorial A Better Surveillance Law. We're not buying it. 

And a note to readers: Emailing us with questions directed to Tim Walz will not get the Congressman's ear, since Bluestem Prairie is an independent blog kept by an individual.

We're neither on the congressional payroll nor an employee of or consultant to the campaign, and we won't act as your personal messenger service to either office.  Direct your queries to the staff at the appropriate offices.

Who put the "front" in frontiers; or, the one about those robocalls in the First

Several kind readers gave us the heads-up yesterday about a fundraising email that the Walz campaign sent out.  Like Kristin Gillibrand before him, Tim Walz has been hit by robocalls to his constituents asking him to support retroactive immunity for telecoms.

The appeal began:

A group calling themselves “Frontiers of Freedom” is calling voters in southern Minnesota. . . .

The group is telling voters to urge me to support retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that participated in the President’s illegal wiretapping program. They want me to cave in to the President’s demands.

Despite the pressure, I refuse to give these phone companies a free pass. I won’t let President Bush decide when he can break the law. . . .

Readers asked us to look into the Frontiers of Freedom Foundation  (FOFF) to see what the group was about.  Posting has been light here on the Prairie while we combed through news articles and reports about the group.

While one interest of FOFF founder chair Malcolm Wallop placed him near the heart of one of former House Majority Leader Tom Delay's  less excellent adventures in Malaysia,this post will focus on FOFF's recent work for telecoms, since the calls brought up immunity.

Common Cause wrote about FOF when it was carrying telecoms'  water as they sought to break into the cable market:

Frontiers of Freedom is a think tank that advocates a free market, deregulatory approach to public policy.^[37]  It operates six policy groups, including a Center for Economic Liberty and Property Rights which handles telecommunications policy.

Frontiers of Freedom does not disclose its financial backers, but the Wall Street Journal reported in 2001 that the organization's main contributors were corporations such as Philip Morris, ExxonMobil and RJ Reynolds Tobacco.^[38] At the time, Frontiers of Freedom lobbied heavily against environmental regulations designed to reduce global warming,^[39] and also railed against plaintiffs who sued the tobacco companies after contracting lung cancer from smoking.^[40]

More recently, the Larstan Business Group accused Frontiers of Freedom of engaging in Astroturf lobbying on behalf of the telephone companies.^[41]  Larstan's report, it should be noted, was commissioned by the National Cable and Telecommunications Association,^[42] the main trade association for the cable television industry.

The report points out that Frontiers of Freedom has flip-flopped from being a critic of the telephone industry, to being one of its champions.  According to Larstan, in 2004, Frontiers of Freedom lambasted "the Bell monopolies" for not "do[ing] any of the heavy-lifting normally associated with a free market,"^[43] and instead relying on government regulation to build their business. But in 2005, the organization praised the merger of AT&T and SBC Communications^[44] - two of the telephone industries biggest players - and also endorsed^[45] the Bell-backed regulations designed to ease their entry into the cable television business.  Qwest Communications has alleged that Frontiers of Freedom accepts contributions from AT&T.[46]

And then there's the FOFF's involvement in opposing net neutrality as a partner in the Hands off the Internet campaign. PRWatch gave the industry and its shills (including FOFF) a Bronze Falsie for Neutralizing Net Neutrality:

In two reports, Common Cause exposed more than a dozen front groups for telephone and cable companies. These groups hide their industry ties and often "claim to represent huge numbers of citizens, but in reality their public support is minimal or nonexistent," Common Cause wrote. Such campaigns "deliberately mislead citizens, and they deliberately mislead our lawmakers, who are already charged with the difficult task of making sense of complex telecommunications policies."

A frequent target of the telecom front groups is net neutrality, the principle that Internet providers should not favor some content and applications over others. Industry-funded groups with nice-sounding names like Hands Off the Internet, FreedomWorks, Consumers for Cable Choice, Progress and Freedom Foundation and Frontiers of Freedom claim that net neutrality would increase costs and reduce choices for consumers. Verizon Communications hired pollsters to conduct a misleading opinion survey purporting to show that consumers oppose net neutrality. One leading poll question asked respondents which is more important: "the benefits of new TV and video choice" and "lower prices for cable TV," or "barring high speed internet providers from offering specialized services ... for a fee"? The National Journal reported that telecom companies were spending $850,000 per week to attack net neutrality in advertisements placed "anywhere a congressional staffer is likely to be — including the Washington area transit system" and "at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport."

Oh boy!  FOFF is so worried about freedom for telecoms Internet users. Just to remind everybody about Net Neutrality, we're swiping a YouTube from the Save the Internet Coalition:

Closer to home, on April 8, Andy Birkey at the Minnesota Monitor wrote about yet another coalition FOFF was working on in Phony 'grassroots' telecom industry group pushes back against cell phone reforms.
Birkey reported Mywireless.org was a blended brew of industry:

Though dominated by CTIA, the Mywireless.org coalition comprises more than 30 organizations that include 16 chambers of commerce along with sharply right-wing organizations such as the American Conservative Union, Center for Individual Freedom and Frontiers of Freedom. Mywireless.org has also spread its coins generously among some of the pillars of the anti-tax, anti-regulation right through its "grants."  . . .

It's hard to separate the wires of ideological and corporate interest here, but FOFF's concern for national security has tended more toward pimping missile shield defenses over wiretapping. In fact, in the 1990s, the group fought against President Clinton's attempt to expand the government's powers to wiretap following the first World Trade Center bombings and Oklahoma City (see the text below the fold).

Sourcewatch and ExxonSecrets have more on FOFF. Why, it looks like another center of interest for FOFF is denying the link between human activity and climate change;  The Science and Public Policy Institute (formerly the Center for Science and Public Policy) also takes on those who think mercury being released into the environment might be a bad thing.  We could swear we've seen these cats cited already in First District energy policy discussions. 

Telecom and oil company money being used to influence public opinion in Southern Minnesota? Who'd have thunk it? Isn't this debate supposed to be about the global war on terrorism? Or trial lawyers? Or....maybe this what congressman Walz means when he's says he's been representing his constituents rather than outside special interests.

Maybe the calls are simply about telecom immunity. 

Raw Story: Defense of Democracies targets Walz....and Ron Paul

Note: 4/23: Brian Wise of Defense of Democracies has written to say that the ad has never run in Ron Paul's district and only ran in nine congressional districts, rather than eleven as the Raw Story article claimed. Duly noted. [end update note]

Note: we've edited this post to reflect changes in the Raw Story article.

We appreciate the traffic from being mentioned in an article in Raw Story. Somehow, we don't think that Ron Paul supporters who caucused with the Republican Party in the First back in February will be listening much to what Defense of Democracies has to say.

Some excerpts from the article:

New radio ads are running in districts of several Democratic members of Congress, as well as Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul, targeting the lawmakers for their opposition to a White House-backed surveillance bill. The ads play on national security fears in an attempt to spur these lawmakers to give in to the administration's demands.

Critics of the administration-backed bill say it does not guarantee enough civil liberties protections and would eliminate oversight of President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program.

Meanwhile, Politico reports that Democrats, Republicans and administration officials have met to discuss the stalled bill in question. It's the first time since February parties on all sides of the issue have met.

The ads come from the ostensibly nonpartisan group Defense of Democracies, following up on an earlier campaign from the group targeting many of the same lawmakers. The organization is urging the House to pass a Bush-approved update to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that would provide legal immunity to phone companies that may have violated the law in facilitating the warrantless wiretapping of Americans after 9/11. Civil libertarians and privacy advocates say the White House version of the bill, which already has been approved in the Senate, also does not provide enough judicial and congressional oversight for the administration's proposed surveillance program.

Defense of Democracies is running ads in a dozen districts across the country, targeting 11 Democrats and Paul who voted for an alternative FISA bill that passed the House last month. . . .

. . . The group claims to be bipartisan, but its earlier effort caused several Democrats to jump ship, and May told the Washington Post he has discussed conservatives' lagging fundraising efforts with former Bush strategist Karl Rove. . . .

. . .The Defense of Democracies ad also claims that vital intelligence was lost because of the delay in passing a new law, citing claims from administration officials. The Los Angeles Times reported the administration backtracked form this claim soon after it was made.

Looks like the group is up to its old tricks of simply not being straight with citizens. If it wants bogus, it should try the local funhouse mirrors. See the Newsweek/Factcheck.org article to see the way the group twisted the facts the first time around: Fear and False Claims--Playing the terrorism card, a GOP-linked group twists facts about a controversial electronic surveillance bill.

Transcript of Defense of Democracies' new radio ad in Mn-01

Update:  Welcome Raw Story readers.  We welcome the mention and the visit. [end update]

Brian Wise, communications director for the Defense of Democracies, wrote yesterday to let us know that the group would be running a new radio ad in the First. He kindly sent us the following transcript this morning:

Since 9/11, the terrorist threat to America has increased.

But since February 16^th…our ability to stop that threat has been interrupted.

The law allowing us to intercept communications from new terrorist groups has expired – risking vital intelligence that could prevent future attacks.

Senate Democrats and Republicans voted overwhelmingly for a bipartisan compromise to extend terrorist surveillance.

And twenty-one House Democrats signed a letter supporting the Senate’s plan -- because failing to pass it, quote “could place our national security at undue risk.”

But two months later Nancy Pelosi and some House Democrats still refuse to bring the Senate’s bill to a vote.

Instead, they passed a sham bill that fails to restore the authority our intelligence agencies need.

Tell Representative Tim Walz and the House to do their job – and pass the Senate’s Terror Surveillance Bill.

The disclaimer notes that the Defense of Democracies Action Fund paid for the ad. 

We'll have more on this later, but at first glance, we remember that a number of the "twenty-one House Democrats [who] signed a letter supporting the Senate’s plan" changed their mind after they actually saw the legislation brought before them in the House.

Update: We're a little late in our reading of the Washington Post article, Leading GOP Donors Push To Catch Up to Liberal Groups. 

Fearless Leader Clifford May, president of Defense of Democracies, shows up in the second paragraph [emphasis ours]:

With Sen. John McCain facing the prospect of being dramatically outspent in the race for the White House, a collection of major Republican donors and party leaders that includes former Bush strategist Karl Rove is scrambling to catch up with the efforts of liberal groups aiming to influence the outcome in November.

"The folks on the right may have a rude awakening when they see how sophisticated the infrastructure is that's been built up on the left," said Clifford May, who heads the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which could figure into the Republican effort. May, who said he has discussed the imbalance with Rove, added: "We're the little leagues compared to them."

So this ad campaign isn't just about scaring the heck out of everybody? Who knew?  May a Republican donor?  Heavens to Betsy!

Note: this post has been revised to reflect corrections in Raw Story article.

MFP: Transparency of earmarks provides no political ammunition

Newspapers across the district are reporting on Walz's release yesterday of his budget requests--and the preliminary dollar amounts attached to them. About fifty percent of the dollar amounts are for three large multi-state public works project that enjoy broad bipartisan support from the congressional delegations in the states where the projects are located. The three alrge projects are the Lewis and Clark Rural Water Project (MN, IA, SD); the Upper Mississippi River Navigation project that would update the lock and dam system for barge traffic (upper Mississippi and Illinois Waterway); and the Upper Mississippi River Restoration (MN, IA, IL, WI, MO).

Moving east to west across the district, the Winona Daily News reports Walz releases earmark requests. The brief article focuses on the process by which the earmarks will be scrutinized:

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., on Tuesday released his list of funding requests — also known as earmarks — before the House appropriations process begins for fiscal year 2009.

Walz requested 55 earmarks for projects throughout the 1st Congressional District — though he emphasized most won’t receive funding.

The requests are winnowed in committees before they’re scrutinized by the full U.S. House, then the Senate, then the president.

Depending on the outcome of that process, the Winona area could benefit from a host of requests to fund flood-prevention efforts. . . .

Are efforts to provide better flood prevention in Southeastern Minnesota wasteful spending, or a sound investment?  What are citizens and taxpayers shelling out after last August's floods?

The Rochester Post Bulletin hasn't posted a regular article about the requests on its web site yet, but Ed Felker has provided a short update at the Political Party blog in Walz seeks $211.5 million for 47 projects. [Update] The PB has posted two stories: Walz seeks millions in federal funding for area and Walz strives to get funds for Hormel Institute [end update]

The Mankato Free Press (see pictures below) published two articles in this morning's dead tree edition. One, Walz releases list of earmarks, begins:

Congressman Tim Walz released Tuesday a list of 47 southern Minnesota projects he will be asking Congress and President Bush to authorize as part of the upcoming federal budget, including $20 million for Highway 14 improvements and nearly $17 million for a National Guard facility in Mankato.

Walz cautioned that many of the earmarks will not make the final cut — or will be scaled back in size — as lawmakers from across the country compete to place earmarks in budget bills.

But the freshman Democrat from Mankato, working with Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Norm Coleman, had success last year in getting funding for a number of projects in the 1st District, including a half-dozen in the Mankato area.

“Minnesota sends more money to Washington that it gets back, and it’s appropriate for us to advocate for the good use of tax dollars (in the district),” Walz said.

The New Ulm Journal reports in Walz announces list of funding requests:

Rep. Tim Walz released the list of projects that he will be forwarding to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration. The 47 projects on his list carry a price tag of $211.5 million. However, Walz cautioned that few of the projects on his list may make it through the appropriations process and receive funding, at least for this year.

Walz’s list didn’t originally include price tags for his projects, however, until reporters on a teleconference call asked him how his claim to bring “transparency” to the process squared with his reluctance to announce the dollar amounts he was putting on his requests. Walz pointed out that Minnesota’s other congress people don’t even announce their lists, as he does, but he agreed it would be proper to release the amounts of the projects on his list.

And so he did.   

The jpgs below provide the full articles from the Mankato Free Press. We hope you will read the articles; they note that the two candidates remaining in the Republican primary battle have said that they will not make budget requests, or earmarks, for the district.

Update: Walz FY2009 district budget requests, now with dollar figures

During today's district press call, several members of the media asked for the dollar amounts for Walz's budget requests. He had agreed to release those figures, in addition to the list of projects released earlier. Click on the thumbnails at the left to view them. 

A couple of things need to be stressed. First, the requests are preliminary, based on requests from local and state officials. It's quite possible that the dollar amounts will change in the give-and-take of the budget process.

Second, a number of the high ticket items are multi-state projects like the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System and the Upper Mississippi River Navigation and River Restoration projects.

A note accompanying the documents stated:

"Fifty percent of the funds requested are for three multi-state bipartisan public infrastructure improvements

Highway 14 requests make up approximately another ten percent of our funding requests

National Guard requests make up more than ten percent."

In a post at the PB's Political Party blog that was written before the office released the dollar figures, Ed Felker noted:

Walz, who represents the southern 1st Congressional District, acknowledged that the climate is not good in Washington for earmark projects and Congress may end the year this fall in a budget stalemate without approving local money. "We're still optimistic, but we tell people not to count on it. They're going to have to do their budgeting accordingly without this ability to be there (for them)," he said.

For those who missed it this morning, here's Walz's statement about the requests:

"Continuing his fight to improve transparency and accountability in Washington, Congressman Walz today released the list of Fiscal Year 2009 projects he is forwarding to the House Appropriations Committee.  The list includes funding requests from local officials in southern Minnesota for the National Guard, veterans, agricultural research, renewable energy, health care, education, flood control, Highway 14 and other public infrastructure improvements.   

"Local leaders requested funding for these projects to improve our quality of life in southern Minnesota and benefit the common good," said Walz.  "These projects will produce a return on the investment made by the taxpayers of southern Minnesota."

In 2007, Walz successfully pushed to reform the previously secretive appropriations process in Congress.  Under new rules implemented by the Democratic Majority last year, any project funded in an appropriations bill will be publicly attributed to the Member who requested it.

Additionally, Members of Congress must publicly certify that they do not have any financial interest in a project that they are requesting. 

"Because I believe in making this process as open and transparent as possible, I am also taking the additional, unusual step of publicly releasing the list of the projects I have submitted to the Appropriations Committee on behalf of local officials in southern Minnesota," added Walz.  "My approach is to go above and beyond the new disclosure requirements and to be more open and transparent with voters, which I believe is a must for restoring the public's faith in Congress and changing the way Washington works." 

It is the constitutionally-mandated role of Members of Congress to appropriate federal funding, and Walz said he is proud to work closely with local leaders in the First District to identify projects that are in the public good and will address critical needs facing our citizens.

These funding requests do not add extra spending to the federal budget. Instead, they set aside for a specific project funds that would otherwise be spent by a federal agency. 

"Local leaders who are closest to understanding our unmet needs in southern Minnesota brought these projects to our attention," said Walz.

"I am pleased to stand up for veterans, farmers, the National Guard, educators, health care, flood control, energy independence, Highway 14 and other critical public investment projects."    

"While it is likely that only a few of these meritorious projects will ultimately receive funding, I believe it is important for residents of southern Minnesota to be able to see the list of projects I am supporting and I am proud to release this list of local priorities."

Joe Mayer letter: Conservative criticism is puzzling

Rochester's Joe Mayer writers the local editors in Conservative criticism is puzzling:

Open government, the rights of individual citizens and less government interference have historically and appropriately been principles of American conservatism.

With these principles in mind it is hard to comprehend the recent attacks on Congressman Tim Walz for defending them. Government secrecy and domestic spying are the reasons for opposing the passage of the administration's Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The administration demands immunity from prosecution for past illegal spying without acknowledging how, why, or what spying took place. They are asking for a blank check.

A crucial question: When progressives occupy the executive branch of our government, will these same critics continue to favor increased domestic surveillance?

Mayer is an activist who writes for the Vox Verax team; he is active in the South East Minnesota Area Peacemakers. He has been critical of some of Walz's votes in the past.

YouTube: The cost of the War in Iraq to the readiness of our military

Both General David Petraeus and Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker will testify  next  week before Congress about the Iraq war.  In the House this morning, Congressman Walz talked about the readiness of the nation's military.