THE CURE FOR INSOMNIA
I feel alseep three times as I was reading this article.
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Klobuchar vies for Dayton’s job
Prosecutor campaigns for DFL endorsement
Amy Klobuchar thinks it would be better to talk about what is right and wrong, rather than whether someone is left or right of the political middle.
She combines her toughness as Hennepin County’s top prosecutor with the inspiration of her political heroes: Humphrey, Mondale, Durenburger and Wellstone.
So she is hoping her party — the Minnesota DFL — will endorse her as its replacement for another Klobuchar hero: Mark Dayton.
Dayton is not to seeking re-election to the U.S. Senate after serving one term.
That has left the Democrat side of the ticket wide open. At least two other individuals are seeking the party’s blessing, Patty Wetterling and Kelly Doran.
While embracing her heroes’ ideals, Klobuchar emphasizes she is running for the U.S. Senate on her beliefs and positions. She admits to sharing some of Dayton’s stances, but not all.
"The one difference is he used to own Dayton’s and I use to shop there," laughs Klobuchar.
Hennepin County Attorney since 1998, Klobuchar is a Minnesota native, the daughter of a famed newspaper columnist.
Thankful for her family heritage — including a grandfather who labored as an underground miner, without benefit of a high school education — Klobuchar seems well-versed on many of today’s key issues facing the nation.
Thursday, Klobuchar stopped in Detroit Lakes as part of a campaign swing through northern Minnesota.
She quickly rattled off four main parts of her campaign philosophy, while remarking on other matters that are discussed these days around the coffee table: the Central American Free Trade Agreement, Social Security, health care reform and the federal deficit.
She opposed CAFTA, in part because it doesn’t afford a “fair” playing field for some U.S. interests, like sugarbeet farmers.
"It’s sad, because the (Bush) administration missed an opportunity to negotiate an agreement that took into consideration the 30,000 jobs in Minnesota. They could have listened to (U.S. Rep.) Collin Peterson, (U.S. Sens.) Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad and (U.S. Rep.) Earl Pomeroy, but they didn’t," charged Klobuchar.
Yet, she agrees with the concept that sugar could be used for ethanol. Minnesota, she continues, is "rich" in the potential for renewable energy, whether it be ethanol, biodiesel fuel and wind. She wishes the nation would follow Minnesota’s lead by mandating 20 percent usage of ethanol within the next decade.
"I don’t think it is (unrealistic) when you start looking at the costs of gasoline. You look at the cost of oil and you look at the national security issues," said Klobuchar.
Because of her passion on these matters, Klobuchar would like to serve on the U.S. Agriculture Committee — Dayton now serves on that committee, along with U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) — if elected in November 2006.
She thinks it important for another Minnesotan to be on that committee since the federal farm program is up for renewal in 2007.
On Social Security, Klobuchar contends the program should be guaranteed, not a gamble. “I support enhancing 401K funds, looking at ways to increase the ability of people to put money away in those kinds of funds, but we need to keep Social Security solvent.”
On health care reform, Klobuchar advocates financial support of rural hospitals and requiring pharmaceutical manufacturers to compete with their products.
"That’s part of the reason our (drug) costs are so high, and we need them to negotiate with them, just like we do for the (U.S.) Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration in the Medicare area," said Klobuchar.
She said the $200 billion federal surplus that was registered in 2000 is now a $300 billion deficit.
"It’s costing $800 million a day in interest. You think about the scholarships that would buy for kids in Detroit Lakes to go to college, you think about the health care premiums that would support, you think about the price supports, disaster relief for farmers and instead we’re just giving it away in interest," said Klobuchar.
She said Congress and the Bush administration need to think along these lines: If we’re going to spend money, how do we pay for it; if tax cuts are made, how are they paid for?
Characterizing herself as "crime fighter," Klobuchar is proud of having been a part of the effort to reduce Hennepin County’s crime rate by 20 percent by working with law enforcement and neighborhood groups.
"When I see rural Minnesota and what is going on with meth, that is a major challenge. I can bring a lot to that issue because of my own experience in doing this (county attorney) for seven years," said Klobuchar.
Her approach as county attorney includes focusing on repeat and violent criminals, sex offenders and juvenile cases. She supports tougher penalties on repeat sex offenders, including civil commitments.
Klobuchar was a leading advocate before the Minnesota Legislature in passage of the felony driving while intoxicated law. She received a leadership award from Mothers Against Drunk Drivers in 2001.
She was elected president of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association in 2002. As county attorney, her office has recorded nearly 300 homicide convictions and has taken a more aggressive approach to firearm-related crimes.
She has been involved with AARP, local police and prosecutors in a series of public forums on identity theft, meth and sex offender issues.
Klobuchar has no public opinion on federal appeals Judge John Roberts as a U.S. Supreme Court justice. She wants to hear his answers before the U.S. Senate before making comment.
On John Bolton as United Nations ambassador, Klobuchar is critical of President Bush making the appointment 24 hours after Congress recessed for the month of August.
"In my career as a prosecutor, I have shown to be someone who fights the fight and stands up for people," added Klobuchar.
"You can do that with criminal prosecutions, but you can also do that in Washington. I have that ability to do that ... to hang in there until we get cases won. That’s a philosophy that I don’t see in Washington. Source: Detroit Lakes, August 15, 2005
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Klobuchar vies for Dayton’s job
Prosecutor campaigns for DFL endorsement
Amy Klobuchar thinks it would be better to talk about what is right and wrong, rather than whether someone is left or right of the political middle.
She combines her toughness as Hennepin County’s top prosecutor with the inspiration of her political heroes: Humphrey, Mondale, Durenburger and Wellstone.
So she is hoping her party — the Minnesota DFL — will endorse her as its replacement for another Klobuchar hero: Mark Dayton.
Dayton is not to seeking re-election to the U.S. Senate after serving one term.
That has left the Democrat side of the ticket wide open. At least two other individuals are seeking the party’s blessing, Patty Wetterling and Kelly Doran.
While embracing her heroes’ ideals, Klobuchar emphasizes she is running for the U.S. Senate on her beliefs and positions. She admits to sharing some of Dayton’s stances, but not all.
"The one difference is he used to own Dayton’s and I use to shop there," laughs Klobuchar.
Hennepin County Attorney since 1998, Klobuchar is a Minnesota native, the daughter of a famed newspaper columnist.
Thankful for her family heritage — including a grandfather who labored as an underground miner, without benefit of a high school education — Klobuchar seems well-versed on many of today’s key issues facing the nation.
Thursday, Klobuchar stopped in Detroit Lakes as part of a campaign swing through northern Minnesota.
She quickly rattled off four main parts of her campaign philosophy, while remarking on other matters that are discussed these days around the coffee table: the Central American Free Trade Agreement, Social Security, health care reform and the federal deficit.
She opposed CAFTA, in part because it doesn’t afford a “fair” playing field for some U.S. interests, like sugarbeet farmers.
"It’s sad, because the (Bush) administration missed an opportunity to negotiate an agreement that took into consideration the 30,000 jobs in Minnesota. They could have listened to (U.S. Rep.) Collin Peterson, (U.S. Sens.) Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad and (U.S. Rep.) Earl Pomeroy, but they didn’t," charged Klobuchar.
Yet, she agrees with the concept that sugar could be used for ethanol. Minnesota, she continues, is "rich" in the potential for renewable energy, whether it be ethanol, biodiesel fuel and wind. She wishes the nation would follow Minnesota’s lead by mandating 20 percent usage of ethanol within the next decade.
"I don’t think it is (unrealistic) when you start looking at the costs of gasoline. You look at the cost of oil and you look at the national security issues," said Klobuchar.
Because of her passion on these matters, Klobuchar would like to serve on the U.S. Agriculture Committee — Dayton now serves on that committee, along with U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) — if elected in November 2006.
She thinks it important for another Minnesotan to be on that committee since the federal farm program is up for renewal in 2007.
On Social Security, Klobuchar contends the program should be guaranteed, not a gamble. “I support enhancing 401K funds, looking at ways to increase the ability of people to put money away in those kinds of funds, but we need to keep Social Security solvent.”
On health care reform, Klobuchar advocates financial support of rural hospitals and requiring pharmaceutical manufacturers to compete with their products.
"That’s part of the reason our (drug) costs are so high, and we need them to negotiate with them, just like we do for the (U.S.) Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration in the Medicare area," said Klobuchar.
She said the $200 billion federal surplus that was registered in 2000 is now a $300 billion deficit.
"It’s costing $800 million a day in interest. You think about the scholarships that would buy for kids in Detroit Lakes to go to college, you think about the health care premiums that would support, you think about the price supports, disaster relief for farmers and instead we’re just giving it away in interest," said Klobuchar.
She said Congress and the Bush administration need to think along these lines: If we’re going to spend money, how do we pay for it; if tax cuts are made, how are they paid for?
Characterizing herself as "crime fighter," Klobuchar is proud of having been a part of the effort to reduce Hennepin County’s crime rate by 20 percent by working with law enforcement and neighborhood groups.
"When I see rural Minnesota and what is going on with meth, that is a major challenge. I can bring a lot to that issue because of my own experience in doing this (county attorney) for seven years," said Klobuchar.
Her approach as county attorney includes focusing on repeat and violent criminals, sex offenders and juvenile cases. She supports tougher penalties on repeat sex offenders, including civil commitments.
Klobuchar was a leading advocate before the Minnesota Legislature in passage of the felony driving while intoxicated law. She received a leadership award from Mothers Against Drunk Drivers in 2001.
She was elected president of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association in 2002. As county attorney, her office has recorded nearly 300 homicide convictions and has taken a more aggressive approach to firearm-related crimes.
She has been involved with AARP, local police and prosecutors in a series of public forums on identity theft, meth and sex offender issues.
Klobuchar has no public opinion on federal appeals Judge John Roberts as a U.S. Supreme Court justice. She wants to hear his answers before the U.S. Senate before making comment.
On John Bolton as United Nations ambassador, Klobuchar is critical of President Bush making the appointment 24 hours after Congress recessed for the month of August.
"In my career as a prosecutor, I have shown to be someone who fights the fight and stands up for people," added Klobuchar.
"You can do that with criminal prosecutions, but you can also do that in Washington. I have that ability to do that ... to hang in there until we get cases won. That’s a philosophy that I don’t see in Washington. Source: Detroit Lakes, August 15, 2005
2 Comments:
Are we supposed to believe that she has no opinion of John Roberts? She must really think we are all stupid.
Republican Minnesota,
You must be assuming all the democrats are just as bitterly partasin as you are. I for one think we should give Roberts a chance before the senate. Or were you expecting Amy to say what you thought the liberals wanted to hear?
Isn't it better to hear someone out before making a decision on them? I guess that's just where our parties differ.
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