« AP: “GROUP ACTIVE IN GOV’S RACE CLEARED OF ALLEGED INFRACTIONS” | Home | BACKGROUND ON VOTE VETS »
NEW YORK TIMES/CQ: “GOP CROWD FORMING FOR SHOT AT FRESHMAN WALZ IN MINNESOTA 1″
By Michael B. Brodkorb | May 9, 2007
"For the Republicans, the key to efforts to win back the seat is whether they can succeed at painting Walz as too liberal for a district that gave President Bush 51 percent of its vote in 2004.
'Walz is considered extremely vulnerable, and that's why you've seen Pelosi and the national Democrats take such an interest in him,' said state Republican Party spokesman Mark Drake, referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
'It is a district that is conservative-leaning and I think Walz is — people are going to find out he’s a lot more liberal than they expected,' he said.
Demmer said Walz was 'following the line with the most radical and most liberal elements of the DFL,' the state’s Democratic Party.
Day, who announced his candidacy in February, described Walz as the most liberal candidate the district had ever seen and said the congressman walked 'lock-step' with Pelosi. Day said he currently is keyed into action in the state Senate, which remains in session until May 21, but said his early-morning fundraising efforts have been quite successful." Source: New York Times/CQ, May 8, 2007
Click here for complete story.
Tags: Uncategorized
Topics: Uncategorized | 30 Comments »
30 Responses to “NEW YORK TIMES/CQ: “GOP CROWD FORMING FOR SHOT AT FRESHMAN WALZ IN MINNESOTA 1″”
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
May 9th, 2007 at 5:17 PM
Walz is covering his ass with this VA stuff.
May 9th, 2007 at 5:43 PM
Tim Walz is not “vulnerable”, nor is he that much of the “Liberal” Demmer and the others want to paint him as. Tim is pragmatic in his thinking and follows through with what he says he will do.
Of course Dick Day and Randy Demmer are going to paint Tim as a “Liberal”. There’s nothing wrong about being Socially Liberal if its guided correctly.
The GOP wants the 1st back, but it will remain inn Tim’s care for years to come. Tim Walz has been traveling the District since being sworn in, getting the input from constituents on issues, be it Veterans, the Farm Bill, the Budget, etc. The Veteran’s issues were part of his campaign and he is following through. He has been showing people in the 1st CD what it means to be represented.
If people were not happy with what he had been doing, there wouldn’t be Editorials in the District’s papers adn LTE on the work he is doing. That is a good sign.
Anyone has a beef with Tim, present that beef in person when you get the chance. That is the best way your concerns get to him. His offices are open to anyone regardless of Party Affliation.
May 9th, 2007 at 7:11 PM
Yup, Walz, he’s some independent thinker. If you want to predict how Walz will vote, find out how Pelosi will vote. He’s her purse poodle. Walz:
1)Voted Yes to price controls on prescription drugs to force rationing and limit choices available to seniors (HR 4)
2) Voted Yes to create a second class of victims to violent crime, to punish some perpetrators less than others and to criminalize thoughts (HR 1592).
3) Voted Yes to a bill that provided incentives for low-skilled workers to remain low-skilled workers, and to raise unemployment (HR 2)
4) Voted to Yes surrender to Islamic Facists and to unconstitutionally micromanage the war in Iraq (H Con Res 99)
5) Voted yes to increase our dependence on foreign oil and to penalize exploration and development of domestic energy, including recovery of oil from the Gulf of Mexico. (HR 6)
May 9th, 2007 at 7:48 PM
I thought Bill O’Reilly liked to spin.
Chestnut!! You beat O’Reilly hands down.
May 9th, 2007 at 8:05 PM
kathy,
Tim Walz is the most liberal congressman in the First District’s history. He brags that he hasn’t voted against Nancy Pelosi for crying out loud. There will be more to come I’m sure exposing Walz liberalism. Check his last campaign finance report and you will see plenty.
May 9th, 2007 at 8:24 PM
Chestnut may out-spin O’Reilly, but there aren’t any x-rated audio tapes of him talking about a loofa.
May 9th, 2007 at 8:37 PM
Otter,
Didn’t I read these words out of your mouth: “Oldest trick in campaigning: if you can’t answer a charge, attack the person making the charge.”?
It appears you just engaged in the “oldest trick in campaigning.”
You’re busted!!!!!!
May 9th, 2007 at 8:37 PM
Tim Walz is probably a lot safer than people think. He is probably a little more liberal than the 1st district but his voting record only shows that he is a Democrat, not some uber liberal.
1. He voted to lower prescription drug prices, something a large majority of America favors.
2. The bill still doesnt criminal thoughts, try reading the language of the bill. And it was either 63% or 73% of Americans agree with this legislation, including majorities among Republican men and Evangelical Christians.
3. Raising the minimum wage, very popular initiative.
4. Tying funding to the war with a condition of withdrawal, very popular, is also the main reason he is even in office.
5. Finding more oil in the Gulf of Mexico is by no means a solution to our depedence on foreign oil, it is a band aid. The real solution is to stop using oil altogether, something many Americans and 1st districters are starting to realize.
It appears Walz is pretty in step with the opinion of the majority.
Just wait till Jim Ramstad retires, a conservative Democrat could do quite good in that district too.
May 9th, 2007 at 8:38 PM
Also, by me saying they are popular initiatives in America, I am assuming that they were popular in the 1st district considering they only gave Bush 51% of the vote meaning it is a very very moderate swing district meaning that if large majorities of the country as a whole favors something, it is nearly certain the 1st district would too.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:38 PM
Andrew,
The First District does not support legalizing marijuana nor does it support bringing the troops home in defeat and I will leave it at that.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:57 PM
As someone who once volunteered for Gutknecht, but has become a Walz convert, I really cannot imagine Walz being vulnerable to either Randy Demmer or Dick Day.
Both are fine people, but Randy Demmer is virtually unknown, even in Olmsted County (part of which he represents), and is truthfully so conservative that he probably makes Brodkorb look like a pinko.
Dick Day is an older, grumpier, less funny, less well known, less funded Al Franken. If the GOP salivates at the idea of running against Franken, the DFL would consider a Dick Day endorsement to be a Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanza/Ramadan gift all rolled up in one red-in-the-face package.
The GOP’s best chance lies in some sort of “Draft John Wade” peer pressure campaign. If it Demmer or Day, Walz wins running away.
May 9th, 2007 at 10:05 PM
Call it what you will Andrew, but criminalizing thought is exactly what “hate crimes” legislation does.
And… kathy, beyond the lies you told the other night, that’s the facts of those bills. No spin. If I wanted that, I’d read the NYT.
May 9th, 2007 at 10:42 PM
Walz will be safe in his seat as long as he doesn’t get lazy like Gil did. So far he has been very impressive.
May 9th, 2007 at 10:49 PM
Southern Minny Moderate,
Who the hell is John Wade? Nobody outside of Rochester even knows who he is and you think he can win??? You know, 70% of the first district is outside of Rochester. Just an FYI.
May 10th, 2007 at 5:44 AM
Andrew, you’re right the bills Walz voted yes for:
1) create price controls on prescription drugs to force rationing and limit choices available to seniors (HR 4)
2) create a second class of victims to violent crime, to punish some perpetrators less than others and to criminalize thoughts (HR 1592).
3) incent low-skilled workers to remain low-skilled workers, and to raise unemployment (HR 2)
4) intend to surrender to Islamic Facists and to unconstitutionally micromanage the war in Iraq (H Con Res 99)
and
5) increase our dependence on foreign oil and to penalize exploration and development of domestic energy, including recovery of oil from the Gulf of Mexico. (HR 6)
I’m glad you finally agree on something. It matters not what’s popular, Andrew (slavery was popular once … oh yeah, Democrats tried to keep that one around too because it was popular)… those bills are still very, very wrong, no matter how uninformed those who support them are.
Kathy, you need to read beyond the DFL talking points and the legislative summary… something I thought you typically did, until I caught you fibbing about that awful H Con Res 99.
May 10th, 2007 at 5:47 AM
On a funnier note, “Dick Day” sounds like a homosexual holiday… or workers appreciation in the porn industry.
I suggest he start going by “Richard.”
May 10th, 2007 at 7:11 AM
Having worked in the U.S. Congress for nine years, I can tell you that history suggests that first-term members of Congress generally become second-term members of Congress.
Yes, with a great deal of effort, you can unseat an incumbent member of Congress. (Walz did it, for example.) But the incumbents who lose generally fall into one of four categories.
Category one: they got caught with their hand in the cookie jar (example: the check kitting scandal from the mid-1990s). Category two: they got Potomac Fever and disdain the idea of cramming themselves on a coach flight every weekend for a 1,000 mile trip back home to their districts. Category three: they got swept out by a political wave against their party. Category four: a combination of these categories.
May 10th, 2007 at 12:09 PM
Chris,
You’re right–the First is a big physical area, and there are a lot of people in it. But, seriously, if Randy Demmer is the GOP candidate–who knows where Hayfield is? Is being a 3 term state rep and conservative “Business Consultant” enough? Fundraising reports don’t seem to support his candidacy.
Dick Day, as said earlier, would be a dream come true.
For what it’s worth, and maybe no one is listening, but when someone with real talent, like Wade, is not running, I think the silence is deafening.
John Wade:
President of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce.
Prior to his current position, Mr. Wade was vice president of government affairs for Charter Communications and vice president of Midwest development for Bresnan Communications. He previously served as vice president of SBS (Scandinavian Broadcast System) and managing director of Broadcast Denmark, which operates television and radio stations across Denmark. He also served as chief of staff to Congressman Gil Gutknecht.
Appointed to the Ballpark Authority by appointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty
May 10th, 2007 at 1:35 PM
You, chestnut, opine the GOP talking points. You tell me nothing new or that which has been spouted in the press.
As for Walz becoming lazy, swept up in the Washington buzz, become an “uber liberal”, WON’T HAPPEN!!! He has been keeping a very busy schedule and high profile within the District when he is home. There is to much at stake to become compacent as Gil did. Tim invites people to come to the offices, email him, present their concerns in person, etc. Tim Walz is one of the best things to happen in the 1st CD since Tim Penny was elected. Nor is he a reash thinker when it comes to voting on bills. More of the pragmaticist.
I would say that Tim Walz is goingn to be in office for a goodly length of time, working for the people of the 1st CD. He has been showing the Dostrict what it has been missing for many years.
May 10th, 2007 at 2:33 PM
Yup, Tim Walz is no rash thinker when it comes to voting on bills. In fact, doesn’t appear he needs to think at all. He just needs to ask, how does Nancy Pelosi want me to vote?
He’s her purse poodle.
May 10th, 2007 at 4:05 PM
Whatever, chestnut. If that were the truth, elephants would be able to fly.
May 10th, 2007 at 4:14 PM
Not sure you’re the best judge of truth kathy… not after this lie you told the other night.
“H Con Res 99: Revising the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2007, establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2008, and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2009 through 2012″
For those in the know, H Con Res 99 is the white flag retreat and surrender bill.
May 10th, 2007 at 4:16 PM
As for Walz’ voting record, you tell me why he casts the same vote as Nancy on every issue.
Looks like a purse poodle to me.
May 10th, 2007 at 5:08 PM
Official Title of Legislation: Project Vote Smart
H Con Res 99: Revising the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2007, establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2008, and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2009 through 2012.
Project Vote Smart’s Synopsis:
Project Vote Smart staff and volunteers are working hard to produce a clear and accurate summary of the contents of the bill. At this time, we have posted the voting record for H Con Res 99 so you can see how the office holder representing you has voted on this piece of legislation. We will have a detailed summary available as soon as possible.
What lie was I telling? That the Tax Cuts issued by Bush will expire by 2012, therefore the Budget wil return to the Pay-As-You-Go, which is the major belief of the GOP?? Surely you jest, chestnut.
May 10th, 2007 at 5:10 PM
Andrew said: “Finding more oil in the Gulf of Mexico is by no means a solution to our depedence on foreign oil, it is a band aid. The real solution is to stop using oil altogether, something many Americans and 1st districters are starting to realize.”
I’m from the 1st District. I haven’t seen too many tractors running on solar power this spring.
May 10th, 2007 at 7:38 PM
kathy,
Tax cuts and economic growth are the major economic tenents of the GOP. You can stick your pay go system where the sun doesn’t shine if it means constantly raising taxes to fund yet more wasteful spending.
Again, I ask what has Walz accomplished? None of the bills any of you have mentioned have passed both bodies of Congress to be presented to the President for signature or veto.
May 10th, 2007 at 8:07 PM
Oops, confused 99 with 63. Sorry kathy. I fucked up, and apologize.
Walz did vote yes to retreat and surrender though. Something he knows a little about, since he left his troops as the deployed.
His Yes vote on 99 was also awful. Thanks to the Bush tax cuts, the Fed Gov’t is taking in more revenues than at any time in history, and we are enjoying one of the strongest performing economies ever.
Walz should support making them permanent.
May 10th, 2007 at 9:56 PM
Pay-As-You-Go has been the mantra of the GOP, Chris, for as long as I can remember. So with all due respect, you stick it where the sun does not shine.
If the Federal Government is taking in more revenue than ever before because of the Tax Cuts, then why is the National Debt at an all time high? It should be down to zero the way the GOP talks about how great the Economy is.
May 11th, 2007 at 7:20 AM
Well… kathy… because spending, is also at an all time high… there’s a war on, you see… and after 9/11 we had to spend on all those areas of government that had been neglected for the previous 8 years…. that, combined with an un-wise doubling of entitlement programs (namely medicare drug benefits) brought ridiculous levels of spending.
Your logic is troubling, because, apparently, you assume that if the national debt is low, then revenues are also low. That’s like saying “It’s not raining outside, therefore it must be sunny.”
Dumb.
May 11th, 2007 at 10:45 AM
kathy,
I have been a Republican my whole life and I can tell you that pay go is not a principle of Republicanism or conservatism for the reason I illustrated. If you want to know why the deficit keeps going up, it’s because our politicians keep spending more than we take in. Personally, I don’t care that much about the deficit. I’d rather have the government borrow some than have our taxes keep going up and up.
The principles of economic conservatism are to reduce taxes to strengthen the economy (ie. allowing the people to keep more of what they earn so they can save, spend and invest in our economy) and to reduce spending. Nearly everyone in the Republican party would admit that spending has been out of control. Partly because of the aftermath of 9/11 and the recession. But also because of pork, lack of control on entitlements, etc. If you think the deficit is bad now, just wait until Social Security starts going broke and then you’ll really see how bad it gets.