Walz brings Pelosi to hear local vets

posted by Edward Felker, P-B Washington Bureau

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Mankato, has won a visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on April 21 for a meeting with 1st Congressional District veterans, but they'll have to drive to the Twin Cities.

Walz's spokeswoman Meredith Salsbery said Pelosi, D-Calif., cannot travel to the district, which stretches along southern Minnesota and includes Rochester, Winona, and Mankato. The place and exact time of the meeting will be announced later, and attendees will be included by invitation. The size of the gathering has yet to be determined, but attendees will include representatives of veterans service organizations, she said.

Walz, who is a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, has held six veterans town hall meetings this year with a seventh planned this weekend, Salsbery said.

She released a letter Walz sent to Pelosi on Feb. 28 praising her handling of veterans issues and outlining southern Minnesota veterans priorities. They include, as one might expect, what's known as "full funding" for veterans benefits and health care. The Veterans Administration is subject to annual appropriations and its budget often falls billions of dollars short of veterans needs as projected by  veterans organizations. Walz said veterans also want more extensive rural services and better mileage reimbursement rates, among other issues.

Normally a national party leader such as Pelosi will help raise money when they visit the rank-and-file in their home states. Earlier today I said in in this blog that the Walz campaign was unsure if a fundraiser could be held given the speaker's schedule; now that's changed. Richard Carlbom, Walz's political director, said this evening that Pelosi will appear at a fundraising event with Walz in the Twin Cities as part of her visit.

Comments

[OdaSilva]

The title of this post is misleading. It makes it look like Pelosi is coming to Minnesota to visit veterans on Walz's request.

The painful truth, however, is that the House Majority Leader is coming to our state for a fundraiser in the Twin Cities. Using veterans as a cover to raise money is shameful.

Let the hatefest begin.

[Ollie Ox]

What are you saying, Othelmo?

That the vets shouldn't get a chance to talk to Nancy Pelosi? Walz asked Pelosi to gather with the vets.

The fundraiser is a separate event. Are you arguing that candidates shouldn't stage fundraisers?

As for what you call a "hate fest": Looks more like you want free speech for thee, but not for me, and that you can't conduct a discussion without name-calling and invective.

[OdaSilva]

Ollie,

I regret that you have misunderstood the nature and true meaning of my post.

Let me try again. The vets are a cover for the fundraiser. Collecting cash is the main event, not the meeting with the veterans.

Moreover, no one wants free speech for thee more than me. That's why I invited the hatefest.

I want you and other Walz lovers to join the discussion. Free speech is a wonderful thing and all points of view should be tolerated, don't you think?

[L D Nelson]

Calling a meeting with veterans a "cover" for a fund raiser is pure nonsense.

And what, exactly, does Mr da Silva mean by "hate fest"? That doesn't sound like the type of discussion reasonable people engage in.

[Kathleen Castrovinci]

From what I comprehend from this article is that Pelosi's visit with Walz to Veterans in the Twin Cities and a fundraising event with him are TWO SEPERATE events!!

To aver that Walz is using Veterans as a cover for fundraising with Pelosi is dishonest. Where is your solid evidence Othelmo???

[OdaSilva]

I'm pretty sure there will be plenty of pictures of Walz and Pelosi meeting with the veterans but no pictures of the two bagging money from fat cat Twin Cities liberals at the white wine fundraiser.

[HFStassen]

I am a local vet and Walz bringing the likes of Nancy Peolosi here to meet with vets if an insult, not an event. Whether Pelosi is here for a fundraiser or not is beside the point. She has no concern for the military and veterans issues are only a campaign issue for her. I suppose Walz' next guest for vets will be Hanoi Jane. Walz is a liberal masquerading as a conservative in a district he has no business representing.

[Ollie Ox]

Another fallacy of distraction. Drop the name of Hanoi Jane, even though it has nothing to do with the actual meeting. You sling the word "insult" but don't tell readers why Pelosi's leadership is one for vets.

Othelmo's "white wine" slam is just more of the same.

If you want to claim the higher ground in civil discourse, you might try using your comments here to get specific about what you think Walz's failings are in his service on the Veterans Affairs committee. Instead, you both provide readers with stereotypes about white wine, cracks about Hanoi Jane and like.

The comment that Walz masquerades as a conservative is also more hollow rhetoric from the Republican Party. The National Journal recently cited him as among the Centrists.

Fact is, the First is a swing district. Both Republican and Democratic candidates must make their case based on specifics, not simply the GOP claim "this district belongs to us." That claim is getting increasingly tenuous, since DFLers represent more Southern Minnesotan districts in the Legislature and Walz has the House seat, while Klobuchar took MN-01 voters' Senate nod. Given the swing nature of the district, Pawlenty won in the 2006 governor's race.

I've also noticed that there are complaints about Walz's meetings with veterans. Question to both Stassen and Othelmo: have either of you been to one? Your objections seem based more on party allegiance than any particular complaint.

[OdaSilva]

I will take the testimony of a local vet like HFStassen over the rantings of pro-Walz party hacks any day.

My reference to white wine was not a slam, but a reference to the elitism of better-than-thou liberals. It seems to have hit a sore spot.

They will condescend to meet with veterans for photo-ops as an appetizer, but he "main dish," the real reason why Pelosi and Walz will be in the Twin Cities, is to rake in cash from liberal fat cats.

The reference to Hanoi Jane is perfectly acceptable. Unless some believe in free speech for them and not for others.

[L D Nelson]

Tim Walz has done more for veterans in his first term than our previous Republican congressman did in his entire 12 residence in DC. No one in congress, Republican or Democrat, doubts his concern for veterans issues. More has been done in this congress on veteran's issues than in the previous congress which was under conservative rule. HFStassen's claims are bogus.

If HFStassen and Mr da Silva took a look at the Bush administration's record on veterans issues, they would find a sorry catalog of heinous neglect. But I am sure an objective review would be close to impossible for someone who invites others to a "hate fest."

[OdaSilva]

The white wine sipping fat cat liberals who are about to line Pelosi's and Walz's pockets with campaign cash after the two are done with their veteran photo-op should be ashamed of using the men and women who served as a backdrop to their hunger for political contributions.

[L D Nelson]

Should readers take seriously the various rantings of a proponent of hate fests?

[OdaSilva]

I am also puzzled as to why anyone would take the alternately hateful and pesudo-intellectual rantings of DFL party hacks seriously as they try to defend or justify Walz's and Pelosi's use of veterans as a cover for a white wine and brie fundraiser with wealthy Twin Cities liberals.

[L D Nelson]

Should readers take seriously the various rantings of a proponent of hate fests?

[Ollie Ox]

Othelmo has such animus against those he deems to be "party hacks." Does this signal an end to his own activism with the Olmsted County Republican Party, or merely another ad hominem attack aimed at those who disagree with him? Sadly it seems the latter.

His comments above contain no discussion on Walz's work on the Veterans Affairs committee or the many meetings with vets in the district. Is there a specific problem?

Instead, he attacks the people posting here and defines two events without knowing any details about either meeting. It's a great tour of the stereotypes populating his mind, but tells readers little about the vets meeting or the fundraiser, two separate events.

Othelmo can only envision this meeting as a "photo op."
That maybe a consequence of his own absence at Walz's many meetings with area vets at local service clubs across the district. He has seen pictures, but never actually sat in the Legions and VFW while veterans and their congressman talk.

He's obsessing about a fundraiser--a separate event--but unable to consider the value for Greater Minnesota's vets to have face time with the Speaker of the House.

[OdaSilva]

I wonder if any of the veterans attending the photo-op meeting with Nancy Pelosi would be welcome to attend the liberal fat cat fundraiser later on. I rather doubt it.

The vets will be riding a bus back to the district while the liberal fat cats and their fat wallets arrive at the white wine and brie fundraiser by stretch limo.

[Othelmo da Silva]

BTW, "face time" with vets doesn't fill campaign coffers, hence the liberal fat cat white wine and brie fundraiser.

[Othelmo da Silva]

The post above says that "attendees will be included by invitation." I wonder if HFStassen will be one of the chosen few.

[Kathleen Castrovinci]

Othelmo!! You whine about the personal attacks on your character. Your words and how you use them invite ridicule.

Ollie!! Phil, a retired Military Veteran himself, was at the Rochester gathering of Veterans at the American Legion in Rochester. He figured of the 100+ veterans in attendance, some he knew, over half were registered Republicans and were applauding Tim's efforts on their behalf.

Tim has done more for Veterans than Gil ever thought to do. Veterans of both parties are rallying behind Tim Walz and that upsets many hard core Conservative Republicans to no end.

[HFStassen]

Oliie and Nelson: Why should anyone take your left-wing, partisan rants seriously. You are both foul windbags who spoout one continuous stream of leftist clpatrap. As Othelmo has pointed out, you are political hacks and to you Nancy Pelosi probably represents a "states-person". I actually would be more likely to listen to a speech from Hanoi Jane as she had the decency at one time to apologize for her actions. That is something slimy politicians on the left like Peeloser never do.

[Ollie Ox]

I rest my case about the inability of Stassen and Othelmo to conduct a discussion without namecalling and invective...and without mentioning a single specific complaint about Walz's service on veterans issues.

As for HFStassen getting an invite, it would be difficult for any congressional office, regardless of party, to contact a pseudonym, even if HFStassen wanted to be there. Judging from the remarks above, that doesn't seem likely.

And once again, Othelmo is simply posting his fantasies about the meeting and the fundraiser. Kathy, on the other hand, tells us of her husband's observations at a real meeting that Walz held.

Othelmo and Stassen spleen is unfortunate, since veterans deserve to be heard--and their needs attended to by a country that owes them so very much.

[Kathleen Castrovinci]

http://www.dglobe.com/articles/index.cfm?id=10571§ion=homepage

An article posted in the Worthington Daily Globe on Tim's advocation for Veterans.

Othelmo and HFStassen will not point out what Tim has done on the behalf of Veterans such as...

1) Increase milage reimbursement for Veterans from 11 cents to 28.5 cents permile traveled to VA Clinics and Hospitals.

2) Tim also supported the Defense Authorization Act, which provides a more seamless transition between active duty and veterans’ status. This became law in January of 2008.

3)In 2007, Walz introduced the Walz Traumatic Brain Injuries Centers Act of 2007, which authorizes five traumatic brain injury research facilities to be constructed throughout the country. This bill passed the House in May 2007 and has not yet passed the Senate.

Modernizing the GI Bill is another of Tim's goals this year.

The good work that Tim Walz is doing on behalf of Veterans and the overall constituency of the 1st CD is not political posturing. It is the work we elected him to do and will re-elect him once again to keep on doing.

http://walz.house.gov/News/DocumentQuery.aspx?CatagoryID=3445

Even Karl Rove learned quite quickly he could not intimidate this Retired Command Sargeant Major.

[Kid]

Elected officials, whether they be Left, Right, or ?????, meeting with our Veterans is outstanding. Turning this story into a partisan political football instead of seeing it as a good thing for our Veterans is just plain old wrong. Kick that around.

[HFStassen]

I certainly won't be attending the Walz photo op with Nancy Pelousy. I failed to turn in the required donation and card to pay for my invitation. I notice that Mrs. C has yet to list any efforts by Walz to balance the budget. Spending is easy, budgeting is not. Walz is an exceptionally adept political posturer and leaves no stones unturned in getting his face in the news. This non-event is a prime example.

[L D Nelson]

Tim Walz has supported the re-institution of PAYGO rules which helped to bring the budget under control in th 1990's. The Republicans abandoned PAYGO when they took over congress and we will be living with the results for many, many years. PAYGO demands discipline on both spending and taxes and is a necessary first step in bring fiscal sanity back to the federal government. If HFStassen is concerned over the budget deficits, then he should take note that it is by and large liberals within and outside of congress who are calling for the fiscally responsible set of rules contained in PAYGO .

Although HFStassen may consider me and others to be "foul windbags" and "political hacks," we have answered with facts and specific legislative acts demonstrating Tim Walz dedication and concern over crucial issues.

But if HFStassen wishes to join Mr da Silva's "hate fest" rather than engage in informed discussion, that is his choice.