Political Notebook

Obermueller raises nearly $253,000 to take on Kline

DFL Congressional candidate Mike Obermueller's campaign announced today it raised nearly $253,000 over the past two months in his bid to unseat 2nd District GOP Rep. John Kline.

Obermueller got a major boost recently when he was named to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "Red to Blue" list, which opens the door to national funding and strategic help.

“I’m proud to have the support of so many people who want to end the gridlock in Washington,” Obermeuller said in statement. “We are building a grassroots campaign to create jobs, cut spending and reinstate middle class priorities.”

Obermueller faces an uphill climb trying to compete financially with Kline. The five-term congressman raised $428,000 in the second quarter, according to campaign spokesman Troy Young. Kline also has a massive campaign war chest with more than $1.3 million in the bank.

 

A dumbing down of Congress?

The Sunlight Foundation released a report today that finds the gradel level of congressional speeches has dropped from a high of 11.5 grade in 2005 to 10.6 grade level. It also analyzes what grade level members of Congress are speaking at when they take to the floor.

The researchers analyzed the complete Congressional Record since 1996 They used the Flesch-Kincaid test to do the analysis, which equates higher-grade levels with longer words and longer sentences.The member of Minnesota's congressional delegation with the lowest score was 5th District DFL Rep. Keith Ellison of Minneapolis with a 9.3 grade level. Taking the top spot was 4th District DFL Rep. Betty McCollum from St. Paul. Below are the scores for the entire Minnesota congressional delegation from lowest to highest.

DFL Rep. Keith Ellison: 9.3

GOP. Rep. Michele Bachmann: 9.52

DFL Sen. Al Franken: 9.98

DFL Rep. Tim Walz: 10.06

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar: 10.24

DFL Rep. Collin Peterson: 10.41

GOP Rep. John Kline: 11.09

GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack: 11.17

GOP. Rep. Erik Paulsen: 11.93

DFL Rep. Betty McCollum: 12.71

Walz votes for GOP payroll tax holiday plan

1st District Rep. Tim Walz was one of ten Democrats to vote in favor of the Republicans' plan to extend the payroll tax holiday for one year.

Most House Democrats voted against the bill citing concerns with other provisions tacked onto the measure. That included language that would speed up construction of the Keystone Pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada's oil sands to the Gulf Coast. The bill paid for the tax holiday by extending a pay freeze for civilian federal workers for another year and reducing the government workforce. 

Walz issued the following statement about his vote:

"While this bill is anything but perfect, extending tax cuts for middle class families is too important to play politics with. This tax break will go directly into the pockets of hardworking families who will spend it at the local grocery or hardware store. I am sick of the political games being played in Washington. It is time to get things done. Tax breaks for the middle class will strengthen our economy and create jobs that will help us tackle the long-term national debt facing our country."

Also included in the bill is a provision that would allow some renewable energy grants that were part of the federal stimulus package to expire. Republican 2nd District Rep. John Kline supports scrapping these grants citing concerns about how the money could be used for a controversial wind farm in Goodhue County.

“This is a wind energy project Goodhue County citizens don’t want funded by taxpayer money the federal government doesn’t have,” Kline said in a statement. “Given the economic challenges facing our country, we cannot in good conscience use taxpayer dollars to subsidize industries that have failed to demonstrate proven results to help our long-term energy strategy.”

The bill passed 234 to 193. But the Democratically-controlled Senate is unlikely to pass this plan. President Obama has also threatened to veto a bill that includes the Keystone Pipeline language. If Republicans and Democrats fail to reach a deal on the payroll tax holiday it will end up costing the average American family $1,000 next year.

 

 

 

Walz boasts hefty campaign war chest

Candidates looking to take on DFL 1st District Congressman Tim Walz better start fundraising now.

Walz raised $220,325 during the third quarter this year, according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission. He has raised nearly $806,000 to date and has more than $503,000 in the bank. So far, Republican state Sen. Mike Parry of Waseca is the only candidate to announce he is running against Walz.

Republican 2nd District Rep. John Kline raised more than $183,000 this quarter. He has raised more than $764,000 to date and has more than $686,000 on hand. DFL candidate Dan Powers has announced he plans to run against Kline again. He has not filed a third quarter finance report.

Walz will be in Rochester tomorrow for a "Congress on Your Corner" event. Constituents can share their views with the congressman. He will be in the produce department at Hy-Vee Barlow Plaza, 1315 Sixth St. N.W., from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

House GOP redistricting map means changes for Walz and Kline

The Minnesota House GOP unveiled its congressional redistricting map today. And while the most sweeping changes would be in the northern half of the state, there would be some notable changes in southern Minnesota.You can check out the new map by clicking here.

The First Congressional District, represented by DFL Congressman Tim Walz, would no longer include Wabasha county or Nicollet County. The district, which runs from the South Dakota border to Wisconsin, would also gain a large swath of counties in southwestern Minnesota that traditional are more conservative. New cities added to the district would include Redwood Falls, Marshall and Granite Falls.

I put a call into Walz's office to get the congressman's view on the new map. I have not heard back yet. Walz's spokeswoman Sara Severs said Walz has "no comment" at this time on the proposal.

The Second Congressional District, represented by GOP Congressman John Kline, would become much more rural. Due to rapid growth, the district needed to shed nearly 70,000 residents. As a result, Kline's district would no longer include Carver County — home to Chaska and Chanhassan. He would gain Sibley, Nicollet and Wabasha counties. That means residents living in Lake City, Wabasha, Zumbro Falls and Mazeppa would become part of the 2nd Congressional District.

Kline's spokesman Troy Young offered this reaction to the new map. 

"Minnesotans expect the fair and accurate approach they deserve and Congrssman Kline hopes the final proposal reflects the population trends appropriately," Young said.

 The Senate GOP has said they are going with the same congressional redistricting map. Any such plan would need DFL Gov. Mark Dayton's signature, which at this point seems unlikely. If a deal can't be reached the plan would end up in the courts.

So just how liberal and conservative are Minnesota's members of Congress?

The National Journal recently released its vote rankings for 2010. Nothing too surprising in this year's results. The most liberal member of the state's House delegation is 5th District Rep. Keith Ellison with a ranking of 14. The most conservative member of the state's House delegation is 6th District Rep. Michele Bachmann, who is ranked 19.

A couple of interesting notes : 1st District DFL Rep. Tim Walz continues to get a centrist score with a ranking of 158. He has slightly moved to the left compared to the 2009 rankings where he was ranked 166. Meanwhile, 2nd District Rep. John Kline has a far less conservative ranking this year compared to last year. In 2010 he is ranked 108 compared to in 2009 when he got a ranking of 32.

In the Senate, Democrat Al Franken had a liberal ranking of 15 while fellow Democrat Amy Klobuchar was ranked 38.

To check out the complete list of rankings, go here.

Kline, Walz react to health care repeal vote

Reactions from southern Minnesota's two congressman differed dramatically. Republican 2nd District Rep. John Kline, an original sponsor of the repeal measure, praised the effort. During a speech on the House floor, he said the bill would hurt efforts to improve the nation's economy by penalizing job creators.
“A number of provisions in the law will undermine job creation and economic growth, but perhaps none is as alarming as the employer mandate. For the first time in the nation’s history, employers with more than 50 workers are required to provide government-approved health care coverage. Those who do not, or cannot afford to, will be forced to pay a $2,000 penalty for every worker beyond the first 30," Klein said.

Go here to watch Klein's floor speech.

DFL 1st District Rep. Tim Walz offered a very different view. He voted against repealing the measure saying the bill protects everyday Minnesotans. Walz added the residents in southern Minnesota are already benefiting from the bill with seniors now getting help paying for prescription drugs.
“Repealing the Affordable Care Act will eliminate consumer protections, put insurance companies between you and your doctors, raise taxes on small businesses, and explode the deficit. It will be bad for our economy and jobs in places like southern Minnesota that have a robust health care industry," he said.

He also included a link to a document that shows the impact of the health care bill on southern Minnesota.

 

Kline and Walz vote for tax deal

Looks like taxpayers will be getting an extra gift in their Christmas stocking with the passage of a bipartisan tax deal in the U. S. House. The bill now heads to President Obama for his signature.

Both Republican 2nd District Rep. John Kline and 1st District DFL Rep. Tim Walz voted for the deal worked out between the White House and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. But neither Kline nor Walz was thrilled with everything in the bill.

Here's the statement Kline released after voting for the measure.

“The legislation is far from perfect, but I am pleased the President is heeding the call of Republicans and the American people to ensure no one faces a tax increase next year. Without immediate action from Congress, tax rates for virtually all Americans who pay income taxes would rise Jan. 1, 2011. Americans deserved to know what their tax burden would be months ago, and it is disappointing that Congressional Democrats waited until the 11th hour to join us in stopping the largest tax increase in history from hitting every American taxpayer. I look forward to working in the 112th Congress as a member of the majority party where we will take further action to provide certainty that enables Minnesota families to plan and businesses to put Americans back to work.”

Here's Walz's take on the bill.

"I am disappointed with measures in this compromise that add to the debt and do not help grow our economy, such as tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. However, while I am unhappy with several items included in this compromise, I recognize that compromise means giving some things up in return for important things you want. I cannot in good conscience vote against tax relief for the middle class, unemployment benefits, and tax incentives for renewable energy initiatives that could help create jobs in Minnesota. Minnesota families will spend those dollars at the local grocery store or putting gas in their car, putting dollars right back into our communities. That is why I decided to support this legislation."

Three member of Minnesota's congressional delegation voted against the bill — Republican Michele Bachmann and Democrats Keith Ellison and Betty McCollum. For a breakdown of what is in the bill, go here.

 

Kline campaigns in Rochester for Demmer today

2nd District GOP Congressman John Kline is campaigining across southern Minnesota today in support of congressional candidate Randy Demmer — including a stop in Rochester.

The stops are focused on businesses with three stops planned at different area companies. The first stop was at 10 a.m. in Mankato at Lindsay Windows. At noon they will be at General Equipment Company in Owatonna and at 2 p.m. they will tour Seneca Foods in Rochester with a media availability to follow.

Demmer, of Hayfield, is trying to unseat 2-term DFL 1st District Rep. Tim Walz of Mankato. Also running is IP candidate Steven Wilson and independent candidate Lars Johnson, both of Rochester.

Goodhue vets sponsor candidate meet and greet — not debate

Goodhue County United Veterans is sponsoring a candidate meet and greet on Monday, but don't say it's a debate. Heidi Krause with the Goodhue County Veterans Service Office said they were surprised to hear that the event was being reported by some media as a gubernatorial debate. Far from the case. Rather, it is a chance for county, state and federal candidates to introduce themselves to voters and answer a couple of question.

The meet and greet will be at 7:30 p.m. on Monday at the Cannon Falls VFW/American Legion. So far, only DFL gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton has said he will attend. The group has not heard back yet from Republican Tom Emmer and IP candidate Tom Horner.

2nd District Republican Rep. John Kline has said he will not attend. His DFL challenger Shelley Madore is planning to be there. Other candidates who have confirmed they will be there are: DFL Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and GOP rival Dan Severson; Senate District 28 DFL candidate Joe Fricke and GOP candidate John Howe; House District 28A DFL candidate Jerry Roth and GOP Rep. Tim Kelly; House District 28B DFL candidate Mark Schneider and GOP Rep. Steve Drazkowski. Senate District 36 DFL candidate Steve Quist; and House District 36B DFL candidate Sigrid Iverson.