WSJ take on Minnesota
The Wall Street Journal takes a look at Minnesota politics in an article today (Subscription required)
K.J. McDonald, a former Republican state legislator who now is mayor of Watertown in Carver County, recites a litany of party woes from "the ineptness of the Bush administration" to the national debt and the Iraq war. "We are due for a fall," he worries. "We're a disgrace."
Yikes!
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But most revealing are the House races. In the First and Second districts, incumbent Republicans are challenged. In the Sixth, the seat is held by Mr. Kennedy, but the race has sparked party infighting as conservatives jockey to try to succeed him as he runs for the Senate.
I wonder when Tim Walz is going to get some coverage in the Twin Cities?
But as Ms. Rowley's campaign has faltered, another Democrat, State Sen. Sharon Marko, jumped in recently to offer a more moderate approach -- and to put greater emphasis on traditional economic issues.
Ummmm.....ummmmmm....this just in: bigtime newspaper doesn't read Polinaut, or apparently any other news coming out of Minnesota.
Yet, after compiling a near-perfect party unity rating in recent years, he now describes himself as a "conservative but independent" Republican and faults the White House for resisting pension-relief provisions important to bankrupt Northwest Airlines in his district. "They're wrong," he says of the administration.
Both Republican incumbents worry about voter concerns, even with Minnesota's low unemployment. "You think, 'What if I lost my job when I'm 55 or 56 or 57?'" Mr. Kline says.
The 2nd District is thick with unemployed -- and barely employed -- Northwest Airlines workers. It's a valid concern -- the voter backlash thing. But only if Rowley makes it an issue. I'm not on the stump with her, but on her page of issues on her Web site, there's nothing about the economy. And none of her press releases (at least that I can find) has been about Northwest. The now-closed Sharon Marko campaign didn't appear to till that soil either.