MN-02 : Redistricting Opens Door for Morrow

Multiple Choice Question : Why has John Kline won so convincingly each term ?

A. After years of public involvement in service to local communities on school boards and at the state legislature, he is will known to independent voters that are the true majority of Second District constituents.
B. As a Congressman, he has exerted influence to ensure government funds are properly directed to the district for infrastructure investments (roads, water and sewage systems, etc.) but not wasteful “Bridges to Nowhere”.
C. He’s blanketed the airwaves with commercials citing his accomplishments while participating in a public Town Hall meetings non-stop from Memorial Day until Election Day.
D. The national Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee has never funded the challenger.

Ponder that question for a moment, and consider that the Republican-managed Minnesota State Legislature has approved a proposal that re-shapes the Second District. Media reports indicate that Tim Walz (D-MN-01) will lose a reliable group of voters in Nicollet County that will switch to Mr. Kline’s Second District.

Is this bad news for Congressman Walz or Mr. Kline … depends on how you feel about the issues.

There was a reason why people voted for Tim Walz … it was people like me, a true independent that want fiscal responsible legislators … those Nicollet County voters will now have a chance to “meet” John Kline … and John Kline is no Tim Walz (remember Mr. Kline supported TARP and every Defense project while rejecting any attempt to pay for them). There are plenty of voters in Nicollet County that will want to “meet” the DFL candidate that will take on Mr. Kline.

No doubt Mr. Kline will proclaim his “fiscal hawk” persona but once voters compare the fiscally prudent Tim Walz who has not accepted a pay increase while Mr. Kline has awarded excessive bonuses to his employees … while increasing his staff operating expenses (which Tim Walz has routinely returned to the US Treasury), they will recognize Mr. Kline as a true Washington politician who is motivated with self-promotion at the taxpayer's expense.

Yet, there will be voters that will be pondering the aforementioned “Multiple Choice Question” and look for a candidate that has those attributes … and they may be looking for someone from their local area. It turns out that not only has Tim Walz been elected by Nicollet County voters for the past three elections, but also they voted to have Terry Morrow represent Minnesota State House (23A).

For the record, I have never met Terry Morrow (nor Tim Walz or John Kline), so my observations are from his record and votes.

Terry Morrow just always seemed to be there … for example, when the MN-GOP charted a plane to fly into Mankato to defend their budget cuts which the local media reported, but the local meadia also reported that Representative Morrow was at a ceremony honoring a Minnesota National Guard member who was about to be shipping off to Iraq. When the I-35 Bridge collapsed, Representative Morrow was appointed to the committee to review the incident. When the state legislature wanted to review the best ways to confront the increase in unemployment, Representative Morrow joined the bi-partisan Jobs Task Force.
Clearly, Representative Morrow has the respect of his colleagues for the right reasons ... competancy and caring attitude.

Prior to running for the House, Terry Morrow served on the Saint Peter School Board for several years.
Representative Morrow is currently a member of the House Agriculture, Rural Economies & Veterans Affairs Committee and the House State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology & Elections Committee, and is also a member of the Finance subcommitteees for the Transportation and Transit Policy and Oversight Division and the Transportation Finance and Policy Division.

As large as the Second District is many voters may not know Representative Morrow … unless they saw the ridiculous attack ads that were run by Take Back Minnesota … while TakeBack Minnesota efforts were successful in converting the legislature to Republican, District 23-A voters overwhelmingly voted to have Terry Morrow represent them in the House.

My answer to the “Multiple Choice question” is D --- the DCCC has not financially supported Mr. Kline’s opponent.

IMO, voters don’t know John Kline … he’s a Washington insider … best known in the District as John “Franked Mail” Kline (after all taxpayers funded the bills to tune of $92,942.59 in 2009 which increased to $125.939.89 in 2010) … meeting constituents are managed with Tele-Town Hall phone contacts which Mr. Kline has noted that traditional town halls “have become partisan battlegrounds,” and because the phone calls can be made any time, it limits organized opposition and disruption. Indeed, if a constituent becomes disruptive during his or her question, the congressman on the other end can simply click them off.”
John Kline is simply an incumbent that the DCCC has not decided to challenge, therefore voters just reluctantly accept him.

IMO, it’s time to start a DRAFT Terry Morrow for Congress movement.
The Second District needs somebody that cares about Minnesota and not Washington.