MN-02 : Kline Fighting Yesterday’s War with Borrowed Dollars

One of the most challenging questions for Congressional candidates to answer is :
With the U.S. facing a staggering national debt while still feeling the effects of a slow global economic recovery and an aging population that is dependent upon entitlement programs, how should the military budget be spent ? Or, a better question, what’s the best investment to protect the country from a stateless enemy ?

To put that question in proper perspective, the answer should be based on what’s working today and what will work in the future … not what has been our past experience.

Yesterday’s headline was that Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, who has been described as Al-Qaeda’s #3 and believed to be the head of al-Qaida in Afghanistan, has been killed in a drone strike in Pakistan’s tribal area. A website linked to al-Qaida also acknowledged his death.

Predator drones have been used extensively by the CIA to assassinate alleged al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in the tribal areas of northwest Pakistan. The CIA does not comment on its top-secret program, though the New York Times reported this month that the intelligence agency believes it has killed more than 500 militants in the past two years. Last year the CIA’s director, Leon Panetta, called the Predator drone program “the only game in town”.
Each army Predator costs $6 million “without payload”. Col Gregory Gonzalez, project manager for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, says drones are equivalent to the use of radar in the second World War, or helicopters in Korea and Vietnam : “They’ve been funding us really well, because they know there’s a bang for the buck.” Col Gonzalez says.
The technology is becoming more accessible. Forty-three nations are building military robots, as are some non-state actors, such as the Lebanese Hizbullah.

Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley reports the transfer of personnel, weapons acquisition dollars, training assets and other resources from conventional to unmanned aircraft is “being institutionalized and will stay with us for years to come.”
Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli said that unmanned aircraft are not just a fad, “They have forever changed the way the Army operates.” The “Unmanned Aircraft Systems Roadmap” outlines the Army’s plan to develop its own fleet of UAVs over the next 25 years, when all aviation missions are slated to transition to predominantly unmanned. Some missions, such as cargo resupply, will be performed mostly autonomously, while others, like attack, will be performed mostly by remote operators.

So, to the military, drones are the future … so why are House Republicans still fighting for yesterday's weapons … building up the military for the last war ?

Case in point : the Air Force's most advanced and most expensive fighter, the F-22 has never been flown in combat. Yet, John Kline (R-MN-02) supported an “earmark” offered by Rob Bishop (R-UT) for eight additional F-22 … the cost to produce these would be $2.8 Billion . Secretary of Defense Robert Gates put a 187-plane cap on the program and does not think we need anymore. Mr. Kline defended his support as this was a “good jobs bill” (at least for Lockheed Martin).

Another example is Boeing’s C-17 … Gates said the 205 C-17s that are already in the fleet or under construction are enough, and he included no money in the 2010 defense budget for additional C-17s. But the House and Senate added $2.7 billion to a war-funding bill to buy eight C-17s and seven smaller C-130J cargo planes.

Or the FY2011 Navy budget that was altered by Todd Akin (R-MO), whose district is near Boeing’s defense headquarters in St. Louis, to approve 30 F/A-18 E and F Super Hornet strike fighters which is eight more than requested.

Or, the change to Defense Budget for an alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter which both Presidents Bush and Obama Administrations do not want.

Mr. Kline is clear … spending on military programs gets a blank check … even if it spent to fight the last war. Mr. Kline is planning a war against the past adversaries; today’s enemies are not nation states but stateless terrorists. When Boeing, General Electric and Lockheed Martin win, the taxpayers’ do not … even if it means monies for Mr. Kline’s re-election (i.e. Boeing gave $7,500 for his campaign and $5000 to his Security and Freedom PAC.)

Conversely, DFL-endorsed candidate Dan Powers offers a more reasoned approach, “we can’t afford to do that. If we can retool the way we use our military, we can put a lot of money towards infrastructure needs, towards becoming energy independent. There are so many other things we can do to invest in our own country".

Mr. Kline borrowing will grow the national debt needlessly and not help us defend against the enemy that is waging war against us.

MN-02 : John Kline’s (and Minnesota’s) Missed Opportunity

The explosion that killed eleven workers at the British Petroleum-leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana has opened our eyes … to missed opportunities.

“Drill here, Drill now” may be part of the solution to America’s energy needs, but risks are now more clearly seen. That said, it is estimated that by the time that the well is capped, America will have lost the equivalent of what it consumes in 3 hours.

Our future is still the same as it was in 2005, when John Kline (R-MN-02) so proudly suggested that the Energy Policy Act of 2005 was the solution … as it will take “unprecedented steps to promote greater energy conservation and efficiency and help lower energy prices for consumers.” Specifically, he mentioned it will “Provide incentives for clean coal technology and renewable energies such as biomass, wind, solar, and hydroelectricity.”

Those were the days, when Mr. Kline actually worked to address the needs of the Second District … as illustrated by his other press releases in the 30-day time period highlighted by :
Kline Announces $1,782,330 for Dakota County Hydroelectric Facility,
Kline Announces $45,600 for New Prague water system predevelopment activities.,
Kline announced a federal grant of $70,821 for the Dakota County Drug Task Force,
Kline Announces a federal grant of $222,941 for the Lakeville Fire Department,
and Kline Announces a federal grant of $11,160 for the Cottage Grove Fire Department.
Of course, today, Mr. Kline speaks of the evil of “earmarks” as they were only available based on a member's seniority, committee assignment or party affiliation yet, somehow a newcomer like Mr. Kline was able to get a return on some of the Second District taxpayer’s monies.

Mr. Kline was right in 2005 when he acknowledged the need for greater energy conservation and efficiency and help lower energy prices for consumers but like his walking away from “earmarks”, Mr. Kline seems to have walked away from helping Minnesota developing jobs in “green industries.”

The Bush Administration set goals based on the 2005 legislation, including investing to
make solar power cost-competitive with conventional sources of electricity by 2015.

And to make that happen, the Bush Administration awarded $168 Million in grants through the Solar America Initiative Funding … but Minnesota-based companies are lacking from the list.

Since then, Mr. Kline seems to have rejected solar and wind as he voted against various bills that would have helped Minnesota and the nation create jobs.

But that doesn’t mean that some of those Bush investments won’t start coming to the market. This year, solar shingles should available for new home construction. These are shingles – not the big solar panels of yesterday – and 250 shingles covering a 1,000 square feet of roof will generate 3.5 kilowatts of energy. That's renewable energy ... that's efficiency ... that's lower cost ... that's a step toward energy independence.

The concern is that even as these new products come on line, Minnesota will be left out in the cold with Mr. Kline standing in Washington.

The Second District needs someone with passion for the potential of renewable energy. Mr. Kline gave it lip service and has walked away.

Conversely, DFL-endorsed candidate, Dan Powers speaks of “energy independence” as “a goal that everyone can see. They can grab hold of it and work on it. ” Powers is an advocate for energy independence for both environmental and economic reasons. Part of the reason Powers says "we can't wait" to implement technologies which will lead towards energy independence, is that "we have so little control over our own economy... [and] our economy cannot increase without reliable and cheap energy. "

Being a contractor, Dan Powers understands that “solar shingles” maybe part of our homes futures, but that for older homes energy efficiencies can be obtained with more insulation and better windows … these types of programs were key components of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (aka the Obama stimulus) … which Mr. Kline opposed.
The cost for solar shingles may be an increase of $5,000 on a typical home … and some tax incentives may be necessary … but will Mr. Kline once again oppose it just as he did with the Obama stimulus ?

Mr. Kline has had too many missed opportunities … it’s time to give Dan Powers an opportunity.

MN-02 : Kline Opposes Earmarks But What About Programmatic Requests ?

Today’s Fuzzy Math Problem :
How does President Obama’s $548.9 billion Department of Defense FY2011 Budget become approved as a marked-up budget of $726 billion without “Earmarks” ?

Answer : “Programmatic Requests”

John Kline (R-MN-02) of the House Armed Services Committee HASC proudly issued a press release announcing “ the committee’s unanimous approval of H.R. 5136, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY-2011”. The word “earmark was never mentioned … although Mr. Kline did congratulate himself for changes in the “the Yellow Ribbon reintegration law I championed three years ago” … a program that was funded via an “earmark”.

Ignoring “earmarks” is easy … even during a moratorium … just follow the instructions in this GOP memo that redefines what used to be called “earmarks” as Programmatic Requests : “For HASC GOP Member purposes the term “programmatic requests” has no current definition.”

The memo goes on to give a specific example : "the second engine for the Joint Strike Fighter, which the committee believes is a national security imperative to reduce the risk inherent in requiring the Air Force, Navy and Marines to fly a common aircraft. This broadly supported action has been included as a matter of policy, and not at the request of a single Member."

Are you familiar with the Joint Strike Fighter second engine ?
It was highlighted on ABC News last week as a $3 Billion Boondoggle and one that was mentioned in the Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) Pork Book earning it last year’s The Little Engine That Couldn’t Award.
CAGW writes about the alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter as having “received $1.2 billion in pork since 2004. The Senate did not include any funds for the alternate engine in its version of the appropriations bill, but the House version prevailed in conference.
On February 1, 2010 at his briefing on the fiscal year 2011 DOD budget, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said, “I’m fully aware of the political pressure to continue building the C-17 and to proceed with an alternate engine for the F-35, so let me be clear. I will strongly recommend that the president veto any legislation that sustains the unnecessary continuation of these two programs.”
On February 25, 2010, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell reiterated DOD’s position on the alternate engine, stating, “this money can clearly be better spent buying capabilities that our warfighters do need. This is a luxury we cannot afford.”

For someone that promotes himself as having the goal of “reducing wasteful pork-barrel spending and restoring order to America’s fractured fiscal house.”, why does Mr. Kline continue to fund a program that even President Bush gave up on ?

If only, the alternate engine was the single “Programmatic Requests” but it’s not.
As CAGW reports for last year’s DOD budget, there were “$6,056,565,000 for 35 anonymous projects. This accounted for only 2 percent of the 1,752 earmarks, but 59 percent of the $10.3 billion cost of the bill, which is more than last year’s 57 percent.”

And the C-17 that Secretary Gates referred to was also reviewed by CAWG to the tune of $2.5 Billion for the procurement of ten C–17 aircraft. “In a floor statement on September 30, 2009, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) voiced his opposition to the C-17 funding: “That’s why the Administration ‘strongly objects’ to the addition of $2.5 billion in funding for these ten unrequested C-17 aircraft. The Department of Defense’s (DoD) own analyses shows that the 205 C-17s that the Air Force has or which are on order, together with the existing fleet of C-5 aircraft, are sufficient to meet the Department’s future airlift needs – even under the most stressing situations. So, I am absolutely convinced that we should not be having taxpayers put up $2.5 billion for these aircraft. Doing so not only misallocates procurement funds this year to buy expensive airplanes that are not needed, but it also imposes a continuing sustainment cost of $100 million dollars per year for every year thereafter for their operation.”

Mr. Kline is quite vocal about his opposition to “earmarks but he commonly refers to small-dollar domestic programs … and although we can all agree that “wasteful” spending must be eliminated, yet Mr. Kline fails to highlight the area that he has direct input … Congress’ appetite for military spending … just ask about the $69,880,000 for 22 projects “earmarked”by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) … and when Mr. Kline was asked about his support for Mr. Bishop’s F-22 “earmark”, Mr. Kline said it was good for jobs.

I hope that Dan Powers, the DFL endorsed candidate, takes a hard look at Defense spending. Mr. Kline will no doubt claim his military experience provides him with greater insight, yet Mr. Kline is addicted to military spending … while America is fighting ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Kline’s HASC wants to raise the 286-ship fleet to 313 ships including funding for two SSN 774 Virginia-class submarines — the first time the committee has authorized two ships in one year – and $3 billion to fully fund two DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and support the restart of construction of the class.
With al Qaeda and the Taliban seeming to be headquartered in caves, why does Mr. Kline want to spend so much on ships ?

Safer at War than at Work

April was a deadly month.

Just some of the headlines that you may have missed :
On April 2, 2010, 7 workers were killed by a fire at the Tesoro oil refinery in Anacortes, Washington;
On April 5, 2010, 29 miners were killed and 2 were injured in a massive explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia, in the worst coal mine disaster in 40 years;
On April 20, 2010, there was an explosion and fire on the British Petroleum-leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana in which 17 workers were injured and 11 workers went missing;
On April 29, 2010, 2 miners were killed at the Dotiki Mine in western Kentucky that is owned by Alliance Resource Partners, based in Tulsa, Okla.

Did you realize that each day, an average of 14 workers are killed due to workplace injuries in the United States … that’s over 5,000 workers who are killed due to workplace-related injuries.

Did you know that more people are killed worldwide each year at work than in wars … in April, US casualties in Iraq were eight deaths while in Afghanistan thirty-four people died.

Soldiers put their life on the line in war, but employees should not go to work thinking that they will not come home.

The other big headline in April was the ID legislation enacted in Arizona. The trigger point of this legislation may have been the murder of Robert Krentz and his dog who were shot on March 27, 2010. As sad as any loss of life is, putting it in perspective, over the past five years the highest number of deaths reported was 241 … a far cry from 5,000 workers that are killed every year.

Realistically there will always be accidents which result in death, but where is the outcry for safety in the workplace ?

Workplace safety is not a partisan issue. We all pay when someone dies … the family is impacted, the business is impacted, the community is impacted.

In the Minnesota Congressional delegation, the representative who has the most influence and opportunity to enact changes is John Kline (R-MN-02) who is the Ranking Minority Member of the Education and Labor Committee. Sadly, Mr. Kline seems only focused on Card Check legislation. A quick search of his website, reveals no recent entries on “Safety” or “Workplace”.

Mr. Kline was eerily silent on the Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch miners deaths and finally issued a press release ten days after the explosion. Mr. Kline wants a “comprehensive” review, yet on February 23, 2010 a Labor Committee hearing was held "to assess whether a backlog of mine safety enforcement actions are adversely impacting [MSHA's] ability to protect miners' safety and prevent future tragedies." Sadly, of the committee's 19 Republicans, just one bothered to show up -- that was the most junior GOP member, Rep. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania. Sadly, when it came time for questioning, Chairman George Miller (D-CA) said "I'd like to recognize the senior Republican on the committee this morning".
Just as the Massey event has a history, so does the Kentucky disaster even though it may have had only two deaths but it illustrates a bigger problem. The Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) records show the mine was cited 840 times by federal inspectors for safety violations since January 2009, and 11 times closure orders were issued. The records show 214 of the citations were issued in the first four months of this year, and twice inspectors issued closure orders this year.
Yet, even if Mining is ignored, there are a lot of other workers that are killed in other industries.

Legislation has been started in the House, HR 2067 Protecting America's Workers Act while the companion bill in the Senate is S. 1580 Protecting America's Workers Act which lists Minnesota’s Senator Al Franken as a co-sponsor.

The House bill already has 75 co-sponsors.
It has some very good proposals.
A proposed change would eliminate the employer’s right to use the administrative appeals process to delay its obligation to abate serious hazards. Currently employers can postpone abatement while their citations are being contested before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC). This is commonly cited as a problem in the Massey incident.

Another proposed change would expand the rights of victims and family members to receive notice and pleadings, and make a statement before an Administrative Law Judge at OSHRC. Too often, the investigation may just be within the company’s control … the family who may have heard complaints before the death may not be given the opportunity to alert the OSHRC.

Mr. Kline, this is a time to stand up for workers and safety. Mr. Kline is definitively anti-union .. yet, if there are unsafe workplaces, there could be more reasons for employees to unionize … so Mr. Kline become a co-sponsor and work to enact HR 2067 … I am sure that Senator Franken would appreciate your support.

When workers (and families of workers) go the the polls this fall, while Mr. Kline will want to stress his Card Check concerns, the key question should be : What did you do to Protecting America's Workers ?

MN-02 : Will Voters Elect an Independent ?

"John Kline has been an independent voice for the people of Minnesota’s Second Congressional District since he was first elected by the voters in 2002. " -- from John Kline's Facebook page.

An independent voice ? OK, maybe when Mr. Kline went to Washington, he had an independent voice ... but his independence was because there were more Moderates in Congress ... good people like Minnesota's Jim Ramstad. Mr. Kline was outside of the mainstream, so his independence came from advancing his agenda.
Mr. Kline is more of an ideologist.
Ideologists do not advance legislation (or society), just their own vision – and voting against any change that does not advance their ideology even if it serves the general public.

For years, Mr. Kline could claim to being an independent ... voting his ideology ... even on proposals that had wide Republican support.
Want examples ? From 2008 (pre-Obama), Mr. Kline voted against :
HR 3221 Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 which 95 Republicans and 227 Democrats supported;
HR 4137 Extend the Higher Education Act of 1965 which 135 Republicans and 219 Democrats supported;
HR 1429 Improving Head Start Act which 142 Republicans and 223 Democrats supported;
HR 2272 21st Century Competitiveness Act which 143 Republicans and 224 Democrats supported;
HR 802 Maritime Pollution Prevention Act which 143 Republicans and 216 Democrats supported;
and there are plenty more ... including many on SCHIP, energy and jobs.

The success of Democrats in recent elections may have to do their appeal to the "independent" voter. The Kline ideology has pushed some Republicans to retire and even to defeat at the polls when the RINOs were determined to be out of their ideology mainstream (see Norm Coleman and Throwing Coleman Under the Bus ).

Mr. Kline is not satisfied with simply serving his ideology interests, but also dictating the “ issues ” for candidates.

Second District voters will soon have an opportunity to re-consider via the ballot box whether Mr. Kline is truly independent.

Voters don't know Dan Powers yet. ... but if Dan Powers takes the Scott Brown (R-MA) approach of "looking out for the best interests of the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts" and tell voters that he will work in the best interests of the Second District, he has a chance. Senator Brown has already proven his willingness to put his State above the Kline ideology when Senator Brown joined eleven other Republicans in February to vote for a Jobs Bill. And last week, he joined with four other Republicans to advance another bill to address the employment issue.

The Second District wants someone in Washington to represent them … not be a part of the Washington party insiders who decide what’s in our best interests. Mr. Kline is hardly an independent.

Earmarks cause rift in Republican family

Having current working relationships with officials at all levels of government is useful in applying for and allocating possible State and Fed grant money as well as accomplishing initiatives that require multiple government levels.

A great campaign theme … yet it is the quandary for Republican candidates this year … promoting access while prominent Republicans, like John Kline (MN-02), are denouncing “earmarks”.
Kline’s press release states his position clearly : “For four years, Congressman Kline has refused to participate in the earmarking process, instead advocating that federal funding decisions should be based on merit, rather than a Member’s seniority, party affiliation, or the committees on which they serve.”

One has to wonder if Mr. Kline would have a problem with someone whose campaign emphasizes "working relationship" ?

Yet, it's that "working relationship" that "sets Kathy apart" ... or so says, Kathy Danner's website .
Her bio is : "Kathy is the wife of a Nissan man (meaning that he is employed at Nissan North American Headquarters), mother of two elementary schoolers, caregiver to one tick attracting dog and two over-fed gold fish. : ) She is also the daughter of US Congressman John Kline. Kathy and Ted gave up 2/3 of their combined income to stay home with their first child. They lived on $34,000 a year. Kathy grew up a Marine Corps kid. She is now a thriving WAHM (work at home mom) , an avid gardener, was a discussion Leader and now a member for Bible Study Fellowship International.

Mrs. Danner is a candidate for Williamson TN County Commissioner in the 4th District.

Voters will have to judge for themselves if Mrs. Danner will have any sway with her Father, but the point of this commentary is that earmarks are a source of controversy within the Republican Party.

While Mr. Kline press releases indicate that Republicans are all signing up for his “Pork-free Diet”, that just ain’t happening.

The Senate just voted on banning “earmarks” … and … well, let’s just say that a number of Republicans said NO -- Alexander (R-TN), Bond (R-MO), Bunning (R-KY), Cochran (R-MS), Collins (R-ME), Gregg (R-NH), Hutchison (R-TX), Inhofe (R-OK), Lugar (R-IN), Murkowski (R-AK), Roberts (R-KS), Shelby (R-AL), Snowe (R-ME), Voinovich (R-OH) and Wicker (R-MS). Most interesting is that a number of these Senators will be retiring this year, so if they brought home the “pork” or not, would not affect them at the ballot box.

Lamar Alexander expressed it correctly “I’m not ready to give away the Congress’ right to appropriate money… Under the Constitution, that’s my job.”
Senator Alexander knows that “earmarks” only account for roughly two-percent of federal spending. (Note : Last year, Tennessee received more than half a billion dollars in earmarks for 130 projects. Yep, that Tennessee where Mrs. Danner is a candidate for elective office.)
Senator Alexander goes on to say, “But I don’t want that to be the whole discussion about debt reduction, because we could eliminate all the earmarks and we could still be on our way to Armageddon in terms of our national debt.”

Mr. Kline thinks that not participating in “earmarks” is the solution.
NO !
In fact, as Senator Jim Inhofe said prohibiting lawmakers from directing money to their states would give more power to President Barack Obama and the executive agency heads he appoints.

A better solution would be follow Tim Walz (D-MN-01) example getting citizen input in an open, accountable, and transparent appropriations process.

The Walz approach appears to be similar to the one that Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) used. She describes it as “The intent of the solicitation was for Members to identify those transportation projects in their districts that should receive funding from the Highway Trust Fund. The potential funding for these projects does not come from the Federal Treasury. Instead, the funds are collected from gas tax proceeds paid by Tennessee consumers dedicated only for the purpose of infrastructure development. As such, High Priority Projects do not increase the federal debt, nor do they create a future obligation for Tennessee Taxpayers. Failure to identify worthy projects in the 7th District would abdicate infrastructure development decisions to bureaucrats who may well spend the funds in ways that don’t meet our district’s needs. Congressman Blackburn, after consulting extensively with local officials and the Tennessee Department of Transportation, believes that her request list better meets 7th District needs than any bureaucratic effort could.”

Mr. Kline and House Republicans, who calling for a moratorium on “earmarks”, are pushing a campaign issue … but history tells us that once the new session starts, the moratorium will be over … and for the Republicans, they hope to be in charge, and once again being able to re-establish those "working relationship" with newly empowered County Commissioners.

MN-02: Who Stopped more Pork - Kline or Obama ?

Representative John Kline (R-MN-02) re-election campaign was based on there being too much “pork barrel politics” and that he was going stop it. He encouraged constituents to go to his website Stop The Pork for information on “wasteful government spending”. Too often the projects are relatively small dollars (in government terms) but have names that are meant to aggravate the taxpayers (i.e. $49,410 to install new rubber-tiled tennis courts in Montana).

Granted that there is waste, but has Representative Kline gone after the big dollars programs … or just developed a good campaign concept ?

Would it be best to look for programs that have big dollars now and in to the future.
For example, the terrestrial-based, long-range maritime radio navigation system called the LORAN-C. The Clinton and Bush Administrations sought to terminate this program but to no avail. A Bush 2006 study concluded that in addition to the $37 million-a-year cost of the Loran system, it needs up to $160 million over eight years to complete all upgrades. The Obama Administration states in its budget that although the program is not fully developed, it is already ‘obsolete technology’ and that the ‘Nation no longer needs this system because the federally-supported civilian Global Positioning System (GPS) has replaced it with superior capabilities. The elimination of this program would achieve a savings of $36 million in 2010 and $190 million over five years”. In fact, Loran-C receivers have been taken off the bridges of most merchant ships and the US Coast Guard no longer uses the system.
So a quick check of Representative Kline’s StopThePork website does not indicate any comment on the Loran-C program. When the funding request was voted on in the House ( Roll Call 450 ), Representative Kline voted for it.

So Representative Kline opposes “pork” but what three Presidential Administrations have defined as “wasteful government spending” gets his blessing.
Fortunately for the taxpayers, President Obama eventually prevailed.
In fact, a recent analysis by The Washington Times (not exactly a friend of the Democrats) found that President Obama was victorious in getting Congress to slash 24 programs and achieved some level of success in reducing nine other programs. The article discusses another program that Representive Kline supported … the multibillion-dollar F-22 Raptor program which was discussed in a previous commentary.

In fact, President Obama succeeded in eliminating programs that President Bush repeatedly failed to end. President Obama was successful on 60 percent of his proposed cuts as Congress accepted at least $6.9 billion of the $11.3 billion in discretionary spending cuts. By comparison, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says President Bush won 40 percent of his spending cuts in fiscal 2006 and won less than 15 percent of his proposed cuts for 2007 and 2008.

A last thought is how did we get into this financial debt. David Axelrod wrote an OpEd reviewing the times during the Bush/Kline years : “The day the Bush administration took over from President Bill Clinton in 2001, America enjoyed a $236 billion budget surplus -- with a projected 10-year surplus of $5.6 trillion. When the Bush administration left office, it handed President Obama a $1.3 trillion deficit -- and projected shortfalls of $8 trillion for the next decade. During eight years in office, the Bush administration passed two major tax cuts skewed to the wealthiest Americans, enacted a costly Medicare prescription-drug benefit and waged two wars, without paying for any of it.”
Representative Kline voted for all these problems.

While Representative Kline has an effective campaign concept, he has failed to deliver.
Maybe it’s time for a change this November … it will be fair question at the debates to ask the Democrat challenger and Representative Kline “Will you support President Obama in reducing wasteful government spending … or will you support your Congressional colleagues in continuing funding for obsolete programs?”

MN-01 : Minnesota’s Newest Funny Man

Although this is the time of the year that candidates are announcing their intentions to run in 2010, let’s look at one candidate’s assessment of the 2008 elections.
For example here’s his assessment of how Wyoming would vote : “As always, the only residents not voting Republican are the ones Dick “Big Time” Cheney shot in the head or ran off the road on his record number of D.W.I. convictions.”
Or, Idaho : “Everyone from Idaho’s Governor down to the state’s white supremacist greeter will vote for McCain-Palin.”
Or, Iowa : “Iowans are considering a ballot initiative that would change the state’s constitution to preclude “idiots” from voting. This confirms suspicions that Iowa actually stands for “Idiots Out Walking Around.” The idiot initiative was supposed to be on the ballot in 2006, but a screw up by the Secretary of State delayed consideration until this election. Idiot. Had this new voting standard been in effect for today’s election, the final vote would have been: McCain 973,340 - Obama 0. Instead, Obama-Biden win by 10.”
And in accessing the US Senate contest in North Carolina, he writes “last minute advertisement by husband and former Senator Robert Dole, who pulled out all the stops to try and save his beleaguered wife’s campaign. The advertisement, a take off on Senator Dole’s old Pfizer commercials, went like this:
Hi. I’m Bob Dole. I take Viagra because I have ED - Elizabeth Dole.
Dole Loses badly
And in a tribute to Minnesota’s former Senator, the writer gives an award in his name : “Each election the Rod Award is extended to the Republican Member of Congress who performs the most idiotic, immoral behavior that virtually guarantees defeat. The award is named after former Senator Rod Grams (Playboy-Minnesota), who was soundly defeated for reelection in 2000. This year the Rod Award goes to two numskulls who couldn’t keep “it” in their pants long enough to get reelected. The two award winners are: Idaho Senator Larry ”Wide Stance” Craig and New York Congressman Vito “Vino” Fossella.”

WOW … I’m rolling with laughter. Reading candidate’s Election Masterpiece can only mean that the debates won’t be boring.

So who is this candidate bashing these Republicans ?

Long time Minnesota voters may remember the Hagedorn name … that has been missing from local politics since Tom Hagedorn was defeated by Tim Penny in 1982 to represent the southern Minnesota in Congress. Hagedorn is now president of a number of real estate operations in Virginia (Premium Properties, LLC, Premium Financial Services, Inc., etc.) and is listed on the Board of Directors of Electromed, Inc. - a New Prague medical company.

But this not Tom trying to return to Minnesota politics, but his son Jim. Oh, yeah, Jim has announced his intent to seek the Republican nomination to represent Minnesota’s First District.

Don’t know Jim … that may be the first joke on First District voters. According to his bio, he entered George Mason University in 1980. Then did a little work as a legislative assistant and spent most of his career as part of Congressional Affairs Office at Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Currently, Hagedorn is employed as Director of Government Relations and Corporate Development for Electromed, Inc. (see company link above).

The picture seems clear … a son of a Congressman wants to follow his father footsteps and use his father’s contacts to make that happen.

So who does Hagedorn want to represent in Congress … his neighbors in southern Minnesota whom he just met in the past few months … or the financial and medical companies’ lobbyists that will surely provide the campaign contributions ?

So can Hagedorn win in 2010 ?
Well, here’s his assessment of the 2008 contest : “MN District 1 -Freshman Democrat Representative Tim Walz squares off against novice Republican candidate Dr. Brian Davis. Dr. Davis was roughed up in a bruising Republican primary and sadly the Congressman will wal(t)z to victory. Sorry about that one. However, the Congressman’s true beliefs are out-of-step with this right-leaning district and a competent Republican candidate could retake the seat in 2010 or 2012.”
Well, I hope the 2010 MN-GOP primary isn’t that bruising, but at least he’s already got his eyes set on 2012.