It’s hard being a Republican in the Fourth District. The Fourth is one of those places where the DFL could nominate a set of those novelty wind-up chattering teeth and get 55% of the vote; much of the district is first-tier DFL constituencies, government workers and union labor and people who depend on government in one way or another. To be fair to the wind-up teeth, they’d be better representatives than Betty McCollum…
…but it makes it hard – some might say “mind-numbingly frustrating” – to be a GOP candidate. I’ve seen excellent candidates get into the race, throw everything they had into it, and walk away happy to have been only 15 points off the pace; in the past few bids, it’s been more like 50.
Now, I don’t believe in karma – but I do think what goes around comes around. And just to the south of the Four, the DFL gets a piece of the same medicine. They endorsed a candidate to run against John Kline. And the Strib is so underwhelmed that they couldn’t even be bothered to copy-edit the story on the subject.
The lede:
Democrats chose a 45-year-old construction worker to challenge U.S. Rep. John Kline in the 2nd Congressional District.
That’s the lede. And who is this “45-year-old construction worker?”
Powers, a newcomer to the state’s political scene, defeated former state Rep. Shelley Madore, DFL-Apple Valley, at a Saturday endorsing convention in Chanhassen.
Powers.
Powers?
Like, Powers Boothe? Does the guy have a name? Or is he like “Prince”, a guy with a one-word name?
That’d be a slick marketing gimmick, really. Maybe Leslie Davis will try it. He’s tried everything else.
But seriously – does he have a first name? Or a last one, maybe?
Any hint in the Strib story?
“We plan on making hundreds of phone calls a day…” Powers wrote in blog post celebrating the announcement on his campaign’s home page.
Nope…
…despite Democratic difficulties at the polls, Powers said the Lakeville congressman can be defeated…Powers will campaign in a GOP-leaning district that has not known Democratic victory in a decade.
Even the Strib’s picture (in the online edition):
Powers
You have to go all the way to the story’s last paragraph to learn that Powers’ name is Dan.
Now that’s lonely.
Fourth District? I’m in the fifth, and I have never had a representative in the House. I went from Marty Sabo to Hakeem X without batting an eyebrow.
Dude is missing an opportunity. If he’s going to be labeled as just “Powers,” he ought to appear on the ballot as Austin Powers. His campaign slogan could be “Au contraire baby, you can’t resist me.” Might work….
Maybe the Strib should not have laid off almost all their copy editors.
The press gives even less coverage of challengers to McCollum within the DFL party. Few realize that at the April 17, 2010 DFL convention McCollum will have a challenger – also seeking DFL endorsement –
for the office of US Congress.
Did you know:
The most recent 6 pieces of legislation sponsored by Rep McCollum do little to advocate for Minnesota – Namely:
7/23/2009 H.RES.499 : Congratulating the University of St. Thomas Tommies baseball team;
9/24/2009 H.RES.771 : Supporting the goals & ideals of a Nat’l Mesothelioma Awareness Day;
10/1/2009 H.R.3701 : To establish the More Books for Africa Program; 10/23/2009 H.R.3679 : Prohibit the Federal Gov’t from awarding contracts, grants, or other agreements to …companies guilty of certain felony convictions;
1/26/2010 H.RES.990 : Expressing support for designation of January 2010 as “National Mentoring Month”;
2/23/2010 H.R.4475 : Amend sections …of Am. Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to reserve funds .for Indian children.
Additionally, she is a co-sponsor of H.R.4130 to impose a temporary income-based surtax beginning after 2010 on the net income tax liability of individual taxpayers, trusts, estates, and corporations to cover federal expenditures for the war in Afghanistan.
I ask you, after ten years on the job, is it an unrealistic expectation that our Congresswoman be a leader to spear-head renewable energy initiatives, to actively propose ideas for getting American workers back to work, to champion initiatives for increased transparency and openness in government? Shouldn’t we expect more than authoring a resolution establishing January as mentor month?
Sounds as if Rep. McCollum missed the opportunity to sponsor a “Fresh Air for Babies” resolution. Perhaps she’s saving it for her next term.
The woman is about as deep as a dog dish.
What Kermit said. CD5 is in need of fumigation.
No Mitch THIS is lonely…
He served on the Burnsville Board of Appeals after losing a city council bid in that community.
He couldn’t win a CITY COUNCIL election, Kline has this by at least 30 points.
“The Fourth is one of those places where the DFL could nominate a set of those novelty wind-up chattering teeth and get 55% of the vote”
Well, that would be a step above Betty. Betty vs chattering teeth…..I’d go with the teeth.
dlongrie, I always say….considering how people vote in St Paul, we should be lucky we have a useless passive person who does nothing but collect her per diem.
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