In a far ranging interview with his district's largest newspaper, the Rochester Post-Bulletin, former Representative Gil Gutknecht discusses the highs and lows of his 12 years in Congress as a republican representing MN-01. Gutknecht is the incumbent, Tim Walz, a fighting Dem. and Camp Wellstone graduate, beat. It is a rather candid interview. When Tim Walz addressed Rahm Emmannuel's group after the election, he did point out that he beat a "personally honorable" incumbent who was not tainted by scandal. There is a hint of bitterness in this interview. I believe Rep. Gutknecht does feel betrayed by his party.

More below the fold.

he knows which way the wind blows. Sen. Coleman has long been a fence sitter on the proposed  Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad expansion into the coal hills of Wyoming.

  It  has proven to be a highly divisive issue in the southern third of Minnesota. It pits coal and agriculture  interests against environmental groups, larger cities, and the Mayo Clinic. The railroads' 2.3 billion dollar federal loan application, enabled by former DME lobbyist, now Senator Thune, R-SD,  has put the project front and center. Republicans in the area have hoped the project would just go away, say like our FORMER congressional representative of MN-01, Gil Gutknecht, who lost in the recent election to Tim Walz. Walz,  a fighting Dem, took a strong stand against the project. More below the fold:

Yesterday two rallies were held in Mankato for the first district race in southern Minnesota. Whose had the greater attendace? The one for Fighting Dem Tim Walz. Tim is showing he can hold his own. He's also getting great national and local press. You can hear his CNN performance as well as check out all his other coverage at http://bluestemprairie.com

http://mnpublius.com also has coverage on the rallies and their attendance.

More after the fold.

Tim is a 24 year veteran of the National Guard. His unit is in Iraq right now. He knows how smart the troops are. Walz is in a tight race with 12 year incumbent Gil Gutknecht. The national press will likely be there. What would kossacks like to hear Tim say?

More on Tim at http://www.bluestemprairie

quality video on YouTube made from remarks at last Walz vs. Gutknecht debate at the Rochester Chamber of Commerce. The Dakota, Minnesota, and Eastern Railroad is planning on running up to 37 coal trains adjacent to the Mayo Clinic and  through Rochester, Minnesota with its' possible $2.5 billion dollar federal loan. Walz came out against this loan at the debate, his opponent Gutknecht, a self avowed "fiscal conservative", does not have a position. Anyone of a number of people/groups who oppose the trains could have put this video together.

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In an online article http://money.cnn.com/... South Dakota's $2.5 billion  Railroad Jackpot, Fortune writer Barney Gimble lays out just a few basic problems with what is an extremely  problematic proposal, the extension of the Dakota, Minnesota, & Eastern Railroad of South Dakota into the coal hills of  Wyoming. Mr Gimble examines Thune's revolving door of lobbying. There are no shortage of reasons this loan should go down. It may be to late to take it out of the budget but political pressure should be put on the FRA, Federal Rail Administration, to deny the loan.

Sen. Dayton D-MN's staff  is saying that the $2.5 billion low interest loan program proposed by Sen. Thune R-SD for the Dakota, Minnesota, and Eastern Railroad's expansion into the coal fields of Wyoming would be the largest loan ever made to a single private entity.  It would dwarf even the loans to the aviation industry after Sept. 11th.  

In the 19 months prior to becoming a Senator, Thune received $220,000 as a lobbyist for the DM&E. For eight long years the DM&E has been unsuccessful in obtaining private financing for the largest railroad expansion in 100 years.  In November 2005, Sen. Thune announced that in the last moments of the 2005 transportation bill that he and Sen. Trent Lott slipped  35 billion dollars for railroad loans in the budget.  

People need to tell their representatives in Congress that the FRA loan to the DM&E is cronyism and should be taken out of the budget or not approved by the FRA or we'll all be sitting on a railroad in South Dakota.
More shenanigans after the fold.

In November 2005, Sen. Thune R-SD proudly announced to the state that in the last moments of the 2005 transportation bill, he and Sen. Lott R-MISS inserted a 35 billion low interest railroad loan program to benefit the state's Dakota Minnesota and Eastern Railroad's expansion into the coal fields of Wyoming. In the last eight years, the project has been unable to attract private financing because of several problems: the plan to construct 600 miles of new track through essentially virgin grassland, no market being named, and extensive litigation brought by many parties. In the 19 months prior to being a Senator, Thune was  on the DM&E payroll as a lobbyist to a tune of $220,000. The CEO of DME is also the former chief of staff to former Sen. Larry Pressler R-SD.

St. Paul Pioneer Press business writer Edward Lotterman picks up on the issues this raises in his article "Railroad loan challenges Republican identity"
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