Rick Nolan had not yet completed his announcement swing of the 8th Congressional District on Wednesday before the GOP issued a statement decrying his candidacy.
Despite the fact they have been campaigning for weeks, the other two candidates vying for the DFL endorsement, former St Cloud State Senator Tarryl Clark and Duluth City Councilor Jeff Anderson, barely ruffled a feather on Tony Sutton's tail. Yet merely a whiff of an active Nolan campaign sent Sutton cackling about like a plump chicken that realizes its on the menu for Sunday dinner.
I don't blame him.
Former Congressman Nolan, who was voted "one of the most respected members of Congress" by columnist and congressional critic Jack Anderson, is a powerhouse of a candidate.
The resume of their Tea Party darling , Chip Cravaack from Ohio, the "happily retired" former military and airline pilot (who was actually sitting home collecting over $79,00 per year in disability payments for sleep apnea) pales in comparison to that of the former congressman, state legislator, township officer, teacher, business owner, international trade expert and Brainerd native.
Sutton criticizes Nolan for being a liberal and promoting "an agenda right out of 1975". Well, guess what?
Liberal is not a four letter word. It means recognizing that health care is a right and not a privilege. It means fully-funding Pell Grants and a public university system to ensure that higher education is available to all, not just the elite. It means supporting social programs to provide a safety net for our most vulnerable citizens and those who are struggling. It means protecting Medicare and social security so our senior citizens do not have to live in poverty or go without healthcare. It means supporting head start, maternal child health programs and a strong public education system to guarantee every child a good start in life. It means enacting policies that stop the hemorrhaging of jobs that occurs when corporations move their assets and manufacturing operations to foreign countries or when other countries 'dump' their goods (like steel) here. It means protecting the middle class and making sure the American dream still exists. And it means that government is there to help people, not just big corporations (too big to fail?) looking for a bail-out.
Are these 1970's values that are out-of-date?
No. These are timeless Minnesota values.
In the short time Chip Cravaack has been in Congress, he has supported legislation that cuts financial aid that enables our children to attend college,
eliminates the Essential Air Services Program and guts the Airport Improvement Program that our rural airports rely upon, jeopardizes Medicare and social security and proposes abolishing the Department of Education.
Rick Nolan will bring government of the people, for the people and by the people back to northern Minnesota. Tea Party Chip is out of touch with his constituents and too extreme for the 8th congressional district.
And the Republicans know it.
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