The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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June 20, 2009

Your View — Walz continues to march with party leadership

Eric Anderson, Mankato

With all due respect to Jerry Maschka, who opined recently in support of Rep. Tim Walz and against a letter written by James Haler, I might disagree with his conclusions that Walz is a “careful decision maker.”

I’m not going to suggest Walz doesn’t hear opposing rationales; I will suggest however that his track record indicates a reluctance to travel off a predictable path with his votes.

Since 1893, Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District has been represented by Republicans, with three exceptions. Democrat Tim Penny was highly regarded by many, including conservatives, for this ability to differ from his party on occasion. In Penny’s last two terms, he voted along Democratic “party lines” 70.4 percent and 66.3 percent, respectfully.

This district’s history is steep with sending moderate to conservative people to represent us in Congress. The reason I suspect Haler and others pre-suppose Walz’ position on “cap-and-trade” is because he has established a very partisan voting record in his young career. During his first term (with Nancy Pelosi becoming speaker), Walz voted 96.5 percent of the time along Democratic party lines.

Thus far in his second term, Walz continues to march with Pelosi and party leadership by voting 95.3 percent of the time along party lines. What many like me find troubling about this record is that Walz is no longer in a position of “opposition.” His party has control of all aspects of Washington and is advancing at incredible speed an obviously left wing agenda.

His continued support for liberal policies in an otherwise non-liberal district will understandably raise some eyebrows from constituents; it certainly has mine.

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