It is a step to visit the money wells besides the unions. It is a chance to sound out the Blue Dog coalition, with Dr. Reed having earlier embraced that faction (around the time she announced her candidacy) and with the MinnPost, presumably with Reed's input, saying:
Reed, who portrays herself as a moderate Democrat, said it is this position that enhances her electability in the 6th District where a majority of voters supported Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., during the presidential election and former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in his 2008 race against Al Franken.
“The essence of winning this district is getting that independent voter, that middle of the political spectrum,” Reed said.
[O]n the major debate of the moment — health care reform — Reed said that she supports a government-run public option, which would negotiate rates like private insurers. This version of the public option was included in one of the House bills and is the [version] favored by some Blue Dog Democrats.
Reed, like Minnesota’s entire delegation, also said that she favors Medicare payment reform that would incentivize quality over quantity of care.
“Medicare rates at the moment disfavor Minnesota to the max,” Reed said. “It’s been bad for decades we know it has been bad for decades.”
[italics added] That middle-of-the-road mentality, Elwyn Tinklenberg tried it, and got neither the middle (or enough of it), nor the honked-off progressives in the district, those wanting more than cloying GOP-lite.
Ditto for Janet Robert.
We must wait to see how Reed distinguishes herself from others who have tried what she speaks of as an approach. Whatever the dynamics and demographics, she would be a stronger - easier to support = candidate than either Robert or Tinklenberg.
Reed's problem is that Tarryl Clark is in the race this cycle - a distressingly moderate person quite similar in that way to Patty Wetterling, but far less of a middle-of-the-road advocate than others (others who have tried the GOP-lite approach), so that Clark can run a strong campaign without losing votes by tepid attention to the progressive end of the spectrum.
As always noted, Reed, Clark, either is a vast and monumental improvement to the town clown and laughinglstock who currently holds the Sixth District congressional seat.
Reed noted that, while saying it somewhat more civilly. MinnPost reporting:
Reed took a shot at the outspoken Republican, who has a reputation for making over-the-top and sometimes misleading claims.
“It is that I listen, think and talk, in that order,” Reed said.
While that is suitably dismissive of Bachmann, a mental flyweight, Tarryl Clark is no slouch. Indeed, Clark appears to be Reed's intellectual equal, yet with recognition already as a strong in-district presence and campaigner.
And I have to say this -- the GOP-lite thing is like the third rail in trying to run in the Sixth - and Reed seems to be grasping at it. Nobody is impressed by GOP-lite, neither the true and the rabid GOP folks, nor the progressives who view the Republican we've got as ineffectual enough to be a non-factor, while a GOP-lite style of individual with a sounder mind could be harder to ultimately dislodge with a good liberal. And then - there is redistricting - a bit of a wild card as to whether predictions of Minnesota losing a seat come true, and how that would play out with Clark or Bachmann holding the Sixth when new lines are drawn.
________UPDATE________
Strib carries a parallel item; this link.
The Strib item had less than a host of comments; this link; these comments [none mine]:
Yawn.
Wake me when Maureen Reed actually has something to say.
posted by fromdarange on Oct. 21, 09 at 2:52 PM |
1 of 1 people liked this comment.
She does have something to say
Someone had to run against the true American patriot, Michele Bachmann. I bet the libs will be mad when Michele wins again. Won't you Kevin Diaz? God bless you Michele!
posted by cashncarey on Oct. 21, 09 at 6:55 PM |
FAKE Democrat
Hey Maureen, why don't you explain to the DFL why they should give you their support when you ran as a quixotic LT Governor candidate for the independence party? You and your moronic counterpart Peter Hutchinson took 8% of the vote thus cementing TPaws victory. Go away, and take your money with you.
posted by btwobomber on Oct. 22, 09 at 9:26 AM |
If you contact the press about going to DC, I feel it is incumbent to provide a post-trip itinerary on the website, unless you expect readers to infer a part of the trip might have been behind-closed-door K-Street visits; saying what positions might be held if elected, what thoughts might be forwarded from trade association heads to corporate members, etc. It invites disclosure and if GOP web speculation proves true that Tarryl Clark also went to DC on an overlapping time frame, then an equal degree of itinerary disclosure would be appropriate - for the same reason.
We like disclosure.
Sunshine is the best disinfectant.
So, Maureen who exactly did you visit; and, Tarryl, if you went, same question.
_________FURTHER UPDATE_________
Not directly on point, but not worth a separate post, OpenSecrets.org at this link allows a search of the Minnesota Congressional candidates comparative war chest efforts; yielding this bar chart for the present status quo:
It will be interesting to recheck the chart after each quarter's reporting; and while Reed and Clark camps can debate cash-on-hand, trending, past quarter totals, etc., I suggest that the two GOP candidates in the Eighth District are dark horses and their fund raising totals reflect this. Any argument?
Last thought, why are Paulsen and Bachmann so far ahead of all the others, incumbents as well as challengers, and what have they done, for whom, to merit such abiding favoritism? Whose interests are served by keeping them in office, in terms of who can pay such sums to have things their way?
Their totals are special, and I expect the interests behind the extreme donor largess are special too.