Photo: Jim Meffert for Congress

While most eyes are focused on Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District and the spectacle that is already Rep. Michele Bachmann vs. Sen. Tarryl Clark, some political watchers see a potential battle in Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District between freshmen Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen and his DFL challenger Jim Meffert. Though some say it’s a long shot, others think the DFL would do well to invest resources there in support of Meffert.

The New York Times’ political prediction maker Nate Silver has Paulsen the likely favorite, predicting he will finish the race comfortably with 62 percent and Meffert at 35 percent, and the Cook Political Report doesntt see it as a competitive race. It’s not even on their radar.

But the popular election tracking website Electoral-Vote.com rates the race as a pure tossup. According to the site’s author, Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Paulsen should be vulnerable even in a good year for Republicans.

Freshman Erik Paulsen won this exactly evenly split district [between Democrats and Republicans] with only 48% of the vote in a three-way race in 2008. There is some evidence that the Independence Party candidate hurt the Democrat more than he hurt Paulsen. Furthermore, Obama carried the district with 52% of the vote. All in all, Paulsen will definitely be on the Democrats’ radar in 2010. Their candidate is Jim Meffert, the executive director of the Minnsota Optometric Association, who has never run for public office before. He is clearly not as strong a candidate as the Democrats would have liked, but in an evenly split district he has a shot at it.

And Hamline University professor David Schultz, says the DFL should pull resources from trying to defeat Bachmann and lend them to Meffert.

“Since election, Paulsen has spoken moderate but voted right,” Schultz wrote on his blog. “He has a voting record nearly identical to Bachmann’s voting with her over 90% of the time. He has no real accomplishments to show, and about the only news about him has been how he appeared to gouge the House franking privilege by sending out hundreds of thousands of dollars in mail to his constituents, at taxpayer expense.”

The district, he said, is more moderate than Paulsen.

Too many people have heard me argue that campaigns are won or lost based on how well you capture the swing voter. The most critical swing voter in Minnesota remains the suburban mom with kids – the soccer mom. These women are less and less likely to vote GOP because of its agenda. These women are worried about family issues–early childhood ed, K-12, jobs, and health care for their children. Minnesota’s third district is soccer mom heaven. It is heavily dominated by soccer moms in the suburbs, and they are ready to swing.
Some analysis and polls suggest Paulsen’s agenda is way out of line with voters here. Less than half have a favorable view of him, with many outright unwilling to vote for him again were there a choice. This is where Jim Meffert comes in.

Schultz says Meffert fits the district but does not get the attention needed to be competitive.

Jim Meffert is a terrific candidate for the third district, if only he could get the attention of the media, Democrats, and the voters. He is a St. Olaf grad, serving there as the president of the college Republicans. He became a Democrat because, like the soccer moms of his district, he saw the GOP moving in a direction he did not like. Jim has worked with the PTA and on education issues, he comes from peace and justice wing of the religious community, and he talks of government and business working together to solve problems. All of these are perfect themes for this district.

Rep. Betty McCollum Photo: Andy Birkey, MnIndy

Rep. Betty McCollum took to the House floor Tuesday afternoon to remember the victims of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people. She chastised members of Congress and the talking heads in the media for fanning the flames of extremism and called for a return of “a civil, decent debate of public policy.”

“When members of Congress compare health care legislation to ‘government tyranny,’ ‘socialism,’ or ‘totalitarianism’ – in the hopes of scoring political points — it’s like pouring gas on the fire of extremism,” she told her colleagues in the House. “The Members of this House Democrats and Republicans – have a duty and an obligation to end the dangerous name-calling that can only inspire the extremist militias and phony patriots.”

She added, “In the most free, prosperous and greatest democracy on earth it is time to return to a civil, decent debate of public policy.”

Here is a transcript of McCollum’s full remarks:

“Madam Speaker, today I rise to remember the victims of the 1995 terrorist attack in Oklahoma City that killed 168 people. This act of American terrorism was committed by a man who viewed the federal government as such a threat that it justified mass murder.

“I applaud my colleague from Oklahoma for her resolution because it serves as a reminder that right-wing, anti-government extremist groups are on the rise today.

“Only two weeks ago members of a so-called Christian militia in Michigan were arrested by the FBI for plotting to kill law enforcement officers in the hopes of inciting an anti-government uprising.

“A national civil rights organization has documented a growing number of hate groups in America and states they are ‘driven largely by an angry backlash against non-white immigration … the economic meltdown, and the climb to power of an African American president.’

“Or, in one word – racism.

“Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center states, ‘Individuals associated with the Patriot movement during its 1990s heyday produced an enormous amount of violence, most dramatically the Oklahoma City bombing…’

“Today, Mr. Potok states, ‘as the movement has exploded, so has the reach of its ideas, aided and abetted by commentators and politicians…’

“Only last month a Fox News commentator, with Members of Congress next to him, rallied a Tea Party crowd by disparaging Congress and calling the crowd ‘all these Tim McVeigh wannabes here’ to the crowds cheers and applause.

“When Members of Congress compare health care legislation to ‘government tyranny,’ ‘socialism,’ or ‘totalitarianism’ – in the hopes of scoring political points is like pouring gas on the fire of extremism.

“The Members of this House Democrats and Republicans – have a duty and an obligation to end the dangerous name-calling that can only inspire the extremist militias and phony patriots.

“In the most free, prosperous and greatest democracy on earth it is time to return to a civil, decent debate of public policy.

“I don’t want another ‘Oklahoma City’ to ever take place again.

“Just as we would not give aid and comfort to al-Qaeda, let us not allow the words of elected leaders give comfortable excuses to extremists bent on violence.

“Words have power for both good and evil. I implore my colleagues to temper their rhetoric and not allow the words of a Member of Congress to be used by any violent militia or hate filled phony-patriots to perpetrate violence.

“The victims of the Oklahoma City bombing were women at work, men waiting in line for government services, and children in a day care center. Families were torn apart and struggled to heal. A community was devastated but is again filled with hope and memories.

“I hope with this resolution every Member of Congress will reflect upon the victims of Oklahoma City as well as our duty as elected federal leaders in a proud and free country.

“Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks, and I yield back my time.”

Bachmann’s office sent this statement announcing the bill:

“It’s no secret, President Obama and Democrat leaders have ignored the will of the people and have chosen to ram through their trillion-dollar health care bill despite the American people’s overwhelming objection to it. It’s future generations, our children and grandchildren who will pay the price for our government’s arrogance and recklessness, and the American people won’t ever forget the irresponsible actions of this Administration and Democratic Majority. After all, government answers to the people, not the other way around. I’m asking my colleagues to join me in repealing this monstrosity of a bill.”

Rep. Michele Bachmann. Minnesota Independent file photo

Late last week, Rep. Michele Bachmann’s Democratic challengers criticized her for her ambitious travel schedule and growing celebrity. The campaigns of Dr. Maureen Reed and state Sen. Tarryl Clark asserted that Bachmann’s busy media and speaking schedule has caused her to miss votes in Congress.

“Michele is not delivering for the people of the 6th Congressional District, but also not doing the job in D.C. — missing 11 percent of votes this session,” Reed’s campaign said Friday with the release of its “Where’s Michele?” map. Clark’s campaign released a map of its own and cited a Washington Post report from October 2009 that showed Bachmann has missed more votes than all but 10 members of the House. “It’s clear Congresswoman Bachmann’s priorities are chasing her national celebrity and pursuing her personal agenda – and those priorities come at the expense of her district,” the campaign said.

How accurate are these criticisms?

An analysis by the Minnesota Independent shows that Bachmann has missed more votes than any member of Minnesota’s congressional delegation in the 111th Congress — even after subtracting votes missed when Bachmann left to spend time with an ill family member. Twenty of the 47 remaining votes Bachmann missed occurred on days when the Sixth District Republican had media appearances scheduled. But while these media moments loosely coincide with her missed votes, it’s unclear whether her absences are directly linked to her ambitious travel schedule. Bachmann’s office hasn’t respond to the Minnesota Independent’s request to clarify this point.

Here’s a tally of votes not taken by Minnesota’s delegation:

Michele Bachmann: 47

Keith Ellison: 37

Betty McCollum: 35

James Oberstar: 17

Collin Peterson: 16

Erik Paulsen: 14

John Kline: 13

Tim Walz: 12

Bachmann’s total count for missed votes is officially 114, but many of these votes — 67 of them — occurred on a single weekend. For instance, on June 18, as the House was holding a record number of votes, Bachmann was out of town spending time with an ill family member. (Rep. Keith Ellison was attending his son’s graduation that day and missed the same number of votes; with those votes included, he missed a total of 90 votes.)

Missed votes with media appearances

In some instances, House votes seemed to directly conflict with Bachmann’s media schedule, while in others Bachmann’s missed votes occurred on days where she had one or several media events planned.

On Nov. 5, Bachmann missed a vote “Honoring and Recognizing the Service and Achievements of Current and Former Female Members of the Armed Forces” because of her appearance at the Tea Party House Call that she organized at the Capitol and was held at the same time. Bachmann missed the vote at 12:37 p.m., and her House Call appearance was from noon to 2 p.m.

On Nov. 4, Bachmann did not vote for the Expedited Card Reform for Consumers Act of 2009, which beefs up consumer protections in the credit industry. That same day she appeared on the Glenn Beck’s show to build support for her Tea Party event the next day. It’s the media appearance where she said, “Socialized medicine is the crown jewel. But tomorrow is our Super Bowl of freedom.”

On Nov. 3, Bachmann appeared on the Family Research Council’s webcast, “Government Takeover of Healthcare: Counting the Cost.” Bachmann also had an appearance on Fox and Friends in the morning and on Sean Hannity’s show that evening. Bachmann wasn’t present for a vote to oppose the United Nations’ fact-finding report from Gaza, but she did cosponsor it and send out a press release on its passage.

Bachmann missed a vote on Oct. 22 condemning the government of Iran for religious persecution against people of the Baha’i faith. The same day she was a guest on San Francisco’s conservative KSFO-AM, where she said, “When you talk about Obama, you just can’t not come up with jokes.”

On Oct. 7, she didn’t make two votes on the Agriculture Appropriations bill. That day she appeared on Bill O’Reilly’s show, where both postulated that ACORN may have stolen the Minnesota Senate race for Al Franken.

Bachmann warned of a link between the Census and Japanese internment camps during World War II in a Fox News interview on June 25, the same day she missed a vote on the Interior Appropriations bill. She had an interview on CNBC the same day.

Bachmann appeared on Point of View “Defending Faith Family and Freedom” Radio on July 9, and was not present for a vote for “Recognizing the Significance of National Caribbean-American Heritage Month” the same day.

On May 21, there was a lunchtime fundraiser for Bachmann held by the Gula Graham Group. Individuals paid $250, and political action committees $1,000. That same day, Bachmann missed 10 votes.

On May 13, Bachmann was not present for a vote but had a press conference about ACORN with former ACORN employee Anita MonCrief.

Bachmann had an appearance on Fox Business Live on Feb. 10, the same day she missed a procedural vote.

Other dates that Bachmann was not present to vote: Jan. 26, 2010 (two votes), Feb. 3, 2010 (one vote), Feb. 24, 2009 (5 votes), April 2 (one vote), May 20 (nine votes), June 4 and 15 (5 votes), Sept. 17 (one vote) and Dec. 11 (one vote) and had no media appearances on those days.

The Minnesota Independent contacted the National Taxpayers Union to get a sense of how absences impact politics. NTU has in the past criticized Congress members for missing votes in order to campaign — and with a national media appearance every nine days, Bachmann seems to be in campaign mode. Pete Sepp, vice president for policy and communications, told the Minnesota Independent that legislators should not get paid for times they aren’t at work.

“Unlike many other things that Congress must vote on, this is an individual choice each representative can make without having to wait for clearance from an ethics committee, or a floor vote, or any other kind of procedure,” he said. “All they need to do is dock their own paychecks.”

Sepp stopped short of criticizing Bachmann’s record (the NTU has awarded Bachmann the Taxpayer’s Friend Award), but did note that representatives can request a “leave of absence” which officially excuses them from a vote.

“It’s important to remember, though, that some of Rep. Bachmann’s absences may have been excused by the Speaker in the Congressional Record,” he said.

According to the Congressional Record, Bachmann has requested two leaves of absence since she was elected to office: In mid-June when her stepmother was ill and at the end of May when her father-in-law passed away.

Rep. Keith Ellison. Photo: Rep. Ellison, Flickr

Rep. Keith Ellison has been a staunch supporter of a public option for health care reform and says the policy still has a chance of making it into law this year. Ellison signed on to a letter by Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., that urges the Senate to use reconciliation to pass the public option. And momentum is building among Democrats — Rep. James Oberstar and Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar have all indicated support for the public option.

“There’s not one legitimate argument against the public option except that it cuts into corporate profits,” Ellison told the Minnesota Independent. He said that “corporatists” are working to sabotage the public option.

Ellison notes that the Senate bill in its current form is problematic. “It has big problems. The state exchanges don’t allow for price reductions, and it doesn’t contain public option.”

But he’s optimistic the public option can pass.

“I think it can,” he said. “It will depend on how much energy people put behind it.”

Ellison is putting his own energy behind it. When recent snowstorms shut down Washington, he spent time with constituents drumming up support for a public option, and this morning he’s been using Twitter to rally supporters around the issue. “Progressive! Don’t be discouraged; be ENCOURAGED,” one of his tweets read. “Public Option is within grasp if you ACT NOW! Call your Senator!”

While many Democrats have felt nervous about health reform’s prospects following the election of Republican Sen. Scott Brown in Massachusetts, Ellison said the public option was in trouble well before that. Now, Democrats have to try different strategies to get their reforms passed. One is the reconciliation process that bypasses the filibuster.

Of that strategy, Ellison said, “Wouldn’t it be ironic if it took the loss of 60 votes in the Senate to put the public option back on the table?”

Photo: Minnesota Independent

Minnesota’s most outspoken member of Congress, Republican Michele Bachmann, took to the House floor Monday evening to lambaste Democrats on everything from gay marriage and abortion to taxes, immigration and Mountain Dew. At one point she said the State Childrens Health Insurance Program, recently reauthorized by Congress, would be a “magnet” for “illegal aliens.”

Bachmann: “[B]ecause now President Obama even voted for the SCHIP bill, which we all know will now for the first time swing the door wide open for illegal aliens. I know one thing: The people in my district are not interested in paying for the health care for illegal aliens that are coming across our border to be yet one more magnet to bring people in that should come here legally.”

On taxes and Mountain Dew: “Congress just had a sugar high. It’s as though every member of Congress just ingested a 24-pack of Mountain Dew and said, ‘Hallelujah. I’m on a sugar high. We’re going to spend money, and we’re going to rev this economy up.’ Well, I’m telling you, if you had a 24-pack of Mountain Dew, you would not only be on a sugar high, you would be zooming, but you would crash. And that’s about what we are going to be seeing. That crash is called taxes, Mr. Speaker. And the American people haven’t seen anything yet when they open up their tax bills.”

On the French Revolution: “I know these Minnesota accents are a little tough to get through, but I also want to mention, just for point of reference, I am a federal tax attorney. That’s my background. That’s what I do. Taxes are us.

“But the Obama administration has taken a completely different view. They have taken the view of the French Revolution, which is to tax, tax, tax and spend, spend, spend. And now they have even taken another cue from them — off with their heads.

“Because in their budget proposal, by their own language, the evil are the top 1 percent of income earners. And that’s who they want to whack off their heads.”

On social issues: “We are losing freedom by the boatload. That’s the difference between, I think, what the Republican agenda is and the Democrat agenda. We believe in the Constitution. We believe in the First Amendment, religious freedom, freedom of speech. We believe in the Second Amendment, the right to hold and bear arms. We believe in these important values. We believe in bedrock values for our country.

“Marriage should be between a man and a woman; life should be protected from the moment of conception. We believe in these values. We believe in securing our nation. We believe in taking on the enemy and winning and not being ashamed to win.”

Hat tip: Dump Bachmann

“As someone who has been out holding town hall meetings and getting a faceful of that populist rage, I know that it is real, it is a force that needs to be dealt with, and it needs to be given a voice,” Braley told Huffpo on Wednesday.

The caucus principles are:

1. Fighting for working families and the middle class through the establishment of an equitable tax structure, fair wages, proper benefits, a level playing field at the negotiating table, and secure, solvent retirement plans.
2. Providing affordable, accessible, quality health care to all Americans.
3. Ensuring accessible, quality primary education for all American children, and affordable college education for all who want it.
4. Protecting consumers, so that Americans can once again have faith in the safety and effectiveness of the products they purchase.
5. Defending American competitiveness by fighting for fair trade principles.
6. Creating and retaining good-paying jobs in America.

Related: Rep. Ellison signs on as vice-chair of House LGBT Equality Caucus

Paulsen sign, Election Night

Minnesota’s U.S. representative-elect for the Third District, Republican Erik Paulsen, ran one of the best five House campaigns in the country, according to the Washington Post blog The Fix. Paulsen “beat back the anti-Republican trend,” writes Chris Cillizza (citing President-elect Barack Obama’s showing and Al Franken’s apparent success), “by focusing on his own accomplishments in the state legislature.”

The Fix tracked the Third District contest closely throughout the campaign season as one of the nation’s most competitive — and expensive — congressional races, with Democrat Ashwin Madia and David Dillon of the Independence Party vying with Paulsen to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, who is retiring. And Paulsen’s margin of victory was wider than the recount-tight result that most polls appeared to predict (48 percent of the vote compared to 41 for Madia and 11 for Dillon).

But in several ways Cillizza’s summary this morning doesn’t exactly square with how home-state observers might recall the race:

- It may almost be timely, but it’s still a bit silly to cite a prospective victory by Democrat Franken over incumbent U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman as part of any anti-Republican factor in the Third District, since Madia outperformed Franken there.

- With Dillon pulling down more than 10 percent, this contest was a better example of how Republicans win three-way races than how Paulsen bucked an anti-Republican trend that wasn’t a game-changer in any of Minnesota’s congressional races. Even Republican U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, despite her best efforts, won by 3 percentage points, in another race with an Independence Party candidate topping 10 percent.

- Far from focusing on it, Paulsen ran away from his record as one of the most conservative members of the state Legislature.

- What the Republican campaign did focus on (but Cillizza didn’t mention) was how Paulsen, a white homeowner and father of four, fit the district’s “demographics” better then Madia, a single renter of South Asian descent. That point, made by Paulsen stand-ins at not one but two ham-handed state Capitol press conference appearances, was underscored by a National Republican Congressional Committee ad that made Madia’s skin darker and drew worldwide rebuke.

Here’s the full item on Paulsen from The Fix, followed by a video from one of the press conferences where Paulsen’s “demographics,” not his accomplishments, were the focus.

At first glance, the retirement of Rep. Jim Ramstad (R) presented an ideal pickup opportunity for national Democrats. The suburban Twin Cities seat gave President George W. Bush a narrow 51 percent victory in 2004 and looked to be the epicenter of anti-war movement in the state. And, when Democrats nominated Iraq war veteran Ashwin Madia, it looked like a tailor-made pickup. Enter state Sen. [sic] Erik Paulsen, one of the best (and only) recruits for House Republicans in 2008. Paulsen was able to beat back the anti-Republican trend in the state (Obama won the state by 10 points and it appears as though Al Franken is going to win the Senate seat) by focusing on his own accomplishments in the state legislature. A rare bit of good news for Republicans nationally.

(Hat tip to Political Animal for spotting The Fix’s error in ID’ing Paulsen as a state senator — he’s a state Rep.)

The Minnesota DFL Party put together this highlight reel of remarks by state Republican Party Chair Ron Carey and state Sen. Geoff Michel speaking on behalf of Paulsen:

The recession sees the major dailies’ editorialists cutting back on costly opinions — by either picking favorites without naming the issues they like them for, as both the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Star Tribune did in the U.S. Senate race, or beating a wholesale retreat from making a pick at all, as the St. Paul Pioneer Press did in the presidential contest.

The right-wing slide of the dailies’ editorial pages drew wide notice — and the Strib’s pick of Republican Sen. Norm Coleman is a milestone in that descent — but the two Twin Cities rags’ simultaneous tilt away from judging candidates on issues is just as remarkable.

In its 2002 endorsement of Sen. Paul Wellstone’s stand-in, former Vice President Walter Mondale, over Coleman and Dean Barkley, the Strib editorial board wrote:

The agenda promoted by President Bush and largely embraced by candidate Coleman looks like this: shortchanging children and skimping on the elderly; committing the nation to endless consumption of fossil fuels; favoring corporate America over working America; bullying U.S. allies and neglecting U.S. neighbors; and mortgaging the federal budget so that Congress can keep a tax cut tilted heavily toward the rich. That’s not much of a future — yet it could become reality if just one Senate seat shifts from Democratic to Republican hands.

This year, the Strib editorial board wants to see Coleman stay in the Senate, but it’s silent on the particulars of what he ought to do there.

The leadership qualities that he has developed ought to matter more in this year’s election than at other times, when issues might count for more. The world is changing rapidly. Today’s issues may not be tomorrow’s.

The Pioneer Press wouldn’t go there, either, in its endorsement of Coleman over the weekend. Issues, smissues:

We do not agree with either party’s approach to every issue. We know there are those who will vote based purely on those issues or on party allegiance. You don’t need our help to do that. We try to get away from the scorecard and look at the candidates in full. On that basis, we see Coleman as a gifted politician who could help forge a new national consensus without abandoning his conservative principles.

But in its 2002 endorsement of Coleman, the PiPress didn’t have a problem naming issues:

We also have reservations about Mondale’s abiding faith in big government … an enthusiasm for high taxes and command-and-control economic policies that we cannot fully share. A particular worry grows from the need for Washington to find the political courage to modernize America’s great entitlement programs for the elderly — Social Security and Medicare. … In summary, we believe Coleman’s basic priorities are sound — containing federal spending and taxes, strengthening defense, and facing the challenge of restructuring entititlement programs while adding prudent, affordable prescription drug coverage within Medicare.

The PiPress that year mustered the guts to opine in the midst of the pre-election tumult following Sen. Paul Wellstone’s death; but this time around, taking a side in a presidential contest two years in the making proved too much. So the Strib’s Obama-Coleman picks on Sunday stand out not only for their ticket-splitting but for finding their way to print at all.

Here are some other Minnesota newspapers’ endorsements in federal races, with excerpts to show that most managed to cite issues to back up their picks:

Minnesota Daily for Dean Barkley, Independence Party U.S. Senate candidate:

The Barkley campaign strives to be “issues-based” and runs only positive ads. Among other principled ascetics vowed by Barkley is a refusal to pander. He countered Franken’s $5,000 college student tax credit proposal with discipline: “I’m not going to … promise tax credits and new programs because we’re basically $11 trillion in debt.”

St. Cloud Times for Barkley:

… [H]is stands on many issues, while far from shocking, invoke a sense of realism and moderation missing from the Coleman and Franken campaigns. For example, he supports capping federal spending the next four years to put America on track toward reducing the federal debt.

Marshall Independent for Coleman:

Coleman knows this region of the state, and he’s well-schooled and accessible on issues particular to our area such as the Minnesota Highway 23 corridor. We haven’t always agreed with Coleman’s stances or his votes in the past and it’s likely we won’t in the future, but he’s shown himself to be knowledgeable on energy, transportation and other important rural issues.

Rochester Post-Bulletin for Coleman:

We applaud his opposition to drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, and we admire the fact that he’s played a key role in creating a new national energy policy.

Mesabi Daily News for Coleman:

Coleman has been a champion of mining initiatives, including his wholehearted support of non-ferrous ventures of PolyMet near Hoyt Lakes and Franconia Minerals on Birch Lake near Babbitt.

The American Jewish World (newspaper of the state’s Jewish community) for Franken:

Franken has proposed a number of initiatives to aid our rural economy, expand educational opportunities and access to health care, and develop sustainable alternative energy options to grow jobs and redress the outflow of dollars to foreign oil producers. If the federal government can come up with $700 billion for Wall Street bankers (the New York Times reported the cost of the bailout at $2.25 trillion), surely we can prioritize money for a bailout of our cities and crumbling infrastructure.

St. Cloud Times for Elwyn Tinklenberg, DFL candidate for U.S. House:

He is an ardent supporter of improving transportation options, … backs reforming No Child Left Behind and … advocates for a responsible withdrawal of U.S forces from Iraq and an increased U.S. presence in Afghanistan. … Incumbent Rep. Michele Bachmann has simply made too many serious errors in judgment to deserve a second term.

Rochester Post-Bulletin for Tim Walz, DFL -1st District:

The Post-Bulletin endorses Tim Walz for a second term in the First District, because after less than 22 months in office, we’re impressed by his level of involvement in significant, meaningful legislation. His fingerprints are all over the new Farm Bill, and he was the driving force behind an increase in the mileage reimbursement rate for veterans who must travel to receive medical care. He’s also been a staunch advocate for wind energy and other renewable fuels that already are bringing jobs to the First District.

Star Tribune for Walz and U.S. Rep. John Kline, R – 2nd District:

Democratic incumbent Tim Walz has earned a return trip to the U.S. House after an energetic first term focused on high-profile issues in his southern Minnesota district — agriculture, veterans’ affairs and renewable energy. … Kline has stressed the role of diplomacy and the power of economic sanctions.

And as posted here last week, the Eden Prairie News and Coon Rapids Herald for Erik Paulsen (R) and Ashwin Madia (DFL) in the U.S. House, respectively.

That was the list on which Minnesota’s 3rd District race to replace U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad used to appear, but now it’s at No. 29, one notch behind that upstart competitive contest next door in the 6th District made famous by U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s funny comments and DFL challenger Elwyn “Cash Magnet” Tinklenberg’s funny name. The relevant quote, with links, after the jump.

29. Minnesota’s 3rd district (R): Democrat Ashwin Madia appears to have edged ahead of state Sen. Erik Paulsen (R) in this race in the suburbs of the Twin Cities. In a neutral year, Paulsen would likely win. But Madia’s grassroots campaign, his service in Iraq and the strong year shaping up for Democrats in the state make him a slight favorite.

28. Minnesota’s 6th district (R): Note to vulnerable incumbents: Don’t go on national TV two weeks before an election. Just don’t do it.