Walz, Demmer
Tim Walz and Randy Demmer came to FarmFest as hot as the mid-90s weather.
The two combatants for the 1st Congressional District seat across southern Minnesota showed the most passion of any candidates from four districts who spoke to a few hundred farmers at the Tuesday FarmFest event in rural Redwood County.
The Walz-Demmer divide began on their first question and continued well after the forum ended.
A "cap and trade" policy in front of Congress is a good start to an energy policy, said Walz, the Democratic U.S. House incumbent. But, challenger Demmer said, it is nothing more than an energy tax.
Cap and trade is promoted a way to discourage the use of fossil fuels such as gasoline. Many Democrats support it and many Republicans oppose.
Walz did not hesitate to criticize those in power in Washington.
"We have a failed energy policy in this country," he said.
Cap and trade should give farmers a boost, Walz said, by discouraging buying fossil fuels from other countries, often countries that do not like the United States. "They will hate us for free."
Demmer, a Republican in his second run for Walz’s job, said he thinks cap and trade could cost agriculture $5 billion.
"Cap and trade is not an energy policy, it is a tax," Demmer said. "It is tough on agriculture. We need to grow agriculture, not shrink it."
Steven Wilson, an Independence Party candidate for Walz’s seat, agreed with Demmer that cap and trade is more of a tax.
"We don’t have to sacrifice our small businesses," he said.
The energy talk came as part of a FarmFest congressional candidate forum on the first day of the annual ag show near Redwood Falls, in southwestern Minnesota.
Forums continue today, with leading governor candidates, and Thursday, when experts will advise the next governor what should be done to help agriculture in the state. Also Thursday, Gov. Tim Pawlenty will deliver his final FarmFest speech.
One of Demmer’s biggest criticisms of Walz is that he votes for San Francisco liberal Nancy Pelosi to be speaker of the House.
Demmer said Walz talks like a moderate back home, then votes liberal in Washington.
But when asked after the forum why he supports liberal leaders, Walz said he may seek a leadership job next year if Democrats maintain House control.
"Maybe I will be one of them," he said.
Walz rattled off a list of groups that have praised him for work on veterans and education issues, and hinted he could be in line to lead one of those areas.
The incumbent used the forum to criticize politicians who criticize anything brought up by the opposition. He urged members of Congress to work together.
Demmer criticized Walz for trying to appear conservative.
"He is not a fiscal conservative," Demmer declared.
Demmer is counting on voter dissatisfaction with Washington. He said that this year is a turning point for voters.
"It is insanity that is going on," he said.
Demmer said Congress butts in where it should not, in many areas. "We need to make sure we don’t have people in Washington deciding our business."
Wilson said he would be a good middleman in Congress.
"I want to be that person who can work in the middle and figure out how to bring people together."
Besides 1st Congressional District candidates, those wanting to represent the western part of the state also were on the FarmFest stage.
Democrat U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said work on the next farm will should be wrapped up by December 2011, months ahead of schedule. He and his main challenger, Republican Lee Byberg, have few farm-related differences.
Two Republicans did not attend the forum: U.S. Reps. John Kline and Michele Bachmann.
One of Kline’s opponents, Shelley Madore, said she grew up on a farm and would press ag issues while Kline does not.
State Sen. Tarryl Clark, running against Bachmann, was critical of the incumbent for voting against the farm bill that determines federal ag policy. She said her state Senate district, around St. Cloud, includes a lot of farms and she understand the situation.
