Equal time: Tim Walz's latest fundraising letter

Earlier we published Minnesota Congressman Gil Gutknecht's latest fundraising letter. It was filled with a plethora of unfounded charges and scare tactics almost as if he were the challenger and his probable opponent, Tim Walz, were the incumbent. In the letter Gutknecht assails "big government liberal Democrats," "liberal special interests," "trial lawyers," "left-wingers," "ultra-liberal groups like Moveon.org and Emily's List," "America's ultra-liberal establishment" — and that's just the first page!

He writes:

Big government liberal Democrats, trial lawyers and the pharmaceutical industry make interesting political bedfellows. Wouldn't you agree?

What he fails to mention is that it's his Republican colleagues who have been the pharmaceutical industry's most ardent supporters. When the Democrats wanted to authorize the federal government to negotiate with the drug companies to secure lower prices as part of the Medicare drug benefit legislation, it was the Republicans who shot it down.

Gutknecht also writes:

I fear that if the Democrats have their way, not only will we see annual deficits increase drastically... but you and I will be faced with higher taxes.... and a federal government that will be bankrupt. Can we honestly afford federal deficits blowing past $500 billion a year?

What he fails to mention here is that the Bush tax cuts, every one of which he supported, are a chief reason for the current record breaking deficits. A second cause of the deficits is, of course, the war in Iraq, which has already cost every American nearly $1,000 and over 2,300 Americans their lives. Congressman Gutknecht has been an unwavering supporter of the Bush policy in Iraq.

If the congressman wrote fundraising letters accenuating his record, we would not quibble, whether we agree with his positions or not. (And some we do agree on, by the way.) But to attack a would-be (not even official) opponent using negativity and innuendo should be a tactic beneath an incumbent congressman, especially one who has prevailed so convincingly in his last several elections.

To read Gutknecht's March 2 fundraising letter, please see "How incumbents distort the truth to keep their jobs".

Below is Tim Walz's latest fundraising letter. You will see that its tone is quite different from Gutknecht's:

March 22, 2006

Dear [Name of recipient]:

Because you are one of my early supporters, I want to take this opportunity to thank you again and to update you on our campaign.

The month of March is already proving to be the “tipping point” for our campaign. At this point in the campaign I have out-fundraised any previous challenger to my opponent. In the last three weeks, we have raised nearly $100,000! We’ve hired a very experienced campaign manager, Kerry Greeley, who served as Deputy National Finance Director on John Kerry’s presidential race and has also worked at the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Governors’ Association. We’ve earned over a dozen endorsements from Minnesota unions, and we are getting great press coverage, both locally and nationally. Things are on the move!

Local and national polls tell us that 2006 is shaping up to be a perfect storm for challengers like me. I’m pleased to say that in southern Minnesota, George Bush’s approval rating is down to 31% – lower than anywhere else in the state. Citizens across the district tell me they want a true representative, not a Congressman who rubberstamps the Bush and Delay agenda. I am proud to say that my message of independent leadership is resonating with voters of both parties.

You were one of our early contributors: you took a leap of faith last year. That faith has paid off, we are now at the tipping point of becoming a nationally targeted race – one of the most competitive races in the country.

I am asking you to invest in this race again – to invest in the success you helped create. Our next FEC filing is on March 31st, and, as you know, at this point in the race success is measured by fundraising strength. My opponent will be well-funded by the Republican Party, he’s been a willing soldier for them. We need to prepare to bring our message to southern Minnesota. I need your help to pay for the lawn signs, radio time and TV commercials that will let voters know that there is a real choice.

If we are able to raise another $50,000 before March 31st, we will show the strength necessary to attract financial support from people around the country. Your investment in March will help us get much more support in the coming months. I have never been more confident that we are going to win. I will never forget your support of this campaign, it is making all the difference.

Warmest regards,

Tim Walz
DFL Congressional Candidate (MN-1)

P.S. Your donation by March 31st will help us gain additional dollars from Democrats around the country! If you prefer to donate by credit card, you can do so online at www.timwalz.org. Thank you for your continuing support!

LP