Gil Gutknecht's latest fundraising letter

As we have pointed out earlier, Rep. Gil Gutknecht of Minnesota's 1st Congressional District seems to be more than just a little concerned with Tim Walz's campaign to unseat him. Walz is an award-winning teacher, a 24-year veteran of the Minnesota National Guard, and an all-American, upstanding, middle-of-the-road kind of guy who gained national attention when the Secret Service tried to prevent him from attending a Bush speech in Mankato in August of 2004. Walz's "crime" was standing up for two teenagers, honors students both, who had tickets to attend but were denied entry.

Of course, Gutknecht paints him otherwise. Below is the text of Gutknecht's latest fundraising broadside, which follows pretty much the same theme as his previous fundraising letters — short on his own record but long on hypocrisy ("limited government," "health care reform," "keeping our commitments to America's senior citizens") and name-calling ("left-wing," "liberal"):

Dear [recipient],

In Minnesota, losing critical races like Governor... U.S. Senate... and my race in the 1st Congressional District would be devastating.

But don't take my word for it...

The Wall Street Journal recently ran an article titled [sic] "Minnesota May Be Tip of Political Iceberg," which talked about the potential of a "political tidal wave" washing across Minnesota this November.

Do you remember our victory in 1994?

Election Night 1994 is a night I will never forget. Our victory in the 1st Congressional District helped Republicans take majority control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time since Dwight Eisenhower was President.

No one saw it coming...

[Recipient], I’m writing to you today because I want to bring to your immediate attention the danger of ignoring the very real threat that the Democrats pose in 2006.

The Wall Street Journal article highlights the Democrat’s [sic] chances in the 1st District by saying, “The Republican nightmare here in the First District is a burly, high-school teacher and coach who is running as a Democrat but evokes House Speaker Dennis Hastert as a younger man.”

This confirms what I’ve been saying all along about liberal Tim Walz’s candidacy… and the fact that state and national Democrats are rallying around him hoping for an upset this November.

In short, I am facing the biggest challenge by the Democrats since being elected as your Congressman in 1994.

We must always remember how hard fought our victories have been. We never gave up because our hearts have always embraced the ideas of limited government, tax relief, health care reform and traditional family values.

I'm sure you'll agree that we cannot afford to abandon these important, common sense, conservative principals [sic] today. That's why I hope you'll take a moment to renew your support to our efforts and mail your generous gift of $100, $75 or $50 today.

We've always had to work hard for victory in the 1st District. However, in 2006 the Democrats are more organized... better funded... and have the attention of national media outlets like The Wall Street Journal. The Democrats only need 15 seats to defeat our Republican majority in Congress.

Moreover, state and national Democrats are feeling bold because President George W. Bush narrowly won re-election in the 1st District in 2004. They believe this narrow victory over John Kerry gives the Democrats a fighting chance to defeat me this November.

Tim Walz will tap into millions of dollars of out-of-state, left-wing cash that the Democrats are raising from their friends from Hollywood to Boston.

The Democrat’s [sic] left-wing agenda will result in higher taxes, more government control, higher health care costs and no solution to illegal immigration… while burdening working families with skyrocketing taxes.

The Democrats want to do away with President George W. Bush’s tax cuts and raise taxes by over $2 trillion. Just imagine what it would be like if the per-child-tax-credit was completely eliminated… that’s why I will work to keep President Bush’s tax cuts in place — permanently.

We must do more to eliminate wasteful spending in Washington, DC. I will continue to fight against pork barrel spending and look for ways to cut spending while keeping our commitments to America's senior citizens.

Illegal immigration is a homeland security issue. While left-wingers are trying to make this a political issue by inciting mass protests, we must hold our ground and increase funding to control our borders and enforce immigration laws.

Fighting for affordable prescription drugs will continue to be an important part of my legislative agenda. Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical industry still stands in the way of making prescription drugs more affordable by blocking key reforms.

We are facing a big challenge in 2006. And we must do our part to defend these common sense, conservative principals [sic!]. [Recipient], that's why I hope you'll take a moment and mail your generous gift of $100, $75 or $50 today.

We cannot underestimate the risk of a "political tidal wave" in Minnesota today that could result in Republican defeats at all levels. Can I count on your continued support today?

Sincerely,

Gil Gutknecht
Member of Congress

You would think that a sitting congressman wouldn't need to stoop to this level. Well, think again.

LP