Washington Post on Walz

An Antiwar Freshman Leader Faces His Constituents

By Lois Romano And Mary Ann Akers, Washington Post

Tim Walz -- the newly installed president of the freshman Democratic congressional class -- was among the 30 members swept into office in November as reformers, vowing to change what they called a culture of corruption and to end the war in Iraq.

But after seven months in office and especially last week's raucous march to the summer recess, the affable former high school teacher is returning home to a skeptical electorate in Minnesota with little progress to report on the war. Like the rest of his colleagues, between now and November 2008 he will have to prove to his constituents that they made the right choice to hand control of Congress to the Democrats.

And he's trying not to sound worried as Republicans circle his seat.

"My constituents are thoughtful and pragmatic people who focus on outcomes rather than ideology," he said. "They want good government and ethics reform. . . . They need to have their faith restored in government. We can't just sound good."

Walz, 43, was a popular geography teacher and military veteran when he launched his new career as a candidate with an eye toward the 2006 election. As Reps. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) and Chris Van Hollen (Md.) scoured the country for moderate Democratic challengers who could be credible speaking on the war in Iraq, no one came knocking on Walz's door. But he was certainly what they were looking for: He had spent 24 years in the Army National Guard before retiring, not happy with the direction in Iraq and willing to say so.

(More here.)