DFL CHALLENGES REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES TO TAKE A STAND ON IRAQ

05/23/2007

(ST. PAUL) 5/23/07 –On Wednesday, Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez called on the Republican candidates for Minnesota's first congressional district, represented by Tim Walz, to take a stand on the Iraq War. From the moment that Representative Walz began campaigning for Congress in 2005, he took a clear and consistent stand against the Bush administration's Iraq policy. In contrast, Representative Walz's four Republican challengers have yet to take a public stand on Iraq, ducking questions on the most important issue of the day.

"From the moment that he began his campaign, Representative Tim Walz offered thoughtful answers to questions from voters and from the media on a range of issues facing our community, our state, and our nation -- especially on the war in Iraq."

"Candidates for Congress owe it to our troops, to their families, and to all Americans to make their positions on Iraq known. None of the Republican candidates running against Representative Walz have made their views known on the war in Iraq. They owe Minnesotans answers on what their stand is on the Iraq war -- especially whether they support President Bush's open-ended commitment in Iraq or whether they support benchmarks for troop withdrawal."