GUTKNECHT ‘DIDN’T UNDERSTAND,’ DFL LENDS A HAND

07/20/2006

ST. PAUL (7/20/06) – Republican Rep. Gil Gutknecht admitted that he didn’t understand the situation in Iraq for the first three and a half years of the conflict, the Washington Post reported today. To level the playing the field between Gutknecht and his DFL-endorsed opponent Tim Walz, a retired National Guard Command Sgt. Major and 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard, the Minnesota DFL Party announced today that it ordered a subscription to the Rochester Post-Bulletin for Gutknecht to educate himself on current events.

“To be honest, I felt a little sorry for Representative Gutknecht when I read the Washington Post story this morning,” Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez said. “After 12 years in Congress he’s still having trouble understanding matters of national security so we thought we’d do something to help him gear up for the home-stretch of the campaign season.”

This morning, the Washington Post reported:

This week, [Gutknecht] conceded “I guess I didn’t understand the situation,” saying that a partial troop withdrawal now would “send a clear message to the Iraqis that the next step is up to you.” [Washington Post, 7/20/06]