Minnesotans, delegation offer their views on speech

01/24/2007

By Tom Raum,
Associated Press
Last update: January 24, 2007 – 12:06 AM


There was an issue for everyone to react to in President Bush's State of the Union address:
On energy

Bob Elde, dean of the College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota: "There are huge gains to be made by increasing the fuel efficiency in standard passenger cars. [President Bush has] not gone there before. Smaller vehicles, lighter-weight vehicles, vehicles made out of less steel, more carbon fiber, aluminum and so on, smaller horsepower engines. It would require a buy-in on the part of the American public."

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.: "I'd like to see stronger measures with stronger standards for ethanol, biodiesel."

On global warming

J. Drake Hamilton, science policy director for Fresh Energy, a science-based advocacy organization in Minneapolis promoting efficient and renewable energy: "The president tonight acknowledged that we have the serious challenge of global climate change, and he proposed a small increase in fuel economy standards by 2017 -- 10 years out. That's a step in the right direction, but when you look at the extent of the problem we have, we need to deal comprehensively with all our [global warming] sources."

On health care

Geoff Bartsh, director of Legislative Affairs for HealthPartners: "The interesting piece in all of this is the change in tax policy. For individuals currently purchasing health insurance on their own, this is going to be great for them."

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.: She called Bush's agenda "bold." While she agreed with the president's desire to make health care more affordable, she said she doesn't think Congress should eliminate tax benefits for employer-provided care.

On immigration

Prof. Katherine Fennelly, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota: "The power is now in the hands of many Democrats and some Republicans who want to see comprehensive reform, so it seems more likely that we will have some kind of reform this year. On the other hand, there were no specifics in the plan that the president proposed, and the devil is, of course, in the details."

On Bush and his agenda

Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.: "The president clearly hasn't gotten [voters'] message. Tonight's speech is just more of the same of the last six years of failed administration policies."

Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn.: "We need to continue to change the tone in Washington to solve the pressing problems facing our nation, and I am hopeful tonight's speech advances our efforts to restore bipartisanship and civility."

On the war in Iraq

Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn.: "I can't tell you what the path to success is, but it's not what the president has put on the table."

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn.: Bush "spent too little time on the issue that most directly affects the current State of our Union -- the war in Iraq."

On education

John Renninger, history teacher, Osceola (Wis.) Senior High School: "It didn't go into the details, and I don't care for the No Child Left Behind [program] anyway. I don't think it's focused correctly ... I just don't trust him, as far as actually giving local control to districts to do what they want to do. Too much Washington red tape that you have to follow to get what you want."