WHY IS DICK DAY RUNNING FOR CONGRESS?

02/12/2007

ST. PAUL (2/12/07) – Republican Sen. Dick Day announced his intention to challenge Rep. Tim Walz last week, suggesting that Sen. Day believes that he can better represent Minnesota’s First Congressional District. Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez today called on Sen. Day to specify his reasoning.

“I’d like Senator Day to explain which votes Representative Walz has taken to prompt this challenge,” Melendez said. “Was it his vote for historic ethics reform in Washington? Or his vote for the first minimum-wage increase in 10 years? Was it his vote to implement the 9/11 commission’s recommendations? Or was it Representative Walz’s vote to lower college students’ financial burden? Precisely which actions has Representative Walz taken during the one month he’s been in office that show that he is anything other than a strong, common-sense voice for southern Minnesotans?”

During Rep. Walz’s first 100 hours in Congress, he voted:

For historic ethics reform that put an end to Washington’s pay-to-play culture;

To increase the federal minimum wage for the first time in 10 years;

To enact the 9/11 commission’s recommendations to make our nation safer;

To expand stem-cell research;

To allow the government to negotiate lower prices with prescription-drug companies;

To cut student-loan interest rates in half; and

To eliminate billions in subsidies for big-oil companies.

“Which of these votes does Senator Day disagree with?” Melendez said. “He has a responsibility to his prospective constituents to specify why he is running – beyond his first-stated reason of finding a new hobby.”

MPR first reported Day’s reason for running:

“I don't have a lot of hobbies. I’m not a golf player. I get up early in the morning. I like politics so I figured, hey, let’s take a shot at it.” [MPR Polinaut, 2/8/07]