A Happy Article for Christmas

[MikeBjerum]

Our local daily printed an article that will at least give a little "worldly" Christmas cheer ...

http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/local_story_356192137.html

Kline: Republicans could take House in 2010

By Bill Salisbury
Pioneer Press

December 22, 2009 07:19 pm

— With the political winds shifting against the Democrats, U.S. Rep. John Kline today said he and his fellow Republicans are starting to believe they could win a majority of House seats in 2010.

"That's a dream very few of us had six months ago," Kline told reporters at a breakfast briefing in St. Paul. "It's a dream now that is starting to have legs."

"My colleagues and I have actually started talking about the possibility of regaining the majority in a serious way," the Lakeville lawmaker said.

What's changed in six months, he said, is poll after poll showing Americans are unhappy with Democratic health care and cap-and-trade bills and soaring federal deficits. That has put previously safe Democratic seats "into play," he said.

Democratic Rep. Tim Walz holds one of those potentially vulnerable seats in southern Minnesota's 1st District, Kline said. "I think Mr. Walz has cast a lot of votes that are not popular in his district."

He noted that "serious" independent political analysts Charlie Cook and Stuart Rothenberg are predicting Republicans are likely to make significant gains in the next election. But both have said it's unlikely that they will pick up the 41 seats they need to take control.

With 2010 shaping up as a Republican year, Kline said he thinks he and Minnesota's other two GOP representatives, Michele Bachmann and Erik Paulsen, are in "very, very good shape." But he added they can't take their elections for granted.

The four-term

lawmaker said he has raised more than $600,000 for his re-election campaign and is prepared to spend more than $1.5 million -- about the same amount as he has spent in his last few campaigns.

Two Democrats -- former state Rep. Shelley Madore, of Apple Valley, and building contractor Dan Powers, of Burnsville -- are seeking their party's endorsement to challenge Kline. He said he doesn't plan to "engage" either of them until after the Democrats endorse one next spring.

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