I Don’t Hate America!

The three remaining Republican candidates wishing to vie for the seat in Congress currently held by freshman DFL Rep. Tim Walz debated for the first time last night in Rochester.

First time? I guess if we’re playing under the “if no one was allowed to see it, it didn’t happen” rules, maybe

The Post Bulletin has coverage of the debate featuring Mayo physician Brian Davis, state Sen. Dick Day and state Rep. Randy Demmer, who collectively form “Team-3D.”

All three were fighting for the anti-immigration vote:

Day said a framework could be put in place that would alert potential employers to the immigration status of job-seekers.

“If we don’t protect our borders, we don’t have a country,” Day said.

State Rep. Randy Demmer of Hayfield and Mayo Clinic physician Brian Davis also said they’re strong believers in adopting a get-tough stance against illegal immigration.

Wow, great original insight, Dick.

The candidates also agreed on the importance of fostering greater energy independence by increasing the domestic oil supply, including drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; and in making sure that DFL Rep. Tim Walz of Mankato is not re-elected to a second term in November.

I thought the cookie-cutter talking point on domestic oil was about “individual liberty and choices,” not energy independence. Oh, you mean this isn’t the Jason Lewis show? Sorry, my bad.

The candidates also seemed to touch on issues such as education, national security and health care.

The PB article did not mention if Iraq or transportation issues were discussed, though apparently Day’s greatest qualification is his old age and newest conquest is apparently earmarks.

“I’m too old to be influenced by power or prestige,” he said.

Day, an 18-year state senator, also said fiscal discipline would be a top priority and that he would shun earmarks.

“I’m a guy that says, ‘no earmarks. We should cut out the earmarks,’” he said.

I wish we could get real and stop with this demagoguery about earmarks. Good luck getting funding for a project, say, I don’t know, Highway 14, to go through the United States Congress in a stand alone bill. People complain about how nothing gets done in Washington as it is; can you imagine how bad it would be if every single line item to be appropriated had to have its own bill? Ollie has her views here.

Will we see Day on a mission to stop omnibus bills in the state legislature, too? Somehow I doubt it.

Tomorrow, Brian Davis will appear on NARN’s “the FINAL word” at 3:00 p.m. on 1280 AM. Glad to see Davis has caught on that it’s easier to reach his prospective voters on a conservative station as opposed to say, this lefty-blog.

If you’re in the First District, or even three miles away from the interchange of Cliff Road and 35E, and thus out of the 5,000 watt station’s reach, they offer convenient web streaming. How sweet of them!

Over at Bluestem you can see video of Rep. John Hall, D-New York, speaking at a gig in Mankato this past weekend. Hall gave great insight into his work with Rep. Tim Walz on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Unfortunately however, the video lacks any footage of Hall, a founding member of the 1970s band Orleans, performing any music.

Thanks be it to me, at least, you will all not have leave to the blogosphere empty handed today without your fix of members of Congress performing on stage.

Going way back to 1988, here’s Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson, who chairs the House Agriculture Committee, rockin’ out on stage. (Yes, WordPress is being stupid with embedding, so linking it is)

This was certainly nominated at the MTV Awards back then, right?

Peterson went on to stardom as the front-man for the Second Amendments.Just to clear up any residual confusion that may be present, John Hall was NOT a member of Hall & Oates, which is the most successful duo in the history of recorded music.

That duo was comprised of Daryl Hall and John Oates.

Speaking of H&O, almost two months ago I suggested that the duo’s tune “Adult Education” may be applied to Congressional candidate Randy Demmer.

Yesterday, I thought sufficient evidence was present to declare one of Demmer’s opponents for the GOP nomination to take on Tim Walz next year, Dick Day, out of touch.

Perhaps this Hall & Oates hit can be used by Day’s campaign as a theme song.

I hate writing posts about parliamentary procedure basically because people hate reading it due to the sometimes complicated “inside baseball” nature it possesses (and I guess it’s a pretty boring subject, too).  Certainly, reading about the procedure behind passing legislation isn’t as appealing as reading about rhetoric or the issues.

Unfortunately, Republicans have a nasty way of taking advantage of the general ignorance about which formal steps actually occur in the halls of Congress to further their mission of making Democrats look lazy and out of touch.

Yes, American people: how dare you not understand, much less care about, every nuance dealing with Mason’s Manual, Jefferson’s Manual, the Book of Hoyle and the rules of the US House of Representatives?!  Well, I guess mandatory C-SPAN viewing wouldn’t be so bad, would it?

Case in point: this press release from Ron Carey, chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota.

“Tim Walz promised to stand up for the middle class during his campaign but it’s clear he didn’t really mean it. With his vote against bringing a clean Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) patch to floor of the House, Walz once more sides with national liberals and against the interests of the First District.”

I’m enraged! Wow, the nerve of that Waltz guy.  He’s a real restaurant-quality SOB to put a dull knife right in the back of the middle class like that.  And how he’s putting those evil, prominent national liberals over his constituents! I bet totally forgot where he came from. What’s that I feel? Based on this quote it sseems like he’s physically sticking his hand right in my pocket and taking the contents! Ugh, I don’t want to talk about Washington Waltz anymore!

Without the context of the true procedure on the House floor (I’m sure just conveniently accidentally omitted by Carey, sure) a reaction like the above paragraph could be completely understandable.  With the context though, Carey is grasping at straws, at best.  He maybe is even fiddling with reality.  To call him a liar in this instance wouldn’t be too unreasonable.

As Bluestem Prairie points out, the underlying bill was the energy bill, not one dealing with the Alternative Minimum Tax.  Carey seems to think the House should have allowed this amendment to be considered, regardless of the subject’s relevance to the bill.

You see, the subject of the song was “I’m Just a Bill,” not “How a Motion to Recommit Gets Put to a Vote” or “How an Amendment Gets Through the Rules Committee” (though I am sure both would provide for excellent educational fodder for our nation’s children).  As far as I am aware, since the Schoolhouse Rock video was produced, the main vehicle for which legislation is passed is still a bill.  And yes, amendments to these bills can and do come up for discussion.

Almost always though the amendment offered is germane to the bill at hand.  Not so in this case: the Republicans wanted to make an amendment to the energy bill essentially wiping it out and replacing it with Alternative Minimum Tax language.  Walz and the majority then voted for the rule prohibiting such an amendment.

Yes, how dare that elitist liberal majority use its power in such as way as stopping non-germane amendments.  Personally, I am not a very big fan of closed rules such as the one used for the energy bill, but the obstructionist tactics (such as this proposed amendment) the GOP has employed time and time again make their use necessary.

This isn’t the first time the GOP has used press releases about a “gotcha” vote to try and make Walz appear in poor light: Randy Demmer used loaded rhetoric, eerily similar to that used by Carey, in October to describe a Walz vote on a motion to recommit. 

Remember when the GOP grandstanded on SCHIP during debate on the agriculture appropriations bill?  Same thing all over again.  This is classic “gotcha” from the GOP, but lucky for you, we’re here with the truth about what happened.

The Senate has passed AMT-patch legislation.  If the House brings up similar legislation and Walz or any other member votes against it, then we would hope if Carey or another GOP member authors a press release that it be based on the merits of the vote on such legislation.  Until then, we hope Carey stops trying to recreate reality.

Below is a screen shot from Brian Davis’s official campaign website which illustrates a quote prominently placed on the front page:

“Instead of re-electing professional politicians, we need to return to a system of electing citizen legislators…”

I can interpret this to be nothing but a subtle dig at his three opponents for the Republican nomination to take on Rep. Tim Walz in Minnesota’s First Congressional District.

The three all are currently in elected office while Davis never has. Dick Day of Owatonna has served in the State Senate since 1991, Randy Demmer of Hayfield has served in the House of Representatives since 2003 and Mark Meyer of Lake Crystal serves as chair of the Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial board of education.

Walz, elected in 2006, had no prior elected experience. If Walz, who unseated six-term member Gil Gutknecht, is indeed the target of this quote it is borderline dishonesty on the part of Davis.

I must wonder: why would Davis take up prominent real estate on his home page going negative toward his Republican opponents as opposed to using that space for something which would highlight his ultimate goal: defeating Tim Walz?

As we have previously pointed out, Davis has struggled to collect campaign contributions within the First District. Will delegates to the GOP First District convention appreciate Davis’s negativity?

It seems that Brian Davis, candidate for Congress in Minnesota’s First District, has shown his hand when it comes to campaign strategy early on.

Apparently absent from that strategy is tact. Check out Jason’s earlier post highlighting Davis’s decision to campaign while trick-or-treating with his kids last week on Halloween.

Showing your family on a piece of literature or on a campaign website? That can give voters an opportunity to see the personal, as opposed to the political, side of the candidate.

Campaigning for office while your kids trick-or-treat? While not scandalous or even unethical, it’s the opinion of this blogger that trick-or-treating on Halloween is a very sacred annual event in a child’s life; one which should provide memories for a family based on the costumes, candy and carving of pumpkins. What Davis did crosses a delicate line and violates that sacredness. Those memories should not have to take a backseat to politics.

By showcasing such activity on his blog, Davis obviously feels this is “creative campaigning.” I find it to be simply “tacky.”

In the same post, Davis takes issue with our previous assertion that due to lackluster fundraising within the district, he may not have the support of those necessary to gain the GOP nomination. He didn’t have any real in-depth rebuttal, but had three comments about what we said. In the third comment, Davis becomes the second GOP contender for the First District nomination to show struggles with mathematics, but let’s start from the beginning:

1) It’s good to have friends and colleagues who are willing to provide support.

Sure. Al Franken has given similar justification for his outsta…er…out-of-state fundraising, but Kevin Kline, Lucy Lawless or Paul Newman will not be able to cast a vote for Franken at the State DFL Convention. Likewise, Davis’s nationwide network of physician friends who gave money will not be able to cast a vote for him at the district GOP convention.

The difference comes here: Al Franken has demonstrated that he has already built a grassroots network of supporters here in Minnesota who are working the phones and will doorknock with him. Has Davis? I mean, other than his children, of course. (Only kidding!)

2) Having receipts greater than expenses is a good way to run a business or a campaign.

Being stuck with campaign debt, which is a possibility for Randy “the Whammy” Demmer, would suck, so Davis is correct here. Of course, his personal contribution went a long way towards that accomplishment for the campaign.

Well, over one-third of the way toward that end anyway. Davis’s campaign kitty had $74,104.85 in it at the end of October; Davis donated $26,193.25.

3) The FEC reports don’t tell the whole story, particularly as it concerns donations at $200 and below.

I’m quite curious: what part of the story do they not tell, Dr. Davis? Of $55,035 of individual contributions in the third quarter, just $3,132 of that was from contributions less than $200, which aren’t listed on the FEC report. Even if all of that came from within the First District, at just 5.7 percent of individual contributions that’s hardly anything to brag about, or even “add to the story.” Compared to the percentages of his “Team 3-D” comrades, it’s even less impressive (Day had 20 percent and Demmer had 31.8 percent).

The percentage of the incumbent, Tim Walz, was 28.1.

Randy Demmer, who has proven he can’t count, isn’t a doctor, so I suppose I can see him having some issues with mathematics. For someone with a Ph.D., however, Brian Davis should be able to not only count, but do a better job of interpreting equations and figures.

A talking point the Republican Party has used lately to illustrate itself as the party best for Minnesota is that the Democrats finance their campaigns, at every level, nearly exclusively with out of state contributions. In a candidate debate held in Winona last year, District 28 State Senate candidate Steve Drazkowski, R-Wabasha, essentially accused his opponent, incumbent Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, of being bought off by Barbara Streisand and the fringe “Hollywood left.”

Barbara Streisand has an interest in southeastern Minnesota? I could barely keep a straight face at the accusation of Drazkowski, who has since been elected to the House.

Neither could Murphy.

This election cycle the right-wing bomb throwers have gone after DFL US Senate candidate Al Franken for his large amount of campaign contributions from Los Angeles, New York and other places not within Minnesota.

Looking to the First District Congressional race though, large amounts of out of state contributions are going to not a DFLer, but to a Republican, Dr. Brian Davis. Davis, a Mayo Clinic physician who is one of four Republicans seeking to unseat first-term DFLer Tim Walz, declared himself the undisputed champion for the third quarter fundraising period.

Via his blog:

This past Monday, October 15th, was the third quarter fundraising filing deadline, and I am very pleased with the support we’ve received. During the third quarter - July 1 to September 30 – our campaign reported $81,228 in total receipts. Contributions from individuals totaled $55,035 - the most of any Republican candidate in the race. Better yet, we still have over $74,000 in the campaign’s coffers.

The $55,035 of individual donations looks quite impressive compared to Day’s $39,707, Demmer’s $16,855 and Meyer’s barely-on-the-radar $2,650. However, of the 80 individuals who gave donations itemized on the FEC form (over $200), just 15 were from Minnesota.

An impressive base of donors? Hardly. The 65 out of state donors, nearly exclusively a group of physicians, may help get the campaign off the ground but will be unable to be in the trenches with the candidate knocking on doors, dropping literature and most importantly, voting in the First District GOP Convention.

Maybe Davis has plans to take a page out of the playbook of gentleman’s club owner Richard Jacobson and have all of them register as voters in the First and list “Mayo Clinic” as as their residences, but in our brief dealings with Davis we find him to be more reasonable than to attempt that type of shenanigans.

Of the $55,035, just $12,352 came from First District Republicans. Of that $1,450 was contributed in-kind by John Morris who flew Davis around. Davis himself gave the campaign $26,193.25.

If Davis feels that claiming “victory” after a FEC filing quarter in which he himself donated more than two times the cold, hard cash other First District contributors did well, more power to him.

It is Halloween; what Davis should not only find not impressive, but downright scary is who by and large gave more money to Walz than to him: other Mayo physicians!

You mean the Mayo employees (with the exception of a few) not only snubbed their co-worker, but gave a ton of money to his opponent? Yup! Over 90 employees of Mayo (radiologists, anestheislogists, cardiologists, neurologists, the whole gambit) contributed to the Walz campaign in the third quarter.

Most notably: Dr. Glenn Forbes, CEO of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, gave $2,300 to Walz. More interestingly: just a year and a half ago he gave $500 to Gil Gutknecht. It’s not surprising that if Davis can’t get the support of people like Forbes he isn’t getting the support of former Gutknecht supporters outside of Mayo, such as former GOP state Rep. David Bishop. Bishop, who was House Ways and Means chairman under Speaker Steve Sviggum from 1999-2002, gave Walz $1000.

Don’t get me wrong: Walz’s re-election bid is by no means a slam dunk. However, with how vulnerable some in the GOP consider him to be, the lackluster fundraising, especially by the so-called “third quarter champion” Davis, this Halloween has to be frightening to those looking to take back the First for the GOP.

As I was watching WCCO’s 5 p.m. newscast this evening I couldn’t help but think of state representative and congressional candidate Randy “the Whammy” Demmer and specifically his difficulties with mathematics.

I thought of the man known in some circles as “Teen Talk Barbie” when a story featuring this high school program came on:

Yes, “Who Wants to be a Mathematician?” The game shows high school students that learning math can be fun!

While current First District Rep. Tim Walz dedicates his time to a high school program giving students the chance to visit China, one of his opponents, Demmer, would be better off participating in this one about math.

His struggles with counting and division have already been documented, but perhaps Demmer will need to learn about the concept of negative numbers.

Negative numbers, as in being stuck with a portion of the $20,000 loan he gave to his campaign if he can’t improve his fund raising efforts and is unable to get the Republican nomination. Not even $17,000 this period, Randy? I may suggest not using expensive convertibles in parades; a mid-size sedan should suffice. Maybe there’s a barber college where Demmer can get cheaper haircuts? Selecting the BBQ chicken sandwich, fries and cornbread for $4 or $5 from the Longworth cafeteria instead of going to Ruth’s Chris while in Washington on NRCC junkets (I’ve had the former; it’s pretty good!).

Taking more Minn. House per diem? Oh wait.

I’ve been very mean to Rep. Demmer recently, so today I’m just trying to help!

We all have to miss work from time to time. Well, except in the occasional story seen at the tail end of the 5 p.m. news of the “factory worker who retired without missing a day in 200 years,” but that is extremely rare. Events like a death in the family, illness, transportation trouble or the graduation of a son or daughter can get in the way of making it to work either on time or at all on a given day and a reasonable employer will make accommodations.

In order to get out of a day of work in the Minnesota House of Representatives a member must write a simple request to the speaker and that particular member will be noted in the journal as excused.

On May 7 and 8 of this year, Rep. Randy Demmer, R-Hayfield, did just that, but not for one of the dire situations listed above. Rather, Rep. Demmer took a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend Republican “congressional candidate school.” No big deal, right? So what, he only missed a couple of votes?

Let me continue. Some of our jobs require expenses, such as meals, for which the employee is able to be reimbursed. Certainly if you aren’t working a given day, you don’t have work related expenses and wouldn’t expect reimbursement, right? Well, it doesn’t work that way at the Minnesota Legislature, where the maximum per diem of $77 is available to members daily with virtually no oversight. No receipts, invoices or any other paperwork to prove expense.

Demmer, who wants to unseat First District Congressman Tim Walz, took the maximum per diem of $77 on 139 consecutive days during the 2007 legislative session. Yes, even the two days he was in D.C. learning campaign tricks from Karl Rove.

But he only missed a couple of votes, right? If you read this paragraph from the Rochester Post-Bulletin, it’s what Demmer would have you believe (thanks Ollie, for finding it):

Demmer said that while he took a leave of absence from the state House during his trip, he said that he was not on any conference committees and that bills brought up for a vote those days were not final. “I missed two or three votes, and those bills are coming back around,” he said.

Two or three, Randy? Maybe you really are Teen Talk Barbie (you know, math is hard?). It was more than “two or three” but let’s start with your lack of expertise in the area of division, and no, I don’t mean obnoxiously yelling out “DIVISION!” on the House floor after an obvious loss during a voice vote; you House Republicans are quite good at that. Blue Man has an easier explanation about Demmer’s math than I do, but bear with me.

Let’s take $10,703 (total per diem taken by Demmer) divided by $77 (max. per diem) and that equals 139 (total days between the opening and closing gavels of the legislature). You didn’t think ordinary citizens would be able to find out you took per diem for days you were in Washington working on your political ambitions for higher office, Or do you think they just wouldn’t care? Your constituents will be the ones holding you accountable for lack of representation in St. Paul on those two days. Taking per diem on those days though? *I* pay for that, pally. All of us who pay state taxes pay for that. Shameful!

Do I think the House and Senate leadership should (and should have in the past under GOP control!) institute a measure of accountability for these funds? Absolutely. Do I think you, Rep. Demmer, should be off the hook for having the tax payers cover the tabs for your meals in D.C.? I know restaurants out there can be spendy, but the answer is NO.

Back to the missed votes: Wow, it looks like your math problems are even worse than I first diagnosed. Pressing your luck with voters, Randy? While I can give you the benefit of the doubt for thinking division can be a difficult concept, your inability to master one of the most fundamental skills of mathematics, counting, should be considered inexcusable by your constituents. All who have reached grade one, at least.

Let’s take a look at the floor activity from Monday, May 7.

The first bill was SF1131 dealing with preventative health care programs for cities. Speaking of Rep. Demmer “pressing his luck,” in the words of the late Peter Tomarken:

“Let’s goto the big board!”

I hear Rep. Demmer yelling “Big Bucks! No Whammies!” from afar.

Oh, a Whammy! See there kids? The yellow arrow points to the name of our candidate who was out in D.C. OK, so I guess we can give you a freebie as this seems to be a non-controversial bill.

Oh wait, I thought you said bills brought up for a vote those days were not final?

It was signed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty three days later. How can you get more final than that?

Next up: SF805, modifying coverage for hearing aids.

Again, that one was presented three days later to the governor. That sufficiently blows one of your assertions out of the water, eh Randy?

Next one: The game, fish and lands bill, SF1131.

Hmm, a little more controversial that time and I’m sure your constituents would have appreciated your leadership. You do possess leadership skill, right? Not only did you miss the vote for final passage, but you missed a roll call vote for an amendment. We’re already to a total of four missed votes. Let me see if I get this equation right: 4 > 2 or 3. Yeah, I could call a math professor, but I will trust my judgment that I am right. In fairness though, this time the bill did come around again after a conference committee. Still, shouldn’t it be important for you, Randy, to help craft your chamber’s position entering conference?

As you know Randy, four Whammies, and you’re out of the game! Fortunately for you the House rules allow you to land on the “Big Bucks!” square while still getting four Whammies! Or maybe you’re a Whammy yourself taking all of our money!

Next bill on the Calender of the Day for Monday, May 7, 2007 (I hear the voice of Al Mathiowitz, House chief clerk, in my head as I type this) is HF2294, a bill modifying the Cook-Orr Hospital District levy. I don’t pretend to be educated on this issue, but then again I’m not an elected state representative expected to vote on it. Hee hee.

Next up is not a bill but rather a motion to refer another motion dealing with allegations against the Attorney General’s office. Unfortunately for Rep. Demmer, Marty Seifert yelled out “MADAME SPEAKER, ROLL CALL ON THAT PLEASE!!!,” thus causing him to stretch the “two or three votes” song and dance even more.

Finally for May 7, after a roll call vote on a motion to refuse to concur with the Senate, the conference committee report on SF2171, the health and human services bill was before the House.

This bill was vetoed by the Governor and did indeed come back again. But Randy, is that any reason your leadership prowess shouldn’t have been present on the floor for the vote on behalf of your district? Mark Buesgens isn’t in any official leadership capacity with the GOP caucus, but that doesn’t stop him from articulating his conservative viewpoints on the floor. Randy, maybe Buesgens and you can switch seats, he actually sits on the back-bench; you just act like you do!

After day one of his absence, we see at least eight roll call votes missed by Randy Demmer. Quite a bit more than “two or three.” Let’s take a look at May 8. First up was the conference committee report on HF455, a bill dealing with public defenders.

Next, our friend Rep. Leon Lillie’s first bill to the floor this year, SF1073, ratifying public employee labor contracts.

SF1509, Hennepin County design build modifications is next:

Airport zoning disclosure requirements, SF218 is next:

SF26, medical practices board advisory councils expiration dates elimination:

Here’s one that should be of interest to Demmer’s constituents (you do have consumers and business owners in your district, right Randy?): security breach liability involving credit cards, HF1758. First an amendment offered by another potential candidate for Congress, Rep. Kurt Zellers:

And final passage:

Next, SF118, dealing with the capitol area planning board and legislative membership:

Finally, our last votes of the day. After a roll call vote on a motion to refuse to adopt the conference committee report, here’s the roll call for final passage on SF1989, the higher-ed bill, one I lobbied on behalf of considerably:

On the second day of his trip to Washington, he missed at least ten votes for a grand total of 18 (or more, I can’t guarantee I didn’t miss other procedural votes and the like).

Tell me, Randy, how do you get “two or three” out of 18.

There are so many themes arising from all of this and I apologize for not being able to keep this post within any focus.

1. Taking a trip to D.C. for further political ambitions during session while constituents should have their representative in St. Paul.
2. Taking full per diem as a House member while doing the aforementioned activities.
3. Misleading the public (really, I could use the word “lying” here, but I prefer not to go there) about how many votes were missed while on the junket.
4. Downplaying the role of state representative. Doesn’t each member have an election certificate? Does Rep. Demmer like being considered a “backbencher?” How is that perception a good one when trying to prove ability to head to Congress? Should he just go ahead and no-show other days he may consider to not be important, such as those early on in session when very little official action is taken?

I suppose considering his lackluster fundraising thus far, that $154 could be used toward the $20,000 he had to loan his campaign.

No Whammies!

I’m really not trying to turn this blog into “Dump Randy Demmer,” but when his campaign provides awesome, uh, treats so often they can’t go ignored. Take this example:

For Randy Demmer, who wants to take out Tim Walz in Minnesota’s First District next year the real polls won’t start until precinct caucuses and the district endorsing convention. That fact has not stopped him from using polls of his own on his website to pick the brains of his constituents. Take the newest example, the result of which I am sure the campaign is quite impressed:

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Randy Demmer Begs You To Take Him Seriously As a Congressional Candidate” (man, I wish I were podcasting this, that would be fun, maybe I should down the road, hmmm) we follow up on a post at Bluestem about the GOP minority’s struggle to grasp at every little chance of making vulnerable, or potentially vulnerable, Democratic House members look like awful people.

If you ever watch C-SPAN (oh, come on, you know you’re as cool as me!) the tool most convenient for the GOP to accomplish this is the customary “motion to recommit with instructions” put forth immediately before final passage. From today’s “How a Bill Becomes a Law” segment, well, actually C-SPAN’s Congressional Glossary:

A motion to recommit returns a bill to committee, in effect killing it. However, a motion to recommit with instructions is a last opportunity to amend the bill.

The instructions to the committee direct changes to the text of the bill. If adopted, the chairman of the named committee immediately stands and reports the change back to the House. The next step is the House vote on final passage of the bill.

In essence, it’s the purist form of “gotcha’” written within the congressional rules. As many amendments are put forth only for the purpose of being able to put the result of the vote in a direct mailing, not taking into account of the reasons a member is voting against it, the motion to recommit accomplishes the same purpose.

Randy Demmer is already taking full advantage of this as evidenced by his latest mailing to his supporters:

Rochester — “I’m amazed that Tim Walz (MN-01) would vote for the “Death Tax”,” said Randy Demmer, Congressional Candidate for Minnesota 01. “His support of this onerous tax is in direct contrast to the interests of the families, business owners, and farmers he represents. By supporting Nancy Pelosi and voting the Democratic Party line, Walz in effect voted for a $1.35 trillion tax hike.

“Tim Walz’s vote is a serious blow to family owned businesses and farms and their ability to pass their livelihood on to future generations. In casting his vote, Walz showed he is more interested in growing government with increased taxes than he is in helping hard working families. Tim Walz is apparently so committed to raising taxes that he is literally following the American people to their graves,” said Demmer. “Walz is not the supporting the best interest of his constituents by voting to take money from their estates built up by a life time of hard work.”

The motion that Walz voted to kill was offered as part of the Tax Collection Responsibility Act of 2007 (House Roll Call 959). “Walz’s choice was simple. Instead of standing up and fighting for America ’s family businesses, he chose to continue his allegiance to the Democrat leadership by voting against a permanent repeal of the Death Tax.

“Tim Walz is showing that he is out of touch with his constituents by voting to raid the estates of hard-working taxpayers. Walz’s unwillingness to stand up for family-owned businesses and farms is an example of why we must defeat him in November 2008,” stated Demmer. “How much longer can we afford to let Walz and the Democrats raise our taxes and threaten the future of America’s small businesses and farms?”

After reading that, should I ignore the fears of gloom and doom that mailing tried to make me be concerned about, or should I stop laughing? I put forth these challenges to anyone reading this:

1. Can anyone read this mailing with a straight face? I mean honestly, not smile, chuckle or enter the “full belly laugh” stage which I did?
2. If you answered “yes” to question “1,” can you honestly think that this press release and the rhetoric presented added anything to the merits of the debate about the issue of the estate tax?

For real now, Randy?: “Tim Walz is apparently so committed to raising taxes that he is literally following the American people to their graves.” I don’t recall rhetoric anywhere close to this loaded and lacking in substance even from Gil Gutknecht. Sorry Randy, but the voters of the First are much too reasonable to accept blabber like that.  Stay in the Minnesota House where Marty Seifert and you can keep playing “gotcha” together.