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2006 finds more Veterans seeking political office
The War in Iraq has created a new generation of combat veterans, and possibly, a new breed of politician, the veteran running as a Democrat. A recent count by the Associated Press put the number of Operation Enduring Freedom veterans campaigning as Democrats in 2006 at eight. The magazine Atlantic Monthly recently counted 14 new veterans running under that banner. The most well-known is Army helicopter pilot Tammy Duckworth of Chicago, who lost both legs in Iraq, and is running for Congress in Illinois. But that trend also includes two newly minted veterans here in Minnesota, ex-Marine intelligence officer Andrew Borene of Edina and a retired National Guard sergeant major, Tim Walz of Mankato. ?I did not prepare my life around a run for Congress, but it has prepared me very well to do that,? said Walz, ?I'm speaking with the authenticity of been there, I'm speaking with the authenticity of understanding what those soldiers need.? Walz, a teacher at Mankato West High School who retired from the Guard after 24 years, has decided to challenge First District Republican incumbent Congressman Gil Gutknecht. Walz, a lifelong Democrat, says he?s not trying to make his military experience the single issue in the campaign, ?The people who are running as Democrats, and running with their military service, are not hanging their campaigns, not myself, not on that. It's one aspect of my character.? But Walz concedes his military service will make it tough for Gutknecht?s campaign to paint him as soft on defense issues, ?And I said as an enlisted soldier, as a command sergeant major, my entire life was devoted to taking care of those soldiers and to training them. And so, I think the authenticate leadership of being there gives me some credibility.? State Senator Geoff Michel, a Republican from Edina, says it?s no surprise to see some veterans of the Iraq war drawn to politics, ?There's no doubt the war in Iraq has energized an additional group of people who are interested in politics, and some are interested in running for government.? In fact, Michel may feel that new phenomenon personally next fall in the form of a challenge from Democrat Andrew Borene, who says he was nonpartisan before fighting in Iraq. ?Upon returning,? explains Borene, ?What I know and what I felt was a lot of my peers who took part in the Iraq invasion had very serious criticisms about the way this administration and the way the GOP leadership was not listening to combat experience.? Borene, who's finishing his law degree at the University of Minnesota on the G.I. Bill, played a major role in Veterans for Kerry. He was also very active in Operation Truth in 2004, which worked to get soldiers? stories and the need for combat armor publicized in the United States. When asked how his military experience translates into a run for state senate in the 41st District of Edina and West Bloomington, Borene says, ?Initiative is doing the right thing without being told, and I think that my time in the Marine Corps really prepared me for something like running for State Senate. It's something that requires leadership.? Senator Michel says facing a military vet won't change his focus or his campaign strategy, ?When I go to the Capitol in Saint Paul, people don't ask me about the war or even much about terrorism, they want to talk about good schools, they want to talk about good roads and jobs.? Borene said he too will focus on transportation, health and education but he said state government is responsible for making sure those who are deployed for war are trained and equipped properly. Tim Walz agrees veterans must be multi-dimensional. But there's no doubt Minnesota Congressman John Kline has parlayed his Marine career into Republican votes. His campaign ads often remind voters that he carried the briefcase that held the nuclear codes for Presidents Carter and Reagan. While defense has often been a strong Republican issue, Walz says his military background will give him standing with veterans and those still in the military, ?When Congress has, at this critical part of our history, has less than 25 percent of its members that have been veterans, I think there is a lack of belief in the public's eye that these people have been there and seen this and have a real commitment to the military and to the military's mission.? While Gutknecht has not served in the military, his campaign is prepared to argue he?s been a friend of national defense during his six terms in Washington. That includes his support for an emergency appropriations bill in December that included one billion dollars in new money for the Army and Air National Guard and the Army Reserve. By John Croman, KARE 11 News (Copyright 2006 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)
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