Peterson, Emmer bridge the divide of geography and party - Lori Sturdevant
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Peterson — as is his wont — minced no words.
“In a district like mine, the biggest problem we have is with the environmentalists,” he said. “They are the ones who are driving people away from the [DFL] party. People in the cities and suburbs just buy the extreme environmentalists’ positions and push it, and don’t understand the effect they have in the real world.”
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But Peterson wasn’t that gloomy. He believes it’s possible for reasonable people to work together to protect the environment. He predicted a more farmer-friendly approach to state agricultural regulations from Gov.-elect Tim Walz, the DFLer who represented the rural CD1 in Congress for the past 12 years. He expects farmers to lose patience with the Trump trade war. He sees a growing need in his district for the things he expects a DFL governor and Minnesota House to champion — better roads, more workforce housing, an emphasis on tech skill training in higher ed.
What’s more, he’s shown what winning requires: strong relationships with his constituents. The 74-year-old congressman and likely chair of the 2019 U.S. House Agriculture Committee has spent more than half of his lifetime in elective office, including 10 years in the Legislature. “The people in the [Red River] valley are people I grew up with. They all know me,” he said.
More..
http://www.startribune.com/peterson-emmer-bridge-the-divide-of-geography-and-party/500725901/
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Yes, Emmer said something, too, but it was Peterson that got me interested.