Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) was on the Iron Range late last week and Saturday. He did a town hall forum in Gilbert Saturday morning, the account of which was recorded in a Sunday story in the Mesabi Daily News. It would appear that the forum was a mostly genial affair, owing in part to the large number of Cravaack supporters in attendance.
I was interested to read Cravaack’s statement that he believes troops should be drawn down from Afghanistan as scheduled. Additionally, he expressed regret over signing the Grover Norquist “no new taxes” pledge, though he did stress his preference of spending cuts to tax increases regardless. To me Cravaack’s comments reflect an understanding that a long term deficit reduction deal will require negotiations with people who aren’t committed to such a pledge and that half the money the government spends goes to military readiness and interventionism. Is he perhaps eying the group negotiating the so-called “Grand Bargain” budget reform deal that is in discussion now?
I hope to discuss that and more with Cravaack when I sit down with him to continue my MN-8 interview series. We were very close to working out a meeting this time, but the addition of Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI7) to the tour complicated matters. We’ll make this happen yet, and I hope to have a productive discussion.
I would venture to say that he is eying the fact that for him to have any chance of reelection he has to move to more moderate positions. My prediction it won’t matter, too little, too late, and the reverse carpetbagging was a real stupid move.
Please nominate T. Clark and made Cravaack look like a multi-generational Ranger…