Dec 20, 2007 5:30 pm US/Central
Will He? Won't He? Ramstad's Run For Congress
(WCCO)
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The Congressman seemed to be pretty sure back in September he wanted out saying, "I'm tired -- I'm burned out." (File)
Courtesy Jim Ramstad
What's
up with Congressman Jim Ramstad?
Three months ago he announced his retirement but
today a headline in the Star Tribune said the congressman was leaving the door
open for another run.
The
Pioneer Press reported just the opposite.
The
Congressman seemed to be pretty sure back in September he wanted out saying, "I'm burned out -- I'm
tired."
But
ever since there have been reports he is reconsidering. The latest comes after
his good friend Congressman Patrick
Kennedy told Congressional quarterly that Ramstad might change his mind.
For
years Congressman Ramstad has been among the most accessible of Minnesota's
leaders readily returning phone calls and granting interviews but not on this
topic. We came here to his office in Minnetonka and we were told he would not
be available to comment.
The
Congressman has coasted to victory in his west metro district, but as a
moderate republican he struggled to find allies in his own part.
WCCO
political analyst Larry Jacobs believes Ramstad will retire, but that the
Congressman wants people to wonder about his future.
"It
keeps the attention on him and it giving him some leverage on what he would probably like
to be his landmark legislation on mental health," Jacobs said.
DFL
State Senator Terri Bonoff said she never would have run for the Congressional
seat if Ramstad had not announced his retirement.
"Regardless
of what Congressman Ramstad decides about his future I am not uncertain about
mine. I am running for Congress," said Bonoff.
Two
other DFL candidate Edina Mayor Jim Hovland and Iraq veteran Ashwan Madia said they
will also stay in the race, but Republican State Representative Erik Paulsen
said he will bow out if Ramstad returns.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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