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Senator Mark Kelly and Governor Tim Waltz Both are expected to become Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mateThis made them somewhat of rivals for a short time. Senators tend to be extremely respectful to each other, even if they belong to other parties.
Those two things should have tempered Kelly’s reaction in normal times. But outside the Democratic National Convention’s Veterans Caucus, Kelly, wearing a navy blue baseball cap, made no effort to hide his disgust when asked about Sen. J.D. Vance’s attack on Walz.
“It’s ridiculous — he (Waltz) served in the United States Army and National Guard for 24 years,” Kelly told The Independent“As a veteran — JD Vance served in the Marines — I have complete respect for his service in the military, and JD Vance should also respect Tim Walz’s honorable service in the Army and National Guard.”
Throughout the Democratic National Convention, Waltz has become a rising star. Democrats celebrate that despite being a congressman from a red district, He supported gay rights when he was a teacher.
Chicago Bulls legend and gold medal-winning head coach of the USA Basketball team Steve Kerr had a “coach-to-coach” conversation with himWaltz also attended the Democratic National Committee’s Asian Pacific American Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus, while his wife, Gwen, attended the Disability Caucus on Tuesday. Polls show him ahead of Vance.
But perhaps his strongest base of support was in the House of Representatives, where he served from 2007 until he became governor in 2019. That in itself is remarkable, given how divided the House Democratic caucus is.
“We’re glad to see that he came from a very tough district and worked so hard to get this done and then put his heart and soul into working with all of the caucus members to understand how to move forward,” Betty McCollum told reporters. The Independent.
Although both are from Minnesota, McCollum’s district is more urban, including St. Paul, one of the Twin Cities, and therefore more progressive.
Yet Waltz continues to face tough votes — for example, he voted for Obamacare in 2010 and won reelection that same year by just 13,123 votes.
McCollum added: “He’s been very instrumental in being on some of the committees and moving our caucus forward so that we can continue to work hard to make sure that we deliver services to the general public.”
Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, a Marine veteran, said he and Waltz formed a strong friendship from their shared service.
“I didn’t know where he was from or what district he represented, but I was introduced to him because he was a veteran and he understood the meaning of service and what it meant to serve your country instead of yourself,” he told The Independent.
Moulton, who served in Iraq and received a Bronze Star for heroism, was also shocked by Vance’s attacks on Waltz’s military service and compared them to the Republican “speedboat” ads against John Kerry. Chris LaCivita for Trump Current senior campaign advisor, the architect of these ads.
Moulton noted that veterans in the House share a common solidarity. “I’ve never seen Republican veterans in the House attack Tim Walz for his service,” he said.
House members are gushing over Waltz, probably not just because they like him, but because they like the idea of finally having a voice in the White House. Neither President Joe Biden nor Harris has any experience in the House of Representatives, and therefore does not understand the perilous situation many House members face in an election year.
“I will tell you, the House is very excited about the Harris-Waltz combination,” McCollum told The Independent.
Florida Rep. Lois Frankel, who represents Trump’s Mar-a-Lago district, also said she had worked with Walz before in the House.
“Together we created a GI Bill — VA Education — to provide veterans with this opportunity to transition from the military to college life,” she told The Independent.
Rep. Jennifer McClellan noted that maintaining a good relationship with the House is necessary for Harris’ future administration if she wants to succeed in the White House.
“I think the House is critical to the president’s ability to implement his agenda, but people also need to remember who is certifying the election,” McClellan said. “It’s the House.”
Meanwhile, Republican pollster Frank Luntz said he believes Waltz will provide Harris with a boost and help her win the election.
“Waltz has a friendlier demeanor and rides the same way as Harris,” he told The Independent“It’s like science: Things in motion tend to stay in motion. Things at rest tend to stay at rest. And then she’s going to continue to win at the convention. I think she has a good chance of winning.”
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