On the Bachmann-Ellison Feud...

While I have been busy meeting with many of you this past week at events in the community, I have been asked to weigh in on the recent public feud between two of our Minnesota representatives.

I have been reluctant to do so, because as I have said many times along the campaign trail, I believe the Fifth Congressional District is lacking focused attention from our representation.

Once again we have witnessed Keith Ellison engage in a bitter fight over an issue that is of no significance in the daily lives of the constituents of the Fifth Congressional District.

This week’s very public back-and-forth with Representative Bachmann is yet more proof that Keith Ellison is incapable of focusing and delivering solutions. He has failed to focus on the fact that Minneapolis is home to the largest achievement and unemployment gaps between black and white constituents in the entire country. Instead of working to solve these issues, Keith is engaged in yet another high profile attention-seeking fight.

As a member of the House Intelligence Committee Representative Bachmann plays a unique role in the oversight of our country’s intelligence agencies.  Ellison, on the other hand, is not a member of the Intelligence Committee. And despite his assertions on the Al McFarlane radio show, he isn’t a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee either. Therefore, he had no real reason to get involved in this issue. This is just another way for Keith to grab headlines at the expense of the people of the district he was elected to represent.

Much can be said about the manner in which Representative Bachmann voiced her concerns. However one thing that is clear is that Representative Bachmann takes her duties as a member of the Intelligence Committee seriously. 

On the other hand, Keith Ellison simply is not concerned about his duties on the Financial Services Committee. If he were, we would not have so many foreclosures and families devastated by this economy. 

Keith should consider a job as a host on MSNBC if he wants to continue to bloviate about issues that don’t affect the lives of people in his district.

Our district deserves focused, attentive leadership. Our economy is in shambles, we need more jobs, and our education system is failing our students.

If I elected I will focus on the issues that matter to the residents of the Fifth District. I will provide the focused leadership and attention our district needs to move forward.

ABOUT: Chris Fields is the alternative to Keith Ellison in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District. Chris is a retired combat veteran who honorably served his country for more than 21 years in the United States Marine Corps.  His message of reform, responsibility, and accountability is encouraging people from diverse backgrounds and political persuasions to Come Together to support a leader that will make real and tangible changes to a broken political system.

Find Chris online at ChrisFieldsForCongress.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/ChrisFieldsForCongress, and on Twitter at @FieldsFor5thCD.