In the First Skirmish, Rowley Wins on Accountability

Today, three days after the Star Tribune published John Kline's letter in which he claims to have "voted for an increase of more than 21 percent in total veterans' funding," Kline's office still has not identified the votes he's talking about. No response to my three inquiries, nothing on his websites, nothing.

This doesn't prove that Kline's claim is false; it might very well be correct. He probably didn't pull the 21% figure out of thin air. However, the fact that Kline still hasn't managed to back up his claim indicates that he never expected to be challenged on this point.

Kline's support for veterans will be debated endlessly between now and November. For now, the important point to remember is that Coleen Rowley presented a detailed list of instances where Kline voted against veterans' interests, and Kline responded with incendiary rhetoric, ad hominem attacks, and thus far unsubstantiated claims. With the Republican "culture of corruption" as a principal issue in this year's election, it's interesting to note which campaign demonstrates accountability, and which one doesn't.