Posted: 7/5/06
Sixth District congressional candidate John Binkowski pledges to tell voters the truth
by T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter
John Binkowski brings an edginess to the 6th District congressional race one might expect from an Independence Party (IP) candidate.
"I'm not paying people to come from Washington to tell me what they think Minnesotans want to hear," said Binkowski, to whose campaign the $600 recently cleared from a house party will go "a hell of a long way."
Pledging to look voters in the eye and tell the truth -- that they're his greatest concern -- Binkowski sees an ugliness and phoniness to current national politics that has alienated younger voters to whom relating to the average, 55-year old congressman is a strain at best.
Republicans, Binkowski opined, have co-opted religion while at the same time remaining beholden to Big Business and the wealthy.
"They're (Democrats) are trying to play the same game, but they're not good at it," said Binkowski, of St. Mary's Point.
Some 20 years younger than his Republican and DFL rivals -- Sen. Michele Bachmann and Patty Wetterling -- Binkowski, 27, yet in ways doesn't fit the prototype of a political bomb thrower.
A self-described bookworm, Binkowski is a classically-trained pianist and self-taught guitarist.
8-year stint in Wisconsin
He lives in the home he grew up in -- Binkowski returned to Minnesota early last year after an eight-year stint in Wisconsin where he attended college and started a short-lived business partnership.
Binkowski considers how people treat the least among them as the ultimate mark of a civilized society.
Never before a candidate for public office, Binkowski was encouraged by a neighbor and originally considered running for Congress as an independent -- small "i," he said, smiling.
A change of heart eventually had him meeting with a selection committee at a Fridley Embers and in late March he won the IP endorsement.
Besides hoping to lure younger voters to the polls and otherwise show that running for public office isn't that scary, Binkowski set his sights on a seat in Congress for personal reasons.
"The issues at the federal level are the ones I'm most passionate about," he said.
One issue Binkowski finds galling is the county's burgeoning national debt. "It's going to be the responsibility of my generation and my kids' generation to pay back all the money," he said.
Binkowski expresses shock that leaders in Washington haven't devoted more time to addressing the nation's energy needs.
On health care, Binkowski speaks of fostering national awareness on the health risks of obesity as a starting point in addressing health care.
(With a flourish that brings to mind former governor Jesse Ventura, Binkowski argues that while obseity, smoking, motorcycle riding without a helmet are personal decisions, no one has the right to inflict the cost of their personal decisions onto others.)
Binkowski argues that health care cannot be reserved for the wealthy but accessible to all.
Government health care programs operate with lower overhead costs than the private sector, he argues, and looks to expanding existing programs -- expanding their pools, lowering costs.
Stance on Iraq War
On the Iraq War, Binkowski looks to pulling U.S. troops out. Using violence against terrorist historically hasn't worked; the best way to win hearts and minds is through good works and keeping with the country's values, Binkowski explained. "Kill them with kindness," he quipped.
Looking at the 6th District, Binkowski sees the majority of district voters neither identifying with Republicans or Democrats.
As for the Elmer Andersen, Arne Carlson-style Republicans in the Sixth, many are scratching their heads trying to figure out what happened to their party, he opined.
"To be honest, if Republicans in Minnesota were what Republicans use to be, I would probably call myself a Republican," said Binkowski.
But a big objection is the Republican social agenda -- Binkowski doesn't view social issues as the legimate providence of government.
Same-sex marriage amendment -- absolutely not for it, he said.
"I'm going to say (to voters) we're free to be you and me," said Binkowski.
Binkowski looks to media coverage and public access television as means of getting his message out.
He looks to the IP for little assistance. Indeed, he doesn't expect any, he explained.
Wants to be included in debates
Although he's never debated before, Binkowski views it as critical that he be included in any debates between Bachmann and Wetterling. He has challenged the Republican and Democrat to debate.
"I know who I am. I know where I'm coming from," he said.
Binkowski, a 1997 graduate from Stillwater High School, attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison where he studied economics and Spanish.
He is currently a full-time congressional candidate and is finishing a degree in construction management at University of Wisconsin-Stout.
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