Wardere plans bid for Kline seat on Faribault Daily News

Mahamoud Wardere knows his story is interesting.

“Can you imagine?” he asks. “An anti-war GOP candidate who is an immigrant from Somalia, an African-American, too, and Muslim.”

Wardere describes his candidacy as one that will be “different, with fresh ideas and a world class of understanding.”

He plans to run for U.S. Congress in Minnesota’s Second District, a seat held by Republican John Kline.

The six years he spent working as a community liaison for former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman were invaluable, Wardere, 42, said.

“One thing I learned is how the system works, and at what level,” he said. “You have to know what Congress can do and what it can’t do. You have to know what your constituents expect from you.”

His goal is to develop long-term ideas.

“There are things that today may be politically helpful, but in the long run may not help,” Wardere said.

His campaign slogan sums it up, he added: Uniting the country and passing peace and prosperity to our children and grandchildren.

“I’m running because I’m very much aware of the challenges the residents of the Second District face every day,” he said, “and I believe I can do a better job.”

Wardere’s four priorities for the Second District are to tackle a poverty level that has risen 7 percent in one year; unemployment; the suffering of small businesses; and more benefits for the men and women in uniform, as well as their caregivers.

He is just as determined to make change at the national level.

He’d like to see GOP Chairman Michael Steele resign.

“He failed miserably to lead our party and explain who the GOP leaders are,” Wardere said. “He failed to reach out to Latinos and even African Americans. He must resign.”

Wardere is hardly alone in his desire to make change within the GOP.

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who is considered by some to be the father of the Tea Party movement, faces three opponents in the March Republican primary.

Former GOP presidential candidate John McCain, too, will have a challenger in J.D. Hayworth, a conservative talk radio host.

Closer to home, Kline has yet to formally announce he will seek a fifth term.

Still, said Troy Young, his communications director, “Congressman Kline fully intends to run for re-election.”

DFLer Dan Powers will also seek Kline’s seat, said Mary Breitenstein, Powers’ campaign manager.

She had no comment on Wardere’s decision to run, but believes it’s time for Kline to go.

“As we say, we’re focused like a laser beam on winning the DFL endorsement,” Breitenstein said. “We do know that Kline’s been in Congress for a while, and has not been listening to his constituents. Dan wants to listen.”

Also in the DFL Congressional race is Shelley Madore, a former state representative from District 37A.

“I won’t shy away from criticizing the establishment,” Wardere said. “I believe our Congress has a constitutional responsibility to oversee federal agencies and must take part in the checks and balances... We need to elect competent Congressmen and women who can understand world issues. It’s the responsibility of our congressional delegates to understand the world issues and keep America safe.”

Diversity is power, Wardere said.

“When we were fighting against Germany and Hitler, what language did we use?” he asked. “We used the language of the Native Americans. That worked.”

Of his 12 national priorities, nearly half of them include passing resolutions to recognize those who work for peace.

“Anybody who brings peace, you have to praise,” Wardere said. “We must worry about passing insecurity to our children and grandchildren the same way we worry about passing the deficit to them. We must pass them many friends, not many enemies.”

He would also work on legislation that defines the goal of the war on terror, clarifies the U.S.’s position and expedites ending wars.

“Washington has sent many conflicting broad and vague messages to the world, and some of them are self-defeating,” he said. “Our message should be simple and clear: we have been attacked, and we will attack anyone who wants to harm us and we will defend our people, period.”

So, has Wardere discussed his plans with Coleman, his former boss?

“No,” he smiled. “This is my decision. I don’t know what he’d say.”

— Staff writer Kay Fate may be reached at 333-3128.

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Member Opinions: By: MNBear on 2/10/10 Obviously, anyone is welcome to launch a bid for political office if he/she wants to do so. But, with all respect to Mr. Wardere, this candidacy is a joke. Rep. Kline is well-liked by the GOP, and his voting record is decent. He's certainly no liberal. So, what, exactly, is the point of running here? Opposition to the war(s)? Okay, but that's an old issue. The economy? You certainly don't have any better, practical ideas. It seems to me your "issue" is that you feel minorities needs to be better represented. Fine, but you understand that the vast majority of your electorate aren't going to see things that way, right? You certainly aren't going to get funding from the GOP, and you aren't going to win the party nomination or the primary. Since you have a 0% chance of winning, why do it? Making a statement is one thing - subjecting yourself and your family to this is quite another. By: gobush on 2/10/10 I like how Wadere and the DFL spokesperson say it's time for Kline to go, but do not list what it is the Kline has failed to do, nor do they specifically state what it is they will do. I have a suspicion Mr. Wadere was encouraged by another political party to run, which would tell me his allegience is with that party. By: FactsJack on 2/10/10 This guy sounds like a Obamamaniac to me and is totally confused on what ticket he should be on. I know why he didn't ask Norm what he thought!!!!!!! By: RHansen on 2/10/10 John Kline is an honorable and trustworthy representative of the people. He is a former member of the United States Marine Corps - and does an excellent job representing the people of the district. Wadere sounds like a liberal community organizer - much like Barack Obama - and an Al Franken wannabe. Regardless of Wadere's intentions, legitimate or otherwise, conservatives and independents will be supporting and voting for John Kline - who will once again be re-elected by a large margin. By: ToddVoge on 2/10/10 Mr. Wardere certainly doesn't understand the 2nd District. Kline has done well with his foregoing pork spending requests (much to the dismay of the spendy moderates and liberals - notice I didn't give any parties there). Nothing here to worry about I think. By: Gustav on 2/10/10 “When we were fighting against Germany and Hitler, what language did we use?” he asked. “We used the language of the Native Americans. That worked.” So if a person points out that this person doesn't even know the US history in the war the comment get taken off the board? It is a FACT. The code talkers helped the marines in the pacific theater. They had nothing to do with Europe. Sorry if this offends someone, but if this guy wants to represent the people he should at least have his history correct. He should be a DFL candidate in St Paul or MPLS. He could do much better there with that crowd. By: ianmorely on 2/10/10 Sorry gustie, Native American codetalkers worked against the Nazis in Europe, too, in both world wars, actually. You might want to dig a bit deeper in those history books yourself, dude, or just not get all your history lessons from movies. By: gobush on 2/10/10 Actually ian, the idea and codes were first developed by a man named Philip Johnston for use during WW1, and was experimented with during that time...but actual "Windtalkers" were not recruited until 1941. The first 29 Navajos recruited were sent to the Pacific theatre in WW2 as were many of the following recruits. Some remained here and in Hawaii to decipher transmissions. There were no "Windtalkers" in the European theatre during WW2. Therefore, gustie was correct in that statement, and Mr. Wadere is incorrect about that history of our nation! I'm more than positive that Mr. Kline, being a former Marine Colonel could have corrected him on that one...as the "Windtalkers" were Marines. Possibly, the Squirel could have also! By: bpaukert on 2/11/10 Kline is pretty good. Wish he hadn't voted for tarp though. Shoulda let them fail, woulda made it harder for Obama to push through the UAW bailout and the massive "stimulus" bill. Now he has cover that "Bush did it too." By: ianmorely on 2/11/10 Sorry, guys, but I'm correct. But the Comanche were used in that role during the D-Day Invasion and throughout the war in Europe. The Choctaw talkers also played a role in Europe, in both WWI (the first used of code talkers) and WWII. Just because it isn't mentioned in most of the articles you find on the web about "windtalkers" doesn't mean it didn't happen. The info is just omitted because of all the publicity around the Navajo, who came later. Most of those sites just repeat what a few original sites mention. If you do some digging in some Native American sites by those nations you can find the info, such as: http://bymyart.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/world-war-i-and-ii-choctaw-code-talkers/ If that doesn't satisfy you, there's always the congressional record: http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2002_cr/hr3250.html and I doubt that Marine Colonels know everything... By: averageguy on 2/11/10 Wow, this post really turned into a history lesson! Kind of interesting. Better than the news article! By: Goldeagle on 2/11/10 Flying a chopper in Vietnam and carrying the legendary "football" does not necessarily a warrior make. It's a lot different when you stick a bayonet up close and personal into an enemy's chest like I have. I am not particularly impressed with Kline's military record nor his carte-blanche aquiescence to Unconstitutional world empire building and maintenance. As a highly decorated Vietnam Vet I and many other Vets in CD2 are anti-war, particulary congressionally undeclared and unwinnable wars that are bankrupting our nation. It is especially disturbing that lemming NEOCON GOP'ers idiolize the semi-educated kid entering the military and dismiss the kid that has the tenacity and fortitude make through college? To be sure Kline has helped Vets but so will Wardere according to his agenda. There is nothing essentially wrong with earmarks provided they are not frivolous and are for the benefit of the District. It is after all the job of the Representative. Furthermore Kline voted for Extreme PORKER Tarp despite receiving 50 to 1 phone calls and messages from his constituency not to do so. Yet like a good soldier he took his voting "orders" from the RNC. Kinda hypocritical? Most importantly the ethnic demographics of CD2 are rapidly changing and the GOP must offer more than its cluby NEOCON "God, Blood, Guts, and Tradition" slop mentality to entice all the disaffected potential voters in the district else lose them to the MN Marxist redistributionist Jackasses. Wardere may well be a welcome change! By: gobush on 2/11/10 Goldeagle, I think we all can say we are proud of your service to your nation! I believe your service to be very patriotic, and you should be commended on that. Too bad you cannot see fit to extend that same respect and gratitude to Mr. Kline who also has served his country well, in good times and in bad, and committed a great deal of his life to the cause of serving and giving to this country. I believe you both have shown your gratitude to this nation in that respect, however it appears your political viewpoints(and your welcome to them)have skewed your vision on some things. By: quizkid on 2/11/10 No more than yours gobush. Nice backhand. By: Goldeagle on 2/11/10 On the contrary. As a former military man in a Command and Control organization he has my utmost respect. In such an environment we need men like him. But as voters and citizens we need a representative that takes command and control not from a "NEOCON" Top Down command and control structure but from the grassroots Bottom Up! Make no mistake, I am extremely pro-military and vehemently for the nation's self defense. But not for our insane empire building foreign policy, our irresponsible and criminal squandering of our precious military might and young lives, and the bankrupting of our nation. The objective of any war is to KILL the enemy, and yet today the insane rules of military engagement are tilted more towards respecting the enemy's miranda rights instead of destroying him. Furthermore, we do not need a representaive to prop up an unconstitutional and failed educational system that indoctrinates our young into becoming obedient and compliant slaves for the State, brainwashing them with revisionist American history, and promoting its current marxist collectivist philosophies instead of extoling Liberty, Capitalism, our Constitution, individualism, and private property rights. By: Ofsilence on 2/12/10 "God, Blood, Guts, and Tradition" Hahaha.....thats probably the best way to describe the GOP in most senses. The hypocrisy and downright delusional mentality of both major political parties is just astounding. Goldeagle brings up a great point about our foreign policy and national security in general. We are obsessed with engaging in this "half in, half out" mentality. We "kind of" want to fight terrorism but we "kind of" dont. This is why our foreign policy under both Bush and now especially Obama is just absolutely retarded. We think more in terms of "what will this do to our political party" then "what will this do for the country as a whole"......its just sad. From airport security checkpoints to body scanners to "the surge" in Afghanistan to the footsy we play with Pakistan.....its more about political theater than about human beings dying over a cause. Our military has been used as pawns in this political theater in more ways than one for the last decade (both Obama, Bush, democrats, and republicans). Half measures bring half-a**ed results. Either we're serious about Al Queda or they're just another cutesy political punchline for all of our inept leaders to use as a "reason" when they have to explain why thousands of American soldiers have died for a cause that they dont want to say outloud out of fear for alienating their base (democrats=war on terrorism) or an easy scapegoat for a party that ran roughshod over the constitution without ever admitting that the underlying evidence for their cause (the Iraq war) turned out to be inaccurate by all standards.
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