From Whistleblower to Congressional Challenger

A month ago I commented on how wonderful it would be to have Coleen Rowley as a Democrat Congressional Challenger. Today she formally announced her candidacy.

She’s a fighter for the public trust & the Rule of Law. That makes her an excellent choice for Congress.

Former Minneapolis FBI agent Coleen Rowley, whose public criticism of the bureau set off an uproar over the FBI's pre-Sept. 11 counterterrorism lapses, said Monday that she will run as a Democrat for the U.S. House.

Rowley plans to challenge second-term Republican Rep. John Kline in Minnesota's Second District, which stretches across the Twin Cities' western and southern suburbs and as far south as Le Sueur and Red Wing.

She said she will formally launch her campaign July 6 with a pancake breakfast for friends and supporters on the driveway of her Apple Valley home.

[. . .]

Rowley said she will focus her campaign on the importance of "ethical decisionmaking by government leaders." She contended that Kline cannot represent the district's interests "because he's too closely tied to the administration."

Kline, a former Marine colonel, has been a steadfast supporter of President Bush's decision to invade Iraq and has defended the Pentagon's performance. In an op-ed piece in Monday's Star Tribune, he rejected allegations that military personnel have abused terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

[. . .]

"Republicans that are so closely associated with the president ... may not be what voters are looking for in 2006," Jacobs said. He said Rowley "is coming in with name recognition. She's got the law and order issue behind her. And how many times can you run as Time Person of the Year?"