Byberg Closing in 7th Congressional

An ag businessman who believes in the American Dream, in real jobs, not big government, Lee Byberg has had good fundraising numbers and the race is tight. MinnPost:

Almost every single indicator in Minnesota’s 7^th District points to a razor-tight race, or perhaps a GOP upset victory. The challenger’s fundraising numbers have closed to within $22,000 of the incumbent over the last quarter. The district voted for John McCain over Barack Obama, and this is shaping up to be a very Republican year. [snip]

“Well, Collin Peterson has been fairly good in the past but I think now his true colors have shown,” Byberg said. “He has been able to successfully place himself as a moderate, but our district is fairly conservative.”

Those “true colors,” Byberg says, include voting for Pelosi as speaker of the House, a vote for the cap-and-trade climate bill and a refusal to endorse completely overturning the health care bill. In addition, he said, Peterson’s 20 years in Congress make him partly responsible for the ballooning national debt, which is now more than $13 trillion and climbing.

“People in the 7^th district, they’re recognizing that he’s not who he says he is.

Someone like Peterson who votes for a costly energy tax like cap and trade in this shaky economy is not a moderate. Someone like Collin Peterson who left D.C. without passing a budget and voted to adjourn without addressing the largest tax increase in American history coming down the pike on Jan.1 is not responsible.

Byberg is not the only Minnesota Republican poised to knock off an old Dem dinosaur--Chip Cravaack is challenging Jim Oberstar in the 8th. Powerline with more.

Former Sen. Norm Coleman is campaigning with Byberg tomorrow in Alexandria.