| MNCR: In looking at a statewide office like this, is there any parallel between yourself and Amy Klobuchar?
SG: Certainly a lot of people commented, both in the national media and the local media, that one of the assets Amy had in her campaign was coming from a major prosecutor's office, and I think that commentary is a recognition of a number of aspects of the job of running a major county attorney's office. One is that you need to be tough, you need to be courageous if you're going to be a county attorney. Beyond that, it gives you tremendous leadership experience as well as management experience, because I have a very large staff, over 320 people, I have a multi-million dollar budget, I have responsibility for not just prosecution, but also providing legal advice on a range of issues that affect people's lives from child protection to collecting taxes to collecting child support, building roads, really the gamut of things that a county does, we provide the legal and policy advice for. So while I said I'm a fresh face, I couple that with the fact that I'm a proven leader - I'm not surprised to get the question, because Amy brought that to the table, and so do I.
MNCR: Minnesota has a long-term reputation of being a really progressive state, but Amy Klobuchar has been cited as the state's first elected woman Senator, and we still haven't had a woman as Governor - can you speak to that dynamic?
SG: Amy didn't run to be the first elected female Senator, and I'm not going to be running to be the first elected female Governor - I'm going to be running as a proven leader who can really bring Minnesotans together, I think I'm perceived as a moderate voice, as a problem-solver, and that's how I'm going to run.
MNCR: 2006 was a successful year for DFLers up and down the ticket, but I understand there was a bit of an endorsement squabble in your race - how did that come about?
SG: I'll quote a DFL legislator who supported my opponent - he said "I can't support Susan Gaertner; she's too tough on crime." That's a direct quote. That perception is a reality, but when you move beyond some activist, that's a plus - the reality is that the voters want public safety to be a priority, and so I'm happy to have people out there saying that I'm too tough on crime.
MNCR: 2008 question - any favorites in the Presidential sweepstakes?
SG: I was a very early supporter of Bill Clinton, when very few people in Minnesota where. I have a lot of loyalty to the Clintons, and I have enormous respect for Hillary Clinton, so I think the chances are good that I will be a Hillary Clinton supporter.
MNCR: You said it's important for you to keep your hands on the wheel in your current position - what steps are you taking to establish issues and positions that you can take across the state?
SG: That's a really good question, and if I could characterize in a few words what I'll be doing over the next two years, it will be number one: listening. I can talk right now about what some of my priorities will be as Governor, but I think it's more important to listen to what people across the state want me to know and what they want me to do about it. So I'll be doing a lot of listening over the next couple of years.
MNCR: What do you see as the biggest backward movement in Minnesota under Tim Pawlenty?
SG: Transportation, I would have to say, is one of the really big crises as a result of the Pawlenty Administration. We've lost tremendous ground, and many miles of effective infrastructure building because of the Pawlenty Administration's approach. I also think we've lost ground in strategic investment in children - early education, dollars being cut from child care. In an overall sense, I would say that investing in the future needs of our community just hasn't happened under Pawlenty.
MNCR: As County Attorney, is there a particular case that stands out that you felt strongly about at its completion?
SG: I would put it in terms of the overall initiatives I'm particularly proud of. If I left office tomorrow, one of the things I'd be most proud of would be the enormous gains we've made in terms of fighting truancy. School attendance has increased dramatically through our truancy intervention program, high school graduation rates have improved dramatically, so that's something I'm enormously proud of. Recent legislation I'm particularly proud of: the passage of the Felony Strangulation Bill because domestic violence has been a particular emphasis of mine. So as County Attorney, my focus has been on the overall policy issues as opposed to individual cases, although looking back to last year, successfully convicting the killers of Sargeant Jerry Vick and Officer James Backett was obviously a source of pride.
MNCR: That's about all I have for now - thank you so much!
SG: Great to talk to you - don't hesitate to call if there's something else you want to ask! |
