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By Reid Wilson / September 4, 2012 / ND in DC, News, State Politics, Top Stories / No Comments
North Dakota’s political history stands in contrast with most other states. Voters routinely split tickets between Republicans and Democrats, and in years when national issues have driven the debate, voters remain focused on hyper-local issues. This year, however, as the state emerges as one of the most closely watched battlegrounds in the fight for control […]
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By Duane Sand / May 25, 2012 / Guest Op-Eds, Opinion / No Comments
The first piece to solving the federal government’s problems is to elect actual leaders. You will not see me voting for a caucus leader like John Boehner in the House or Mitch McConnell in the Senate. The Republican leadership in Washington has shown they are incapable of changing the status quo. Aside from these folks […]
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By Heidi Heitkamp / May 25, 2012 / Guest Op-Eds, Opinion / 1 Comment
The U.S. government borrows 40 cents of every dollar it spends. The current national debt is about equal to the nation’s gross domestic product. Interest on the national debt represents the third-largest federal expenditure. We can’t stay on this path. Twelve years ago, President Bill Clinton put us on course to retire the nation’s debt […]
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By Rick Berg / May 25, 2012 / Guest Op-Eds, Opinion / No Comments
Washington spending is out of control. We are currently on pace for the fourth consecutive year with a budget deficit over $1 trillion, and the national debt has ballooned from $10 trillion in 2008 to nearly $16 trillion today. To make matters worse, Senate Democrats have not passed a budget in more than 1,100 days. […]
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By Matt Bunk / May 25, 2012 / Guest Op-Eds, ND in DC, News, Opinion, Top Stories / No Comments
The Great Plains Examiner asked the three U.S. Senate candidates in North Dakota to write opinion columns on the topic of the federal budget. Democrat Heidi Heitkamp and Republicans Rick Berg and Duane Sand all responded by writing columns of 550 words or less, which were published in the May edition of the Examiner. Here […]
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By Reid Wilson / February 3, 2012 / ND in DC, News, Top Stories / 2 Comments
WASHINGTON – Democrats on Capitol Hill face the difficult prospect of clawing their way back to a majority in the House of Representatives, and party leaders are indicating they think North Dakota will present a rare opportunity to pick up a Republican-held seat. Rep. Rick Berg, who defeated Democrat Earl Pomeroy last November, is running […]
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By Matt Bunk / January 30, 2012 / ND in DC, News, People, Top Stories / 5 Comments
Heidi Heitkamp is no stranger to statewide elections. She lost her first one at the age of 28 when she ran for state auditor. She won the next three and then lost again when she took on John Hoeven in the 2000 gubernatorial election. This year, the 56-year-old Democrat is giving it another shot by […]
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By Reid Wilson / December 20, 2011 / ND in DC, News, Top Stories / 4 Comments
WASHINGTON – Rep. Rick Berg is relying heavily on the booming energy industry to finance his campaign for the U.S. Senate, reports filed with the Secretary of the Senate show. A review of contributions to Berg’s campaign shows companies and executives in the oil, gas and coal-mining industry have contributed nearly $135,000 to Berg’s coffers. […]
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By Matt Bunk / November 3, 2011 / Matt Bunk's Column, Opinion / 8 Comments
When Rick Berg was elected to Congress last year, he promised to cut frivolous spending and help balance the federal budget, even if it meant making some tough decisions when it comes to funding for worthy programs such as Medicare, education and even our nation’s transportation systems. Many voters who were concerned about wasteful spending […]
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By Reid Wilson / June 5, 2011 / ND in DC, News, Top Stories / No Comments
WASHINGTON – For 10 years, John Hoeven was in charge. The Republican, elected first in 2000, drove an ambitious agenda while his party controlled the Legislature. From taxes to government spending, from education to increasing the scope of North Dakota’s energy exploration, Hoeven needed only to negotiate with members of his own side. Now, Hoeven […]
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