Barb Davis White challenges Keith Ellison

Barb Davis White and rumpled blogger

at The Local, yesterday

In Minnesota's Third Congressional District, the Republican candidate doesn't announce upcoming public appearances, he refuses to clarify his stances on issues and justifies his conduct by issuing dogmatic, evidence-free personal attacks on bloggers.

What a contrast with the Republican congressional candidate in the adjacent Fifth Congressional District! Barb Davis White is challenging incumbent Keith Ellison. I noticed that White had announced a fund-raiser, so I emailed her campaign asking if I could attend. White for Congress immediately notified me that I was welcome to attend. So I went to The Local yesterday where I was warmly greeted by Minneapolis Republicans. About two dozen people attended the fund-raiser, though I was early and was told more would likely be arriving later. A band of White for Congress supporting rockers performed.

Barb Davis White is a grandmother of three and a pastor serving the down-and-out in Minneapolis. She told me she has dedicated her life to getting the drug- and alcohol-addicted to sobriety with the aid of Jesus.

The candidate was extremely friendly and willing to answer any question I could come up with.

I asked her about three issues:

On abortion: Rev. White is 100% pro-life and believes having an abortion to be morally equivalent to blowing your neighbor's head off with a shotgun. Should a rape or incest victim be legally barred from having an abortion? White launches into an anecdote about such a victim who carried the pregnancy to term and gave the child up for adoption, illustrating her position that fetus = human being and that fact is not changed when a fetus is the product of rape or incest.

On Iraq: White wants to get out of Iraq 'in five minutes.' I note that her position is in contrast with John McCain's, to which White readily assents--and even rolls her eyes a bit at the mention of the Arizona senator's name. (White much preferred Mitt Romney, she says.) She wants to turn Iraq over to the Iraqis and get America out. 'So on Iraq's future, you take the same position as Rep. Ellison, right?,' I asked. White argues that unlike Ellison, she opposes cutting and running. She's clearly a lot closer to Ellison's position than she is to McCain's.

On Darfur: White believes that genocide is occurring in Sudan. She's travelled to Africa and believes that with better US involvement in Africa, we could put a stop to genocide. As a member of Congress, White promises to personally lead a delegation to Sudan to negotiate an end to the genocide. She is convinced that by our mere presence there, we can get the attention of Sudan's brutal government and bring the genocide to a speedy halt, without going to the United Nations and without dispatching the Marines.

While I take issue with Rev. White on the abortion question, I found much to admire in both the candidate and the campaign, and very strongly recommend that my neighbor Erik Paulsen considers Barb Davis White's example of civility and honesty. What a stark contrast!