Kennedy Senate Campaign Celebrates 1 Year Mark

	2005 announcement

St. Paul, Feb 11 - U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kennedy released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the announcement for his Senate campaign:

“One year ago, I stood in the town square in Watertown, surrounded by my wife, our four children, the Kennedy family, and friends and supporters from across the state. I decided to run for the Senate because I knew then, and I’m even more convinced now, that we need change in Washington, change in the United States Senate.

“The partisanship that bogged down the Senate one year ago has not vanished; it has grown worse. One need only look at the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito to see that the Senate has taken politics to a new level. Washington needs change, the U.S. Senate needs change - I am that change.

“When I announced last year, I talked about the great things that can happen if we trust the people, and make sure government helps, rather than hinders them as they pursue their dreams.

“I talked about Minnesotans deserving representation that embodies the best of our character: hard work, common sense, faith in God, cooperation to get things done, and a sense of optimism.

“And I talked about the need to replace angry words with bipartisan solutions, replace bitter partisanship with common sense, and replace Washington values with Minnesota family values.

“Since last February, I have taken that message to every part of our state. I have met with Minnesotans who desperately want our political system to work for them, who want the kind of change that I am offering.

“Minnesotans know that we’re not going to get the change we need by sending another lawyer to Washington; that we won’t get the kind of change we need by sending a Senator who’s going to take up Senator Dayton’s place on the political fringe. They know we need a Senator who can work across the aisle to get things done.

“For the next nine months, I’m going to bring my Minnesota values and common sense solutions to every corner of Minnesota. I’m going to be offering bipartisan solutions to the problems facing our state, not the angry words and partisanship of the other side.

“I look forward to seeing you soon.”