I have met with both candidates for Minnesota’s District One seat in Congress.

One says he will support radical federal policies, will push his agenda and not work with the Democrats.

One is the influential son of a former First District Congressman who has spent his career in the swamp (Washington, D.C.).

The other is a U.S. Army vet who has put his life on the line for us serving two tours in Iraq and has been in the thick of combat. He has also served as acting Assistant Secretary of Defense, working at the Pentagon. Military veterans know that one does not succeed without teamwork.

One was a Washington blogger and made fun of women and minorities; while the other has respect for both, a cornerstone of both his life and his campaign.

The Washington Examiner called the one “the worst congressional candidate in the entire country, the other has been endorsed by numerous unions, including AFSCME, Minnesota Firefighters, United Steel Workers, AFL-CIO and the National Farm Union.

We have all seen the ads in which Jim Hagedorn supporters have questioned Dan Feehan’s patriotism. I personally will not question the patriotism of a man who has given years of his life and was in the thick of the battle for American freedom.

I will vote for Dan Feehan on Nov. 6. No matter who you support, please vote.

Thomas A. Stiehm,

Austin Mayor