Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) nabbed another coveted newspaper endorsement this election cycle, with the Houston Chronicle officially recommending the Minnesota senator as the Democrat candidate of choice, citing her possession of the “secret sauce many Democrats prize most: electability.”
The Texas newspaper officially endorsed Klobuchar over the weekend, just weeks away from the Super Tuesday state’s March 3 primary.
Recalling her exchange with Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his contentious hearing over a year ago — wherein she asked if he had ever been so drunk that he had lost his memory of the night prior — the Chronicle’s editorial board assessed that the exchange encompassed what America needs: “A strong leader who can outwit anger, rise above contempt and exercise the good sense to walk us back from the edge rather than push us closer to it.”
“For Democrats, that person is Amy Klobuchar, the third-term senator from Minnesota,” the paper’s editorial board wrote, urging Democrats to “look beyond fiery speeches, beyond big ticket promises devoid of price tags, and if possible, beyond the cinematic beckoning of that billionaire button-down Messiah stalking your smartphone, and ask: Who can really get things done?”
The board cites the lawmaker’s purported ability to work in a bipartisan nature, touting her first term push for immigration reform and her partnership with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in passing legislation that “strengthens efforts to reduce the national rape kit backlog.”
“From supporting a $15 federal minimum wage to her very personal pledge to invest in research, prevention and treatment of addiction and mental illness, Klobuchar seems driven to improve Americans’ daily lives,” the Chronicle states, praising her “pragmatic” view on health care, record on “combatting” gun violence, and opposition to a ban on fracking — something her fiercest competitor, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), openly embraces.
However, the editorial board lays out a few concerns with Klobuchar, including the rumors of her mistreating staffers and the controversial calls she made as Hennepin County’s district attorney:
Not to suggest Klobuchar is “Minnesota Nice.” Indeed, reports from former staffers about how far she veers from nice are troubling. Just ask the staffer whom she demanded wash a hair comb she MacGyvered into an eating utensil after he delivered her salad without a fork.
Sure, plenty of bad-tempered male candidates have emerged unscathed from similar reports. But if Klobuchar wants Americans to believe she’s the decent, empathetic antidote to Trump, she should prove it with her staff.
One of Klobuchar’s refreshing traits is her straight-forwardness in responding to criticism. She admits that she’s been too tough on staff at times. Regarding a much more serious allegation, that as Hannepin County attorney her office sent an innocent black teen, Myon Burrell, to prison for life, Klobuchar was quick to say all evidence should be reviewed.
“A candidate whose presidential election would make history, her crossover appeal in and of itself packs a powerful punch,” the board states.
“Democrats need someone who can stare down a bully while keeping an eye out for the little guy, someone who can grow the ranks, not divide them,” it adds. “Klobuchar is the woman for the job.”
The endorsement comes on the heels of an endorsement from the Las Vegas Weekly (which also chose Joe Biden), which described Klobuchar as someone who “possesses both the appetite and ability to return us to our finest America.”
The New York Times also issued a joint endorsement last month, choosing Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Klobuchar. The Times also touted Klobuchar’s bipartisan record, describing her as “the most productive senator among the Democratic field in terms of bills passed with bipartisan support.”