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Former U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, who represented northeastern Minnesota for 36 years and brought millions of dollars to the state as chair of the powerful House Transportation Committee, died unexpectedly early Saturday morning. He was 79. A statement released by his family said Oberstar died in his sleep. A cause of death was not provided. His former chief of staff, Bill Richard, said Oberstar died at his home in Potomac, Maryland. […] Oberstar, a Democrat, was elected to Congress in 1974 and served 18 terms—the state’s longest-serving member of Congress. Oberstar became chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee...

The history of the federal program is a cautionary tale about changing public behavior - even when the public agrees with the goals. It was created by former Minnesota Rep. Jim Oberstar in 2000. Oberstar was appalled at the steep increases in childhood obesity and diabetes. At the same time, he learned that 75 percent of children's trips away from home were in motor vehicles, up from 40 percent in the 1960s. "We have a generation of mobility-challenged children," he said.

Chip Cravaack, an ex-Navy pilot, was driving down the road, obeying a call from afar. It was a hot day in August 2009, at the peak of Tea Party fervor. A radio talk show host was railing against the Democrats' health care plan: Visit your congressman -- the talker said -- demand a town hall meeting. "I had my kids in the back of the car," recalls Cravaack, 51, a self-described stay-at-home dad with two boys, ages 8 and 6. "I was going down Highway 14, towards North Branch." It was a trip that would put Cravaack on a course...

President Obama did not let Rep. Jim Oberstar’s 35-years in Congress pass without comment – or without prompting rampant speculation about his future. An aide to the Iron Range DFLer, known as "Mr. Transportation" in Washington, said the president called at breakfast Wednesday morning as Oberstar was digesting the news of his first loss in 19 elections. It appeared to be part of a long round of calls to defeated Democratic lawmakers. Staffers who were gathered with Oberstar at the Duluth Holiday Inn heard Oberstar tell Obama, “Mr. President, I want you to know that while my service in Congress...

Three longtime House Democrats holding gavels of power were defeated Tuesday night, with Republicans ousting Members with 98 years of combined experience who served as top lieutenants to Speaker Nancy Pelosi . Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar (Minn.), Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton (Mo.) and Budget Chairman John Spratt (S.C.) all lost as Republicans regained control of the chamber in a wave that has ousted at least 60 Democrats.

Rep. Jim Oberstar, who for 18 terms represented one of the safest Democratic seats in the nation, was swept out of office by Republican Chip Cravaack, a newcomer to politics. Cravaack won 48 percent to 47 percent. Nobody thought it would be this close. Certainly not DFL stalwart Oberstar, a lion of Iron Range politics for the past four decades. Nobody, that is, except Cravaack, a newcomer to politics who seemed to be giving Oberstar the fight of his political life. Oberstar, a powerful transportation committee chairman who has delivered millions of dollars in pork-barrel projects to his northern Minnesota...

What an upset!!!

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)- Democratic Rep. Jim Oberstar is out. The dean of Minnesota's congressional delegation and the powerful chairman of the House Transportation Committee has been defeated by newcomer Chip Cravaack.

Long-serving Democrat Rep. Jim Oberstar is narrowly trailing Republican Chip Cravaack as he tries to hold on to his Northeastern Minnesota congressional seat. With 49 percent of precincts counted early today, the former Navy pilot Cravaack took a lead of about 1,200 votes out of more than 135,000 cast. Oberstar has never gotten less than 59 percent of the vote in the heavily DFL district. But Cravaack built momentum by portraying Oberstar as out of touch with the district and complicit in federal overspending. On Tuesday, Oberstar walked into his election night party in Duluth predicting “ a good night,...

A Minnesota congressman nearly untouchable for years may be in for the fight of his life. A new KSTP/SurveyUSA poll shows 8th Congressional District Rep. Jim Oberstar leads Republican challenger Chip Cravaack by only one percentage point - 47 to 46. Oberstar, who was first elected to the House in 1974, has not received less than 59 percent of the vote in 18 elections. Steven Schier of Carleton College says Oberstar's votes on three key issues are hurting him: health care, cap and trade and federal stimulus funding. In the KSTP/SurveyUSA poll, Cravaack gets 87 percent of Republicans, while Oberstar...

The Federal Highway Administration has awarded a $565,931 grant to continue work to complete the Twin Cities-Twin Ports [Bicycle] Trail, Rep. Jim Oberstar’s office announced today. . . . “With this funding, we are one step closer to the fulfillment of my vision to link Duluth and the Twin Cities with a trail that will provide enormous recreational opportunities as well economic opportunities for tourism,” Oberstar said in a news release. “I am delighted that we are continuing to make progress to finalize this wonderful trail connection and to see this work begin in Pine County.”

DFL congressman Jim Oberstar, accustomed to winning with 65% or more of the vote in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District, finds himself running even with Republican challenger Chip Cravaack, heading into the final weekend of the campaign, a new SurveyUSA poll conducted for KSTP-TV in Minneapolis shows. Today, it's 47% Oberstar, 46% Cravaack, a result within the survey's theoretical margin of sampling error.

He just lost the endorsement of the largest newspaper in his area, The Duluth News-Tribune, for the first time in 30 years. Citing the lack of financial restraint by the incumbent, The Duluth News Tribune emphasized Oberstar’s rubber-stamp of Obama’s policies on cap and trade, health care reform, continuation of the war in Afghanistan, and the resulting increase of unemployment.

During a debate with Republican Chip Craavak in Minnesota’s 8th district, 18-term Congressman James Oberstar said that Cap and Trade would create a ‘carbon regime’.

Crowd steals the show at Oberstar, Cravaack debateby Bob Kelleher, Minnesota Public Radio October 19, 2010 Duluth, Minn. — The crowd stole the show Tuesday at a raucous 8th District Congressional Debate in Duluth. A boisterous and partisan crowd interrupted, cheered and jeered both Rep. Jim Oberstar, a Democrat and his Republican Challenger Chip Cravaack. More than 1,500 people packed the auditorium of the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center for the debate, co-sponsored by the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, St. Luke's Hospital and the Duluth News Tribune. Cravaack, 51, is a retired naval officer and political newcomer. His Campaign...

Twice the venue had to be changed just to accommodate the crowd of 1,800 that attended the debate. Eventually they settled on the Duluth Convention Center. Needles to say, Cravaack's supporters showed up in force and they made sure that Oberstar knew they were there. The Duluth News Tribune reported that his supporters were rowdy and angry, but I truly wonder how much of the reporting was biased to make Chip's supporters look bad. After all, we have plenty of proof that the MSM has been trying to make Tea Party members and other supporters of conservative look like...

Jim Oberstar and Chip Cravaack didn’t just face each other this morning at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center Auditorium, they faced angry mobs of their opponent’s supporters. Just seconds into the first comments by DFLer Oberstar, Cravaack supporters began to shout the long-term incumbent down with calls of "liar" and "Obama Junior." By the time challenger Cravaack’s turn came, Oberstar supporters responded in kind. Moderators asked for civility and respect, but the cat calls and jeering from a nearly-full auditorium continued through most of the 90-minute forum, often drowning-out candidates' answers over a faulty sound system that lacked volume. Oberstar...

Jim Oberstar and Chip Cravaack didn’t just face each other this morning at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center Auditorium, they faced angry mobs of their opponent’s supporters. Just seconds into the first comments by DFLer Oberstar, Cravaack supporters began to shout the long-term incumbent down with calls of “liar’’ and “Obama Junior.’’ By the time challenger Cravaack’s turn came, Oberstar supporters responded in kind. Moderators asked for civility and respect, but the cat calls and jeering from a nearly-full auditorium continued through most of the 90-minute forum, often drowning-out candidate’s answers over a faulty sound system that lacked volume. Oberstar...

With just over two weeks until Election Day, several Minnesota newspapers are endorsing the Independence Party's Tom Horner for governor. The Star Tribune's editorial board says Horner has the best chance to overcome partisan gridlock in St. Paul. The Forum of Fargo, the Duluth News Tribune and the Bemidji Pioneer also endorsed Horner Sunday. Polls have shown Horner well-behind both Democrat Mark Dayton and Republican Tom Emmer.

Remember those signs that 18-term incumbent Jim Oberstar of Minnesota might be in trouble? First an internal GOP poll showed Republican Chip Cravaack, a former Navy and Northwest Airlines pilot, trailing Oberstar by just three points–42% to 45%. Then came a couple of surprising anecdotes: the AP reported a local union nearly endorsed Cravaack, and there was such interest in the campaign that the debate–scheduled at 8 a.m. on a Tuesday–had to be moved to a larger venue. Well, no surprise here, but it looks like we have confirmation that the interest isn’t being generated by Oberstar supporters. Politico reports...