McFadden: I'll lead on education, energy and effectiveness

"We all do better when we all do better."

That's a line made famous by the late Sen. Paul Wellstone. I agree with Wellstone. But the real question is: How do we get onto the path of growth and prosperity to make sure that we are all doing better?

To me, the answer is simple: We need less partisanship in our nation's capital. This country has been heading down the wrong track for far too long. Sen. Al Franken is part of the problem, not the solution. The proof of his partisanship runs much deeper than his 97 percent voting record with President Obama.

In a city gripped by gridlock, Franken stands out as the most partisan senator in Washington. A study by OpenCongress.gov found that Franken has voted with his party 98.8 percent of the time, or more than any other senator — Republican or Democrat. Another study by GovTrack finds that Franken is the senator least likely to seek bipartisan cosponsors for his legislation.

This extreme partisanship, unwavering loyalty to a party agenda, is not the Minnesota way.

It's not just Democrats like Franken who deserve criticism when it comes to the stalemate in Washington. Republicans in the House and Senate shoulder plenty of the blame for Washington's inactivity and brokenness. No one in Washington is taking responsibility for outcomes. As a dad, a coach and a business leader, I find that unacceptable. I have a plan to get us back on the path of growth and prosperity that I will implement in a bipartisan fashion. I call it the "Three Es" — education, energy and effective government.

While we have great public schools in this state, we don't have great public schools for everyone. In fact, we have the worst outcomes for students of color in the nation. This is unacceptable. My opponent sits on the Senate Education Committee and is complicit in these last-place results. I know we can do better, because I have been involved with a nontraditional inner-city high school over the last six years.

We are on the doorstep of an energy renaissance in this country. By building pipelines like Keystone XL and Sandpiper, we can take advantage of our energy resources. This will drive down gas prices and heating bills — putting more money into the pockets of Minnesotans. Most important, with low-cost energy, we will once again become a manufacturing superpower. This will bring high-paying jobs back to Minnesota.

And, of course, we need to improve the effectiveness of our government, so that it is not a hindrance to growth. Effective government includes streamlining our tax and regulatory system. We need smart regulation, not overregulation. We have seen overbearing regulation that hinders projects like PolyMet and an overcomplicated tax code allowing thousands of loopholes.

Ineffective government has been especially harmful in the health care sector. Because of Obamacare's burdensome regulations and taxes, small-business owners are facing double-digit rate increases, and they are facing the terrible decision of whether to continue to insure their employees.

Instead of simply saying, "repeal Obamacare," I've put forward health care solutions to lower costs, improve access and increase quality in a streamlined, state-based way.

We can make progress over the next six years if we work together when we can. Unlike Franken, I'll be an independent thinker who works for Minnesota. In my "Contract with Minnesota," I promised that I won't vote with any political party or president 97 percent of the time. If I do, I'll forgo a second term, and give someone else a chance. That's my promise to you, Minnesota.