Dear John:

The Democratic National Convention is underway. Are you excited about any part of it? Any speakers in particular? I am.

I was excited to see President Biden last night have a chance to savor the considerable fruits of his administration.

I was excited to see so many emerging leaders, many of whom have not yet but will have a national profile in the years ahead, leaders like my colleague Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota and State Senator Mallory McMorrow of Michigan (she was the person carrying the giant Project 2025 book).

I am excited to see President Obama on the stage again. It was only Twenty years ago that he was catapulted to national prominence with his soaring speech at the national convention,

Of course I'm excited to see Vice President Harris accept the nomination on Thursday. I predict that she will do so with her characteristic joy, toughness, and smarts on full display.

And one speech that will be extra special to me is Governor Tim Walz accepting the vice presidential nomination on Wednesday.

I served with Tim for six years. He is a friend, and I can tell you for a fact that he truly is a humble servant-leader who is relatable, authentic, down-to-earth, and entirely commonsensical. Plus, he is just plain decent.

Tim reminds me of my most important mentor, former State Senator Al Bauer, my high school social studies teacher. Al was also a proud veteran having served (twice) in the US Navy. Tim spent 24 years in the National Guard rising to the rank of Command Sergeant Major. In fact, Tim is the highest-ranking noncommissioned officer ever to serve in Congress.

Which is why it breaks my heart to see the other team denigrating his service record. But this is not the first time we've seen this happen, it's the same song, different verse.

We saw this attack with US Senator Max Cleland in his re-election bid from Georgia in 2002. While serving in Vietnam, a grenade cost Senator Cleland both legs and one arm. But they painted him as unpatriotic. And, alas, it worked.

They did it with Senator John Kerry when he ran for President in 2004, which created the term "swift boating" to describe this type of vicious attack. Senator Kerry was awarded the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, and three Purple Hearts for his service. Here it also worked.

They did it with Senator John McCain in 2016 and belittled the five+ years he spent as a prisoner of war in a tiny cell in the "Hanoi Hilton," where he was brutally tortured almost daily. ("He is a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured . . .") But their attacks stuck.

They did it in 2016 with the Gold Star mother of Captain Khan (who was killed in combat while heroically trying to save his colleagues). Alas, it worked.

I lost my brother as a consequence of his service in Vietnam and his interactions with Agent Orange. So, I cannot tell you how deeply shameful I find this behavior.

And they are doing it again with Governor Walz.

But I've got news for them: this time it is NOT going to work. Because we are not going back!

Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will take the stage this week and appeal to our better angels, asking us to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and do it with joy and a positive vision for the future.

So, say it with me: we are not going back.

We are going forward.

Denny