Minnesota has a clear choice for its next U.S. senator: Amy Klobuchar.

She has proven she is someone who gets things done. She has proven she doesn&8217;t follow party lines. She has proven she is willing to stick her neck out to stand up for what&8217;s right.

And she has shown that in this campaign season that seems like a whirlpool of mud, she is an intelligent and honest politician.

While her Republican opponent, Mark Kennedy, churns out attack ad after attack ad for TV viewers, Democrat Klobuchar keeps her message positive. She has responded to Kennedy&8217;s charges with smiles and straight answers.

That&8217;s the kind of politician people talk about wanting.

Klobuchar can help get Congress back on track and curb the wild spending spree the Republicans have been on.

She&8217;s not opposed to tax cuts, either. She favors tax cuts for the middle class and tax hikes for the richest 1 percent.

Bush has not been a friend to agriculture, even calling on the World Trade Organization to cut price supports by 60 percent. Wise farmers will vote for Klobuchar because, though she comes from Hennepin County, she displays a strong rural streak. She calls energy the new frontier and says investing in farm-based fuels from the Midwest is her &8220;No. 1 priority.&8221; In fact, she says she will ask to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee. And she has concerns about the U.S. Department of Agriculture&8217;s underfunding the popular conservation reserve program.

The Bush administration cut funding for law enforcement $3 billion over six years, Klobuchar says. She said Washington needs to fund its Homeland Security mandates.

Klobuchar supports the troops by bringing significant numbers of them home in a manageable way. She wants to make America safe by securing our borders and ports and by reforming immigration laws.

Some Tribune staff members are familiar with Kennedy because they used to live in his congressional district. They are surprised at how negative his campaign has been considering how friendly he can be. And so are we.

Furthermore, voting for Kennedy is voting more of the same party-line problems we have seen in D.C. lately. It is clear he supports extending a costly war. Americans are looking for security at home and feel there is no reason this mistaken war should last longer than World War II.

Independence Party candidate Robert Fitzgerald is a long shot whose campaign has been drowned out by the other two. His comments are refreshing, and we hope he keeps his political interests after this election.

Vote for Klobuchar Nov. 7. Her values and her intelligence will represent Minnesota well.