Negative ads against Westrom are false

To the Editor:
Like most of you, I am sick of the negative political ads. I am particularly irritated by the deceptive ads against my friend, Torrey Westrom.
Torrey is an extremely decent man who has overcome the difficult tragedy of becoming blind as a result of a farm accident at the age of 14.  Torrey was determined not to let adversity get him down and at the age of 23 he became one of the youngest members to be elected to the Minnesota House. While serving in the House he worked his way through law school. After 16 years in the House he was elected to the Senate. Torrey always has a positive attitude and a great sense of humor, despite his handicap.  
KSTP has put the negative ads about Torrey to the “Truth Test” and has given them a D+ because of the numerous, misleading half truths and distortions. Yet, the Democrat Party continues to run these smear ads to discredit a man who deserves admiration for his perseverance, accomplishments and great voting record.  I would add that the ads against Collin Peterson were given an A for accuracy.
I would like to appeal to those of you who might normally vote Republican in every race but then switch over to the Democrat side and vote for Collin Peterson because you believe he has been good to your particular industry.  
Voters, it’s time for a change. No one is indispensable. Collin Peterson has been in Washington for 23 years and I would argue that Torrey Westrom with his farm background and experience as the vice chair of the Ag Committee makes him equally qualified and actually an even better fit for the conservative 7th District. Torrey understands our rural American values and what it takes to run a farm and a small business.
Torrey has a 100 percent voting record on issues pertaining to life, guns and small business and has been endorsed numerous times by the MCCL, the NRA and the NFIB.  
On the other hand, Collin Peterson has made some very bad decisions and does not always represent you or your values as you may think. The MCCL refused to endorse him for the past two elections because he has said he will NOT vote to repeal ObamaCare with its abortion mandates.  
Although he says he will support the construction of the Keystone Pipeline, his party continues to block it.  An increasing number of Minnesota’s rail cars are now being committed to the transportation of petroleum products, which is hurting many other industries, especially our farmers. Not only are farmers forced to pay more for less efficient means of transporting their goods, but as we experienced last year, Minnesotans have seen the cost of heating their homes skyrocket as the price of propane has spiked.
In 2009, Peterson voted for the Cap and Trade bill. Many sources see Cap and Trade as a bad policy for Minnesota consumers, yet President Obama and Nancy Pelosi lauded Peterson for his leadership on the issue.
To those undecided voters and to those of you who are Peterson loyalists; this Nov. 4, I urge you to take a step out of your comfort zone and vote for Torrey Westrom, a rural conservative who is truly one of us.  
Emily Gruenhagen
Glencoe