Madia Dominates KSTP Debate

Flipping back and forth between the SCSU hockey game and the debate, Ashwin is on his A game tonight, Paulsen just avoided the question on oil company tax breaks.

$30 million on ads...and counting!

MPR has a neat little tool to see who is spending how much on political advertising here in the Twin Cities.

It's interesting to note that Erik Paulsen has put up nearly twice as many ads as Ashwin Madia and has outspent him by nearly $600,000 on these ads...and he's still losing!

Now John Kline is fighting for him too!

It's going to be an interesting final 3 weeks.

John Kline's In Over His Head...

Congressman John Kline came out earlier today, in a pathetic effort to save Erik Paulsen, and attacked Ashwin Madia's use footage of a Marine Corp ceremonial unit in his ad "Discipline".



First of all, I don't see a problem with it. Madia is a Marine. He served his nation honorably in Iraq. Paulsen can't compete with Madia on the issues, so he and his surrogates have to attack him.

But what makes this more interesting, is that Kline used military "props" in one of his ads too!



OMG! John Kline showed the nuclear football in a political ad? Al Queda knows what the nuclear football looks like! OMG, talk about conduct unbecoming of an officer!

Yeah...um, John Kline needs to remove the stick from his ass and get over this...quickly enough to continue being outworked by Steve Sarvi.

Just a thought...from a Veteran!

Madia Shows "Discipline", Paulsen Distorts

Another great and positive ad from Ashwin.

Paulsen on FOX 9: He Distorts Truth Again

This morning, Erik Paulsen played the Norm Coleman card, and spent a majority of his 5 minute interview talking about the need for bi-partisanship.

He also called out Ashwin Madia for taking large amounts of PAC money.

Paulsen left out the fact that he's taken more PAC money than anyone in CD 3.

According to Open Secrets, Paulsen has raised over $414,000 in special interest PAC money. Madia has raised just over $368,000.

Paulsen exaggerating once again? Shocking, I know.

The FOX 9 interviews will continue tomorrow with David Dillion and Ashwin Madia on Friday.

Paulsen: Not so good on healthcare either...

This is a powerful ad!

Madia Leads Paulsen

From the DCCC:

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee today released a Bennett Petts & Normington survey of 400 likely voters in Minnesota’s third Congressional district found Iraq war veteran Ashwin Madia with a solid lead over Republican politician Erik Paulsen. The head to head shows Madia with 44 percent of the vote to Paulsen’s 39 percent, while Independence candidate David Dillon takes 8 percent— 9 percent remain undecided. The survey was conducted September 29 - 30 and has a 4.9 percent margin of error.

While within the margin of error, it's great news for Ashwin and Team Madia!

Startribune: Hot Race in the 3rd

Iraq War Veteran, Ashwin Madia, Democrat

vs.

Bush Republican, Erik Paulsen

vs.

Independent David Dillion

The Startribune has a rather large story covering the race today. The racial undertones are making the race even hotter.

Meanwhile, a Paulsen surrogate, state Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Minn., took the podium at a news conference last week to question Madia's ties to the district because, among other things, he has not raised a family there or paid a mortgage or gone to a PTA meeting.

Madia, who graduated from high school in the district, is a bachelor and rents an apartment in Plymouth. He listed his parents' Plymouth address while he was in the Marines and deployed to Iraq.

State GOP chairman Ron Carey also recently urged voters to examine "the demographic standpoint" of the candidates to determine which one to vote for.

DFL Party chair Brian Melendez said Carey and Michel's use of "loaded code words" injected race into the campaign. Madia's parents emigrated from India, and Paulsen is white.

Carey denied there were any racial or ethnic undertones to his comments. "I bristle at the insinuation that that was what was trying to be said," he said. "We're simply talking résumé. Period."

Oh yeah, the often utilized demographics portion of a resume.

Video from the Carey and Michel press conferences.



It's easy to see the political courage in the race. Madia has diavowed independent ads that have attacked his opponent. Paulsen sends his surrogates to attack Madia on race, and remains silent.

Madia comes out swinging!

Great ads in response to the Paulsen attack machine!

On Madia Signgate

It's ridiculous.

I don't care who's sign is in the right of way...leave them alone. Signs don't win elections. But messing with someone else's signs could lead to defeat.

Sort this out ASAP and move on. It does not matter if Brodkorb and the Paulsen Campaign set this up. Don't mess with someone else's lawn signs.

In a very competitive race in which Ashwin has tremendous momentum and is able to go toe to toe with Paulsen on the issues, he now has to spend significant time answering these charges, time that could be spent raising money and working to get Madia's positive message out.

If Pollock was involved in this, he should be fired...no questions asked.

This race is much too important for lawn signs to be the focal point. Of all the things that could have stung Madia's credibility, it's 2 lawn signs outside a Perkins in Maple Grove.

Ridiculous...

Ashwin Madia Ad: Hard Choices

Excellent ad!

Step Up! Help Ashwin Madia

MN Publius broke the story yesterday. The cash strapped NRCC is launching an attack ad on Ashwin Madia on Spetember 10th, in an effort to deflate the enormous success of Madia's first two televsion ads.

It looks as though this hasn’t been lost on the Republican National Congressional Committee as they’re rolling out at least a two week, $73K cable ad buy starting September 10th. Let me repeat that: the cash-strapped NRCC, with literally dozens of districts predicted to turn blue this fall, is rolling out a big ad buy September 10th. This is a full 20 days before the DCCC has said they’ll launch in the 3rd. This means two things: (1) The NRCC is scared out of their mind. They see Ash outperforming Paulsen by leaps and bounds, while Paulsen sits on his thumbs. (2) The NRCC has realized that if they sit on their thumbs as well any longer, Madia’s going to run away with it. We don’t know for sure, but odds are that the ad will be an attempt to bash Madia’s brains out. It may be a pro-Paulsen ad, but usually the NRCC attacks.

The DCCC will launch ads starting on September 30th...a full 20 days after the NRCC launches the attack. I can only imagine how bad a NRCC ad about Madia will be on September 11.

So, the time has come for us to step up. We proudly join MnBlue, MN Publius, Minnesota Campaign Report, and The Twin Cities Daily Liberal in working to raise money for Ashwin to counter the NRCC attacks.

Contribute here!

Act now and help Ashwin counter the NRCC attack machine, out to save Erik Paulsen's tail in CD 3.

Eric Paulsen in HD

CD 3 GOP candidate Erik Paulsen recently admitted that the "guys in the back room" changed his address to delegates at yesterdays Republican National Convention.

From my standard definition television here near my Wright County outpost, it's difficult to see the great detail available via a High Definition television.

Indeed, when viewed in HD, you can actually see the puppet strings twittering Erik Paulsen up the stage at the RNC and run his lips. It's pretty interesting really.

I wish I would have had HD available to me when Congresswoman Bachmann spoke!

From a recent DFL press release:

State Representative Erik Paulsen has now openly admitted that he is being controlled by Washington insiders. In a recent interview, Paulsen acknowledged that the speech that he had planned to give at the Republican National Convention was vetted “by a couple of guys in the back room; I didn’t know who they were ... They wanted me to make a few changes; I’d argue and we came to agreement.”

It gets better, trust me!

A centrist? Not even close!

During his time in the Minnesota House, Eric Paulsen voted with the Republicans more than nine times out of ten. As a member of the Minnesota House, Paulsen has voted in lockstep with his political party, siding with the Republican leadership 93 percent of the time on key votes over the past four years. Just like the other Republicans, Paulsen voted against efforts to fight global warming (HF 436, 5/21/07); against legislation to promote stem cell research (SF 100, 5/7/08); and for a bill eliminating health-insurance coverage for 24,000 Minnesotans (HF 1422, 4/29/05; MPR). During the four years that Paulsen spent as House Republican Majority Leader, his job was to make sure that other House members voted the Republican Party line — just as he did.

Strong ties to a President with the lowest popularity rating ever...

Erik Paulsen believes George W. Bush is “so straightforward and real” — just “like myself.” In October 2004, Paulsen “jumped at the chance” to help get George W. Bush re-elected by hosting a campaign rally with the President in Chanhassen. According to news reports, Paulsen warmed up the crowd for Bush and later enthused about how “[Bush is] so straightforward and real, like myself, my neighbor or any regular person.” Afterwards, Bush gave Paulsen a firm handshake, looked him in the eye and said: “Thank you for your service. We appreciate it.” (Eden Prairie News, 10/13/04)

While Paulsen hob nob's with the elite, Ashwin Madia is out working, working to take the 3rd CD door by door, voter by voter. The party elite and insiders aren't re-writing Ashwin's speeches and ads. He's not at the end of anyone's puppet strings.

The last thing we need is another politician without the ability to think on their own.

We don't need another Erik Paulsen like politician.

Madia Launches Second Ad!

Another great ad from a great campaign!

Aswin Madia Hits Homerun in First Ad: WOW!

Paulsen is running too! Running from his record as a conservative leader in the Minnesota House. Running from real answers and solutions to Iraq.

I should not have been shocked at the high quality nature of Madia
s first ad. Aswhin is a stellar candiate who has assembled an amazing team.

I would expect more great ads from Team Madia!

Madia Confronts Lieberman

From the Hill's Congress Blog.

There’s a word in Washington for a taxpayer-funded endeavor that grows without limits, busts every budget projection, and which Members of Congress are loathe to confront.

The word is Iraq.

Today, the Republican Party announced that the loudest defender of status quo policies on Iraq, Senator Joe Lieberman, will be a prominent speaker at the Republican National Convention in my home state of Minnesota. Senator Lieberman and I do have one thing in common. We’ve both changed political parties. I left the Republican Party in 2002 after it replaced “balance our budget” with “borrow and spend” and after we started a war without a plan for success; a war we did not need.

With all respect to Senator Lieberman, talking tough about Iraq is not brave. Bravery is not demonstrated through words but instead through action.

I served for four years in the Marine Corps. While stationed in Baghdad, I worked with U.S. military and civilian officials, European Union and United Nations representatives and Iraqi judicial officers to build the Iraqi legal system. I was not a hero but I served with many heroes, some of the bravest people I’ve ever seen in my whole life. I saw bravery from my fellow Marines. I also worked with Iraqi judges who risked their lives every morning just to come to work.

It’s time for a little more bravery in Washington.

This war has cost us $600 billion so far with another $10 billion added to the tab every month. That’s in addition to a $9 trillion debt caused by reckless spending and irresponsible borrowing, making it harder for Minnesota’s families to afford gas, food and medicine.

Restoring fiscal responsibility includes a new direction for our foreign policy. That’s why I support a strategic and gradual withdrawal from Iraq that is done in a safe and responsible way.

There are a quite a few folks like me down at VFW Post 425 in Hopkins, Minnesota, where I’m a Member. And there’s millions more of us across the country who know that real patriotism means more than just bumper stickers, slogans, and cheers at a convention.

Excellent post Ashwin! Keep it up!

Paulsen Fails College Students

Ashwin Madia's credentials as an Iraq Veteran are impeccable. His opponent, Erik Paulsen has struggled to obtain a position on the quagmire in Iraq or the possibility of conflict in Iran.

With that issue decidedly in Ashwin's favor, I will focus today's post on higher education.

Paulsen's record on higher education is poor.

Paulsen voted in favor of slashing higher education by $367 million, despite several years of record tuition increases at state colleges.

In April 2003, Paulsen voted in favor of the House version of the FY03 omnibus higher education finance bill. This bill funded the U of M, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU), the Mayo Medical Foundation and the Higher Education Services Office.

It cut the U by $191.5 million over the following biennium and MnSCU by $176 million (roughly a 15% cut). Tuition increases were projected at roughly 15% each year under this package. The bill passed 81-51. [SF 1511, 83rd Session, House Journal p. 3075, 4/29/03]

For the majority of this decade, college students in Minnesota have faced the double digit tuition increases, under then House Majority Leader Erik Paulsen. Paulsen also voted against the bonding bill in 2007 and 2008. The legislation provides essential funding for the upkeep of facilities on campuses across the state and helps the economy locally by allowing for building projects on campuses.

Paulsen also opposed the DREAM Act in 2007.

Madia has actually served students, as the President of the Minnesota Student Association, in essence, the Student Body President of the largest school in the State of Minnesota. When you serve in positions like this, you gain a deep understanding of the broad range of higher education issues.

From Madia's website.

Keeping college tuition affordable is essential for helping young people get a good start in life. We can make college more affordable by doubling Pell Grants, increasing funding for Stafford Loans, and helping those graduates who choose public service jobs through loan forgiveness. By making college scholarships available to high school graduates who choose to pursue careers in engineering, science and math, we can help the next generation of Minnesotans be leaders in the innovation economy.

Madia also speaks eloquently about Veterans benefits. Specifically, for todays post, we talk about the Veterans education benefits.

Restore Education for Veterans

Current education benefits provided to veterans are far lower than those originally provided to the men and women who served in World War II. Veterans typically receive around $45,000 toward their education -- just 60 percent of the average cost of a four-year degree. Veterans should be able to attend the school of their choice and have access to no-interest or very-low interest loans if their GI benefits aren't enough. Also, veterans who don't use 100 percent of their benefits should be allowed to use the remaining amounts for their children's education. Congressman Walz has introduced legislation that would allow 16,000 National Guard troops to receive GI benefits after serving 20 months on active duty. Members of the Minnesota 1/34th Brigade Combat Team were ineligible for education benefits when they got back from combat duty in Iraq due to a technicality in the law. Improving education benefits is a much more appropriate and effective way to achieve military recruitment goals than other current practices.

Ashwin, as a Veteran...gets it!

Paulsen, however, continues his lip service towards college students.

His website has a nifty little link called "Ensuring Educational Opportunities".

Paulsen boldly boasts: (note that Paulsen spelled "prepared wrong on his education area!)

I am proud to have led the charge in the state legislature for education initiatives that give parents and students the choices they need to be better preprared for getting good jobs of the future.

Under Paulsen's watch, he worked to gut higher education and provide LESS opportunities for students from lower socio economic backgrounds. Paulsen helped create the "sticker shock" that has kept students from exploring these educational opportunities.

Higher education issues are significant in my eyes. They provide students with opportunities to grow, expand our economy, and help provide the state a well educated work force. Paulsen has been a thorn in the side of higher education for years.

Jim Ramstad on the other hand, has been a strong supporter of higher education. He's been a strong advocate for Pell Grant increases and opposed the 2006 Budget Reconciliation Act, which was a "raid on student aid".

Madia is a common sense choice here. He has experience on the issues and provides a plan. Paulsen provides a cheap slogan.Donate to Ashwin here!

Blog for Madia Day

Blog for Madia Day is upon us. Numerous blogs from across the state are participating to not only spread the word on the great DFL candidate in CD 3, Ashwin Madia, but to help raise some money as well.

Donate to Ashwin Madia's fast moving campaign here!

Blogs participating (sorry if I missed one...)

Bluestem Prairie
Minnesota Campaign Report Joe will have more on Paulsen's push polling in the 3rd.
MnPublius
MnBlue
Twin Cities Daily Liberal
mnpACT!
Centrisity

Check out what's being reported by the local blogs on this important race and take a few seconds to send some money Ashwin's way!

Madia License Issue No Big Deal

Anyone remember Congressman Mark Kennedy running around the state back in 2006 saying he'd be "the only CPA in the Senate"?

Kennedy hadn't had an active CPA license in decades...

I'm quite sure Ashwin will have this fixed quickly.

Has Paulsen said anything about all that stripper money he took?

Any word on his website about Iraq or Iran yet?

No, Paulsen does not want to talk about that, or his record as House Majority Leader where he was far from resembling a "centrist".

Ron Carey Owes Madia An Apology

Last week, Minnesota Republican Party Chairman and press release addict, Ron Carey attacked Ashwin Madia for having a position on Iran, which is more than we can say about Madia's opponent Erik Paulsen.

From MDE

Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey today released the
following statement regarding 3rd District DFL-endorsed candidate Ashwin Madia’s
position on Iran.

“After the second day in a row of Iran test-firing missiles and
boasting that their ‘hands are always on the trigger,’ we face a stark reminder
Iran remains a serious threat to U.S. allies and U.S. interests.

Disturbingly, Ashwin Madia appears to disagree with the consensus of so
many when he says ‘Iran is not a threat.’ This serious lack of judgment is just
one reason he lacks the qualities necessary to serve in the U.S.
Congress.”

As we all know now, the Bush Administration has followed Madia's diplomatic lead and will sit down for talks with Iran.

Carey and Republicans also overhyped the Iran missile launch mess.

According to several sources, including Drudge, the missiles Iran tested were older versions of that has a range of 750 miles, meaning Israel is out of range. Photos from the event were doctored as well.

Our government has decided on diplomacy for now.

Surely we expect Carey to issue a press release today condemning the Bush administration for their cowardice in pursuing diplomacy.

While Erik Paulsen continues to have no opinion on Iran or Iraq, no solutions, Ashwin Madia continues to lead.