The Madia Machine Rolls Along

What a day! Starting at 7:30 this morning gathered with Madia supporters in the parking lot, working credentials and miscellaneous odd jobs at the convention, to celebrating his endorsement around 5pm, it was a long, fun filled, and rewarding day.

Ran into Michael Brodkorb of MDE fame.

The Big E over at MnBlue.

Sean at MN Publius.

Gavin at Gavin Sullivan.

Joe at Minnesota Campaign Report.

And a few others...including Ron Erhardt who made an appearance at the convention.

While it was tense at times, the outcome was never really in jeopardy. Bonoff never captured more than 74 delegates, needing 94 for endorsement. Bonoff and her staff put up one hell of a good fight.

Superdelegates in support of Bonoff did not waver, regardless of where their delegations voted. Ultimately, IMHO, it should have been decided much earlier. Superdelegates kept Senator Bonoff in the race today.

With that said, I have the utmost respect for how Senator Bonoff and her staff handled the events today in Wayzata. In defeat, they showed class and respect for both the party and our delegates by conceding late today.

Bonoff is a great candidate. If she only lived in the 6th...

Ashwin Madia and his campaign seized the day.

Having spent the better part of the past 7 months covering campaigns in the 6th, seeing the Madia Machine in action was a lot of fun. Working credentials and doing some floor work for the campaign was very rewarding.

I saw hints of the powerful organizational structure at a volunteer meeting in Plymouth on Thursday night. About 35 brave souls made their way out in the mess to get everything organized for today's events.

This structure in place will be vital to Madia's success in the general election against Erik Paulsen. There is little doubt in my mind that Madia's powerful message, strong organization, and current political climate make the race in the 3rd the most attractive Congressional race in the district in decades.

Anyway, I'm working on some You Tubes right now and will work to get them posted soon.

A Bonoff excuse?

Trying to wrap my mind around the MDE / Bonoff posts and her campaign response over at Publius.

This bill was authored with the best of intentions, but it became clear could be used as a vehicle for anti-choice legislation, particularly because the bill’s language had changed during the interim.

Interesting...

On the Senate side, SF 1739, the Grieving Parents Act, was introduced on 3/12/2007. According to the Minnesota Senate site, the legislation, on the Senate side, has remained unchanged, other than Senator Bonoff striking her name from the bill on 3/13/2008 and Senator Betsy Wergin becoming the Chief Author.

The substantive change comes on the House side, in the House version of this bill, HF 0599.


The House version was introduced on 2/5/2007.

The amendment in question came on 3/8/2007.

Thissen from the Committee on Health and Human Services to which was referred:

H. F. No. 599, A bill for an act relating to health; establishing the Grieving Parents Act; requiring a mother to be notified of burial and cremation options in the case of a miscarriage; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 145.

Reported the same back with the following amendments:

Page 1, line 10, after "miscarriage" insert "occurring after a gestation period of less than 20 weeks"

It's easy to see the slippery slope on choice here.

However, Bonoff offered the bill 4 days after this amendment was made.

The House version of the bill was returned to committee, per House Rule 4.20 for the interim period between sessions.

The House version of the bill returned in 2008 to be amended again.

Thissen from the Committee on Health and Human Services to which was referred:

H. F. No. 599, A bill for an act relating to health; establishing the Grieving Parents Act; requiring a mother to be notified of burial and cremation options in the case of a miscarriage; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 145.

Reported the same back with the following amendments:

Page 1, line 21, delete "2007" and insert "2008"

With the recommendation that the bill be amended without further recommendation.

The report was adopted.

No "changes" were made in the interim. In fact, substantive changes occurred to the House Bill BEFORE Senator Bonoff offered her bill in the Senate.

From my perspective, Bonoff just offered a pretty lame excuse for pulling her name from this bill.

MDE has a post up about a conversation amongst people who worked with Bonoff on the legislation.

In my interview, LeVang and Maclean had harsh words about Bonoff's handling of this legislation. They claim Bonoff "mismanaged" the Grieving Parents Act in the Minnesota Senate, they feel Bonoff misled them about outside groups being concerned about the phantom language changes in the bill and that Bonoff being focused on her congressional campaign, delayed legislative activity in the Minnesota Senate.

LeVang said "we don't want to say liar liar pants on fire, but there's a lot of inconsistencies here. [Bonoff] stretches the truth to fit her own scenario."

Maclean's criticism goes even further. She claims Bonoff specifically told her in a phone coversation that she "didn't really know this congressional seat would be coming available" and that she'd "been very busy with the campaign." Maclean said Bonoff coldly told her that "your bill is no longer a priority for me."

"Your bill is no longer a priority for me." If true, damning words from a Congressional candidate.

Regardless of the spin from MDE and other right wing bloggers who will jump on this, the story from the Bonoff campaign fails the integrity test for me.


Bonoff offered the legislation. She offered it after the controversial language in the House version was added. With a veto proof majority in the Senate and a strong majority in the House, surely something like that could have been negotiated via conference committee.

Has CD 3 gotten the "circular firing squad" scolding as well?

I've been scolded for being a part of the "circular firing squad" here in the 6th.

Whether you think it's fair or not, the questions we posed needed to be answered.

We know that the race in the 3rd CD has heated up as well. Check out Mn Blue for a great post!

Minn Post even covered the fray on Friday.

"According to her, I'm a Republican and I'm a deadbeat without a job," Madia says of the way the campaign tone has changed in the last few days. "I'm a little surprised. I don't really know what to say. Politics, I guess. But it's not my style. I think it disrespects the voters.''

Bonoff launches the attack

To turn around Madia's clear lead, Bonoff has turned up the heat. This week, DFLers in the 3rd received a mailing that claimed Madia had been a Republican until recently, that he "has a history of denouncing unions" and that his "past positions on education differ from today.''

"She makes it sound like I was saying some of these things just yesterday,'' Madia says in response.

In fact, he did support John McCain for president in 2000, though, while in the Marines, he supported John Kerry and has actively supported DFL candidates ever since.

Madia suggests it's rather silly for DFLers to put down former Republicans, given the fact that any DFLer who is endorsed will need to woo some disenchanted Republicans if the DFL is to end a half-century slump.

And he did write some rather tepid stuff about unions for the Minnesota Daily in 1996, when professors were threatening to organize.

"Unions are more interested in politics than kids,'' was one of the things he wrote then. In another piece, Madia was critical of the NEA, calling it the "single biggest impediment to educational reform.''

What of that vile stuff?

"I was 18 years old when I was writing that,'' says Madia. "People do change as they grow older.''

Bonoff is unapologetic about the changing tone of the campaign. This is the fourth quarter of the campaign, she says, and she's trailing.

"I'm not nervous, I'm not afraid, I'm driven,'' she says. "I do believe I am the candidate who can win this district, and I believe it's important that we do win this district, because I believe this campaign is about the fact that this nation is in trouble. We must change directions.''

To buttress her claim that she's the candidate who can win, Bonoff often refers to a poll that was commissioned by her campaign a few weeks ago. The poll shows that in head-to-head competition, Bonoff leads Paulsen, 44-40. The same poll shows that Madia trails Paulsen, 43-40.

Given margins of error, the poll shows everything to be pretty much a dead heat. And actually, no one is more excited about the results than Madia.

"I know they released it to show that I couldn't win,'' he says. "But the way I see it is that I'm the guy who nobody's heard of yet and I'm already within three points of the Republican. We're thrilled.''

I am curious whether or not leadership stepped into the fray in the 3rd and scolded Bonoff for the "circular firing squad" work she's pushed forward in the race.

Or, is it fine for the anointed candidate to hurl accusations forward, while the challenger must stay clean?

Ashwin responds

Wow! I've been impressed with Madia's campaign for quite some time. I'm even more impressed now!

The true test of a politician's character, however, isn't what he or she says when things are going well, It's how their campaign responds to adversity—and that's what our effort faces today.

Many of you may have already seen the mailing Sen. Bonoff recently distributed. This misleading attack on my character represents exactly the kind of politics that I am fighting to change—and I won't be a part of it by drafting similar assaults against Sen. Bonoff. Instead, I'd like to reiterate that I respect Sen. Bonoff's service to our community and value the ideas that she has brought to this race. It has been my honor to run against her for this endorsement.

At the same time, I know I need to set the record straight—because in politics, you can't afford to let the mud dry. So, here are the facts:

• As I stated publicly in November, January, and last week (as well as during many stump speeches throughout my time on the campaign trail), I considered myself a moderate Republican as a student at the University of Minnesota. I left the Republican Party in 2002 after watching President Bush rush our nation into an unnecessary and wasteful war, destroy our federal budget, attack the LGBT community, and brand anyone with the courage to challenge him unpatriotic.

• The articles that I wrote as an 18-year-old kid are authentic. As a teenager who knew nothing about what unions are, how they work, and the important role they play in our society, I used ill-advised rhetoric in discussing teacher's unions. Like many others, my beliefs have changed over time and I don't believe the same things now that I did just out of high school. Today, I'm proud to be endorsed by several unions: Teamsters Local 120, United Auto Workers Minnesota State CAP Council, and Communications Workers of America Local 7200.

• I have nothing but respect for the public education system. As a graduate of Osseo Senior High School and the University of Minnesota, I am a product of the public education system and wouldn't have the opportunities I enjoy today had it not been for our state's proud tradition of excellent K-12 and higher education.

• I will work to bring the Iraq War to a quick and responsible conclusion. I wish I could snap my fingers and end this ongoing tragedy, but as a Marine and Iraq War veteran, I know it's not that easy. That's why I've offered a detailed plan that gets our troops home as quickly as possible, while also giving America the flexibility needed to prevent genocide and protect our aid workers and diplomats.

• I am 100-percent pro-choice. Not only will I defend reproductive choice, I will lead the charge against "Trojan Horse" legislation designed to infringe on the rights guaranteed by Roe v. Wade.

Read more at MnBlue!

Bonoff drilled for Madia hit piece

Woke up this morning to a post at Minnesota Campaign Report on Terri Bonoff's latest campaign mis-step.

Again let me reiterate: I like Terri Bonoff as a legislator, as a leader, and as a person. But this kind of junk has no place in this congressional race. It doesn't serve the district, it doesn't serve the DFL, and it sure as hell doesn't serve Minnesota to pull Clintonian win-at-all-costs-damn-the-consequences tactics out of the holster at this point in the campaign.

Gavin Sullivan has the letter Bonoff sent out.

On April 12, Terri Bonoff is going to lose. To complicate affairs, your candidate is determined not to lose gracefully. In a bizarre effort to inflict the maximum possible damage upon her own reputation--and yours--Sen. Bonoff has gone 'hard negative' against Ashwin Madia. As people who have hitched your own reputational wagon to Terri Bonoff's backward-looking, negative, increasingly desperate campaign, I ask you to read her disgraceful letter in full.

I've read it and it's pretty damning.

It's too bad. I like Senator Bonoff. She'd be a great candidate in the 6th! Unfortunately for her, she's running against a movement. Madia is creating a movement in the 3rd and there is little Bonoff can do to stem that tide.

In talking to others about the races in the 3rd and the 6th, I have the feeling that progressives will flock to the 3rd and 2nd to work for Madia and Sarvi. That's probably what Blueman will do, since I have been told time and time again that my "time as a Democrat is over."

Bonoff poll indicates Madia can win CD 3!

Bonoff's crew published a poll in which Terri beats Paulsen 44-40 and Paulsen beats Madia 43-40.

With only 401 voters polled, the margin of error of such a poll would have to be 4-5% meaning both Bonoff and Madia are polling within the margin of error.

With Ashwin Madia's momentum building every week, this is great news for the Madia campaign!

Ashwin Madia's total domination (Updated)

I love bluewoman's blackberry!

Talking to friends in CD 3, Madia dominated in delegate counts today.

I'm told Madia earned 41.5 delegates today.

Bonoff earned 21 and 7 remain undecided. Madia took 5 of 6 conventions.

A very impressive day for Madia, I can feel the Madia movement from my Buffalo hiding spot.

I'm waiting to hear on Jack Nelson Pallmeyer did.

*Updated*

Check out Big E's work over at Mn Blue!

Terri Bonoff at SD 42

If I were in the 3rd, I'd vote for Madia. With that said, State Senator Terri Bonoff gave a pretty good speech yesterday at the SD 42 Convention.



A couple of thoughts from the speech.

Senator Bonoff states she "built a strong coalition that was able to override that transportation bill." Interesting. The Senate already had a veto proof majority to start this session.

Bonoff also states "I am a life long Democrat and I was born and raised in this district." She's definitely taking a shot at Madia's party loyalty and it could be interpreted an attack on his heritage as well. I think her "soccer mom" references will play well though.

The next two weekends will be interesting. Lots of conventions between Bonoff, Hovland, and Madia.

In twisting this back to the 6th, at least delegates in the 3rd have had an opportunity to see these candidates debate. Instead of anointing a candidate in the 3rd, they have a damn good race!

People in the 6th ought to be taking notes...

SD 42 convention in Eden Prairie

An interesting day to say the least. Grandpa Tom and I headed down and met up with some of our other colleagues to check out the SD 42 convention, with close attention paid to the CD 3 race.

Bonoff clearly won the sign war. Madia won the day.

Ashwin ended up with at least 8 delegates, Bonoff 6 with 3 "uncommitted". Of those "uncommitted, 1 is stronly aligned with Ashwin Madia, 1 with Terri Bonoff, and the last with Jim Hovland. From what I was able to gather near the floor, the potential Hovland delegate could be leaning Madia as well.

A 10-7 win in Eden Prairie for Madia would be huge. An 8-6 win is big enough!

I'll be posting You Tube video's of both Bonoff and Madia addressing the delegates later.

It was interesting watching the vast amount of walking sub caucuses. About 48 were created with only a select few being viable after the first walk.

Senator Klobuchar came to address the crowd and received a very warm welcome. Al Franken spoke as well in the most animated I have seen him yet. Ciresi and Jack Nelson Pallmeyer were represented by surrogates.

Anyone know this guy? He was a walking subcaucus supporter of net neutrality. We'll let Joe tell you where he ended up.

All told, it was a pretty interesting day. At one point, nearly 540 delegates were seated on the floor. Hats off to the SD 42 folks for running a great convention.

Congrats to Ashwin Madia and his campaign machine for their successful day!

You Tubes are coming...

Olson gets an A

From the Stonewall DFL, via Eva's site. Elwyn got a B, as did Terri Bonoff and Jim Hovland.

Ashwin Madia got an A as well!

Congrats Bob!

Fundraising question for you.

We heard the leaked numbers from Bonoff, Madia, and Hovland, but why nothing from Elwyn? Fundraising was supposed to be a strength, along with a socially moderate platform.

If fundraising went well, don't you think a number would have been leaked by now?