The Madia campaign just announced that the UAW Minnesota State CAP Council is throwing their support behind Ashwin Madia in the race for Jim Ramstad’s abandoned Congressional Seat in the 3rd district. This is no small get for Madia, UAW represents 3,500 active members and 4,000 retirees across the state. This comes not too long after Madia received the endorsement of Teamsters Local 120, the largest Teamsters local in Minnesota.
Terri Bonoff, for her part, has received the endorsement of AFSCME Council 5, easily one of the most significant union endorsements one can get in Minnesota, but the lack of any further union endorsements has been of some interest. Bonoff has, indeed, enjoyed some of the most significant endorsements of the race so far, including the money-injecting endorsement of EMILY’s list, but one of the early concerns over a Bonoff candidacy is her weak support among unions given her voting record in the State Senate. This concern still has yet to amount to any real liability, but if Unions continue to break in Madia’s direction it could add a significant amount of momentum to his underdog challenge for the DFL endorsement.
This, of course, means little if you, the individual voters of the 3rd district, aren’t impressed with the candidate and their policy positions — ultimately we must make a decision about who our best candidate as DFLers will be. And to that end, I encourage everyone to attend the CD3 general debate coming up on the 27th at the Eden Prairie City Hall at 7PM (click here for a map of the location). All three candidates (Bonoff, Hovland, and Madia) should be in attendance.
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how many of those 7,000 members and retirees are delegates to the 3rd D convention?
and when is the 3rd D convention? and are any of the campaigns claiming to be leading amongst delegates at this point?
and can yoiu tell us a little about the campaign managers and their experience.
i’ve been following this as closely as i can from a distance, but i don’t really know much.
Excellent effort by Ash Madia! Good to see this endorsement. I’m a huge Ash Madia supporter and know many more like me. He’s got VoteVets which is also a large national organization.
So Madia’s got the Union Heads supporting him, and Bonoff has the Legislators. Hovland is being left out cold.
Ash is doing a fabulous job!! He is running a positive campaign, working hard and showing the 3rd CD that he really wants the job. If he offers constituency services even half as good as his campaign he will be a wonderful representative for all of us here in the 3rd CD!
St. Paul Sage — give Ash a call! Go to his website get his number and he will respond and talk to you.
Ash also has the DFL Veteran’s Caucus endorsement, another positive for him!
I am a delegate to the CD3 conventions and am supporting Ash. This guy is amazing - he is inspiring, well-spoken, and knows the ins and outs of the big national issues. He is amazingly well prepared at all of the debates that I have seen and there is no question he is the strongest candidate.
It is good to see him getting some press and some bigger endorsements. Terri seems to know a lot of people in the system, but I would be disapointed if she got the nomination. Jim seems like a nice guy, and seems to have been putting on a better showing lately. I would love to see a guy like Ashwin go to Washington because I think he has the guts and the intelligence to accomplish some great things!
I wonder if the Teamsters and UAW were aware of Madia’s anti-union past when they screened him? See this 1997 letter to the editor he wrote to the Minnesota Daily, opposing the formation of a faculty union at the U. http://www.mndaily.com/articles/1997/01/31/3191
I’m assuming that law school and life has changed his opinion. We already have one decider who has never changed his mind in his life. Isn’t that enough? Hopefully maturity and experience in the military and practicing law has done it for Ash. That being said, I certainly hope you never drag up the stuff I wrote when I was in college to use it against me…..whew! That’s why most of us are not willing to ever run for public office! I was a very different person at 30 than I was at 20….that’s for sure. Having “kids” in their 20’s I can attest to seeing the maturity happen before my eyes. I’m sure that Ash’s parents are pleased as punch with the man he has become.
People are allowed to change their minds. That statement applies to Ashwin Madia, and it applies to Norm Coleman.
It is up to the voter to decide if the change of heart is based on reason and belief, or based on pandering for votes.
Is the Jigar Madia who penned the letter to the MN Daily the same person as Ashwin Madia?
Yes. He’s J. Ashwin Madia. Growing up works wonders, doesn’t it? I’m quite sure that a tour of duty or two in Baghdad would age many of us….
Again, I’m a friend of Ash’s — but not affiliated with his campaign — and therefore inherently biased.
That being said, I do think that the issue he wrote about in that college article is a bit more nuanced than simply a “union-good, management-bad” type deal.
The fact that, as he writes, the MSA would be losing its efficacy and that the democratic process for the students of the University would be hindered by the faculty union is not really analogous to the evils of union-busting.
Chances are the unions that have endorsed Ash did not know about this letter to the editor - I don’t know. But given the nuances of the issue he writes about, and given his growing up - as many here pointed out - I don’t think this is some shocking conservative skeleton in his closet.
West Metro, let me be sure I understand you.
A tour of duty in Iraq is now 15 months, right? so 2 tours is 30 months. What I’ve heard from your friend Mr Madia is that he spent 6 months there as a JAG, in the Green Zone.
So you’re saying that Jigar Madia’s 6 months inside the blast wall is the equivalent of 15-30 months of combat duty?
…or is it, as your friend of Ashwin here says, more nuanced?
As a Current Union member, I would say that all 19 year olds have a variety of opinions that don’t mean a thing in their later years. I would be more concerned if he had written it yesterday, or at anytime since becoming a member of the workforce. We all had our unsubstantiated opinions as college students that do not define who we are, as compared to who we hung out with at the coffee shop.
As a Union member today, I sincerely doubt that the writings of a college student would influence the endorsement process of any Union leadership. They are smarter than that, and they know how to vet a candidate.
Instead of bashing Ashwin Madia, how about showing what the other candidates have done to support Unions? Or is this just some more trash talk from empty suits?
Maybe these questions can all be answered at the Debate being held at the Eden prairie City hall heritage Room on February 27th at 7 pm.
The Debate topics will be DEFENDING AMERICA and BUILDING AMERICA.
Questions to be considered can be submitted to dfl.sd42@gmail.com or you can find information at http://www.dflsd42.org. Look under events!
All of you Ash supporters out there need to do a little background checking on your guy. Have you read the MN Daily article written by Jigar Ashwin Madia? This is his statement regarding the teacher’s union: “the single biggest impediment to educational reform in this nation is a political powerhouse, the National Education Association”. I am a former Teamster and would not want Ashwin Madia in Washington on my behalf! I don’t trust this “former” Republican who comes out of nowhere to run for Congress as a Democrat because he thinks that’s how he can win. I don’t believe his worldview could change so drastically.
To dismiss Madia’s earlier public political ideas is insulting and demeaning to the young voters he is currently courting.
Voter 2- He was maybe 19 years old! If we judged our candidates by what they did when they were teenagers, well… I don’t think we would support any of them.
Walter- I have tremendous respect for ANYONE who served our country
during wartime. I think many veterans would be offended by your comment.
MakeItlue - How can you dismiss his earlier viewpoints while banking on young people’s support?
voter has a great point.
If I’m 20, and someone is saying to dismiss anything a 20-year-old says, my reaction will be “say what?”
But I think people are allowed to change their minds. I don’t hold it against Madia. I don’t hold it against Coleman. I don’t hold it against Hovland. But as I said before, it is up to each voter to decide if the change of heart is for good reasons or not. I don’t know enough about this candidate to venture a guess in this situation.
So the final response from this pro-madia group is, he was young and wrong? He changed from an anti-union conservative — to what he purports to be now?
And what is your final point, voter? Is it that Madia is actually secretly a republican who has concocted an ingenious plot to get elected by pretending to be a Democrat in a district that has voted republican for the past 50 years? So, his plan is to keep racking up union endorsements and talking this good democratic game, get the DFL endorsement, keep talking Dem talking points through November, get elected, then get inaugurated in Jan ‘09 and finally shout, “Surprise, suckers! I’m actually a Republican! Now I can live out my dream of opposing unions - as spelled out in my manifesto from high school!”
Give me a break.
Ashwin Madia is courting ALL VOTERS. As the parents of 2 young adults, we have learned that wisdom and good judgement comes in due course. What Ashwin might have written or even believed when he was a 19 year old college freshman away from home and testing his freedoms for the first time in his life is quite a bit different from the mature individual that has now completed undergraduate work, 4 years in the Marine Corps, Law School and a year in a prestigious law firm before now running for Congress. That is a lifetime of accomplishments and a whole reality away from that idealistic 19 year old!
I would say that Ashwin Madia has matured well! Voter and Voter2, were you so mature and perfect at the age of 19? Have you never changed your mind about anything in your life? You see everything now exactly as you saw it then?
We used to be republicans…. Ronald Reagan and his star wars deficit spending-give it to contractors and claim it supported the troops changed all that for us.
And by the way, taking lightly the opinions of the youth among us does not discredit them. It simply allows them the space they need to mature. In our house we call it the blessing of youth!
I wrote plenty of crazy essays in college. It all sort of depended on what book I had read that week. Until I read a lot of books, graduated, and then I started to figure out what I really believed. I think this essay is indicative of only an articulate 19 year old.
Does Ashwin have what it takes?
I think it is important to look at what a person has done with their lives, the good and the bad, because each experience makes you the leader that you are today. For politicians I value working for social justice with their career of choice, I value concrete experience with international affairs. I place less value on being an executive at Tonka Toys.
I think that we all believe that Congress needs to place a higher priority on social justice and progressive causes. This means life experiences like working with bruised and battered women, working for the homeless and immigrants, defending people in the military against Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, are life experiences that are all too lacking in politics today. That way a politician can know the issues from experiencing them, from being in Iraq, from being with people who are struggling through their lives in America. Nominating Ashwin is an opportunity to bring that new type of perspective to Congress.
voter - “He changed from an anti-union conservative — to what he purports to be now?”
Read the facts in the article. A faculty Senate gave students a voice in any collective agreement. The proposed faculty union would not. If you were a student union president, which would you propose in the best interest of students that u represent.
voter - “To dismiss Madia’s earlier public political ideas is insulting and demeaning to the young voters he is currently courting.”
To accept Terri Bonoffs openly phony “business experience” is the most demeaning. In her flyer as posted on Gavins blog she now claims she saved jobs as the head of a $300 million dollar division.
That is the most baloney claim I have ever seen. She was in charge of Marketing, not operations. And that too for less than 2 years. She was a p.r person before her family friend Paulsen gave her the title for a few months.
“http://www.flickr.com/photos/23043625@N08/2236127674/sizes/l/”
At least Mr. Madia does not make stuff up like this.
Another “accomplishment” of Terri Bonoff, she claims as a community activist she successfully fought to increase education funding.
What “community activism” was this that was the reason for education funding to increase in Minnesota. Oh, you mean the “Hopkins Legislative Action Council”.
More blatant lies from Bonoff.
rm — once again spewing your lies. You told me to call Bonoff’s campaign if I didn’t believe you. I did. Bonoff got her job when a head hunter contacted her on behalf of Navarre. Not as you claim through some made up family connection. A complete lie on your part. They were looking to add a Director of Merchandising (not marketing by the way) to their Software Division and called her in based on her work with Tonka Toys and Toy Soldiers (both of which, by the way were taken over by larger overseas companies). At Navarre, Terri worked her way up in a few short years to be VP and General Manager of the Software Division and helped build it from a $50 million division to a $300 million division (the largest and most successful in the Company). She was the first female executive they had there. No small feats.
Do you Madia backers actually think this one essay was his only public display of right-winged conservatism, limited to one undergrad essay? Vet your candidate. Ask him why he didn’t support Bill Clinton? Phyllis Kahn?
voter - “A complete lie on your part. They were looking to add a Director of Merchandising (not marketing by the way) to their Software Division and called her in based on her work with Tonka Toys and Toy Soldiers (both of which, by the way were taken over by larger overseas companies).”
Lie 1 - Firstly Director of Merchandising is a marketing oriented job. Not the operations oriented job that she claims to have had in saving all these jobs.
Lie 2 - Her own ex-husband has acknowledged on this very site, that she joined Navarre as a public relations employee and now u claim that she was hired as a Director of Merchandising
“At Navarre, Terri worked her way up in a few short years to be VP and General Manager of the Software Division and helped build it from a $50 million division to a $300 million division (the largest and most successful in the Company).”
Lie 3 - You mean 18 months not few short years from P.R person to General Manager of Software Division.
“Bonoff got her job when a head hunter contacted her on behalf of Navarre. Not as you claim through some made up family connection. A complete lie on your part. ”
Lie 4 - I challenged her ex-husband on this very board to state that neither Terri Bonoff or her current husband was never friends with Paulsen at that time period. There is a clear trail of people who worked with her husband at companies like county Seat and Net Radio that went on to work at Navarre.
voter - “Do you Madia backers actually think this one essay was his only public display of right-winged conservatism, limited to one undergrad essay? ”
Would you as a Student Body President have voted for a union arrangement that would have stripped students of a voice in any collective barg. arrangement.
Like his views on unions? How about social security and other “entitlements?” Check Madia’s opinions at http://www.mndaily.com/articles/1996/11/04/1935.
Everyone notices one thing. When confronted about Terri Bonoffs “business experience” and “school funding experience” the room goes silent. Why, because facts (especially the inconvenient ones) are hard to shake.
Or your embarrassing lack of facts and substance silences your peers…
“Or your embarrassing lack of facts and substance silences your peers…”
You mean when u claim that she was hired as Director of Merchandising when she was actually a Public Relations person at Navarre !!!!!!!
more lies to cover the fact that you can’t deny Madia’s right wing background.
voter - “more lies to cover the fact that you can’t deny Madia’s right wing background.”
“u claim that she was hired as Director of Merchandising when she was actually a Public Relations person at Navarre ”
Why wont you answer this with a factual response, rather than the standard “more lies” argument. Terri Bonoff is making about her “business experience” record.
My post is based on a fact and you are just mouthing the usual invectives…..
I already answered that. She was hired as Director of Merchandising. You can toy with her background all you want, and you will find a true DFLer. Not a closeted Republican trying to find a way to shortcut into public office.
I would suggest that anyone attempting to win a seat in the 3rd lay off the “closeted Republican” crap. No “true DFL’er” will win in the 3rd period. If this party isn’t open to people like Ash Madia and Jim Hovland who were both Republicans changing parties and moving to become Dems then the DFL will be forever relegated to an inner city party as it is right now. Why do you think there isn’t a purple donut DFL’er elected to US Congress? Possibly because the suburban ring is not left wingers only. Please note….Bachmann, Kline and Ramstad are GOP’ers. They won by pulling Dems. The Dems will never win by damning the Republicans.
I would say that Bonoff’s supporters are hurting her cause very seriously with this attack. I don’t know one Republican who would vote for someone so left wing that they constantly put down anyone who was ever a Republican. How can you win swing voters and Republicans if you can’t abide Republicans? You need to appeal to them - not damn them.
So, if you Bonoff people really want her to win, try thinking like the district. This is one of the things I hold against Bonoff. She wants to run as a “true DFL’er” when there aren’t enough “true DFL’ers” in the 3rd to win a seat as a dogcatcher. It takes everyone to win. Bonoff hasn’t learned that and neither have her supporters apparently.
I don’t hold Ash Madia’s comments and letters to the editor against him when he was a Republican. I don’t hold it against Jim Hovland that he changed parties and became a Dem. I would submit that these changes of heart have made these two candidates MORE electable in this suburban purple district than Bonoff could ever hope to be. Something you Bonoff people should think about. It isn’t just about winning over DFL’ers to win the endorsement. The goal is to win the damned seat in November. It’s been held by the GOP forever. Do you think a CD5 or CD4 true blue Dem will win it? If so, you’re dreaming. You need someone who can appeal to everyone and that’s not Bonoff.
You think someone who has never held a public office can win? You’re dreaming.
Absolutely. Why don’t you ask Tim Walz? Shall I go on? THere are many first timers in DC…..
Isn’t this way old news anyway?
http://mnpublius.com/2007/11/madia-the-dfler/
What’s new about any of this, voter, except that you’ve proven you know how to use google?
For your next trick, post some pics of Madia when he was a teenager and wrote the articles you found - I bet he looks really awkward!
The difference is not how many times someone has won an election but whether or not they understand the difference between state issues and federal issues (Bonoff doesn’t….Madia and Hovland do.) and whether or not they want the job for power (Bonoff does) or whether they want to do the job (Madia does - can’t speak about Hovland here).
Tim Walz… Jim Webb I mean those two come to mind pretty quickly I’m sure I could find more
voter “I already answered that. She was hired as Director of Merchandising. You can toy with her background all you want”
” Terri started at Navarre in PR and later was promoted to General Manager.”
http://mnpublius.com/2008/01/breaking-dfl-3rd-cd-candidates-release-stunning-q4-numbers/
This is stated by her own ex-husband and her ardent supporter on this very blog.
At some point Terri and you should quit lying about her “business background”. Here is her own campaign now claiming she was never hired as a Director and you are claiming otherwise
“At some point Terri and you should quit lying about her “business background”.
What questions do you want answered? Be specific, not rhetorical. I’m unclear as to what you are missing?
voter - “You told me to call Bonoff’s campaign if I didn’t believe you. I did. ”
voter - “She was hired as Director of Merchandising. You can toy with her background all you want”
Terris Ex And Supporter - ” Terri started at Navarre in PR and later was promoted to General Manager.”
http://mnpublius.com/2008/01/breaking-dfl-3rd-cd-candidates-release-stunning-q4-numbers/
How much more clear do you want me to be Dan ? Just facts.
Apparently Terri can rewrite the past to make it more impressive but Ash can’t change his mind, and Jim is just a turncoat republican. Anyone read Polinaut today? There’s a great commentary on exactly what I discussed above…..how the suburbs are not blue….they are purple. No one will win by running to the left of Keith Ellison out here. If a candidate doesn’t appeal to Republicans, Democrats and swing voters, the seat will stay safely Republican for another 50 years. Terri’s definitely NOT the right candidate for this race. She is a good state senator for her district. I hope she serves there long and well.
Terri appealed enough to Democrats, Republicans and swing voters in two senate elections in a district that had historically been republican, with 2 republican mayors. To presume she doesn’t appeal to swing voters and republicans is ignoring the facts and history.
Actually Terri won an election in a district where her opposition shot herself in the foot. Terri benefited from that. That does not equate to “winning” in a district as diverse nor as large as this. You’re the one ignoring history here. Reality bites occasionally and the truth is worth remembering.
first of all Terri Bonoff has to stop lying about her resume. But then i guess once the truth comes out there is nothing left, And this is well evident in each of her public appearances.
“voter” claims to have contacted Terris campaign regarding her resume. Now the “new resume” conflicts with the “old resume” and “voter” develops amnesia regarding the conflicts.
No conflict, rm. Here’s a link to Navarre’s press release when they promoted Bonoff, detailing her previous position with the company. Harping on Bonoff’s business background in an attempt to bolster your candidate is a weak, sexist ploy.
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Navarre Promotes Bonoff To G.M. Of Computer Division; Additional…-a018743845
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Navarre Promotes Bonoff To G.M. Of Computer Division; Additional…-a018743845
From the press release:
MINNEAPOLIS — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Oct. 7, 1996 — Eric Paulson, Chairman and CEO of Navarre Navarre (nəvär`), Span. Navarra (nävä`rä), province (1990 pop. 527,318), N Spain, bordering on France, between the W Pyrenees and the Ebro River. Pamplona is the capital. Corporation, announced today the appointment of Terri Bonoff as General Manager of the Computer Products Division. Bonoff has been the Director of Merchandising and Marketing for the corporation for the past two years. In making the announcement, Paulson stated, “This promotion reflects Terri Bonoff’s industry expertise and leadership skills as well as her `can do’ attitude.”
Prior to joining Navarre, Ms. Bonoff was an executive with Toy Soldiers Corporation, Tonka Toys Corporation and Jackson Graves Department stores. Her broad background in marketing, merchandising and sales makes her eminently qualified to tackle the demands of the competitive computer software industry.
And for the record, CEO Eric Paulson is not related to and spells his name differently from both Bonoff’s ex husband and the republican candidate she will face this fall.
I still don’t see why this makes her a qualified politician. I’m sure she is a fine marketing exec. I’m sick of big shot business people running our government. Why is this the experience she falls back on? Congrats to her and a ‘can do’ attitude. She was also president of Hopkins Babe Ruth League!!!!
This isn’t ‘dirt’ anyone is digging up against her, its a question of what experiences are relevant. Ashwin has some real experiences that allow him to speak with knowledge and conviction about the issues. Go to any debate/forum. Terri’s favorite source is the newspaper.
As for Ash being ‘conservative’ when he was a teenager, HRC was president of young republicans at Wellesly, and I think its pretty clear how important that is in an election. That must be why she is falling apart.
All three are currently running somewhat progressive campaigns for this district, and all but two started out with these positions. Investing in a green economy is something that Ashwin brought up that both Terri and Jim find to be a great idea now. Gay marriage is another issue Ash supported earliest in this campaign. Terri supported it later when it seemed like an ok thing to do, and I think that Jim currently only support civil unions.
Alright — I appreciate a tough fight, hard won campaigns feel damn good, but for the sake of the two candidates who you’re representing knock off this bullshit. Sean
Sean
Why is it bullshit, when i am pointing out that the very basis of Terri Bonoffs candidacy, her “business experience” is based on a fib.
Is this blog so politically correct that such a fib is acceptable rm
voter - “No conflict, rm. Here’s a link to Navarre’s press release when they promoted Bonoff, detailing her previous position with the company. ”
It conflicts plenty with Terris husbands (and big supporter) own statement that she joined Navarre as a PR person. And to prove that she was a PR person initially and not some high falutin exec that from another company that was recruited by Navarre here is a link with her as a PR/IR person.
http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:qbStL5byPCIJ:siliconinvestor.advfn.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=8763844 Navarre Press Release Bonoff&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=16&gl=us
Let us suppose Ashwin learned from his 6 month experience in Iraq and his short employment with the law firm. Somehow those two experiences transformed his thinking about social security being bad for his generation, unions impeding educational reform and vouchers (he called them grants) not hurting public schools etc. With this new found knowledge you all think he is the best candidate to represent the DFL against Eric Paulson. At age 29 with his background, a much better fit would be the state legislature. He would gain some life experience and further his career in politics. The other two candidates at least have been elected to office and have creditials to compare to Eric Paulson’s. Both Bonoff and Hovland are known to be moderates which make them much more electable against the extreme right wing Republican positions of Eric Paulson.
It’s like we have our own minor league version of Obama vs. Clinton. How quaint.
Voter2, You miss the most important distinction. Ash’s experience is in connection with federal issues whereas Terri’s are local. Local issues make her a good fit with her position in the state legislature. Ash can speak about Okinawa (more than 6 months in the military abroad - please correct your comments before posting them) and Baghdad. I”d wager you never spent 6 minutes in a war zone or you wouldn’t belittle that experience. The difference is mindset, expertise and understanding. Ash speaks to and on federal issues. Terri speaks on state issues. Ash should go to Congress and Terri should stay where she can spend the most time on her pet issue of education.
I am not belittling Madia’s service to our country; I applaud his time in the military. However, it does not automatically make him an expert on governmental issues. He needs more experience.
I think it would be wonderful to have someone in Washington who is passionate and knowledgeable about public education.
I think it will be wonderful to have someone in Washington who understands the federal nature of issues and not just has an interest in one issue. I don’t approve of single issue voting. So far Terri has shown very little knowledge of anything but education and the information she has is focused solely on state level educational issues. There’s a huge difference in state and federal issues. We don’t need another Michelle Bachmann and that’s the level of expertise that Terri will bring to DC. In fact, Michelle is better educated, quite frankly. Terrifying when you think about it.
wmd - “So far Terri has shown very little knowledge of anything but education and the information she has is focused solely on state level educational issues.”
Her supporters like voter and voter2 are trying to portray Bonoff as some Joan of Arc of education policy. Instead what we have heard in debates is the usual boiler plate mishmash. At least when Ashwin speaks we hear some great and well thought out ideas.
voter - “Prior to joining Navarre, Ms. Bonoff was an executive with Toy Soldiers Corporation, Tonka Toys Corporation and Jackson Graves Department stores.”
“Tonka was folded into the Hasbro stable of companies, operating out of Hasbro’s Pawtucket, Rhode Island headquarters.”
http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Tonka-Corporation-Company-History.html
Just continuing the same old fib…..Ms. Bonoff was never an “executive” with Tonka Toys. Why so because Tonka Toys was sold to Hasbro in the late 80’s and the management was Hasbro from Rhode Island. Anyone is welcome to check Hasbro SEC docs and you will not find Bonoffs name out there.
Sean
Your blog has done a greater service by allowing people like me to post. As I have stated many a time, if i “knock it off”, then what is the difference between your blog and the Sun Sailor.
A typical election in the burbs before “new media” was where the local party hacks would prop up one of their own with phony letters of achievement to the Sun Sailor and with noone to question the bull.
It has been frustrating to see many a promising candidates smothered by the machine candidates with openly phony credentials.
The questions I have posed Ms. Bonoff are objective questions regarding her stated experience. I do not call her names or ridicule her appearance as others have done.
In my opinion, she has made up her resume to sound politically appealing and i have done the research to contradict her spiel.
I believe, based on the results, my posts have been effective in allowing people to make up their minds about the candidates. rm
I have to support rm’s right to post and question Bonoff’s credentials. There is some revisionist history being rewritten about her time in business. These are relevant. As proven by Gavin Sullivan, many of those CD3 legislators and other legislators who are “backing” Bonoff did so without a clue about anyone else in the race and without any effort to find out anything about them. In other words, they are meaningless. It’s up to us - the voters - to decide who is the best candidate. This is not an irrelevant job. It’s a chance to change a seat from red to blue and it won’t happen with a lightweight like Bonoff in the race. If she’s the candidate then Paulsen will have the seat until he decides to leave it. If it’s Ash or Jim (my preference for Ash), then the DFL can hold it until the winner leaves it. The candidate has to be able to debate not only those of the same party but eventually the other party. Terri can’t even debate successfully with people who agree with her! How on earth can she hold her own against someone who doesn’t?
“DFL activists from across the 3rd district were discussing an alleged push poll from Terri Bonoff’s campaign targeting Madia ”
http://www.mncampaignreport.com/
An act of desperation from the Bonoff campaign. Absolutely. She knows she cannot win on ideas, so she first sends out phony flyers and now push polling. Yes Terri Bonoff will stoop to any level, including lying about her resume.
Mr. Aswin, this is what u get when u run against candiates with no ideas propped up by the party elite.
I hope to heaven that the voters are smart enough to look behind the curtain of Terri’s campaign against Madia and recognize desperation for what it is.
For so many party operatives to jump on Bonoff’s bandwagon early on reveals an inability to learn. Ashwin and Hovland are much better debaters, they offer more specifics and more depth - they would be better U.S. Reps
I am tired of the arguments that they are unworthy because they have a GOP past. Give me a break - when he started college David Strom was a Democrat! In so many races the DFL doesn’t seem to think about clear strategy - one wonders if it is programmed to attrit.
How is it that it took an ordinary corporate working stiff like me to figure out that Bonoff basically fibbed on her resume. Here is a woman who basically was hired on as a Investor Relations person at Navarre and now claims as if she was brought on as some high powered executive.
And yet no one in the party challenges her.
the alleged push polling story by Joe Boedell has been retracted. Bonoff has not engaged in push polling. Further evidence of rm speaking without facts. http://www.mncampaignreport.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=EE0A3AD9325B37D5D44AC284C46314D8?diaryId=1128
The phone call I received was DEFINITELY push polling. I was very upset by the call.