I just cannot help but get the feeling that the Paulsen campaign is losing it. First they allow Madia weeks to introduce himself on TV with no response, then when they get around to releasing an ad they fail to spell-check it (or check the quotes, for that matter), then they air that ad on 9/11 while Madia joined other candidates across the nation in pulling ads in memorial, then Paulsen gets owned by Madia on Almanac, then they call out Ron Carey and Geoff Michel to levy racially-charged attacks, then Paulsen ducks out of his own press conferences, and now Paulsen continues to remain silent on the economy (well, he did snag an endorsement from the NRA today) while Ashwin Madia meets with small business owners in the 3rd with Rep. Rahm Emanuel to talk about the current economic climate (Madia release on the event below the fold).
Do the latest poll numbers have everyone at the Paulsen campaign running around in a mindless panic? That’s the only thing that could explain how they’d allow Madia to so thoroughly dominate the most pressing issue (by far) facing the nation.
This isn’t the beginning either. Last week while Paulsen emisaries were using racially charged attacks, Madia was outlining his own proposals for the bail-out bill. Now, instead of addressing the most significant crisis America has faced in 7 years, and the most significant financial crisis we’ve faced in, arguably, two decades, Paulsen is staying silent. And watch them try to bring up today’s NRA endorsement as a divisive issue even though Madia is clearly pro-gun rights (he quickly put out a release praising the Supreme Court’s ruling on banning DC’s handgun ban) and Paulsen replied “I need the background on that” when asked if he agreed with the decision in an interview on MPR. Let’s see, what could possibly be more important to Minnesotans: a press conference on gun rights when the opponent thoroughly supports 2nd Amendment rights, or what seems to be the total collapse of the economy… I wonder…
Look, I’m not complaining, Team Paulsen being clueless about the issues and what matters to the citizens of the certainly makes it more likely that the DFL will pick up yet another seat this fall. But I just hope they don’t think that because Paulsen is ceding ground that Madia will let up the pace.
Ashwin Madia to Discuss Small Business Solutions
With Congressman Rahm Emanuel
Madia will present ideas offered by Third District small business owners
MAPLE GROVE, MN — On Tuesday, October 7th, Ashwin Madia, the Marine Corps and Iraq War veteran running for Congress in Minnesota’s Third Congressional District, will tour Axonom Inc., an Edina-based small business, accompanied with U.S. House Democratic Caucus Chair, Representative Rahm Emanuel.
Following the tour, Madia will hold a press conference with Congressman Rahm Emanuel to present the ideas suggested by Third District small business owners at a small business owners’ roundtable held October 6. On Monday, Madia met with a diverse group of small business owners from around the Third Congressional District, to hear about the challenges they are facing in the current economic climate.
Please contact Communications Director Dan Pollock if you would like to cover this event.
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Matt: I know you’re an honest guy, but your post is dead wrong. I’m editing this comment by adding a reminder that I work for Paulsen’s campaign. I also want to add that Matt’s busy at law-school and I would bet that someone at Madia’s campaign fed him this “information” for this post. As I noted above, Matt’s an honest guy, but he sure blew it today. Finally, I want to remind people that according to multiple sources, Ashwin Madia sought the endorsement of the NRA.
Matt: I see that you have dramatically changed the post.
This is horrible news for team Paulsen
Michael-
What in your opinion is “dead wrong” about the story.
Also, what is wrong with seeking a NRA endorsement? Tim Walz got the NRA endorsement.
I like that Madia was side-by-side with Rahm Emmanuel meeting with small business owners.
I don’t like that Madia will vote side-by-side with a guy like Rahm Emmanuel if elected to Congress.
Michael oozes the desperation likely rocking Team Paulsen.
what is wrong with Rahm Emmanuel?
Poor DtM. When 11/04 comes and proves his philosophy to be morally and intellectually bankrupt, we can only hope he’ll take his mewling elsewhere. M. Broadcorpse too.
Nothing, Yoni….nothing at all. He’s a strong advocate for our troops….
http://www.house.gov/emanuel/veterans.shtml
I’d think that he and Ash would support the troops hand in hand.
I appreciate the insights into the conservative perspective I get from DtM and how other commenters (lojasmo) can effectively counter with facts and reason in so few words. This site wothout the debate would be dull. Given enough time and information DtM might open his eyes to reality and see the shortcomings of his ideology.
Paulsen can’t win on the issues.
So of course, he’s NOT going to talk about them all that much.
They are on Madia’s side of the table. And he could run the table.
Therefore Paulsen has these stupid issues & sends out that lame state senator who tells us that you have to have tons of kids. That you have to own a house.
Applying their mental SKIP:
Next they’ll tell us you have to LOSE that house, to understand the bailout crisis!!!
One mile in the shoes isn’t enough. Now you have to walk 2 MILES.
If experience is a requisite - then maybe we need to talk about who’s clearly got the requisite experience
to discuss this war - Madia, the guy who WENT. Who put his life on hold to do the service.
Do we measure the depth of the candidate not by having kids - but by the NUMBER of kids? The gender?
Are 5 better than 4?
Are 13 cars better than 1 or 2?
Are boys, worth more points than girls????
That’s right, Paulsen has girls. So this week, the girls are worth more points.
DtM is comedic relief. You laugh AT him, not WITH him!
It does get old though. They are so shallow. They really DON’T want to think.
Talk about lame comments…I was perusing the lively “discourse” (for wont of a better word for the back and forth over there) and found this:
You also have to consider the indicators on the ground, the buzz in the district. Madia seems to be having trouble getting volunteers, he has been outgunned at all the parades. He also seems to be losing the sign war. All of these things are signs of trouble for team Madia. We will see in November.
So, let’s look at these points:
1) buzz on the ground. Where? Within the GOP? Otherwise, who has ever heard or seen of Paulsen outside SD42B?
2) Madia having trouble getting volunteers? What on earth is this about? Seems to be tied to the lie in the next statement. “Outgunned at all the parades”. Let’s see…every parade except the last one the Madia contingent has been double - if not more - than that of the Paulsen contingent. This last parade took place at the same time as a lit drop and other events. It’s called splitting resources when you have multiple events to cover. Additionally, the GOP had 2 entries in this parade whereas the Dems had lots. Add up all of the Dem supporters in this last parade and Paulsen is, again, woefully outnumbered.
3) Loosing the sign war? Where? Only in SD42B (Paulsen’s home district) do you see more than a hand full of signs. In 42B there are a handful of Madia signs yet outside 42B there are lots.
Assessment: commenter is woefully out of touch with the race in the whole of the district, has no clue that there aren’t enough members of the GOP party in the 3rd to elect their candidate without speaking to anyone else (choir practice anyone?), commenter probably lives in Paulsen’s district which indicates that he actually has seen or heard of Paulsen prior to this run and assumes wrongly that everyone else knows him, too. Commenter obviously hasn’t noticed that when driving up to debates that the crowds in blue t-shirts waving Madia signs are not there to support Paulsen…..Nov 5 will be eye-opening for the vicious posters on MDE.
Sorry about that…it helps when I mention where I found this comment….MDE.
I was out putting up 4 x 8 Madia signs yesterday (people are calling us and requesting them) and discovered a large Paulsen and Coleman sign illigelly placed on private property without the owners permission. In the owners words “they just appeared”. I’m sure Paulsen’s people know where they are (very visable going north on 494) so let’s see how long it takes to pull them. And they made such a big deal about a volunteer of ours “removing” (my words, because they were not stolen) 2 planted signs by Brodkorb. By the way, I have driven by the Perkins location most everyday since Aug. 1 and there have NEVER been campaign signs there, except that evening. Paulsen’s in deep trouble, so I await the next sleaze attack ad….Madia is busy engaging the citizens and voters of the 3rd and digging in deeper to make sure he’s prepared to jump right in and start getting this economy back on track. Ashwin Madia…on point and ready to serve!
lojasmo says: “When 11/04 comes and proves his philosophy to be morally and intellectually bankrupt, we can only hope he’ll take his mewling elsewhere.”
Hmmm. Interesting comment. You make it sound as if Nov 4 is the end game. That if you win the election you’ve won the game. I see Nov 4 as the very beginning. If Democrats win in large numbers as they are supposed to, we will then see what they can do. Nothing will be proven until there are results.
You imply that by winning the election, my philosophies will be proven “bankrupt”. That kind of short term thinking and focus on winning an election rather than winning with working policies is what is wrong with this country.
If, in 4, 6, or 8 years, the Democrat policies are resoundingly effective, I’ll be the first to say it was a good thing. But as of November 4, nothing will be proven except that voters want to give someone new a chance to do something.
This is coming from a guy who says that Clinton’s presidency was largely successful, so I know how to give credit when it is due.
dtm…a little bit of a stretch to assume Madia would vote exactly like Emmanuel, or any other Congressperson for that matter. You know what happens when you assume, don’t you?
If Madia can stand there and tell me he may vote right of center, like Ramstad did, he could potentially get my vote.
Something tells me that his base (you all) wouldn’t let that happen.