Capitol View

Capitol View Category Archive: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

The Daily Digest

Posted at 7:26 AM on June 15, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3, Daily Digest

Democrat Mark Dayton released the first ad of his 2010 campaign.

Dayton's decision to start running ads this week means Margaret Anderson Kelliher is the only major DFL candidate who isn't on the air.

The Star Tribune says it will be a blizzard of campaign ads this summer.

Here's where the candidates are buying time.

Independence Party candidate Tom Horner leaves the firm he co-founded.

Republican Tom Emmer's campaign is walking back Emmer's own strong budget comments from April. Regardless of $20 billion or $10 billion (for the biennium), the key question remains: What gets the axe? Full disclosure: the campaign "fact-checks" my story on his agency cuts.

Several of the candidates for governor participated in a renewable energy forum.

The Minnesota AFL-CIO is gearing up for a possible endorsement.

The Carpenters Union backs Democrat Margaret Anderson Kelliher.

National Democrats target GOP Rep. Michele in Minnesota's 6th District.

Randy Demmer catches the NRCC's eye.

Congress

President Obama will address the nation tonight on the BP oil spill.

The president also rallies his base to push for an energy shift.


The doctor's Medicare payment cut has been delayed.

DFL Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken support an escrow fund for the oil spill cleanup.

House Democrats are proposing to cut a portion of the Wall St. Reform bill that is championed by Franken. The measure would create a government panel to assign credit ratings. A spokeswoman for Franken calls the move "very concerning."

DFL Rep. Tim Walz writes an op-ed on making freight rail more competitive.

The Hill profiles the staff director for the House Education and Labor Committee Minority staff director. GOP Rep. John Kline is mentioned.

GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen wants to increase public awareness over peripheral arterial disease.

DFL Rep. Collin Peterson wants a provision in the next federal Farm Bill to fund $50 million a year for retention projects in the Red River Valley.

DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar has started looking into the staffing and regulation of offshore drilling. The L.A. Times piece is an excellent explainer on the patchwork of rules governing offshore drilling.

Under the Dome

Twin Cities nurses will take another strike vote on Monday.

Students and staff react to the proposed cuts at the U of M.

Minnesota protesters will stage a clinic outside of Gov. Pawlenty's office. They're protesting the changes to General Assistance Medical Care.

The Attorney General's office says the Metro Gang Strike Force owes it $236k.

The state begins looking at government innovation.

The Minnesota Film and TV Board is hoping to make Minnesota a 3D TV hotspot.

Pawlenty for Prez Watch

Mitt Romney will speak to Republicans in North Dakota on June 22nd.

Mike Huckabee's supporters in Iowa say keep him on the 2012 list.

What comes after Iowa?

Posted at 1:44 PM on November 11, 2009 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3, Tim Pawlenty


Gov. Pawlenty has scheduled a December trip to New Hampshire. Political consultant Michael Dennehy, who was a senior adviser to John McCain in 2008, confirmed that Pawlenty will be the keynote speaker a fund-raiser for the Republican Senate Majority Committee on December 16th.

"His presence in New Hampshire will help support the State Senate Republican Party in their effort to retake the New Hampshire Senate," Dennehy said.

Dennehy said he wasn't aware of any other events scheduled. When asked if we should read anything into Pawlenty's visit to the critical presidential state Dennehy said "That's not for me to say."

The news was first reported by The Union Leader.

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DFLer Hackett poised to run for Congress

Posted at 12:06 PM on November 3, 2009 by Tim Pugmire (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3, Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: U.S. House

A DFL challenger to Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen is getting ready to enter the 2010 race in Minnesota's 3rd District.

Dr. Maureen Hackett, a physician and forensic psychiatrist from Minnetonka, has filed federal campaign paperwork and has a campaign web site ready to launch. Hackett confirmed her plans today, and said she will seek the DFL endorsement. But she said professional obligations have delayed her announcement.

"I'm planning to run," Hackett said. "And I'm planning to make a announcement very soon."

Hackett declined to go on tape or talk further about her campaign until she makes it official, sometime later this month.

An online biography says Hackett is an Air Force veteran with a private practice in Minneapolis. In addition, she's an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota and teaches the Psychiatry and the Law Clinic at the William Mitchell College of Law.

Hackett has made significant financial contributions to several DFL candidates, including Al Franken, Amy Klobuchar, Ashwin Madia, Colleen Rowley, Elwyn Tinklenberg, Tim Walz and Patty Wetterling. She also donated to the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Ralph Nader.

State Sen. Terri Bonoff, DFL-Minnetonka, said recently that she's open to running again in the 3rd District. Jim Meffert of Edina is also considering a campaign.


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Wisconsin Republican throws Coleman under the bus...

Posted at 8:24 AM on April 30, 2009 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

An official with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is circulating this CBS video featuring Republican Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Here's the exchange between Katie Couric and Ryan:

COURIC: Well, if Al Franken wins, if Al Franken wins...

RYAN: Yeah, most of us think that that's going to happen.

Here's the video:

Ryan also said GOP leadership is "decentralized" right now.

Question of the Day: Does it matter?

Final CD3 debate focuses on health care

Posted at 7:58 PM on October 30, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

DFLer Ashwin Madia, Republican Erik Paulsen and Independence Party candidate David Dillon met for their last scheduled debate Thursday at the headquarters of UnitedHealth Group in Minnetonka. The questions came from the company's employees and most of them dealt with health care reform. The candidates outlined their positions, stuck to their talking points and avoided direct confrontation. Jud Sommer, senior vice president for government affairs, served as moderator.

The audio is a little rough in places.

The debate was not open to the public.

One more debate scheduled in race for Ramstad's seat

Posted at 10:33 AM on October 28, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

There has been a last-minute addition to the debate schedule in Minnesota's tight 3rd District Congressional race.

DFL Ashwin Madia, Republican Erik Paulsen and Independence Party candidate David Dillon will face off one last time Thursday morning at UnitedHealth Group headquarters in Minnetonka. Simon Stevens, CEO of UnitedHealth's Ovations subsidiary, will moderate.

The forum is open only to the company's employees, who will supply the questions. But we will have the audio for you here on Polinaut later that morning.

The candidates met yesterday on MPR's Midday program for what was to be their final debate.

Paulsen and Madia play nice in Edina

Posted at 11:12 PM on October 22, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

In constrast to the TV advertisements running on their behalf, DFLer Ashwin Madia and Republican Erik Paulsen made few direct attacks during their debate tonight in Edina.

cd3-edina.jpg
Left to right: David Dillon, Ashwin Madia and Erik Paulsen are running for Congress in Minnesota's 3rd District. The seat is currently held by retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn. Listen

Independence Party candidate David Dillon was more combative.

"Well, excuse me for being so blunt, but what a bunch of baloney from both my opponents," Dillon said after hearing Madia and Paulsen share their thoughts on reforming Social Security.

Debate Minnesota organized the forum. The three candidates have one more debate, and it will air live on Minnesota Public Radio News. They appear together on Monday, Oct. 27 as part of Midday's "Meet the Candidates" series.

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Pelosi stumps for Madia; Pawlenty and Kline defend Paulsen

Posted at 8:27 PM on October 20, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

The two leading candidates vying for U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad's open House seat got a little help from some high-profile friends today.

DFLer Ashwin Madia appeared at an event in Bloomington flanked by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis.

Pelosi and Klobuchar both congratulated Madia on an article in today's Washington Post, which called him a "poster boy for Democratic hopes."

While the event was mostly focused on lauding Madia, Kelliher did get in a jab at Paulsen, saying he is not the rightful heir to Ramstad's moderate Republican mantle.

"[Paulsen] has a thin record of working across party lines and making progress on important issues, and in fact, for that matter, a thin record of accomplishing things on most issues," Kelliher said. "In the ten years I have served with Erik, he has been one of the most partisan members of the House."

Paulsen disputed that, pointing out that most of the bills he has authored in recent years have been bi-partisan efforts.

Paulsen defends his record on veterans' issues

Meanwhile, Paulsen's campaign called a press conference to respond to a deluge of direct mail and television ads that have sought to paint him as an opponent of veterans programs.

"This is part of a nationwide, really deceptive campaign," U.S. Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., said at the event. "It's a cookie-cutter attack against Repubicans from coast to coast to make people think that the Republicans are somehow conspiring against veterans."

The attacks in question have not come from the Madia campaign. They are from a variety of independent groups, including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and VoteVets.org.

One VoteVets flier blasts Paulsen for allegedly opposing the so-called Minnesota G.I. Bill.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn., came to Paulsen's defense on that one.

Pawlenty said he and Paulsen opposed the version of the bill referenced in the flier, in part because it had less veterans funding than Pawlenty had requested. Paulsen voted for a later version of the bill.

"To look at that chain of events and suggest somehow that Erik is systematically opposed to veterans or members of the military or their families is preposterous," Pawlenty said.

Bachmann's comments overshadow both events

While the 3rd District race is still seen as one of the hottest in the country, reporters at both events were looking for comments on the increasingly competitive race in Minnesota's 6th District.

Incumbent first-term U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., inadvertantly gave her DFL challenger a major financial boost on Friday, when she told MSNBC she believed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama may harbor "anti-American" views.

"The comments, as I have read them are not comments I would have made," Kline said.

Paulsen called them "inappropriate." So did Pawlenty, though he added that it's not the first time a candidate has said something off-base in the heat of a campaign.

"It's just the nature of talking all day," Pawlenty said. "Some words are going to come out of your mouth that you could have said better, should have said better, should have done differently. And we've all been there to varying degrees. I know I've been there."

But Pelosi was not so forgiving. She called Republicans like Bachmann "bankrupt in their ideas" about jobs, education, health care and energy policy.

"So what do they do? They question the patriotism of others," Pelosi said in response to a question from a reporter at the Madia event. "I think that a statement of the kind Congresswoman Bachmann made dishonors the position she holds and discredits her as a person."

To hear more of what the candidates and their various guests of honor said today, use the audio players below.

Pelosi on Bachmann:

Pelosi on Madia:

Madia on Madia:

Klobuchar:

Kelliher:

Kline defends Paulsen:

Pawlenty does, too:

Pawlenty, Kline and Paulsen take questions:

Lt. Col. Alex Plechash weighs in at Paulsen press conference:


Madia, Paulsen and Dillon on KSTP tonight

Posted at 4:50 PM on October 17, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

The congressional candidates in Minnesota's closely watched 3rd District race meet for their fifth debate tonight. It's sponsored by the League of Women Voters and airs live on KSTP channel 5 at 8 p.m.

We'll post the link on Polinaut once the video is available online.

David Dillon at the Humphrey Institute

I-P candidate David Dillon spoke at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute today. He offered his thoughts on health care reform, military spending, immigration policy and why he doesn't feel welcome in either the Democratic or Republican Parties.

Republican Erik Paulsen and DFL Ashwin Madia had their turns at the Humphrey Institute earlier this week.

Madia and Paulsen running almost even in money race

Posted at 5:10 PM on October 15, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

DFLer Ashwin Madia out-fundraised his Republican opponent Erik Paulsen by more than $100,000 over the last three months, pulling almost even in both total dollars raised and cash on hand.

Madia and Paulsen have both pulled in more than $2 million dollars overall and had about half of that left as of the end of September, according to federal campaign finance filings released today. Paulsen had about $15,000 more cash on hand than Madia did at that time.

The race in Minnesota's 3rd District is on track to be the most expensive congressional contest in Minnesota history. The campaigns and outside groups trying to influence the race have pumped $5.8 million into local television stations' advertising coffers.

Independence Party candidate David Dillon has raised only $6,500 since the beginning of July. As of the filing, he had about $100,000 left of the $120,000 he has donated to his own campaign.

Democrats upgrade assessment of Bachmann challenger

Posted at 3:56 PM on October 14, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is adding Minnesota's 6th District to its Red to Blue program.

That's a distinction the national Democratic group gives to Republican-held seats it views as highly vulnerable.

First-term U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., is facing a challenge in the 6th from former state Transportation Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg, who has endorsements from both the DFL and Independence parties.

The DCCC helps selected Democratic candidates by running independent advertisements praising them, or far more often, lambasting their opponents. The DCCC had previously placed the 6th in its Emerging Races category, the tier below Red to Blue.

Tinklenberg spokesman John Wodele said the campaign learned about the upgrade, and the increased potential for national support it represents, last night.

"It's recognition that we really have a shot at this seat," he said.

Paulsen and Madia delve into policy details

Posted at 3:17 PM on October 14, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

The University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs is hosting separate forums this week with the three candidates running to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn.

Republican Erik Paulsen spoke today about global competitiveness (free trade, foreign language education, tax policy, etc.)

DFLer Ashwin Madia spoke yesterday and addressed energy policy (carbon cap and trade, bio-fuels, reducing oil consumption, etc.)

After outlining their proposals, both candidates sat down for a question and answer session with Larry Jacobs, director of the Humphrey Institute's Center for the Study of Politics and Governance.

Independence Party candidate David Dillon gets his turn at the Humphrey Institute lectern on Friday at noon. If you can't be there in person, check Polinaut for the audio.

Dillon, Madia and Paulsen tangle on TPT

Posted at 8:33 PM on October 10, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

The candidates for Congress in Minnesota's closely contested 3rd District race met for a short but heated debate tonight on Twin Cities Public Television.

Republican Erik Paulsen, DFLer Ashwin Madia and Independence Party candidate David Dillon sparred over the Wall Street bailout, fiscal responsibility and the increasingly negative tone of the race.

Madia raises nearly $1 million in latest quarter

Posted at 1:50 PM on October 9, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

DFL 3rd District congressional candidate Ashwin Madia's latest quarterly fundraising haul was his biggest, yet. This is still more proof that the race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., is one of the hottest in the country.

Madia raised $997,632 between July 1 and Sept. 30, according to a press release his campaign handed out today. That tops the previous quarter, when Madia pulled in a little less than $700,000.

Overall, he's raised more than $2.1 million, but Madia's campaign did not say how much of that he has left.

Madia will have to reveal how much cash he has on hand by Oct. 15. That's the deadline for campaigns to file their fundraising reports with Federal Election Commission.

Republican Erik Paulsen's has not released his 3rd quarter fundraising totals, yet, campaign says it won't release fundraising numbers until next week, but it did announce he crossed the $2 million mark in an e-mail to supporters on Sept. 16.

Independence Party candidate David Dillon, a printing company CEO, only raised about $6,500 between July and September. Most of his $157,000 total came out of his own pocket, making him one of the top "self-funders" in the country. He has a little less than $100,000 left on hand.

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A look at the other "lies" alleged in Paulsen ad

Posted at 3:57 PM on October 8, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

Republican congressional candidate Erik Paulsen's latest ad accuses DFLer Ashwin Madia of telling three lies.

One of the alleged lies involved an interview with MPR news. I put that in context in a post last night. Today, I'll tackle the other two.

Strip club money

The first alleged lie the ad cites actually isn't Madia's. It's from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which accused Paulsen of accepting money raised in a strip club. Paulsen cites a KSTP fact check of those DCCC mailers, which found the strip club allegations so misleading it gave them an 'F.'

While those mailers came from the DCCC, the Madia campaign has made similar charges in a press release, as we've noted on Polinaut in the past.

The PAC flap

The ad also accuses Madia of lying when he says he hasn't taken money from corporate political action committees.

In a conference call today (Listen) Paulsen and his researcher Michael Brodkorb said they consider that a "lie," because Madia did recieve a $500 check from a New Jersey-based law firm called Sterns & Weinroth.

Madia's campaign has said it doesn't consider law firms corporations. But since Sterns & Weinroth is technically organized as a "professional corporation," (instead of a partnership) the Madia campaign returned that $500 contribution in August. At the time, a Madia spokesman called that gesture "symbolic."

More background on the PAC spat is available in this earlier post.

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New Paulsen ad accuses Madia of "lying"

Posted at 1:46 AM on October 8, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert (5 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

The same day Republican congressional candidate Erik Paulsen appeared at a press conference decrying the negative tone of Minnesota's 3rd District race, he also released a new television ad accusing his DFL opponent Ashwin Madia of repeatedly lying.

One of the three alleged "lies" is based on a story broken right here on Polinaut.

It dates back to Madia's DFL endorsement battle with state Sen. Terri Bonoff. Madia won that endorsement even though some DFL delegates were suspicious of his Republican past.

In talking about that issue, Madia often said he had supported John McCain during the Republican presidential primary in 2000. Two days before the DFL endorsing convention, I asked him about that:

MPR: 2000 election, of course, McCain wasn't the nominee. Did you actually vote for Bush in 2000?

Madia: No.

MPR: You didn't? You voted for Al Gore?

Madia: Yes.

But Madia told another reporter that he had voted for Bush that year. When I saw that article, I asked the Madia campaign which statement was true.

"He flubbed it with you," Madia's then-spokesman Chris Truscott said, explaining that Madia had, in fact, voted for Bush. Truscott said Madia had been distracted during our interview and misspoke.

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Ramstad complains race for his seat has turned nasty

Posted at 4:49 PM on October 7, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

Retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., says the man trying to keep his seat in Republican hands is the victim of a smear campaign.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has been running television ads and mailing out fliers accusing Republican candidate Erik Paulsen of voting against veterans and taking campaign money raised at a strip club.

ramstad-outraged.jpg
Ramstad hold up fliers claiming Paulsen took money from a strip club fundraiser

Independent media reports have found both those claims highly misleading. In an event organized by the Paulsen campaign, Ramstad said it's the dirtiest campaign he's seen during his career in politics.

"I'll never forget some of those early campaigns and I've never seen trash like what's been leveled against Erik Paulsen," Ramstad said. "I've never seen such gutter politics, certainly not in Minnesota."

Paulsen also took some questions from reporters at the event. You can hear the whole press conference here:

Paulsen's DFL opponent Ashwin Madia has no control over the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. But Madia says "to the extent they are inaccurate" he condemns the ads.

The National Republican Congressional Committee, the GOP counterpart to the DCCC, had planned to run ads supporting Paulsen, but has recently scaled back ad buys with at least two Twin Cities television stations.

Paulsen told WCCO Sunday that when all the spending by outside groups like the DCCC is included, he expects to be outspent in the race four-to-one.

Madia releases new policy details

Meanwhile, Madia Tuesday released some new policy proposals aimed at helping small businesses.

They included a tax credit for companies that cover a "significant portion" of their workers' health insurance premiums.

In a phone interview this afternoon, I talked with Madia about the proposals, Ramstad's comments and a new Paulsen ad that accuses him of lying.

The Paulsen ad is not available online, yet, but when it is, Polinaut will have the link for you.

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Chamber cancels congressional debate for 3rd District

Posted at 11:56 AM on October 2, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

The next debate scheduled in Minnesota's hotly contested 3rd District race has been canceled.

The Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce organized the early morning forum to be held on Monday, Oct. 6. DFLer Ashwin Madia, Republican Erik Paulsen and Independence Party candidate David Dillon all agreed to attend, but the chamber has canceled the debate because it couldn't sell enough tickets.

The event, which included breakfast, would have cost $25 for chamber members and $40 for non-members.

There are four other debates still on the schedule. Three are broadcast live by various media outlets. There is only one, sponsored by Debate Minnesota, which interested voters can watch in person. Here are the details:

Fri., 10/10 - 7 p.m. - Almanac - Airs live on Twin Cities Public Television, channel 2. If you miss it, there will be rebroadcasts.

Fri, 10/17 - 8 p.m. - League of Women Voters - Airs live on KSTP, channel 5.

Wed. 10/22 - 8 p.m. - Debate Minnesota - Valley View Middle School, 6750 Valleyview Rd., Edina. (Free!)

Mon. 10/27 - 11 a.m. - Minnesota Public Radio News - Airs live on Midday with Gary Eichten.

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Madia likely would have voted for the bailout

Posted at 5:34 PM on October 1, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

DFL 3rd District congressional candidate Ashwin Madia had his own press conference today. He responded to questions raised yesterday by his Republican opponent Erik Paulsen's campaign about Madia's ties to the Minneapolis suburbs.

madia-presser.jpg
Madia responds to experience questions. Listen

Madia called the charges that he lacks sufficient suburban life experience "bizarre." State Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina, leveled that criticism yesterday on behalf of the Paulsen campaign. He said Madia will have trouble understanding the problems facing suburban families, because Madia, 30, hasn't raised children or had to pay a mortgage.

"I find it slightly unnerving that people who have no problem sending 17- and 18-year-old kids 10,000 miles to fight and die in this war have such a problem sending a 30-year-old a few hundred miles to help end this war," said Madia, who served in Iraq as a Marine Corps lawyer.

Michel clarified his statement today, saying his concerns also include Madia's lack of legislative experience. Michel and Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Ron Carey spoke with reporters after Madia did. Listen

In response to reporters' questions, Madia said he would "probably" have voted for the Wall Street bailout package that went down to defeat Monday in the U.S. House. Madia said the vote should have been delayed, and he is still hoping for a bill with more protections for tax payers and oversight outside the Treasury Department.

Independence Party candidate David Dillon says he would have voted against the package. He thinks Congress should "tee up" a bailout bill, but not start buying up mortgage-backed securities unless credit markets freeze up.

As of this posting, the Paulsen campaign has not said which way he would have voted on Monday's bill. At a debate last week, Paulsen raised concerns about the bailout's hefty price tag, and said at that point "I don't think I would be supporting it." Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, who holds the seat Paulsen, Madia and Dillon are seeking, voted against Monday's bill.

Madia also said there is nothing he can do about the negative ads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is running against Paulsen. KSTP has fact-checked a DCCC TV ad, giving it a 'D,' and it flunked a DCCC mailer accusing Paulsen of accepting campaign donations raised at a Las Vegas strip club.

By law, Madia cannot coordinate with the DCCC and he has no control over what ads they run.

"I wish there was something I could do about them, but there's not," Madia said of the ads. "To the extent that they're inaccurate, I condemn them."

Madia didn't say he believed the ads were inaccurate, and his campaign has also raised the strip club money accusation.

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Paulsen camp knocks Madia for lacking kids, mortgage

Posted at 6:00 PM on September 30, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert (13 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

Republican congressional candidate Erik Paulsen's campaign says his DFL opponent Ashwin Madia lacks the "suburban life experience" to represent Minnesota's 3rd District.

"Raising a family in the district, sending your kids to the public school, owning a home, working in the 3rd District, paying property taxes in the 3rd District. Erik Paulsen has done all these things. And Ashwin Madia has not," said state Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina, who spoke on behalf of the Paulsen campaign at a press conference today.

michel-image.jpg

Michel questions Madia's suburban bona fides. Listen

And Michel argues those distinctions matter to voters.

"Do you feel what my family feels trying to save for college?" he asked. "Do you feel what my family feels sending our kids to public schools? When you talk about No Child Left Behind and the growth of the federal government's role in education, do you feel that as a father? These are all important, sort of minimum requirements for a member of Congress from the 3rd District."

Paulsen, 43, is a state legislator and father of four. Madia, 30, is a bachelor, and he's making his first run for office. He's also a lawyer and an Iraq war veteran.

"That is certainly something to be applauded, but it's not a shortcut to Congress," Michel said.

The Madia campaign called the press conference "desperate" and "offensive," and said it smacked of a "failing campaign."

"I think the key things in this race are going to be the issues, and how we handle two wars and an economic crisis, not whether someone lives in this city or that," said state Rep. Steve Simon, DFL-St. Louis Park, speaking for the Madia campaign. "I think people want answers and results and they're not much concerned about someone's mortgage."

Michel called Madia a "carpetbagger," because Madia wasn't living in the district when he decided to run for Congress. But Madia's campaign says he has strong ties to Minneapolis suburbs.

Madia's parents moved to the 3rd District when he was a junior in high school, and his family still lives there. After college and law school, Madia joined the Marine Corps and went to Iraq.

Madia had been living in Minneapolis and working at a law firm there last year, when Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad announced he wasn't running for re-election. That set off one of the most competitive congressional contests in the country. Madia decided to enter the race.

He now rents an apartment in Plymouth, which is part of the district.

Simon, the Madia campaign's official surrogate, pointed out that Ramstad, who holds the seat Madia and Paulsen are seeking, doesn't have children either.

"The voters continuously and repeatedly returned [Ramstad] to office, because he commanded respect from so many people on such a broad level," Simon said. "And I think the same thing is happening here, and I think that scares the people who are behind in this election."

The Madia campaign plans a press conference tomorrow to respond to the Paulsen campaign's criticisms.

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Madia and Paulsen take off the gloves

Posted at 3:30 PM on September 29, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

The gauzy biographical ads about Madia the Marine and Paulsen the family man have given way to more acidic attacks in the race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn.

DFLer Ashwin Madia has released a T.V. ad criticizing Republican Erik Paulsen for his role in brokering Minnesota's 2003 state budget deal, which included cuts to early childhood education funding and after school programs. The Legislature made lots of cuts in government spending during that budget cycle, because Minnesota faced an historic $4 billion shortfall.

The ad then claims Paulsen "voted for bonuses for political appointees." The appointees in question were House staffers, and Paulsen did head up the committee that approved the bonuses. But it's worth noting that Matt Entenza, who was House DFL minority leader at the time, voted for those bonuses, too. So did all the members of the committee who were there, Democrats and Republicans, alike.

The Madia campaign calls the ad a "rebuttal" to one Paulsen put out last week.

The Paulsen ad accuses Madia of supporting a variety of tax increases. It includes video of Madia at a candidate forum in January saying he would "look at increasing" the capital gains tax.

Madia spokesman Dan Pollock says Madia doesn't have specific proposals related to the capital gains tax.

Madia's main tax policy difference with Paulsen relates to the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts, set to expire after next year. Paulsen wants to make all those cuts permanent. Madia wants to make them permanent for those making less than $250,000 a year. But people making more than that would see their taxes rise under the Madia plan.

Now both campagins have released ads attacking each other. Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has been running a scathing ad for a few weeks now, implying Paulsen values golf courses more than veterans.

That DCCC ad failed a fact check by KSTP's Tom Hauser. The Paulsen campaign called on Madia to denounce the ad. The Madia campaign refused.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has also vowed to spend money in the race to represent the Minneapolis suburbs. But it has far fewer funds at its disposal than the DCCC.

Third 3rd District debate the most lively yet

Posted at 8:22 AM on September 23, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

The candidates running to replace Jim Ramstad met for their third debate last night. The Jewish Community Relations Council, which organized the forum, gave them the option to request one minute rebuttals, and the candidates made use of them often.

DFLer Ashwin Madia, Independence Party candidate David Dillon and Republican Erik Paulsen engaged in feisty exchanges on topics including Iran, Medicare, global warming and taxes.

If you're pressed for time, you can read or listen to a four-minute summary of the debate.

And if you want to hear the whole hour-and-a-half long program, just click play below.

jcrcdebate.jpg

Left to right: Paulsen, Dillon and Madia pose together following their Sept. 22 debate at Bet Shalom Synagogue in Minnetonka.

3rd District candidates will be on Midday next month

Posted at 11:45 AM on September 16, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

Just eight days before voters go to the polls, the candidates in one of the hottest congressional races in the country will appear together on Minnesota Public Radio News.

Democrat Ashwin Madia, Republican Erik Paulsen and Independence Party candidate David Dillon will be Gary Eichten's guests on Oct. 27. The program will be part of Midday's "Meet the Candidates" series, running for half an hour starting at 11 a.m. Because of the short time frame, Midday will not be taking listener questions that day.

It is the last joint appearance before election day currently on the candidates' schedules.

3rd debate photo for blog.jpg
Dillon, Madia and Paulsen first appeared together last month in a debate sponsored by the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce.

The candidates face off tonight in an AARP-sponsored forum. That airs live on Twin Cities Public Television at 7 p.m.

Next week the candidates meet twice more. There is a Sept. 22 forum at Bet Shalom Congregation in Minnetonka starting at 7 p.m. That one is sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Then on Wednesday, Sept. 24, they'll share the stage at the Plymouth Creek Center in Plymouth. The Minnesota Senior Federation organized that forum, which starts at 9 a.m.

Madia and Paulsen camps trade attacks over "dirty money"

Posted at 6:11 PM on September 15, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

Money itself is becoming an issue in Minnesota's 3rd District congressional race, a contest shaping up to be one of the most expensive in the country.

Republican Erik Paulsen's campaign says DFLer Ashwin Madia should return about $50,000 he has received from political action committees and campaign funds associated with U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., because Rangel is under investigation for possible ethics violations.

The campaign was echoing a press release from the National Republican Congressional Committee.

"It's almost like dirty money here is what we're dealing with," Paulsen's Communication Director Stacey Johnson said. "He's taking all this money from someone who's obviously having some ethical issues."

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Rangel has admitted he failed to pay taxes on $75,000 he earned from a property he owns in the Dominican Republic. The House Ethics Committee is also investigating a charge that Rangel improperly used a rent stabilized Harlem apartment as a campaign office.

In addition to giving back campaign contributions associated with Rangel, Paulsen's campaign says Madia should call for Rangel to resign as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which is instrumental in writing U.S. tax law.

Madia's campaign fired back with a list of donations Paulsen has received from a variety of Republican lawmakers, a few of whom the Madia campaign accused of ethics problems. The campaign did not make specific accusations against most of the Republicans listed.

Madia Communications Director Dan Pollock said Madia would not consider returning Rangel's money unless Paulsen returned the donations on the list. But he said it is fair game for campaigns to scrutinize each other's donor lists.

"I do think there are people who will decide who to vote for in this race based on who is giving money to these candidates," Pollock said. "The way you raise money is a good indication of how you'll conduct yourself in Congress."

Speaking before the Madia campaign issued its release, Johnson said if concerns were raised about the Paulsen campaign's donors, it would decide on a case-by-case whether the donations should be returned.

"If something like that were to happen, we would assess it and if necessary we would return the money if that were the right thing to do," she said.

DCCC and Madia campaign jump on typo

Posted at 1:38 PM on September 12, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

Third District DFL congressional candidate Ashwin Madia's communication director just forwarded along a press release ripping his Republican opponent for a typographical error.

The release from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee pointed out that some versions of Erik Paulsen's first television ad contain the misspelling "Rebublican."

paulsen bub.jpg

The version of the ad with the misspelling is the one co-sponsored by the National Republican Congressional Committee, the counterpart to the DCCC. The version of the ad on Paulsen's Web site contains no typos.

When pressed, the Madia campaign's Dan Pollock acknowledged voters probably wouldn't be making up their minds based on a spelling mistake.

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Paulsen's first TV ad hits YouTube

Posted at 5:03 PM on September 9, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

If you can't wait for the commercial break on a T.V. set near you (or you aren't in the same media market as Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District,) you can now watch Republican candidate Erik Paulsen's first television ad on YouTube.

MPR's Tom Scheck got a sneak peak at the ad earlier today, while he was hanging out at MPR's vaunted Capitol Bureau.

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3rd District candidates to face off Sept. 16

Posted at 5:12 PM on September 8, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

The second debate in Minnesota's hotly contested 3rd District congressional race is on the schedule.

AARP will sponsor a forum on Sept. 16 with the candidates seeking to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn. The debate will focus on a variety of topics, including health care, social security and the economy, AARP Minnesota State Director Michele Kimball said.

Republican Erik Paulsen and DFLer Ashwin Madia have already agreed to attend.

Independence Party-endorsed candidate David Dillon will also be invited, provided he beats his opponent in tomorrow's primary election. Dillon's campaign said yesterday it was considering legal action, because he had not been invited to the forum.

Dillon, Madia and Paulsen last squared off on Aug. 21. MPR has a summary and the un-edited audio available for your listening pleasure: Listen

The one-hour Sept. 16 debate airs live on Twin Cities Public Television at 7 p.m. TPT's Mary Lahammer will moderate.

IP's Dillon will be in AARP debate, if it happens

Posted at 10:56 AM on September 8, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

In spite of rules that would seem to exclude him, it looks like Independence Party candidate David Dillon has won a seat at an AARP debate tentatively scheduled for Sept. 16.

david-dillon.jpg
Dillon printed out the entire federal tax code -- all 6,000 pages of it -- and brought it to the last debate, sponsored by the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce.

Dillon, who is running for the seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., put out a press release Sunday complaining that AARP had excluded him from the forum.

Dillon has far less money to buy advertising than his better-known opponents. So debates like AARP's are one of his few opportunities to get his name out on television.

His campaign said it was looking into taking legal action against AARP and Twin Cities Public Television, the media sponsor for the debate.

AARP called that press release premature.

"We're not 100 percent sure we're going to have a debate, yet," AARP Minnesota State Director Michele Kimball said.

While the debate is advertised on the AARP Web site, Kimball said she has not received confirmation from the campaigns for Republican Erik Paulsen or DFLer Ashwin Madia.

She said Dillon will get an invitation to any debate AARP holds, provided he wins the IP nomination in tomorrow's primary.

Dillon has the party endorsement, but Eden Prairie resident Steev (yes, it's really spelled like that) Ramsdell has also filed as an IP candidate in the race. Ramsdell acknowledges on his Web site that his chances are slim and he does not appear to be waging a particularly active campaign.

AARP's official rules say that for candidates to be included in debates they must:

1. be registered with the Secretary of State as an official candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the State of Minnesota whose name will appear on the official ballot on November 4, 2008;

2. have received their political party's nomination;

3. have a campaign office open by September 1, where he or she and/or campaign staff may be contacted during regular business hours;

4. be officially registered with the Federal Election Commission as an election candidate; and

5. if an independent candidate, the individual must register at least 5 percent in voter support in a public statistically significant poll conducted by news media or other independent organizations (not done for a political party or candidate); or

6. if a political party candidate, the party must have received at least 5 percent of the last general election vote, if the party ran a candidate. If the political party ran no candidate in the previous election, Rule 5 above applies.

Technically, Dillon doesn't meet the criteria. He doesn't qualify under rule six, because the Independence Party didn't run a candidate in the 3rd Congressional District two years ago.

"No one was going to run against Ramstad. I mean, come on," Dillon campaign manager Bruce Anderson said. "Even the DFL candidate that year was just a sacrificial lamb, in my opinion."

The only "public statistically significant poll" so far has been a Survey USA poll that showed Paulsen leading Madia 44-41, within the margin of error.

Dillon wasn't included in the poll, but "other" got 10 percent and six percent of the respondents were undecided. Still, that would seem to exclude him under rule five, above.

But Kimball said the rules are flexible, and she was happy to make an exception for Dillon once he wins his primary.

"I'm tickled he wants to be included in our debate," she said.

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Paulsen's speech

Posted at 6:58 PM on September 4, 2008 by Molly Bloom (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008, Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

paulsen.jpg

Here is Erik Paulsen, Republican candidate in the 3rd Congressional District race, addressing the RNC:

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Tonight at the X

Posted at 12:40 PM on September 4, 2008 by Molly Bloom
Filed under: Campaign 2008, Campaign 2008: President, Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

Erik Paulsen, Republican candidate in MN's 3rd Congressional District, will address the Republican National Convention tonight around 5:30. He'll speak for about five minutes on his reform and pro-growth agenda.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty will also give a short speech around 7 p.m. about Sen. John McCain's life story.

Pawlenty also told WCCO radio that the podium setup inside the Xcel Energy Center is being reworked into the kind of town-hall setting in which McCain is most comfortable.

Davis and Paulsen address the delegates

Posted at 6:43 PM on September 3, 2008 by Molly Bloom
Filed under: Campaign 2008, Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD1, Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

As I wrote yesterday, the non-incumbent Republicans running for U.S. Congress addressed the Minnesota delegation at their Tuesday breakfast.

Now you can feel like you were there. Here are the speeches from the candidates in the two most competitive races:

Brian Davis (running in the 1st Congressional Distrcict)

and Erik Paulsen (running in the 3rd Congressional District)

3rd District candidates head north to court hunters; Madia to attend DNC

Posted at 12:45 PM on August 16, 2008 by Melanie Sommer
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

madiagun_orig.jpg Posting this on behalf of MPR's Curtis Gilbert:

Third Congressional candidates Ashwin Madia (DFL) and Erik Paulsen (R) leave the district they hope to represent this afternoon to put in appearances at Game Fair, which bills itself as "the nation's largest outdoors, pre-hunting, family participation event." Game Fair is held annually in the town of Ramsey, just north of the 3rd Congressional District.

In conjunction with his appearance, the Madia campaign released a policy statement criticizing recent state fee increases on licenses for fishing, hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation. While Madia is running for a federal office, not a state one, he said he supports "the use of federal funds to reduce the costs of Minnesota's outdoor activities."

Madia, a lawyer, Iraq war veteran and former Republican, also said he supports this year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Washington D.C.'s handgun ban and affirming that the 2nd Amendment guarantees an individual right to own firearms.

Then, it's on to Denver

Madia is the only non-incumbent DFL congressional candidate who will attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver later this month.

Communications Director Dan Pollock said the campaign made the decision on Friday. Pollock said he wasn't sure how long Madia would stay in Denver or what his exact itinerary would be, but said he would probably try to raise some money and meet with Minnesota's DNC delegation.

All of Minnesota's Democratic members of Congress are super-delegates to the convention and will be there. But the DFLers challenging Republican U.S. Reps. Michele Bachmann and John Kline plan to skip the DNC.

"Our time is better spent here," said John Wodele, a spokesman for Bachmann's challenger, former state transportation commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg.

A spokeswoman for former Watertown Mayor Steve Sarvi, who is running against Kline, said the same thing.

There is no incumbent running in Madia's race. U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., is retiring, and money from around the country has been pouring into race, because the 3rd is seen as a highly competitive swing district.

Madia, Paulsen and Independence Party candidate David Dillon face off in their first debate Thursday morning.

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The feature examines statements made by Minnesota politicians and checks them for accuracy. Based on data analysis, document reviews and interviews with non-partisan analysts, statements are rated either true, false or inconclusive. PoliGraph is a collaboration between Minnesota Public Radio News and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. More

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