Is Paulsen really a moderate?

To the Editor:

Is Erik Paulsen really a moderate? I say no. His votes, actions and inactions in the Trump era have proven exactly the opposite – that as the Republican Party has become more and more extreme, so has Erik Paulsen.

Recently, Paulsen said he supports Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. It is one thing to secretly toe the party line by voting with Trump’s positions nearly every time, but to approve a jurist as radically conservative as Brett Kavanaugh completely dispels the myth that Paulsen has a moderate agenda.

Brett Kavanaugh is a partisan figure who has been active in Republican politics since George W. Bush was president. Kavanaugh has also said he believes a president should be able to fire the special counsel. This goes against a key promise that Trump campaigned on – “draining the swamp.” Paulsen’s support for Kavanaugh proves that he doesn’t care about upholding the values of justice and fairness that our legal system depends on. He just cares about advancing his conservative agenda.

I’m normally not this brash, but enough is enough! Minnesota deserves better than Paulsen. I can say that after seeing Paulsen stand with Trump on nearly every issue, Representative Paulsen does not represent me.

Abby Rosacker, Wayzata
Wayzata Sun-Sailor, July 19, 2018