Tag: CD3

Minnesota Leaders Join Together to Condemn Erik Paulsen’s Unprecedented Negative Campaign as “Reckless,” “Inappropriate” and “Desperate”

Paulsen’s coordinated smear campaign uses sexual harassment survivors as political pawns against their will, a new low in Minnesota politics

Excelsior, MN — In a stunning editorial yesterday, Minnesota business and community leaders joined together to condemn Erik Paulsen’s outrageously negative and dishonest campaign. The influential group issued an incredible rebuke of Erik Paulsen’s campaign, labeling it “reckless,” and “inappropriate,” and saying that “he has exhibited some of the worst behavior and judgment that we have ever seen in a congressional campaign.”

Paulsen, who has previously worked hard to craft a “nice guy” image, has repeatedly doubled down on this, and other false, out of context and distorted attacks, in his 2018 campaign against Dean Phillips. And while Republican outside spending groups have garnered national attention for their strategy of coordinated personal attacks based on falsehoods, Erik Paulsen himself has paid for and approved five straight ads containing these lies. Paulsen has even refused to acknowledge a request made by an attorney on behalf of the sexual harassment survivors that he stop using them as political pawns and take the ad down and apologize.

Authors of this article include:

  • Bill and Penny George: Penny is chair of the George Family Foundation, Bill is former chair and CEO of Medtronic.
  • Ed and Valerie Spencer: Ed is a former Allina Health Board Chair, both he and Valerie are community volunteers.
  • Tad and Cindy Piper: Tad is the retired chairman and CEO of Piper Jaffray, both he and Cindy are community volunteers.
  • Terry Saario and Lee Lynch: Terry is the former president of the Northwest Area Foundation, and Lee is cofounder of the advertising firm Carmichael Lynch.
  • Jim and Carmen Campbell: Jim is a former CEO of Wells Fargo Minnesota, both he and Carmen are community volunteers.

They write: Continue reading “Minnesota Leaders Join Together to Condemn Erik Paulsen’s Unprecedented Negative Campaign as “Reckless,” “Inappropriate” and “Desperate””

‘Working mom’ in Erik Paulsen ad is actually a Pennsylvania politician

The scene is straight from Campaign Cinema 101. Natalie Mihalek, self-proclaimed “working mom,” appears in a nice-but-not-too-nice living room, making her seem just like you.

She never says where she’s from. But since this is an ad for suburban Minneapolis Congressman Erik Paulsen, the implication is she’s just an everyday mom from, say, Plymouth or Osseo. The kind who brings lemon bars to science fairs and cheers supportively at her daughter’s T-ball games.

She’s here to talk about how “thrilled” she is with Erik Paulsen’s “middle-class tax cut.”

View the complete October 16 article by Pete Kotz on the CityPages website here.

Paulsen is not Mr. Nice Guy

To the Editor:

Political candidates should talk about what they are going to do for our district instead of trashing their opponent. I am disgusted by Erik Paulsen’s negative TV ads opposing Dean Phillips. They constitute a Trump-worthy, personal smear campaign.

I cringe and mute the TV or change channels every time they come on. Based not on factual information but partial truth and innuendo, I see traces of antisemitism at the margins of these ads. I hope my district will not be fooled by the special interests funding them. We are smart enough to see through the tactics of using character assassination to get votes.

The Minnesota I know and love deserves representation for all of us in the 3rd Congressional District, regardless of party. We deserve and should demand a representative with civility who examines the issues, listens to all sides of an argument and builds consensus. Erik Paulsen won’t meet with his constituents, publishes strategic photo ops with veterans and makes school visits to court the 18-year-old vote. These are all superficial attempts to portray himself as Mr. Nice Guy. He is not. He votes the conservative Republican agenda 97.8 percent of the time, according to ABC’s FiveThirtyEight. We do not need Donald Trump representing the 3rd District. Please vote for Dean Phillips.

Mary Jane Miller, Minnetonka
MInnetonka Sun-Sailor, October 15, 2018

New Phillips Ad Offers a “New Way” Forward, Showcases Broad Support in Race for

Phillips continues to offer a positive alternative to Erik Paulsen’s lies and political distortions

Excelsior, MN – Dean Phillips for Congress released a new TV ad this week. The ad, entitled “New Way,” showcases the broad support Phillips is generating in his campaign, with Democrats, independents and Republicans of all backgrounds joining together to help repair our politics and change Washington.

While Congressman Erik Paulsen continues to wage one of the most dishonest and negative campaigns in Minnesota history, Phillips is running a campaign built on honesty, decency and radical hospitality. In the ad, Phillips is seen with more than 200 of his campaign’s 2,000+ volunteers, all of whom are doing the work of the campaign – phone banking, communicating with voters via social media, assembling lawn signs and even writing handwritten thank you notes to the campaigns now more than 66,000 contributors.

“Our campaign is one where everyone’s invited – Democrats, independents and Republicans who know that we can do better,” said Dean Phillips. “Not only can we clean up corruption in Congress, but we can get past the lies and political distortions that blanket the airwaves, and return to a time  when we were able to disagree without being disagreeable. I’m excited by the response to our message, and for voters seeking a new way forward, I welcome them to join us.” Continue reading “New Phillips Ad Offers a “New Way” Forward, Showcases Broad Support in Race for”

TV ads draw fire in hard-fought Twin Cities congressional races

Accuracy of allegations called into question.

GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen listens to DFL candidate Dean Phillips at their debate at the UBS Forum at Minnesota Public Radio. Credit: Tony Saunders, MPR via AP

A national Republican political group attacks Democratic candidate for Congress Angie Craig in a TV ad for supporting repeal of the federal medical device tax, even though her Republican opponent also supports repealing that tax.

U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen’s latest ad hitting his opponent, Democrat Dean Phillips, over a sexual harassment scandal draws a public rebuke from an attorney in the case who says Phillips had nothing to do with it.

As Election Day draws closer, the TV ad wars in these two suburban Twin Cities districts are growing more intense. Paulsen and Rep. Jason Lewis, the Republican in the neighboring congressional district, are facing Phillips and Craig in two expensive, hard-fought races that are among a handful likely to help determine which party controls the U.S. House next year.

On Friday, attorney Lori Peterson — who represented a group of women who sued Allina Health for sexual harassment in 2007 — blasted Paulsen for making it a campaign issue against Phillips.

View the complete October 12 article by Maya Rao and J. Patrick Coolican on the StarTribune website here.

Democrats are going for laughs in their midterms ads. Republicans are going for fear.

Why 2018 candidates, parties, and PACs are getting creative with their political ads.

Bad political ads are everywhere. You know the ones — footage of a candidate walking down a quaint Main Street, touring a construction site wearing a hard hat, or shaking hands at a senior center while a disembodied narrator intones their life accomplishments.

Those ads make veteran political filmmaker Mark Putnam’s eyes glaze over.

“Without singling out any particular — I don’t need to — there are so many like that,” Putnam told me in a recent interview.

View the complete October 11 article by Ella Nilsen on the Vox.com website here.

Lawyer in Allina sexual harassment case blasts Erik Paulsen ad

The new TV ad from GOP’s Paulsen hits DFL challenger Dean Phillips over harassment lawsuit, but lawyer for claimants says Phillips had ‘no involvement.’

GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen listens to DFL candidate Dean Phillips at their debate at Minnesota Public Radio. Credit: Tony Saunders, MPR via AP

A lawyer for the women who sued Allina Health for sexual harassment blasted U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen on Friday for making it a campaign issue against his Democratic opponent, Dean Phillips.

Phillips served on the Allina board of directors from 2005-11. A new Paulsen TV ad calls Phillips “shady” and charges that he “did nothing” to combat the harassment.

Lori Peterson, a lawyer who specializes in civil rights and represented seven women who filed the lawsuit against Allina in 2007, released a statement Friday saying Phillips had nothing to do with the litigation.

View the complete October 12 article by J. Patrick Coolican on the StarTribune website here.

In 3rd District race, candidates employ flash mobs, dueling ads — and Bigfoot

Erik Paulsen talks as Dean Phillips listens at the debate at the UBS Forum at Minnesota Public Radio. Credit: Tony Saunders, MPR News

On a gloomy fall Wednesday in suburban Minnesota, Bowzer was hitting all the right notes.

Jon “Bowzer” Bauman, the former member of 50s-style rock group Sha Na Na, was playing the 1953 song, “Goodnite, sweetheart, goodnite” on his keyboard. But instead of sweetheart, Bowzer subbed in the name of the local congressman, Republican Erik Paulsen.

“Don’t hate to leave you, but we really must say, goodnight Erik Paulsen, goodnight,” Bowzer sang, leading a small crowd gathered in Excelsior, Minn. This was moments after Bowzer endorsed Democrat Dean Phillips’ campaign for Congress with his jaw agape and an enthusiastic single-arm flex, his signature move.

View the complete article by Briana Bierschbach on the MPR News website here.

Time for a shake-up in 3rd Congressional District

Voters will have to weigh heavily Paulsen’s experience and seniority against Phillips’ fresh perspective in a race that is in the national spotlight.

Erik Paulsen is capable, affable and intelligent. If re-elected he will likely continue to represent the district exactly as he has over the last decade – as a moderate to conservative Republican. He has risen through the ranks to a position on the Ways and Means Committee, chairperson of the Joint Economic Committee and co-chair of the House Medical Technology Caucus.

By now voters in the 3rd District are very familiar with Paulsen, who spent 14 years in the Minnesota Legislature before he was first elected to Congress in 2009. But we believe there is appetite, and need, for change in the district held by Republicans since the 1960s.

View the complete editorial by the ECM Editorial Board on the Sun-Sailor-Post website here.

Erik Paulsen Ad Claims Dean Phillips Ignored Allina Sexual Harassment Claims

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Minnesota Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen is standing by a campaign ad attacking one of Minnesota’s largest health systems.

Paulsen claims Allina Health Care ignored sexual harassment allegations when his 3rd District Democratic opponent Dean Phillips served on the board of directors. It is a claim Phillips calls “a lie.”

The ad accuses Allina of ignoring harassment claims in 2007, and says then-board chairman Phillips “did nothing.”

View the complete post on the WCCO TV website here.