Tag: Erik Paulsen

Grass-roots efforts aim to raise turnout in Third District

Republican U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen and DFL challenger Dean Phillips at their debate earlier in the campaign. Credit: Glen Stubbe, StarTribune

In the competitive Third District race for Congress, pitting Republican U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen against Democratic businessman and first-time candidate Dean Phillips, supporters on both sides are turning to grass-roots efforts in hopes of boosting the Nov. 6 turnout — and securing a victory.

At an Eden Prairie house in late August, a group of volunteers organized by progressive activists from Indivisible MN03 gathered over white wine and cheese plates to write out postcards to urge women to vote for Phillips. Indivisible picked out 12,000 women who are under age 35 and voted in the presidential election but not in the 2014 midterm, hoping to encourage like-minded voters to push Phillips to victory.

The group started sending out the postcards in February and will continue peppering the 12,000 voters through October with postcards, hoping the personal handwritten notes will resonate more than a fleeting Facebook post or TV ad. The group is also door-knocking throughout the district.

View the complete September 29 article by Kelly Smith on the StarTribune website here.

Paulsen Continues Dishonest TV Campaign

New ad from Paulsen contains even more falsehoods

Excelsior, MN – After Congressman Paulsen and the special interests supporting his campaign were called out for running false and misleading ads last week, Paulsen’s campaign is doubling down on their dishonest attacks against Dean Phillips. In an effort to distract Minnesotans from his own unpopular votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act and increase the deficit by $1.9 trillion, Congressman Paulsen’s new campaign ad throws a handful of new, deceitful attacks against the wall – and again, none stick.

“Negative ads are one thing,” said Dean Phillips. “But spending millions of dollars to repeatedly and intentionally mislead voters is beneath the dignity of a member of Congress who touts his membership in the House Civility and Respect Caucus. Minnesotans have had enough, and they deserve better. That’s why I’m on a mission to change the culture of corruption caused by big money in our political system.”  

The following is an excerpt from a “Dear Colleague” letter seeking new members of the Congressional Civility & Respect Caucus, of which Paulsen is a “ founding member”: Continue reading “Paulsen Continues Dishonest TV Campaign”

With Trump in the White House, Minnesota Ticket-Splitters May Be Ready for Change

Erik Paulsen is facing a competitive challenge from Democrat Dean Phillips

Dean Phillips,Minnesota 3rd District DFL nominee, greets voters outside his campaign’s “Government Repair Truck.” Credit: Tom Williams, CQ Roll Call

PLYMOUTH, Minn. — Erik Paulsen has been a survivor.

When Hillary Clinton carried Minnesota’s 3rd District last cycle by 9 points, the Republican congressman won re-election by 14 points.

So how is it that the five-term lawmaker finds himself in trouble this year against a well-funded, moderate Democrat?

Paulsen’s Deficit Moves MN-03 From Toss up to Lean Democratic

DFL challenger Dean Phillips and Rep. Erik Paulsen greeted each other at the end of Tuesday’s Third Congressional District debate in St. Louis Park. Credit: Glen Stubbe, Star Tribune

Stylistically, the mild-mannered and neighborly Erik Paulsen is a good fit for this highly college-educated suburban Minneapolis seat. In 2016, he won his fifth term with 57 percent while Hillary Clinton won it 50 percent to 41 percent. But in a stunning turn, he’s now trailing badly in polls and on the verge of being abandoned by his party, in part because his votes for the GOP healthcare and tax bills shredded his moderate credentials.

Democrats have a strong nominee in vodka and gelato businessman Dean Phillips, the grandson of advice columnist “Dear Abby” and the great-great-grandson of the founder of the Minneapolis-based Phillips Distilling Company. Despite his personal wealth, he hasn’t self-funded and has sought to channel the late populist Sen. Paul Wellstone by driving around in a refurbished 1960s-era International Harvester he calls a “government repair truck.”

Republicans have sought to attack Phillips as a slicked-back, out-of-touch millionaire who calls for universal health care but didn’t offer coverage to his coffee shop employees. And Paulsen has tried to create separation from President Trump by airing an ad featuring him paddling a canoe, touting his opposition to mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area. But so far, those ads don’t appear to be denting Phillips’s advantage.

View the complete September 19 article by David Wasserman on the Cook Political Report website here.

Viral “We Found BigfootI” Ad to Air on TV Ahead of Thursday Night Viking Game

Viewed over 1 million times, ad becomes first to air just once since 1990

Excelsior, MN – With well over one million views online and accolades from national media outlets and thousands of viewers calling it one of the best ads ever made, Phillips for Congress’s viral “We Found Bigfoot” online video is making its way to television. A 60-second version of the spot will air on TV during this Thursday’s Vikings vs. Rams pregame show.

In the two days following Bigfoot’s release online, Phillips for Congress raised over $86,000 and saw enormous support from individuals hoping to see the memorable ad run on TV.

“As Dean said, when they go low, we go hilarious,” said Zach Rodvold, Campaign Manager for Phillips for Congress. “So while the airwaves are crowded with dishonest attack ads — most of them targeting Dean as part of a coordinated smear campaign — Bigfoot uses a little humor to communicate a serious message. And it’s funny because it’s true: Erik Paulsen is the 6th biggest taker of special interest money in Congress, and spends his time courting his donors while avoiding his constituents at all costs.” Continue reading “Viral “We Found BigfootI” Ad to Air on TV Ahead of Thursday Night Viking Game”

J. Patrick Coolican in StarTribune Morning Hot Dish

Lunchtime reading

Good morning. Apologies for the tardiness.

The gamesmanship between U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen and  challenger Dean Phillips continues to impress. Paulsen’s campaign manager John-Paul Yates asked Phillips if they could use his coffee shop to film an ad:

I am writing to request the use of the Linden Hills Penny’s Coffee shop to film a political commercial. Since Penny’s has previously allowed political commercials to be filmed at their shops, we believe that the facilities are equipped to handle such logistics. To the extent that the location requires any additional build out or resources to facilitate the filming we are able and willing to provide that at our own expense without impacting the shop. We are more than willing to pay whatever fee was charged of other political campaigns to shoot at Penny’s Coffee shop.

The subtext here is that Paulsen has continued to hit Phillips for not offering employee health insurance when the shop opened. Phillips called their bluff, responding:

Thank you for your inquiry about using Penny’s coffee shop…Coincidentally, I too am running for Congress, and I operate my campaign the same as Penny’s; by offering accessibility, radical hospitality, a fun environment to which everyone’s invited, livable wages, and a healthcare plan for all full-time employees. We would be happy to host you at Penny’s to film your commercial for Congressman Paulsen free of charge, provided it’s during normal business hours. Please advise me of the date and time you’d like to shoot, and we’ll confirm if it works for our team. I’ll also commit to being onsite to ensure the experience exceeds your expectations.

View the full post here.

Paulsen’s Patrons Filling the Airwaves with Even More Falsehoods and Distortions

New NRCC ad attacks Dean Phillips for something that happened two years after he stepped down as CEO of Phillips Distilling

Excelsior, MN – Just days after Erik Paulsen and the special interests supporting his campaign were called out for running false and misleading ads against Dean Phillips, party committees and special interest super PACs benefitting Congressman Paulsen are doubling down on their dishonest attacks, with the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) launching yet another smear ad featuring false claims.

The new NRCC ad claims that Dean Phillips “profited” from — and his company was “cited” for — marketing alcohol to underage people. The private citizen’s complaint to the Distilled Spirits Council referenced in the ad by the NRCC occurred in 2014, two years after Dean Phillips left his position as CEO of Phillips Distilling, and while he held no financial stake in the company.

“Negative ads are one thing,” said Dean Phillips. “But spending millions of dollars to repeatedly and intentionally mislead voters is beneath the dignity of a member of Congress and his allies. That’s why I’m on a mission to change the culture of corruption caused by big money in our political system.”   Continue reading “Paulsen’s Patrons Filling the Airwaves with Even More Falsehoods and Distortions”

Reality Check: Phillips Ad Finds Bigfoot Looking For Rep. Paulsen

NOTE: For those who’ve tried to participate in the tele-townhalls, we know that it’s like calling in to a radio program.  There’s a screener who decides which questioners will be allowed to speak (it’s rarely been anyone who doesn’t parrot GOP positions).  And, any request for follow ups to questions aren’t fulfilled.  Those who have gotten one-on-one time with Rep. Paulsen have found that what he says in those meetings a lot of the time aren’t what he does on the floor of the U.S. House.  And, what can we say about those “Congress on Your Corner”?  They were never announced to the public in more than hours in advance.  By the time people found out about them, Rep. Paulsen had usually left the location.  

 

Paulsen, super PAC teamed up to tear Phillips down with lies

To the Editor:

Here we are, about two months away from midterm election day and the voters of Minnesota’s Third District are on the edge of their seats. We are paying attention to our candidates and determining who will be the best representatives of our interests. But instead of seeing incumbent Erik Paulsen put his best foot forward, we see attack advertisements, special interest money and smear politics.

This has to end. The Congressional Leadership Fund Super PAC and Erik Paulsen have teamed up to try to tear down Dean Phillips’ reputation with lies. Is that how campaigns should run? It’s incredibly misleading and quite honestly annoying. I don’t want our candidates filling the voters’ minds with falsehoods. Let’s provide facts only, please.

Here are some facts: Dean Phillips is a business owner who is passionate about getting money out of politics, saving the environment, making health care accessible to all and much more. He is being attacked for not providing health care to his employees at Penny’s, but he does, in fact, provide for all full-time employees. Continue reading “Paulsen, super PAC teamed up to tear Phillips down with lies”

Republicans hoped voters would forget they tried to kill Obamacare. They bet wrong.

Credit: Joe Raedle, Getty

Earlier this month, over a year after Republicans tried multiple times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, I asked people in the Twittersphere if their representatives in Congress had voted for repeal and, if so, if they held a town hall to explain their vote and put forward a better vision for health care. Within 24 hours, over 500 people had tweeted back their experiences.

The responses reflected not just people who disagreed with their member of Congress, but people who felt ignored by them. The list of those who chose to vote and disappear in 2017 is long, including many who now find themselves in highly contested races — among them Republicans Barbara Comstock of Virginia, Dana Rohrabacher and Mimi Walters of California, Peter Roskam and Mike Bost of Illinois, Steve Chabot and Steve Stivers of Ohio, and Bruce Poliquin of Maine.

Sensitive to criticism for avoiding their constituents, some lawmakers have taken to holding a “don’t call us, we’ll call you” style of constituent meetings. They often label them town halls, but in reality they are either paid events or telephone calls with limited capacity where only “random” questions are accepted. Few sound satisfied with these interactions. It’s certainly not representative democracy at its finest.

View the complete September 21 article by Andy Slavitt on the Courier-Express website here.