Tag: Erik Paulsen

Erik Paulsen Accepts Dean Phillips’s Invitation To Participate in Open-to-the-Public Voter Forums

Demand for public appearances by both candidates grows as Phillips appears at well-attended forums

Excelsior, MN – On August 10th, and again on on August 16th, Dean Phillips invited Congressman Erik Paulsen to join him at free, open to the public, voter forums in Coon Rapids and Eden Prairie. After 11 days of silence, Congressman Paulsen finally accepted the invitation to three forums, but with severe restrictions on participation, and did not offer dates on which he’d make himself available.

“Representation begins with listening,” said Dean Phillips. “Congressman Paulsen’s commitment to join me in answering questions from the public three times before Election Day is encouraging. It is important that these events are open and accessible to all who wish to attend – no tickets, just conversation.” Continue reading “Erik Paulsen Accepts Dean Phillips’s Invitation To Participate in Open-to-the-Public Voter Forums”

In First Debate, Erik Paulsen Can’t Do the Math

“For a so-called ‘math guy,’ Rep. Erik Paulsen clearly doesn’t get that his votes add up in Washington. We’re happy to do the math for him: Paulsen votes with President Trump 98 percent of the time, while being the 6th highest recipient of special interest money in Congress. Those numbers won’t help his chances in November. ” – DCCC spokesperson Rachel Irwin 

Here’s a fact check of Paulsen’s claims:

Paulsen Claim: “I’m in the top ten percent of those who don’t vote with my party.”

Reality: In his career, Paulsen has voted with the Republican Party 93% of the time, and in the 115th Congress, Paulsen has voted 96% of the time with Paul Ryan. He votes with President Trump 98 percent of the time in D.C. Continue reading “In First Debate, Erik Paulsen Can’t Do the Math”

DFL Fact Check: Rep. Erik Paulsen misleads voters

During the Aug. 21 Twin West Chamber Debate between Congressman Erik Paulsen and Dean Phillips, Paulsen made questionable statements that will lead to fact checkers’ “pants-on-fire scores,” including:

Paulsen Claim: “Number six? I don’t know where you get that number from.”

Fact check: False. Paulsen is ranked number six <https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/top-recipients> from special interest raised from Super PACs.

Paulsen Claim: “The good news is you have young people graduating from college that don’t have as much of a challenge paying off student loans. There’s upward mobility.”

Fact check: False. “At nearly $1.4 trillion in loans outstanding, student debt is now the second-largest source of household debt and is the only form of consumer debt that continued to grow in the wake of the Great Recession.” -Brookings Institute<https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-looming-student-loan-default-crisis-is-worse-than-we-thought/> Continue reading “DFL Fact Check: Rep. Erik Paulsen misleads voters”

At Debate: Congressman Paulsen Misleads Voters

Dean Phillips Presses Congressman on Corruption in Congress

ST. LOUIS PARK, MN – Today in the first debate between candidates for Congress in Minnesota’s Third District, Congressman Erik Paulsen refused to be honest with voters when directly confronted about how much money he takes from special interests –despite clear evidence reported by several outlets including The New York Times.

“We have a Congress that is bought and sold by special interests and Congressman Paulsen ranks 6 out of 435 when it comes to those who take money from PACs, special interests, federal lobbyists and other Members of Congress,” said Dean Phillips. “I take none.” Continue reading “At Debate: Congressman Paulsen Misleads Voters”

Paulsen Faces Backlash For Ducking Public Debates

Rep. Erik Paulsen, who is the 6th highest recipient of special interest PAC money in Congress, is notorious for dodging his constituents while gallivanting around the country with his special interest donors.

Now, Paulsen is facing fierce backlash back home for refusing to join his opponent Dean Phillips in a series of forums that are free and open to the public. To date, Paulsen has only agreed to a Twin Cities Chamber event that costs $60 to attend. This has riled up Minnesotans, with one local businessman angrily purchasing 60 tickets to give away to Paulsen’s constituents for free.

“If Rep. Erik Paulsen treated his constituents like his special interest donors, he’d give them all the time in the world,” said DCCC spokesperson Rachel Irwin. “Instead, Paulsen is turning his back on his constituents while doing the bidding of his special interest donors and party leaders in Congress. Paulsen clearly doesn’t want to face his record of voting with Trump 98 percent of the time to raise healthcare costs and gut protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions.” Continue reading “Paulsen Faces Backlash For Ducking Public Debates”

Erik Paulsen wants your vote, but refuses to debate for it

The following article by Hanna Jones was posted on the CityPages website August 16, 2018:

The League of Women Voters takes its candidate forums seriously, hoping to make sure voters are as informed as possible. Nothing cuts through the hype and noise like having all sides in the same room, answering questions with no filter.


Erik Paulsen has a growing history of avoiding his constituents at all costs. Credit: StarTribune

“Forums are one of the few ways to get a true response out of candidates,” Executive Director Michelle Witte says.

Only one thing tends to throw a wrench in the gears: candidates who want no part of a forum they can’t control. The League has sent out several invitations to Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen. He hasn’t responded.

“I’m pretty sure it’s a ‘no,’” Witte says.

View the complete article here.

Dean Phillips Invites Erik Paulsen to Participate in Public Voter Forums

Pressure mounts for Paulsen to appear as Phillips announces a series of free public forums

Dean Phillips at 2018 Candidate Forum

Excelsior, MN – Today Dean Phillips once again invited Congressman Erik Paulsen to join him at a series of public voter forums where people in Minnesota’s Third District would have the chance to hear from and ask questions of the candidates at a free and accessible event. An invitation to attend the first event in the series, held on Monday in Coon Rapids, was ignored by the Paulsen campaign.  

“Third District voters deserve to be heard by candidates seeking to represent them, not just through television ads, but side-by-side at open and public forums in their community,” said Dean Phillips. “I believe representation begins with listening, and I hope Congressman Paulsen will afford voters the chance to be heard.”

Several additional voter forums are planned in the coming weeks, including August 21st in Eden Prairie, August 27th in Edina, August 31st in Chanhassen, and continuing through Election Day. Continue reading “Dean Phillips Invites Erik Paulsen to Participate in Public Voter Forums”

Rep. Erik Paulsen is a Bought and Sold Politician

Paulsen’s Campaign Fueled by Special Interests, Votes Their Way 

Erik Paulsen is the 6th highest recipient of PAC money in Congress — and his record in Washington aligns with lining their pockets. Paulsen voted for the GOP Tax Scam that gives more than 80% of its benefits to the wealthiest 1% of Americans and a huge handout to large corporations. And because of how the tax scam blew up the deficit, it gives Erik Paulsen and Washington Republicans an opening to revisit their favorite topic: cutting Social Security and Medicare.

Like so many other suburban districts across the country, gun safety has been top of mind for Minnesotans. And while Minnesota students and teachers have called on Paulsen to take action on gun safety measures, he’s been in thepocket of the gun lobby. Paulsen has voted 21 times against legislation to prevent people on the terrorist watch list from buying a gun and opposed efforts to deny guns to individuals deemed mentally incompetent. Continue reading “Rep. Erik Paulsen is a Bought and Sold Politician”