| The ad wars are telling: it's taken all of one advertisement for Third district Republican candidate Erik Paulsen to go negative in the air wars.
In his latest ad, Paulsen attacks DFL opponent Ashwin Madia on taxes, going as far as to say, simply, "Madia means taxes."
In a few more words, it's the same tired old Republican talking points and attacks we've heard for twenty years. Let's get one thing straight: educated, engaged voting population is going to look at these issues in context, and recognize that Paulsen is advocating the same tax policies we've had for eight catastrophic years, the same policies that have drastically increased our national debt and forced down the strength of our currency.
While Paulsen is going on the desperate attack (what I wouldn't give for a look at their internal poll numbers), one might wonder what his campaign staff and part-time paid consultants have been up to. Seems that Mike Brodkorb thinks he's caught a big break and caught a Madia volunteer stealing a Paulsen lawn sign.
But what was Brodkorb doing at the Perkins in Maple Grove? I'm sure Michael doesn't want me reprinting his entire address, so I'll leave it at his South Metro hometown of Eagan. The Paulsen campaign headquarters are in Eden Prairie.
Just so we all know what we're talking about, let's compare the routes:
| Eagan to Eden Prairie | Eagan to Maple Grove |  |  |
15 minutes to the Paulsen headquarters in Eden Prairie. At least 40 minutes to the Perkins in Maple Grove.
Put succinctly, what the hell were Michael Brodkorb and his co-worker on the Paulsen campaign doing at the Perkins in Maple Grove? Is this the kind of activity in which a serious congressional candidate wants his campaign staff and self-styled "part-time" consultants engaging?
But again -- an out of the way location that just happens to be within a stone's throw of Madia's headquarters? Really? Just a happy coincidence?
Were they staking out a lawn sign in an illegal location, and waiting for someone from the Madia headquarters down the street to remove it? I won't go so far as to accuse Brodkorb and his co-worker of placing the sign, but one does have to wonder why Brodkorb's video of the incident clearly shows his co-worker wearing a reflective jersey. Very stylish.
Bottom line: Ashwin Madia has the advantage in this race, and Team Paulsen knows it. The desperation shows, in their TV ads and in their overall political hackery. |
