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KSTP: “MADIA VOLUNTEER CAUGHT REMOVING PAULSEN SIGNS”
By Michael B. Brodkorb | September 27, 2008
“There is controversy in the Third Congressional District race after a campaign volunteer was videotaped removing signs that belonged to the opposing campaign.
The video has made it onto the Internet, showing a woman, who claimed to be a volunteer for Democratic candidate Ashwin Madia, removing Republican candidate Erik Paulsen signs near a Perkins Restaurant in Maple Grove.” Source: KSTP, September 26, 2008
Click here for the complete story.
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“In the video, the woman claims the signs are in ‘the public right of way.’ The woman says she is a private citizen, but also says, ‘I also happen to be a Madia volunteer.’ 5 EYEWITNESS news found out the woman is, in fact, a volunteer as well as a spouse of a staff member that works for the Madia campaign.
While the signs may have been placed in the right of way, it is illegal to remove lawn signs unless a city worker or road crew are asked to do so by the city.” Source: KSTP, September 26, 2008
Click here for the complete story.
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This is a reminder that I am a part-time research consultant to Erik Paulsen for Congress. Minnesota Democrats Exposed is my personal blog and it is not created, endorsed, sponsored, or authorized by any political party, candidate, or candidate’s committee.
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50 Responses to “KSTP: “MADIA VOLUNTEER CAUGHT REMOVING PAULSEN SIGNS””
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September 27th, 2008 at 11:28 AM
The real story here is that it is the Communication Director’s wife.
September 27th, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Actually, the real story here is that Paulsen can avoid talking about issues for yet another week. I am sure he is giddy.
September 27th, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Hey Plymouth:
Standards are an issue here. Are you saying that the lady had the right to take the sign?
And maybe more important since the Madia campaign refuses to put an apology on their website not to mention fire the spouse who is the communication director that’s a clear sign Madia has no standards. A candidate with no standards can’t talk about issues.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
September 27th, 2008 at 12:37 PM
Walter…
The Madia campaign manager apoligized in writing for the incident, as you know. Of course the volunteer should have gone though the proper channels to have illegally placed Paulsen for Congress signs removed.
When will the Paulsen campaign return to a discussion of the important issues on the minds of middle class families?
Concerned voters want to know.
Madia: Ready to Lead
he discussion to Erik’s
September 27th, 2008 at 12:47 PM
So the dem response is: It is ok to steal as long as you say sorry if you are caught?
Madia: ready to steal and ready to say he is sorry
September 27th, 2008 at 1:02 PM
“Of course the volunteer should have gone though the proper channels to have illegally placed Paulsen for Congress signs removed.”
What part of my statement are you having trouble with? Seriously.
September 27th, 2008 at 1:08 PM
Danbrome:
WHAT PART OF IT’S NOT ON HIS WEBSITE. IF HE REALLY WANTS TO APOLOGIZE IT WILL BE ON THE WEBSITE AND THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR WILL BE FIRED.
Since neither one of these steps haven’t been taken Madia has no standards and can’t lead!
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
September 27th, 2008 at 1:23 PM
You Democrats that are so fast to try to reorient away from their candidate’s campaign actually breaking the law, back to “issues.”
Madia’s campaign breaking the law is an issue! If Paulsen’s campaign did something like this, there would be no end to the calls for resignation and criminal investigation proceedings, etc.
So you can just stick your “back to the issues” line right up your ass. BREAKING THE LAW IS AN ISSUE. It’s a big issue, and it reveals much about the candidate, and the types of employees and their “volunteer” spouses he hires.
September 27th, 2008 at 1:28 PM
I just read these threads….bowhuntdude…what part of Michael’s post didn’t you get? The police were called and no charges were filed. If no charges are filed then there is no law breaking involved.
If no laws were broken. An apology was issued.
It’s time for issues…..so…why did Erik pull out of the next debate?
September 27th, 2008 at 1:33 PM
ladybelle, you know what to do with your issues line.
You must have missed the part of KSTPs report where they said this:
“While the signs may have been placed in the right of way, it is illegal to remove lawn signs unless a city worker or road crew are asked to do so by the city.â€
No charges were filed because she gave the lawn signs back because she was caught, idiot.
September 27th, 2008 at 1:42 PM
Let’s see – Madia and Dillon wipe the floor with Paulsen at the CD3 debate; no mention on HubbardTV.
Something negative about Madia, HubbardTV covers it.
Imagine that.
Doncha hate that “librul EmEsEm”, Walter?
September 27th, 2008 at 1:46 PM
“If Paulsen’s campaign did something like this, there would be no end to the calls for resignation and criminal investigation proceedings, etc. “
Bullshit.
Coleman’s landlord got caught cheating on his property taxes at the house Coleman rents, and not one word about it in the papers or on TV.
Not only was it Coleman’s landlord, but the guy was also Chair of the Host Committee for the RNC Convention.
But the spouse of a Madia Staffer does something stupid, and HubbardTV obliges.
No surprise there.
September 27th, 2008 at 1:48 PM
“……..so…why did Erik pull out of the next debate?”
WT(C)?
Wassup with this??!?
September 27th, 2008 at 1:50 PM
Madia campaign said ” If everyones going to make a big stink of this we’ll just put the sign back , ok”
September 27th, 2008 at 2:10 PM
I love how KSTP has “learned” that the volunteer was the communications director’s wife.
I wonder how much of their monthly research budget they spent on having a producer read the Madia campaign’s apology where they indicated this fact?
September 27th, 2008 at 2:21 PM
And to quote Sean, here is a quick question for Michael.
“Will you deny, with out any preconditions, without any equivocating that you were in essence staking out these signs (which were placed in a public area) in the hopes that you’d find someone taking them?
It’s simple. “Yes, I was sitting in a Perkins parking lot waiting for someone to come remove these signs from public property.†or “No, I was not ’staking out’ these signs, and just so happened that at the precise moment I was in this parking lot with my ‘friend’ who just so happened to have a camera we witnessed these signs being taken down.â€
We are all still waiting for an answer, Michael.
September 27th, 2008 at 2:34 PM
Yes I love how KSTP has learned that the “volunteer” is the communications director’s wife too. It reveals what kind of low-life, law breakers Madia hires to run his campaign.
September 27th, 2008 at 2:37 PM
Here’s a question for the communications director and his “volunteer” wife.
How many lawn signs have you taken down or directed someone else to take down during the course of this campaign?
September 27th, 2008 at 2:40 PM
“We are all still waiting for an answer, Michael.”
Keep waiting loser. I wouldn’t respond to a troll like you either.
September 27th, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Don’t hold your breath, Leroy.
I was at a DFL presser at the Capital; the DFL booked the room for an hour. They were done in a half so Mark Drake, GOPer Spokesmouth, comandeered the podium and started telling the assembled press: “oh, Normie has been open and transparent about RentGate, you can trust him because he’s been open and transparent.”
So a beat reporter asked to see an actual utility bill, to see openly and transparently if the bill was in ol’ Smokescreen’s name and if he openly and transparently was paying what he actually should.
Mark Drake said “I’ll check with the campaign and get back to you.”
I checked with Mary Lahammer last Monday, reminded her of Mark Drake’s promise, and asked her if Drake had gotten back to her.
She told me Drake had NOT gotten back to her; that she still hasn’t seen an actual utility bill.
If that bill is in the corporate name of “FLS”, Normie has BIG TIME ethical problems. If it’s in Jeff Larson’s name, it’s just ANOTHER ethical problem for Minnesota’s most ethically-challenged politician, Norm “Smokescreen” Coleman, R=Lapdog.
It’s no wonder Team Smokescreen hasn’t gotten back with an actual utility bill; the silence tells everyone that this is just another example of why Coleman needs to be voted out.
September 27th, 2008 at 2:43 PM
Michael refusing to answer the question, in and of itself is an answer.
Paulsen has become so frustrated with Michael’s inability to dig up any dirt on Madia, he has reverted to paying him to lurk in parking lots while babysitting illegally placed signs.
September 27th, 2008 at 3:21 PM
The thing is, there’s plenty of dirt on Paulsen. The guy has a record since 1994 of cutting public education, while he sent his kids to private schools.
I don’t remember exactly when he pulled ‘em; plans to replace Rammer may have had something to do with it.
Now, why is this an acceptable line of commentary?
Because Michael set the precedent, back here:
http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/2008/01/15/did-franken-forget-that-he-attended-the-elite-blake-school/
September 27th, 2008 at 4:00 PM
I see the Ash-holes are all present and accounted for.
September 27th, 2008 at 4:41 PM
Guys:
Mike doesn’t have to answer the question because he already answered it. He met a friend for dinner. The fact that you keep trying to use this to divert away from the following real issues:
* The lady tried to take the signs.
* The lady is the communications director spouse. If this had been a repulican the standard by the Democrats will be the the communications director should resign or be fired if he doesn’t resign. Why is that guy still communications director?
* Tommy you love to complain about how one standard isn’t being applied to Norm Coleman. Will you have to apply your standards to the Madia campaign or you’re talking bull. Sorry since you don’t want to hold Madia accountable according to your own standards than Norm Coleman doesn’t have to be held accountable.
* Furthermore since you’re a known liar the claim that Madia is kicking butt means that Paulsen is kicking butt and that must be why the Madia is stealing lawn signs.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
September 27th, 2008 at 4:56 PM
The ONLY story here is the fact that the Paulsen signs were ILLEGALLY PLACED in the right-of-way.
September 27th, 2008 at 5:05 PM
I am still sitting in the parking lot of Perkins staking out the Paulsen campaign signs. Perkins sure has good carmel rolls. I am sure I will catch those evil Madia workers Sean. They will be here any minute. Yep, staking out the Perkin’s, that is a great idea. I might try Denny’s tomorrow.
September 27th, 2008 at 5:07 PM
Walter-
If the facts are what you have suggested, one would think it would be no problem for Michael to simply deny, with out any preconditions, without any equivocating that he was in essence staking out these signs (which were illegally placed in a public area) in the hopes that he’d find someone taking them.
Why won’t he do that? Could it be that the truth is out there, and he is afraid of getting caught in his own lie?
September 27th, 2008 at 5:12 PM
He certainly said it on the radio.
He put it in the orginal post.
Sean had no business asking the question because it was a diversion.
Furthermore you keep repeating it because you can’t defend the lady stealing the signs.
You keep repeating it because you darn well that the communication director should’ve already resigned or have been fired.
You’re raising it because you’re trying to divert attention from the illegal act of a desperate campaign!
Tell you what why doesn’t Madia publically announce how many law signs he has ordered destroyed and stolen from the Paulsen campaign since his campaign engages in the practice. After all one of their workers was caught on tape!
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
September 27th, 2008 at 5:49 PM
Walter hits the nail on the head- if this had been the other way around…you’d be calling for the Communication Directors head. Admit it!
She illegally removed a sign- the wife of one of what one of the top campaign staffers. She’s probably in that office daily. Don’t tell me that her husband wasn’t fully aware of what she was doing and don’t tell me it was the first time it ever happened. I bet they sit around the office talking about illegally taking lawn signs. An apology, but no repercussion.
September 27th, 2008 at 5:57 PM
Tommy Johnson:
I’ve know Erik Paulsen for as long as his oldest child has been in school, and I am very sure they have never been in private school. Erik is a regular guy, with a regular job, he’s not someone that could afford to send four kids to private school. Where is your proof that Erik put his kids in Private school?
September 27th, 2008 at 6:27 PM
Ashwin Madia has NEVER had a child in public school.
September 27th, 2008 at 6:54 PM
“Paulsen…..has a record of cutting public education since 1994.” I not sure Tommy, but are you using the Libs typical use of the word “cut”, in which there really is no cut but only that they didn`t get as much as they origionaly wanted? And if it is true, so what? Almost 50% of the states` budget isn`t enough for education?
September 27th, 2008 at 7:21 PM
Walter-
The only illegal act was the original sign placement location. The woman removed the signs and delivered them directly back to two campaign staffers. That is not theft. It’s a community service that kept the already overworked community servants (who can thank Rep. Eric Paulsen for their absurd workload) from having to deal with his total rejection of the rules that govern all other candidates.
Deny it all you want. Eric Paulsen is the only criminal in this affair.
September 27th, 2008 at 7:30 PM
To liberal nut jobs not sending your kids to the Union School is “dirt”. Doesn’t matter if it’s factual that they went to a private school or not, just that daring to not send the kids to the government school O&O’d by the liberal union is enough to hate them.
As to cuts, didn’t happen.
September 27th, 2008 at 7:32 PM
The only illegal act was the original sign placement location. The woman removed the signs and delivered them directly back to two campaign staffers.
The amount of lies and crap in those two sentences had to have even you laughing. Jeez, your crack dealer gave you some really bad stuff today.
September 27th, 2008 at 7:46 PM
So let me get this straight: you guys are railing the person who illegally took down the illegally placed signs. Sounds like a moral wash there.
How come I don’t hear the same clamor for Paulsen to fire the staffer who illegally placed the signs? But hey, the best defense is a good offense, expressing “moral outrage” about illegal signs being illegally removed.
How about if we get back to real issues. There are serious things happening in this country.
September 27th, 2008 at 8:13 PM
Leroys last comment is a great reminder why libtards are a danger to this country.
Calling theft a “community service” , whoops wait that seems to be the Obamas plan, steal from those that do, and give to those that won’t.
September 27th, 2008 at 8:21 PM
Is ACORN cutting back on expenses for staff?
“your crack dealer gave you some really bad stuff today.”
September 27th, 2008 at 9:17 PM
“How come I don’t hear the same clamor for Paulsen to fire the staffer who illegally placed the signs?”
Are you aware that the Paulsen campaign doesn’t place signs? They are given out to those that ask for them. Thanks.
September 27th, 2008 at 9:24 PM
Leroy, your last comment is in direct contradiction to the facts. It is illegal for a “private citizen” to suddenly think they are an expert on city right of way zoning and start removing signs. So yeah, you’re full of crap.
LOL you’re such a douchetard. Erik Paulsen is a criminal? Dude, wanna even try explaining how? I’ll be glad to supply you with a smackdown.
September 27th, 2008 at 10:06 PM
An analysis of Leroy’s logic:
“The only illegal act was the original sign placement location.” (True, though we hope Leroy also considers Madia’s campaign in violation of the law thanks to the various Madia signs posted in the right of way throughout the district.)
“The woman removed the signs and delivered them directly back to two campaign staffers. That is not theft. It’s a community service that kept the already overworked community servants (who can thank Rep. Eric Paulsen for their absurd workload) from having to deal with his total rejection of the rules that govern all other candidates.”
Here Leroy describes the taking, folding and the attempt to throw away campaign signs of the opposition candidate to which her husband is communications director a “community service.” He also labels attempting to destroy and throw away lawn signs before giving them back to campaign staff who had to ask for the signs back as “directly” giving them back. This is just flat idiot. Without giving any evidence to substantiate his claim, he specifically links Erik Paulsen to placing Paulsen signs illegally. No one is claiming that Ashwin Madia is personally responsible for his communications director’s wife attempting to destroy and throw away campaign property on camera. No one is claiming Ashwin Madia is personally responsible for all his signs that are illegally placed. Dumb.
“Deny it all you want. Eric Paulsen is the only criminal in this affair.” While Leroy can neither prove Erik Paulsen had anything to do with the situation or spell his name correctly, he accuses him of committing a crime that Ashwin Madia would also be guilty of under Leroy’s twisted logic.
In short, Leroy is an idiot and would defend any DFLer he supports regardless of what they did and regardless of any of the facts surrounding the situation.
September 27th, 2008 at 10:34 PM
Michael, I’m still waiting for your follow-up post on Sheldon Johnson stealing signs. All we have is your post that says a source saw the police report, or something equally lame. So when are you going to post the proof that Sheldon Johnson stole signs? Can we see the police report? Or are you leaving yourself open to defamation or slander?
September 28th, 2008 at 12:19 AM
BULSHITTTTT! this women( AKA a Madia worker) was in the act of vandalizing and ripping the signs when she suddenly realized she was caught on vidio !
The ablity of libtards to defend this act of vandalism by a Madia operative is astounding!
( although not unexpected )
September 28th, 2008 at 2:52 AM
Had it indeed been vandalism, would not the cops have interceeded? They were called, and concluded that no crime exists.
Posting the opposite over and over does not change this fact.
September 28th, 2008 at 9:27 AM
Leroy,
Great defense, Leroy. Had the Paulsen staffers asked the police to interceded on behalf of the two bent signs, they may have. Catching the opposing campaign taking and attempting to throw away their property was probably enough for them.
September 28th, 2008 at 9:53 AM
Leroy:
If a Republican had been caught doing the same thing you will be doing the following:
* The only person you will be accussing of committing the crime is the person who picked up the signs.
* You will not be accussing the candidate whose signs that were taken of being the only criminal.
In short you’re just not taking the medicine. Admit the lady screwed up and not try to defend it.
Oh there are laws for how illegally displayed signs are suppose to be removed Leroy. You either call the police or the campaign. You don’t have the right to remove the sign yourself.
You don’t have the right to try to destroy the sign.
In short the only lawbreaker is the woman!
Not the Paulsent campaign.
So don’t lecture me Leroy just because you think Democrats are morally supperior!
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
September 28th, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Walter – I have already said that the woman was wrong for taking the signs; when are you going to admit that the person that placed the signs was wrong?
Team Madia issued an apology for the woman and held training about signage; there is no indication Team Paulsen has apologized for the illegally placed signs nor held training about signage.
Those are the facts.
And as usual, when a reasonable person examines them, the GreedOverPrinciples party lives down to it’s name.
September 28th, 2008 at 3:52 PM
Tommy:
They issued a press release that isn’t an apology. That is trying to manage the media!
An apology will be Madia putting on his website or going to Eric in person. If a Paulsen campaign employee had done it you will be demanding that and you know that!
I’m the reasonable person here trying to explain what the reasonable position is, but you liberal democrats don’t care about logic and standards.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
September 28th, 2008 at 5:08 PM
I can’t say I’ve never been tempted to take down signs improperly placed before, but I didn’t. She made a poor decision and the campaign apologized and made sure other volunteers/staffers were aware of the rules regarding signs. Since signs are the major issue now for Paulsen, perhaps he will contact his volunteers (since they are the only ones who put up signs?) and tell them to move or remove any signs put up on right of ways, etc. and Madia can do the same. Then, maybe we can all get back to some real issues…economy, Iraq, health care…..On the issues that really affect us, Madia is a much better fit for the voters in the 3rd!
September 30th, 2008 at 10:56 AM
If you are not a liberal at age twenty, you have no heart. If you are still a liberal at age forty, you have no brain. Winston Churchhill