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IN RESPONSE TO SIMPLE, BASIC QUESTIONS, MADIA’S COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORS CLAMS UP
By Michael B. Brodkorb | October 17, 2008
In response to speech that Ashwin Madia made at the Humphrey Institute advocating more mass-transit, Bill Krause, the blogger behind Jack of All Trades, contacted Madia’s campaign about transportation issues.
Bill encountered a few problems getting Team Madia to answer some very basic questions.
“Second, did Ashwin Madia make use of existing Mass Transit systems before calling for the building of more?
I called Dan Pollack, communications director for the Madia for Congress campaign to ask him about Ashwin Madia’s transportation habits. I was informed that Ashwin Madia makes use of all available forms of transportation? (all forms?).  I asked Dan specifically, ‘How did Ashwin Madia get to the Humphrey Institute on Monday Oct 13?’.    Dan Pollack said ‘I’ll have to get back to you on that’, and promptly hung up the phone.
Well Dan, I’m waiting for you to clear things up.
While we are at it, I’ve got a few more transportation questions for you.
1. Does Ashwin Madia own a car?
2. How many campaign fundraisers did Ashwin Madia attend that required air travel? (The 3rd CD is big, but not that big)
3. Does Ashwin Madia use public transportation or is that just for the little guy?” Source: Jack of All Trades, October 16, 2008
Click here for the complete story.
They seem like basic questions. I’m not sure why Team Madia can’t answer how Madia traveled to the Humphrey Institute event. Does Madia own a car? Seems like a very reasonable and basic question. Check out Bill’s blog and see if Team Madia provides any answers.
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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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26 Responses to “IN RESPONSE TO SIMPLE, BASIC QUESTIONS, MADIA’S COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORS CLAMS UP”
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October 17th, 2008 at 7:51 AM
LOL I cannot believe the kinds of distractions you guys think of.
October 17th, 2008 at 7:51 AM
From republiCon Ron on down, GOPer officials have made it clear they do NOT answer lefty bloggers questions – especially mine.
And now YOU expect an answer??!?
ROFLMAO!!!!
“Hypocrisy, thy party is GOP”
October 17th, 2008 at 8:02 AM
If someone called me and asked me to go on the record for the seemingly explicit purpose to attack me, regardless of the answer, I’d probably hang up too.
There is no reason to respond to people trying to terrorize you.
October 17th, 2008 at 8:04 AM
I can’t imagine why you think anyone should be required to answer these questions. Have you asked Erik yet? Have you demanded answers of him and posted snarky comments when he doesn’t answer? Of course not. Erik hasn’t found his position on Iraq. Heaven forbid someone ask him where he stands on anything else.
October 17th, 2008 at 8:06 AM
Wow, Team Paulsen’s desperation just gets more laughable every day.
First of all, apparently you have a problem with plural versus singular since the only one question seems to have not been answered. It’s truly is shocking that a Madia staffer doesn’t know whether or not Ash drove or used public transit to a specific political event. But, I can probably answer that one for you: He probably didn’t since there isn’t exactly a great mass transit option from CD3 to the HHH Institute. Did you stop and think that MAYBE that’s one reason he’s proposing a better mass transit infrastructure?
As for your other questions, why the hell would he answer them? None of them have anything to do with mass transit except your third question, which, if you could read what you actually wrote, you’d see he already answered it.
Let me play the Jack of all Trades game of acting like a member of the press:
- Mr. Paulsen, on the issue of Mass Transit, did you take money from a guy who had a fund raiser at a strip club?
Well Team Paulsen, I’m waiting for you to clear things up.
October 17th, 2008 at 8:15 AM
… It’s not been almost 5 minutes since I asked my question of Team Paulsen on this blog and I HAVEN’T GOTTEN AN ANSWER from them! This is an OUTRAGE!
October 17th, 2008 at 8:19 AM
Team Coleman spokesman Mark Drake told “the credentialed media”, at a press conference, that Coleman was being “open and transparent” about RentGate and UtilitiesGate. A Star Tribune reporter asked Mark Drake if that was so, why isn’t Team Coleman making an ACTUAL UTILITY BILL available for the media to see.
Mark Drake said he’d check with the Campaign about making an ACTUAL UTILITY BILL available for the press to see.
It should come as no surprise that Team Coleman never did make an ACTUAL UTILITY BILL available.
Here’s the actual transcript from a later Team Coleman presser, conducted by spokesman Cullen Sheehan:
CULLEN SHEEHAN: He’s reported every gift he has ever received.
REPORTER: If the answer is “no,†then why don’t you say “no�
CULLEN SHEEHAN: He has reported every gift he has ever received, Rachel.
BLOGGER: Cullen, whose name is on Senator Coleman’s utility bill in DC?
CULLEN SHEEHAN: Is there any other questions from the Capitol press corps?
It’s at the :51 second mark of the YouTube that made Cullen Sheehan infmaous.
Based on Mark Drake’s previous promise to the “credentialled press corps,” that’s a legitimate question Team Smokescreen refused to answer.
But Sheehan refused to even acknowledge it.
And now Jack Of, and Michael, expect their questions to get answered??!?
Shameless, Michael – simply shameless.
October 17th, 2008 at 8:52 AM
I just don’t understand why Team Madia can’t answer a few simple questions. How did Madia get to this event? Does he own a car? Real simple stuff.
October 17th, 2008 at 8:56 AM
“people trying to terrorize you.”
Aaron, you should apologize for that absurd statement.
PDimwit sez “there isn’t exactly a great mass transit option from CD3 to the HHH Institute. ”
There is a very cheap and efficient way to go from Aswhin’s front door step to the HHH Institute.
October 17th, 2008 at 9:20 AM
Whoa, hang on a minute! Is the Kline Outrage over all ready? I was just starting to enjoy that one. You Paulsen people are going to have to pace your outrage or you will certainly run out of material. (Although it seems more likely that you have already run out of material if you have turned to questions like: Does he own a car?)
Here are some more phony outrage questions you can use:
When Madia eats out, does he use cash or a credit card?
Does Madia have a cat, and if so, does he use plastic bags to dispose of cat litter?
How often does Madia buy new shoes? Are his shoes American?
How many cupholders are in Madia’s car?
Does Madia use a dryer or a drying rack?
Does Madia drink whole, skim, or fat free milk?
We need to know! They are simple questions, why won’t he answer them?!
Anyone got any more?
October 17th, 2008 at 9:32 AM
“Anyone got any more?”
I wouldn’t want to terrorize you with anymore difficult questions.
October 17th, 2008 at 9:43 AM
“There is a very cheap and efficient way to go from Aswhin’s front door step to the HHH Institute.”
You mean, taking at least three separate public transit systems and hoping they run at the times you need to be there?
Yeah, that’s efficient.
October 17th, 2008 at 9:58 AM
Are you expecting to have a train built from everybody’s curb to everbody’s workplace that runs every 5 minutes?
Welcome to Mass Transit dip shit.
October 17th, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Who’s name is on Norm Coleman’s utility bill in Washington? Will Norm Coleman support John McCain’s health care plan? Has Nasser Kazeminy ever bought any clothing for Norm Coleman?
Those are very simple questions too.
But your team has no problem shunning not only bloggers, but mainstream reporters on those simple questions. Here, some right-wing blogger is making a stink out of the same thing? Give me a break.
October 17th, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Don’t get all terrorized Aaron.
October 17th, 2008 at 11:28 AM
“Are you expecting to have a train built from everybody’s curb to everbody’s workplace that runs every 5 minutes?”
No, but I don’t expect a candidate for office to ride on three different bus services to get a political event. I guess it would have been effective to show up late or have to hitch a ride because mass transit in the cities is sub par.
I’ll tell you what we need. Since we’ve already gone all in on light rail, there should be LRT to the west, north, south, and eastern suburbs, great park and ride lots, and express bus service that serve the park and rides. Basically, the same system in place in D.C. where mass transit works great.
October 17th, 2008 at 12:06 PM
“I don’t expect a candidate for office”
So just the little people should ride Mass Transit.
I understand.
October 17th, 2008 at 12:21 PM
“So just the little people should ride Mass Transit.”
Wow, this is a brilliant argument.
I don’t expect people to ride mass transit to the doctor’s office either. Anyone going to a specific event without any real convenient way to make it there AND back has no reason to use mass transit.
And, I don’t expect anyone to use our lack luster mass transit system (little guy or whoever) unless you actually live near a LRT line. That’s the point. We need better mass transit. How can he above riding the mass transit he says doesn’t exist? And when has he ever said we should ride mass transit? He’s has said we should invest in it because people will use it, shockingly, like people use LRT–and it results in less traffic.
October 17th, 2008 at 12:21 PM
There is no reason to respond to people trying to terrorize you.
Come on, Michael, don’t you know that you’re just a domestic terrorist asking all these hard questions? I mean, palling around with Bill Ayers – a real terrorist who actually did bomb people – that’s no big deal to these clowns and qualifies the New Messiah to be president. But asking those really hard questions of Ashtray, like “do you own a car?”, man, that’s some pretty awful stuff. Under the new administration you’ll be brought up on charges.
October 17th, 2008 at 12:24 PM
The voters of the 3rd CD deserve a thoughtful and principled discussion on the issues important to their families.
This 5th grade gotcha crap represents another feeble attempt to distract from the issues. Who cares if Ashwin owns a car? Is that another reason why he is not “one of us”?
Suggesting that Ashwin represents anything other than a fair and open debate is laughable. His strong commitment to talking directly to the voters is a primary reason that his campaign continues to attract more support every day.
“This campaign is not about me.. it is about ALL OF US working together to solve difficult problems”.
Madia: Ready to Lead
October 17th, 2008 at 12:35 PM
This 5th grade gotcha crap
You mean like who bought your suits or pays your utility bills? You mean “gotcha crap” like that?
October 17th, 2008 at 12:38 PM
Madia: Ready to take the LRT if it would only stop at my doorstep, and drop me off where I need to go,
kind of like a car, but with other people paying for it.
October 17th, 2008 at 2:49 PM
Yeah, that’s 5th grade gotcha stuff too. The kind of stuff Ashwin has condemned.
He is brave enough to debate the issues important to middle class families, and let the chips fall where they may. So far, his chip stack is building toward victory.
Madia: Courage to Change
October 17th, 2008 at 3:43 PM
“Madia: Ready to take the LRT if it would only stop at my doorstep, and drop me off where I need to go,”
Yeah, that’s EXACTLY his position. <>
October 17th, 2008 at 7:35 PM
Michael must be running low on diversion talking points, but this is not even close to fifth grade level. Grow up and get with the program…your candidate Erik is getting his ass handed to him by Madia and he can’t handle it, nor can you. Get used to it because in 3 weeks you’ll be looking for another losing job. By the way, if Madia wasn’t in the race I believe Dillon would beat Erik, too…that’s how inept a candidate you’ve got running….heh, that’s good….Erik Paulsen, running away from the issues and the voters….”where’s Erik”?
October 17th, 2008 at 10:41 PM
When a marine hears the words “use mass transit”, it means on the way to a fundraiser in DC.