Paulsen (MN-ALEC) Arrogant ALEC Congressional Candidate

(my emphasis throughout)

What happens when you get a cocky ALEC member in office – and the Koch brothers have told him he will win and the polls are telling him he is ahead – HE refuses to debate his opponent in an open forum.

YET - he has time to travel to IOWA this weekend (9/23) to fundraise for his buddies down there AND do a speech.

Tickets available for Black Hawk Co. Lincoln Day dinner

WATERLOO, Iowa --- The Republicans of Black Hawk County will be hosting the annual Lincoln Day Dinner fundraiser Sunday at Electric Park Ballroom, 310 W. Conger St.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m.; the dinner starts at 5 p.m.

Guest speakers will include Minnesota U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen, 

Erik Paulsen doesn’t say much - not to the people of Minnesota who pay the taxes - that pay his real salary.

He doesn’t have time to explain himself to us mortals – he is one of the ALEC gods that hangs around with other ALEC gods.

In fact if you look at his webpage for his run for re-election to Congress – he doesn’t even have an issues page.

Why – cause his issues are determined by the ALEC corporate profit sector and ALEC – so he doesn’t have to think, he just orders a copy and paste from the ALEC bill-mill.

Why??? Because he doesn’t want Minnesotans to know what he supports.

Cause he doesn’t give a damn about Minnesota citizens.

He’s bough and paid for by ALEC corporate profit sector members – the citizens of Minnesota don’t even register on his – who do I pay attention to – scale.

And it’s just not me that has noticed this:

A Smart Politics study of news transcripts from ABC, CBS, CNBC, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, and NPR (via Lexis/Nexis) since January 2009 finds that Erik Paulsen has appeared or been mentioned on far fewer broadcasts than any member of the Minnesota U.S. House delegation, including freshman Republican Chip Cravaack, who has been in office only eight months during this span.

And he’s always been that way – a quote from a 2010 report on one of his few ton halls

For almost an hour, Paulsen did his best not to answer questions.

He doesn’t answer to Minnesotans – he answers to ALEC Corporate Private Profit Sector Members.

From his webpage – basically the only thing you can find on there is this – and this is it – he doesn’t have to give you any more information – cause he knows his election is bought and paid for:

Erik is a leading voice for accountability, transparency and fiscal discipline in the federal government.  He serves on the House Financial Services Committee and has championed initiatives to strengthen small business and end taxpayer bailouts.  He is also focusing on making health care more affordable and more accessible, veterans’ issues, and strengthening American jobs and competitiveness.  Erik serves as co-chair of the House Medical Technology Caucus and is a critical voice in promoting medical innovation and the tens of thousands of jobs these businesses provide in Minnesota.

Erik brings 16 years of business experience to Washington, including work as a business analyst at Target Corporation.

Prior to his election to Congress, Erik served in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and was selected by his colleagues to serve as the House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2007.  Erik also gained experience in public service by working for his predecessor Jim Ramstad as a legislative assistant and director of Ramstad’s Minnesota office.

Ramstad – ALEC

From Inside ALEC November 2007

Ramstad probably groomed Paulsen in the ways of ALEC.
Paulsen doesn't mention ALEC,

But you have to look a little further

A report on a 2010 town hall meeting that should have been a group of friendlies – but it wasn’t … 

The angriest questions regarded the perceived difference between Paulsen the candidate and Paulsen the congressman.

The feeling of many clearly was that Paulsen runs as a moderate — like his predecessor Jim Ramstad — when he's in campaign mode but votes like a conservative when he's on the House floor.

"You ran as a moderate," said a woman who said she was from Edina. "But you're behavior suggests otherwise."

And it even got more interesting:

But quickly a woman from Plymouth argued with both the congressman and the Eden Prairie man.

"Why all the complaining about taxes?" she asked. "Taxes are the price I pay for a civilized society. Taxes paid for my education. My streets. My bridges. Why do people feel the way they do about taxes?"

She suggested that taxes be raised to the levels they were in the Reagan years and said that then the national debt, which Paulsen harped on, wouldn't be a concern.

"I don't believe you should penalize success," Paulsen said.

Beholden to the 1% - wanting to make sure they get whatever they have paid for with Paulsen.

And in 2011 his town hall meetings didn’t go much better

he took off on the standard Republican Party talking points.

The problem, he said, is there are too many government regulations and that American corporate taxes are too high. He also noted that "American can't continue to spend more than it takes in."

De-regulation – that’s an ALEC theme

Benefits for ALEC corporate sector members in lower taxes.

One gentleman in the crowd raised this question: "American corporations are sitting on record amounts of cash. Why would anyone think that funneling more money to them through tax cuts will create jobs?"

This question got more applause than anything Paulsen said all night.

"I kind of want to see our corporations compete," Paulsen said.

There he is – spewing ALEC propaganda.

A woman from Orono said she was distressed by the oaths various pols take, citing Grover Norquist's no-new-taxes pledge that so many have signed. She wondered how Paulsen felt about that?

"I, ummm, haven't signed any pledges this year," he said. "I signed [the Norquist] pledge, umm, back in about 1996, I suppose. I'm not a big fan of raising taxes, I'll be honest about that."

And he’s beholden to ALEC’s American for Tax Reform – Grover Norquist – SINCE 1996 – that’s probably how long he has belonged to ALEC.

  

And it didn’t stop there at the 2011 town hall

"You want to keep the Bush tax credits for the rich, but you voted against extending unemployment benefits," said a woman from Edina. "How can you explain that?"

"I voted for unemployment when it was paid for," Paulsen said. "But this last time, it wasn't paid for."

And his constituents don’t get his time – even though they pay his salary

Some were upset that Paulsen held a tele-town hall meeting right while President Obama was speaking Monday night, trying to draw them away from the TV set to talk in an environment where Paulsen can control the conversation, yet Paulsen was not willing to show up today to face the angry crowd.

"It's always interesting that we never seem to be able to talk to Representative Paulsen. He's always gone or doing something else and yet we're all his constituents," said one of the attendees. "He chooses not to be available and this is time for him to hear what our views are and our concerns and it's really becoming a tragic time in our country's history and he's part of that."

YEP – you got that right a telephone town hall – Paulsen thinks that’s a helluva deal!

If you want to talk with Paulsen – you have to use your precious expensive minutes from ALEC member AT&T.

And as the 2012 election cycle came around – Paulsen tried to walk away from his past.

Let’s repeat that last line from that January 2009 story, shall we?

As a deputy, Paulsen will help Cantor manage the legislative program on the House floor.

So, as a “leader” of the House GOP in Congress, that’s Paulsen’s deal. Unless, of course, he wants to NOW walk away from a leadership position he was picked for in January, 2009, and a vote he helped pass in May, 2011?

This is just the tip of the iceberg, Ladies and Gents: Paulsen, as a “Leader” in the Congress (that has, as of today, a 13.8% approval rating), has responsibility for each and every vote that has passed the House Of Representatives in Congress since John Boehner took over as speaker in January, 2011.

For instance, Paulsen’s tied to Paul Ryan at the top of the ticket, who wants to turn Medicare into “Coupon Care”. If that’s not changing “medicare as we know it” – what is??!?

And he doesn’t want anything to do with his constituents – even thought thye pay his salary

Paulsen has built up a political persona based on the absolute bare minimum level of engagement with his constituents, and we in the Third district deserve better. Two town hall events per congressional sessions, held at times when virtually no one other than retirees can attend, is not what being a Congressman is all about.

BUT Paulsen likes hanging out with his buddies from the American Legislative Exchange Council.
On MSNBC, Paulsen got name-dropped on the Rachel Maddow Show on June 24, 2010 in the midst of one of Maddow's sarcastic rants during the BP oil spill disaster:

"What should be even more politically damaging than doing fundraising with Joe Barton? How about this? How about fundraising directly with BP? Cut out the middle man. That is what Republicans Marsha Blackburn and Erik Paulsen did this afternoon. They held a $1000-a-plate lunch for a Republican candidate for lunch, Cory Gardner of Colorado."

BOLD = ALEC, ALEC, ALEC

Erik Paulsen

ALEC Proof

2005 ALEC Federal Forum

Due to the success of ALEC legislative leaders in the states, their careers are expanding beyond the state legislature. ALEC has developed a program for its alumni members: the ALEC Federal Forum.

In ALEC’s continued service and assistance to its state and federal members, this guide serves as a reference to ALEC’s congressional priorities, state legislative action, and policy experts, all based on the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, individual liberty, and limited government.

MINNESOTA

Representative Erik Paulsen

House Majority Leader

Senator Patricia Pariseau

ALEC State Chair

In 2005 Paulsen is also listed as part of the ALEC Leaders in the States

But his involvement with the nastiness of ALEC didn’t’ stop in the early 2000’s

2009 ALEC Letter

Approximately one-third of all state legislators belong to ALEC, in addition to 78 ALEC “alumni” in Congress and more than 300 private-sector companies, national trade associations, and nonprofit organizations.

Dear Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi:

Cc of the letter:

cc: ALEC members in Congress:
   Erik Paulsen

NOTE:  ALEC cc’s it’s ALEC MEMBERS in Congress.

Very important – since ALEC penned the letter.

What happens when you get a cocky ALEC member in office – and the Koch brothers have told him he will win and the polls are telling him he is ahead – He refuses to debate his opponent in an open forum.

WE MUST NOT re-elect Erik Paulsen to Congress.

He is ALEC.

PLEASE Donate to his opponent Brian Barnes.

>>>>>>>>DONATE HERE<<<<<<<<<<<<

Brian Barnes is a viable opponent –

Brian Barnes DOES have an issues page on his campaign webpage – he is a serious candidate.

If Paulsen wont’ debate him – help Barnes get his message out with your donation.

Oh - the Koch thing -

Paulsen, Erik (R-MN)	$10,000	2007-2008	Koch
Paulsen, Erik (R-MN)	$5,000	2009-2010	Koch
Paulsen, Erik (R-MN)	$4,500	2011-2012	Koch

They must be losing interest in him also.