Republicans push polling smears against Ashwin Madia

Since Republican Erik Paulsen has so little to run on, he has apparently hired a polling company to run push polls against Democratic candidate Ashwin Madia. Unfortunately, Mike Mulcahy (who normally practices real journalism at MPR) falls into the lazy, Republican-friendly school of mindless journalism claiming that both sides are doing it. Let's be clear about the facts, a Houston-based telemarketing firm is push polling against Ashwin Madia. AFSCME was calling its own members urging them to support Ashwin Madia and did not mention Paulsen. Mulcahy is willing to print lies from the Paulsen campaign spread by Spawn of Turdblossom.

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Here's the details:

That's the only way to describe this piece from MPR about push-polling in the Third district congressional race. Lazy because how much work would it take to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this push-polling is not a case of "well, they're both doing it." as the Paulsen campaign would have us believe.
(MN Campaign Report)

What has Joe Bodell at MNCR up in arms? Mulcahy took Spawn of Turdblossom's word at face value.

Michael Brodkorb, who's filling in as a spokesman for the Paulsen campaign, said Paulsen is not behind the calls, and countered that he also has heard reports of anti-Paulsen push polling.

"We're both victims of these outside groups," Brodkorb said, adding supporters told the Paulsen campaign that the AFSCME union was behind the anti-Paulsen calls. Brodkorb also noted that AFSCME has endorsed Madia, and called on Madia to "distance himself" from them.
(MPR's Polinaut)

What's comical about Mulcahy's ignorance is that he fails to recognize (as do reporters at the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press who frequently run with Spawn of Turdblossom's talking points) that his source is a paid Republican mouthpiece who is also now on the payroll of the Paulsen campaign as well.

So what exactly did the Paulsen campaign allegedly pay for?

During the week of August 11, the Madia for Congress campaign received numerous reports that at least one organization, Promark Research, seems to be conducting push polls. Among other things the push polls distorted Madia's position on Iraq and falsely stated that Madia was impeached when he was the president of the University of Minnesota student body.

Rosenberg requested that, if the Paulsen campaign funded the poll or had a connection to the completion of this poll, the Paulsen campaign cease and desist such activities going forward. Rosenberg also requested written confirmation that the Paulsen campaign disavows push polls, and will not engage in such polls going forward.
(excerpt from the Madia campaign's letter sent to the Paulsen campaign)

And what was AFSCME doing according to the lazy and ignorant journalist Mike Mulcahy?

As of this posting, Minnesota AFSCME Council 5 had not responded to an voicemail message seeking comment, and the Madia campaign said it was not aware of any push polling by AFSCME.

Update 6 pm: Eliot Seide, executive director of Minnesota AFSCME Council 5, says his organization is not push-polling in the 3rd Congressional District. He says AFSCME members are calling other AFSCME members, urging them to support Madia, and he says the phone bank script does not even mention Erik Paulsen.
(MPR's Polinaut)

Mulcahy retracts his AFSCME hasn't responded paragraph after they deny they are doing any push polling. While Mulcahy looks stupid for believing Spawn of Turdblossom, at least he corrects himself.