Letter: Not the Way We Do Things in Minnesota

Whether you’re an independent, Republican, or Democrat, we should all be able to agree on one thing — in Minnesota, we can do better than the low bar being set by Rep. Erik Paulsen.

I’ve seen a lot of heated moments during my three decades in public service — that’s ok, that’s politics. But here’s what I know: At the end of the day, the best traditions in our state are about honoring civility, honesty, and respect. We put our country over partisan wrangling and value working for real solutions. Above all, we tell the truth.

But Erik Paulsen’s false and negative ads are astonishing and deeply dismaying. His latest ad doesn’t just smear Dean with patently false attacks — it maligns some of the most prominent members of the Twin Cities philanthropic community.

The real purpose of these attack ads is to take attention away from the fact that Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell prepared budgets that will significantly slash health care, Medicare, and Social Security.

I proudly served as your Republican governor. Now, I’m proud to be supporting Dean’s campaign. But with Erik Paulsen going low, Dean needs our help.

Will you join me by making a contribution to Dean’s campaign right now? Help him fight back against the onslaught of negative ads before it’s too late!

Unlike Rep. Paulsen, Dean isn’t in the pocket of special interests. He’s called out the influence of big money on public policy since day one. More than ever, we need his voice in Congress.

With just weeks to go in this election, we can’t let special interests drown out Dean’s inspiring voice with their false ads. Will you join me in contributing to his campaign today?

Dean’s campaign is focused on people, not special interests. It’s about telling the plain truth, and calling for real solutions to our biggest problems. And now he needs our help.

Thank you,

Arne Carlson
Former Governor of Minnesota