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Richard Carlbom: 651-261-1306
Bigfoot Asks: Does Erik Paulsen Really Exist?
New digital ad features the search for Minnesota’s most hard-to-find elected official
Phillips for Congress released a new digital ad today featuring an interview with Bigfoot, who has been inspired to find Minnesota’s most elusive figure: Congressman Erik Paulsen.
Congressman Paulsen did not hold a public town hall meeting for more than seven years. He’s rarely caught on camera in Minnesota, and he’s almost never seen in public — and when he is it’s not for long. He’s so good at hiding that even Bigfoot is impressed.
In fact, the only way to guarantee an Erik Paulsen sighting is to contribute $2,700 to join his “Eagles Club” or write a $10,000 PAC check to help fund his negative TV ads.
Dean Phillips’s campaign, meanwhile, is based on the idea that representation begins with listening. Phillips has hosted more than 120 public events in since he entered the race, and has repeatedly challenged Congressman Paulsen to join him in campaigning the Minnesota Way, which would eliminate PAC and self-financing, and require the candidates to answer questions from the public at free, accessible forums. To date, Paulsen has refused.
Yesterday, in an open letter to Congressman Paulsen, Phillips again offered to appear at a series of voter forums in the district — which Paulsen himself had previously “challenged” Phillips to do — in addition to three closed forums hosted by Twin Cities media organizations outside of the district. Congressman Paulsen has not responded, and no such forum is set.
FULL TEXT OF NEW DIGITAL AD:
I thought I was good at hiding. Then Erik Paulsen comes along. I mean, how can you have tens of thousands of people looking for you all the time and not one of them find you? I started to wonder — does Erik Paulsen really exist? Where’s the proof? Some blurry photo taken from miles away? I had to know, so I came up with a plan. Paulsen takes piles of money from Big Pharma and votes to erode essential healthcare protections. So… the most likely place to find him is at a big pharmaceutical company. And that’s where I went. I was prepared to stay there for weeks… It took seven minutes. I was so shocked when I saw him walking by that I almost dropped the camera, but… I got it! Visual proof. So take it from me, Bigfoot: Erik Paulsen really exists.