SUPPORTERS OF THE MEDICAID
CUTS SAY THEY ARE NEEDED TO
TRIM THE SKYROCKETING COSTS OF
THAT FEDERAL PROGRAM.
WITH FOUR OF MINNESOTA'S
EIGHT CONGRESSIONAL RACES
EXPECTED TO BE VERY COMPETITIVE
IN NOVEMBER, CANDIDATES ARE
TRYING NEW WAYS TO REACH OUT TO
VOTERS.
ONE EXAMPLE THAT RANKS AS
AMONGST THE MOST CREATIVE, A
DFL CANDIDATE FOR THE THIRD
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT DEAN
PHILLIPS HAS BUILT A FISH HOUSE
ON LAKE MINNETONKA WHERE HE CAN
FISH AND MEET AND TALK TO
POTENTIAL CONSTITUENTS.
FILLY IS RUNNING TO CHALLENGE
ERIC PAULSON, HE HAS BECOME THE
TARGET OF PROTEST FOR WHAT
CRITICS SAY IS HIS FAILURE TO
HOLD IN PERSON TOWN HALL
MEETINGS.
MOVES THE THIRD DISTRICT RACE
WHICH INCLUDES THE WESTERN
SUBURBS OF MINNEAPOLIS FROM
LEANING REPUBLICAN TO A TOSSUP,
AND JOINING US RIGHT NOW IS DFL
CANDIDATE DEAN PHILLIPS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING
IN.
GOOD TO BE BACK.
LET ME ASK YOU THIS, FIRST
OF ALL.
WE HEARD THAT STORY ABOUT
MEDICAID CUTS.
CONGRESSMAN PAULSON IN THE
AFTERMATH OF THE PRESIDENT'S
STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
PRAISED PRESIDENT'S TAX BILL AS
WELL AS HIS BUDGET PLAN.
YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT.
WELL, THERE'S SOME ELEMENTS
OF THE TAX BILL THAT I ACTUALLY
SUPPORT, BUT PLENTY THAT I
DON'T, AND I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED
ABOUT MINNESOTA SPECIFICALLY,
IN PARTICULAR THE THIRD
DISTRICT, STATE AND LOCAL TAXES
DEDUCTIONS ARE A SIGNIFICANT
PART OF THE THIRD DISTRICT'S
DEDUCTIONS AND A GREAT BENEFIT,
AND I'M AFRAID THIS WILL ONLY
PUT MINNESOTA FURTHER DOWN THE
LIST OF ALL THE STATES THAT
SEND MONEY TO WASHINGTON, BASED
ON WHAT WE GET BACK.
WE RANK 44th RIGHT NOW, AND I
THINK THAT'S GOING TO GET A BIT
LARGER.
THAT'S WHY 12 OF THEIR
COLLEAGUE IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES IN SIMILARLY
HIGH TAX STATES VOTED AGAINST
THIS TAX BILL BECAUSE IT IS A
DETRIMENT TO MANY OF THEIR
CITIZENS AND I THINK THAT HAS
TO BE RECOGNIZED.
ALL RIGHT, CONGRESSMAN
PAULSON.
THE PRESIDENT IS TAKING CREDIT
FOR THE REBOUNDING IN THE STOCK
MARKET ALTHOUGH IT'S BEEN A
LITTLE BUMPY THAN LATE, IT'S
STILL WAY UP FROM WHERE IT WAS,
DOESN'T PRESIDENT TRUMP AND
CONGRESSMAN PAULSON WHO
SUPPORTED HIS ECONOMIC POLICIES
DESERVE SOME CREDIT FOR THAT
INCREASE WHICH HAS AFFECTED A
LOT OF PEOPLE'S 401(K)'S AND
OTHER INVESTMENTS.
THE ECONOMY IS NOT ABOUT
THIS WEEK OR THIS MONTH, IT'S
ABOUT YEARS, AND I THINK WE'RE
SEEING SOME BENEFITS OF THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND
THERE'S SOME ELEMENTS OF THIS
TAX BILL THAT HAVE PROVIDED A
BOOST TO THE STOCK MARKET AND
THE ECONOMY, AND AT THE END OF
THE DAY, LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, I
WANT TO SEE EVERYBODY DO
BETTER.
THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF THIS BILL
THAT WILL HELP SOME.
I'M AFRAID MUCH OF THAT ACCRUES
TO THE WEALTHIEST IN THIS
COUNTRY.
MY PAST EXPERIENCE WOULD
INDICATE THAT'S NOT IN THE BEST
INTERESTS OF EVERYBODY IN THIS
COUNTRY, AND I THINK WE NEED
SOME THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATION
ABOUT HOW TO DO BETTER.
EARLIER IN THIS NEWSCAST WE
SAW VERY PASSIONATE STATEMENTS
FROM YOUNG PEOPLE IN FLORIDA
WHO WERE THERE AT THE SCENE OF
THAT HORRIBLE SHOOTING EARLIER
THIS WEEK.
YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT GUN
CONTROL, WHAT SPECIFIC
PROPOSALS WOULD YOU SUPPORT IN
TERMS OF ANY KIND OF NEW LAWS
TO RESTRICT ACCESS TO
SPECIFICALLY SEMIAUTOMATIC
WEAPONS.
SURE.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I'M SO
TIRED OF ISSUING THOUGHTS AND
PRAYERS.
THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS DON'T SAVE
LIVES.
I'M DISAPPOINTED IN CONGRESS
AND OUR COUNTRY FOR NOT
PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN.
I'M A PARENT LIKE YOU ARE.
THIS IS ON MY MIND ALL THE
TIME.
I SPENT TIME IN MINNETONKA, I
WAS DEEPLY MOVED BUT ALSO
DEEPLY HOPEFUL.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO WITNESS
A MASSIVE MOVEMENT ON THE PATH
OF KIDS TO EFFECT THE CHANGE
THAT CONGRESS IS UNWILLING TO.
I ISSUED A CALL TO ACTION
EARLIER THIS WEEK.
I BELIEVE IT'S TIME FOR
UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR
ONE.
I BELIEVE IT'S TIME TO RETURN
TO THE ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN THAT
ACTUALLY WAS EFFECTIVE DURING
THE CLINTON ERA.
I THINK WE NEED TO PLACE MENTAL
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN EVERY
SINGLE ELEMENTARY AND HIGH
SCHOOL IN THIS ENTIRE COUNTRY.
WE NEED ANTI-BULLYING PROGRAMS
IN EVERY SCHOOL IN THIS
COUNTRY.
WE NEED TO REPEAL THE DICKEY
AMENDMENT SO THAT THE CDC CAN
ACTUALLY INVESTIGATE AND DO
RESEARCH INTO WHY THIS IS
HAPPENING AND HOW WE CAN SOLVE
IT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE
GOT TO EFFECT CAMPAIGN FINANCE
REFORM.
IF WE DON'T REMOVE THE MONEY IN
POLITICS AND THE INFLUENCE, WE
WILL NOT GET ANYTHING DONE.
IT'S TIME TO ACT.
FOLLOWING UP HERE, IF A
CHALLENGER'S GOING TO WIN, PART
OF THE ISSUE HAS TO BE THE
INCUMBENT HIMSELF.
CONGRESSMAN ERIC PAULSON HAND
HANDILY BEAT, TERRY BONNHOFF.
A DEMOCRAT HAS NOT BEEN
ELECTED TO THE SEAT SINCE 1958
AND I RECOGNIZE THAT OF COURSE.
THIS YEAR'S DIFFERENT, AND THIS
IS A VERY THOUGHTFUL ENGAGED
DISTRICT, P MY CAMPAIGN IS NOT
DESIGNED JUST TO WIN.
MY CAMPAIGN IS DESIGNED TO
CREATE CONVERSATION, AND I'M
REALLY DISAPPOINTED AT THE
TENOR AND TONE OF POLITICS BOTH
IN CONGRESS AND IN OUR OWN
STATE, AND WHAT I'VE DISCOVERED
BASED ON WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO
DO WHICH IS TO GET PEOPLE TO
TALK AGAIN, IS THAT THERE IS A
LOT LESS THAT DIVIDES US.
THAT IS TRUE OF REPUBLICANS,
DEMOCRAT, LIBERTARIANS, I'M ON
A MISSION OF HOW WE CAN DO
THINGS, HOW WE USED TO DO
THINGS.
THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
WE ARE MAKING HEADWAY.
THE COOK POLITICAL REPORT MOVED
US FROM REPUBLICAN TO A TOSSUP.
I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE
MAKING PROGRESS NOT JUST BY
PREACHING TO THE CHOIR, IF YOU
WILL, BY EXTENDING INVITATIONS
TO INDEPENDENTS AND REPUBLICANS
AND LIBERTARIANS TO JOIN THIS
EFFORT, AND WE'RE MAKING
