It's been nearly a year since we first noted the Congressional run of Minnesota's Ashwin Madia, an attorney and former marine who served in Iraq in 2005-06. Madia is a Democrat (formerly a Republican), competing with Republican Erik Paulsen for the seat of outgoing Republican Congressman Jim Ramstad. Now the Minnesota Independent is claiming that Republicans are gay-baiting:
While Republican Party representatives took heat this week for claiming in fliers that DFL candidate Ashwin Madia had the “wrong demographics” to serve the people of the 3rd Congressional District, they got off lightly with respect to the not-so-veiled undercurrent in their attack on Madia’s “lifestyle.” By larding in mentions of Madia’s household (he’s a renter, not an owner) and his hobbies (he’s not a soccer coach), the tacit insinuation that Madia must be gay is made easier to politely ignore. But it appears to be the real payload behind GOP efforts to point out Madia’s purported, um, difference from the stolid homesteaders of the 3rd District.
Madia is 30 years old and single. And that above reference to Madia having the "wrong demographics" comes from a press conference held by Minnesota GOP chief Ron Carey. Carey defends the Republican candidate, Erik Paulsen, saying that "he really fits the district so well, as one of them." The reporters in the room are notably persistent in their questioning of Carey, asking, "How can you not hear a little racial undertone when you say he's not 'one of them?'"
Watch and decide for yourself.
Madia himself has said he doesn't see any racial coding going on. According to today's Cook Political Report, the race is a toss-up.
Read more about the controversy at Sepia Mutiny, as well as Talking Points Memo.
And read this Q&A with Madia, where he states that his brother is openly gay, and that he defended an openly gay Marine against the military's "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy.
