In an interview with reporter Esme Murphy on WCCO-TV Sunday morning, Republican state Rep. Erik Paulsen commented for the first time on a line of attack that Republicans pushed hard last week: that Paulsen’s DFL opponent for the state’s 3rd Congressional District, Ashwin Madia, is less qualified than Paulsen because he’s unmarried, rents an apartment and doesn’t fit the district’s “demographic.” Paulsen, the argument goes, is “one of them.”

WCCO’s Esme Murphy: There were Republicans going around this week talking about the fact that Ashwin Madia is not married and doesn’t own a home. What do you think about those kinds of comments?

State Rep. Erik Paulsen: I can only speak to my own personal experience. As someone, again, who’s been a lifelong resident of the area and pays property taxes and understands the real difficulties that families are going through right now, I’m focused on how we’re going to help solve the difficulties that are facing Minnesota families and small businesses. We’ve got to keep things on track right now –

Murphy: Do you condemn that kind of criticism?

Paulsen: I think it’s inappropriate to have harsh attack ads that mischaracterize candidates’ positions or votes. And I’m sure we’re going to continue to see additional mudslinging. I hope that’s not the case because I expect to get vastly outspent by some significant special interest groups.

That exchange didn’t illuminate the question of whether Paulsen takes responsibility for his allies’ slams on Madia’s personal life at press conferences last week. But Paulsen’s dodging of Murphy’s questions suggests he doesn’t condemn them — a likelihood reinforced by the presence of his campaign staff at a Sept. 30 news conference called by state Sen. Geoff Michel (R-Edina) at which Michel called Madia a “carpetbagger.” At the end of his prepared comments that day, Michel referred reporters to Paulsen campaign staffers at the press conference.

State Sen. Geoff Michel: So that’s our main message today. There are Paulsen campaign staffers here for additional follow-up or questions.

While taking reporters’ questions, Michel asserted that Madia is the only current candidate for congress to have filed for office using his or her parents’ address.

Reporter: Do you know that for a fact? Or, how do you know that?

Michel: There are people in this room, including the Paulsen campaign, who know that as a fact.

When Michel couldn’t answer reporters’ questions about the details behind his charge that Madia is a “carpetbagger,” he again appeared to defer to Paulsen staffers in the room.

Michel: There are others here who can dive deeper into the details [of Madia's residential history].

On WCCO Sunday, Madia repeated his condemnation of ads by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) attacking Paulsen — “to the extent that they’re inaccurate” — but said federal law against candidates coordinating with outside groups prohibited him from communicating with the DCCC about the ads.

Murphy interviewed each candidate separately, including the Independence Party’s David Dillon, who disputed Madia’s version of his options: “You can pick up the phone and say that’s a bald-faced lie.” Dillon roundly criticized negative campaigning, particularly the DCCC’s, as a “new low” for the district. But he said that in any case his campaign — which he figures is now drawing support from around 20 percent of voters — would benefit from the other two candidates tearing each other down.

All three candidates said they supported the financial sector bailout bill signed into law at the end of the week, but not its earlier version — which Paulsen pointedly identified as the Bush administration’s, saying it amounted to a “blank check.” (Madia has said he would have supported the first bailout proposal only if it was the only alternative to inaction.)

Several questions went only to the two leading candidates. On Iraq, Madia said he would set withdrawal goals that would bring U.S. troops home within two years. Paulsen said he would go along with time horizons set by the Iraqi government. On energy, Paulsen endorsed domestic drilling for oil off the continental shelf, while Madia called for a comprehensive energy strategy that would include domestic drilling alongside exploration of alternative sources.

Dillon interview:

Paulsen interview:

Madia interview: