Ashwin Madia for Minnesota 3rd CD

Background:

My parents immigrated to this country with just $19 in cash and a dream that America would provide opportunities for their children. In college, I served as student body president at the University of Minnesota. I worked with fellow students, administrators, and faculty to keep higher education accessible to all by controlling increases in tuition and fees. After graduating from the U of M, I attended New York University School of Law. While in law school, I represented immigrants, children with disabilities, unemployed persons seeking benefits, and victims of domestic violence, all on a pro bono (free) basis.

After law school, I joined the U.S. Marine Corps and moved to Quantico, Virginia for 8 months of basic training. My first duty station was Okinawa, Japan, where I served as a prosecutor, defense counsel, and legal advisor to a Marine Corps commander. I served in Iraq from September 2005 to March 2006. While stationed in Baghdad, I worked with U.S. military and civilian officials, European Union and United Nations representatives, and Iraqi judicial officers to strengthen the Iraqi criminal justice system. I also briefed top U.S. generals on the status of the rule of law in the country.

I finished active duty with the Marine Corps on July 4, 2006. I returned to Minnesota and began practicing law at Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi. As an attorney in private practice, I represented clients in disputes over intellectual property and other business issues. I also continued to perform pro bono legal work as an advocate for victims of domestic violence and for a victim of political oppression overseas.

Goals:

My parents came to this country to provide my family with opportunities. I have been very fortunate to have had those opportunities, and I was proud to give back to the U.S. by serving in the Marine Corps. Now I am hoping to draw on my record of service, leadership and advocacy to bring a responsible end to the war in Iraq, expand access to health care, renew the federal commitment to education, address global warming, and balance the budget. I also see this campaign as a way to have a conversation about the kind of country we want to be in the post-9/11 world, so that we can protect our security while also preserving our values.

Issues:

I am committed to running a positive campaign on the issues that matter to the voters in the Third Congressional District. These include: a responsible end to the War in Iraq; a balanced federal budget; addresses global warming and developing a green economy; making health care affordable for all; ensuring the federal government meets it responsibilities on education; and safeguarding our fundamental freedoms.

Grassroots Support:

My campaign has a strategic grass roots field plan that will involve organizing a base of support in each Senate district and will expand on that base to turn out as many of my supporters as possible on Minnesota's February 5th Caucus Night. This base and these voters will be made up of Democratic activists who have previously participated in Caucus Night, as well as voters new to the process.

In the weeks ahead, my campaign will also execute our voter contact strategy of coordinated mailings and phone calls to all previous caucus-goers. By the time of the Precinct Caucuses on Feb. 5th, 2008, all caucus goers will have received a biographical piece of campaign literature, another campaign lit piece on the issues, and multiple phone calls asking for their support, reminding them when and where to caucus.

Grassroots and netroots volunteers provide critical help through blogging about the race, phone-banking, and writing letters to the editor of our local newspapers.

DFA Values:

I do not want to use the government to impose social values on our citizens - I think that Americans are fully capable of making decisions about their social behavior without interference from the government. I am pro-choice. I also strongly believe in full equal rights for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans.

I want to make sure that our country remains fiscally solvent through fair tax policies and responsible spending. We need to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire because it means an additional $1 trillion dollars will be available for important budget needs like health care and education, rather than going into the pockets of the top one percent wealthiest Americans.

The Bush tax cuts have cost our country $2.35 trillion dollars, $800 billion of which went to the top 1% of earners - people making over $350,000 annually. I don't think it's right that we're asking 18 and 19 year old kids to sacrifice their arms and legs (and sometime lives) for this war, but we're not asking the wealthiest people in our country to sacrifice their tax cuts to help pay for it. Instead, we've chosen to run $300 billion dollar deficits and add to what is now a $9 trillion debt.