Posted on 11/12/2007 10:01:24 AM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo
The cornerstone of attorney Ashwin Madia’s campaign for a U.S. Congress seat in Minnesota is that the U.S. needs to craft a “new strategy to dramatically reduce the (U.S.) presence in Iraq.”
Before scrutinizing this bold assertion, consider the fact that it comes from a former Marine Corps captain who served in the U.S. military for four years and helped bring “the rule of law” to the legal system in Iraq.
The 29-year-old Madia is running as a Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate in Minnesota’s Third District, a suburb outside Minneapolis that President George Bush won in the last presidential election with 51 percent of the vote.
The seat is now held by Republican Jim Ramstad, who is retiring. Political pundits say the race for the seat is wide open.
Winning the high-profile seat will not be easy, however.
DFL state Senator Terri Bonoff, an experienced fundraiser, has announced her candidacy. GOP state Representative Senator Erik Paulsen of Eden Prairie, Minn., has filed the paperwork to mount a campaign.
Minnesota operates under a caucus system, which will select party candidates by April. If he doesn’t get the DFL endorsement, Madia told India-West he will not run in the general election.
Describing himself as liberal on social issues and a fiscal conservative, Madia has plans to improve transportation, provide more funds for education and confront global warming. He also supports hate crime legislation.
But the conversation kept returning to his opposition to the U.S. military build-up in Iraq.
Madia said the U.S. “needs leadership” in Congress to “help change course in Iraq – someone who understands our military and cares about the issues and our country.”
He doesn’t favor the withdrawal of forces willy-nilly at the risk of lives, but wants the U.S. out as quickly as possible.
“I also want to talk more generally about the direction of our country and what kind of nation we want to be post 9/11,” he said.
“I don’t believe that we need to have torture chambers, Guantanamo Bay, secret prisons, and spying programs on American citizens in order to be secure.”
Madia’s path to the Marines was atypical. After obtaining a political science degree from the University of Minnesota and a law degree from New York University, he enlisted in the Marines. Before serving as judge advocate in Baghdad from September 2005 till March 2006, he was posted in Okinawa.
After joining the Minneapolis law firm of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi as an associate, Madia felt compelled to speak out about the Iraq war, feeling the issue was too important to take a surer way to political office – running for a local post.
He quit the firm to campaign full time for Congress. (Mike Ciresi, a partner in the firm, is running for the U.S. Senate.)
Madia’s father, Ashwin Madia, is a part-time professor of business at the University of Minnesota. The 29-year-old said he originally had the first name “Jigar” but dropped it in favor of his middle name. His mother, Niru, is a physical therapist.
His parents are behind his campaign all the way, he told India-West.
Out of Iraq ... into to Iran.
Just a minor point, but officers don't enlist. They are commissioned.
the U.S. needs to craft a “new strategy to dramatically reduce the (U.S.) presence in Iraq.”
***I have such a strategy... see my tagline.
From the above link: "The three issues that I care about most and that form the basis for my campaign are: 1) Ending the Iraq War without leaving behind a catastrophe"
Well, duh. I suppose his opponents either want us to stay forever or just get out, leaving behind a catastrophe. How shallow can a person be?
JAG lawyer, one of those (with apologies to LadyJAG). Perhaps “ex-Marine” is fitting in this case.
They also serve, who only stand and wait.
FYI His name is pronounced “Ass Wind”
A lawyer. Not a real Marine.
TC
Every lawyer a rifleman?
Is he running for Congress or Miss America?
He is running for Run Paul’s secretary of defense I’d guess.
Ahh...the hilarity of politics.........
“The cornerstone of attorney Ashwin Madia’s campaign for a U.S. Congress seat in Minnesota is that the U.S. needs to craft a “new strategy to dramatically reduce the (U.S.) presence in Iraq.”
Before scrutinizing this bold assertion.........”
**********
Bold assertion? Name one American who doesn’t want us to reduce our Iraq forces when appropriate?
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“Madia has plans to improve transportation, provide more funds for education and confront global warming. He also supports hate crime legislation.”
**************
-Name one person who doesn’t support improved transportation.
-More funds for education? For what purpose in education?
-Confront global warming? I thought it was changed to climate change?
-Supports hate crime legislation? Another lawyer talking out his derriere. A crime is a crime..period. Does punishing someone for a hate crime make the victim feel better?
All liberal political hot button hog waste as usual.
asswind? plus lawyer? As a marine EM i’d say this guy is puke.
As another Marine EM, I’d say there’s no doubt of it. Sort of like John Murtha.
Is 6 months the length of a normal JAG tour? Was he wounded, or was this “cut and run” practice?
Also, a year and a half at a Law firm is a pretty short time. Is he running for something or running from something?
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