To the Editor:
Reaons why Erik Paulsen does not reflect the values of the Minnesota Third Congressional District:
Vote Smart, formerly called Project Vote Smart, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States. See http://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/3833/erik-paulsen.
It was founded by 40 national leaders such as Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford. The Vote Smart’s Voter’s Self-Defense System took 16 years to build and now collects data of more than 40,000 candidates and elected officials.
It covers candidates and elected officials in six basic areas: background information, issue positions (via the Political Courage Test), voting records, campaign finances, interest group ratings, and speeches and public statements.
Project Vote Smart rates Paulsen on the following:
- The National Right to Life Committee rates Paulsen as 100 percent supportive of their positions.
- The Planned Parenthood Action Fund has given Paulsen a lifetime score of 0 percent.
- The American Civil Liberties Union has rated Paulse 5 percent.
- The Human Rights Campaign has rated Paulsen 0 percent.
- The American Conservative Union has given Paulsen a lifetime score of 85 percent.
- The John Birch Society has given Paulsen a lifetime score of 69 percent favorability rating, if you are a Minnesota moderate voter, you better start asking yourself whether you really want to vote for that guy.)
- The Alliance for Retired Americans has given Paulsen a lifetime score of 4 percent.
- The League of Conservation Voters has given Paulsen a lifetime score of only 17 percent, whereas the American Forest and Paper Association has rated Paulsen as 100 percent.
- The National Rife Association has rated Paulsen 93 percent.
Just thought you should know Paulsen is not a moderate!
Kerry Anderson, Plymouth
Plymouth Sun-Sailor, April 25, 2017