While excited parade-goers lined the 50th Street in Edina, back in the staging area, Section 16 was curiously empty. That was the spot Rep. Erik Paulsen had reserved, and it was the position in which the parade information materials listed he would be marching.
But as a large group gathered nearby in Section 17, where Rep Keith Ellison and his supporters would march, still not one supporter or staffer for Rep. Paulsen appeared. Let alone the representative himself. And so the parade went on without him.
So where was Erik Paulsen?
MPR reported that parade organizers said he was unable to attend due to a family reunion. WCCO reported that he’d canceled 48 hours before, citing a “conflict.” However, it was Paulsen spokesman Andrew Johnson who clarified that historically Rep. Paulsen doesn’t participate in the parade in “off-year[s].”
Taking Mr. Johnson at his word, that means that Rep. Paulsen doesn’t consider it important to show up in years where he doesn’t need our votes. Which would be in character for Mr. Paulsen, who avoids substantial face-to-face public meetings with constituents — his last open, in-person town hall was Sept. 6, 2011. It would seem that Rep. Ellison disagrees since he showed up on an “off-year” as did Dean Phillips, who plans to run against Rep. Paulsen in 2018.
If it’s true that Rep. Paulsen didn’t ever intend to march in the parade, then why did he reserve a spot? And why did he cancel only 48 hours before? Why no communication from his office prior to the event letting constituents know he wouldn’t be attending as advertised?
The sad truth is this is just one more example of Rep. Paulsen avoiding real interaction with his constituency as his full support of the Trump agenda and the American Health Care Act become increasingly unpopular in his moderate district.
Rob Wilcox, Eden Prairie
Eden Prairie News, July 13, 2017