Investment banker Mike McFadden had a bad weekend.

First, he failed in his attempt to invalidate the Franken campaign’s new ad highlighting the fact that his business is exploiting a Bermuda tax haven to avoid paying millions in U.S. taxes. SEE: WCCO: Reality Check: Franken’s Ad On McFadden’s ‘Tax Inversion’

If that wasn’t bad enough, then there was this:

“If the best Mike McFadden can do in his drive to become U.S. senator from Minnesota is to stumble and bumble his way to Nov. 4, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., will glide to re-election.”

No, that’s not a line from the Minnesota DFL. It’s the first paragraph of an editorial in the Fargo Forum, one of the state’s largest newspapers, thrashing McFadden and his campaign.

The editorial continues:

The Republican businessman’s campaign is off to an unimpressive start. First, he said he’d be OK using Chinese steel to build a pipeline, a position that likely did not go over well in taconite country in northeast Minnesota, where the hardworking folks up there make steel.

Second, he said he’d be OK with an increase in the gasoline tax, a gaffe he retreated from quickly. Most Minnesotans already are unhappy with $3.50 (or more) a gallon prices, so the prospect of more taxes has virtually no support, especially among Republicans.

And not to be outdone, the Minnesota Republican Party in the guise of helping their Senate candidate, tried to embarrass Franken by resurrecting an old photo in which the senator placed highway cones on his chest in mimicry of female breasts. It was a stupid stunt for which Franken apologized, but it was not the stuff of lasting campaign damage.

The irony is that from a business perspective, businessman McFadden is probably right about Chinese steel and the gasoline tax. Cheaper imported steel holds down construction costs. More revenue from gasoline taxes is one way to finance badly needed road and bridge repair and expansion.

The traffic cones/breasts photo? McFadden, who seems to have a sense of humor (his TV spots), would have gained a point or two had he mildly chided Franken with a little tongue-in-cheek, and let it go at that.

As it is, the McFadden campaign’s most distinguishing feature has been lack of discipline. Early polls suggest the incumbent has an insurmountable lead, but early polls are not necessarily predictors of an outcome. However, polls can serve as an energizer for a candidate who trails. McFadden will have to do much better than he’s done thus far if he is to emerge as a serious threat to Franken.

Bermuda · Mike McFadden · stumbles and bumbles · U.S. Senate

Investment banker Mike McFadden was caught misleading voters again this week after he launched an attack ad to try and distract attention from weeks of bad headlines and terrible stories about his strong support for Chinese steel.

Minnesota Public Radio’s PoliGraph took a look at McFadden’s latest attack ad and, unsurprisingly, deemed it “misleading” and called it a “big stretch.”

But McFadden’s willingness to purposely mislead voters is nothing new. Let’s not forget that McFadden chose to introduce himself to voters in May by going negative and deliberately misleading them. His ad was fact checked by two non-partisan organizations — PolitiFact and MPR’s PoliGraph — and deemed false.

It doesn’t end there:

McFadden purposely misled voters about Sen. Franken and the Affordable Care Act and got caught. He continued making the same false claim and could provide “no back up” when called out by the Star Tribune.

McFadden also purposely misled voters and claimed Sen. Franken directed the IRS to “intimidate and harass people based on their personal beliefs.” This was, of course, also deemed “false.”

McFadden even tried to con Republican donors by asking for money under false pretenses — only to get called out by GOP activists for being a “phony” and a “fraud.”

We could go on, but you get the point…

Mike McFadden · misleading voters · U.S. Senate

Hundreds of “McFadden Supports Chinese Steel” lawn signs pop up across Northern Minnesota

Outraged by investment banker Mike McFadden’s support for Chinese steel over Minnesota jobs, Iron Rangers took to their lawns today—hundreds of “McFadden Supports Chinese Steel” signs now grace lawns across northern Minnesota.

McFadden will be campaigning on the Range today at PolyMet in Hoyt Lakes. Here are a few lawn signs welcoming him.

Here’s a lawn sign outside a house in Chisholm.

Here’s Minnesotans with more than 20 lawn signs outside the Duluth Labor Temple.

Here’s a lawn sign welcoming Minnesotans to Aurora

Here’s a lawn sign outside the Iron Man statue.

Here’s a lawn sign along the way to Buhl, Mt. Iron and Virginia.

Here’s a lawn sign at a mine in Hibbing.

Here’s another at a mine in Eveleth.

“Every family in northern Minnesota is going to know that investment banker Mike McFadden’s first instinct was to sell their jobs to the cheapest bidder in China,” said DFL Chair Ken Martin. “Mike McFadden will not be able to run from his plans to use cheap Chinese steel to boost the profits of corporations—putting thousands of Minnesota jobs at risk—without  passing a few yard signs along the way.”

The investment banker has been under fire for weeks over his declaration that he would pick padding the profits of big corporations over Minnesota jobs and use Chinese steel to build the Keystone pipeline—even if it were just one penny cheaper.

Last weekend, McFadden landed on the front pages and led the local news across northern Minnesota after Iron Rangers sounded off on his out of touch position at a press conference in Virginia.

Chinese Steel · Iron Range · Mike McFadden · U.S. Senate

After starting general election on defense, McFadden still reeling from slew of bad headlines

Today, investment banker Mike McFadden launched another attack ad in an attempt to change the subject after being dogged for weeks by bad headlines and terrible stories. 

“Investment banker Mike McFadden won’t be able to distract Minnesotans from his support for boosting corporate profits over Minnesota jobs—no surprise given his career,” said DFL Chair Ken Martin. “Mike McFadden’s poor start to the general election left him no other choice but to go negative again and try to change the subject as his campaign takes on water.”

McFadden has been under fire for his declaration that he would pick padding the profits of big corporations over Minnesota jobs and use Chinese steel to build the Keystone pipeline—even if it were just one penny cheaper. Last weekend, he landed on the front pages and led the local news across northern Minnesota after Iron Rangers sounded off on his out of touch position at a press conference in Virginia. 

If that wasn’t bad enough, on literally his first day as the Republican nominee, McFadden, with help of his political handlers, pulled off one of the fastest flip-flops in Minnesota political history.

Check out why McFadden is trying so hard to change the subject: 

Mesabi Daily News: What’s that odor? U.S. Senate candidate Mike McFadden stepped in it big time on Chinese steel issue

KQDS: MN Democrats and Iron Range Steel Workers Respond to McFadden’s Comments

WDIO: Democrats Attack McFadden for Foreign Steel Comments

Mesabi Daily News: Foreign steel issue heats up

Duluth News Tribune: Iron Range rally targets U.S. Senate candidate McFadden over foreign steel comment

MPR: DFLers go after McFadden over steel comment

Star Tribune: U.S. Senate candidates clash over Keystone pipeline steel

St. Cloud Times: McFadden 2-steps on stance during St. Cloud stop

Star Tribune: Mike McFadden backpedals over gas tax increase

AP: McFadden reverses course on Minn. gas tax hike

MinnPost: McFadden says he could support gas tax increase, then quickly reverses

Mesabi Daily News: McFadden blasted on steel issue

Duluth News Tribune: GOP candidate for Minnesota senate blasted for Chinese steel comment

Minnesota Brown: Foreign steel dustup shows challenge of GOP Range strategy

Voice of Alexandria: Iron Range Unions Blast McFadden For Chinese Steel Comment

mnpACT!: Mike McFadden Says YES To Chinese Steel

Star Tribune says McFadden “suffered a self-inflicted wound”

City Pages: Iron Range blasts Mike McFadden over Keystone comments

Chinese Steel · keystone pipeline · Mike McFadden · U.S. Senate

Investment banker Mike McFadden probably thought the first weekend of the General Election campaign would go a little differently, right

McFadden achieved a rare communications feat, leading the evening news and landing on the front pages of major news outlets for the second weekend in a row. Sadly for him the topic is the last one he wants to talk about.

Coverage focused on Iron Range leaders sounding off on the embattled investment banker’s declaration that he would pick padding the profits of big corporations over Minnesota jobs and use Chinese steel to build the Keystone pipeline—even if it were just one penny cheaper.

The Mesabi Daily News told McFadden to admit he was “flat wrong out wrong to say what [he] did about Chinese steel” and tell Minnesotans his comments were “stupid.”

McFadden’s response: attack two state legislators he’s not even running against. Seriously?

And if all this wasn’t bad enough, on literally his first day as the Republican nominee, McFadden, with help of his political handlers, pulled off one of the fastest flip-flops in Minnesota political history. Full recap below, watch out, though, or you might wind up with whiplash.

Check out the brutal coverage of McFadden’s first week of the General Election.

 

Mesabi Daily News: What’s that odor? U.S. Senate candidate Mike McFadden stepped in it big time on Chinese steel issue

KQDS: MN Democrats and Iron Range Steel Workers Respond to McFadden’s Comments

WDIO: Democrats Attack McFadden for Foreign Steel Comments

Mesabi Daily News: Foreign steel issue heats up

Duluth News Tribune: Iron Range rally targets U.S. Senate candidate McFadden over foreign steel comment

MPR: DFLers go after McFadden over steel comment

Star Tribune: U.S. Senate candidates clash over Keystone pipeline steel

St. Cloud Times: McFadden 2-steps on stance during St. Cloud stop

Star Tribune: Mike McFadden backpedals over gas tax increase

AP: McFadden reverses course on Minn. gas tax hike

MinnPost: McFadden says he could support gas tax increase, then quickly reverses

media coverage · Mike McFadden · U.S. Senate