(I too add my tribute to Ashwin Madia.
- promoted by Grace Kelly)
Cross-posted from my personal blog.
Listening to other political luminaries (and Al Franken -- sorry, AB, I couldn't resist) speak at the Madia Holiday Party in Osseo on Sunday afternoon made me think back to a year ago when I first met Ashwin Madia at a somewhat smaller holiday gathering at his family's home in Plymouth.
At the time, Madia, an Iraq War veteran, was viewed as a long-shot candidate for the DFL endorsement in the 3rd Congressional District -- mainly by naysayers who hadn't yet met him.
Of course the underdog label lasted right up until the first Senate District convention, when Team Madia, of which I was a member by this point, squeaked out a narrow victory at Eden Prairie High School over the heavily favored State Sen. Terri Bonoff. A few weeks -- and nine Senate District convention victories -- later Ashwin was the DFL-endorsed candidate in one of the most hotly contested congressional campaigns in the country.
While Ashwin ultimately fell disappointingly short in a district that Democrats had hoped to turn "blue" for the first time in half a century, his campaign inspired thousands across the Southwest Metro and beyond. A platform focused on new patriotism, common-sense reform and tough sacrifice did win genuine support in an era in which empty platitudes, meaningless gestures and cheap pandering generally carry the day. His brave effort was meaningful and important even if the story didn't end in the way we all would've liked.
I hope this isn't the end for Ashwin. Perhaps he wasn't meant to be the representative from the 3rd Congressional District. But he still has something to offer and hopefully he gets the chance soon because we sure as hell need him. For my money, the 2010 DFL gubernatorial hopefuls would be hard-pressed to find a better lieutenant than the former Marine Corps captain.
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