NYU Law Students, Faculty, and Alumni for Ashwin Madia

NYU Law Students, Faculty, and Alumni for Ashwin Madia Barry Gewolb bg782@nyu.edu UPDATED GOAL: $1000 Thanks to everyone who has contributed thus far! As members of the NYU Law community, we like seeing our current and former students succeed and achieve great things, both inside and outside of the legal community. In Ashwin Madia (J.D. 2002), we have an incredible alumnus who has a chance to become only the second sitting Democrat in Congress who has an NYU Law J.D. As a veteran of the current Iraq War, he has a unique and authentic viewpoint that will resonate with voters in November. His platform consists of five major proposals: <ol> <li>End the war in Iraq without leaving behind a disaster;</li> <li>Balance our budget;</li> <li>Address global warming;</li> <li>Make health care accessible and affordable to all Americans; and</li> <li>Restore and safeguard our fundamental civil liberties.</li></ol> (If you'd like more information, feel free to visit his website at <a href="http://www.madiaforcongress.com">http://www.madiaforcongress.com</a>. There, you can find detailed descriptions of his biography and platform, links to media that his campaign has received, and audio and video clips of Ashwin speaking, including candidate debates.) Ashwin's story – like that of many NYU Law graduates – is less than traditional. His parents came to Minnesota from India with $19 in their pockets and worked hard to live out the American dream. During his time at NYU, Ashwin had the opportunity to do pro bono work for unemployed people, battered women, and a non-profit organization that helped disabled children. After graduation, he joined the Marine Corps. He completed his basic training in Quanitico, Virginia, and then was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. He received orders to Iraq in September 2005, and he served in Baghdad until March 2006. While there, he worked with the State Department, the Justice Department, the United Nations, the European Union, the military, and Iraqi judicial officers to establish a strategic plan for the rule of law in Iraq. He got out of the Marine Corps in July 2006 and came back home to Minnesota to practice law at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi. He left his position in October 2007 to begin his run for Congress. Ashwin's campaign is going very well, but he could always use a little more support. He entered the race as a very heavy underdog for the Democratic endorsement, given that he was a political newcomer taking on a sitting state senator. Through hard work and a strong message, however, he built an amazing grassroots organization throughout his district. He also raised a tremendous amount of money, setting a record in Minnesota for fundraising by an unknown candidate. He surprised the pundits on April 12, 2008, by winning the party endorsement. His campaign quickly followed that win by reaching out to the state senator and her supporters to unite the party. The Democratic party in Minnesota's Third District stands united and eager for change. Now, he's taking on a very conservative Republican named Erik Paulsen, who has been in state government for 14 years. His record is clear: fiscally irresponsible spending based on the same "borrow and spend" model that has failed at the federal level and social intolerance based on the same methods of divisiveness and mean-spiritedness that some at the federal level have attempted to use to tear our country apart. The district is a fiscally responsible, socially tolerant, and centrist district – Erik Paulsen is far out of step with its voters. The district went 51/49 Bush/Kerry in 2004 – it's an open seat in a swing district and will be one of the top 10 targeted races in the country this year by both parties. In fact, the DCCC put this race on its "Red to Blue" program just 2 days after Ashwin's nomination. He's running a positive and uplifting campaign based on a vision of an optimistic future for our country – and it's working. People across the district and across the political spectrum have responded and his campaign is gaining momentum every day. In the end, his message of hope and change is stronger and brighter, and people recognize that and want to be a part of it. That said, I'm trying to raise money on behalf of his campaign because I think he can make a difference in Congress. I'm originally from Minnesota, but I live outside his district – and thus can't actually cast a vote for him – so I'm hoping to support him through small donations from current and former NYU Law students. I urge you to pass this link on to all those who might be willing to chip in $5, $10, or even $20 or more. Let's try to raise $1,000 by Election Day. I think we can do better, though. If you can help in any way, please do – both Ashwin and I would really appreciate it. Barry public true 560.00 19 1000.00 Ashwin Madia false MN-03 madia 4800.00 341621.31 1967 http://www.madiaforcongress.com/ https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/entity/18539 560.00 19