Daily Archives: 01/16/2011

(Community Matters) My friend Andrea Ball writes an insightful & courageous column in today’s Austin American Statesman

(Community Matters) Austin in the Washington Post – a quirky, independent spirit

(Community Matters) This story resonates. Reminds me when during college a candidate’s staff & national party leaders tried convincing me to infiltrate another campaign.

JASON ZENGERLE: “Smith was … a crusading reformer whose combination of charisma, idealism, and intelligence prompted comparisons to Howard Dean, Paul Wellstone, and even Barack Obama. … The Smith campaign, like all underdog efforts, had been approached by second- and third-tier political consultants-the kind of operators that no well-funded candidate would dream of hiring. One particularly persistent suitor … presented himself as ‘a plumber’ and ‘this guy [who] does the dark arts.’ Smith’s campaign had repeatedly turned down his solicitations, but now it seemed his services might prove useful. … [In rationalizing the mailing to his campaign brain trust, Smith] ‘put on his professorial cap, and he was talking about FEC rules and regulations and how they were basically created by politicians who were already in office,’ [recalls Nick Adams, a recent college graduate who as in the campaign’s inner circle]. ‘We didn’t know what was inbounds or out-of-bounds. We knew politics was a little seamy; there were gray areas. … So, when Jeff said this is how the game is played and if you can’t play it, you’re not going to go anywhere, it felt weird. It didn’t feel right, but it seemed like it was probably correct.’ …

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(Community Matters) Though we missed Steven, dinner last night with Michael Mitchell, Tana & Joe Christie, Stephen Walls and Melissa Henderson & Drew Valcourt was just what the doctor ordered after a day reading, blogging and napping in front of the fireplace. We laughed, told stories on each other and I picked on MM so much he stopped to ask, “what is it with you tonight, do I look like Charles Santos?” In fact, Charles arrives this afternoon . . . must have just been sharpening my verbal wit.