All the news that fits and then some
I guess my news judgment is slipping.
Who would have thought it would be news that I contributed $100 to help an old friend who's facing a recall election for his position as a small town alderman? Or that I posted some items about his race on this blog?
Anyway, my support of Dave Olsen in today's recall election in Jefferson made the Journal Sentinel, although I can't imagine why. It's not exactly man bites dog.
It's not too late to help Dave with a contribution. Go to www.savingdave.org
posted by xoff @ 9:53 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
They picked on you to show both the Right and the Left agree that Olsen should not be recalled. Of course, Kleismet's statement wasn't nearly as supportive of Olsen as anything you wrote.
Are you sure you weren't just irritated by the line, "Jim Schroeder, who lost a mayoral election by three votes in 2004 and has remained neutral on the recall, said he's not sure if there are two dozen people in Jefferson who have read the online postings of Christofferson, Nation and the watchdog group."
I would be amazed if it were even one dozen in Jefferson. My posts weren't intended to influence voters, but to let people know wat was happening and maybe get Olsen some help.
I know of one reader in Jefferson, who has written several thousand words of comments. I expect he will check in soon.
Why, thank you for the introduction, Xoff.
Why is it newsworthy? The fact that he's using statewide partisan political professionals for assistance in a non-partisan Council race in a town of 7,500... well, it's news because it's so over the top. It's all part of Olsen's recurring hallucination: He's always wished that he was actually in Madison or Washington, and he likes to act as if he were. This causes him to get in all sorts of trouble in a small town.
I can't imagine why surprise would be your reaction to the coverage... You say Olsen didn't approach you, that you called him and this led to your $100, to your series of blog plugs, calls for donations and volunteers, etc. I'll even let slide the distinctions and/or contradictions between "intending to alert your readers" and "not intending to influence voters" and "helping an old friend" who happens to be campaigning. (If only I could somehow predetermine the readers of my webs.)
But isn't this exactly what you intended? The bulk of recent news was manufactured. You were one of the manufacturers, so was Thad Nation, so was Olsen, so was his Madison consulting firm. Olsen was working overtime to call reporters to get them to cover this story and to be sure that his spin was represented. He's calling in every favor he can.
Olsen pushed Lorbecki to get an opinion from CRG. CRG's press release was not much more than (as a friend put it) a "Rorschach test" so it doesn't surprise me that it would be held up by both sides. CRG says they support recalls in general, but thinks this one could've been done much better - presumably if CRG had been involved. Olsen would've loved the attention if out-of-towners were involved, no? But I don't think Jeffersonians would've liked it. If only CRG had known about the other Open Meeting violation and Olsen's long history of malfeasance, perhaps their press release would've been different. Instead, it's only based on Olsen's spin on events.
I'm still partial to my theory that it's all about Olsen's next campaign in a larger arena. The Dems are watching to see how he can finesse this recall. Maybe they'll back him against David Ward or some other standing Republican in a larger race if Olsen shows talent at this kind of distortion.
And Darkside's use of the dark side of the Force is impressive: Transform the guy who fought public openness in economic development for five years into the heroic poster boy for "public comment". Make xenophobic attacks saying the opponent is "not one of us" because he didn't attend grade school here, and claim the opposition is supported by (and I quote Olsen's postcard) "some pretty powerful ones who aren't from around here", all the while he's calling top Dems all over the state for cash and promotion.
"Get Olsen some help"? If his own constituents won't fund or support his race? As I've shown, it is perfectly reasonable to believe this recall was poorly grounded as well as believe that Olsen should be un-elected every chance we get... now or next Spring. See you then!
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