Yesterday, “Upset Clarence Parent” left the following comment:

Today I witnessed the true Jack Davis. I was volunteering for Kristen Koslowski in the Clarence Center Labor Day Parade. As we were loading a trolly - which included children - I heard a large commotion and turned to see Jack Davis screaming at someone - later found out it was Jon Powers, the guy running for the same seat. The guy (Mr. Powers) had his hand extended trying to shake Jack Davis’s hand and Mr. Davis exploded, yelling and screaming for Powers to leave, at one point cursing so load it echoed in the neighborhood.

I am sorry Mr. Davis, but that is NOT how you should portray yourself in a campaign. Especially when the parade was lining up with children and women near by!

Another gentleman on our trolly witnessed the other guy (Mr. Powers) shake the hand of Alice Kryzan a few minutes before and they had friendly exchange, in a professional manner. I know they debated yesterday, but they were both at least professional.

Mr. Davis has proven himself to be completely unprofessional, and a very angry unstable person.

Happily, Davis’ complete breakdown in sanity was also captured by the Buffalo News:

Sitting behind the wheel of his gleaming black Excalibur at Monday’s Labor Day Parade in Clarence Center, Davis saw one of his opponents in the race for the Democratic nomination for Congress, Jon Powers, approaching.

Powers, who has been engaged in an exceptionally bitter battle with Davis, went up to his opponent and extended his hand — and Davis refused to shake it.

Instead, growing flustered, he simply shouted: “Get out of here!”

Powers, after persisting for a moment, simply sulked away, muttering under his breath.

“I just wanted to say hello, and he wasn’t interested in saying hello,” said Powers, who also noted that he asked Davis — who has avoided debates so far — if he was going to debate.

As for Davis, he said: “He wanted to shake hands with me — and I called him a lying politician.”

The funniest thing to me is that the guy who is running for Congress for the third time; the guy who created his own political party not once, but twice; the guy who admitted paying off the wives of the chairs of the Erie and Monroe County Independence Parties is accusing a first-timer of being a “lying politician”.

Davis need only look in the mirror to find that.

Hey, Alice, thanks for the shout-out today!

I listened to the show today and here are my quick impressions:

1. Kudos to Dr. Hardwick for hosting what I thought was a good, fair, and substantive debate. I also have to praise his unrelenting criticism of Jack Davis’ absence, but also bringing up how uncouth he was to not bother to call Hardwick to let him know he’d skip the debate, but making insane demands through the press.

2. Jon Powers did very well deflecting the War Kids criticism and explaining what the money was spent on and what the purpose of the group was. On substantive issues, there was a bit of fumfering at times and he began answering some questions with talking points, which doesn’t fly in that studio. Time is very tight on that show, and if you’re asked a direct question, a direct answer is necessary. Powers wanted to give explanations or get into more detail with some questions, but that just doesn’t work. I liked the fact that he didn’t return fire when Kryzan was critical of him, and his grasp of the big issues affecting the district was excellent. He was detailed and informative on the state of the wars in the middle east; he made a great point with respect to 9/11 - that the Bush administration had squandered an opportunity to call people to service rather than go out and shop. On energy and trade/immigration, he set forth an overview of the plans he’s already released calling for renewable sources of energy, breaking our addiction to foreign oil, and leveling the playing field for American workers and products.

3. Alice Kryzan also did very well deflecting criticism of her dealings with respect to Love Canal and her referring to the surrounding “hysteria”. She took some shots at Powers, which he was able to respond to, but I thought that her overall tone when talking about or addressing Powers was condescending and arrogant. She came across like a scold, and Powers didn’t take the bait. She was better at answering the short-answer questions than Powers was, being direct and then launching into whatever explanations she wanted to bring up afterwards. There were some puzzling comments of hers, for instance she mentioned how she had signed on to the “Responsible Plan” to end the war in Iraq, and no one else had. That implies that Powers’ plan is somehow off the mark, but she never said that or explained why it might be. When Powers gave a response to a question may have been long-winded, but was responsive nonetheless, she said she didn’t know what Powers was talking about. I did, so either she was trying to be cute or she wasn’t listening.

4. Davis’ absence really underscores the fact that he doesn’t care what people think, and doesn’t think he needs to answer anyone’s questions. His failure to pick up the phone and tell Hardwick that he wouldn’t show up reveals that he’s a rude, petty little man and it calls into question how responsive he might be, if elected, to constituent concerns.

I thought Kryzan and Powers comported themselves quite well, and I’d call it a draw between them.

One thing, though - Powers made it quite clear in many of his answers that they were crafted after soliciting, receiving, and considering input from people throughout the district. When asked about trade policy, he talked about his discussions with Delphi workers. When asked about immigration, he talked about his discussions with farmers. When asked about education, he drew upon his own experience, but also talked about what he had been hearing throughout the district. He isn’t imposing his views on anyone; instead, he’s listening to real concerns and coming up with solutions to them that he pledges to go to Washington to work for. Kryzan, on the other hand, seemed to me to have a need to be the smartest person in the room, an expert on everything. The only time a discussion with a voter was brought up arose during a question about soldiers being redeployed repeatedly to Iraq.

As usual, the big loser today was Jack Davis.

Not only is Jack Davis refusing to debate his primary opponents Alice Kryzan and Jon Powers on Hardline with Hardwick on Sunday (tomorrow), but he’s also refusing to participate in a candidate’s forum in Geneseo. According to the Lockport Union Sun & Journal:

Now Davis says he won’t join them in joint campaign appearances unless they return the donations that they’ve received from those interest groups — as well as sign on with Davis’ self-created “pledge to protect Social Security,” and promise to run “clean” campaigns.

Interesting. Davis had no problems debating PAC-laden Tom Reynolds last season. Indeed, he had no problem accepting PAC money last season. It’s beyond unseemly for a self-funded millionaire candidate to set as a precondition to answering voter questions that his opponents return what he defines as “special interest” money. Naturally, as his own contributor, Jack Davis is his own special interest.

Kevin Hardwick, the WBEN show host who’ll moderate Sunday’s discussion, called Davis’ refusal to participate in candidate forums “disturbing.”

Hardwick, a political science instructor and past candidate for office himself, said the unwritten rule of campaigning is before you ask people for their votes, you’re supposed to make yourself available to answer their questions.

“If you’re too afraid to go into a debate for fear of saying something stupid, how can we expect you to stand up to the special interests in Washington?” Hardwick said. “If (Davis’) handlers don’t trust him … perhaps they ought not run him for office.”

In Geneseo…

The debate at Geneseo will begin at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday. Organizers said the National Public Radio affiliates in Buffalo and Rochester, wbfo-FM 88.7 and WXXI-AM 1330, will replay the session as regular programming.

According to debate co-organizer Ben DeGeorge, Independence Party nominee Anthony Fumerelle also will participate. Republican candidate Chris Lee declined the invitation.

Jack Davis has some incredible gall, using as an excuse for not debating that his opponents have campaigned negatively against him. Jack Davis created a phony website with a Powers-friendly URL that is not only negative, but meant to confuse and deceive. Advertising it all over the internet, including on Republican blogs, if Davis wants to learn about slimy campaign tactics, all he has to do is look in the mirror.

Jack Davis. Too afraid he’ll say something embarrassing (again) to debate his opponents.
Jack Davis. Hypocrite.
Jack Davis. Is intent on buying an election whether by hook or by crook.
Jack Davis. Unelectable.

This Sunday from 10 - 10:30 on WBEN 930-AM, Dr. Hardwick will speak with the Hamburg Sun’s Dan Meyer, and then at 10:30, the fireworks begin as the Democratic candidates for Congress from NY-26 debate.

Well, two of them will.

Kryzan and Powers are on board.

Jack Davis? His Highness the Duke of Losingham shan’t be bothered to discuss politics with the proles. He isn’t coming, and doesn’t care what you think. He doesn’t need to be bothered with pesky questions from Canisius professors, and can’t be bothered to “compete” in a “political campaign” because he has people to do that, and can pay for lit and ads.

UPDATE: And another thing. Illuzzi runs no ads for NY-26, yet he is running a cartoon that smacks Powers and Davis. Now, Illuzzi does just about nothing for free, and I strongly doubt he runs those shittily drawn cartoons for free. Illuzzi made a big deal about refusing Jack Davis’ money to smack Powers. I don’t suspect Kryzan is paying Illuzzi, either. There’s only one logical explanation.

Domagalski.

The Republicans must be paying Illuzzi to injure the Democrat they’re most afraid of running Chris Lee against, and that’s Jon Powers. Domagalski and Wojtaszek actually held a press conference a week or two ago to say very, very stupid things a couple of weeks ago, demanding that Jon Powers do exactly what he planned to do, and ultimately did.

Republicans sticking their nose in a Democratic primary race? It’s astonishing in its sheer transparent idiocy. But since they have absolutely nothing, evidently, to say or do to promote their own weak candidate, at least it kept them busy.

UPDATE: Professor Hardwick tells me that Davis’ camp isn’t even returning his phone calls, at this point.

UPDATE: To the top for the weekend.

UPDATE: From the Buffalo News in 1998, Alice Kryzan spoke on the 20th anniversary of the Love Canal fiasco. (We just this year remembered its 30th anniversary):

Alice Kryzan, an attorney who represented Hooker and Occidental, said Hooker’s waste-disposal policies in 1978 “were entirely legal and well-ahead of the industry standards of the times.”

And, she said, scientific studies have yet to prove a link between chemical exposure of people living in the area and health effects.

In the case of toxic torts, causation of injury is notoriously difficult to prove, but if you’ve got an entire neighborhood that’s located on top of a toxic site contracting some form of cancer or auto-immune disease, you need to rely on that circumstantial evidence. And although she’s a lifelong Democrat, just eight years ago, she thought Tom Reynolds was doing a bang-up job to the tune of $250.

Oh, and the real victim of Love Canal was Hooker/Occidental. Not the families who lived there and contributed to the “hysteria”.

You know, just so we’re clear.

If you’re going to “leak” a script used by Powers volunteers to phone-canvass voters in the 26th District, don’t refer to it as a “push poll” unless it’s really a push poll.

If the caller identifies himself as a volunteer for a candidate and tries to get a voter to change his mind about their selection, it’s advocacy, not push polling.

Idiots.

Coming up this Sunday is a debate between the Democratic candidates for the SD-61; Michele Iannello, Joe Mesi, and Dan Ward.

Coming up the Sunday after that (August 31st) is a debate between the Democratic candidates for the 26th Congressional District.

Well, some of them.

Alice Kryzan‘ll be there. Jon Powers‘ll be there.

But what of His Highness the Duke of Bilosershire, Earl of Winningnot, Viscount of Failingham, Jack Davis? So far, he won’t be there.

Figures. After all, he can’t buy a win on Hardwick’s show.

The Buffalo News has seen them, and confirms:

Congressional candidate Jon Powers released documents Wednesday showing that he earned $15,000 from his Iraq children’s charity in the first five months of 2007 — a year in which the organization raised only $41,738.

But the Powers campaign also released a letter from Veterans for America, the huge veterans organization where Powers worked, showing that the $60,000 he earned in 2006 was tied to his job as vice president for policy for that organization, as well as the War Kids Relief effort he ran there.

“Our opponents keep trying to frame it as if Jon was trying to rob War Kids blind, and it’s patently false,” said John Gerken, Powers’ campaign manager. “The claim that he took $77,000 from War Kids is patently false.”

Davis and whoever else can paint War Kids as a failure if they’re so inclined, but the original smear was false on its face. I think definitely it helps Davis in the primary. If he hands out $50 bills with his lit. Powers has the grassroots. Davis has the gasroots.

The sad thing in all this is that Jack Davis has taken something noble, something that Powers really believed in, although it didn’t accomplish everything it set out to, but did good nonetheless, and threw it in the mud and spat on it. To me, as a voter in that district, Jack Davis has revealed himself to be worse than just a flawed candidate with ugly views. He’s human filth.

UPDATE: To all of the commenters who have done so much more than Jon Powers to address the plight of the young Iraqi kids affected by the war, here is a list of War Kids’ accomplishments under Powers’ watch:

On Friday, August 15th, 2008, Jon Powers submitted the IRS form 990 to the Internal Revenue Service to comply with filing requirements for War Kids Relief. The form shows that for the fiscal year 2007, War Kids Relief raised $41,738. Powers also made available an IRS form 990 in anticipation of fiscal year 2008 showing that War Kids Relief raised $25,000 prior to being reorganized under another 501(c)(3).

Powers also furnished a letter from his former employer, Veterans For America, detailing their involvement with War Kids and his role with both organizations. Under VFA, War Kids Relief was able to raise $68,336.

Below are the facts with regard to the financial numbers for War Kids Relief:

• Total Raised: $135,074;
• Total Spent on Salary: $18,900, of which $15,000 went to Jon Powers;
• Total Spend on Educational, Advocacy, and Service Programs: $100,303.80;
• Total Spent on overhead at VFA: $15,870.20. (20% per VFA’s government approved NICRA rate)

The $100,303.80 spent on educational, advocacy, and service programs went toward:

• Collaborating in Baghdad with UNICEF, USAID, Department of Defense personnel, the Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the Iraqi Child Welfare Council, and the World Bank to design a model for child care for children abandoned as a result of the Iraq War;

• Research and presentation to the RAND Corporation regarding Positive Youth Development to Deter Youth Radicalism;

• Research and publication of “Iraq’s Youth at a Time of War,” in Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies Review Journal.

• Development and pilot of the Youth Center Work Study Program with the Iraqi Minister of Youth and Sports to engage Iraq’s out of school youth;

• Development and pilot of a Youth Conference between American and Iraqi Students in coordination with Iraq Embassy personnel.

• Developing programs with Iraqi youth oriented NGO’s in Kurdistan to provide crucial links between Iraqi and American youth.

While with VFA, Powers was paid to work on the following:

• July 2005 – Started at VFA as program manager of War Kids Relief.

• May 2006 – Vice President of Policy for War Kids Relief (paired with his role as program manager of War Kids Relief)

• Generally: Provided research and program development with fellow Veterans to publicize and correct the problems facing returning soldiers and veterans. Helped develop legislation with VFA colleagues and fellow veterans.

• Summer 2006 – Witness to National Institute of Health on PTSD DSM-4 hearings.

• December 2006 – Witness to Department of Defense Mental Health Task Force under Lieutenant General Kiley. Provided research and testimony on suicidal veterans prior to the Joshua Omvig Bill.

• Specific legislation that Powers worked on:
- Lane Evans Bill requiring VA to do reports on the War.
- Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act – Extending Health Care from 2-5 years.
- Homelessness Prevention Act.

• VFA worked with Bob Woodruff on his work at ABC – To Iraq and Back

• Spokesperson on BBC, CNN, CBC, and other major news outlets

• February 2007 – Toured Walter Reed Hospital the day after the Washington Post broke the story.

• January 2007-March 2007 – VFA decides to refocus on Veterans issues exclusively and War Kids Relief becomes its own 501(c)(3).

On his website, two-time loser Jack Davis writes,

One more thing - I want to run on a positive campaign on my record of saving AND creating jobs, global economic experience, and a passion to give back to the country and the community that has given me and my family so much.

So I will not be the first to engage in the politics of personal attacks. I invite all the others running for this office, to join me in a pledge to the taxpayers - not to interrupt their time at home with negative TV ads or clutter their mailboxes with tacky mailers. The issues are too important, we can do better, and I hope the other candidates will agree.

The issues are important indeed, but Davis’ “pledge” is - and was - a lie.

The only criticism that the Powers campaign has leveled against Jack Davis involved his very large investments in big oil stocks, raising the question of whether it was in Davis’ personal financial interest to push for alternative, sustainable energy solutions. That is a criticism on the issues - not a personal attack.

But Davis is now a desperate candidate; Davis with all his millions couldn’t buy himself the IP line, couldn’t buy himself the support of organized labor in spite of his anti-free-trade views, and couldn’t buy himself the endorsements of the Democratic party committees anywhere in the district.

Over the weekend, I was at University Plaza across from UB South waiting for a pizza. There was a young African American guy in the plaza sporting a “Save Jobs” t-shirt with a clipboard and Davis lit. I asked him what he was collecting signatures for, and he handed me the clipboard. He explained to me that he was there on behalf of Jack Davis, who is running for “councilman” and that he wants to “save our jobs and stuff”, and the clipboard held petitions to add the “Save Jobs and Farms Party” to the ballot in November. Yes, he was being paid. So, if Jack can’t buy himself the Independence or Democratic line, he’ll buy himself a minor-party line and will undoubtedly be campaigning through and until November. Particularly amusing was the party emblem, resembling an early 20th century socialist cog symbol.

In spite of Davis’ pledge not to run personal attacks, we’ve seen an attack website made to look like Powers’ own, using a URL associated with Powers’ unpaid army of volunteers. We’ve seen the release of a ticket for disorderly conduct from 2004, which when paired with $2.00 will buy someone a cup of coffee. We’ve seen the Rovian release of stinging pseudo-information about War Kids Relief, which some mainstream media recount, replete with added-value falsity.

Even Joe Illuzzi dropped this bombshell today:

For our part: The Davis campaign offered this publication $3,000 to do hit pieces on Davis rival Jon Powers in lieu of an ad. We said, NO! A shouting match ensued between yours truly & Davis spokesman Luke Vaughan. Albeit, we believe Jon Powers is a bum

They didn’t want to buy an ad, because that would have been too obvious. Instead, they wanted to pay Illuzzi to ream Powers, but maintain the appearance that they weren’t engaging in “personal attacks”. Jack Davis likes to talk about how he’s the candidate who’ll “clean it up“. What a load of nonsense. How will he clean up Washington when he’s been running a dirty campaign?

Naturally, Davis’ vigorous, relentless attacks on Powers only underscore the fact that Powers is the one to beat, and Davis quite literally can’t get anyone to pay him any attention.

Except, of course, for the Monroe County District Attorney and the federal authorities.

You can’t call them “consultants” when all you’ve bought for $5,000 is a vote. You’ll recall that Davis listed $5,000 in payments to “Blanca Semidey” for consulting services on his financial disclosures. Semidey is the maiden name of the wife of disgraced former Monroe County IP chair Rafael Colon.

Blanca Colon was one of three members of the Monroe County Independence Party’s nominating committee to vote for Democratic congressional candidate Jack Davis back in May, but she never revealed that she was being paid by the Davis campaign, according to a party member.

The mere fact that the money was paid out in such a way as to not be obvious that it was to Mrs. Colon and Mrs. Orsini is indicative of the fact that Davis knew the payments were improper vote buying and tried to hide them. Hate to say it, but that’s a whole lot different from when Jon Powers improperly reimbursed himself for running his campaign out of his house and then repaying the money back - because there was transparency; he didn’t try to hide them.

When asked about Davis’ payoffs, the Colons (showing infinitely more class than the Orsinis) promptly quit the party.

The Colons resigned when asked about the payments. Blanca Colon received the payments under her maiden name, Blanca Semidey. Davis made payments in the same amount to the wife of Erie County Independence Chairman Tony Orsini.

Payments to both women were made public after Davis filed campaign finance reports in mid-July. Colon resigned after the payments came to light.

After initially saying the payments would continue, despite Colon’s resignation from the committee, the Davis campaign announced Aug. 8 that the payments would end.

“These are half-baked slanderous charges made at the height of the silly season,” said Joy Langley, communications director for the Davis campaign, on Monday.

If they’re “slanderous”, then I expect shortly to see a complaint filed with the State Supreme Court against the individual who replaced Colon as chair of the Monroe IP, who called the payoffs “bribes”. Oh, and it was Davis who inaugurated the silly season, so WTF.

Ultimately, I think it underscores a few things. Firstly, that Jack Davis will do and say anything to get elected. Secondly, that Jack Davis is a liar who can’t run on issues that failed him in ‘04 and ‘06, and instead figures he can bloody up the frontrunner enough that people will turn again to him. Thirdly, that electoral fusion - especially where the IP is concerned - has taken yet another blow, proving once again that it’s a fertile breeding ground for corruption and scandal.

Meanwhile, Jon Powers has released his education agenda, his energy reform agenda, his policy on trade and consumer protection, and his call to service.

I know the mantra - “you’re just posting shit about Jack Davis, why can’t you post something positive about your guy”. Aside from attacking his opponents, what has Jack Davis proposed, apart from paying off the IP and paying off people at a Rochester gas station? What has Chris Lee proposed, apart from drilling for oil in states that don’t begin with “New” and don’t end with “York”? Zip, nada, zilch.

UPDATE:

Jack Davis and the Republican Party, that’s who’s afraid.

Just one week out after peddling a story accusing Jon Powers of running War Kids Relief into the ground and enriching himself in the process, the Jack Davis campaign goes back to its bitter well of desperation and trots out a story that Jon Powers was arrested in Ohio for cursing out a cop. A flat-out lie.

But Powers spokeswoman Victoria Dillon saw the incident differently. She said Powers was with college friends and fellow veterans in the area, and denied at the time and denies now that he ever used obscene language in addressing the officer. She also offered to produce witnesses to back up Powers.

“At a time when he’s under investigation and running from revelations of election fraud and bribery, the Davis campaign is practicing the lowest form of politics by distorting simple facts,” Dillon said. “Jon was written a ticket for jaywalking, never arrested and never showed any disrespect to law enforcement.”

But a spokeswoman for the Cleveland Heights Municipal Court said Powers changed his plea of not guilty to the original Class 4 misdemeanor charge to “no contest” in connection with a minor misdemeanor on Jan. 11, 2005, and that there was no mention of jaywalking in the final disposition of the case.

Dillon disagrees.

“When you look at the full statute, jaywalking is part of that statute,” she said.

A review of the Ohio criminal code defines a number of offenses that would constitute disorderly conduct — but not jaywalking.

Dillon, however, countered that it would refer to a section outlining “hindering or preventing the movement of persons on a public street.”

Powers was fined $25 and assessed $65 in court costs.

Gosh, that’s a lot of paragraphs for a $25 ticket. Powers wasn’t arrested. And he didn’t plead, and wasn’t found, guilty. And he paid a ticket. If Davis wants to paint Powers as being a one-time, one-man jaywalking spree, then that’s fine. But it doesn’t change the fact that Davis has nothing whatsoever to run on as a candidate. Oh, and when the Powers campaign offered to put McCarthy in touch with other people who witnessed the event? McCarthy wasn’t interested. He was all about covering the politics of it - not the facts.

Davis has nothing else to do, really. The two-time loser ran in ‘04 and ‘06 in a fit of ongoing pique against the Republican Party, which couldn’t be bothered with his concerns about free trade and blew him off. Because his message against free trade was so palatable to people whose jobs are threatened with exportation, he had overwhelming support in both races from organized labor and the Democratic Party faithful.

Not so this time, Davis finds himself completely bereft of endorsements. No one is supporting him except the people he can pay off. Whether buying their votes with cheap gas, or by paying off the wives of Independence Party leadership in Monroe and Erie Counties in order to get a leg up, Jack Davis will do and say anything to get elected. The gas giveaway was tantamount to him standing on a street corner handing out lit with $50 bills attached, yet he bleats on about being a “patriot” who isn’t trying to buy an election. Monroe’s IP chair was fired for accepting what the party called Davis’ bribes. Erie’s chair is such damaged goods that even his friend Joe Illuzzi has called for his replacement.

So, Davis is left sitting at his corporate/campaign HQ, getting his spokesguy to release absolute and utter falsities. Memo to Jack: it won’t get you any more traction to tear down Powers, and no one - no one is going to change their minds and back you again. As Genesee County Democratic Chair Charlie Mallow put it,

As many other letter writers have shown, Jack Davis doesn’t know what issues matter to Democrats because….he doesn’t care to know them. During the last two elections, Jack didn’t go out and meet anyone because he wouldn’t campaign. Jack is above all that. Jack thinks that he can just buy an election with fancy two sided color mailers. I already received five of them in the mail. Rip off musical ads and buying people off with cheap gas are more of his most recent techniques. Those things don’t constitute reasons to vote for someone. Ideology and platform do.

And Davis isn’t the only one.

The Republicans also hit Powers yesterday on the War Kids Vet non-scandal.

Erie County Republican Chairman James P. Domagalski [said] “We need leaders in Congress who believe in transparency and accountability.”

Well, that’s interesting, isn’t it? For the Republican Party to interject itself into a Democratic Primary? Fascinating indeed to trot out various and sundry Chairmen of the Republican Party to comment on - well, the frontrunner in the Democratic primary.

Domagalski wasn’t such a loud proponent of transparency and accountability when it came time for Tom Reynolds to answer questions about Mark Foley. Instead, the Republican version of “transparency” and “accountability” was to issue limp denials surrounded by innocent children.

And all of this short-term-attention-span-disorder points to only one thing - the Republicans are petrified of running Chris Lee against Jon Powers.

Career politician Tom Reynolds has been suckling on the public teat since 1974, and Lee is his hand-picked suckle-cessor. Are you better off now than you were in 1989? 2000? 2004? 2006?

Alice Kryzan? She supported Reynolds monetarily and defended Hooker Chemical, the polluter/murderer of Love Canal. Jack Davis? He’s a horrible campaigner and is, frankly, easy as hell to beat (see Tom Reynolds ca. 2006). Chris “Tabula Rasa” Lee would have no problem bloodying either of these two.

The Republican Party is scared of Powers because they know their brand is tainted, they know they are bereft of ideas, and they know that they are partly to blame for the decline of the 26th District. Who has represented this district in the past few decades? Tom Reynolds? Bill Paxon? Jack Kemp? And in that time, the population loss for New York has been so stark as a result of a failure of vision and leadership that Kemp went from representing the 39th district to the 36th district, and now we only have 29. We lost 30 and 31 in the 2000 census. We lost 32 - 35 in the 1990 census.

Chris Lee has nothing to run on. Apart from his stellar maxing out of local Republican donors, I haven’t seen one story - one fresh idea come out of that campaign. I haven’t seen one positive proposal put forth that would reverse years’ worth of benign-but-pork-laden-neglect from the likes of Tom Reynolds. And what could Lee possibly know of the problems facing the average voter in NY-26? I don’t know a lot of multimillionaires for whom the price of a gallon of gas dents the family budget to the point that “staycation” has entered the vernacular. I don’t know a lot of multimillionaire scions who can really relate to the notion that New York is in a recession, the federal government can’t even get cross-border stuff with Canada right, and whose only real solution is to drill s’more.

It’s no wonder that the Republicans are petrified of Powers. That’s why, when the Form 990 for War Kids Relief -

- War Kids Relief which, incidentally, Jon Powers started up after his tour of duty in the Iraq war, and saw that Iraqi kids were ripe for the picking by jihadists to be slaughtered through attacks on American troops, decided that if the US wasn’t going to pay any attention to trying to give them hope for a future, he would try to do something. And he did. And War Kids is an ongoing concern from which he did not pay himself $66,000, contrary to the lies put forth by the 26th’s own Montgomery Burns and his stenographer, Bob McCarthy, and continues to do outreach to Iraqi kids to underscore the fact that America isn’t their enemy, but wants to help them. The effort was not only a success, but it was a noble success, at that.

- that’s why, when the Form 990 for War Kids Relief is posted, I hope that Jon Powers marches down to Republican Headquarters at the Statler Building and delivers it in-hand. And I hope that he then challenges the Republican chairs to come close to matching what Powers has done to fight for his country, to honor his home, and to try to do something - anything - to ensure that Iraq’s next generation remembers America and Americans as being their friends, their friends who helped them and cared for them, and gave them an example of what life could be, without war and oppression.

Erie County Democratic Chairman Leonard R. Lenihan issued his own response:

“I wonder how many people at that press conference put their lives on the line in Iraq. How can they criticize someone who braved the horrors of that war and then willingly returned to help the many children from families that were killed or displaced by the war?

“The fact that Republicans are intervening in a Democratic primary indicates their desire to avoid facing Jon Powers in November,” he added. “Haven’t we had enough of this swift boat sleaze?”

Why, someone might almost suspect that Davis colluded with the Republicans to hit Powers from two fronts.

UPDATE: Buffalo Bean has an image of the citation itself. Note the right margin: where it says “Defendant’s signature (If minor misdemeanor)”, at the scene, Powers refused to sign the ticket because he adamantly stated he never cursed the cop out. When he was faced with the choice of being arrested or signing the ticket, he signed it with the words “I never said that.” I never said that.

For the uninitiated and dumb, a ticket is an allegation - it is the officer’s claim that Powers said these things in a crowd. Powers denied it then, denies it now. This is why we have trials. This is why Powers pleaded no contest. Since Buffalo Bean has the ticket, I trust he also has the documents showing its disposition.

UPDATE: Here are two guys in suits calling on Jon Powers to release the Form 990 that was due today and has been filed, and will answer all of their questions. Fucking cheap stunt from two guys who probably never gave two thoughts for kids in Iraq before yesterday when the cameras were rolling.

UPDATE: Robert Harding says Davis had three attacks against Powers - youth, disorderly conduct, and War Kids money. He’s out of ammo. All that stands between Jack Davis and obscurity now is a couple weeks’ time.

Cartoon by Adam Zyglis

Today, Jon Powers released his trade policy. He announced this during a speech to the UAW in Lockport, where he received that union’s endorsement:

• The Free Trade Failure – Free Trade is failing our working families in America. Despite millions of jobs being sent overseas, Congress continues to pass so-called Free Trade agreements that are destroying our middle class. The American worker can compete with any worker in the world; we just need the playing field to be level. It is time that our trade deals start putting America first. My platform on trade is simple:

First, we must start to enforce labor and environmental standards in trade agreements;

Second, if that does not level the playing field, we must renegotiate the standards to make the trade agreements fair to the American worker;

Third, if we cannot renegotiate the standards, we must rescind the trade agreement and start from scratch with a new deal that is better for the American worker.

• China – Our trade deficit with China is currently $201 Billion. China’s continued currency manipulation is causing even greater trade imbalances and the worker rights violations currently taking place are egregious. In order to deal with China, the first step is to stop the currency manipulation and human rights violations. In order to do so, I support the following:

The Ryan-Hunter China Currency Act – This places a tariff on Chinese goods if the Chinese government fails to revalue its currency in a timely fashion.

Diplomacy which brings China in full compliance with international standards for worker safety and labor standards.

• No to fast-track trade deals or legislation
Congress must have more discretion than a simple yes or no vote on trade deals, especially when it comes to labor and environmental standards.

• Accountability on Trade Deals.
I will support legislation for an at-large ambassador level position whose only function is to monitor and seek enforcement of trade agreements.

• Country of Origin Labeling.
Given the repeated safety violations coming out of countries like China, knowing the origin of our food is more important than ever.

I will stand up to Washington lobbyists and demand that consumers are given the information they are entitled to so they can make safe choices for their families.

• Increased Screening of Food Imported into the United States
Americans also deserve to know that their food is safe. As the danger to America’s food supply is clearly increasing, the FDA plans to close more than half the laboratories that test food safety and let foreign companies monitor themselves. Currently, the FDA only has inspectors at 1/3 of U.S. Ports even though food can come into any port.

I will fix this by only allowing food to be imported to ports with inspectors and require all safety testing be done either by the government or trusted independent labs.

Glad to see everyone got it all out of their systems. Didja notice that most of you were either arguing about:

1. An unsubstantiated allegation leveled against Powers by his opponent that hadn’t been properly countered or proven independently; and/or

2. Whether or not the campaign was smart or not to do rapid response and kill the story before it could take its first breath.

I definitely have a very strong opinion on point number 2. The campaign, in my opinion, dropped every ball in the world with respect to pushback on these scurrilous and untrue charges. It should have been right in McCarthy’s article. If not, it should have been countered via press release that very morning.

I had nothing to say about point number 1 until I saw some confirmation or proof that Powers took $77k from an organization that only raised something in the $200,000 neighborhood. I wasn’t going to take McCarthy’s article at face value, and was waiting for some kind of proof.

Someone posting here as “WNYDEM” who gave as his website URL the phony Davis-sponsored Powers lookalike site wrote this comment:

The $77,000 figure comes directly from Jon Powers’ financial disclosures.

He was paid $60,000 in 2006, $2,314.53 for half of January in 2007, and then when he spun WKR off into a separate entity, he paid himself $15,000 in three months (March through May of 2007). So basically, he was paying himself $5,000 per month.

But I guess we will know more when the Form 990s are filed (or not) on August 15th.

He then later wrote:

Here it is . . .

http://www.powersplatoon.com/images/PowersFD.jpg

When one takes a look at that image, one finds that:

The Vietnam Veterans Foundation is not War Kids. It is the organization under which War Kids was founded, but the organizations are not one and the same. It quite clearly shows that he earned $15k from War Kids Relief and 60k the year before from the Vietnam Veterans Foundation. During the year-ending 2006, the VFA had revenues of $12 million. Therefore, $60k would represent .5% - that is one half of one percent of what VFA took in.

That pretty much defines insignificant, and this really is nothing. I continue to disagree with how this was handled, however.

Also, anyone who is suggesting that this story wasn’t peddled by the Davis campaign is deluding themselves. The platoon site had “Real War Kids Story - coming soon” on the site two weeks ago. They’ve been building up to this. Davis is such a piece of political excrement that they had to launch an inaccurate, lazy attack on Powers that assailed the good work he tried to do.

This race will continue, and Democrats in NY-26 will be able to choose between Davis, Kryzan, and Powers. I continue to believe in Powers and his campaign, and although I think he has been ill served with respect to the handling of this particular issue, that doesn’t change my mind in the least about him as the best of the three choices come September.

See you at the debate, bitches.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. - David Brent

Well, yesterday was interesting.

One of the things I hear a lot lately has to do with Jon Powers’ campaign’s raising of money and subsequent spending of same. Where did the money go is the common refrain. He’s not on the air, he’s not doing mailings, he’s raised money from wealthy donors outside the district, and even *gasp* a strip club owner. These accusations have their genesis in the desperate-but-wealthy sense of entitlement that is the Jack Davis campaign.

If one cuts through the flak, one thing is clear: Jack Davis is finding little support from the people of the district; from the regular prime Dems who actually bother to go out and become that sub-30% of people registered in the party who actually vote in primaries.

That’s why Powers has been hit in the past few weeks with a barrage of unfriendly fire from everything mentioned above, and now the attacks center around War Kids Relief, the charity that Powers created upon his return from fighting in Iraq. The only thing missing so far is a wholesale attack on Powers’ record as an Army Captain. I have no doubt that Davis and his people are digging.

What all of this hubbub indicates is that it’s Powers’ race to lose.

If Powers was getting no traction, Davis would be paying him no mind. If Davis was out front, he’d simply rely on his lame jingles, patent hatred and fearmongering of immigrants, “free trade”, and the other bumper stickers on which he’s running.

Davis’ media strategist, Erick Mullen (who hasn’t returned repeated emails or calls from WNYMedia.net), did deign to grant an interview to Matt Margolis at the Buffalo Bean. Robert Harding from the Albany Project has responses to that interview here. Mullen’s email replies to Margolis add nothing whatsoever to what he wrote at the Batavian late last week, and fails completely to address or defend the patently indefensible way in which Davis is presenting his negative information.

The funniest part of it, to me, is Mullen/Davis’ criticism of Powers for spending money on “outside consultants” when Mullen’s own shop is in Washington, DC.

The other attacks have to do with the claims of a jilted pro-life Democrat in Amherst who complained to Joe Illuzzi about whether Powers was pro-choice or pro-life, and statistical arguments over how much Powers raised from lobbyists, PACs or individuals. The average voter is hardly paying a stitch of attention to any of that, and the number of average voters who go to Illuzzi probably reaches the double digits.

Yesterday, Bob McCarthy ran a story assailing Powers’ work with War Kids Relief. It’s a damning indictment of Powers, whom McCarthy accuses of taking a sizeable salary from the group over the past 18 months. While the Davis campaign is making political hay of this, Powers defends it:

He recalls how the relationship of soldiers and civilians deteriorated rapidly as the American occupation wore on, to the point where one young Iraqi was recruited to attack U. S. soldiers for a pack of cigarettes.

His “darkest day” in Iraq, Powers said, was when a nun warned him outside an orphanage that its residents would be killed by insurgents if they were recipients of U. S. aid.

By the time he came home and hooked up with the Vietnam Veterans of America, he said, he was committed to altering U. S. foreign policy to help Iraq’s street kids.

“Billions of dollars were being spent on reconstruction,” he said, “but nothing on youth development in a country where 40 percent of the population is under the age of 14.”

In June of 2005, Powers started War Kids Relief as a program of Vietnam Veterans of America. He worked for the veterans group, raised $14,000 at a Clarence picnic, returned to the war zone and began lobbying officials for programs centered around the network of youth centers left over from the era of dictator Saddam Hussein.

Powers set out to persuade Congress to fund as much as $7 million for Iraqi youth, with the idea that youths engaged in soccer or cleanup and maintenance programs — maybe even being paid for it — would be steered from the clutches of radicals recruiting them for violence against American troops. “The whole purpose was to help them help themselves,” he said.

Indeed, Powers’ efforts began attracting attention. “NBC Nightly News” featured his efforts as part of its “Making a Difference” series. Other stories aired on CNN and ABC.

In what amounted to the program’s most important thrust, Democratic Sens. Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry of Massachusetts sought $1 million in 2007 for a Youth Center and Work Study Program that would be administered by Iraq’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, with oversight provided by War Kids Relief.

But Congress’ rejection of the program spelled the beginning of the end for War Kids Relief. By June 2007, Powers announced his candidacy for the seat now held by the retiring Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, R-Clarence. His time with the Vietnam Veterans of America was also ending…

…[Powers] said that while others complained about conditions in Iraq, he did something about them. He said his efforts resulted in the State Department’s creating a position for youth development, while raising consciousness about the plight of Iraqi youth.

Powers offers no apologies for his efforts: “I’m proud of War Kids.”

In his corresponding blog posting, McCarthy asks whether the issue is a noble failure or resume padding. I think it’s the former. I don’t think that anyone can question Powers’ motives here, and it’s quite clear that the intent of War Kids was never able to be realized due to congressional inaction. Even McCarthy’s article acknowledges that. When that happened, Powers decides to run for congress himself, and he transferred responsibility for War Kids to others.

But anyone who reads through Powers’ blog postings from when he started War Kids can see that his heart was in the right place and he really wanted to help these kids.

When Jack Davis peddles Roveian stories against Powers that attack his strengths, the campaign needs to address it with a rapid and specific response. Why didn’t I post about this yesterday? Because I don’t know what the response is and they do. The Powers campaign obviously defended the purpose and works of War Kids in the article, and on their website they compiled past stories about War Kids.

I spoke with Powers yesterday and he assured me that the money he was paid was significantly less than what McCarthy cited in the article, but I haven’t received any confirmation of that yet. As soon as I do, I’ll post it. I don’t like being in this position. The campaign should not have been taken by surprised by this, and the response should have been out there essentially at the same time as McCarthy’s article. They can’t ignore stuff and hope it’ll go away. Oh, so let me remind you:

Davis and his campaign have taken the gloves off, and I think up until now, Powers’ campaign has brought a knife to a gun fight. Exxon Jack stuff isn’t going to earn votes. Releasing the negative oil stock information at the same time as Powers’ energy plan dulled the impact of what I think is a great, forward-thinking set of ideas. Whether Davis’ people futzed with petitions is embarrassing, but won’t earn anyone any votes. I do think the payments to IP wives is a big deal - not only from a micro perspective with respect to the Davis campaign’s incessant vote-buying, but also from a macro perspective showing the patent patronage and corruption that electoral fusion brings.

Many have criticized me and the Powers campaign for failing to post positive items that present ideas Powers has for the future. That stuff is coming, and nothing has shaken my belief that Powers is the best candidate in the 26th from any party. I’m also sure that the campaign will be getting Jon out there to meet voters and do and say newsworthy things. When Jon Powers the candidate is a generic name you’ve heard of, you may not be compelled to vote for him. When you see him and hear him speak, you are.

War Kids? Jon Powers was a twentysomething war vet who saw Iraqi children being used and recruited by the bad guys, and he set out to help. Thanks to his efforts, the US is now paying attention to these kids. That is a success. When I get the details of the salary issue, I’ll post them. In the meantime, feel free to rip all and sundry a new one in comments.

Photo credit: Michael Parks

There is an absolutely fascinating thread taking place at the Batavian right now with respect to Jack Davis’ campaign. Erick Mullen, Davis’ media guy, is responding to charges made about the site that spoofs Powers’ own. In my opinion, the point is being missed. No doubt, Davis can make any political hay he wants out of the facts presented in that site. My objection is summed up thusly:

Sorry I’m coming in so late, but since Mr. Mullen is paying attention, let me add this:

Forget for a moment the content of the powersplatoon site. Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that it’s all true. No doubt that Jack can make whatever political hay he wants of these things.

The fundamental problem I have with it is the way in which it’s presented - it is almost an exact replica of Powers’ own site, and uses as its url a term associated with Powers’ campaign.

It is, plain and simple, designed to deceive and trick the reader, and that’s what makes it a low blow.

As someone who went along begrudgingly with Davis in 2004 and 2006, let me tell you this:

1. He was handed a win on a silver fricking platter called “Mark Foley” in 2006. Only a one-issue curmudgeon like Davis could have frittered that away, and he did.

2. He is a hateful xenophobe who thinks my dad took away a good physician’s job from an American and my mom took away a good chemist’s job from an American. This despite the fact that they themselves soon thereafter became immigrants. Jack Davis has no use for them, or for any immigrants for that matter, and for that he will never again have a vote from me.

Jack Davis is an arrogant, bored millionaire who thinks he’s entitled to the nomination and can’t stand some young upstart taking the position he bought and paid for in ‘04 and ‘06. That’s what many, many people throughout the district believe, and Davis’ money will only reinforce the theory as true.

Oh, and let me be blunt - change the look and url of the powersplatoon site. Otherwise, I’m willing to bet that a lot of us who care about this race will either sit it out or actively campaign for Lee as the lesser of two evils.