Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Dems demand: Show us your poll!

Today the Omaha Mayor Suttle Recall group announced their plans to go forward with collecting signatures for a recall.

First, say what you will about the organization of the group, they managed to turn a quick , foregone conclusion into a two-day story (by announcing their announcement two days early). Not political rocket-science, but well executed.

So, in that run up, Democrats and Suttle supporters (not necessarily the same group, by the way) has had plenty of time to formulate a response.

And guess what it was?
“Oh, yeah?! Well show us your poll!”
Really.

OK, more specifically:
“If this group is going to keep advancing the erosion of our election process, they need to come forward with full disclosure of the secret polling data that is driving them.”
Because that will...um...well, we don’t know what.

If you have the polling data that shows the public doesn’t like what the Mayor is doing then that will show that the public doesn’t support the Mayor?

This is one of the goofier arguments we’ve ever heard.

Hey, Democrats! Why don’t you get one of your 501(c)(4) groups, that seem to be flush with cash, to run their own poll! It is a foregone conclusion how it will turn out.  And then you can...well, again, we don’t know what.

Show us your polling data”? (Shaking head.)

***

The next funny thing being touted by the Mayor and his spokespeoples is their argument against the Recall:

That would be, “The Mayor is doing a great job and his policies are good for the city”, right? That’s their argument, correct?

No?

Wait, coming from spokesperson, Catherine Mrs. Senator Heath Mello, it’s “Recalls are real expensive!

Huh.

That’s right up there with, “Do you know how expensive smoke alarms are?” Or, “Do you know what baby car seats COST?

You either need them, or you don’t.

So the question is, “Does Omaha need to recall its Mayor?

If the Mayor’s office can’t tackle that simple question, they have already lost.

But maybe they know that...

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is it possible that Lowen Kruse is trying to legally prohibit the real recall committee from getting on the ballot? Isn't there a provision in the charter which states that if a recall petition fails, no one can attempt to recall the mayor for a year? So if/when Kruse fails to submit sufficient signatures, would it be an entire year before someone can try again?

GeosUser said...

First, this recall committee continues to underwhelm with another lousy press conference. Their spokesman is a really awful public speaker and he accepts the premise of every question. Joe Jordan asked his "$900k cost" question and Aspen accepted the premise and then bumbled through a poorly worded response. I would suggest that the proper response would be, it won't cost $900k Joe. Mayor Suttle should resign when our petition drive succeeds, saving the taxpayers at least $300k by his own logic, and then we will have one election in which we expect a candidate will get more than 50% of the vote. End of subject.
As I've written before, I will not sign the recall petition unless/until Hal Daub states on-the-record that he will not be a candidate. Let's remember folks, Hal's burning desire for a legacy project is that downtown light rail system that will bankrupt the city.

Anonymous said...

I'll sign the petition and I'll vote to recall, but with one provision...whomever the new mayor is he/she has to keep the communications director!

Mr. Blackwell said...

Street Sweeper your picture of Miss Mello looks like she is going to the Prom? Take a tip from me my progressivesweetie, shop at Ann Taylor or you will bomb!

NE Voter said...

Hal Daub's and Pat McPherson's Sour Grapes of Wrath.

An attempt to steal what they could not earn on Election Day.

Everyone in the know is aware that Daub was absolutely devasted by his defeat. He's never gotten over it, so now he's lashing out.

Why won't he say whether he will or will not seek the office if there is a recall?

This recall campaign will fail, but if it doesn't, and the Mayor is recalled, I expect each candidate seeking to replace him sign a pledge that if they raise a single fee or tax, they will immediately resign.

Fair enough, right?

Game on.

Anonymous said...

So NE Voter...by your logic Mayor Suttle should just resign now since he has raised fees and taxes after saying he wouldn't. OK, I'll agree with you there.

I also suppose by your logic that if Suttle were to resign he would "save" the taxpayers $900,000. Then we could spend that on something else. Go figure figuring out your logic.

The taxes are just part of the reason for the recall.

Rob said...

Hal Daub would do everyone a favor by stepping back publicly. He is unelectable. He's part of the problem with the unions in the past. He should realize that he is being used as the argument to not recall. Hal, quit before you start for all of us.

Anonymous said...

So I hear Ace is working with the police to keep Suttle in office. Its great he is getting behind the cops.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Ricky said...

I don't think a recall of Mayor Suttle for policy differences is a good idea.
The city has a legal obligation to balance it's budget. The plan Suttle came up with did that, and it was passed by the Omaha City Council.
The city needed a contract with the Omaha Police Union, and the union had an ace in the hole by being able to go to a state board to force an agreement. The Omaha City Council signed off on that too.
If you wanted to recall Mr Suttle for his support of the CVS project in Dundee, I might listen to that, as long as the recall of Council Person Jean Stothert is successful as well. She pushed for the CVS big box store.
But it looks like to me the Republican party just can't get over the fact it can't win Omaha's Mayors office.

Ricky From Omaha

Anonymous said...

Suttle is probably happy Jeremy Aspen is the spokesperson. This guy is terrible. He has a rough time finishing a sentence. He needs to stick to his day job and stay away from cameras and microphones.

ADJ said...

Is it just me or does it seem like those pushing for the recall have forgotten Suttle was elected by majority? Guess what, he won the election. The people of Omaha chose to put him in office rather than Daub- deal with it. Yes, Suttle has made some stupid decisions but the bottom line is WE put him there. And frankly, how seriously can any organization be taken if they decide to hire Pat McPherson as a consultant.

Anonymous said...

How does (allegedly) groping a 15 year old bird give one the skills to lead a recall of a publically elected official?

Anonymous said...

If that's what the new Democrat women look like, I think I'll be joining their club!!!! I thought they all looked like Lisa Hannah!

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, no matter who gets elected to the office of Mayor, unless they deal firmly, squarely and immediatly with the union issues of running the city into bankruptcy, we will be looking at recalling every Mayor for raising taxes and spending money. Now, Im not in favor of letting Suttle off the hook for what he's created because he has certainly squandered money and spent like with every check, there must be money in the bank. He needs to be held accountable for all the unnecessary spending. Take for instance Spacoratella. Big salary because the mayor said "unless we pay good salaries, we won't get qualified, good people" or something to that effect. Well, with the big salary, we still can't balance the budget and this big salaried person can't find it in herself to just NOT SPEND. He's got the car issue, the retired cop that is paid to drive him, the streetcar proposal and proposal to spend money just to investigate it. Just look at MAT. It's not cutting it. Fees have been raised all around the city and he just spends. Well, he is from W.Va and that's where the late Sen. Byrd was from. The pork king of the Senate. Anyway, let's go forth with the recall. Let's send a message since the mayor doesn't listen or hear us. Let's send the message to the other spenders too, not to the ones that seem to get it.