| It appears the answer is "yes".
2008:
Austin Chronicle, Wells Dunbar
In the City Council election, one persistent piece of inside baseball concerned political consultant and opposition researcher Jason Stanford's involvement with the Jason Meek er Place 1 campaign - first as Meeker's campaign manager, then for the ostensibly independent ad campaign financed by Discount Electronics CEO Rick Culleton, attacking incumbents Lee Leffingwell and Jennifer Kim. With Leffingwell a potential mayoral candidate in 2009, there has been speculation that Stanford - a friend and associate of Place 5 Council Member Brewster McCracken, also mulling a mayoral run - was in the race to bruise Leffingwell and thereby boost McCracken's chances next May. However, in a conversation with the Chronicle last Friday, McCracken said Stanford would have no role whatsoever in his potential mayoral bid. Noting that the issues the Stanford-drafted ads hammered effectively hurt him as well (the Las Manitas loan fracas and voting to increase council pay), McCracken said he was "really displeased" to learn about Stanford's involvement in the Culleton campaign and added, "I'll never work with the guy."
2009
30 Day Campaign Finance Report, City of Austin
I wouldn't make an issue of this (because political stories regarding staff are inside baseball) if but for the following reasons.
- We cover inside baseball on BOR.
- This was enough of an issue last year that it led to press statements to distance the campaign from those activities. Strong, absolute statements.
- $10,000 is a notable amount of money for a notable turn on last year's statement.
That said, I'm glad everyone's friends again as I like both McCracken and Stanford. The only thing I can't wait for is the release of all that juicy opposition research. I hope we find out that Lee Leffingwell is actually being controlled by the spirit of Jennifer Gale or that he's part of the Austin Secessionist movement! |
