Word is the departure was mutual, but I really don’t know much more than that—not that it’s all that big of news anyway; campaigns are liable to switch CMs before the big-show begins.
Until the campaign settles on a permanent replacement, Bob Hussey will serve as the temporary manager. You can read all about Hussey here, but here’s a quick highlight reel: Clinton ‘92, DOJ, private public relations, freelance writer, Minnesotan.
You had to assume this was coming — Entenza’s campaign has been lackluster, to say the least.
That’s how he handles this? Move in a guy who has been a part of the health care problem. Another Clinton person who found themselves working against the interest of working families. Short changing Medicare, lobbying for corporate favors, and condoning the over charging for procedures and prescriptions. Who cares? He made enough money to retire to consulting.
This is the guy Matt Entenza is going to let lead the ship? Has lost his political scruples? Who is advising him? A non-controversial individual who has real progressive roots (like his Comm Dir.) is the right move for a guy whom many accuse of being too close to the health insurance jackals. This is just plain perplexing.
Matt, Matt, Matt, how are we going to get you through this if you keep making moves like this?
DJZ,
You folks seem to think that a Democrat associating with those corporately-connected evil-doers is a kind of aberration. You might want to check out who was at Martha Coakley’s Washington fundraiser the other night. Business, in both the literal and metaphorical sense, as usual.
And this assessment of President Obama’s new and powerful regular “people-driven” campaign and administrative policy-making is a good read as well:
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Liberal-New-Media-leader-exposes-myth-of-Obamas-bottom-up-Internet-driven-2008-campaign-80488762.html
Quote from the piece:
“And this is the big story of 2009, if you ask me, the meta-story of what did, and didn’t happen, in the first year of Obama’s administration. The people who voted for him weren’t organized in any kind of new or powerful way, and the special interests — banks, energy companies, health interests, car-makers, the military-industrial complex — sat first at the table and wrote the menu. Myth met reality, and came up wanting.”
Aren’t we tired of politicians masquerading as something they’re not?
So DJZ having trashed Clinton, you’re going to tag team with him and trash Obama. Enjoy your little green party meeting in the tiny back booth of the coffeehouse, all three of you.
He worked for them from 1997 to 2004. Look at his bio that he wrote. He was there for the doubling of costs, Medicare part D, the lawsuits and all of the good times.
He is very qualified to run Entenza’s campaign. Very.
No, Kathy is a nattering republican windbag exploiting greenie concern trolls. End result is the same. DOn’t think that Kathy is anything but a birther/dumb ass.
Another finely-honed, cerebral response from lojasmo.
Bob Hussey didn’t do any of the things you accuse him of. He hasn’t even worked for a health care company in years. And I’ve got no complaints with the Clinton administration- I was laid off under Bush I, Got a full time job with benefits under Clinton, and got laid off again under Bush II. Bob Hussey is well qualified to lead the campaign, and my understanding is that he’ll be a “caretaker” manager until a new campaign manager is hired. In the meantime, the campaign goes on- the growing field staff is busy as ever, calls are being made, Matt’s on the campaign trail, and the campaign is on track for victory!
Give it up Dyna. All the money in the world can’t pull Entenza out of the sewer.
Though you’re a one note johny, I do agree that Matt’s campaign is a non-starter.
We got the worst non-identified off-script call announcing a Quam visit to our town the other night. It was absolutely laughable.
lojasmo, its good to see that I have gone from a “troll” to a “one note johnny” and that you, at least to some extent, agree with me.
I just really want to win the election, and I see Matt Entenza as the biggest threat to that happening. Normally, a scandal-ridden, charisma deficient candidate with terrible polling would not be much of a factor. This scandal-ridden, charisma deficient, bad polling candidate has tens of millions of dollars that he is going to spend on this race.
It’s fair to say that a 5% showing among likely primary voters — after having raised $300,000 and being formally in the race for a year, not to mention informally for three years — is hardly being “on track for victory.” It’s no surprise they shook up that lackluster team, and it’s a good bet that Houle’s head will not be the last one to roll.
Then again, maybe there’s only so much you can only blame the staff — after all, a campaign can only be as good as its candidate, and Entenza has been dead in the water for months. People just don’t like him, and his threat that he will spend $6 million, $12 million or $14 million of his wife’s money (depending on who’s telling the story) has impressed no one.
Just about every blogger agrees that the poll you refer to is barely worthless.
Just about every blogger agrees that Matt Entenza is barely worthless.
Just about all of us want to know what the term “barely worthless” means?
I’m kicking my heels. Skippin’ down the trail. It’s been time for this for a while. I watched Dana make faces in the audience, once, at another candidate while she was speaking. Seriously!
I’m excited for the replacement — IMO, there is one person already on the campaign that would make a very good manager.
Ask around in your community (try coffee shops and other parents at kids’ games, etc) — people like Entenza, or have never heard of him! He’s impressed me Steve. See you tonight.
I’ve been hanging at gub forums for a while, now, and here’s my top three (not in any order):
MAK While I’m not on her presser list so I don’t get any scoops, I like her mentality. She’s created a Jobs Task Force and is moving toward job creation, has taken on Governor Pawlenty’s unallotments, and more. Also, she stays after forums and talks with the crowd, actually listening to them.
Entenza: Keith Ellison put his support behind Matt. There were ICE raids in Worthington, and Matt actually went down there to help the families (he’s a lawyer). Matt’s for new job creation combined with green energy expansion, and I believe he’d actually get that done (instead of just talk about it). He’s kindly when he talks with the crowd. He’s also backed by a rural legislator I think the world of. He’s got cool shoes which show him to be less pretentious.
Rukavina: I get his pressers, and he listens to the folks up north, where things are pretty bad in some spots. I don’t think we in the south know how bad it is in some areas up there. They desperately need employment to feed their families, and Rukavina is listening to the idea of a new copper plant. (my words: The copper plant has improved technology and would bring 400 jobs, and some of the byproduct will be used for fuel. Some towns up there cannot even keep a barber. Plus, we use copper. Is it better to ship it from China or some other place? Or control the production in our own country, and keep improving on the facility.)
Rukavina has also taken on Pawlenty’s unallotments, thinks education is very important, and is a great speaker.
The only way the Entenza campaign can remove the stench and improve its chances is if it changes candidates, not managers.
Given the precise and sophisticated language (“stench”, etc.) the Matt haters are using, it looks like some lost Tea Baggers wandered into this forum.
Yeah, or not-so-smart Dems.
Dyna, if that’s all the better you Entenza sycophants can do is accuse your boy’s detractors of being tea-baggers, you’re even more pathetic than I thought. But if you object to “stench,” let’s just be more precise and call Entenza for what he is: an unethical liar.
Name calling on MnPublius today.
When a candidate has a history of unethical behavior and lying, unethical liar is an appropriate name. Its pretty sad that Entenza apologists are calling other Democarts not-so-smart and teabaggers.
I guess you are better than I? I’m out for the rest of the day. 50,000 Haitians. I feel sick. Seems like a good time for silence.
I just really want to win the election, and I see Matt Entenza as the biggest threat to that happening.
This is from “Dan”.
Who is this mystery person, running for governor?
Does anyone know how a candidate gets name recognition when many of the “likely primary voters” don’t start figuring out who is who until a month out? At this stage, most likely primary voters are not perusing blogs, attending campaign events, etc.? I would say that is probably true for 90% of likely primary voters. For most people, this is way, way too early to care, so how does a candidate get his name known to them?
Earned media and paid media. Make every event you can. And get your lawn signs on a cool looking motorcycle and sidecar everybody notices!