Comments on: Kagen bashing

By: Ben Masel

Ben Masel — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 09:12:54 +0000

Moral of the story: Once you’ve humiliated Rove in the bathroom, keep it to yourself.

By: Russell

Russell — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 21:38:13 +0000

Jim, I know you want to defend Steve Kagen, and I admire that, but continuing to deny the facts in the face of overwhelming evidence is not doing your cause any good.

The Appleton Post-Crescent story is solid. The reporter quotes two eyewitnesses by name, one of whom claims to have an audio recording of Kagen’s comments, and it gave Kagen a chance to rebut, which he basically refused to do. I have multiple independent sources who have heard Kagen say the same sorts of things at other events. Kagen has been interviewed several times and hasn’t denied anything except intentionally insulting Laura Bush (and he didn’t even deny that until this story started getting a lot of national attention).

I could probably get the audio and put it on the web, but do we really want to go there? The facts are not disputable here, and you need to admit that and move on.

No matter how well this sort of stuff plays with the Democratic base, it will hurt Kagen with the general public and reduce his chances of being reelected if it continues. Yes, I’m being hard on him, but that’s what he needs right now, not a bunch of apologists willing to cover for his bad behavior.

I obviously have no great love for Steve Kagen, but we need him in that seat, and if he doesn’t straighten up and pull it together quickly he’s not likely to be there for long.

I’m still more than a little steamed that you did everything but call me a Republican in your post. I don’t take kindly to that sort of thing, and although I’m perfectly willing to settle this publicly on our respective blogs, I think it would be better for all involved if we deal with it privately. Watch for an email from me.

By: John-david Morgan

John-david Morgan — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 21:29:59 +0000

Kagen’s seems a much better joke teller than John Kerry!

If Dems don’t figure out how to keep from flogging themselves and providing endless entertainment for conservatives, we’ll be one nation under health savings plans.

By: Jim McGuigan

Jim McGuigan — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 17:03:53 +0000

I never said it was an evil Republican plot but I read the Appleton Post Crescent story and clearly they didn’t corroborate the story with Kagen. Their information is second hand.

Also, why would the Appleton Post Crescent run with a story they couldn’t directly corroborate? I would expect that to come from the Waukesha Freeman.

I’m not going to go to the mattresses on this one but if you felt that Kagen had really blown it, my point remains valid that you could have called him. You didn’t and your anger comes through in your story. You seem to have felt that Kagen behaved poorly when he met you and yes, that is a story, but I question the validity of the rest of it.

If it did happen as the original The Scene story reported, then why not follow up with the activist him/herself? Would the story not be “local activist alledges…”?

By: Russell Wallace

Russell Wallace — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 08:12:18 +0000

The story isn’t fake. I have multiple sources who have heard Kagen make these claims, and the Appleton Post Crescent also has a story (http://tinyurl.com/y664jg) citing a couple of firsthand witnesses, along with Kagen’s rather disingenuous response.

A simple Goggle search would have confirmed everything I wrote, Jim. Shame on you for shooting the messenger rather then trying to find out the truth.

You know as well as I do that being seen as petty or vindictive can really hurt a candidate. And insulting someone’s wife is just plain out of bounds in politics. No matter how you feel about Kagen, if he keeps up this sort of thing he’s not likely to win a second term. Sticking your head in the sand and pretending that it’s all just an evil Republican plot might feel good, but it isn’t doing Kagen, or the Democratic Party, any favors.

Please correct your post to reflect this.

Russell