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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Sam Bennett Needs Revolving Door for Campaign Managers

First it was Jeffrey Cook, a union organizer from Coopersburg. Next, Hannah Miller, who comes from the Philly area, signed on as Sam Bennett's Campaign Manager. Then, following the advice of national Democrats, Miller was replaced by Kathryn Seck.

Looks like Kathryn Seck has returned to D.C.

Sam Bennett explains the revolving door.

"We are so grateful to Kathryn Seck for helping our campaign get to where we are. Josh Levin will be joining us. He has the campaign experience and the leadership ability that we'll need to move our campaign forward on the path to victory."

If I have the right Josh Levin, he's a former budget analyst from Chicago who most recently was managing a congressional race in Ohio.

He gets around, too.
Update: The Morning Call also has an account of Seck's departure. It appears that I do have the right Josh Levin, and that Seck's departure was less amicable than Bennett would have us believe. According to The Morning Call account, this is Bennett's third shake up at the top. By my account, this is number four, although Cook may not have been an official Campaign Manager,

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Frankly, I have to say "good riddance." The strident tone of Kathryn Seck's quotes in Bennett's press releases was really annoying to me. Maybe Josh Levin will be able to find some real issues for Bennett's to campaign on.

Bernie O'Hare said...

She was quoting herself more than Bennett. At times, I thought she was running for Congreess.

Good luck to Josh Levin!

Anonymous said...

I don't think a new manager will do this failed campaign much good. There is just so much about Siobhan that precludes her from being a viable candidate. Between the POM scandal, lies about Dent's record, and her past indiscretions, this woman has so much baggage her name ought to be "Samsonite Bennett."

Bernie O'Hare said...

Kaden, That's funny as hell. Maybe you should manage campaigns.

Anonymous said...

Samsonite. Now that's funny.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for making me smile !
gucci manucci

Kaden said...
I don't think a new manager will do this failed campaign much good. There is just so much about Siobhan that precludes her from being a viable candidate. Between the POM scandal, lies about Dent's record, and her past indiscretions, this woman has so much baggage her name ought to be "Samsonite Bennett."

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be interesting if just once a candidate would write the truth.
"I just couldn't stand her."

Blah Society said...

Bennett's greatful for where Kathryn Seck has got her in this campaign? She should be pissed!

Maybe Cook will finally finish her off.

Anonymous said...

Another one bites the dust!

One more example of how the Washington, DC crowd jumps into campaigns without finding out first if the candidate is an unmanageble nut job.

So now they send some guy to finish the campaign who is not from here and was last employed running a primary? Was it at least a winner?

Good luck to him for having to "manage" Sam Bennett's next campaign meltdown.

Blah Society said...

I made a mistake, too. I meant to write Levin (7:06).

So what's up with this guy? Did he read your blog and have an identity change?

Bernie O'Hare said...

Dunno. It amazes me that people like Seck and Levin are sent to places they know nothing about to manage congressional races. These folks lack the perspectives of the people who actually live here, and that puts them at an immediate disadvantage.

Anonymous said...

HR 6049 (Roll Call #343): Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act motion to recommit with instructions – May 21, 2008.
The House passed a bill providing tax breaks for purposes such as spurring the production of non-fossil fuels, promoting energy conservation, stimulating business activity and helping homeowners and the working poor make ends meet. The $55.5 billion price tag was offset by tightening accounting rules on multinational corporations and closing offshore tax shelters used by some U.S. hedge fund mangers. In a failed attempt, Republicans sought to remove the tax increases on multinational firms and wealthy fund managers and, in effect, add the bill’s cost to the national debt. A yes vote favored the amendment, which was defeated 201-220.
Gerlach (R-6th) Yes
Murphy (D-8th) No
Carney (D-10th) No
Kanjorski (D-11th) No
Schwartz (D-13th) No
Dent (R-15th) Yes
Holden (D-17th) No

Bernie O'Hare said...

So as I understand it, Dent actually supported the Renewable Energy Act and you are quibbling with him over the funding mechanism.

Bernie O'Hare said...

As I understand, Dent did vote for the additional troops that military commanders said were needed for the surge in Iraq. In hindsight, Dent's vote was correct.

Anonymous said...

Hey, why couldn't Bennett get anybody locally, who knows how to run a winning campaign, to manage this one?

Haven't the democrats won this seat in the past with McHale?

Why does Bennett have to have someone sent in from DC?

Doesn't anybody local want to deal with her?

What's the scoop?

Anonymous said...

She was at best the DNC's 3rd choice to run against Dent (and may have been 4th in line). My understanding is that when she said yes she'd run, part of the DNC's deal was that one of their people would run the campaign. That's why all the out-of-towners and no local focus.

The Banker

Anonymous said...

That is just pitiful!

Anonymous said...

No one who has helped any of the local mayors or other Democratic officials is available to help Ms. Bennett run her campaign?

Anonymous said...

Apparently not.

Do they know something about her that we don't?

Bet you we know it by Election Day.

Anonymous said...

Remember, the Democrats haven't won the Congressional seat since McHale, even during Presidential elections.

That is an entirely different level of campaign and they have never been able to get it done.

'Course, it helps to have a good candidate, too.

Anonymous said...

she should have stuck with Jeff Cook. he was the brightest by far; and he wasn't shy about adopting an authoritative tone with the candidate. perhaps that's why his tenure was so short . . . that and the fact that she couldn't raise his salary in contributions at that time.

Anonymous said...

I heard she was also turned down by the guys who ran McHale.

Is that true?

Anonymous said...

Bernie,

I thought Jeff Cook worked for the guy who ran McHale, didn't he?

I forgot his name but he has some kind of business dealing with labor unions.

Wonder what happened.

Is it that Bennett just doesn't like to be "managed"?