Jack Davis

So here we are.  Only in Western New York would the Democrat Party take a wonderful chance and screw it up by having two forced primaries.  Now I know this is the Amercian way of democracy....but it goes to prove what has been said before, " I don't belong to an organized political party.... I am a Democrat."   Here we sit and with just a few days to the Primary,  the Democratic Candidates for Congress are battling on the airwaves, in the media and on the stump.  One has too much money, one has raised money wrong and from the wrong people and one did legal work for chemical companies at Love Canal so therefor she must be a demon.  Whew...and we thought Clinton and Barack were ununifiable? (THANK GOD THAT IS OVER AS WELL!!!!!!)  

The most important thing the Democratic Party had to do was to have a strong candidate to win against the Republican, rich guy - power broker and overseas job shipper who turned more jobs over to overseas companies and sold out on Western New York. I guess the Republican guy just wants to earn his Western New York Congressional salary and live in Washington, DC.  I hear the cherry blossoms are beautiful there.  Let's hope the rich can't buy thier ticket to see them....let's hope the voters look long and hard at this one.

Anyway...that is what is happening on the Congressional side.

On a "happier" note (Did I say Happier????), the race to run for the 61st Senate Seat is also equally challenging for the Donkeycrats.  (Are you sure I said happier???) Here we have a popular, hard-working, competent Erie County Legislator who is endorsed by the County Democratic Committees pitted against a former boxer and "you guessed it"....Her brother-in-law.  If this was Texas, this would be a episodic plot for that old TV Show "Dallas".  As the Republicans put up yet another upper crust muckety-muck, the Democrats roll around in the muck to see who can run and win 8 weeks later.  I am keeping my idea for a TV Script because there has to be one in here somewhere.  I can just see the pan of the camera on the field as the three candidates come toward the camera on sturdy horses... the dust settling as their faces are shot one-by-one into the camera frame with dour expressions..... too funny...anyway I digress.

 I am a BIG supporter of Mary Lou Rath and have always known that her shoes would be hard to fill...she truly cares about our communities and serves us well.  She will be a tough act to follow. Michele Iannello is a tough woman with a lot to be said about what she will do for this district.  She, like Mary Lou, cares about us and our communities.  The brother-in-law, on the other hand, has run for many public offices including Eire County Legislator and Executive, has won a few and has lost a few.  He currently sits on the Amherst Town Board and he talks a lot about his past......maybe that is because there isn't too much on his plate for the future.....I think Amherst should keep him.

Then we have Baby Joe Mesi.....nice guy.  While I was President of the New York State Junior Chamber of Commerce I bestowed upon him the honor of Outstanding New Yorker.  This was given to him because of his powerful approach to being a positive influence on young people's lives.  He didn't just box.... he showed us all what an organized program for young people can do?  He cares about his community.  I give him that much but I guess I find that the toughness that a boxer needs to survive is just not what I think we need in the "Ring of Albany".....  You need to be smart, savvy and quick.  You need to look for opportunities to help Western New York and you have to bring that home.  Baby Joe is a nice guy.....Michele Iannello is a hard-working public servant.  I hope when the dust settles, Baby Joe will still be doing his community service and the brother-in-law is sent back to Amherst.  Let the tough lady from Kenmore take on the upper crusty Republican in the General Election.

So that is that.  Instead of duking it out and coming up with two solid candidates...one for each position, the Democrats come up with three, forcing a primary that is sure not to hand any one candidate the 50% for either race. In the midst of this whirl of politics, we can only hope that the regrouping, refunding and campaigning can be accomplished in 8 short weeks, but then again...I wish all elections in total only took 8 weeks.  I wonder if I would miss all the signs in my yard....  Please vote in the Democrat Primary.

This morning, Buffalo Pundit embeds a YouTube video that attacks Jack Davis for being old and rich -- nothing said about his positions on policies.

The video is cute and well produced, but it's also offensive.

First, Jack Davis is a self-made man.  He represents the historical promise of America -- that anybody with a good idea, who works hard and makes good decisions can be successful. Attacking Jack Davis for being rich is like attacking America, because you're saying it's wrong to build successful businesses and to create jobs, and that people shouldn't have the basic economic freedom to benefit from the fruits of their labor.

Second, imagine a political video that attacked a candidate for being a woman, or black, or handicapped. Who -- especially among self-described progressives --  would find such prejudice anything but outrageously bigoted? So why is ageism suddenly OK? Is it bad to grow old, to acquire experience, to have a perspective that reaches back further than "Friends"?

The question needs to be asked: Are Democrats making a mistake to throw so much support behind Jon Powers while attacking Jack Davis so voraciously?

Voter registration for the 26th District, as of April 1, 2008, is 40 percent Republican. Despite the GOP stranglehold on the mostly rural counties, Davis picked up 48 percent of the vote in 2006, and his 44 percent in 2004 (when Bush garnered 55 percent of the district vote), was pretty darn respectable when compared to the 22 percent Ayesha F. Nariman tallied for the Democrats in 2002 (which shows you to what extent Democrats in the 26th are willing to vote Republican -- there still seem to be a lot of Reagan Democrats around).

In both of Davis' loses, he was running against an incumbent. This time, the seat is open.

Setting aside his wacky anti-immigration pronouncements, Davis has a message that appeals to rust-belt conservative voters -- protectionism on jobs, cut spending and taxes,  save social security and reduce the influence of special interests.

While Powers has an admirable position on job growth, he seems squishy on spending and taxes (his website addresses neither issue). He'll be vulnerable to the tried-and-true GOP "Liberal" attack.

At first glance, Republican Chris Lee looks like an urbane empty suit. He has career-politician-in-the-making written all of him. He seems to have no ties to nor affinity for a rural county like Genesee. If he wins in November, he's likely going to represent Western New York for the next five terms. 

So the question Democrats attacking Davis might want to ask themselves -- are they ready to accept that outcome?

Davis may not meet any body's picture of the ideal candidate, but at most, he's going to serve two terms, then the race is wide open again and anything can happen.

Just some food for thought.  Again, I'm non-partisan and have no affinity for any particular candidate.

In a lengthy post about the 26th District congressional race, Buffalo Pundit writes:

Over the weekend, I was at University Plaza across from UB South waiting for a pizza. There was a young African American guy in the plaza sporting a “Save Jobs” t-shirt with a clipboard and Davis lit. I asked him what he was collecting signatures for, and he handed me the clipboard. He explained to me that he was there on behalf of Jack Davis, who is running for “councilman” and that he wants to “save our jobs and stuff”, and the clipboard held petitions to add the “Save Jobs and Farms Party” to the ballot in November. Yes, he was being paid. So, if Jack can’t buy himself the Independence or Democratic line, he’ll buy himself a minor-party line and will undoubtedly be campaigning through and until November. Particularly amusing was the party emblem, resembling an early 20th century socialist cog symbol.

Um, "Save Jobs and Farms," from a guy who supposedly wants to prevent farmers from hiring the labor they need to bring in their crops?

This sounds like shallow populist posturing rather than a sound policy platform.

As for what BP describes as a "socialist cog symbol," I suspect Davis is tone deaf to the leftist motif, but I suspect he is quite well attuned to the power of propaganda.  Have you heard his ridiculous radio commercial (it plays on WBTA)? Besides making one wonder if Davis is trying to sell used recreational vehicles, the platitude-ridden ditty is a clear appeal to the cult-of-personality vote.

Again, we're not trying to be pro-Powers or anti-Davis here, but you know, when there's a big hole, and a Mac truck sitting there with the engine running, you gotta put the hammer down.

The Buffalo News reports this morning that opponents of Jon Powers are making an issue of his ties to "netroots," the supposed grassroots movement of online activists.

The Iraq War veteran and former substitute teacher has raised $322,452 through ActBlue, a Web site that bills itself as “the online clearinghouse for Democratic action,” while winning the praise of bloggers from Buffalo to the Beltway.

...

But there’s a downside to Powers’ prolonged courtship of the netroots. It’s the reason he raised nearly twice as much money from New York City as he has from the Buffalo area, a fact that allows his opponents to charge that the 26th District might not be foremost in his mind if Powers makes his way to Washington.

“Jon Powers is campaigning the same way he’ll govern; from outside New York and inside the pockets of the special interests,” said Joy Langley, a spokesman for Davis, the millionaire industrialist who’s paying for his third congressional race with his own money.

Of course, if you're going to do your fundraising in a manner that allows anybody anywhere to contribute, New York City (pop. 8 million ) is going to out raise Buffalo (pop. 1 million). Proportionately, you could argue that Powers has done pretty well with fundraising in WNY.

For the record: I neither support nor oppose Jon Powers. I'm just saying ...

A lot of people think this is a pro-Powers site. This site is neutral at this point in the race; their are just a lot of Powers supporters who like The Batavian. That, too, probably says a lot about how strong Powers support is among Netizens.

Via Rochester Turning, we learn that the Powers campaign posted a video two days ago (it appears to be a professionally produced commercial, so might it show up on TV and not just YouTube?) accusing Jack Davis of bribery.

The Daily Gotham was the first to pick up on a sly bit of digital-era campaign mudslinging Saturday when it pulled the curtain on the latest "Jon Powers" Web site (www.powersplatoon.com) to show that, in fact, it wasn't a Jon Powers Web site at all. It wasn't by him, for him or with him. It wasn't from his campaign or his supporters.

Powers Platoon is a tactical fake "Paid for by Davis for Congress," and it's more than just a spitting image of the "actual" campaign site, it's identical — save, of course, the content, which is 100 percent anti-Powers, calling him out for connections with special interest lobbyists and accusing him of waffling on high profile issues.

Can you tell which one is real, which fake?

For those of you who can't tell which site is bogus — though I find it hard to believe that anyone would, for one second, believe the lie — it's the one on the bottom, the one that criticizes Powers in alliterative language that was already hackneyed by the end of the last presidential election (flips, flops, flails). It's obvious. It couldn't be more of a sham and for that very reason is worth a good laugh, at the very least.

But how much of a laugh? Seriously. When do we stop laughing and wonder if this is going too far, as some say. A pair of blog sites that don't shy from the fact that they are supporters of Jon Powers — the Daily Gotham and Buffalo Pundit — think that the site is going so far that it's illegal.

While the Gotham gets a little too nasty and over the top about it — calling Jack Davis a "scumbag" and accusing the site's designers of being no different than people who try to "steal your credit card information" — the question is worth asking: is the site illegal? How?

Buffalo Pundit has this to say:

It’s not protected by the fair use doctrine because it’s not using mere excerpts of Powers’ work product, but has completely mimicked his site in an effort to confuse and trick the reader. Everything right down to the logo, the font, the layout, and even the portrait...

All of these items are protected by automatic copyright held by Mr. Powers. We all expected Jack Davis to use his millions to smear Powers. None of us expected him to do it by breaking the law and deliberately tricking prospective voters.

Is it, then, copyright infringement? What is "automatic copyright"? The Batavian has a couple calls in to attorneys, as well as inquiries sent out to both campaigns: Powers and Davis. Neither has said anything yet, and we're still waiting to hear back from the attorneys.

We also sent an e-mail to the site's registered owner, asking him flat out if he considered the possibility of copyright infringement. His name is Erick Mullen. He gives a Washington, DC address.

Although we have not yet confirmed that it is the same individual who built the fake Powers site, there is a "political communications firm" called  Mullen & Company that is run by Erick Mullen and based in Washington. From the Web site:

Mullen & Company is a political communications firm that specializes in award-winning creative media and strategic communications. To win in politics today often demands a break from conventional wisdom, and Mullen & Company will provide your campaign with a modern, thorough knowledge of media strategy and tactics. To win today political campaigns must make decisions rationally rather than culturally.

In his bio, Mullen states that he was part of the campaign team that elected Sen. Charles Schumer in 1998. A video of Schumer posted on the site proves their connection.

We're waiting to hear back from Mullen.

UPDATE: The Batavian did, in fact, hear back from Mullen promptly following this post, and he has defended the site against the allegations from the Powers camp that it is illegal—you can read his comments below. Further, no attorney has yet come forward to affirm the illegality of the site, and we have to believe that it does not violate any specifics of the law.

     Is Jack Davis completely out of touch with reality?  It seems so, given his statements during a  rare public appearance.  Making an infrequent foray outside of the confines of his cozy  headquarters, Jack set up a campaign appearance for the press in Genesee County.  That's usually how it works with Jack.  See, he doesn't think much of actual campaigning, things like going door to door to ask for your vote.  He does like waving from one of  his show cars in parades, but otherwise, he's content to let his $3 million dollars do his talking and, boy, does Jack like to be the one doing the talking.  He's not big on listening.  That fact is apparent from what he said on Friday.

      Here's what he's promoting on his own website. “The farmers claim they need more foreign labor to pick those crops and some have asked for more visas for immigrant farm workers. But with our high unemployment, how can we justify hiring someone other than our own unemployed to do this work?”  Its obvious Jack hasn't heard any of the problems the local growers have had in recent years.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21491778/    Does Jack really want to add to the risks that farmers already brave every year?  Or was he that clueless about where he was when he made that statement?  As rarely as he goes out on the trail, it might've made sense for him to do a little background research on the GLOW region.  Agriculture is the backbone of our local economy.  Now, Jack says he wants to deny our local farmers the labor force they depend on to get their crops out of the fields or orchards and onto our tables.

       Anyone could be forgiven for thinking this is Jack's first try at office after reading this.  But, Jack's had two tries at this seat in the past.  In fact, Jack used to be a Republican but after he donated $2,000 at a Republican fundraiser and was told he couldn't personally speak with Vice President Cheney, Jack quit the party in a huff.  That next year, in an expensive fit of pique, Jack spent 1.2 million dollars of his own personal fortune campaigning against Tom Reynolds.  He lost.  So, in 2006, he spent even more.  In fact, Jack spent a million dollars that year on the Independence party nomination alone. No other candidates stepped up to run on the Democratic line, so Jack got it by default, the same way he got it in 2004.  Tom Reynolds was a severely wounded candidate owing to his connection to the Foley scandal.  It didn't matter. Jack lost.  Many observers blamed it on the fact that Jack doesn't like to get out and campaign.  He's of the belief that if you throw enough commercials on TV and radio, and stuff voters' mailboxes full with slick fliers day after day, you don't have to get out and actually talk with them.  It didn't work for him the last two times.  Still, he's doing the the very same thing for the third time.  So much for learning from experience.

     Jack's idea of coming to a rural area and advocating a position counter to their needs might make him seem frighteningly oblivious, but it  is characteristic of his attitude that he doesn't need the voters' input.  He wants you to listen to the Brooks and Dunn ripoff he's using as a radio commercial, let him bury you under multiple campaign fliers every week, and let him buy gasoline for people in Greece.  That's how Jack thinks it works.  Throw enough money at a problem, and he can solve it.

      Jack doesn't like to listen.  It was demonstrated earlier in the race when all four GLOW Democratic committees endorsed Jon Powers.  Jack tried to tell them they'd made a mistake and had better change their minds.  Here's their response:   "This is a press release from the 4 Democratic chairs of Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming Counties regarding the NY 26th Congressional race.  Jack Davis seems to feel the rural counties can be cajoled into rescinding their endorsements of Jon Powers, and the chairs wanted to make it clear that there are no intentions to do so."

      Its one thing to claim to be your own man.  Its a completely different thing to be ignorant of your district's concerns and to ignore your party's position on the issues.  If Jack is so cavalier about rural WNY's needs and so out of step with his own party's platform, what other misapprehensions is he laboring under?

    It was straight out of a 1930's-era movie.  Jack Davis at a Greece gas station, paying people the difference between the current cost of gas and the $1.50-a-gallon price it stood at when Bush was inaugurated.

    Quickly.  What came to mind just now?  For me and everybody else I've told about this, it was two words: "Buying votes".  It felt like a time-warp.  But then I remembered that they didn't even have TV back in the days when this sort of thing happened.  I expected to see Jack wearing a white suit and a broad-brimmed strawhat as he tossed money into the crowd, a big cigar clenched in his teeth.  Reality came rushing back, however, and I had to accept that a millionaire candidate was giving people money as part of his campaign.  Is that even legal?  It wouldn't seem so.

    This makes Jack Davis seem disconnected, at the very least.  A wealthy elitist tossing ducats into the crowd in an insulting attempt to garner publicity at the expense of honesty and respect for the voters.  In addition to believing this sort of antiquated stunt serves as serious campaigning, Jack Davis says that drilling in the Alaskan National Wilderness Refuge is one of the answers to the current cost of gasoline.  He'd have you believe that while at the same time hoping you are so ill-informed that you don't know that we won't see a drop of that oil for nearly a decade.  Our own government's Energy Information Administration says ""Seven to 12 years are estimated to be required from an approval to explore and develop to first production from the ANWR Area."  http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/analysis_publications/arctic_national_wildlife_refuge/html/analysisdiscussion.html  Even then, it would reduce the cost of a barrel of oil by a whopping 75 cents.  And all that if we allow profit bloated oil companies to sell us back the oil they took from America's national park. 

       It can't be said that Jack Davis is ignorant of economics, though.  He currently holds up to $35 million worth of oil and energy stocks.  I'd be buying people some gas, too.  But, I wouldn't be trying to buy their votes.

The campaign to elect Democrat Jon Powers to the 26th Congressional District is again calling out primary opponent Jack Davis. They allege that Davis' financial disclosure statement revealed that Davis has more than $35 million in oil and big energy stocks — including Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Hess Corp.

The Batavian asked Davis to respond to those initial questions posed by the Powers campaign when they were released a couple weeks ago. No one on the Davis campaign addressed the issue directly in this forum, although, after some inquiries on our part, a representative of the campaign signalled the release of Davis own national energy policy that stressed "energy diversity" — nothing more specific, however, has yet been released.

From the Powers camp press release:

"Jack Davis claims that he will go to Washington and work to lower gas prices, yet he refuses to answer some seemingly simple questions about the $35 million he has invested in Big Oil and the hundreds of thousands of dollars he has profited off of record high gas prices," said Powers for Congress campaign manager John Gerken. "The more money Big Oil makes, the more money Jack Davis makes."

Two weeks ago the Powers Campaign posed several questions to Jack Davis regarding his conflicted interests regarding America's energy independence. Two weeks have passed and still no word from Jack Davis about the $35 million in energy stocks.

Again, we have asked the Davis campaign to respond.

Democrat Jack Davis says we need to diversify our energy sources if we hope to see relief at the pumps. Davis was quick to get out his own "energy policy" Tuesday, following the announcement last week by Jon Powers that Davis is bound to his oil interests. Powers' camp released a lengthy statement of the candidate's energy policy last week.

Says Davis:

“Diversifying our energy sources, improving efficiency, and leading on energy conservation can do a lot to increase supply, reduce demand, and lower costs. None of the ideas I have mentioned are particularly dramatic or difficult, but when pursued together, they form a meaningful energy agenda that can get everyone working together.”

“What voters and taxpayers must address is the broken system in Washington. When high priced lobbyists use campaign cash to influence American energy policy, we lose. Their energy policies have given us $4.25 gallon gasoline.”

There was nothing more specific in the release posted on Davis' Web site, and The Batavian was unable to get out to Greece yesterday afternoon for the press conference. We've asked the campaign if they plan to release a more detailed energy policy. We're waiting to hear back.

In a press release issued by the campaign for Congressional candidate Jon Powers this afternoon, Powers criticizes his rival Jack Davis for his close ties to "Big Oil" — including Davis' financial disclosure that he owns $35 million in "oil and energy stocks."

"We now know Jack Davis has up to 35 million reasons to vote against lower gas prices.  Exxon Jack is no different than George Bush and the politicians in Washington, DC who are already bought and paid for by the oil companies.  Western New York needs a Congressman who will look out for their interests, not Exxon/Mobil's bottom line" stated Powers Campaign Manager, John Gerken.

Powers released his own energy policy that says the candidate would support legislation that would reduce carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2020. He also says that oil companies should be required to install bio-fuel pumps at 25 percent of their stations and that the country should get 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2025. Rather than giving so much in tax credits to oil companies, Powers wants to provide "tax credits to investors who empower scientists to develop renewable energy."

For more about Powers' energy policy, download the full document here.

UPDATE: Note, Davis has been invited to respond.