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Nasty, and really stupid
Monday, Feb 4, 2008 * You gotta wonder sometimes about the brain power of those in politics today. Take for instance, this goofy mailer by “Concerned People of the 3rd Ward.” Click the pics for larger images of this hit piece on Alderman Pat Dowell, who is running against Rep. Ken Dunkin for Democratic committeeman… 
* On the second page, there’s a reference to a website…  * Now go take a look at the “blog.” It’s called “les.be.pat” and contains smears about Dowell being a lesbian, including this “reader poll”…  * Normally, these anonymous mailers are diffcult to trace. There is no “Concerned People of the 3rd Ward” committee registered with the State Board of Elections and Blogger allows anonymous blog hosting. Also, the street address apparently doesn’t exist. But, in this case, somebody really goofed. Here is the bulk permit number for the Dowell hit piece…  * And here’s a recent mailer by Rep. Ken Dunkin…  * Now, let’s zoom in on Dunkin’s bulk permit number, shall we?  * Hey, whaddyaknow. It’s the same number as the Dowell piece. Who would ever have guessed? He’s known as “Padunk” for a reason. …Adding… You’d probably be acting well within reason to go to that aforementioned blog and click on the “Flag Blog” button at the very top of the page, which lets Google know that it’s a despicable piece of trash.
- Posted by Rich Miller
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- Ghost - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:24 am:
Try as he might, it appears the Dunkin don’t know how to slam. Hope this serves to gather support for Dowell.
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:27 am:
Calling Dunkin dumb is giving dumb people a bad name.
- Levois - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:27 am:
Padunk? That sounds like idiocy!
- donuts - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:28 am:
Dunkin don’t know much about anything. Not that he needs another reason, but I would be embarrassed to show my face on the House floor after this if i were him.
- Niles Township - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:31 am:
Dunkin has always been a fool. This just continues that streak.
- archpundit - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:33 am:
A Political Darwin Award Winner
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:51 am:
Let’s see: Calling Daley “Massa”, personally attacking a sitting alderman, and painting a big target on your back for all gay activists?
I think I smell an Independent campaign against Dunkin brewing in his State Rep. race in the fall.
- Bill - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:56 am:
Nice Going, Ken.
I’m glad to see that you haven’t lost your edge.
- ivoted4judy - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:56 am:
Never was the sharpest tool in the shed…..
- Captain America - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:59 am:
Outrageous bigotry, not to mention unbelievable stupidity for using the same mail permit number.
My advice to 3rd Ward voters, vote for Dowell.
- Carl Nyberg - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:00 pm:
I don’t know for sure, but I think Google is fairly permissive about what one can blog about.
To get Google involved in censoring a blog it has to cross clear-and-bright lines and being offensive based on sexuality and identity politics isn’t enough I don’t think.
I could be wrong. I guess we’ll see what happens.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:02 pm:
Carl, they’re permissive when it’s about one’s own identity. Not, in this case, when it’s an attack on another’s.
- Pat collins - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:06 pm:
He’s also posting the subscriber only CapFax on one of the links.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:09 pm:
Yep, and that’s gonna get his subscription terminated.
- tubbfan - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:09 pm:
I have to say the dumbest road sign I’ve seen (I’m not receiving many mailers, certainly no good ones) was blaming Sen. Lauzen for failing to “fix” IL Rt. 47 south of I-88. Something to the effect that he refuses to do anything about it (like a right-wing senator of the minority party would have any sway over such things).
- Greg - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:17 pm:
Makes me wanna donate to the target
- OneManBlog - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:26 pm:
tubbfan …
Actually the signs on 47 (two different candidates are doing it) are one of the few things I have heard positive comments on.
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:27 pm:
Doesn’t this violate Illinois’ campaign finance laws? If his committee paid to mail the flier (and possibly paid for the flier) his committee’s name needs to be on it.
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:28 pm:
next time use a forever stamp
- phocion - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:29 pm:
Considering Dunkin has a massive rap sheet, the chutzpah is unbelievable. Dunkin has convictions for theft, grand theft auto, violation of a protective order, assault, and battery. The violation of protective order, assault, and batter all happened when he was in his 30’s. The guy is a menace - and the Chicago media’s collective silence about him makes them co-conspirators. Thanks for posting this Rich, and your editorial admonitions, on this issue. But we all know he’s a walking disaster. This guy is an utter disgrace to the House and to his constituents.
- fedup dem - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:30 pm:
I believe pot calling kettle is correct in asserting that this piece runs afoul of the Illinois Election Code.
- Anon - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:42 pm:
Does anyone think this type of mailer really works? afterall, voters just elected dowell (over tillman), so pushing her “negatives” might not really make a difference to actual voters. Dunkin made a dumb move, period.
- Gregor - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:47 pm:
Dunkin is a stain on the party. Why/ how did a shmuck like him ever get elected except thru the same “massa” Daley machine he disparages? His brilliant campaign strateegery smacks of something the Blago crowd would do; its just as inept. I hope the Chitown TV tubes run with this, Ken deserves what he has coming to him.
- Carl Nyberg - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:49 pm:
Rich, please keep us updated. I’m curious what rules Google is enforcing.
- RMW Stanford - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:50 pm:
Good how dumb can you be to use the same bulk permit, does anyone every run against this guy for his House seat?
- Garp - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:54 pm:
Pat Dowell must have the patience of a saint. I watched her debate Dorothy Tillman and was amazed how she could keep her self control. Now she is going up against this lunatic. I am not sure what she did in a past life to draw these two jokers but her ward is lucky she came along.
- Old Town Native - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:58 pm:
As someone who lives near his district, it is a shame and a mockery of our neighborhood to have such a buffoon represent us. Ever since he sponsored the Scientology exhibit at the Thompson center I knew he had a screw loose. It is time we get a credible candidate to run against him. Dumb and ignorant are not flaws that can be corrected. Rich thanks for one of the best investigative pieces I have seen in a long time. I am curious to see if he violated any campaign finance laws.
- Levois - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 1:06 pm:
Consider that blog flagged!
- more like... - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 1:14 pm:
blago must be very proud that dunkin is one of his handful of supporters. stupid is as stupid supports.
- Anon - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 1:21 pm:
Think of what the money spent on the mailer could do for the homeless guy!
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 1:41 pm:
Gosh, I hope this doesn’t get his membership in the Century Club revoked.
- julie - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 1:48 pm:
You can’t prove the same person is behind the mail using permit numbers- that just proves the same person mailed it. If they both used the same mailhouse and “borrowed” the permit, the permit # could be the same. Happens often.
- dave - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 1:49 pm:
It is possible that the permit number is that of a mailing house and not of Ken Dunkin.
They may just happen to use the same mailing house.
- anon - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 2:31 pm:
Wonder what Jesse White has to say now?
- Pat collins - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 2:37 pm:
They may just happen to use the same mailing house.
There is no place on earth with such a dense occurrence of coincidences as a Chicago election.
- julie - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 2:58 pm:
actually, if a mailing house prices reasonably, lots of people will use it.
If you’re going to prove something, PROVE IT. i don’t have a horse in this race and a coworker asked me about the permits since i work in the direct mail business. but that permit number does not effectively prove the mail was paid for by the same person.
- phocion - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 4:50 pm:
So, let’s see. Ken Dunkin is running against Pat Dowell in this race. Ken Dunkin uses the same postal permit number on his campaign literature as is used in the “anonymous” and odious attack piece. The “anonymous” piece and blog are attacking Pat Dowell, Ken Dunkin’s opponent. Yep, it’s all just a coincidence.
- reader - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 5:04 pm:
it is not unusual and quite common for a mailing house to let their customers use their permits in order to save money on having to purchase a permit.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 5:08 pm:
Yep, reader, agreed. Completely. It’s just another one of those coinkydinks, I’m sure.
- Carl Nyberg - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 5:16 pm:
If it’s merely a coincidence that the mailing house used the same permit for two different clients then Dunkin’s people should be able to get their vendor to provide examples of other clients using the same permit number, right?
- DuPage Dave - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 7:56 pm:
As of now, the blog has been closed by google (i.e. it can only be accessed by its author). Looks like CapFax had an impact again.
- Gregor - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 8:06 pm:
Dunkin has some ’splainin’ to do in the morning, he should be able to show canceled checks for his own legit mailings thru that address if it belongs to a mailing service. A call to the regional Postmaster should quickly clear up who paid for that number and owns the number. Every donut has at least one hole in it, mister Dunkin.
- anon, anon, anon - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 8:07 pm:
This weekend I found the regular Dunkin piece underneath my windshield wiper. It wasn’t mailed, but it already had the permit printed on it.
I’ve worked with a lot of mailhouses, and the regs are very strict about size, placement, etc. on permits. If we used the mailhouse’s permit, we kept the permit area blank, and they inkjetted theirs. If we used ours, we would just copy our previous return address & permit to the new mail piece.
I’m not buying it that Dunkin’s not behind this.
- Levois - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:03 pm:
I just flagged it again because if it was down it is up again now!
- Chicago Democrat - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:57 pm:
I sincerely hope that Pat Dowell reports this to the State Board of Elections and the Cook County States Attorney, right before she calls her lawyer to file a defamation suit against Dunkin.
County prosecutors should simply check-in with the postmaster to determine who owns the bulk account. If it’s a mailhouse, they can subpoena records to determine who paid for the piece.
If it was Mr. Dunkin, he is now in a very, very bad world of hurt - politically, personally and financially. And for what? A worthless committeeman’s race.
Once Secretary of State White hears about this one - I don’t think these two will have a “relationship” for much longer.
- anon - Tuesday, Feb 5, 08 @ 8:12 am:
I agree with “julie.” This blog is supposed to delete or moderate rumors, not fan them. Prove the allegation that has been made. If it proved correct, then gloat. If not, pull the thread.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 5, 08 @ 8:14 am:
LOL.
I don’t have subpoena power.