Treasurer Dan Rutherford delivered a forceful, even believable defense of himself last week during a suburban press conference hours after he was hit with a federal lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and coerced campaign work.
Rutherford made a strong case that at least some of the accusations are untrue. There were some holes in his argument, some bigger than others, but it seems obvious that some of the charges are overblown.
For instance, the accuser Ed Michalowski claims in his lawsuit that all the campaign and sexual pressure from Rutherford directly resulted in “leakage of cerebral spinal fluid in the brain,” which seems more than a bit of a stretch. Michalowski also takes a joking text message between himself and Rutherford’s campaign manager completely out of context. And Rutherford laid out Michalowski’s numerous financial troubles in an attempt to demonstrate that the plaintiff’s need for money was driving much of the lawsuit.
That being said, I’ve had some real worries about Rutherford’s so-called “independent” internal investigation of these allegations. Rutherford announced the investigation weeks ago when he let the media know about the potential lawsuit.
Rutherford’s top people have been saying for weeks that they fully expected the investigation would clear their guy. So, I was naturally concerned that this would be a whitewash. I mean, why were they so confident they’d be vindicated if people were literally lining up to spill their guts about what they knew?
I’ve also been concerned that Rutherford would use the so-called “independent” investigation to find out what people in his office were saying about him to help with his lawsuit, so I personally didn’t think it was all that wise to cooperate with the probe.
But the investigator, who was given a $250 an hour state contract, convinced several members of Rutherford’s staff that he was on the up and up and would go wherever the facts led him.
The investigator then interviewed several people, starting with some treasurer’s office employees who allowed Michalowski to use their names as either witnesses or corroborators.
The first person to be interviewed brought a recording device and recorded his interview. He reportedly laid out all the goods he had on Rutherford, and it wasn’t pretty.
The interviewer was apparently caught off guard by that move, and when the second person entered the room, he was reportedly denied permission to record the conversation. Other employees then reportedly demanded during their interviews that they be allowed to record the proceedings. They were told, insiders say, that their interviews would be recorded and that the employees would each be given a copy of those recordings.
Well, the employees are still waiting for their recordings, leading them to worry that whatever they said could be twisted out of context or eliminated entirely from the record.
The investigator also invited the entire office to come in and talk, leading one of the employees with complaints to grumble that those interviews could delay and/or dilute the findings, allowing the investigators to claim that the complaints center around a small handful of “disgruntled employees.”
Needless to say, Rutherford was in enough trouble without trying to get cute with this internal investigation.
And then he dropped a bomb. Rutherford’s attorney announced last week that he would not allow the release of information gleaned from that internal investigation. The attorney explained that the office shouldn’t be releasing information while a federal lawsuit is underway,
The explanation has a little merit. It’s not wise for a defendant in a federal civil suit to be releasing details of an internal investigation. But Rutherford was not yet legally prohibited from doing so and he and his staff promised over and over for weeks that the results would be released no matter what.
Despite all his protestations to the contrary, the treasurer will undoubtedly wind up using all those employee interviews to glean information for his legal team about what the other side knows and where the potential mine fields are.
That’s just not acceptable.
For one thing, this $250 an hour probe was paid for with tax dollars. The info should be released to the public, who funded it.
And if he continues to refuse to release this information, despite all his promises, what does that say about the sort of governor Rutherford would be?
This smacks of a cover-up. If the treasurer wants to retain a shred of credibility moving forward, he ought to overrule his attorney and release the information, come what may.
- Montrose - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:28 am:
Wow. Rutherford has become a case study in how not to handle a crisis.
- William j Kelly - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:28 am:
If it is the coverup that gets you I bet rauner is in for the biggest fall in the history of Illinois politics.
- Ray del Camino - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:36 am:
Turn out the lights. The party’s over.
- Norseman - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:39 am:
Wow, Rich agrees with a Trib editorial. Maybe that explains the bad weather. Hades has frozen over.
- DuPage Dave - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:41 am:
Dan Rutherford’s new book will be out soon: “How to Ruin Your Own Reputation in 10 Days or Less”.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:43 am:
I was a Rutherford supporter as the least bad choice out of a less than stellar field … but he’s toast now. Guess I’ll have to figure out if Dillard or Brady is the least worst now.
- Cincinnatus - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:43 am:
What doneness is the toast today?
- Joan P. - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:45 am:
It no longer matters whether or not there’s any truth to the allegations. He’s behaving exactly the way you don’t want a governor to behave.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:47 am:
Wow,
Really disappointing. He is one of the ones I really like, also a real favorite of my kids. But this isn’t good. The thing is my second choice at this point may result in OW writing his name on the snow in my front yard…
- Plutocrat03 - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:48 am:
I think I will update the Wiki definition of ‘crash and burn’ to include the implosion of this campaign.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:49 am:
===What doneness is the toast today?===
It’s medium Dillard.
- Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:50 am:
From the freaky Friday press conference on, this episode has been marred by one mid-step after another.
Unfortunately for Mr. Rutherford, nothing can “fix” this situation except perhaps a time machine.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:51 am:
–What doneness is the toast today?–
I think it’s beyond crisp and close to nuclear
- A guy... - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:52 am:
I hope his team is working overtime on an exit strategy. These problems go far beyond an election cycle. He may need his dough to defend himself, innocent or not. Every campaign stop for him has got to be hollow right now. In this kind of situation you just can’t go on offense. With no offense it’s impossible to win. Make a new plan, Stan.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:54 am:
It is ALWAYS the cover-up that is the “death knell”. Ringing a solemn bell with the “Friday Fiasco” and all huge claims, and all the finger pointing, and all the “in my heart”, and the interviews, and the former FBI agent, and the “not knowing what was in it”, or “reading the executive summary”, and the attorney for Rutherford “taking blame” and then the Fallout of all… ALL the above…it’s the cover up that destroys you, every time.
I warned, I gave free advice, all those interviewed, ya should have “Lawyered-Up”. If the former FBI agent was not going to let you record, or get your OWN testimony, ya could have made a huge stink, and what was the Rutherford Crew going to do… fire you for asking for a lawyer when being questioned/interviewed by a former FBI agent was not a reason for termination?
No. Way.
Now this report is hidden. The report to exonerate Dan Rutherford, the “sunshine” to be shown over the allegations now casts a huge shadow, blackening the sky for the Rutherford for Governor campaign. Whoever made the call to the “Friday Fiasco” and every single move, every step after has just destroyed the political, and put the governmental at risk.
For someone, like Dan Rutherford, with his real time tweeting to be followed by the AP for “questionable” mixing of time, to Facebook, and pictures of trips, and people, and destroying reputations by photographs, and innuendo, and room arrangements on foreign trips as Rutherford shows camping, and scuba pictures for no good reason but vanity.
Twitter and Facebook are great tools. They are. But like any sharp tools, used incorrectly, can lead to harm to the user. All the fallout from the “Friday Fiasco” has links to social media, and the “proof” that is no more than time stamps and pictures only weeks ago.
I have not even mentioned the allegations. Not once above. That speaks to the impact, the damage, the devastation of the cover-up, and that is why Rutherford need to walk away, take these 11 months to get his name back, or take the responsibility of being forthcoming and allow a taxpayer paid report to see the light of day Rutherford promised that terrible Friday not long ago.
Pathetic.
What is next, Mr. Rutherford, a slow walk to Pongee, then the dramatic turn to the cameras, with arms raised, Nixonian, and Pongee takes you back to Pontiac, so we won’t have Dan Rutherford to kick around anymore? Pongee ain’t a Marine helicopter, and history will not give you your reputation. Only you can, Treasurer Rutherford, so release the report, because that Friday, you demanded it, so honor your own request.
- Kerfuffle - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:55 am:
I think one of your last lines summarizes the whole sordid affair well: “And if he continues to refuse to release this information, despite all his promises, what does that say about the sort of governor Rutherford would be?” This is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. I can’t see how he will survive.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:56 am:
Two, completely separate, issues.
I’m down on the ugly Illinois political tradition of hateful homophobia and its ennablers at the Chicago Sun-Times and Trib.
But Rutherford’s “independent” investigation of the sexual harassment charge is an obvious, clumsy, taxpayer-financed coverup and an abuse of power.
He’s using the power and funds of his Constitutional office to intimidate state employees under the guise of “seeking the truth.”
Gay has nothing to do with it. Rutherford is abusing his office. He should resign, today.
- anonymoose - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 10:58 am:
Sigh….If anyone would like to pick up a Rutherford yard sign along with a complimentary Herman Cain yard sign AND bumper sticker, please let me know. Weather is getting warmer…time for a good Spring cleaning.
- Tom Joad - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 11:00 am:
There has always been a dividing line between the three lower statewide offices, Lt. Governor, Treasurer and Comptroller, and the three higher statewide offices, Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of state. Rutherford has shown he should have stayed where he was. He fooled the people once and got elected statewide. He has proven that he does not belong in any statewide office at all based on his dishonesty and the contempt he has shown for the people of Illinois.
- Wensicia - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 11:01 am:
==He’s using the power and funds of his Constitutional office to intimidate state employees under the guise of “seeking the truth.”==
Exactly, he can hardly play the victim of this mess any longer.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 11:02 am:
- OneMan -
You go from Rutherford to Rauner? You are not a lemming, you are one of the more thoughtful commenters here. You are not an Orwellian character, giving up, are you?
Don’t make me come your lawn, but first a cup of coffee might be in order to help you, my 308 chum…
- PoolGuy - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 11:05 am:
starting to feel like I’m reading articles from the Washington Post circa 1973. time is a flat circle.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 11:07 am:
===time is a flat circle===
True Detective fan?
- Bluefish - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 11:12 am:
-What doneness is the toast today?-
The toaster is on fire.
- VictorNorth - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 11:15 am:
Rutherford should release the report or resign.
- DuPage Dave - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 11:16 am:
After a wasted episode visiting the people of “Meth Dynasty” the “flat circle” episode was a winner.
Unlike Rutherford, who has a great big L on his forehead now.
- Blue Dog - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 11:25 am:
-What doneness is the toast today?-
Think Daffy Duck after debating the merits of Duck Season vs Rabbit Season.
He started it, got caught up believing he was right, and it blew up in his face.
- shore - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 11:32 am:
That was pretty awful and it pains me to read spokeswoman mary frances braiegel in there because I loved her on roe and roeper.
This guy is done. Looks like I’m voting Brady again.
- PoolGuy - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 11:42 am:
47th Ward, glad you and DD noticed. I am beyond a True Detective fan, more like fanatic
- hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 11:47 am:
So do his debate opponents tonight just ignore all this stuff because Dan is clearly not relevant to the GOP primary now or actually engage?
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 11:48 am:
OW
My problem at the end of the day is I am not sure who Dillard is anymore. Social conservative who gets the teachers union endorsement? The guy who says the market should set the minimum wage, what does that even mean? So Dillard is kind of out of the question for me at this point.
Brady, well at least I know where Bill stands. Got to give him credit for that… However I am not if he is going to have any more luck taking a second shot at Quinn than last time.
When it comes down to it, IMHO I think Rauner now has the best chance of beating Quinn. Is that a cynical reason to support a candidate, hell yeah. But when it comes down to it, we need a new governor and I am not sure if anyone can get that done besides Rauner.
- dupage dan - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 12:01 pm:
Taxpayer funded investigation? To be used in the manner described above? Despicable.
Have the FOIAs been filed yet? I bet those employees who trusted they would get copies of their interviews are kicking themselves. They may want to talk to the EOIG about this.
Rutherford, please go away. Just a few weeks ago I was discussing the best candidate for the GOP Gov nomination, and your name was at the top. Now, it’s “who’s he?”
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 12:16 pm:
OneMan, I understand your reasoning here. I’ve wondered for awhile how much of Rauner’s support comes from ABQ (Anybody But Quinn) folks. With DR becoming nuked toast, it will be interesting to see where his voters go.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 12:26 pm:
- OneMan -,
You are choosing alleged electability over ethics, honesty and integrity of a man.
Illinois did that with Rod. Twice.
A lack of character is not a “one time” thing, it’s an “everyday” thing. It’s one thing to back a candidate who you agree with 80% or even 70% of lower, but you know they have character and integrity and that at times is enough, (See voting for Paul Simon as a Republican).
Voting for a lack of character and ethics and integrity and then not having a solid baseline on agreements, then really, how can a voter like that NOT be a lemming? You are not a lemming.
All this related to The Post,
Honesty. Integrity. Character. Once you lose it, you can’t convince those you have it again easily, former FBI agent’s report released or not. Being defiant and staying in the race and being coy (yes, coy) about “reading”, not “reading”, whatever speaks to…honesty, integrity, and character.
Think, - OneMan -, before you are willing to give up so much, to get but a little satisfaction…maybe.
- Walter Mitty - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 12:37 pm:
Ow and One man,
This is the road that is coming to an end. The farmer may now be the candidate. Will the establishment and regular GOP support the farmer or PQ? Or the important un decided’s? Dan proved no candidate is perfect. It may very well be the farmer or PQ? Pragmatic time is approaching… Which way will it go?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 12:46 pm:
- Walter Mitty -,
I voted for Brady/Plummer. At least Bill Brady could give me a chance at stopping a Map, and divided government would have stopped Brady with the “extreme” Pat Quinn painted him with.
Rauner/Sanguietti is about the same obstructionist ways if Rod versus everyone, and not acceptable to be 1/3 of Illinois Government. MJM and Culllerton at least keep the Quinn gambit within the realm of … governing. Rauner is clueless to the Office, lacks understanding of governing, and is not a Co-Equal partner, at the minimum of divided government.
My ballot may have a few “no-votes”…
Rauner’s own “cover-up” defines him, as Rutherford’s cover-up is sinking him.
- Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 12:51 pm:
=== ABQ (Anybody But Quinn) folks ===
There’s a decent chance “ABQ” would do better than any other Dem or Rep on the ballot this November.
- Walter Mitty - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 12:52 pm:
OW… Makes sense.. I think we are going to find out soon enough who wins the referendum. I too wish Brady had a shot. He doesn’t appear to. Even though you laid out months ago… begged…and we hoped. Hope is fading. Reality is coming to Illinois. Sea Change or no change….?
- IbendahlLuvsJBT - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 12:55 pm:
Staff are defecting from the state offices and the campaign. Feelers for other work are out. No one wants to go down with the ship.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 12:59 pm:
- Walter Mitty -,
Brady and Dillard are vying for my vote with loads, and I mean loads of reasons to vote for neither of them.
Can’t go Rauner, refuse now to go Rutherford, because he won’t make it, even if he wins the Primary.
If I lose My Party to the lemming Raunetbots for a Fall Decision, it won’t be because I, and so many others, didn’t try to change it. Thanks for the “nod”, but the reality of the coverup worse than the crime, as this Post and Rich’s article is about, Rutherford will be a co-conspirator to elect his … conspirator, and that is tough to deal with.
- PolPal56 - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 1:00 pm:
-What doneness is the toast today?-
Toast? Toast? There is no toast. There was a pile of carbon dust where the toast used to be, but that blew away last week.
- Soccermom - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 1:18 pm:
Ibendahletc. - not bloody likely.
- too obvious - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 1:35 pm:
One problem is that a lot of reporters - not to mention any names - enabled this whole scandal. They covered up for Rutherford and let him live a lie all of these years. Never urged him to just be honest about something that isn’t wrong to begin with. Almost all were too afraid to bring up the “gay” word. Stupidly treated it as some kind of slur out of a displaced need to be politically correct and “sensitive.”
Then when some shady people come along and use a weak lawsuit for the purpose of “outing” him for political reasons, the press piles on and prints a bunch of allegations and innuendo that all point to one thing, but they still won’t use the “g” word.
It’s all nasty, dirty and ridiculous. No one comes out of the mess looking good. Rutherford is most surely done in politics forever. The sad thing is the press will never acknowledge their own enabling role.
- Irish - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 1:42 pm:
I have to say that the Dan Rutherford that I thought I knew is not the Dan Rutherford that is being revealed now. And that is very disappointing and disheartening.
It has been a while since I have gone to the polls in a statewide race and looked forward to casting my vote.
Now once again I am faced with the lesser of multiple evils. An ABR and ABQ leave Brady, Dillard, and Hardiman. Of the three of them I don’t see a strong agenda to move the state forward. Will we have what we have now only Republican?
And as much as I am not a fan of Mike Madigan it is ironic that the thought that comes to mind is “Whoever is the final choice Madigan won’t let them do too much damage.” But further contemplation leads me to the fact that the post Blagojevich Madigan has stood by and let the Governor of record dig himself into a hole and pull the state with him.
What a sad, sad, situation.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 1:42 pm:
If Rutherford doesn’t resign and just fade away I predict this matter is going to draw the interest of the US attorney.
- Leave a Light on George - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 1:43 pm:
That was me a 1:42pm
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 1:48 pm:
- Anonymous -,
Let’s all understand. If you want to bring in. “The guys down the street…”, that is on you.
Unless you know, 100%, that anything, and I mean anything, warrants the Feds to begin inspecting, and not just your own speculation, you should leave the job of USA to the Asst. USAs. That is a road you go on alone as far as I am concerned. This could very well ruin a career, or a current job, as it plays out. Bringing in the Feds to this discussion exacerbates for no reason than hyperbole… today.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 1:52 pm:
- Leave a Light on George-,
Let’s all understand. If you want to bring in. “The guys down the street…”, that is on you….
….
(There. Fixed it for you, Willy. And what a thing to botch up, considering how careful you are about editing others’ work.)
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 1:56 pm:
1) I commented before I read the correction.
2) Do. Not. Feed. Trolls
3) - Leave a Light on George -, apologies to not acknowledging you directly, only to not lump you in with “someone else”
- Skeptic - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 1:59 pm:
A “None of the Above” amendment sounds more and more attractive all the time, doesn’t it? If “NotA” gets a majority (not just a plurality) of the votes (meaning that all of the parties combined can’t attract half the voters), we have a re-election with new candidates. I’m more likely to see a unicorn first though.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 2:06 pm:
lol Ooooohhh, not “shunning.”
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- DuPage - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 2:17 pm:
@10:48=update wiki definition of crash and burn=
I like DR but I wish he would get out now before he gets hurt worse then he already is.
A picture is worth a thousand words. If he stays in the race I am afraid you could just have it so if someone asks “crash and burn”, a picture of DR would come up. You could cross reference with “failure to bail out in time”,
“pilot went down with the plane”, and “collateral damage from a political campaign”.
- Charlie Wilkins - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 2:32 pm:
Rutherford knew of his past behaviors before he decided to run for governor and if he thought for one minute nothing would come out in a campaign, that is his fault. Rutherford should drop out of the race but i doubt he will - what does he have to lose at this point? Nothing
What amazes me is the double standards people apply. I agree that elected officials should have ethics and integrity but if we expect someone to be perfect, that person does not exist. We all have some type of “baggage” in our past. I am sure these are tough days for Rutherford but as it has been mentioned - the cover up is what gets a person.
- Leave a Light on George - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 3:10 pm:
@ OW - “Unless you know, 100%…”
Not to pick a fight but 100% as a standard is required for very few if anything in life let alone an investigation. Certainly not required to offer up an opinion on a internet blog.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 3:13 pm:
I would have trusted any one of the IG or Auditor professionals in any of the Executive Branch Units of Government, to do a better “independent investigation” than this — and the results would not have been in the Treasurer’s control.
This investigation was set up badly from the beginning, though I have no specific problems with the individual hired.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 3:19 pm:
I think the response, Leave a Light on George, would have been very different if OW knew it was you, rather than Anonymous.
“That is on you” is a favorite these past few weeks, which I’ve never heard before. (I believe it translates into pointing a finger at someone i.e., “to lay blame.”) Major fail once again, but then I don’t know who OW is nor why OW seems to carry such a grudge. Nor do I care frankly.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 3:32 pm:
===Nor do I care frankly.===
I know, right? But there’s another commenter here who also posts under “anonymous” like you, but this one is a regular, which is really annoying becuase you’d think somebody who comments here regularly wouldn’t be that lazy or inconsiderate, right? Anyway, that’s the anonymous that OW and some of the rest of us don’t really care for, not you.
Btw, if you plan to leave comments here on more than a one-off basis, take five seconds to come up with a nickname. It helps prevent a lot of confusion.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 3:38 pm:
- Leave the Light on George -,
Now you see why being - Anonymous - is not the “best” thing to do, lol. Much respect to you.
To your response, I am not of the belief, even in comments on a blog, to invoke the Feds, simply because it lowers the argument to a lever of such speculation on criminality, why go “there” when there is so much more meat on the bone than adding the USA, speculatively. That is why the 100%. Bringing the discussion to a level of thought relevant is better than Federal Criminal speculation.
All good on my end - Keep the Light on George -, I just don’t prescribe to bringing on the “guys down the street” as a point to artificially elevate the intensity.
- Roy Slade - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 3:38 pm:
The majority of my democratic- leaning friends are more afraid of Dillard on the GOP ticket as governor. They believe that Gov. Quinn can easily beat Brady; they believe that Rauner will never win in a general election (even with his millions, Quinn will spend the same); but they do not want to face Dillard. They seem to think that he will hold most GOP votes, and be able to “get” the anti-Quinn votes. I can see that as possible.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 3:39 pm:
(Tips cap to - 47th Ward -)
Well said.
- DuPage - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 3:44 pm:
@2:32PM=what has he got to lose=
DR might have a lot to lose. If he is convicted of anything criminal in connection with his state employment, his pension could be affected. He should drop out now so he can concentrate his efforts on his defense against any charges.
- Publius - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 3:51 pm:
The fallacy in covering up the report because there is a lawsuit filed is nonsense. The person persuing the suit has the right to the report as part of discovery. So Rutherford is not hiding it from the accuser. He is hiding it from the voters.
- SlapshotII - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 4:46 pm:
ALWAYS bring a recording device to an interview. If they will not consent - then get up and walk out.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 6:29 pm:
=Anyway, that’s the anonymous that OW and some of the rest of us don’t really care for, not you.=
I think you and OW are a little confused, and that’s absolutely fine.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 6:36 pm:
How about you then pick a name so them no is confused.
K? lol
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 7:02 pm:
OK, I was trying to be nice. So you are the #&!/+]* who can’t bother with a nickname. You disrespect all of us here with your childlike behavior. That you seem to enjoy it makes it all the more juvenile and pathetic.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 7:12 pm:
- 47th Ward -,
We are 28 days out, the “crazy” begins anew.
It’s the “47th Ward”s that keep me here, not the Dopey. Thanks for that. OW
- Just The Way It Is One - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 7:47 pm:
Dan, Dan…we understand this is all quite agonizing for you now, but could you kindly just finish the Race with some dignity now…please?
- G'Kar - Tuesday, Feb 18, 14 @ 9:33 pm:
I find this whole situation sad and disillusioning. I’ve know DR since he first ran for the House in the early `90’s. I’ve knocked on doors for him. I respected the fact that when I called him, he called me back. He even called me a couple of times to ask me questions about issues he knew I had some expertise in. I recommended one of my students to be his driver one summer and he had a very good experience. I think (thought?) he was one of the few politicians out there who was actually a true civil servant. Are there any politicians out there campaigning on a state wide level, besides Judy, worth supporting?
- BeenThereBefore - Wednesday, Feb 19, 14 @ 12:39 am:
The Dan that I know is a great and nice guy. That having been said, I have sorta seen, briefly, the darker side in how staff is sometimes treated. We all have our bad days.
But what is coming out seems to be more and that goes to general leadership and management capabilities. Excusable perhaps.
Now, to the promised investigation and public release of the results. Inexcusable and a total failure of leadership, competence and transparency. A complete disqualification for higher office as much as I like Dan. IMHO.
- Percival - Wednesday, Feb 19, 14 @ 1:30 am:
“The fallacy in covering up the report because there is a lawsuit filed is nonsense. The person persuing the suit has the right to the report as part of discovery.”
You might be surprised about that.