Bill Foster hires Mallard Group for mayoral bid

ST. PETERSBURG -- Former City Council member Bill Foster said he has hired a consulting firm known for unusually negative ads to run his campaign.

The Mallard Group also ran Foster's council campaign in 2003. The Clearwater firm is known for cutting down the competition, but Foster said he will run a clean campaign.

"I will not go negative at all. It’s going to be issue-driven and will have nothing to do with what the others are saying," he said in an interview earlier this month.

Campaign consultants, Foster said, "all can go below the belt. It's within the control of the candidate to keep everything positive."

He said he might file his campaign paperwork this week, but will definitely file by the end of the month. Candidates cannot raise or spend campaign money until they file to run.

"It's still so early," he said. "The key is you don't want to exhaust your volunteers too early."

Cristina Silva, Times Staff Writer

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Comments

Foster is in a spot now. If he DOES go negative (and he will), he is not only going to be seen as a negative campaigner, but a hypocrite and flip-flopper.

[saintpetersblog]

I wrote this same story at four in the morning today, so its nice to know youre reading my blog. No link back though?

Peter, what is your blog address? Went to the old one and it showed up an error.

[saintpetersblog]

saintpetersblog1.blogspot.com ... seems to be working fine.

Wow. Mallard wrongly tries to destroy peoples' lives.

Choosing them says a lot about Bill Foster's values, and lack thereof. But we already knew that.

Mallard Group hasn't won a race since Peter left them. Foster Good luck to you.

St Pete Voter Watcher

[Patriot]

Mallard Group may have lost a few recently but they definitely know what they're doing. Don't ever make the mistake of underestimating Jack. And if his same shop is intact, they do good work.

They're same shop is not still intact since they lost Pete. They haven't won more than one or two races since he left.

If KTW has the stones to jump in this race, and I'm not sure he does... it will come down to KTW and Foster. Then, it's up to whomever sells what'seft of their integrity to Mel and the boys... the fastes.

I found this:

http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1143470526053885607odrAVd

[saintpetersblog]

I don't know where you got that but that girl's name is Danielle, who was an intern for my company. That's not Allison Hebert. Wow.

Wow Peter. Very classy of you to expose Allison Hebert!!!

[saintpetersblog]

How did I expose her, jacky?

[Dump Charlie]

Can the St Pete Times block out Pete's IP Address?

So we don't have to keep wading through his ramblings to get to the relevant posts?

[Paul]

Just what we need,another lawyer with a negative campaign.
NOT.
St. Petersburg deserves better.

[PC]

Why would a successful lawyer want to take a pay cut to be our Mayor?

Is it possible that he is tired of working for a living and like Rick Baker have a thing about power?

I hope that those who worked with him when he was on council will speak up and give their opinions so that the voters can make a clear choice.

PC, they won't speak up because they're clueless morons. As for the St. Pete voters... please! If those monkeysticks voted in a slimeball ambulance chaser like Kriseman, they'll vote in anyone.

I am more worried about the "monkeysticks" who voted in Dudley and Wengay.

Talk about dumbing down a council that is already allergic to independence and hard work. These two take the cake.

Number of people who actually blog… 7

Number of local people who monitor blog… 100’s

Number of local elections this blog impacts… zip

Number of voters who enter the voting both truly uninformed and ill-prepared to make an educated decision… 97.27602%

Who will be St. Pete’s next Facilitator of Public Funds into Private Hands?… that’s up to Mel and the boys.

The fact that some of you think you actually make the decision… freaking priceless.