Manager leaves Jennings campaign

Mitch Kates has dropped off as campaign manager for the Christine Jennings campaign against Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, citing family issues he needed to focus on. "She's a hero to me," Kates said of Jennings. "She's really on a roll, she's raising a lot of money, and organizationally she's doing fabulous. Everything is going really well."

Jennings just made it into the DCCC's "Red to Blue" fundraising program proving money and structural support to candidates deemed strongest across the country.

Comments

"Everything is going really well"

Of course it is, the woman who campaigned as a straight-arrow banker fails to pay taxes, gets shut down on her hocus pocus lawsuit against the voters (shut down by her own party, no less), has been outraised by Buchanan nearly 7 to 1 (2M to 350K), has a poll out that shows her currently losing by 20 points and THEN her campaign manager leaves!

I get it, this is one of those situations where everything is going really well because there is no way things can get any worse.

oh fabulous baby! why she's just soooo fabulous - just on a roll with her fabulosity - everything is just fabulous

[Sybil]

Campaign staffers have lives too.

No story here Adam. Are you that desperate?!

How about covering a bit more on GAO report details? Let's take a closer look at Vern Buchanan's "honeymoon" and what he's NOTaccomplished.

Hey; I dig this new game… let me try…

Although my first wife was so “fabulous” and “everything” was “going really well”… I divorced her!

“… citing family issues he needed to focus on.”

I’ve got to tell you folks… that is one tired line anymore.

What’s next;

“Why did you eject from the F-16 before it crashed Captain?”

“Well sir, I had family issues I needed to focus on.”

“… good enough, dismissed”

11:23
Bad enough that the actual politicians have to have their lives ripped apart by anonymous pathetic bloggers - now they go after staffers

What's with Christine's crazy hair?

I have talked to both Mitch and Christine and the situation is as Mitch described.

Maybe this story ought to be about Christine being one of two Dem challengers on the Red to blue list. That's bigger news than Mitch's personal situation.

With or without a campaign manager, she's going down in flames.

12:38 is right. There is no reason to dispute Mitch's account and if he is leaving for personal reasons, then he should be commended for putting his life ahead of politics.

[Jim Tonfeld]

I believe that he left for a personal reason as much as I believe that Hillary Clinton will be our next President.

If you talk with people in the local democratic circles there were problems with the campaign.

Mitch left so that he would not go down in a lopsided losing effort and tarnish his image as a winner.

If Jennings had any chance at winning he would have stayed to make it work.

Jennings should follow Kates lead and drop out to let another democrat take on Buchanan.

Jennings can't win because

1. Her Sore Loser Image
2. She did not pay her taxes and could get arrested in the middle of the campaign.
3. She is not electable.

Has Kates left any other campaigns due to the same reason recently or was the Jennings race the only one he dropped?

[Susan S]

Mitch is telling the truth, not that a Republican would recognize it if they heard it.

I think that a congressional campaign that has been targeted by the DCCC as one of 13 races in the country as a strong campaign is 'fabulous'. And, yes, this is the the same DCCC that took back Congress and the Senate in 2006.

Look at Vern's record of voting with President Bush 93% of the time, and tell us how fabulous he's really doing....

Haha....

Kates dropped Jennings faster then he used to bodyslam his opponents in the ring.

She is a loser and he did not want to go down with a sinking ship.

Did you see the latest poll numbers? Buchanan is up by 16.

Jan Schnieder would be much more formidable against Buchanan.

[Flash]

Jennings for State Senate.... you heard it here although probably not first

Jennings for State Senate.......that would be fabulous but she would get thumped by Nancy Detert in that race as well.

Schnieder all the way

Kates is a winner and he would not go down without a fight and Jennnigs was fighting him the entire time.

Jennings does not know how to win and she should get out to let another Democrat take the incumbant on.

JENNINGS CANT CATCH A BREAK. I FEEL BAD FOR HER.

KATES SHOULD HAVE STAYED TO HELP HER.

Susan S,

Has Kates quit all his campaigns or just Jennings?

This would answer all of the nay sayers.

Should we expect a resignation on Monday from his other races that he is involved with?

what other races is he involved with?

[Susan S]

4:56 PM,
Not sure what you're talking about. Please explain.

[Zhombre]

Thank you, Susan S. Us unenlightened types need a starchy self righteous so-called progressive like you to show us the truth and the error of our ways.

he was involved in a commission race in tampa. right, we should see him resign from there as well. He is only looking out for himself. Christine is down in the polls. Why can't he help her get out? Mitch doesn't like the "voting stuff" but the voters do.
go christine!

[Alex]

Susan S was in church with Obama as his pastor was saying GD America. That on 9-11 the chickens were coming home to roost.

Kates is a good man and a great campaigner, he did the right thing by dumping Jennings. There is no need for him to go down in the soon to be blow out of the Jennings/Buchanan re-match.

[Kenneth Quinnell]

It's amazing how conservatives harp about family values so much, but then when someone puts family over politics anonymous conservatives use that as a way to denigrate someone. I love the anonymous posters here because they do such a great job of living up to every single negative stereotype that people have about conservatives. You help us prove our point much easier.

It's amazing how people who don't actually know Mitch and don't participate in the campaign or local politics know EVERYTHING about Mitch and the campaign. I know Mitch and Mitch isn't the type of person to lie about his family. Shame on the people who try to denigrate someone's family for partisan political purposes.

Christine Jennings doesn't have a chance.

Nobody likes a poor loser.

Not only is she a poor loser, she's a poor candidate, and does not share the views of CD 13. She's toast.

[Sally]

I guess no one on here has children? huh. And you were all raised in orphanages.

Give the man a break - personal business is just that, personal.

Sheesh - the Jennings campaign is just getting started back up - the election isn't for what - another three years?!

In the meantime, I'd like to hear more about the GAO report ... Adam, what are holding back for? Have you been threatened? I hope not.

Get a life losers - and don't forget to kiss your children goodnight.

[Dave]

If any of you right wing nuts knew Mitch, you'd know that while he is a tough campaigner (FORMER State Rep Berfield and FORMER Tampa Councilman Harrison can attest to that), he is a good man who is a man of his word.

If he says he has family/personal reasons, that's the honest to goodness truth.

Just goes to show you that the Democratic Party IS the family of real family values!

[SRQRez]

What is going to be embarrassing is that Christine will go by losing by 369 to losing by 20,000 even after the DCC dumps millions into the race to counter Buchanan raising 7 times as much as her.

If the DCCC was smart they would not look at the 2006 results and instead take a peak at THREE Things. 1) Vern’s record, 2) the +16 poll and 3) the +13% Repub registration (45% Repub and 32% Dem registration in the district). The +13 Repub registration wasn’t a factor last time because of the expensive and tough primary battle that caused many people to not come out for the Repub nominee.

I suggest the DCCC shift the millions from Christine down to FL-16 and protect Mahoney. He BARELY won with Foley’s name as his opponent AND he is quoted saying being a Congressman “was not the best job”….

All of the above makes sense and I didn’t have to get into how she beat the election machine issue to death AND did not pay taxes but rather shifted that due tax money to attack Jan Schneider for not paying her taxes. Oh the Irony.