Strategists Depart
OK, so he didn't inspire anywhere near the kind of fascination (and vitriol) as Clinton strategist Mark Penn, but Penn and Austin strategist Kelly Fero share something in common this weekend - they were both asked to leave by the female candidates they were working for.
DA candidate Rosemary Lehmberg announced Friday she dismissed Fero from the campaign, after we learned that yes, the rumors were true, he is the man behind Austin Political Report and doh, the Lehmberg campaign with which he was employed cited questionable information from the then-anonymous blog he owned. House Parliamentarian Terry Keel is none too pleased, since the questionable information was that Keel is working for Lehmberg opponent Mindy Montford. (He says he definitely isn't, and has filed a criminal complaint over this.)
 Statesman: Kolwood Penn spinning after the Austin debate |
Penn, meanwhile, has been the object of much negative attention because I guess he doesn't really get along with the rest of the staffers and he may or may not be responsible for squandering Clinton's invincibility in the race for the White House. He also refused to give up his outside contracts, like one with Colombia which was in direct opposition to Clinton's interests. This is just what I read from other people's original reporting. When I got up close to him at the Texas debate my only observation was that he was a sweater. (Not like the clothing, but like the perspiration.)
Back to Fero. What happens to APR now? I think the blog should stick around and Fero should really OWN it, especially now that the secret's out. I think it helps the blog's credibility because when you know who's writing it you can calibrate your expectations accordingly, not to mention the fact that anonymity is usually anathema to credibility. Change the name to Fero Vision, perhaps. No, wait, now that I am thinking about it, he should have a naming contest so readers can submit ideas for blog titles. It's all about interactivity, ya know?
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