Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Fallon's Backhanded Backing of Boswell

Mr. Subliminal: Fallon's Backhanded Backing of Boswell

Ed Fallon fired up the I'M for Iowa email list Tuesday, saying he plans to keep a campaign pledge and vote for his former primary opponent, Congressman Leonard Boswell.

So far, so good. Fallon has been attacked in the past for a lack of party loyalty. A long-since renounced Ralph Nader endorsement from 2000 became a major, perhaps decisive, issue in his primary loss to Boswell.

But then Fallon continues. "The Des Moines Register’s editorial board also recommends supporting Boswell." He then includes a link to the "endorsement".

"Iowans deserve more from 12-year incumbent," blares the headline. "After 12 years of light accomplishment and wrongheaded votes, Democratic Rep. Leonard Boswell doesn't deserve to return to Congress," reads the text. The Register, which to the surprise of many backed Fallon in the primary, calls its own endorsement "a weak nod" and states that Boswell only got the endorsement because Republican Kim Schmett had failed to make a case.

One can almost hear Fallon as Kevin Nealon's old Saturday Night Live character, Mr. Subliminal, uttering the subtext between the Register's lines, as the paper calls on Boswell to take a last term pledge:
Both the Democratic and Republican Parties should line up credible, energetic candidates (here i am) to run in 2010, people who are capable of developing deep expertise on issues (here i am), are willing to hold the government and themselves accountable (here i am)and have the potential to be leaders on the national stage (here i am).

"Many people have told me they plan to write-in my name," Fallon takes the trouble to note. Without using the word "don't," he says, "As promised, I plan to vote for Boswell when I go to the polls on Election Day."

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