Analysis: A career flattened by a chain of blunders (Kevin Shelley)

Sac Bee ^ | 2.5.05

[ambrose]

Analysis: A career flattened by a chain of blunders

By Amy Chance -- Bee Political Editor

Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, February 5, 2005 Secretary of State Kevin Shelley insisted to the end that he had done nothing illegal, and even his harshest critics had to concede Friday that there's no concrete evidence to contradict that yet.

What he did do, however, had piled up to the point that it crushed both his ability to run his office and preserve his political career:

* He created what the State Personnel Board concluded was "an abusive working environment" for his staff, shouting profanely in outbursts that aides described as "humiliating, manipulative and demeaning."

* He presided over a group of consultants paid with federal voting act money who operated with an eye toward polishing his profile. Many staff reports read like a summary of political networking, dutifully noting when Shelley's name came up at community events. He used some of the federal money to pay a law firm to write his speeches, for television ads in which he urged Californians to vote, and to produce pens, T-shirts, balloons and other trinkets bearing his name.

-snip-

As Republican political consultant Kevin Spillane noted, you had to work hard to mess things up this badly at the secretary of state's office, an agency with a stellar reputation under former Republican Secretary of State Bill Jones.

"To have this range of problems on so many different levels and with such a degree of seriousness is truly remarkable," Spillane said. "It's just an incredible range of arrogant and stupid actions. Even for those of us who are cynical about how low politicians can go, this was quite a feat that he achieved."

-snip-

[ambrose]

if you don't want to register:

http://www.bugmenot.com/

[jocon307]

This works too:

username=username
password=password

But you did a good job conveying the gist of the article. Amazing the sacbee says "....an agency with a stellar reputation under former Republican Secretary of State Bill Jones."

I guess he was pretty good, and this guy Shelly pretty bad. Hey, I'm hot tempered Irish too, and I don't spend my work day haraunging and harassing my co-workers. I think Mr. Shelly may need a visit to the doctor or the shrink.

[ambrose]

Bill Jones was an excellent Sec-of-State... just a lousy politician.

[goldstategop]

The staff is supposed to take care of things for you so you get all the credit. A good politician knows the importance of good relations with the staff and not operating as a "lone wolf" with party colleagues. Its amazing that as talented a rising politician like Kevin Shelley did all the wrong things. He was someone who people saw as Governor some day. No more.

Denny Crane: There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."

[j.havenfarm]

"Did all the wrong things," maybe, but being a major league jerk and a crook didn't help, either.

[RippleFire]

Even for those of us who are cynical about how low politicians can go, this was quite a feat that he achieved."

Charming

[Give Piece A Chance]

The irony of this situation is that Kevin Shelley's sociopathic tendencies have been an open secret since his days on the SF Board of Supervisors. The SF Democrat political machine of Willie Brown, Pelosi, et al. has been covering his a$$ for over a decade. The chickens have finally come home to roost.

With a bit of luck, Don Perata will be the next to be exposed for the fraud he is...

[muir_redwoods]

"Analysis: A career flattened by a chain of blunders"

I thought somebody had written my biography