Who is Kate O'Connor, turncoat from Dean's Pres. campaign?

[Gold Metal Flake]

From Kos:


VT-Sen: Remember Dean's Kate O'Connor?
by kos
Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 11:04:24 AM PDT
She's now a Republican.

"A Brattleboro native is crossing party lines to lead Republican candidate Richard Tarrant's campaign for U.S. Senate.

Kate O'Connor, a Democrat from Brattleboro who headed former Gov. Howard Dean's presidential campaign in 2004, will team up with former Vermont House Speaker Walter Freed, the Dorset Republican, to advise Tarrant's bid for national office."

The last poll on the race, Rasmussen on January 5, had Bernie Sanders up 70-25 on Tarrant. So it's nice to see Turncoat Kate sign up with a sure loser.

Anyone familiar with her history? Was she a repuke all along?

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. huh. Maybe she's going over to make sure

Bernie wins.

go Bernie!!! :yourock:

[blm]

2. I suspected Repub operatives in every Dem camp Stirring up most of the BS

in the primaries.

[NCarolinawoman]

10. I agree. A Clarkie discovered infiltrators in Wisconsin during the '04

General Election. Republicans had infiltrated one of Kerry/Edwards offices up there. I imagine this was more common than we realized in both the primaries and the General election.

[cali]

3. I'm pretty sure

she was a long time aide to Dean when he was still guv.

[madfloridian]

4. Do some VT Democrats maybe not like the DNC supporting Sanders?

I am wondering about that myself. Dean and the DNC and DFA are pretty much officially supporting Bernie Sanders. Maybe Kate did not like that. I don't know, wondering about it myself.

Frankly, I am pleased the Dems have avoided running anyone against Bernie.

[cali]

7. No. Most Vermont dems

are fine with bernie. He'll beat Tarrant like a cheap drum.

[madfloridian]

8. Ok, another question...could it be the brief the DNC filed for reform

of campaign financing? They filed a friend of the court brief in support of bill signed by Dean in 97 to limit donations to campaigns. It goes to the Supreme Court this month. I hear some Democrats are not happy about that.

[cali]

9. No, I don't think so.

My guess is, it's money. Tarrant is one of the wealthiest men in the state, worth something over 200 million. I'm sure he'll pay her well.

[madfloridian]

11. Just seems so wrong to me.

She was with Dean for so many years when he was governor. There is a lot of anger over it.

[mdmc]

12. I guess I would work against Bernie for $234,000 per year

Money talks... I am sure that Kate is well paid and certain that Bernie is safe and sound in his victory.

Go Bernie!

[hippiechick]

5. I don't understand ...

... why someone is considered a 'turncoat' simply because they're taking a job which allows them to work in their chosen PROFESSION.

It's like being a professional athlete - you train for years to play a certain position, a certain role ... not out of loyalty to any one team. You may get traded. Another team may offer you a better contract. Does that make you a bad person?

Some folks have to get past their naive idea that politics in this country is run by people with pure ideals. To most of them near the top of the food chain, it's just a career. And they'll work for whichever entity offers them the best deal, needs their ideas the most, and where they see the best opportunities for growth and experience.

[cali]

6. I wouldn't go so far as to say she's a turncoat

but I think your analogy's off base. O'Connor is a long time dem, worked for Dean for 13 years, and was involved with policy not just the mechanics of running a campaign. Most dem strategists would NOT work for a repub, just as most repub strategists wouldn't work for dems. In addition, the guy she's going to work for is a wingnut. His foundation is forbidden to give money to any organization that supports pro-choice activities and any organization that supports progressive ideals.