Sunday, February 19, 2006
Andy Martin Initiates Avalanche of Topinka Criticism
After the debate Topinka didn’t stay around for media questions. She went into a side room. The rest of the candidates waited outside. Martin started singing,according to the Sun-Times,
"Judy, Judy, come out and play with all the boys."
More than once.
Since he started the pile-on, the Tribune finally mentioned Martin’s name in something other than its profile and its poll results story, noting,
A fourth candiate, perennial candidate Andy Martin, began mockingly singing Topinka's name in an effort to draw her out. Gidwitz laughed to those standing around him that the Republican race had reached “a new low."
ABC TV’s Andy Shaw described the scene this way:
"She is manifestly unqualified to be a governor. She has run a poor campaign for the nomination and she would be a disaster in a contest with Blagojevich," said Andy Martin, (R)-candidate for governor.
Republican fringe candidate Andy Martin launched the verbal assault on the GOP frontrunner, state treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, at the end of an otherwise genial debate on public radio, and after Topinka left the room, the others accused her of running away from her record as a political insider who has taken hundreds of thousands of campaign dollars from companies that do business with her office.
In the Sun-Times, Fran Spielman wrote,
The run-for-cover strategy backfired.
When Topinka ducked out, her four opponents -- Gidwitz, Jim Oberweis, Bill Brady and Andy Martin -- had a field day attacking her and the sweeping ethics package she unveiled over the weekend….
"I'm not budging until Judy comes out," Martin said. Then he broke out into song:
"Judy, Judy, come out and play with all the boys."
Finally, Topinka emerged.
"The boys had enough time to beat up on me behind my back," she said. "I'm the front-runner. I expect to get all sorts of abuse."
And, here is Martin’s description of what happened:
More importantly, at the WBEZ debate this morning I attacked Topinka and called her a disaster for the Republican Party and unfit to lead the campaign in November. Straight up. My own attacks ignited a firestorm of similar remarks by the other campaigns.
Topinka’s behavior at WBEZ today was bizarre, pathetic, totally inappropriate and sadly predictable. How can she claim she is the best qualified candidate to go up against Blah Bah Blago when she goes into hiding at the slightest attack? I rumbled, Judy tumbled, and the race has become jumbled.
Just when our ever-resplendent media corps was writing off everyone else and declaring Judy the winner, we have a wide open primary and I am driving my tank right into the middle of the battle. The media better wake up because the voters are going to leave them behind in this campaign.
I proved at today’s WBEZ debate that I am the only candidate who can run-and-gun, fight quickly and attack extemporaneously, all of which drives Judy nuts and rattles her handlers. Her séance in the control room was the stuff of Guerilla Theater,” Martin will claim.
Eric Krol of the Daily Herald described the scene this way:
At that point, Brady noticed Topinka wasn’t there. “Judy should answer this. Where is she? Where is she? Judy?” Brady said.
Bagel-munching perennial candidate Andy Martin then started singing for her return.
“Judy, come through the door. Don’t say nevermore.”
CBS’ Mike Flannery also referred to Martin’s singing:
The four repeatedly called on Topinka to join them, including Martin, who at one point broke into song to entice Topinka to make an appearance.
Probably because he has nothing to lose, Martin was the leader in the attempt to deprive Topinka of her “queen of the hill” status.
"Judy, Judy, come out and play with all the boys."
More than once.
Since he started the pile-on, the Tribune finally mentioned Martin’s name in something other than its profile and its poll results story, noting,
A fourth candiate, perennial candidate Andy Martin, began mockingly singing Topinka's name in an effort to draw her out. Gidwitz laughed to those standing around him that the Republican race had reached “a new low."
ABC TV’s Andy Shaw described the scene this way:
"She is manifestly unqualified to be a governor. She has run a poor campaign for the nomination and she would be a disaster in a contest with Blagojevich," said Andy Martin, (R)-candidate for governor.
Republican fringe candidate Andy Martin launched the verbal assault on the GOP frontrunner, state treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, at the end of an otherwise genial debate on public radio, and after Topinka left the room, the others accused her of running away from her record as a political insider who has taken hundreds of thousands of campaign dollars from companies that do business with her office.
In the Sun-Times, Fran Spielman wrote,
The run-for-cover strategy backfired.
When Topinka ducked out, her four opponents -- Gidwitz, Jim Oberweis, Bill Brady and Andy Martin -- had a field day attacking her and the sweeping ethics package she unveiled over the weekend….
"I'm not budging until Judy comes out," Martin said. Then he broke out into song:
"Judy, Judy, come out and play with all the boys."
Finally, Topinka emerged.
"The boys had enough time to beat up on me behind my back," she said. "I'm the front-runner. I expect to get all sorts of abuse."
And, here is Martin’s description of what happened:
More importantly, at the WBEZ debate this morning I attacked Topinka and called her a disaster for the Republican Party and unfit to lead the campaign in November. Straight up. My own attacks ignited a firestorm of similar remarks by the other campaigns.
Topinka’s behavior at WBEZ today was bizarre, pathetic, totally inappropriate and sadly predictable. How can she claim she is the best qualified candidate to go up against Blah Bah Blago when she goes into hiding at the slightest attack? I rumbled, Judy tumbled, and the race has become jumbled.
Just when our ever-resplendent media corps was writing off everyone else and declaring Judy the winner, we have a wide open primary and I am driving my tank right into the middle of the battle. The media better wake up because the voters are going to leave them behind in this campaign.
I proved at today’s WBEZ debate that I am the only candidate who can run-and-gun, fight quickly and attack extemporaneously, all of which drives Judy nuts and rattles her handlers. Her séance in the control room was the stuff of Guerilla Theater,” Martin will claim.
Eric Krol of the Daily Herald described the scene this way:
At that point, Brady noticed Topinka wasn’t there. “Judy should answer this. Where is she? Where is she? Judy?” Brady said.
Bagel-munching perennial candidate Andy Martin then started singing for her return.
“Judy, come through the door. Don’t say nevermore.”
CBS’ Mike Flannery also referred to Martin’s singing:
The four repeatedly called on Topinka to join them, including Martin, who at one point broke into song to entice Topinka to make an appearance.
Probably because he has nothing to lose, Martin was the leader in the attempt to deprive Topinka of her “queen of the hill” status.
# posted by Cal Skinner : 2:36 PM
