At this point, I feel inclined to write this after Paul Soglin, John Nichols and now the Badger Herald have chimed in . . . Here’s what happened.
Saturday, Feb. 14 – I run into Krysta Walsh knocking on doors for Adam, she tells me that if Adam doesn’t make it through the primary, she and Adam will be supporting me.
Sunday, Feb. 15 – I run into Adam knocking on doors, he tells me, that if he doesn’t make it through the primary, he and his wife will be supporting me.
Tuesday, Feb 17 – Adam tells the Cap Times “I went into this saying I wasn’t the anti-Brenda candidate, and I am in support of Ald. Konkel,” he said.
Wednesday, Feb 18 – Email from Krysta Walsh (9:07 am):
As i’m sure you can guess, i’m very disappointed at the outcome, but as I said b/4 you can count on Adam and my support. …
I had sent this email to Adam (7:59 am):
Adam –
I knew it was close, but wow! I really did think you’d make it, but the low voter turn out was a bit of a surprise. Thank you so much for running a good campaign and for your comment in the Cap Times. I know you said on Sunday that you’d endorse me and Krysta told me that on Saturday, but I wanted to double check that it is official. I’m so sorry to be asking you this so quickly – you’ve hardly had time to sleep since the election results were in, but people/press will be asking today. We might be doing a press release, would you be willing to give a quote? Again, so sorry to be bugging you so quickly and thanks again for running a clean campaign.
Brenda
Adam responds (9:03 am):
Brenda,
Absolutely. Do you want to chat about what the quote should say?
Yours,
Adam Walsh
P.S.- Yes, I was fairly disappointed by the low turnout in Wards 37 & 38.
I meet with Adam at Barriques on W. Wash. (Sidenote: Brian Shimming sitting at the next table, tells me wonderful story about how his mother voted for me because I actually called myself to remind her to vote instead of doing a robocall.) Adam tells me that he might run against me some day, so he wants to be careful in what he does and I totally respect that. He says that of the two candidates left, he supports me. He gives me a quote as follows making it clear that he is choosing between the the candidates that are left:
When choosing between the two candidates I believe Brenda has the better vision for the neighborhood, the independence and the experience necessary in these times.
and tells me to put his and his wife’s names on my website. We write up a press release and run it by him.
[Note: At this point, he and Krysta are getting ready to leave for Jamaica to go to her grandfather’s funeral, so we try to get this done before he leaves, knowing he will be off line for several days.]
Adam sends me this email (9:12 pm)
Brenda,
People are slow in getting back to me. I will honestly get back to you as soon as I can. However, it is looking like it might be a couple of days. (For the first few days in Jamaica, we are going where there is no internet.)
For now, however, you can place mine and my wife’s name on your list of supporters.
Friday, Feb 27
I get this email from Adam
My various advisors have (finally) convinced me not to issue any sort of formal endorsement in the race. {Edited out nice words said about me, so he doesn’t say more publicly about me than he wants to} But I am afraid the Cap Times statement supporting you and listing my wife and I on your website is the most I can give. Perhaps you will understand. Best of luck.
This is the final email I will be sending from this account before shutting it down.
Yours,
Adam
Monday, March 2 – I get this email from Adam:
Brenda,
Now John Nichols is reporting that I am endorsing you, which I said I, unfortunately, cannot do. By putting my name on your webpage my assumption was that meant simply I would be voting for you (which I am), and nothing more. Apparently that is not the case.
Sorry, but I guess you had better take my name off the list. My wife wishes to remain on it, however.
Yours,
Adam Walsh
End of story. I did what he told me to do, and didn’t make a big deal out of this endorsement/support because he was very particular about what he wanted and he was clearly waffling a bit and struggling to figure out what to do. When Paul wrote what he wrote, I called him to explain the above, but he was looking for “written proof” of the support – I didn’t forward the emails from Adam, as I was still waiting to hear from him officially. Nichols, surprised me and set this other thing in motion. The Badger Herald reports fairly accurately where we’re at and I’m glad Adam takes responsibility for this miscommunication. Nichols has a follow up this morning (after I posted this blog, scroll down to the bottom.)
I don’t really know what to say beyond this. Adam was clearly a little confused about a formal endorsement and being listed as an on my web site (on the endorsement page) and that’s all perfectly reasonable for someone new to politics like he is. I find Adam earnest and likable, and I really like Krysta. I’m sorry Adam and Krysta are still having to deal with this as I am sure they would like to put this behind them. I was happy to see Adam at the neighborhood meeting on the 600 block of E Johnson last night and I hope that he and Krysta continue to stay involved in the neighborhood and I wish them the best.
