43
Memo to McCain: Dump O’Connell
The contrast was stunning. On one stage, an elderly man stumbling over the words on a sheet of paper, missing important cues to get the crowd going. On another stage, a younger man speaking eloquently, only occasionally referring to his notes, tossing out rib-tickling one-liners.
The contrast was ... stunningly embar-rassing.
One of the men had the job of introducing Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin to about 7,000 party faithful in an airplane hangar at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. Even though GOP standard-bearer John McCain was present and was the headliner, it was Palin, an obscure governor from Alaska, who brought out the crowd.
The other man had the job — three days later — of introducing Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden, a veteran U.S. senator from Delaware, at a rally in downtown Youngstown. About 1,000 supporters attended.
The McCain-Palin campaign may want to rethink having Martin “Jack” O’Connell, retired labor leader and a former Democrat who had served as labor liaison for then Congressman James A. Traficant Jr., as the master of ceremonies when the candidates next come to the Mahoning Valley. O’Connell adds nothing to the events, other than reminding long-time political observers that he’s an ungrateful turncoat. (More on that later.)
National surrogate?
On the other hand, the campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, should give serious consideration to having Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams, a registered Democrat who ran as an independent and defeated long-time politico Robert F. Hagan, among others, as a national surrogate. Williams’ introduction of Biden was not only well done, it energized the crowd for the main event.
During his introduction, the mayor compared and contrasted the qualifications and experience of Palin and Biden, and had this quip about the little-known Alaskan: Before becoming governor about 20 months ago, she was mayor of Wasilla, a town so small “that all its people can fit into the Chevrolet Centre.”
The comment, and others like it, had the crowd roaring. But it wasn’t just the content of the speech that was impressive. Williams has great timing.
To this observer, the mayor’s performance served to spotlight O’Connell’s shortcomings. Lackluster is the word that comes to mind to describe his introduction of Palin.
He did make it a point to talk about his Democratic Party roots, but what he failed to tell the GOPers was that he personally benefited from being a “D.”
Not only did he enjoy special status with Congressman Traficant, but as president of the Greater Youngstown AFL-CIO, he was named by Democratic Gov. Richard F. Celeste to fill the unexpired term of the late Atty. Earl W. Brauninger on Youngstown State University’s board of trustees. He was reappointed to a full term.
O’Connell also was named program development liaison for northeastern Ohio in the office of then Attorney General Lee I. Fisher.
But it was his service on YSU’s board of trustees that proved to be most beneficial for him.
In October 1993, he and his wife, Janet, were taken to St. Elizabeth Medical Center’s emergency after being hit by a university vehicle when they tried to walk across Fifth Avenue following a YSU football game. The O’Connells were not at a marked crosswalk. The investigation revealed that O’Connell had drunk wine while watching the game in the president’s suite.
Nonetheless, he and his wife filed a claim against YSU, and when negotiations failed, they sued the university for $1.25 million.
Settlement
In the end, there was an out-of-court settlement, which the university’s insurance company and the lawyer for the O’Connells refused to make public. However, a lawsuit filed by The Vindicator resulted in the terms being revealed. The O’Connells received $285,000. The trustee said he had no regrets suing the university.
So when he stands before Republican faithful and suggests that his political conversion is based on principle, this question comes to mind: What is he expecting in return for his support of McCain?
O’Connell’s past is prologue.