IPR has twice reported on allegations from inside the Gravel campaign that Steve Kubby “stabbed Gravel in the back” by endorsing Mary Ruwart after allegedly saying he would endorse Mike Gravel. Now the former Manhattan campaign manager for Mike Gravel, Dodge Landesman, has come out on the record refuting these allegations.
As Gravel’s Manhattan Campaign Manager, I’d like to point out that Kubby did not “stab Gravel in the back.” Kubby always told Gravel that he was leaning towards Mary Ruwart, but Kubby did say he liked Gravel’s National Initiative, and said that he may think about endorsing Gravel, though it was highly unlikely. We tried to get that Kubby endorsement since day one of the convention, but alas, he endorsed Ruwart. But Kubby never made a deal with Gravel regarding an endorsement. Kubby is a decent man, and his calls to unify the party and support Barr was noble.
Countering the perception that Gravel supporters all joined and left the party with Gravel, Mr. Landesman adds: “I am now Barr’s Manhattan Coordinator, because I love the party.”
IPR has never endorsed the validity of the allegations and was only reporting their existence. The Kubby-Ruwart alliance was well known prior to the Denver convention, and the assertion by Gravel supporter “Austrian Economist” that Kubby “put friendship over principle” in endorsing Ruwart over Gravel has been ridiculed by many libertarians.
15 responses so far ↓
1 Ross Levin // Jun 5, 2008 at 9:24 pm
The independent running for Congress in PA’s 16th District (endorsed by the Reform, Green, and Libertarian Parites) John Murphy now has a Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/John-A-Murphy/14983232554
2 Dodge Landesman // Jun 5, 2008 at 9:34 pm
I’m not accusing this great site of validating these rumours. And it’s fine to put them up. They’re interesting topics to discuss, and they should be discussed. But it’s just that I’ve been hearing that a lot lately (about the Kubby supposedly “backstabbing” Gravel), so I wanted to put the rumours to rest. I’ve heard associates say that Kubby put “party over principle,” because the National Initiative was pretty much the method that Kubby employed when he worked to legalize medical marijuana. But that is just one issue. Kubby is more similiar politically to Ruwart than he is to Gravel, so I would say that statemen would be incorrect. Though Gravel is a true Libertarian, he just differs from the party on one issue, healthcare. Also, to add one more thing: Steve Kubby was going to endorse Gravel’s National Initiative is he had made the vice presidential slot. So Kubby is by no means a traitor, or a snake, or a backstabber, or anything. Kubby really liked Gravel’s National Initiative as well.
3 Dodge Landesman // Jun 5, 2008 at 9:40 pm
On the convention floor, we all tried to get eachother’s endorsements. Barr asked Gravel to be his running mate (as in, of course, Barr would endorse him), Root offered Gravel an endorsement so Gravel could be his running mate (Gravel rejected both offers, much to my great dismay, and to the dismay of many other people on the campaign).
4 Dodge Landesman // Jun 5, 2008 at 9:50 pm
To add a third comment, Austrian Economist’s claim that Kubby was willing to “be the standard bearer” is not exactly accurate (though he did say that). Kubby said he would probably be the standard bearer of the National Initiative if he made the veep slot under Barr. Kubby told us this waaaay after Barr secured the nomination. Why do you think all the Gravel people were holding Kubby signs when the vice presidential votes came? Because Kubby was on board with Gravel’s National Initiative, and would have likely spoken about it if he was under Barr (though Kubby didn’t say this was a sure thing, but it was very likely). I hope I can set the record straight once and for all.
5 Fred Church Ortiz // Jun 5, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Barr/Gravel would have been fun. But Gravel’s point about putting a Senator under a Representative was a good one.
6 Dodge Landesman // Jun 5, 2008 at 10:06 pm
I don’t think it would have mattered. I guess Gravel felt the best thing to do was support his National Initiative through different means.
7 G.E. // Jun 5, 2008 at 11:01 pm
I’m not accusing this great site of validating these rumours.
Dodge - I didn’t mean to imply that you were. Thanks, though.
8 Dodge Landesman // Jun 5, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Then my mistake, thanks for the article, it’s good that some people will here the TRUTH. And do you happen to know who Austrian Economist is? I have a few ideas, though I’m not positive.
9 jerseyreformjake // Jun 5, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Dodge, can I ask you a question? Not to be a personal attack, but what did you do exactly for the Gravel team?
He was only on the ballot on three states in the Northeast(CT,NH, and MASS.). He received zero buzz or media from anyone in NY or NJ.
I am just trying to figure out what your job was with the Gravel team?
Thank You, and yes I did donate money to Mike and bought a package worth of merchandise.
10 Dodge Landesman // Jun 6, 2008 at 12:03 am
I’m not taking it personally. I didn’t do too much, because I signed on in late April of this year, so I had very little time to do actual work. Though my mom did have an office that I let the campaign use, and I did try to woo delegates and participate in the workings in the convention in Denver. And I was going to have a fundraiser for him if he made the nomination. Now, that office is going to Barr, and that fundraiser will go to Barr as well. I didn’t do too much, but I did do a lot of work at the convention. But the appointment was very recent. And thanks for donating money.
11 Dodge Landesman // Jun 6, 2008 at 12:05 am
Oh, and when he came to Manhattan, I helped strategize with him. I said he shouldn’t talk about his National Initiative until AFTER he made the nomination, because a lot of Libertarians would be turned off by this promotion of not extremely small government. But the campaign people and Gravel chose not to follow my advice. Maybe he should’ve, but oh well.
12 chuckmoulton // Jun 6, 2008 at 1:59 am
I think if Gravel had entered the Libertarian race 3 months earlier and got a good libertarian handler he could have come around on healthcare. He was an Economics major in college, for pete’s sake!
I would have pointed Gravel at some liberal epiphanies like George McGovern’s:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120485275086518279.html
If he had stuck around at the Heartland Libertarian Conference instead of leaving to board a plane immediately after the debate I would have personally given him a bunch of advice on winning the nomination.
13 Gene Trosper // Jun 6, 2008 at 8:44 am
Dodge,
Has Mike spoken recently about publicly supporting Bob Barr?
14 VTV // Jun 6, 2008 at 2:38 pm
From what I understand, Mike Gravel has no interest in supporting Bob Barr. He will however be helping Libertarian candidates for congress and Senate. I feel the same.
15 VTV // Jun 8, 2008 at 1:06 pm
“Gravel rejected both offers, much to my great dismay, and to the dismay of many other people on the campaign”
Dodge, I didn’t hear anyone being upset about Gravel not wanting to be second fiddle to Barr the neo-con or Root the used car salesmen. And I was in the trenches the whole time.
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