Vel Phillips on Nik Kovac - setting the record straight by Sura, March 28

“I know and respect Nik Kovac. He is a good friend and a true progressive.” –Vel Phillips

That’s what Vel Phillips says about Nik, who calls her one of his civic heroes. She said, “A few weeks ago, Nik asked me if he could refer to me as one of his heroes in his campaign literature. I was honored by the request. I have seen the brochure in which Nik uses my name and picture. I approve.”

I am writing this because Dominique Paul Noth, the editor of the Labor Press, got a few things wrong about Nik in a recent article. No surprise, since the Labor Council is endorsing Patrick.

But let’s get a few things straight.

Noth implies that Nik didn’t get Vel’s permission to use her name. This is untrue. As you can see from the quotes above and her hand-signed letter on Nik’s website it’s clear that Vel Phillips gave her permission, and that she is one of Nik’s supporters.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel printed an article yesterday pointing out corrections to the Labor Press article (as of today, no corrections appear on the Labor Press article itself).

True, Vel wasn’t excited that Nik used an old photo, but photos from the civil rights days recall some of the progressive history of Milwaukee, times when things were really changing because the people forced that change. Father Groppi and Vel Phillips were fighters for justice on the ground and with the people. They were fighters who endured violence in words and deeds, by people on the streets and people in the establishment.

That aside, Noth goes on to call this “the first negative door-to-door element” in this aldermanic race.

What? Taking pride in progressive civic heroes is negative?

One of the reasons I’m such a strong supporter of Nik is that he has been extraordinarily gracious throughout the whole campaign. He hasn’t taken potshots at any of the other candidates. And I don’t think I’d be wrong to say that of all 8 candidates in the primary, it was Patrick who threw the most blows—many unsubstantiated—during the forums.

It’s been consistent behavior on Patrick’s part—taking partial information and twisting it into an untruth. Recently, for example, at the UWM debate, Patrick misconstrued Nik’s expenses for direct mail as spending for “big money consultants.”

This is not a one-time happening. I’ve had friends tell me that Patrick questioned how progressive they were if they support Nik. Other friends have heard from Patrick and his campaign another untruth, that Nik is “the CRG candidate.” And again, I’ve heard that Patrick distorted Nik’s support from both school board directors who live in this district and turned it into a convoluted notion that Nik is pro-voucher, yet one more false claim. I could go on.

So, I’m supporting Nik, not only because he’s the independent, people-powered, and visionary candidate, but the choice is made even more clear when the only other option is supporting a candidate who takes cheap potshots and feels that he’s got a monopoly on the title “progressive.”

To Dominique Noth: Most of my supporters indeed are voting for Nik. If you’re alluding to Patrick Flaherty and me both being gay as a “natural” reason for some of my supporters to vote for Patrick, let me clarify that for you. It’s as ridiculous (and bigoted) to vote for someone because they are gay as it is to not vote for them for that reason. And being gay doesn’t make one automatically progressive (or anything else).

In fact, one of my queer friends emailed me yesterday and said about Patrick, “if he’s elected it will be like having a lavender Mike D’Amato in city hall.”

28 Mar 2008 | 11:06 am | 3rd District

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