Kettle Meet Burke

In November of 2009 we stated that Mike Burke vs. Sly James could be a great Mayoral campaign "unless 7 others enter the race at which point it will turn into one of the best reality tv shows in history". Fortunately, we were correct that the candidate field will expand to 7 or more which we hoped would lead to an election cycle filled with great posts. Unfortunately, we didn't enter a formula that could have included some of the lamest candidates Kansas City has to offer.

Enter Mike Burke.

We know him to be a really nice guy, always smiling. What we didn't expect was for him to run one of the most coma induced campaigns to date. In fact, the only thing keeping Mike Burke from entering the Janice Ellis 2007 wealthy campaign abyss is Jim Rowland.

Jim Rowland for Mayor is the biggest Kansas City let down since Steve Deberg and Ventures. Those were horrible days.

Today the Burke Campaign issued a press release calling on Funkhouser to drop out of the Mayoral race because 2010 citizen surveys have declined since 2007. They then closed their release stating "join me in telling Mayor Funkhouser not to run again. We want to build our city together and not be witness to it torn apart through infighting, poor leadership and inexperience."

Normally we would allow for anybody in this city to trip Mayor Funkhouser because of his complete incompetence. So you can imagine how angry the KC Blue Bloggers were when we had to collectively decide to defend him for the very first time.

Burke has time to issue a press release attacking Funkhouser and send an e-mail in support of the Northland PIAC money but he only has time to make facebook statements on key issues facing Kansas City such as the close call regarding our KC based Ford Claycomo Plant, out of control crime in Kansas City and Hispanics disenfranchised during the redistricting process?

If Mike Burke is concerned about "infighting" and wants to display leadership, where was he criticizing Northland supporters that threatened to secede from Kansas City?

Bottom line when it comes to holding Northland campaign supporters and residents accountable for their actions, Mike Burke remains silent.

Other questions he could answer would be the alleged $800,000 received by his law firm King Hershey for their role in a development deal involving millions of tax dollars. In fact, the KC Blue Blog has received several tips and documents that we will be combing through regarding Burke's role in numerous TIF contracts with the city.

If the Mayor were wise (Blue Note: He is not) he would respond stating taxpayers are tired of their dollars being wasted by the many TIF projects and unchecked spending that this individual and his law firm have defended over the years, running our city into record deficits and leading to the decline in morale by residents.

Kansas City deserves more leadership and less cheap shots at a Mayor that is already down the toilet. Unless that individual is worried about Mayor Funkhouser spoiling his/her party? Which is the more likely scenario.

In an anti-incumbent environment Mayor Funkhouser still stands a strong chance at making it to March simply due to the field having so many geographically clumped candidates. Anyone that is willing to write off Funkhouser now for Burke, James or Rowland is either from the Northland or has the last name Glorioso.

We have purposely left Hughes and Hermann off this list as he is the only candidate not from the Plaza or Northland (though he has yet to raise serious money) and she is the only female placing both in their own catagory.

Blue Note: The best news for Funkenstein in over two years is having a development attorney tied to failed TIF projects attacking him. Mayor Funkhouser should consider sending a chocolate TIF bar to Burke for jumping his poll numbers five percent following this press release today.

KC Blue Blog Warning: If the Mayor actually tries to do this his staff should consider hiring a stunt Mayor to purchase the chocolate and deliver it to the post office in order to avoid him screwing it up.