Reardon was a horrible candidate. He didn't respond to the Bikefed's questionaire nor to my personal e-mails asking him about bike issues. It was as if he was above such things.

Actually, Tim Reardon is a great guy, whether or not he responds to bike issues. He was "green" the last time around -- used to being the candidate's spouse (he's married to May Scheve) or a campaign worker. I'm guessing he'll be better prepared this time.

He may be a great guy, but he ran as Buzz's handpicked candidate and he didn't bother with basic voter outreach. He reinforced the perception that County Democrats aren't concerned with constituents.

The thing about the Bike Fed is that I'm probably the most conservative person in the damn group and yet we could get Odenwald to respond, but not the Democrat. I haven't voted for a Republican since 1994 and that was an Illinois Republican.

Add to that Buzz's horrible record on highway issues and general issues of walkability and there's a real question for those who are traditional Democrats as to why they should be interested in another campaign by Reardon.

The County Democratic organization has focused on the cult of bad personality with Westfall and on the pipe fitters and not on making the county a livable and enjoyable place. Dooley's a great guy, but the same damn arrogance is popping up in his staff that Westfall's staff displayed. County Dems, much like the State Dems need to figure out what the Party is about. The County Dems have to come up with a compelling vision for the County that isn't based on dividing up union responsibilities based on the loyalty of the union.

That simply isn't the most pressing issue for county residents, but takes up an inordinate amount of time for Democratic office seekers.