"John Frew has never held public office. But he knows how to give a politician a bloody nose--and he's gotten a few in return."
Quote from Dark Horse-A veteran of negative campaigns makes a run at city hall - Published January 18th, 1995 by Ward Harkavy.
I propose to "HR" readers that yesterday's announcement from the Governor's office informs us the "adults" are back in charge at the capital. Specifically, I'm referring to Senator Tom Harkin and former Senator John Culver. The Culver administration is in a political "tailspin" these days and elder members of the DNC and the Iowa delegation have apparently performed a power play.
For today however, I wish to shed light on the Governor's new chief of staff (COS) and what we learn from this should remind Republicans in all 99 counties that this next election will require extensive organization, money and hard work. AKA -Blood-sweat and tears!
John Frew will certainly fit in with Team Culver... Hint: " Think Bonds"
Frew just left a business venture with his longtime partner Tim Wiens; Broomfield Sports, which managed the Broomfield event center, a privately managed, publicly owned facility between Denver and Boulder, Colorado. Over $60 million in bonds were sold with promises to repay the bill with property and sales taxes from the 200 acre development.
The Denver Business Journal reported last January 23rd that Frew's firm, Broomfield Sports had asked to be released from their agreement to operate the facility. Michael Roberts reports:
"The city bankrolled the 6,000-seat arena with $60 million worth of bonds that are supposed to be repaid from tax revenue from the facility. But things are so bad money-wise that Broomfield Sports, the firm Wiens runs with partner John Frew, couldn't even afford to pay the center's utility bill in November and December, leaving taxpayers to pick up the tab." (Emphasis added)
** Update ** Add a missed insurance payment of over $43,000 to the unpaid utility bills which the city had to write checks to cover.
Frew ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Denver back in 1995, however he has to his credit a long list of "down-and-dirty political races" starting out back in 1980 with a man named "Culver."
"It was the Reagan landslide, and I saw how disciplined the Republican party was, " said Frew. "It was a repudiation of not just Jimmy Carter but the beginning of the end of liberalism as it was defined, the politics that had really governed the country since the New Deal. And Culver helped us to understand that. He was just a masterful teacher. He decided not to turn tail. He said, 'If I'm going to run, I'm going to do it with all guns blazing.'"
Culver eventually lost his race to another familiar Iowa name: Grassley. This was the election that featured a last minute flier from the Grassley campaign featuring an aborted fetus with a caption reading, "Vote for John Culver. This child never had the chance."
Frew has a B.A.in political science and a master's in public affairs. He then attended Creighton University earning his law degree.
Frew's next campaign involved another Iowa political dynasty, Tom Harkin. Again, this is recalled as one of the "mudslide" elections that was notorious for being nasty and dirty as Harkin successfully defeated incumbent Senator Roger Jepsen in a bruising, multi-million dollar contest, "That one was a classic," Frew said.
John Frew then worked for Colorado Congressman Tim Wirth and in 1986, managed Wirth's campaign which barely won his Senate seat against Republican Ken Kramer in another race recalled by strategists as a "high stakes mess." Frew told the Washington Post, "If we win this race, people will say, 'It wasn't pretty, but we got the job done.'"
Frew traveled to Washington D.C. to serve as Senator Wirth's COS. However, before the end of his first year, Frew returned to Denver to work for the investment bank Printon Kane. Then in 1988, Kane allowed Frew to work with the group that was organizing a replacement for the then aging Dever-Stapleton Airport. This project involved annexing an enormous chunk of land, nearly 50 square miles which is now Denver International Airport.
The rest is now history, with the ultimate approval of this project by voters of the city and the eventual construction of the DIA by the Denver department of public works. The eventual delays, cost overruns and scandals are now etched firmly in the minds of most Coloradoans, however it should be noted Frew was not associated with these criminal investigations that involved endless lawsuits and corruption charges involving many millions of dollars. After the airport election, Frew was quoted as saying, "If you show me a good loser, I'll show you a loser."
What to expect from Frew?
Let there be no doubts, Culver has brought in a political heavyweight who is well known for the countless dirty elections under his belt. (Culver, Harkin, Wirth, Webb) There are references in the media to Frew and another Colorado advance man named Craig Livingstone. If this name sounds familiar to you, it's because this is the same Craig Livingstone- the Clinton White House aide who had hundreds of FBI files in his office. For all those who despise and lament about Frew, even some of his political victims have been honest in their assessment of Frew's political talents.
Overheard about Frew: "Skilled political lobbyist," "political insider," "sleazy bastard," "ran a campaign that was military in it's precision," "If you respect professionalism, it would bring tears to your eyes."
Early in Frew's career, (1983) he taught a workshop for the Iowa Freedom Foundation that featured the "art of dishing it out." A press account of Frew listed the five possible ways a candidate can respond to being attacked. If he's smart, said Frew, the candidate with either attack the source, ignore the attack entirely or simply say, "Yes, I did it." What the attackers hope for, however, is that the candidate will play right into their hands by saying either, "Yes, I did it, but it's not what you think" or, in effect, plead no contest by saying, "I did do it, but I won't do it again."
Here's an excerpt from the Governors press release issued yesterday:
“John not only brings a great combination of experience in both the public and private sector to this position, but a career that has been committed to improving the quality of life everyplace he goes,” said Governor Culver. “I’m not only glad to have John back home in Iowa, but to have someone with his skill and stature working with the Culver/Judge Administration as we move our state forward.”
For all the valid criticism directed by the Republican party at Governor Culver, you can expect Frew to immediately attack and challenge the messenger. Frew is on record as saying, "I'm not going to allow anybody to get away with political nonsense, and when someone takes a shot at me, I'm not going to take it lying down. I believe in responding to unfair criticism quickly. You don't wait for a poll to tell you what to do."
For the high expectations party operatives may have of Frew, I can assure HR readers one thing is certain leading up to 2010. I live in a town that specialized in mud and muck this past year and if this next election cycle turns into a nasty mudslide, team Culver will quickly learn the experts around these parts can dish it out much faster than Frew is used to throwing it back.
It will be interesting to chronicle what I predict will be many drastic changes from the Culver administration in the weeks following Frews expected start date of September 28th. By this time, I predict the GOP primary field will have solidified and Frew will have his hands full defending and protecting the Culver political brand.
Congratulations to John Frew and welcome home to Iowa. Without making this personal, Republicans hope this next assignment for Frew is a "short-term" position!
