You know, it has reached a point I just can't like Brad Lander. It's sad because I like to like the people who are politically active in my area. But Brad just is not likeable. It isn't even the big things that bug me: his past anti-Israel stands, his ties to people like Dov Hikind or the fact that developers, including Forest City Ratner, seem to love him. These things I disagree with and oppose...but they don't piss me off. It is the pettiness that I have seen coming from Brad and his campaign that gets under my skin.

Today I noticed something while walking through Park Slope, and this observation led to a quick investigation in which I discovered that in the 39th City Council race, Brad Lander is basically once again proving himself to be the rude and obnoxious candidate of the pack. In this case his campaign apparently is well known for going throughout the neighborhood covering opponent's signs with Brad's own where they can. And Brad's campaign seems well known for this behavior. Not sure he is doing this to all his rivals, but I know two campaigns are having this battle with him (and only him), and I have heard from pretty much every campaign negative stories about either Brad and/or his campaign."

First of all, as we walked along 7th Ave, we saw signs for almost all of the candidates (including the lonely Republican in the race, George Smith...he will probably get all two of the Republican votes in the district). Mostly we saw Josh Skaller, Bob Zuckerman and Brad Lander signs, in similar numbers. Many businesses had more than one candidate posted, which personally I think is the way to go since why piss off potential customers by taking sides.

Then I noticed one place where I saw a Brad poster with another poster peaking out from behind it. I looked behind it and saw it was covering a Bob Zuckerman poster. Brad's people essentially covered up a rival's poster with one of their own. Okay. This is considered poor form, but one instance of it could be one campaign worker being obnoxious.

Later I talked with people connected with some of Brad's rival campaigns. When I brought it up, each of them looked annoyed and told me that everyone was having problems with Brad's people covering their signs. No one mentioned having problems with ANYONE else. Just Brad. Brad has quickly developed the reputation as the obnoxious and overly sensitive baby of the race among all of the other campaigns and among several bloggers I know. As for the other candidates, they and teir campaigns universally express respect and often friendship for all other candidates. But when Brad is mentioned, people get irritated and have little good to say about his behavior.

Irritation...that is what I see when Brad's name is mentioned. Among bloggers, among supporters of all the other candidates, among the other candidates themselves and/or their campaigns. I disagree with John Heyer more, yet Brad is the candidate I feel I just couldn't work with if he got elected.

This pettiness about campaign signs is just one more illustration of the pettiness and, in all honesty, amatuer nature of Brad's campaign. I have had the same impression of his campaign with every dealing I have had with them. I have heard tales of his anger management problem from people not even involved in politics. And his campaign freaks out all out of proportion each and every time a blogger writes the slightest criticism of Brad.

Now everyone knows I support Josh Skaller in this race, but I know all the candidates pretty well. I like and respect each and every one and, as you will see if you read over my coverage of this race, have had good things to say about each and every one of them. Except Brad. Brad has run the most obnoxious of the campaigns and, like all who run obnoxious campaigns, responds to any even slight criticism by squealing with outrage about how unfair people are to them. I have had nothing but good to say about Josh Skaller, Bob Zuckerman and Gary Reilly, the three most progressive candidates in the race. With John Heyer, the most conservative of the candidates, I had some serious differences with him on issues and with some of his supporters' tactics in the local political club IND. But what I have written about John Heyer himself has been nothing but good. Brad is the only one who strikes me as just plain not a guy I trust or really particularly like.

Thing is I wanted to like Brad. You can ask any number of candidates I have opposed that more often than not I am friendly and respectful even as I push for someone else. But Brad just rubs me the wrong way...and presumably visa versa. This pettiness about posters is merely the latest in a whole series of obnoxious behaviors and little tantrums that by now just seem the hallmark of Brad's campaign to me. Is pettiness a winning tactic? Maybe. But it also makes for lasting animosities.