Media Attention Ratchets Up on Sen. Coffee

Document: Coffee Timeline

Prisons Controversy: “That’s not a request by my office. That’s Justin Jones’ characterization of what he thinks I asked him to do.”

Huh? While the capitol press corps attention on Sen. Coffee continues to be on technical ‘wonkish’ stories about political forms and reports, the electronic media is subtly shifting their focus into other areas, which threatens to take controversies surround the senate leader to a whole new, and bigger, audience.

News9’s Dave Jordan’s had another intriguing story last night about a prison controversy that appears to have been fueled by either arrogance or ignorance on behalf of Sen. Coffee’s team. Jordan’s story’s, which began last Friday, might have begun and ended on the same night if only the Senator’s staff had not obviously dissembled on the reporter.

Long-time observers say the senate leader and his advisers have so thoroughly mishandled a controversy that began nearly three-weeks ago that one has to wonder about the abilities of those who are supposed to be advising him. “I’d clean house. His legal counselor has been and continues to be a magnet for controversy and his press people appear to be overwhelmed. Sometimes the head coach needs can save his own job by firing the assistants, and if he wants to stay, a shakeup might be just the thing to reverse the growing anti-Coffee momentum,” one tells OPKNS.

Coffee gets high marks from the same capitol observers for ‘taking ownership’ of the tax situation and other oversights. He gets low marks for his explanations on the campaign finance reports controversy and the prison closure stories, both generated by Democrats.

Judging from their reports, Coffee’s aides have attempted to ‘handle’ at least two bulldog reporters, Jordan and FOX 25’s Nick Winkler. Both manipulations seem to have blown up in Coffee’s face.

So now a story that broke almost three weeks ago is still very much alive, growing tentacles, and perhaps most worrisome for the pro tem is that television is getting very interested in all things Coffee. “He doesn’t look or perform very well on the tube. His handlers apparently don’t understand that or don’t know how to prep him. With rumors of him losing support in his own caucus, if this (story) moves to television big-time it could get out of hand real quick,” another says.

The Camera Really DOESN’T Blink!