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So this is your chance to sound off before the big day, tell me why your guy will win and by how much. The polling I've seen still shows a big undecided block.
Paul Kanjorski has been successful in bringing home the bacon over the years. Every time you drive down River Street you see the levee system that has been able to prevent another Agnes disaster and the Earth Conservancy has been successful in the reclamation of mine-scarred lands. This week he came through with federal help to renovate Coal Street park in Wilkes-Barre and money to help out General Dynamics in Scranton and countless other projects. The question is will people remember his accomplishments or will Cornerstone and Mexicans matter more.
Lou Barletta's campaign has been all about illegal immigration. I used to like Lou Barletta until 2006 when Rick Santorum needed an issue in his doomed reelection campaign and got Mayor Lou to propose a ridiculous law that tried to make landlords and others into immigration agents. It didn't take a constitutional law scholar to figure out that a small town in Pennsylvania can't usurp the powers of the Congress and a federal judge agreed. The case has been appealed and if Hazleton loses the city is on the hook for a big legal bill. Lou said the city may have to float a 20 year bond to pay off the legal fees, maybe he should run for county commissioner. I think it was one of the most reckless things that I've ever heard of a local official doing. I also object to a politician trying to find scapegoats for his problems. That's been tried before with disastrous results.
With all that said I think this will be a nailbiter. Challengers don't win elections, incumbents lose them and Kanjo has had plenty of missteps such as his interview on CBS when he talked about free money and said Congress has it's own rules. But in the end this is an overwhelming Democratic district in a Democratic year. Kanjo wins a close one.
Kanjorski - Barletta debate highlights
The Lu Lac Political Letter has the best recap of the debate that I have read. I thought Kanjorski had the best line of the night when asked about Cornerstone he said (paraphrase) 'if I had done anything illegal don't you think that the Bush Justice Department would have nailed my ass to the wall by now.' The whole debate is available on WVIA's website.
16 hours ago
11 comments:
I agree, Kanjo in a squeaker.
I just watched the video.
A lockbox? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?
Kanjorski came across as arrogant, defensive, and very entitled. I thought it was premature of him to talk about an Obama Administration as a given; it ain't over 'til it's over...
I saw Lou for the very first time in person Wednesday night and all I could think is that he reminded me of a plastic person, a mannequin.
Yes, he can recite GOP talking points and throw out allegations, but there is very little substance behind the facade.
Illegal immigration is a much greater problem in Texas, Arizona, California and Colorado. Barletta is using this issue to scare people into voting for him. Someone please ask Lou what exactly he will be able to do about this issue. The answer that he will not give is....nothing.
While you're asking, ask him what he will do to help the people of the 11th District of Pennsylvania.
The answer to that question, which he will not answer, is absolutely nothing.
I'll take a congressman who has proven accomplishments anyday over a wannabe who is bankrupting his city with a stupid lawsuit and spending his time as a poser on Fox.
danny the concept of the soc security lock box came from you buddy Al Gore.....
anon 6:42
I know. That's why I'm incerdulous. It was a stupid idea 8 years ago, and if Barletta had seen the SNL debates, he would never have said it.
Can we scrap both candidates and start over?
REDO...
Did you know Kanjo is 71 years old? Jeez, I knew he was older, but not *that* old.
Kanjorski, but it will be close.
I don't think Barletta's a bad guy but I just can't get passed all of the seniority our district will lose if Kanjorski loses.
Kanjorski will be up for leadership in several more important committees if he wins. That is what is important, the more pork coming to NE Pennsylvania the better as far as I'm concerned.
Fact, Chris Carney brought more into his district in his first term than Kanjo during Carney's term by a 3 to 1 margin. Fact, Carney did it under a Republican President and a Republican Senate.
Fact, Kanjorski was elected after running 3 times under a Republican President and a Republican Senate 55-45 majority.
Fact Kanjorski ran against Frank Harrison and wasn't too concerned about senority.
Fact- During the debate Kanjorski said he came across the waterjet technology at the University of Missouri and brought it home. HE then put a group together. That group was his family. He also stated that their patents will some day prove right. I think the bankruptcy court will have something to say about their patents.
Fact- Kanjorski thinks we ought to bring back the draft to end the war.
Fact- Kanjorski supported the war thus supporting George Bush. Kanjorski supported the bailout thus supporting George Bush. But he says Barletta supported George Bush when Barletta couldn't even vote for one thing.
Fact- Pork is our tax money which means we pay EXTRA taxes for it. There are many worthy projects that could be funded without extra tax. The US taxpayer paid $10 million EXTRA for Cornerstone. Pork is money earmarked in Agency budgets. It could be used for something useful. And most funding was coming here anyway or the agency wouldn't be needed.
Fact- During the debate Kanjo corrected John Murtha and said he didn't tell him 6 months ago the banks would fail. He told them years ago according to him. Why didn't he do something about it?
Energy crisis, healthcare crisis, mortgage crisis, investment crisis, medicare crisis all at the same time and you want to keep the same people.
This country is facing the worst possible scenario in one hundred years. I would expect we should worry about more than just pork.
Kanjo brings pork back, problem is some of it ends up in his refrigerator.
BTW if any of you have children with student loans from college look for Peter Kanjorski and the company he works for to collect on any deliquent loans they acquire. Look up Northeast Credit and Collections and Commonwealth Financial Systems out of Scranton.
Barletta wins by a razor-thin margin.
And goes on to be one of the most spectacularly inneffective/forgettable one-term congresscritters in NEPA history.
Barletta...
If he does win, freshman in a minority party that didn't support his party's candidate...vicdaring is right on if he does indeed win.
Since his whole campaign is about illegal immigration, he better do something spectacular on it in his first couple months too...personally I can't wait to see him on Lou Dobbs if he wins...
Dobbs may actually have an orgasm right on camera when Barletta starts talking about combatting illegals.
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