President Obama wins the debate

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Mitt Romney came across as energetic and sometimes desperate to be the only person heard. At times he was rude to the moderator Candy Crowley and the President. Barack Obama was assertive but at the same time cool. The President won on style and substance.

My play by play on Facebook

Debating Debates

It's an age old dance. The challenger wants as many debates as possible and the incumbent wants as few as possible. The thinking is you don't want to give the upstart any exposure but usually agree to one encounter close to the election.

In the 120th HD the League of Women's voters will host a forum with incumbent Phyllis Mundy (D) and her challenger Aaron Kaufer (R) at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 at Wyoming Seminary's Buckingham Performing Arts Center. The LVW doesn't actually have a debate but the candidates will read opening and closing statements and answer questions from the moderator and the audience. I don't know how many of these type of things I have attended and they always bore the pants off of me. Any wonder why only 30 or 40 people usually show up.

Kaufer still keeps hitting himself in the head with this. Kaufer also said he wants to have multiple debates because Mundy was a former president of the League of Women Voters a few decades ago and suggested a debate with another moderator.

I don't know anyone that doesn't think the LVW isn't fair. He suggested to me on Facebook that Tiffany Cloud would be a neutral moderator. Stop laughing, I love Tiff but she is hardly neutral as I'm sure she will be the first to tell you. I suggested the Yonk as the moderator of a blogger hosted debate. No response from either campaign.

Gene Stilp wants a a debate in every county of the the 11th CD just like Lou Barletta wanted a debate in every county of the district last time. Not gonna happen but we may get at least 2. WVIA-TV has one already scheduled for Nov. 1, and an announcement is expected next week about plans for a debate in Luzerne County that will be hosted by a news organization. No word if a debate will be held in the Harrisburg area.

A debate between the 17th District candidates, Republican Laureen Cummings and Democrat Matthew Cartwright, will be broadcast at 8 p.m. Oct. 17. The Morning Call, PBS39 and partners will air the debate..

Legislators plan debate 2 weeks before election

 

In the new and sprawling 11th, debates could matter

 

The Morning Call, PBS39 to present face-offs for candidates in 15th, 17th districts.

PA 17th CD: Cartwright vs. Cummings

Andrew Seder had 2 articles in yesterday's TL contrasting the views of Democrat Matt Cartwright and Republican Laureen Cummings.

 Cartwright gets ready for fight

 Cummings seeks funds, recognition

Some choice quotes.

 On the Affordable Care  Act

Cartwright

“It’s a great day in America.” He said while he has been in favor of the overall law and what it does, he did not feel it went far enough. He said if elected, he will “work to strengthen” the act.

Cummings

“Not only are taxes enormous, but unemployment is above 8 percent,” Cummings said.

“This decision will reawaken the electorate and those Americans who not only want government out of their lives, but also, who refuse to give the IRS even more power than it already has,” she added. “This decision is a rallying cry to elect those of us who will repeal this law and reform our Byzantine tax code."

The President's  executive order on immigration and deportation

Cartwright

He said he’s not for granting amnesty, but he’s also not for rounding up illegals and deporting them.

“This is America. We don’t put 12 million human beings in boxcars and ship them to the coast to be put on freighters. We don’t do that in this country,” Cartwright said.

Cartwright called the president’s order “a stop-gap measure. I’m not thrilled with it” but it moves the issue ahead until Congress can come together to do the same.

Cummings

“It’s unbelievable that he did it. It can’t stand … It’s appalling that he does the things that he does but it’s not surprising.”

Laureen has set a goal of raising $400, 000 by September and has about $5500 in the bank. Her last FEC report said she raised $300. Matt will not have a problem raising money. Matt said he is not ready to support marriage equality yet but we expect him to get there and suggested using a mobile office to offer constituent services.

I would like to hear what the candidates think of Food Stamps. Andrew may have asked but it didn't make the column inch cut by the editors. 

On June 27th Laureen Cummings posted this to her Facebook wall:

 I know people re-post all sorts of things on Facebook. I know I do it but when I do I agree with the idea. This thing is flying around all the right wing sites including our own Pittston Politics. So does Laureen think that a mother looking for a way to feed her kids in hard times is akin to a wild animal looking for a handout?

I know people who have to use food stamps to feed their families and they are not buying prime rib and lobsters. Most of them work in low paying jobs and are not proud of having to rely on a government a program just to eat, but you got to feed the kids. Sure there are some bad actors who will abuse the system but most of them don't.

When I was growing up my family had to use food stamps from time to time because my father went from one shit job to another and was always being laid off. I cringed when my mother pulled out the food stamp book at the Ack-a-me to pay for the groceries and hoped that none of my classmates spotted us. I skipped the free lunch at school because of the stigma attached and the razzing that would ensue. It really sucks to be poor in this country, then and now.


This guy has never been hungry.

Duke from Dallas for State Represenative

Yesterday I got an email from a reluctant Democratic Committeeman from Nanticoke about another subject that included this tidbit
"Duke from Dallas is running for something or other, I didn't quite catch what - against Karen Boback, maybe? He just got drafted for it shortly before the meeting."




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That got my wheels turning so I asked Duke if he was running but he didn't give me a straight answer so I asked the 2nd District Chairman who gave me an Apparatchik type answer "I have no comment at this time. Please expect an official Democratic Party press release regarding the 117th State Representative seat following the submission of the nominating petitions."


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Surfing around social media (Facebook) it was easy to confirm that he is circulating petitions.
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From Duke's page
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my PA Rep Karen Boback voted to put the value of my residence & quality of our neighborhoods a FISCAL RISK. Dallas Twp spent about $150,000 & 2 years' work on Zoning only to have Rep Boback turn her back on LOCAL DEMOCRACY. If she doesn't read or can't understand the bills she votes on that let Foreign & out of state CORPORATIONS trump local citizens' rights to clean air & water it might be time for a CHANGE
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Home Rule Disaster: Pennsylvania Residents May Be Forced to Live Within 300 Feet of A Frack Well Pa
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Below we see Karen Boback discussing the impact of fracking on the dairy industry with a constituent.
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Late to the game

I see Mark is engaging in one of his favorite passtimes, bashing WILK's Steve Corbett:

Not too long ago, I chastised WILK's Steve Corbett for finally coming around to the Marcellus Shale drilling issue way, way, way too late to make a discernible difference...Still, you belittled the clarion calls coming from the Internet while telling us at length about the systematic rejection of your upbringing. And you wasted your time as well as ours by droning on and on about the inconsequential, the meaningless Friendly Sons get-togethers, something you had to do so as to promote domestic tranquility after you shed the headphones.


So I thought I would join in the fun. Because of my work schedule I stopped listening to his show month's ago but on Thursday I was in a place that had WILK on the radio so I had no choice. Corbett was droning on about the 3 candidates for the Federal Bench for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and what a shame it was that they are all men. To make matters worse in his eyes one of them belongs to that sexist organization the Friendy Sons of St. Patrick.

In 2008 presidential primary his show turned into the Whoring for Hillary Hour then after she lost the nomination he backed MCCain because Sarah Palin was on the ticket. To him issues don't matter only gender. I searched for an explanation of this bizarre behavior and it may be found in his interest in eastern religions.

He just may be a reincarnation of the guy on the left in this video.





Or maybe this is just a WLIK staff meeting.

For more Corbett fun check out Steve Corbett: The Drinking Game

If you're on Facebook vist this group.

Blog, Email and Facebook maintenance

I have received so many messages over the last few weeks via email or Facebook that I'm sure I haven't replied to all of them. Please forgive me and resend your missives if I haven't got back to you. I cleaned up the email this morning and will tackle Facebook later tonight. Also the blogroll has some dead sites that need to be deleted and a few new ones will be added. I will be updating NEPA Blogs with our new local scribes over the next day or two.

Tidbits

I've always posted about things that are not political but I thought were interesting or just personal on Gort42. Now I find that I put that sort of thing on my Facebook page . I have it set up that whatever I put on the blog will automatically post on Facebook so should I continue to bore you about my everyday pet peeves and pictures of my pets?

Another Monkey predicted a few months ago that Facebook and Twitter will kill blogging. Ed Mitchell sent me this link a few weeks ago arguing the same point.

I think blogs will be around for awhile and even grow in the political sphere of influence but they may decline as a version of an online diary because other than your friends very few people are interested in what you had for breakfast.

So I will share some of my pet peeves .

Cell phones. I don't have one and I don't understand why people are glued to the things especially when they are driving a car. What the hell can be that important? You are slaves to those machines.

TV audio. Whenever the show you are watching goes to commercial the ad is a lot louder than the program.

Flashing lights. The radio towers on Penobscot Mountain now have a strobe light that I think is dangerous to people with epilepsy and blinding to many others.

Talking elevators. I can look at the buttons and figure out what floor I am on and don't need to be told to watch my step.

Change. I was in the F&B business for a long time and I always taught my people was not to put the customer on the spot. A server should never ask "do you need change" after you plopped down your cash on the check. The proper response is I will be right back with your change .

Plastic. Whenever you buy some sort of electronic product it comes in a well built plastic package that you need a chain saw to open.

Enough bitching. Pictures of the Pets are in order.

Quincy keeps an eye on Ptolemy who keeps an eye on Quincy.

The Coffee Party

The Tea Baggers have received all the attention lately so it's natural that there would be a blowback.

From the Pennsylvania Progressive

A new Facebook group called The Coffee Party now has over 6200 members. At least we'll be more alert than those teabaggers.


Join the Coffee Party Movement

We recognize that the federal gov't is not the enemy of the people, but the expression of our collective will...As voters & volunteers, we will support leaders who work toward positive solutions, & hold accountable those who obstruct them.

Pet Blogging

By popular demand I loaded some new pictures of Quincy on my Facebook page. Above we see Ptolemy acting like some Republicans going after Rush Limbaugh. Later in the day Ptolemy apologized to Quincy.

For more puppy pix click here.

This Facebook thing is popular

Damn you Michelle.

Michelle signed me us as a friend a few hours ago and now some of my blog buddies have got into the act.


Gort and Bernie O'Hare are now friends.

Gort and Eric Schmeltzer are now friends


Gort and David Slavick are now friends.


Gort and Chris Lilik are now friends

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=596312576&ref=mf

There is no way I'm going to be able to keep up with this.