Republicans are touting a questionable poll

Many of my Trumplican friends are all excited abut an "independent poll" from Commonwealth Leaders Fund that shows Wagner  and Barletta within the margin of error. 
 
The poll reports Gov. Tom Wolf leading Scott Wagner 46% to 43%. Sen. Bob Casey leads Rep. Lou Barletta 47% to 45%.  
The polling, conducted via IVR interviews from Aug. 13-15, included 2,012 likely voters. 

I have never heard of the Commonwealth Leaders Fund and a google search came up empty. A link to the poll Topline View.

I have been reading polls for years and this one is ridiculous. The cross tabs show that Trump has positive favorable rating.  53% of those polled identified as either very conservative or somewhat conservative. Only20% polled considered themselves very liberal or somewhat liberal. 

They used the  dubious method  of IVR. 
To give you an example I told the last IVR poll that I got that I'm a 30 something Female Asian American who is a life long Republican but will vote for all the Democrats this fall. 

The real polls:

RCP Average	4/4 - 6/25	--	--	48.0	32.0	Wolf +16.0
Suffolk	6/21 - 6/25	500 LV	4.4	49	36	Wolf +13
Franklin & Marshall	6/4 - 6/10	472 RV	6.5	48	29	Wolf +19
Morning Call	4/4 - 4/12	414 RV	5.5	47	31	Wolf +16

RCP Average	4/4 - 6/25	--	--	46.3	30.3	Casey +16.0
Suffolk	6/21 - 6/25	500 LV	4.4	47	32	Casey +15
Franklin & Marshall	6/4 - 6/10	472 RV	6.5	44	27	Casey +17
Morning Call	4/4 - 4/12	414 RV	5.5	48	32	Ca

Senator Bob Casey in town

Senator Bob Casey gave one on the most passionate speeches on health care  that I have ever heard. He threw out out a lot of statistics about how the ACA has covered thousands of people in Luzerne County. Then he gave examples of people who have benefited from the law.

The longer he talked about health care the more angry he got about the sabotage of the ACA

Some much about the Sleeping thing that the Republicans are pushing

Meuser at the Grotto

Tens of people came out to hear former PA Revenue Secretary and unsuccessful 2008 PA 10th CD Republican candidate give his pitch for electing him to the 11th CD seat being vacated by Lou Barletta.

Luzerne County GOP Chair Ron Ferrance did the intro saying we need someone in Congress that will support the President. Other notables in attendance were State Rep. Karen Boback, Bear Creek Village Mayor Walter Mitchell, the next DJ in the back mountain Brian Tupper, Old Forge School Director Frank Scavo and Luzerne County candidate Marc Dixon.

Meuser tied himself firmly to Trump and Barletta.

Meuser said he was a conservative problem solver who wants to get behind the President's Make America Great Again (MAGA)  agenda. Tax reform, repeal Obamacare, strong military, border security, term limits and drain the swamp (DTS) , etc. He said he was urged by Barletta to run for Congress if Lou ran for Senate. The way he explained it was almost like a Quid pro quo. 

I was surprised by how much he discussed the nuts and bolts of the campaign. Everything from yard signs to money. Meuser said he was outworking the other candidates and claimed the support of 8 GOP county chairs. He said he will need $750,000 to win the primary.

He took some shots at Democrats saying the Republicans are the party of the red, white and blue who's favorite holiday is the 4th of July while the Dems celebrate April 15th. Senator Casey has gone extreme left and brought up Nancy Pelosi. 

At the end someone asked him about combating the lies that politicians tell. Meuser said he would give them a pass the first time but would lose his support if they did it again. Then he went on about draining the swamp and MAGA.

Maybe he should read this fake news article:

Trump's Lies



 Updated July 21: The president is still lying, so we've added to this list, and provided links to the facts in each case.

                                                  

Denny Wolff for Congress

Another Democrat has joined the race to succeed Lou Barletta (R) in the PA 11th CD. He joins USAF vet Alan Howe on the Democratic side.

Wolff was PA Agriculture Secretary under Governor Ed Rendell. He was appointed by  President Clinton and held over by Dubya on the WTO Agriculture Technical Committee.

From his website :In addition to his farm work and public service, Denny is the proud founder of Camp Victory, a camp for children with special needs that’s adjacent to his farm. The camp today hosts over 1,500 children and their families from across the country each summer. Denny was inspired to start Camp Victory after his youngest son, Nicholas, was born with a life-threatening liver disease and spent most of the first two years of his life in hospitals until he received a lifesaving liver transplant when he was eighteen months old.

Website: Denny Wolff for Congress
 
Facebook page: Denny Wolff for Congress

The crowded field that is the race for the 11th congressional district

 
Six people so far have announced they are candidates for the 11th Congressional District seat, now held by Lou Barletta. They are,  Dan Meuser, Stephen Bloom, Robert Alan Howe, and Denny Wolff, Andrew Shecktor and Andrew Lewis.

Marino the Drug Czar

Lou Barletta and Tom Marino

This report in the WaPo is shocking but not surprising. PA 10th CD Congressman Tom Marino (R) took $150,000+ from pharmaceutical companies then wrote a law to get the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) off their backs.

For years, some drug distributors were fined for repeatedly ignoring warnings from the DEA to shut down suspicious sales of hundreds of millions of pills, while they racked up billions of dollars in sales.
The new law makes it virtually impossible for the DEA to freeze suspicious narcotic shipments from the companies

 This tells you every thing you need to know about Marino. He called the cops when reporters wanted to interview him. Marino declined repeated requests for comment. Marino’s staff called the U.S. Capitol Police when The Post and “60 Minutes” tried to interview the congressman at his office on Sept. 12. 

This is nothing new. He has helped drug dealers in the past.

 
 By Michael R. Sisak / Staff Writer

A prominent central Pennsylvania car dealer once described as a “friend” by former U.S. Attorney Tom Marino has racked up an extensive rap sheet since leaning on Marino to have a cocaine dealing conviction cleared from his record more than a decade ago, court documents obtained by The Citizens’ Voice show.

Jay W. Kilheeney, an admitted drug addict and alcoholic, has been busted three times since Marino clumsily and unsuccessfully interceded in the drug case, in June 1998, and has been accused in protection from abuse petitions of leading a violent, vagabond home life.


His lies about his relationship with Louis DeNaples and permission letter from the DOJ.

Marino changes story

 Tom Marino, Republican candidate for Congress, has changed his story six months after he told a Wilkes-Barre talk radio reporter that he had gotten permission from his superiors in the U.S. Department of Justice before lending his name as a reference for a convicted felon who was seeking a casino license...He also denied that he had ever claimed that he received, or could provide, written authorization from the Justice Department allowing him to give a personal reference to former casino operator Louis DeNaples.

 Even the Bush Administration thought he was incompetent 

 

Marino almost got fired before he quit

 Marino's effectiveness questioned

A senior Justice Department official recommended firing Marino in September 2006, saying he "perceived that Marino was not leading his office," according to the report, which has taken on fresh relevance as the Republican challenges Democratic incumbent Chris Carney in the 10th Congressional District.

D. Kyle Sampson, the chief of staff to then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, subsequently placed Marino's name on a list of U.S. Attorneys he said the department, "should consider pushing out," based on "problems" he learned about in summer 2006, according to the report.
You can read the report at this link.

The only thing that saved his tail was the Justice Department didn't want to piss off Senator Arlen Specter. 

And he is such a charmer with the voters

 

 

Steve Bloom for Congress

There is now a 3rd Republican candidate to replace Lou Barletta in the PA 11th CD with a few more to come. State Rep. Stephen Bloom (R-Cumberland)joins Dan Meuser and Andrew Shecktor looking to join the swamp in Washington. Alan Howe is the only Dem in the race so far. 

                                                        

He didn't send out a traditional press release or announce his candidacy at a rally but put up a  YouTube video. 

You can view it at his website: https://actnowcongress.org/

Bill O in the TL sums up his platform 

Obamacare bad, secure the border, give the Pentagon more money, bad trade deals
and end taxpayer subsidies for the heartbreaking abortion industry.


Also from his website: 
 
As a husband, parent, and grandparent, I can’t imagine losing this once-in-a-generation opportunity to do good. That’s why I’m running for Congress. It’s time for action.

 

Dan Meuser for Congress

Dan Meuser with Lisa Baker at the Fall 2010 Blogfest

Here we go go again. Former PA Revenue Secretary and failed 2008 PA 10th CD Republican primary candidate Dan Meuser is running to succeed Lou Barletta. He was flirting with a run for PA Lt. Governor but a better opportunity arose. His announcement has already knocked Tarah Toohil out of the race.  He is tying himself to Barletta and Trump.

To refresh you memory Dan Meuser and Chris Hackett had a knock down, drag out primary fight to oppose Chris Carney. They both spent over $1 million and Hackett won only to lose the general election. There was a lot of bad blood after that election and many Meuser supporters told me they couldn't support Hackett.

His campaign slogan seemed to be Pride Mobility for Congress. So every problem the company had in the past became  fair game for his opponent

Some of the controversies:

EXETER: A woman formerly employed at Pride Mobility Products Corp. has filed a wage discrimination lawsuit against the company, alleging she was paid less than male counterparts who performed the same job. She also is alleging sexual harassment and retaliation for complaining about it.


 TPM Cafe: Meuser's company has settled a contentious lawsuit over the death of an elderly man using their wheelchair, in which plaintiffs alleged that a defective battery caused a fire. From the Monterey County Herald, January 9, 2007: "Had the case gone to trial, according to court records and statements in court, jurors may have heard evidence that Pride Mobility was aware of at least 18 other fires in its wheelchairs and scooters with identical battery packs since 2002. Ten of those fires destroyed dwellings and five were fatal." (From Nexis).

 The Medicare OIG fined Pride $80,000 for a kickback scheme.

And his past political contributions: 

 On behalf of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, I wanted to thank you for your kind, past contributions to strong Democrats such as Congressman Paul Kanjorski, Senator Hillary Clinton, Congressman Charlie Rangel and many others. Your contributions have helped Democrats to take back the House and Senate in 2006 and potentially take the White House in 2008.

I have a big basket of this stuff if any other campaign is interested.


 Many thanks to Tiffany Cloud for sending this:

Dan Meuser To Run For 11th Congressional District Seat

Businessman and Former Revenue Secretary To Continue Barletta’s Work

Luzerne County Businessman and former Secretary of the Department of Revenue Dan Meuser announced today that he was entering the race to represent the 11th District in the United States Congress. Congressman Lou Barletta announced days ago that he would run for the United States Senate.

“I have always supported Lou Barletta and I plan to continue to support him in his run for the United States Senate,” Dan Meuser said. “Both Lou and I will fight for an agenda that puts America’s interests first and rebuilds the middle class so the economy works for everyone.”

Dan has lived in the area that makes up the 11th District for over 25 years, he and his wife of 27 years raising their family in the district. Dan joined Pride Healthcare, based in Luzerne County and now called Pride Mobility Products, in 1988. Dan became President of Pride Mobility, USA in 2001. Pride has become the leading manufacturer of power mobility and complex rehabdevices in the country, and employs over 800 people in Northeast Pennsylvania.

"I've spent 25 years in the private sector helping create thousands of jobs. During this time my wife and I supported many important causes including the YMCA, local colleges, the Back Mountain Recreation Association and the Wyoming County Children's Association,” Meuser said.

In 2010, Dan was appointed and unanimously confirmed Secretary of the Dept. of Revenue. Dan and his team worked to reform the department, implement customer-first policies, and treat taxpayers like customers. Under Dan’s leadership, the Department was named the most improved Department of Revenue in the country and received a grade improvement from a D+ to an A- from the Council on State Taxation.

“We worked day in and day out to make sure that everyone knew that it was taxpayers who came first at the Department of Revenue,” Meuser said. “Our team reformed the department and turned it into a taxpayer advocacy agency, rather than a mere collector of taxes.”

Dan Meuser is running first and foremost because he loves his country and wants to continue to serve his community. Dan will be a consistent conservative voice in Washington, making sure that he takes the values of the 11th District to Washington every day. Dan will be an advocate for an economy that works for everyone, a healthcare system that provides access and affordability without the heavy handed federal mandates of Obamacare, and a strong military ready to defeat ISIS and any other threat to our nation, and to secure our borders.

“I’m a constitutional conservative who will always put the needs of America first,” Meuser said. “I want to restore our broken political system by always working on behalf of the people of the 11th District.”

Dan also believes that the next Congressman must be accessible to the people he serves.

“I will be very engaged and constituent focused, making sure that I am accessible and transparent,” Meuser said. “That means being involved in resolving issues, large and small, throughout the district.”

Dan will be traveling the 11th District visiting each county over the next 2 weeks.

Alan Howe for Congress

At Kirby Park

With Lou Barletta deciding to run for Senate there is a lot of speculation about who will run in the PA 11th Congressional District. I'm going to resist getting into all that and cover candidates that have actually announced that they are running.

Alan Howe is a USAF veteran who rose to the top enlisted rank of Chief Master Sergeant. That's E-10 for my friends that are vets of the other services. He lives in Carlisle with his wife and dogs and is an avid fly fisherman.

He entered the race as a Democrat a few months ago before Barletta decided he needs a promotion.

From his website:

We must help our local communities grow

Our nation was founded on the idea of equality for all and the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To help protect those rights, we formed a Democracy that had as its principle aims: “to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”
Your Representative to the US House should be working diligently on these tasks. He or she should be making sure that your government does things for you, not to you. You should see, hear from, and talk to your Representative routinely. You should know that your Representative is doing right by you, your community, and your nation.
Twenty-five years ago, the Air Force asked me to internalize the core values of “Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do.” You can expect that as your Representative, I will to the right thing always for our district and for our nation, and I will do it as well as it can be done.
As a candidate, I am hard at work traveling throughout the 11th District to hear from as many of you as I can. As your elected Representative, I will continue to work hard to craft and sponsor policies to see that your government does its best for you—just as it should, so you can enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness with your family and friends.

Facebook page:  

Alan Howe for Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District

 

                                                                                          

Lou Barletta for Vice President

Lou Barletta for VP. It's a perfect fit with Trump's immigration stance. Besides, who else would want the job. Maybe Tom Marino or Newt Gingrich.

This Wapo story only adds to the fuel. 

 5. Reps. Tom Marino and Lou Barletta: Okay, we cheated by putting two people in the fifth spot. But it's tough to mention one Pennsylvania Republican without the other. Trump insiders say both men's endorsements were crucial in helping Trump win Pennsylvania in April. That night, you'll recall, was Trump's five-state sweep in the Northeastern primary and seemingly the beginning of the end of the Republican nominating contests. Barletta is an immigration hard-liner who likes Trump's idea to build a wall, and Marino, who represents a conservative, more rural section of northeastern Pennsylvania, told Politico that endorsing Trump was "one of my life-changing moment.

If Barletta is not the VP choice maybe he could be Ambassador to Mexico.

The Pope in America

 Photo Credit


Pope Francis started his North American tour in Cuba then flew to Washington and now he is in New York. His address to Congress has been interpreted as endorsing one political point of view or another depending on who you listen to. As far as his pronouncements about helping the poor and being tolerant of other people he hasn't said anything different than previous Pontiffs. Do good works, feed the poor, stop poisoning the planet and follow the golden rule.

 He reminded us all in the Americas that most of us are immigrants.

 It will all be forgotten by next week.

Congress-critters weigh in:

Matt Cartwright

 
“I am struck by the historical significance of His Holiness Pope Francis’ visit to the United States, and honored to have witnessed Pope Francis address a Joint Session of Congress this morning.
“I share key public policy priorities and commitments set forward by Pope Francis during his tenure.  Specifically, I was pleased and inspired that His Holiness discussed the caring for the marginalized and the poor, advancing economic opportunity for all, and serving as good stewards of the environment.
“I am very much moved by the presence of the Holy Father and my hope is that his message will stir policy makers to make the world a better place for all of its citizens.”


Lou Barletta


 
“It was a singular honor for me and my wife, Mary Grace, to be present in the House chamber when Pope Francis addressed a joint session of Congress, the first time any pope has done so.  These are very troubling times in which we live, and the pope’s message of peace is something that people of all faiths – or no faith at all – can benefit from.  We should be greeting the Holy Father as Americans, not as Republicans or Democrats, and check our politics at the door as we do so.  He is the leader of one of the great religions of the world, the successor to Saint Peter, and we should all listen to and reflect on what he has to say.
“As a Catholic, I revere the pope as the leader of my church, the Vicar of Jesus Christ, and I am glad to have him open conversations about secular policy, which we may consider and discuss freely.  Whether Pope Francis’s remarks confirmed your position on a certain issue, or caused you to examine your own beliefs, his speech was a call for us to be better caretakers of each other and our world.  As matters of public policy, members of Congress may disagree on the pathway to achieving certain goals, but his overall message is something we can all embrace.  
“I agree with Pope Francis that we must be good stewards of the environment, and appreciate his embrace of new technologies as a means to that end.  His view that prosperous nations such as ours should welcome new citizens is well taken, as is the church’s Catechism that those new arrivals must respect the laws of their new host countries.  Finally, he was unequivocal about the sanctity of life, and that we must cherish and protect life in all of its stages.
“When the pope speaks of caring for the poor, the sick, and the unborn, he is speaking to what many of us believe.  It is fitting that he has visited America, because this is a nation which shares his vision of putting people in position to be able to pursue their dreams and enjoy the blessings of liberty.
“This was an extraordinary thrill for Mary Grace and me to witness Pope Francis’s address, as well as the canonization mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  These are experiences we will never forget.”

Barletta BBQ on Monday

Congresista Lou Barletta está teniendo una comida campestre en el barrio de Hazelton oeste el lunes. Yo no estoy seguro que asiste pero Rick Santorum debería hacer una aparición para pagar Lou para su aprobación.

 El ex senador y candidato presidencial republicano Rick Santorum ha anunciado el respaldo del congresista Lou Barletta para su campaña presidencial 2016.

"Me siento orgulloso de apoyar a Rick Santorum para el presidente. El senador Santorum es una de las voces más apasionadas y eficaces de nuestra nación para las familias norteamericanas trabajadoras. Él entiende que necesitamos políticas en Washington que ponen a los trabajadores estadounidenses primero, no el gobierno grande o grandes cantidades de dinero ", dijo Barletta. "Tengo muchas ganas de trabajar con la campaña de Santorum."

The last we heard from his only opponent so far, Mike Marsicano, he was walking up hills in Shamokin

Mike Marsicano for Congress

From his press release:

Former Hazleton Mayor Mike Marsicano announced today his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Congress representing the 11th Congressional District.

The announcement was made before a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters on the steps of the former Hazleton High School. The school, a historic local landmark, was slated for demolition during Marsicano's tenure as mayor. Marsicano led a community wide effort to save the building, at one point refusing to issue permits for demolition work. His actions resulted in the building being saved and restored and is now in use as both an elementary/middle school as well as the site of the Wiltsie Center for the Performing Arts.

Marsicano stressed the themes of bipartisanship and the restoration of a more congenial approach to governing. He indicated his intention to knock on doors in every part of the 11th District to bring his campaign directly to the voters, and will begin to do so immediately in Carbon County. His full announcement and biographical information is attached.

Issues positions can be found at the campaign website www.marsicano.net



 From the TL:

HAZLETON — Michael Marsicano, former Hazleton mayor and a pilot who flew key players in the Kids for Cash scandal to a Florida where their condominium was located, announced his bid Sunday for the seat held by U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta.
Marsicano read from a prepared text and did not take questions from the media in the brief announcement on the steps of the former Hazleton High School from which he graduated in 1966.

Mark Guydish really clobbers him:

Marsicano lost his re-election bid after four years. Having entered office with a small surplus, he left the city $1.4 million in debt.
He returned in 2007 to run for mayor anew. Unopposed in the Democratic primary, Marsicano lost. I’m not kidding. Incumbent Mayor Lou Barletta mounted a write -in campaign for himself as Democratic nominee and beat Marsicano.
Through all this, Marsicano repeatedly pushed for a freight-only airport outside Hazleton that several experts said was unneeded. At one point he joined Gladstone Partners, with Powell and Greg Zappala, to push the idea. Powell and Zappala were co-owners of the PA Child Care juvenile facilities at the heart of “kids for cash.”


Are there no Matt Cartwright's in that district. This is a tough district for the Dems as Romney won it by 10 points in 2012 but they can surely come up with a better candidate than this guy or the disbarred lawyer they ran last time. 

I'm sure my good friend McGruff could add more information with a Hazleton perspective  if he wasn't so busy cooking and eating too much.
 

Another knee jerk reaction from Lou Barletta

Well he got his Sanctuary Cities bill through the House .  Now he wants to micromanage the armed services about the rules that govern when some one can carry a firearm on base.

 

Barletta Urges SecDef to Allow Weapons for Service Members 

I was in the military for 8 years and there were very strict rules about when someone could carry a weapon and where. FOR GOOD REASONS!

You almost never   hear of some " gun accident"  happening on a military base. 

Ask any base commander who is probably a Colonel in his 40's if he want's a bunch of his 18-20 year old troops running around with loaded guns on post. Think about it, what could possibly go wrong?

Looking to 2014

As my long time readers know the primary focus of this blog has always been elections. Next year we choose a Governor of the Commonwealth, members of the US House and state House and half the state Senate. In the next few days I will post about these and some races around the country.

PA Gov Tom Cabot Corbett has an uphill climb according to the polls but things can change in the next year and no sitting Guv has lost reelection since they have been allowed to run for a 2nd term. So far there are 8 Dems smelling blood in the water.

The Lt. Governors race is most interesting as I have met most of the Democratic contenders. My early favorite is Brad Koplinski because he sent me a bribe.

Of the 3 local Congressman I keep an eye on only Matt Cartwright has a declared opponent so far. 2 of them in fact. A few people are teasing that they will run against Lou Barletta including Bill Vinsko, Gene Stilp and Chris Carney but I doubt any of them will run. Libetarian Betsy Summers may get into it.

A few weeks ago an old friend called to feel me out about running against Tom Marino in the Republican primary. His rational was Marino is one of the most ethically challenged people to ever hold office.  I had to throw cold water on the idea because his family wasn't behind it and he would need to declare right now and raise at least $100K before the end of the year.


On the state scene Sen. John Yudichak has no declared opponent so far. Neither do Mike Carroll, Phyllis Mundy, Eddie Day Pashinski, Tarah Toohil or Gerry Mullery. I heard a rumor that Mullery may get a primary opponent.

Karen Boback however is being challenged by Laura Dickson. I haven't been this excited about a state rep race since James May took her on.

Cartwright supports ENDA, Barletta is quiet

WASHINGTON -- The Senate voted Thursday to approve the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, landmark civil rights legislation that would make it illegal to discriminate against LGBT individuals in the workplace.
The final vote was 64-32, with 10 Republicans joining Democrats. The Republican senators backing the legislation were cosponsors Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), along with Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).

Sen. Toomey tried to amend the bill at the last minute  that would have weakened the protections under the guise of religious liberty but that was shot down and he voted in favor of it in the end.  Nice try of Pat trying to have it both ways.


Only one Senator spoke against the measure and it now moves to the House. It is hard to speak out against ending discrimination. The Speaker says it's a jobs killer and won't bring it up for a vote. I think that may change.

Congressman Matt Cartwright sent a press release supporting the law but Lou Barletta has not stated his position.

Cartwright Statement on Senate Passage of the Employee Non-Discrimination Act

Washington – U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright released the following statement after the Senate passed the Employee Non-Discrimination Act with a bipartisan vote of 64-32: “Today, the Senate took an important step forward toward protecting all Americans from workplace and employment discrimination by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act with a strong, bipartisan vote of 64-32.  “This legislation will make it illegal to discriminate against LGBT Americans in hiring, provide safeguards against wrongful termination, and ensure that LGBT employees cannot be held back from advancement because of discrimination.  “Currently 21 states and the District of Columbia have laws prohibiting workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation, unfortunately, Pennsylvania is not one of those 21 states.   “I applaud Senator Bob Casey and Senator Pat Toomey for supporting this legislation and urge Speaker Boehner to reconsider his previous remarks and allow the House to take up the Senate's bipartisan Employment Non-Discrimination Act without delay.” Statement by the President on Senate Passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013   For more than two centuries, the story of our nation has been the story of more citizens realizing the rights and freedoms that are our birthright as Americans.  Today, a bipartisan majority in the Senate took another important step in this journey by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would help end the injustice of our fellow Americans being denied a job or fired just because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.  Just as no one in the United States can lose their job simply because of their race, gender, religion or a disability, no one should ever lose their job simply because of who they are or who they love.       Today’s victory is a tribute to all those who fought for this progress ever since a similar bill was introduced after the Stonewall riots more than three decades ago.  In particular, I thank Majority Leader Reid, Chairman Harkin, Senators Merkley and Collins for their leadership, and Senator Kirk for speaking so eloquently in support of this legislation.  Now it’s up to the House of Representatives.  This bill has the overwhelming support of the American people, including a majority of Republican voters, as well as many corporations, small businesses and faith communities.  They recognize that our country will be more just and more prosperous when we harness the God-given talents of every individual.   One party in one house of Congress should not stand in the way of millions of Americans who want to go to work each day and simply be judged by the job they do.  Now is the time to end this kind of discrimination in the workplace, not enable it.  I urge the House Republican leadership to bring this bill to the floor for a vote and send it to my desk so I can sign it into law.  On that day, our nation will take another historic step toward fulfilling the founding ideals that define us as Americans. Update from Lou Barletta's spox:   The Congressman opposes discrimination.  He has not seen the bill, however, and wants to make sure it does not infringe on any rights of others – religious institutions for example.

End the Tea Party Shutdown

Washington DC (October 9, 2013) – Now nine days into the Tea Party government shutdown, hasn’t the middle class suffered enough?   Not enough for Tea Party Republicans in Congress who continue to throw out absurd ransom demands in exchange for doing their job and keeping the government functioning. Brad Woodhouse, President, Americans United for Change: “Make no mistake: refusing to support clean legislation to keep the government open at the 11^th hour was the act of extortionist Tea Party Republicans plain and simple.  Some Republicans even openly cheered it on.  The anti-government Tea Partiers who are calling the shots in the House demanded a ransom they knew they would never get: killing the Affordable Care Act.

This spot is airing in Harrisburg and I will tune into the local news later today to see if it's on the air in our market. I never really associated Lou with the teabaggers because his claim to fame is the immigration issue. But then again that is a natural fit.

PoliticsPA: “The House passed several bills to keep the government open. The Senate rejected each of them, shutting down the government,” said Barletta campaign spokesman Lance Stange. “Rep. Barletta remains committed to discussing how we can re -open the government and pay our bills whenever the Senate decides to have that conversation.”

Barletta moves the goal post

Rep. Lou Barletta (R) keeps disappointing us. In this whole budget mess he sounded almost reasonable but has reverted to making unreasonable demands for his vote to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling. He voted at first to defund Obamacare and  then to delay the ACA like the rest of the Republicans. When that didn't work out and the government shutdown came along  Lou made a few lists of people willing to vote for a clean continuing resolution but that didn't last long. . Now he wants a repeal of the the tax on medical devices in exchange for his vote to fund the government.

The Republicans complain that the Democrats won't negotiate but there is no need to as the Republicans keep negotiating with themselves. They started off with defunding the ACA , then delay it and now will settle for a repeal of one of the taxes that fund it.

It's a weak position. I suppose the Dems could let them have a vote on the device tax with a promise it will pass the day after they pass a clean CR as way of saving face.

This is more of a worry.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today called for a Constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget as a trade-off for raising the nation’s debt limit as requested by President Obama.

The balanced budget amendment sounds good but it is nonsense. Government finances are somewhat complicated so who decides that the budget is in balance? Will accounting ledgers go to the Supreme Court that will rule on the question 2 years later? The Constitution is about rights and processes not specific policies.

You can argue about the budget but raising the debt ceiling is non-negotiable.  

Tweedledummies

Another Chris Carney tease

PoliticsPA is reporting that the DCCC had  a poll of former 10th CD Congressman Chris Carney vs. 11th CD Congressman Lou Barletta recently without any numbers. We went through this last time. Don't get your hopes up Carney fans as he  is not running for Congress or Lt. Governor which is laughable.. He spent 2 terms in Congress and cashed in becoming as a lobbyist  with a defense contractor in Virginia. Every time one of these stories pops up he can't be reached by reporters or bloggers which tells you something.

in government affairs for BAE systems

in government affairs for BAE systems

Tom Marino needs to read the Constitution

via Think Progress:  Congressman Tom Marino wants to impeach Harry Reid because he is mad about the budget or something.

MARINO: I’ve made a suggestion that we should at least start talking about impeachment. I had my office staff do it. But we cannot find anything that permits the House to bring impeachment proceedings against Harry Reid. There’s nothing in the legislation we can find at this point to force him to vote or come up with a budget or anything like that. His membership in the Senate can call for a vote of “no confidence,” but we can’t even get a Republican senator to do that.

The reason his staff can't find anything is because it doesn't exist. The House can't remove a member of the Senate.  Article I Section 5 of the Constitution says each house makes it own rules:

Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member.

Also there is nothing in the Constitution about a "no confidence vote." That can happen in the British Parliament but not the US Congress.

A few months ago 11th CD Congressman Lou Barletta stated that the President could veto a Constitutional amendment. Article V of the US Constitution says that an amendment must be passed by two thirds of the House and Senate then ratified by three fourths of the State Legislatures.

The President can not veto a Constitutional Amendment!

Barletta also wants to deny birthright citizenship guaranteed by the 14th amendment.

Keystone Politics:
H.R.140, the “Birthright Citizenship Act of 2013,” seeks to bar children of non-citizens born in the United States from gaining citizenship rights.

If this was applied retroactively I would not be an an American citizen as my grandparents were not American citizens when they came to the the USA . My Mother and Father would not be American citizens even they were born in this country to foreign born parents.

A Major Award

Tiffany Cloud is the hostess of Storm Politics on WYLN in Hazelton which has become one of my favorite public affairs programs on TV. She also wrote the great book Sleeping with Dog Tags . The thing about Tiffany is that she welcomes all comers and has a great discussion with people she disagrees with that doesn't turn into a talking head shouting match like you see on the cable news channels.

In the latest episode she handed out the Lightening Bolt Awards. Cloud, Storm, Lightening the weather metaphors are endless. May I suggest the Snow Job Awards for next year.

The winner is  Yasue Bengali, a Japanese immigrant to the US who recently became a citizen and explains how great this county is as only an immigrant could.

The honorable mentions of other people who have appeared on her show is a mix of Democratic and Republican office holders plus those that will be elected in the future or never at all.

Some Bolts went out to Aaron Kaufer, Matt Cartwright, Tarah Toohil, Stefanie Salavantis and Lou Barletta.Young Republicans Bob Zaruta and Jen Rinehamer and Young Dem Thom Shibula along with the happiest man I know, Casey Evans.

In December of last year I was her guest on Storm Politics and David Yonki has also been on the program and we came in 9th. I think she gives us too much credit for the election results but I'll take it. To answer her question of why anyone would push the liberal agenda in these economic times is simple. Austerity doesn't work. You don't cut spending when the economy is down and if anything the government's goal should be to get the unemployment rate down to 4%. The US government is borrowing money right now at a negative interest rate when you factor in inflation. Borrow more and put people to work! She said the conservatives are being outsmarted by these 2 lovers of the left. Hah!

The highlight of this clip is at the 2 minute mark.