Endorsements

I have long had the view that most endorsements are only good for a press release unless they bring boots on the ground or bundles of money. That being said it is better to get the endorsement of the local newspaper than not.

But just remember how the Times-Leader endorsement gave us State Rep Christine Kotsock way back when she was still a Republican. She even printed signs that said "Endorsed by the Times-Leader." She got clobbered by Eddie Day Pashinski 2 to 1 in 2006. I'm sure I can find other examples but this one comes to mind. Congressman Malcolm Derk, if he wasn't in the race I think Dave Madeira just might have topped geographically challenged Tom Marino.

The endorsement that matters the most in this election was made by a collection of Unions that natuarally pissed of many of my Republican friends. There also some hard feelings on the Dem side.
Maybe the question should be "why don't I have those protections" instead of why do "those people have them."

Anyway here is the annointed list:



http://www.timesleader.com/opinion/OUR-ENDORSEMENT-LUZERNE-COUNTY-COUNCIL--DEMOCRATS.html

Our endorsement: Luzerne County Council, Republicans

Malcolm is not in the middle

Middleburg, Pennsylvania – Snyder County Commissioner and former U.S. Congressional candidate Malcolm Derk formally endorsed Tom Marino for U.S. Congress today at a press conference in front of the Snyder County Courthouse. Derk was surrounded by several area residents and elected officials.

"I am proud to endorse Tom Marino for Congress. Throughout the Primary Election, Tom Marino and I became close friends. We share the same core principals of lower taxes, fewer government regulations, less government spending, and a strong national defense. I am confident that he will take those common sense conservative values to Washington D.C. as our next United States Congressman. I have no doubt that he will make us proud" said Derk.

"Commissioner Malcolm Derk is a fine public servant. I am proud to call him a friend and am honored to have his endorsement. As Snyder County Commissioner, he has been a tireless advocate for lower taxes and smaller government. I rely on his advise and greatly appreciate his support" stated Marino.

"As your next United States Congressman, I will help the private sector create family sustaining jobs, reduce government spending, eliminate excessive regulations, cut taxes, support an national energy plan, and work to repeal the Obama/Pelosi/Carney Healthcare Bill" added Marino.

Radio Dave

My friend David Madeira has the first local based show on the new conservative talk radio station 94.3 FM. He describes himself as a recovering politician that wants to save the country from liberalism. That hasn't worked out well so far and I'm of the opinion that many people are rhetorically conservative but functionally liberal. More on that in a future post.

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Madeira recently lost the Republican nomination for Congress in the PA 10th Congressional District to Tom Marino. In 2008 he was instrumental in helping Chris Hackett go down in flames against Congressman Chris Carney and before that he came in 2nd in the 2006 GOP primary for the 20th PA State Senate seat, losing to Lisa Baker.

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I talked with Madeira yesterday on the telephone and asked him how he got this gig and he explained that he pitched it to WILK first but they blew him off but the people at The Talker decided to give him a chance. Talk radio is a natural forum for David as anybody who has ever been in the same room as Dave knows the most dangerous place to be is between him and a microphone.

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The interview:

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Let me ask a question off the record

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I don't have to do that anymore so ask me me anything you want. I'm having more fun being a talk show host than being a candidate. I no longer have to worry about offending anyone. I can be like you pajama clad bloggers.

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You have great website for the show, who put it together?

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My 14 year old son

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You got such a great time slot. There must be dozens of people listening at 8AM on a Saturday

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It's just a reflection of the owners confidence in my ability.

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Can Marino win

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I do. I think that the anti-incumbent and anti-Democratic mood has been underestimated. It will be a tough race because Carney will try to eviscerate Marino as he did to Hackett over the flat tax issue.

A podcast of his show is available at this link

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David Madeira show

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Dave told me he is hoping to move on to a bigger audience and I wish him well. The right wing airwaves are just about saturated so I will give him some unsolicited advice. Talk about local issues, build an audience and get a better time slot.

10th CD results

Tom Marino will face Congressman Chris Carney in the fall.


DERK, MALCOLM L. (REP) 13,956 29.9%
MADEIRA, DAVID (REP) 13,942 29.8%
MARINO, THOMAS A. (REP) 18,832 40.3%

I'll have fun with this one.

Malcolm Derk sends a letter

An Open Letter to the 10th Congressional District



These past few months, I have had the amazing honor of meeting voters from across all 14 counties in this District. I have worked hard to earn your vote on Election Day. There are important issues in this campaign, and my Republican opponents and I agree on most of them. We are all pro-life, pro-second amendment, and advocate fiscally conservative policies. I will support either of my primary opponents should they win the nomination. That being said, I will highlight two things that distinguish me from my opponents. I have served on the front lines defending taxpayers as a County Commissioner and I am the most likely to defeat Chris Carney in November.

As a County Commissioner, I have balanced multi-million dollar budgets while never raising taxes for the people of Snyder County. I also held my ground against a corporate bailout, even when Governor Rendell put pressure on us to provide the funds. I will take this proven experience as a fiscal conservative to Washington and push for policies that will balance our bloated federal budget by cutting spending, not raising taxes.

Regarding electability, I have no baggage and will be better able to defeat Chris Carney. Marino’s campaign has already been sidetracked by questions of his past employment and Madeira has advocated a change in the law that would make your medical records public by overturning HIPAA. Chris Carney would certainly make this a focus of his campaign. These issues will sidetrack the other candidates should they win the primary, and would make it easier for Chris Carney to win reelection in November. I will be able to keep the focus of the election on my experience and Carney's failed record.

It has been an honor to campaign on a platform of responsible conservative leadership, and I am personally touched by the outpouring of support that I have received from all corners of the District. I ask for your support to continue this journey all the way to Washington, DC – I need your vote on May 18th.


Thank you and God bless,

Malcolm Derk

Candidate for Congress

Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District

Vote in the 10th CD poll

The candidates are Malcolm Derk, Dave Madeira and Tom Marino.

The winner will take on Chris Carney in the fall.


Vote in the poll on the left side bar and tell us in the comments why you think your guy will win.

10th CD Republicans bash health care reform

Three in GOP compete to unseat Carney
Congressman's health care vote will be big issue

All 3 are worried about cost containment and oppose the Health Care Affordability Act.

Malcolm Derk predicts the end of the world as we know it because of this legislation. He also repeats the mantra that the government doesn't create jobs and the the estate tax should be abolished. For all his tax cutting rhetoric he wants the federal government to invest in road, bridge, water and sewer projects and mitigate flooding along the Delaware River and improve infrastructure. That takes money and I would point out that the way the federal government gets money is to levy taxes.

David Madeira doesn't like that more people will have access to health care saying it will overburden the system and make Doctors quit their jobs. His idea to control costs is to let families stash $5000 a year in a health savings account and buying a high deductible policy. The problem with that is I don't know many families that live paycheck to paycheck who can afford to squirl away that much money. He wants a 3 year spending freeze saying 'You're going to have to go through short-term pain'


Tom Marino repeats the old canard that tort reform is the solution. He allows that
"I found the federal government — when it doesn't overreach — is a good tool for the state and residents." He wants to eliminate earmarks which sounds good but is the way our local governments get things done because they are tapped out on property taxes and bond authority. Marino says that he wants apprehended terrorists to be tried in military tribunals rather than civilian courts. He worked in the Federal Court system and doesn't think that they can do their job and prosecute criminals?

The Times-Leader backs the underdog Derk

For what it is worth the TL has been endorsing candidates this week and they had some surprising picks. As LuLac observed "political endorsements by newspapers no longer have the clout they once did. Just ask Luzerne County Common Pleas Court Judges Michael Blazick and Richard Hughes. "I would add State Rep Christine Katsok to that list.

I have long had the view that most endorsements are only good for a press release unless they bring boots on the ground or bundles of money. That being said it is better to get the endorsement of the local newspaper than not.


My inbox lit up today with the news that the TL endorsed Malcolm Derk in the 10th CD race for the Republican nomination.


Malcolm Derk, Republican for 10th Congressional District

He sent out a press release this week demanding that Congressman Chris Carney give back some campaign contributions from some outfit he doesn't like which happens in every campaign.

Derk is the first one up on the air with a radio ad.

Tom Marino has raised the most money so far and David Maidera is working hard.

Ranking the races

PoliticsPA has been running scorecard of the hottest Congressional races in Pennsylvania for a few months now. The rankings numbered lawmakers in descending order by the likelihood of a party switch.

The 2 Northeastern PA seats are high on the list.


3. Paul Kanjorski, (D-11). Previous ranking: 2. Kanjorski has been in the news recently, as a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee who is advocating stiffer regulations for Wall Street. But as a 13-term incumbent in a year of the angry voter, he has his reelection work cut out for him. Kanjorski, who represents a northeastern Pennsylvania district, will have the money to run an aggressive race: His most recent fundraising figures show him with $1.2 million in the bank, though his quarterly haul of $260,000 was a good deal less than, say, either of the two most vulnerable Republicans in the Pennsylvania delegation, Charlie Dent and Jim Gerlach. Kanjorski also has to dispatch with his primary opponent, Lackawanna County commissioner Corey O’Brien, before turning to expected Republican nominee Lou Barletta. Barletta nearly matched Kanjorski in fundraising for the quarter with $211,000, though the Hazelton mayor’s cash on hand is far lower at $202,000. But the reemergence of immigration as a national issue following Arizona’s passage of a strict anti-illegal immigration law gives prominence to Barletta’s signature issue, potentially helping him leverage grass roots support to make up for the money disadvantage. We still believe Kanjorski is the state’s most vulnerable incumbent.


5 (tie). Chris Carney (D-10). Previous ranking 4. Carney remains vulnerable because of his support for the Democratic Party’s health care bill in a district that leans to the right, but he received a nice, if modest, bump to his chances in early April when the federal government rejected Pennsylvania’s bid to toll Interstate 80. The plan had been supported by local Democratic lawmakers, including Gov. Ed Rendell, but Carney broke party ranks and opposed the deal (along with Reps. Kanjorski and Dahlkemper) and will likely take credit in the fall for its defeat. For a lawmaker who depends on being perceived as loyal to his district over his party, it’s a feather in his cap. Meanwhile, Carney is also benefiting from the GOP primary. His possible Republican foes — businessman Dave Madeira, former U.S. attorney Tom Marino, and Snyder County Commissioner Malcolm Derk — continue to battle in a close contest. Marino continues to face questions about his ties to controversial local businessman Louis DeNaples.


Our friends at pa2010.com have unvieled their handicapping of the horse races.

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Congressional Power Rankings


4. Northeast Pennsylvania, including Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne and Monroe counties

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Paul Kanjorski (D) Corey O’Brien (D), Lou Barletta (R) The longtime incumbent was seen as the most vulnerable Democrat in Congress in 2008 before a wave of support for Obama helped beat Barletta. Now he faces Barletta for the third time in 8 years, in what remains a highly-competitive district. Democrats hold a wide registration edge, but the anti-incumbent climate keeps the seat in play.
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Cook Index: D+4
CQ Rating: Leans D
Rothenberg: Lean D


7. Northeast Pennsylvania, including all or parts of Bradford, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland, Pike, Snyder and Susquehanna counties

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Chris Carney (D) Republicans Malcolm Derk, Dave Madeira and Tom Marino Marino, a former U.S. Attorney, is seen as the favorite to take on Carney. A sophomore, some see Carney as vulnerable, but Republicans gave him some help when they tried to recruit him to switch parties last year. McCain won the district by 9 points.
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Cook Index: R+8
CQ Rating: Leans D
Rothenberg: D Favored


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Derk gets endorsements

Six Elected Officials Endorse Malcolm Derk for Congress


SELINSGROVE, PA – Today, Commissioner Malcolm Derk announced the endorsement of one State Representative and five former and current County Commissioners in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District.

State Representative Adam Harris (R-82), Snyder County Commissioner Joe Kantz, Union County Commissioner Preston Boop, Tioga County Commissioners Erick Coolidge and Mark Hamilton, and former Montour County Commissioner Harold Hurst announced today that they have endorsed the candidacy of Snyder County Commissioner Malcolm Derk for Congress.

With these endorsements, Malcolm Derk now has the support of nine State and County officials, including State Senator John Gordner, and Representatives Merle Philips and Russ Fairchild.

Three of these endorsees, Rep. Harris, Commissioner Boop, and Commissioner Kantz have worked closely with Derk throughout his tenure as Snyder County Commissioner and during his prior service as a member and President of the Freeburg Borough Council.

Regarding his endorsement, Representative Harris said, “I have known Malcolm for a long time. He has the values that we desperately need in Washington. He will stand strong against government bailouts, massive government takeover bills, and will represent the people, not special interests.”

“I have worked with Malcolm Derk everyday for two years and I am certain that he is the right person for this job,” said Joe Kantz. “He is the only person running who has balanced budgets, refused to raise taxes, and has had the courage to say no to corporate bailouts. While other candidates talk about being fiscally conservative, Malcolm has a proven record.” Kantz added, “Washington DC needs someone like Malcolm Derk. He is someone who favors smaller government and has conservative values.”

“As a commissioner, I am humbled to have the support of these six individuals,” Derk said. “Representative Harris and Commissioners Boop, Kantz, Coolidge, Hamilton, and Hurst represent the best in government leadership and I will work hard every day to represent the citizens of PA’s 10th district as well as these leaders have represented their constituents.”

10th CD Republicans

At this point in the 2008 race for the Republican nomination for Congress in the PA 10th District between Chris Hackett and Dan Meuser was a slugfest. Both candidates were running TV ads ripping into the other using information that I'm proud to say was first reported on Gort42 in many cases. This time around it's down right tame, even dull. That probably is due to the fact the candidates this time are not millionaires willing to pump a chunk of their fortunes into the campaign.

The conventional wisdom is that a freshman congressman is most vulnerable in the next election. But the national trend combined with the primary bloodbath that left many Meuser supporters resentful saw Congressman Chris Carney reelected by a big margin (56%-44%).

This year the Republicans have convinced themselves that Health Care Reform is so unpopular with people that think like them and live in the same echo chamber that he is a goner. I think the economy will be a bigger issue in the fall as it always is in any federal election.

All 3 GOP hopefuls oppose HCR and rail against deficits yet propose even more tax cuts. I call them the Tax Cut Triplets.

Malcolm Derk will not be on the air anytime soon. He is the first to file a FEC report showing that he only raised $18,000 in the first quarter with just $11,000 cash on hand. A few days ago his campaign sent out a press release that said he will be touring all 14 counties in the district. That sounds nice but it didn't bother to tell us where he will be and when.

Dave Madeira has the best website of the 3 with a full calendar of events plus all his press releases. and much more. He is planning a really neat event on 235th ANNIVERSARY OF PAUL REVERE'S FAMOUS RIDE . He will be riding a motorcycle across the district and tells us where to find him.

The ride will start at 12:30 p.m. in Shamokin and make stops in Muncy, Dushore and Tunkhannock before ending in Honesdale at 5:30 p.m. The 165-mile ride will go through Northumberland, Snyder, Union, Lycoming, Sullivan, Wyoming, Lackawanna and Wayne counties.

I hope he wears a helmet or at least a tri corn hat. This is kind of like teabaggers meet the Hell's Angels.

Tom Marino made a typo on his financial dislosure report. Louis DeNaples paid him a quarter of million dollars not $25,000. He defends writing a reference for DeNaples when he was applying for a slots license saying



"Mr. DeNaples has been a friend of mine for a long time," Marino said. "He's been very good to this state. He's created thousands and thousands of jobs, and I'm not throwing Mr. DeNaples under the bus for vote."

DeNaples was later indicted for lying on his application but the charges were dismissed. Marino also claims he started the investigation into the Juvie Brothers corruption scandal in Luzerne County when he was the US Attorney.

Conservative website REDSTATE is not a fan of Marino.


Meet Tom Marino, who will certainly be in the DCCC’s crosshairs if he wins the GOP primary in Pennsylvania’s 10th to go up against Rep. Chris Carney (proud member of the Stupak Sellout crowd instrumental in voting ObamaCare into law last week). Marino, a former US Attorney, has his own shady dealings which will make for good campaign fodder in the general.

During Marino’s tenure as US Attorney, local businessman Louis DeNaples was under investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for his ties to William D’Elia, head of the Bufalino crime family. It seems DeNaples lied about his relationship with D’Elia to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board when applying for a licence for the Mount Airy Casino. Listed as a personal reference on that same application was none other than US Attorney Tom Marino, the very man running the office investigating DeNaples’ organized crime ties.

The Department of Justice got wind of the conflict of interest and ordered Marino off the investigation, and shortly after the media broke the story he resigned his post… and went to work for Louis DeNaples. (The charges were eventually dropped when DeNaples agreed to place the casino project in the name of a family member.)

The reality is just as bad as–if not worse than–the optics of this scandal. Do we really want someone like Marino representing the GOP in what will be a battleground district this fall? Rep. Carney, the Pelosi-enabling, abortion-funding “Blue Dog” Democrat from a conservative district in northeastern Pennsylvania will have a hay day with Marino’s record. I’ve spoken with people in the district who feel uneasy about Marino and will likely just stay at home rather than having to choose between him and Carney.

One of the keys to a Republican resurgence is not only ensuring we have credibly conservative candidates running for office, but also candidates with a personal and professional record we can be proud of and defend. Tom Marino doesn’t fit the bill.

Issues & Eggs

Renita sent along this reminder from the Luzerne County GOP




Issues & Eggs

Republican Candidates Forum at Genetti's in Downtown Wilkes-Barre

Friday, April 9, 8:15 a.m.

Doors open at 7:30 a.m., Breakfast 7:45 a.m.


Featuring:

Jim Cawley, endorsed candidate for Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor

Congressional Candidates Lou Barletta, David Madeira, Tom Marino & Malcolm Derk

State Senatorial Candidates Steve Urban who is also running for Lt. Gov. & Frank Scavo

State Representative Candidates Rick Arnold, Bill Goldsworthy, Terrence O’Connor, James O’Meara & Tarah Toohil

I'm a nightshift guy so I don't do mornings. I hope that the next candidates forum will be at a more reasonable hour. How about a dinner event with the name Kielbasa and Korruption.

10th CD happenings

I attended the annual Kiss the Blarney for Carney event on Sunday along with a couple of hundred other people. Despite being to subjected to bagpipe music it was a good time. Many local Lackawanna County elected officials and candidates were in attendance along with reps from Senator Specter's office. I chatted with a few including State Rep Jim Wansascz who is running for State Senate to succeed Bob Mellow.

Carney asked me for my assessment of the race and I told him that I think he is in good shape. I'll repeat it again; Challengers don't win elections, Incumbents lose them. He hasn't done anything to lose this thing. Addressing the Health Care Reform bill in his remarks to the crowd he pointed out that we can't continue with the status quo. Something has to be done to get costs under control and insurance companies can't be in charge of who gets health care in this country. I offered my observation that he voted for it once because it was the right thing to do and his Republican opponents will howl about it but if he now voted no on the bill he becomes John Kerry, I voted for it before I voted against it.

He was little iffy on the FRAC ACT but assured the crowd that he was in favor of clean drinking water. He made the national security argument that the US has to off foreign oil. I'll keep bending his ear on this one. There is no reason this should be excluded from the the Clean Water Act and I'm sure that Kayak Dude can make that case.

I asked him about some of the other races this year. I was surprised that he endorsed Manan Trividi in the 6th CD primary against Doug Pike. His 2006 campaign manager is running Pike's campaign but Chris was adamant in his support for fellow military officer Trividi. As far as the Paul Kanjorski-Corey O'Brien race he said "I serve with Congressman Kanjorski" and supports him. 2 years ago O'Brien and fellow Lackawanna Commissioner Mike Washo showed up for the event but were not to be seen this time nor were any of Kanjo's people.

A real treat was meeting the author of NEPArtisan and we plotted another blogger meetup. For some strange reason he really wants to meet the Blogfather. I'll call Mark tomorrow and try to set up a meeting of his fan club and coordinate with the Northeast Blogging Council and the Saturday OT Committee to find an agreeable date.

The Republican candidates had an event in Lewisburg yesterday before 50 people. The tax cut triplets of Tom Marino, Malcolm Derk and Dave Madeira made it but Steven Solieri and young Ted Yale were no shows. Just a guess but I don't think that Yale or Solieri will make the ballot.

The Republican candidates all decry deficit spending but offer no realistic solutions to cutting the federal budget putting large portions of the budget off limits. At the same time they all advocated cutting taxes. Maybe they all need course in remedial mathematics.

I'm not going to pick it all apart so read these press write-ups.


Carney out of touch, Republicans say



Candidates lay out issues at forum

Charlie's money

Just about every campaign has a few of these give the money back squabbles.

In 2008 Paul Kanjorski's camp demanded that Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta return a contribution from crooked Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens. I don't think that he did. Kanjo got some cash from NY Congressman and Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel who is under fire for ethical violations and the Republicans are apopolectic “It comes as no surprise to the residents of Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional District that Paul Kanjorski has once again chosen personal greed over ethical and decent behavior,” GOP Executive Director Renita Fennick said in a PR. Ed Mitchell says the Kanjorski campaign hasn't decided to give back the money or donate it to charity or just keep it. Democratic primary opponent Corey O'Brien piled on “Decisions like these, to not return or donate the money, are why we’ve lost confidence in our leaders.”

A few days ago Malcolm Derk sent out a release demanding that Congressman Chris Carney "should immediately return this tainted money” from Rangel.

TL: U.S. Rep. Chris Carney will send $21,000 from his campaign war chest to a local charity, keeping a promise that if embattled U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel were ever found to have violated House ethics rules, he would return the money.

“I have long said that I would give to charity any contributions from Mr. Rangel if the ethics committee found wrongdoing. I will be donating the contributions my campaign has received from Mr. Rangel to the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute,” Carney said

I've received emails from the Derk camp and others taking credit for Carney's decision to dump Rangel's money like so many others across the country.

Another 10th CD Republican candidate Dave Madeira says:“Chris Carney may parade himself as a bipartisan fiscal-conservative, but the truth is revealed in his sources of income. Even without the scandal, what is Carney doing taking money from Rangel,” Madeira
asked “Better yet, what does Carney owe Rangel for that $21,000?”

Most of the time these inside baseball arguments are don't register with voters. Maybe a public financing scheme for Congressional campaigns is the best way to get past it. An added benefit would be that the "special interests" won't be able to buy legislation.

Carney in the middle

WASHINGTON – Today, the highly respected National Journal Magazine released its annual “Vote Ratings” issue and Congressman Chris Carney (PA-10) has been ranked among the most bipartisan members of the 435-member House of Representatives. The nonpartisan magazine analyzed the 92 most significant votes in 2009 and ranked Congressman Carney the 11th most centrist member in the entire House of Representatives.

Congressman Carney, in his short time in Congress, has established himself as a pragmatic lawmaker who puts people in the region above political party. It is the third straight year since his election that he was named among the most bipartisan members in Congress by National Journal.

“I strive to be an independent voice for our region who represents the people, not a political party. I am glad to see those efforts recognized,” Congressman Carney said. “The families in our district want a representative who will put solving our country’s problems above ideology.”

In particular, the National Journal analysis ranked Congressman Carney the most fiscally conservative Democrat in the 19-member Pennsylvania House delegation. That finding is a point of pride for Congressman Carney, who played a key role in the recent enactment of pay-as-you-go rules in order to bring down the deficit. Pay-go rules force lawmakers to make an equal cut for every new dollar in spending.

Carney also recently voted to end the health insurance industry's exemption to the anti-trust laws and announced that broadband Internet access grants are available because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. He defends his vote for the stimulus noting that in Bradford County alone 26,000 families got tax cuts, schools got $10 million and has paid for roads, bridges and sewers. That has been the story throughout the 10th Congressional District. This recession would be a lot worse if the government hadn't spent money to replace the demand that was sucked out of the economy because of the bank and mortgage collapse. Macroeconomics has never been a strong suit of my Republican friends.

The Republican challengers to Carney all sound the same. They oppose deficit spending but propose more tax cuts saying that is the only way to stimulate the economy. If that was the case the Bush tax cuts should have led us into a period of unending prosperity. In 1993
tax rates on the wealthy were increased a point or two and millions of jobs were created when President Clinton was in office.

10th CD happenings

Dave Madeira's Magical Mystery tour of the district started in Honesdale yesterday and made it to the Pierce Street Deli in Kingston but cut it short because of the predicted snowstorm skipping his last stop in Lewisburg disappointing tens of people awaiting his arrival. What is it about the Pierce Street Deli and Republicans? Tom Marino also made a stop at the place on his announcement tour. Maybe they like the really rare roast beef sandwiches that I enjoy.

Some choice quotes

He predictably called incumbent Chris Carney a "liberal" that is “deceiving the district into thinking he’s a Blue Dog Democrat.”

His message is simple. “I’m running because I believe the time is right for a businessman and not a professional politician to represent the people of this region in Washington,” he said from his home Tuesday night... “I’m making no personal attacks on him, but it’s his record I strongly disagree with. He likes to wave his Blue Dog credentials, but one year ago, he voted for President Obama’s stimulus plan that not only brought no stimulus, but saw unemployment jump to over 10.1 percent. I’m alarmed at the deficit. And Carney has to take responsibility for his votes. Is this who we want representing us?”

He then talks about being inspired by the Tea Bag Movement " It’s a grass-roots movement comprised of independent thinkers, businessmen, doctors, but the common thread in the group is how people feel disconnected with their congressmen. It doesn’t seem like Congress is listening to us. ”

Nice try Dave but you wanted to run for this seat long before the tea parties started.

The Dems react

DCCC: With the official launch of his campaign, this morning David Madeira became the latest candidate to enter the contest for the Republican nomination in Pennsylvania ’s 10th congressional district. With his announcement, however, he is also bringing a heavy dose of irresponsible rhetoric with him, highlighted by his recent call for the expiration of regulations that protect children from dangerous lead toys.



“Dave Madeira's recent call to sunset regulations that ensure children have safe, lead-free toys speaks volumes about how grossly out of touch he is with northeastern Pennsylvania ,” said Shripal Shah , Northeast Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Dave Madeira is seriously mistaken if he thinks voters across the 10th district are going to buy in to these kinds of beliefs.”

From his blog Could we please have our country back now?

Yesterday I featured a clip from Stossel's expose' on Crony Capitalism with the other Carney. In todays clip, Stossel says that Salvation Army says it had to dump $100,000,000 worth of second hand toys and another $100,000,000 worth of second hand clothing to comply with new regulations...Congressman Chris Carney proudly touts his support for these new measures on his website. We need to sunset all regulations so Congress has to review them regularly to make sure that they are counting the cost of all these good intentions.

PA Democratic Party Chairman TJ Rooney:


"Dave Madeira offers more canned partisan rhetoric at a time when Washington needs to come together to solve our nation’s problems. Now is the time to bring the parties together, not separate them further. Congressman Carney is a leader who voters in the 10th District can be proud of, having shown the kind of bipartisanship that has twice ranked him among the most independent members in the House. He is a strong advocate for the needs of his community, having fought to fund area projects and pushed for tax cuts for area families and tax credits for small businesses."

Congressman Chris Carney's camp said:

"Congressman Carney is proud to have fought hard to bring investments to our region that boost employment, provide improvements to our region’s hospitals and infrastructure and enable our community’s law enforcement officers to have the equipment they need to keep us safe. He stands up for the needs of our region every day in Congress and will never stop fighting for the many worthy projects throughout our community."

The other GOP candidates are Steven Solieri and young Ted Yale who not eligible for the office according to the Scranton Public Examiner and Malcolm Derk.

Derk sent out a press release today that said this about the stimulus "Malcolm Derk strongly opposes this type of reckless spending . The Daily Item reports that the Snyder County Commissioners will create a job using, you guessed it, stimulus money.

Update: a dissent from the inbox


Hi Gort,I read your blog frequently and I saw this today about Malcolm Derkwho is running for Congress in PA10:"Derk sent out a press release today that said this about the stimulus"Malcolm Derk strongly opposes this type of reckless spending . TheDaily Item reports that the Snyder County Commissioners will create ajob using, you guessed it, stimulus money."

I think the whole premise of the paragraph is misleading. I'm fromSnyder County and have followed the county government issues closely. My understanding on the matter is that the Snyder County Commissionershaven't yet voted on creating the position- and all of the quotes inthe article come from Joe Kantz (the other snyder countycommissioner). The article only mentions Malcolm Derk in passing.

And personally I think it's different if a Congressman votes against legislation and then later claims credit for the bill's benefits-that's being hypocritical. Congressman have a vote on the house floor, therefore they directly have a say in the matter. Chris Carney has voted against Appropriations bills in the House, but then claims credit for the earmarks in those bills- which annoys me. But Governors, Mayors, and Commissioners don't have a vote in Congress- so they can't determine the amount of federal money that is allocated to their constituents. Similarly, Governors, Mayors, and Commissioners don't get to pick and choose which federal laws tofollow- they have to follow all of them.

Another 10th CD candidate

Steven Solieri is an accountant that lives in Lake Ariel that has a number crunching business in New Hyde Park, NY and Lake Ariel and is a Professor of Accounting at Queens College in New York City who has a Ph.D. and 4 Masters Degrees.



His welcome message on his website:


I am not a politician and do not want to act like one, ever. I consider myself a businessman and patriot who, like so many of my friends in the Tea Party movement, have had enough of sending people to Washington that are not responsive to their constituency.

Reading his issues page he proposes at least 3 Constitutional amendments and laundry list of tax cuts. He wants to cut the size of government in half except for veterans benefits, doubts global warming and wants to end regulation of business.

The other Republican candidates

Tom Marino has a website up that gives his bio and promises more information at a later date. He also has an online fan club The Unvarnished Truth on Tom Marino

Malcolm Derk was interviewed by the Scranton Policy Examiner

David Madeira will kick off his campaign on Tuesday.

I hope to talk with young Ted Yale later today and give you a report.

Mother's milk PA 10th CD

The Democrat


Congressman Chris Carney took in $153,000 during the 4th quarter of 2009,
$121,000 from PACs and only $25,000 from individuals and has $483,746 cash on hand.

Carney campaign spokesman Josh Drobnyk told the TL:

“Congressman Carney is grateful for the support he receives from Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike and is working hard to protect our families and improve our region’s economy during these tough times.”


The Republicans


The 4 GOP candidates got a late start and didn't report raising any money in the 4th quarter of 2009. That's zilch, nada, zero, goose egg. By this time last cycle Dan Meuser and Chris Hackett had campaign organizations in place with healthy bank balances. So far only Malcolm Derk even has a website up. I asked 3 of the 4 Republican candidates for comment on Carney's fundraising, I don't have contact info for Marino yet. Ted Yale didn't respond which is not surprising since I spent a week playing email/telephone tag with him without success.

I did get a response from Malcolm Derk:


"Chris Carney's numbers are much lower than the other vulnerable PA Democrats. I'm sure he'll be quick to call on his friends next quarter, including Jack Murtha, Charles Rangel, and the former members of the PMA lobbying firm. One troubling aspect of his most recent report is the fact that only 16% came from individual donors, while 84% of his contributions came from inside the beltway lobbyists, PACS, and other sources. His votes, like his contributions, are clearly aligned with the Washington, DC establishment. Chris Carney should be more concerned about protecting the citizens of Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania than the special interests in Washington, DC."

And Dave Madeira:

I'm not surprised that Congressman Carney has a big pile of special interest money. Washington politicians trade money for favors all the time. The recent races in NJ, VA and MA show that the people's voices will be heard no matter how much money lobbyists lavish on their wards. I'm looking forward to providing a positive alternative to government bailouts for Wall Street and big business.

Stepping on Marino's announcement

The State of the Union is going to get most of the attention on the national level so Tom Marino could have picked another day to make his announcement. His challengers for the 10th CD Republican nomination also made major announcements.


Madeira Announces Run for Congress

Dallas, PA, - January 27, 2010 - Entrepreneur and small businessman David Madeira will be officially announcing his bid for Congress on February 9th in a multi-county tour across the district that will include stops in Wayne, Luzerne and Union Counties. Madeira, a retired chiropractor, is running as a conservative Republican for the seat currently held by Chris Carney.

“Congressman Carney likes to wave his “Blue Dog” credentials;” says Madeira, “one year ago he voted for nearly a trillion dollar “stimulus plan” that not only brought no stimulus, but saw unemployment jump to over 10%[1]. Is this who we want representing us?” Madeira explains that understanding the timing of the vote is critical to understanding who Carney is. Before his election in 2008, Carney voted against a similar stimulus bill, trying to shore up Republican voters in his conservative district.
“Believe me”, added Madeira, “if the very unpopular Government Health Care plan Carney voted for was up for a vote in October of this election year instead of last year, Carney would have voted against it instead of for it. The voters are no longer fooled by these Washington games.”With a wealth of experience ranging from running his own chiropractic office and dealing with patients, insurance companies and government regulations, to participating in two startup businesses, Madeira brings real world experience to the 10th Congressional race. His time spent consulting for other conservative candidates and his involvement in community economic development resulted in many approaching him to run and represent the conservative values of the district.
"When Scott Brown was elected in Massachusetts to what he called 'the peoples' seat', Carney said it was a 'wake-up call'. I want to make sure he doesn't hit the snooze alarm like he did on the $786 billion failed stimulus bill, and that's why I'm running".


Malcolm Derk gets endorsements


State Senator John Gordner (R-27), State Representative Merle Phillips (R-108), and State Representative Russ Fairchild (R-85) announced today that they have endorsed the candidacy of Snyder County Commissioner Malcolm Derk for Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District.

"The change we need is the return of the peoples' faith in their government," Sen. Gordner remarked, "and Malcolm Derk is the kind of leader who can bring about that change."

Sen. Gordner, Rep. Phillips, and Rep. Fairchild have worked closely with Derk throughout his tenure as Snyder County Commissioner and during his prior service as a member and President of the Freeburg Borough Council.

Regarding his endorsement, Rep. Phillips said, "Malcolm Derk represents the new brand of Republican leadership - fiscal responsibility and small town values."

Rep. Fairchild added, "The Central Susquehanna Valley has a unique opportunity this year to make its mark in our nation's capital by sending one of our own to Washington - Malcolm Derk.”

“I am grateful to have the support of Sen. Gordner, Rep. Phillips, and Rep. Fairchild. These men of integrity represent the very best in public service and I cannot thank them enough. Their endorsement is a vote of confidence in my ability to faithfully represent the people of the 10th Congressional District, something that these men have done in their respective districts over the course of their careers," Derk said.

Derk has a web ad