Chris Hackett for Congress, the interview

Chris Hackett is the owner of One Source Staffing Solutions since 1990. He has a degree in accounting from Wittenberg University in Ohio and is a long time resident of Shavertown in Luzerne County.

Why Congress?

I think Congress is an environment where I think I can make a significant impact. I'm running because of my disappointment with the current direction of our government. They have become too invasive in our individual lives and the approach to spending is deplorable.

There is an old adage in politics that says challengers don’t win elections, incumbents lose them.I think Don Sherwood proved that. Why do you think Carney deserves to lose?

I think Carney does deserve to lose because he doesn’t reflect the values of the 10th congressional district very effectively. When you look at some of the votes that he has cast during his time in Congress they have been inconsistent with the rhetoric he put forth during his campaign. I don’t think they necessarily reflect the values of the district.

Give me an example?

I will give you several. One is the card check vote which allows unions to organize employees without a secret ballot. This would remove a fundamental right that workers have to a secret ballot which is protection from coercive actions by union organizers. I think the most recent example is the S-CHIP legislation that takes dollars out of Medicare and uses them to provide health insurance to illegal immigrants. Taking away the states rights to verify that they are a US citizen before they can be offered those benefits. Some of those kinds of things really fly in the face of the district.

Big thing in the news was General Petraeus said when asked if the war in Iraq is making us safer he said he didn’t know. He back tracked later. What do you think?

I think the war in Iraq has made us safer. What I would point to is lack of attacks in this country during the most recent time frame. I actually believe we are safer because we have taken the fight to these Islamic fanatics first hand.

In you latest press release you used the phrase Islamofascist terrorism. What does that mean?

My view is that this war is not just a war in Iraq. This a war against an ideology, much like the war against the Soviets. That was an ideology that they were trying to force on other countries. Here is the relationship I would draw for you. If you look at the parallels between the cold war and the war we are currently fighting they are very, very similar. In 1945 World War II ended. In 1947 because Europe wasn’t getting back on it’s feet we rolled out something called the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan was a self serving vehicle which was perfectly appropriate and well orchestrated, it really helped Europe get back on it’s feet. We saw what was happening in Eastern Europe with of many of those countries becoming Communist so we started the containment process. So in 1947 we rolled out the Marshall Plan. In 1950 there was a war in Korea that was a containment activity and the war in Vietnam was a containment activity. The war in Afghanistan was an effort of containment. I don’t know if most people understand but we actually backed Al Qaeda against the Soviets in trying to maintain Afghanistan’s independence. During the cold period it took us 50years to win that war. And I dare say we were effective in winning that war. But there was many different pieces and again that was an ideology that these people, these communists, were trying to force on the rest of the world. It was a way of living, away of life, and we appropriately had a long term thought out strategy on how we were going to win it. It think that’s what we really need to be effective against these Islamist fascists. I’m sure you understand that the goal here is putting in place a theocracy. That is the goal of these Islamic extremists, to use a theocracy much like what was in place in Afghanistan before we unseated that terrorist regime. They oppressed the people, they ruled through fear, it’s no different than any other Dictatorship and that’s what we are fighting against. We’re not fighting against Iraqi’s or Afghan’s but we’re fighting against an ideology. These people are out to get us. They have articulated a one hundred year plan that they have to try to beat us. So they’re not looking at this as a short term fight, this is a long term conflict.

How about the domestic reaction to 9/11 such as the Patriot Act? Do you support the Patriot Act?

Yes. I think the Patriot Act was an appropriate response and I think one of the things we do is to continue to be aggressive in how we fight against this enemy.

The Military Commissions Act. One of things that bothers me is that the Government can declare somebody an enemy combatant and hold them without habeas corpus. Do you favor that?

I favor an aggressive approach in trying to deal with our enemy and I do believe we should be as aggressive as possible. This is in fact a war and we need to deal with it as such. .

Specifically, do you favor holding an American citizen without access to the courts?

Correct me if I’m wrong but they are not holding American citizens, are they?

Jose Padilla

That’s true he was held, but has since been convicted and is awaiting sentencing. The reality is we have to hold enemy combatants. The Military Commissions Act gave broad authority to the President to designate someone is an illegal enemy combatant, which was the designation issued to Jose Padilla.

Even they are a United States citizen arrested in the United States?

Yes.

You say you are Pro-Family, what do you mean by that? Nobody is anti-family.

I disagree with you, I think some people are anti-family. I think there is no more important unit than the family structure and defining that as a mother and father is very important to me. I think from an educational perspective the students that clearly do best are in good solid family situations. I’m pro-family, I’m pro-life and I’m very interested in using that as the building block for our society. I believe that what our society stands on.

On the pro-life issue. Some say that you were pro-choice before?

No.

Always been?

Always been, I was raised Catholic and I think some people like to misinterpret things for their own purposes.

What about abstinence only education?

I think the important thing is that the government not be involved in providing birth control because that is not the role of government. There are good reasons that abstinence makes sense. I think we must continue to educate kids, as the media as well as rock and rap have a promiscuous tone and demeanor which is often less than positive. I think providing the other side of the story is useful and important.

Gay marriage, for or against?

Opposed.

Gay adoption?

I would oppose that because of the sanctity of mother and father relationship.

Plain equal rights for gay citizens?

What does that mean?

You can’t be fired because you’re gay? Many states allow it.

I think that’s an interesting point because I think states have rights to do what they like. But I’m not for any form of discrimination, but I would also suggest no single group should get any preferential treatment, period.

You run a temp agency and temp agencies are notorious for hiring illegal aliens. What do you do prevent to prevent that?

I think that’s an absolute mischaracterization of the flexible staffing business and I think the tone of that is insulting. Please also note, I own 3 other businesses - Professional Recruiting, Insurance Brokerage and Administrative Services. That having been said I will answer your question. We have been using the Homeland Security Pilot Program to verify that someone’s name ,ssn and date of birth match. We are one of the 8000 companies in the country to use this system to make sure that the people that we hire are not illegal aliens.

Nobody is for illegal immigration.

I disagree with that. There are lots of organizations that are for it. Look at the ACLU and their efforts to fight the most recent rules of the Department of Homeland Security to enforce no matches within the Social Security Admin database.

What do you think of Lou Barletta’s approach?

I give Lou a lot of credit for taking a stand and trying to get something done. Whether in fact it’s the right thing or wrong thing isn’t for me to decide but I applaud him for taking action and trying to deal with the problem in a proactive fashion.

DO you think he is trying to usurp the powers of the federal government?

That’s a very interesting question because the premise that lies behind it is that the federal government has the right to regulate these things through the commerce clause. I think there is a question to where states rights are and being a federalist and recognizing the states should have more of the rights that have been taken away from them since 1937. States should have the latitude to be more aggressive in dealing with theses issues.

You made a contribution the Luzerne County Democratic County Commissioners then got a county contract. Do you want to address that?

I would be happy to. I brought you a list because I thought you might want it, these are the contributions made to the Skrepnak/Vonderheid committee. Chris Hackett gave $5000 on 12/15/2006. There are some other people you might recognize that also contributed on the same day - I think the total was $161,000 for that day. My point is that I was a supporter of Todd Vonderheid and I think many Republicans supported Vonderheid. Our effort was to have better county government. I think if you got hrough this list you will find that most people don’t do any work with the county and just wanted better government - like me. Vonderheid came from the Chamber and really understands business and he would try to run the county as a business and be more frugal with the taxpayers money. I think his efforts went well from that perspective. We have work with the county but the contract that you are talking about started at the end of 2005 and was finished in April 2007. To suggest that this $5000 contribution was something that we paid to get the contract is an illegitimate, politically motivated conclusion. But I want to be clear, I also made contributions to Todd when he was initially running in 2003, as well as a fund raiser in early 2006. Each of those contributions was $1,000. But I think it is disingenuous to say we got this business because of the any contributions - the county does have a formal bidding process and the rates we bid are clearly very, very competitive. Please remember, the 19% mark-up on the wages we paid also had to cover FICA, FUTA, SUTA and Worker's Compensation costs, payroll processing as well as the cost of carrying the receivables - we were paid over 200 out for some of our invoices. Clearly this was not the "sweetheart" deal that some would suggest. We did bill at a 30% mark-up for a couple employees because they were a much higher worker's compensation category.

People want to know how you voted last time?

I think we all go into the voting booth and pull the levers that we think are right. And I think we have a right to maintain our privacy on how we vote. I think who I vote for is my business and nobody else’s business.

The Stephen Colbert question. Dubya, a great president or the greatest?

I think that history is going to show that a lot oft he things that George Bush is doing today particularly in the war against terrorism are going to be correct. I will tell you have I have some real problems with the spending. I absolutely oppose earmarks.

Ed. Note: At this point my recorded malfunctioned so I will paraphrase his answers.

On college football Penn State and ND are my two favorite teams- but I also like Ohio State - I think Jim Tressler is a class act.

I asked some questions that were provided in the comments on an earlier post.

Has your company ever employed any illegal immigrants?

We comply with all laws regarding employment and as it relates to verifying ability to work in the US we go much further than most employers. The law requires employers to obtain certain acceptable documents to prove someone is able to work in this country. It is up to the judgment of the individual looking at the documents to assess validity. If they look reasonable, they must be accepted, as a business opens itself up to claims of discrimination if they reject prospective employees based on the exercising of this judgment.

As I noted before, we are part of a very small percentage of employers that use the Homeland Security program to verify a match of the Social Security Number, Data of Birth and Name. Aside from identify theft, this gives us a very high degree of certainty that the individual is eligible to work in the United States. We started utilization of this program over two years ago.

You are stating that you are pro life- are there any exceptions you would accept for a woman to get an abortion?

Yes. Rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.

Do you favor making English the official language of the US?

Yes. But I think it is important to understand why I feel this way. One of the reasons our country is so prosperous is we share a common language, common currency, all states have property rights and we all follow the rule of law as a basis for interaction. If you don't require a common language, it decreases efficiency, and keeps those who don't learn English in low paying positions. Think about the jobs available to an individual who only speaks a foreign language - it is very limiting.

You have been a successful businessman but you have never donated any significant amount to the Republican Party…

My wife Ramah and I have tried to make a difference in a different way. We've focused on contributions to non-profits, much of it anonymous, as a way to positively impact our community. As you know the United Way is an organization we have been very involved with and continue to support. I feel by trying to earn the seat representing the 10th congressional district, I can further make a contribution to our community.

Have you made other contributions to Democrats and if you have to whom?

I made a $500 contribution to Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton because I thought Tom McGroarity wasn’t doing a good job. Mayor McGroarity was anti-Chamber and was generally an obstructionist and I would have supported almost anyone to keep him from gaining an additional term. The City of Wilkes-Barre is still digging out from his mismanagement.

He was asked about the war and he said that he wanted to concentrate on winning the war instead of getting out.

Regardless of whether it was right to get into Iraq I think we have a moral obligation to stay until the country is secure. We don’t want to leave behind a haven for terrorists. Additionally, military doctrine states you must have security before you can have an orderly and safe withdraw - it would put our troops at significant risk if we simply attempted to cut and run.

Do you favor raising the CAFE standards?

No. Let the market determine that. I also favor drilling for oil in ANWAR as a way to enhance energy independence.

Please expand on the following.The Wilkes-Barre Chamber, the biggest culprit when it comes to keeping wages down in the area.

I can't understand how anyone can make this argument. If we look at it from a supply and demand perspective; the Chamber's strategic plan and core mission calls for the recruitment and retainment of businesses in NEPA. If the Chamber brings in new businesses, and they hire Associates, the supply of available workers decreases and there is upward pressure on wages. Therefore, the best way to depress wages - if you could actually believe that was the intent of the Chamber - the simplest way to do it would be to not attract new business to the area. Clearly, this flies in the face of the facts as evidenced by the number of industrial parks the Chambers in the region have developed to provide a fertile environment for new businesses to locate.

Ask him about his vision for the future, and how he will create something other than part time jobs.

I very much appreciate this question, as it will give me a chance to address a common misconception about what we do. Our business recruits and places individuals from CEO's of public companies to hourly Associates. We've had assignments where people earn $100,000 doing computer engineering and were on these assignments for 8 years. We currently have 200 software trainers making $14-$17 per hour and many of these assignments have been ongoing for two years. 95% of our work is FULLTIME and we are a bridge to our client's payroll for 100's of people per year. Additionally, the majority of our "part-time" work is medical staffing and these tend to be nurses working full time at other locations who are looking for some additional hours.Regarding my vision for job creation. I have worked with many companies who have considered making our region the home for a new location. I often meet with these companies via my involvement with Penn's Northeast or the various chamber organization. I review the labor market makeup and help them decide if our market has the right workforce given what they are willing to offer in terms of compensation, benefits, working conditions, hours and necessary skills. I feel the development of the new medical school in the Scranton area, the by-pass around Selinsgrove, and keeping interstate 80 from being tolled is critical to the future of our region.

Looking ahead

Penn state is waiting for the contest in the Big House next week and played a sloppy game today. They won 45-24 but it shouldn't have been that close. The offense fumbled the ball in the first half and the defense gave up 2 touchdowns in the second. The Phillies beat the Mets again but can't beat the bad teams. And the Red Sox won!

Who gets the pork?

Or Kanjo screws Yuddy

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Revitalization money may be cut

BY ELIZABETH SKRAPITS

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In the federal transportation funding bill passed in August 2005, U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, included $5.6 million to build a parking garage for the Kanjorski Center on East Main Street in Nanticoke...What local officials didn't know until this week was in February Kanjorski had the bill amended to pull the $5.6 million for Nanticoke, cut it to $3 million, and reassign it to parking and street improvements in Wilkes-Barre.

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The project he is messing with is supposed to help Luzerne County Community College move a satellite campus into downtown Nanticoke into the aptly named and vacant Kanjorski Center.

This is a pet project of State Rep. John Yudichak but he didn't jump to any conclusions. "No one was aware of this action...Perhaps there was some misunderstanding that we can clear up."

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Skrep didn't pull any punches:

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Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak believes Nanticoke lost the money because Kanjorski and Yudichak are political adversaries. The chairman of the county commissioners pointed the finger of blame directly at the veteran congressman.

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"I have nothing against Paul," Skrepenak said. "I work well with Paul and I work well with John, but when you look at this, it just doesn't add up. This is what gives politicians a bad rep. I think if a project is viable for the community and the big picture, you put personal feelings aside and do the right thing...The county has been supportive and the state legislature has been supportive. We thought Paul was too."

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This is wrong in so many ways. Appropriate money for one purpose then redirect it to another, something Skrep knows something about. Using the transportation bill to build a parking garage when the money should be spent on highways and bridges. Having a little town rely on the funding then pull the rug out all because of politics.

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This adds fuel to fire to the rumours that Yudichak is going to challenge Kanjorski in the primary. And the speculation about Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty taking on Kanjo is still out there.

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Image from A Blog of Nanticoke.

Friday Live Blogging at the Pennsylvania Progressive

Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz's Communications Director Rachel Magnuson will guest blog at The Pennsylvania Progressive today at 1 pm. The Congresswoman's pet issues are CHIP, Iraq, and energy. She will answer questions our readers have about Congress, the Thirteenth District, and upcoming legislation.



Thanks to Jane for the reminder.

Put Local Campaign Finance Reports Online

My favorite Lehigh Valley internet hooligan Bernie O'Hare of Lehigh Valley Ramblings points out that you can obtain campaign finance information for federal and state office seekers on the intertubes and asks:

But what about candidates seeking local office? Sure, they're required to list their campaign donors and expenses with the local elections office, but who bothers to scrutinize them? Aside from a few reporters and opposing candidates, nobody.


I find the Luzerne County Bureau of Elections website is a great tool. It has past election results, lists of candidates and committees, every form you need to run for office, where to vote and much more. But it lacks one vital piece of information, campaign finance reports.


Like most people I don't have the time to go to the courthouse annex to read them and try to connect the dots. So Bernie inspired me to ask our own Luzerne County Director of Elections Leonard Piazza about it.

His response:

Thanks for the compliments!

Since becoming director, among all of the other things we've set out to do, the only thing that remains is to do exactly what your are requesting--get the campaign finance reports online.

It is very costly to have the reports sent out, however, and have the info recorded so it may be searchable, like the states and the FEC's sites; this I've already looked into.

That leaves us with the option of scan to PDF, not a bad option...in fact, I prefer it. We do have the capability to do that in-house, however, it is very time consuming and tedious to do. Now that I have all of the active campaign finance committees together and informed,etc., I have begun to work on a plan anew to get them online...we will, of course, as with many other things we've done here, be the first in the state to accomplish it if we are successful.

It may take some time though, because I will, in all fairness to all committees, only launch that portion of the website once all of the committees are scanned and hyperlinked. It may even be that I have to hire a part-timer to help out in some way.

Follow up in the months ahead on it to see where we are with it, I really wish it was out there too.

Keep on bloggin'!

Leonard

I understand that it's a big job to put this information online and it won't happen before the the November election but it should be available before the the 2009 local election.

Coming attractions

I met with Pennsylvania 10th Congressional District Republican candidate Chris Hackett today and asked him a few questions. Because of a technical glitch (operator error) I only got about 20 minutes of it on my recorder and will have to rely on my notes and memory for the rest. Thank you for providing questions (he didn't shy away from any) and you may find that some of his answers might surprise you.

On a personal note I found him easy to talk to and very knowledgeable about the issues facing the district and the country. He grew up near Philadelphia so we both have a rooting interest in the the Phillies and the Eagles but when I asked him to pick between Notre Dame and Penn State he replied Ohio State! I'll give him that because he went to Wittenberg University in Ohio.

It will take me a few days to transcribe it.

Peters drops 10th CD bid

From GrassrootsPA:


Statement from Joe PetersSept. 12, 2007

“I have decided to end my exploratory efforts for the Republican nomination for the 10th Congressional District seat.

This decision is made even though every important metric along the way led me to conclude that I would win the nomination. From political support to survey research to fundraising ability, my efforts passed every test for a successful candidate.

However, I have concluded the demands of a campaign would cause too much stress on my new business ventures, which have been my main priority for the last few years. As such, I must place family and future first.

I want to thank the people of the 10th District, especially my family and friends who supported me during this process, including countless grassroots Republicans and donors.
In addition to my business interests, I intend to keep my focus on recapturing the 10th Congressional District for the GOP.”

No politics in the Luzerne County Courthouse

This letter was in the CV: The Committee to Elect James "Red" O'Brien ran a political ad in your paper on Aug. 31, regarding a rally. I find it very disturbing that a Luzerne County phone number (825-1755) and employee are listed to obtain tickets from.

The employee works for Luzerne County Clerk of Courts Bob Reilly who said it was "a simple mistake"...According to a county personnel policy, county employees can only work on political and campaign matters on their personal time, not while working as county employees.

Yeah Bob, we all believe that no politics happens on county time.

Bob Reilly is looking good for a sixth term facing Butler Township tax collector Republican Sue Rossi, not Gina Nevenglosky as the CV said. She is running for Treasurer against Mike Morreale.

Red O'Brien is running a competitive race against incumbent Republican Mary Dysleski who has seen 2 long time employees accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from her office. One is awaiting trial and the other pleaded guilty and was sentenced to house arrest. I still can't believe someone who steals thousands from the taxpayers receives a slap on the wrist while some idiot who sticks up a Turkey Hill for 40 bucks gets time in the slammer. Only in Luzerne County.

PA 10th CD update

After a flurry of activity things have been kind of quiet. Only Don Ely and Chris Hackett have officially announced that they are running for the Republican nomination. Dan Meuser's legal troubles over exploding wheelchairs and a sexual harassment lawsuit along with his donations to Democrats provided some fun that I'm sure will be revisited as the campaign heats up. Joe Peters' "poll" gave everybody a nice chuckle. We've had a nice discussion in the comments about these and other pressing issues such as who is pro-life and when they got there, who actually lives in the district and a few swipes about marital status. Meanwhile incumbent Chris Carney is serving on active duty and is busy blowing up things in Iraq by remote control.

In an attempt to elevate the discussion I will be meeting with Chris Hackett on Thursday to discuss boring stuff like issues. I hope to talk with all the candidates before the primary. If anyone has any questions they would like me to ask Chris please leave them in the comments or send me an email. Be nice folks and please keep it clean.

Sports weekend

The Eagles muffed 3 punts that resulted in a score and the game winning field goal by Green Bay. The Steelers won big. The Phillies went up 8-0 and then tried to give the game away but hung on for a 8-5 win. Penn State got revenge for last years pasting and put a hurt on Notre Dame. We have tix for the Phils -Braves games September 25/26. I hope they are still playing for something.

Quick hits

So many stories I wanted to blog about this week but the combination of my schedule (I work nights and get home around 2AM) and a remodeling project at home has eaten up my time.

Batman (Bob Kadluboski )is on trial for ramming a car he was chasing after a stabbing incident. Not the first time he's done something like this. More here.

A push poll in the Luzerne County commissioners race. The Republicans deny they did it and the Dems won't admit to it.

Kanjo says the Cornerstone thing is old news. The story will not go away.

Plains has money to burn thanks to the slots. Some want a property tax cut but the Supervisors are being cautious. I agree.

The witch hunt of Judge Lokuta continues.

The Lackawana County Commissioners race got more interesting with baseball Bob 's best friend getting busted by the FBI.

Homer Simpson once asked " if we don't have immigrants who will play shortstop or kick our extra points?"

The latest O'Brien/Washo ad:

Saturday pet blogging

How to keep cool.

Lt Commander Carney reports for duty

Washington, D.C. --Congressman Christopher P. Carney will report for two weeks of active duty on September 10, 2007 at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. “Serving my nation is something I take very seriously,” said Congressman Carney. “I will continue to serve two weeks of active duty. I will leverage my counter-terrorism experience with the Predator UAV Program, to bring a certain value added to the military.”

Congressman Carney is currently a Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves. In addition to two weeks of active duty each year, he continues to drill at the Pentagon each month.

Lt. Commander Carney will be working on the Predator UAV Program. Previously, he was called up for service as a counter-terrorism expert at the Pentagon following the September 11th attacks. He continued counter-terrorism work as a Senior Advisor and Special Advisor from 2003 to 2005. In 2006, he was elected to Congress from the 10th District of Pennsylvania and pledged to continue his reserve duty while serving as a Member of Congress.

Reporting for active duty is unique for Members of Congress. Congressman Mark Kirk, a Republican from Illinois, also reports for two weeks of active duty as a Reservist while serving as a Member of Congress. “Working in the Pentagon as a naval reserve intelligence officers helps me better understand what our men and women serving in the military face each day,” U.S. Representative Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) said. “That perspective also helps me make decisions in Congress. Those who wear the uniform have a unique perspective on issues that affect our military. Serving in the reserve also helps you transcend partisan differences. I consider myself a shipmate to Congressman Carney first and a colleague in Congress second.”

While in uniform, Congressman Carney will not be able to comment on political matters.

It's good to see people keep their military obligations unlike some others.

Yuddy responds

Last week I asked State Rep John Yudichak (D-119th) about the rumor that he will run for the Democratic nomination in the PA 11th CD. He was kind enough to reply:

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I appreciate your interest, and I always enjoy your blog. I am keeping all options open regarding my political future. Currently, I am focusing on some very exciting projects in the 119th like the recent announcement that will bring LCCC into downtown Nanticoke as a full partner in the City’s revitalization. I will do my best to keep you updated. Thanks, jty

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He doesn't confirm it but doesn't deny it either. This should get interesting.

Kanjo News

"The president is not a dumb man, he's just not a deep man. He can be a deep man, but he's never had to exercise his brain. He's a DEK (a fraternity guy, pronounced 'deek'). They are the best party guys in the world," -U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, PA-11(D)

He explains his vote on Iraq:

The Pocono Record


"We were told a lot of things that were incorrect or inaccurate" he said...."They told us all kind of things. That we were under a threat and their information was as complete as possible and they (Iraq) had weapons of mass destruction"...he was shown large pictures of a plane "that looked like a mosquito." Kanjorski was told these were called UAVs — unmanned aeronautical vehicles, the highest black-box weapons we have, and they (the Iraqis) have 1,000 of them, and they can deliver weapons of mass destruction. That included a plane that could spray chemical and biological materials..."the Iraqis never had one damned weapon."


"There was no way they ever took those pictures in Iraq," he said, referring to the UAVs.
Kanjorski doesn't believe the president or the national security adviser lied to him "because I believe they were lied to," he said.


"We invaded a sovereign nation based on a lie."

His nephews keep making news over the Cornerstone thing and being employed by his PAC and campaign committee. We're used to nepotism but the Cornerstone story just won't go away. Now the Navy is asking questions.

The Politico

The U.S. Navy wants a business owned by the family of Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski to hand over a piece of high-tech equipment bought with some of the $9.25 million in taxpayer funds Kanjorski steered to the company.
Except no one seems to know where to find the equipment-

a Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator, also know as a high-pressure pump.

Which brings me to the Yuddy rumour. For a few weeks I've been hearing that State Rep John Yudichak (119th) will take on Kanjo in the primary for the Democratic nomination for the 11th District CD seat held by Kanjorski. One wag said :

I think the time is ripe. the families can't stand each other even though they were allies at one time. Plus notice John's zoning in on health care? great middle class issue. All he has to do is stand up and say, you deserve the same health care the congressman got for his heart surgery. Mcnulty will run his campaign, he has to pay off his wife's direct merchant bill so they'll be plenty of paid media.

Another:

If Yuddy wants to take on Kanjo, now would be the time to do it. The republicans are running so many commercials that it could only help John. And if John runs I think he will win the primary and then have a cake walk in the general.

I asked Yudichak for a comment last week but received no response yet.

Danny had it first.

One opinion

This letter to the editor in the TL caught my eye:

The recent police sting operation that resulted in the arrest of a
Wilkes-Barre man on a prostitution charge was a waste of time. Surely there
must be something more important these officers could be doing to protect
the citizenry.


Sexual acts between consenting adults in
private, whether for money or
not, should be none of the government’s
business. I believe alcohol, tobacco,
and organized religion pose a greater
threat to an orderly society than
prostitution ever could.

For many years
the government raided gambling
establishments until they discovered one day
that they could be a great source
of revenue. If only they could find a way
to put a meter on a hooker.


I’ve noticed that most of those who
oppose the legalization of
prostitution are too old, too poor, or too ugly
to participate.


R. Manson Elsbree Sayre

Joe Peters takes a poll

And surprise, it shows Joe Peters leads Dan Meuser by a whopping 21% to 7% among Republican primary voters in the Pennsylvania 10th CD with 69% undecided. The press release doesn't mention any of the other potential candidates. When told some nice things about Peters the respondents have a favorable reaction and when asked if they would vote for someone who just moved into the district most said that they would be less likely. A swipe at Meuser I presume. I guess we will next see a poll asking if you would vote for someone who's been married a few times. It also points out that he he won nearly 60% of the vote in Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District in his losing 2004 Auditor General bid.

The 69% undecided is the key as us political junkies are the only people paying attention at this point. And that number is probably higher as the poll probably just measures name recognition but that will change once the candidates start running paid media. Right now I can't even find a website for any of them. The only polling that matters at this stage would be Chris Carney's favorable/unfavorables but I haven't seen any yet. I suspect they are pretty good because our local press has given him generally positive coverage and 2008 looks to be another big Democratic year.

h/t to GrassrootsPA

Labor Day

PSoTD asked a big question the other day; What should the federal holiday, "Labor Day", mean to America? And how should we appropriately honor the day?

I don't have an answer. For most of us Labor Day is just another Monday holiday if you're lucky enough to get the day off. My many years in the hospitality industry meant I worked every Labor Day and Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Years,etc. Maybe it should be a day that everything shuts down. If anything it should be a celebration of unions and the sacrifice of people who came before us to win an 8 hour workday, 40 hour week and a stop of such hideous practices as the breaker boys. People were murdered during strikes because they had the gumption to ask their employers for a better deal. It goes on today.

My Dad worked for the Armor Meat Company on N Penn Ave in W-B in a union shop for over 20 years. There was some sort of dispute that resulted in a strike and the resolution of the strike was Armor packing up the equipment in the middle of the night and moving it to Georgia to a non union shop. Putting everybody here out of work unless you wanted to move to Georgia and take a job that paid half of what you got. We never had a good Christmas after that.

Lawyers, guns and money

Hazleton is looking at big legal bill over the immigration folly. Mayor Lou Barletta's quest for fame might cost the the taxpayers plenty in the coming years. The case been appealed to the 3rd cicuit but according to How Appealing less than 10% of trial judges rulings are overturned. The plantiffs have asked for $2.4 million in legal fees which seems excesive and Mayor Lou is the first to point that out. “We believe this bill is padded with the intent to bankrupt us. I don’t expect any judge will award that amount.” Barletta is still begging for money to pay the lawyers the city hired let alone the damages. I understand the argument against illegal immigration but a liitle town in Pennsylvania can't change federal law. It was stupid to even try.

This country was built by immigrants. There wasn't many rules before 1923 on who could get into the country. Since then the US Government has made coming into the US to live here a living hell of paperwork..

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Is nothing sacred. I picked this up from Mark: I see they are working on a remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still, one of my all-time favorite sci-fi movies. It will star Keanu Reeves as Klaatu. And the menacing robot, Gort, will be played by none other than Rosie O’Donnell. I’ll be at Movies 14 when this one premieres, although, sans the necessary Junior Mints.

What next, a remake of the Wizard of OZ? Sorry guys it's going to be hard to top the original. Some things should just be left alone. According to IMDB and First Showing it will come out in May 2008.

Sports weekend

As expected Penn State clobbered Cupcake U 59-0. Michigan took it on the chin by losing to 1-AA Appalachian State and the Irish are looking at a long season. After sweeping the Mets the Phillies found a way to lose 2 out 3 to the mighty Marlins while the Mets bounced back and swept the Braves. The best story of the weekend is Red Sox rookie Clay Buchholz throwing a no-no in only his 2nd major league start.

Chris Hackett for Congress

He is the owner of OneSource Staffing Solutions and a resident of Shavertown which is an area we call the back mountain that until the last gerrymandering wasn't even in the 10th Congressional District. His press release announcing that he is candidate for the Republican nomination has some red meat for for conservative voters.

Campaign to Focus on Lower Taxes, Job Creation, Cutting Government Waste, Ending Illegal Immigration, Strong National Security and PromotingConservative Pro-Life Family Values

It's hard to argue with the first 3, who isn't for lower taxes, creating jobs and eliminating waste but his idea of strong national security sounds like it came right out of the White House: "Congress is talking too much about how to withdraw from a war Islamic extremists are waging against us and our way of life, and not enough about how to win. We cannot afford to back down from this real enemy." So he has bought into Bush's idea of never ending war in the Middle East, not much difference from Carney.

He wants to stop illegal immigration and favors making English the official language, protect gun rights and opposes tolls on I-80.

We are Penn State

Dan Connor will lead Linebacker U into the opener with Florida International at Noon today and it should be a blowout. I love football but always have mixed emotions when the season starts because it means the end of summer.

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The whole Comcast vs Big Ten Network thing has added a level of frustration that was resolved today when I found out that one of my local watering holes will have the game. Well it hasn't resolved my frustration as I would rather watch the game at home sitting in my recliner yelling at the TV but at least I can watch the game instead of tuning it in on the radio. As luck would have it the one place that I've found that will have the game is Big Ugly's in Wilkes-Barre (map it) which is owned by Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak's dad. I hope Skrep is there.

And the Phillies have won 6 in a row.

How 'bout dem Mets

For the second time this season the Phillies swept the Mets and are only 2 games out of first place. Today's hero was Chase Utley getting a game winning hit in the bottom of the 9th, on Tuesday it was Ryan Howard smacking a walk off homer in the 10th. I think the key was that Pat Burrell keeps killing the Mets pitching with 3 home runs in 2 games. On the down side the twins (Alfonseca and Mesa) did their best to give away the game.

What a season the Phightins are having as just about everybody has been on the disabled list at one time or another and they must have used at least 30 pitchers. Give credit to Manager Charlie Manuel for keeping the whole thing together with duct tape, Ben-Gay and just keeping his guys loose no matter what happens. Chris thinks he should be Manager of the Year and I agree.

In the other league the bad guys also used some brooms.

PA 10th CD update

Chris Carney has now attracted at least 5 Republican challengers.

Don Ely, a retired school teacher and minister from Northumberland County is the only one who has officially announced his candidacy for the nomination. Davis Haines of Tunkhannock is someone I've never heard of but he knows State Rep. Tina Pickett and showed up at her picnic. As predicted self described Homeland Security expert and statewide loser Joe Peters has been on the hustings. Greg Skrepenak's (D-Luzerne) buddy Christopher Hackett of One Source Staffing Solutions got some nice press in the Williamsport paper. He emphasized his opposition to illegal immigration, which is standard fare for a Republican, but that is dangerous territory for someone who runs a temp agency.

And the eventual nominee Dan Meuser had a nice interview with Townhall. He bobbed and weaved about Iraq and other foreign policy issues and takes a couple of swipes at Bush. He's against increasing taxes, promotes free trade but doesn't want to screw with Social Security.

I think Meuser will be the nominee because he has the most money, even if he gives some of it to Hillary and other Democrats. The GOP is going to be playing defense in 2008 and having a candidate like Don Sherwood that is willing to buy a seat in Congress will be a great help.

George Bush's tribute to Frank Zappa!

I'm back

Sort of. Keith O's show is starting before football. The Phillies won big today. Cordaro has another challenge to his reelection bid and people are telling me that John Yudichak is running for Congress.

Road trip

See you in a few days.

Take me out to the ballgame

We went to the Red Barons game tonight but it wasn't the Baron's. I don't know many of the Yankee AAA players but if any of them show any promise they will be traded. We started upstairs...

Then moved downstairs.

Big Ten Network and Comcast

Will cable dispute sideline Lion fans?

It still comes down to the sports tier vs. $1.10 a month for everyone. Comcast wants to put BTN into a sports package that people who are interested pay an extra $5 a month and BTN wants to be on basic cable at $1.10 per suscriber. The Chicago Tribune has a good rundown of the dispute. Comcast says that the BTN has a limited appeal and should be put off on a specialty band and BTN calls bullshit on this argument pointing out that they already carry limited appeal channels such as Versus and a bunch of religion and shopping networks. Since Comcast took over from Adelphia they have cut four channels from my local lineup; the WE network(38), ESPN Classic(67), UPN-57 (11) and Newswatch16 (63) and the price went up. Comcast also has entered The Customer Service Hall of Shame.

Happy Babe-Elvis Day

As we pass through another summer without enough holidays I want to remind everyone of my proposal to make August 16th a day of celebration. This is the day both Babe Ruth and Elvis Presley died. Much is being made of the 30th anniversary of the demise of the King but the Babe seems to be forgotten in the hoopla.

We need a day that celebrates our penchant for excess and what cultural icons embody it better? The Babe had a robust lifestyle that is well documented and the King himself expired on the throne. For some reason my letters to members of Congress proposing this holiday have never been answered but maybe I'm aiming too high and we should start with a local event. Babe Ruth once visited Artillery Park and a commemorative plaque is planned. It should be unveiled next August 16th with a festival in Kirby Park where people would play baseball while being serenaded by Elvis impersonators. I'm sure it would catch on nationally.

Chris Carney update

Pennsyltucky Politics points out a really bad idea from Matt Stoller at Open Left. Matt wants to take a page out of the Club for Growth playbook and run ads against Democrats like Chris Carney who voted for FISA or other things that are disagreeable. I'm as disappointed as some of my friends with some of Carney's votes, particularly his unwillingness to vote to end the Iraq occupation. But spending money on attack ads that are only going to help his Republican opponent is not a good use of limited resources. The Netroots has proven to be an effective way of raising money for Democratic candidates and Carney's contributions from ActBlue seems to have dried up. That's his loss. I agree with this comment on the post :

Why single out someone like Carney (PA-10, which you list incorrectly as PA-04 in the main article) whose District is R+8 and is seeking re-election as a freshman?

Here are two options that make more pragmatic sense:

Idea A

Why not focus that same money, time, and energy lobbying members in more Democratic districts where you will (1) likely have more success and (2) not help elect a Republican over an economically progressive Democratic freshman like Carney?....

Note: Carney's District, PA-10, went to Bush 60-40 in 2004. What kind of Republican would replace Democrats who are holding seats like that?

Idea B

Why not focus that same money, time, and energy on electing progressive Dems in current republican-held districts like PA-06 (Gerlach)?

I think Down With Tyranny's strategy is better:

There are various courses of action to take in different districts. Obviously, never vote for a Republican for anything, anywhere. They all stink because their underlying partisan philosophy of Greed, Bigotry, Hatred and Selfishness is just plain toxic. Reactionary and corrupt Democrats who voted like Republicans should never be supported and when primary time comes around they should be opposed.

I doubt if anyone will take on Carney in the primary but if some Democrat ran against him over his Iraq votes it would be interesting.

Will he or won't he

After withdrawing from the ballot because of a legal challenge to his financial disclosure Lackawanna County Commissioner Robert C. Cordaro was nominated by the county Republican executive committee to replace himself on the ballot. If he does accept you can expect another court challenge. He hasn't said yes or no yet but his reelection ads are still running on TV.

And yet another story speculates about Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta's future. Will he run for Congress against Paul Kanjorski or seek another office? He says he will decide by January whether to run for Congress in 2008 which suggests to me that he will pass on a 11th CD run. To take on a long time incumbent like Kanjo he would have to start raising money now.

Summertime

Saturday pet blogging

Stinky Dog



Last week's adventure involved Humphrey trying to make friends with a skunk. The skunk was having none of it and expressed his displeasure in the usual way. This happened at 1AM on Friday which required the dog to spend the rest of the night outside much to his chagrin. Forget tomato juice this mixture of peroxide, baking soda and dish soap works much better. But nothing eliminates the smell totally it just takes time to wear off. When I gave him the bath he didn't act like I was going to kill him like he usually does. A week later after a second bath and new collar he doesn't stink anymore.

Ptolemy thought the whole thing was pretty funny.

Other pet blogs this week got exotic. Northern Girl gives us a view of life on the farm with cats, dogs, goats and horses with the added bonus of the wheat harvest. Patricia has been feeding stray cats and box turtles.

Kanjo News

Our own PA 11th district Congressman Paul Kanjorski has been in the news this week for some colorful remarks.

After getting feedback from a few town meetings he felt that people have lost trust in the government and he said “I’m in fear for the survival of the republic,” he said. “People want to get their deer rifles out and go to the barricades.” Then he offered a technical government speak solution to ward off the revolution. Sorry Paul, hyperbole is not your strong point.

But he didn't stop there and and offered some criticism of the appropriations process when responding to an emergency. There is a rule that Congress won't OK more than $100 million in immediate disaster relief to a state for any one incident. They can always approve more money later if it's warranted. The collapse of the bridge in Minneapolis is the type event that the $100 million rule applies. The rule was ignored in this case when Minnesota asked for more ($250 million) and Kanjorski objected even though he voted for it, go figure. Nobody has ever accused him of being a fiscal conservative and his reaction would be funny if someone bitched about a piece of his pork.

"They discovered they were going to get all the money from the federal government and they were taking all they could get,” he said. In essence they took the opportunity “to screw us,” he said of the funding grab.

This quote got all kinds of attention. Think Progress picked up on it then spread it all over the place.

Kanjorski comments on bridge collapse spark fierce backlash

This is an interesting story because it cherry picks the comments from Think Progress but doesn't but doesn't cite the source. I'm sure the reporter sourced his story but it was edited out. What is it with the local rags unwillingness to give credit to the blogosphere? And as far as the rumors that he may hang it up his mouthpiece, Ed Mitchell, said he has no plans to retire. Kanjo himself hasn't been able to be reached because he is off on his annual trek to New Mexico. I hope he is as lucky as was on his last trip when he won 20 grand playing blackjack.

Joe Lieberman for Vice President

Scary thought but possible.

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A few days ago PSoTD asked his blogroll this question: Will Joe Lieberman support the Republican candidate for President in 2008, reasons why or why not, and what's the political value to him?

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First of all I appreciate the question as it sure beats the silly tell us 5 stupid things about yourself memes and he points out that if he does the Democratic Party will get bathed in a propaganda push about how the moderate Democrats are splitting from the "liberal left", bleh bleh bleh. So let's get ahead of the curve.

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It's impossible to get inside his head but I think that Lieberman is angling for the VP spot on the Republican ticket. he would accept the offer as history has shown that being VP is one of the best paths to the Presidency. James Carville once said that running for President is like sex, you don't only do it once.

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He is raising money for Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine and declined to investigate the Hurricane Katrina foul-ups as Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. He supports the endless Iraq occupation saying we have have to give it more time and has suggested that Democrats aren't serious about national security.

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No matter who wins the GOP nomination, adding Lieberman as VP would be let the Republicans go to the country with a "bi-partisan ticket." Forget all the traditional balancing of geography, ideology, etc.

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Back to the original question. If he is not the VP pick he's smart enough to read the tea leaves and knows the the Dem's are going to have a big year in 2008. I doubt if he would go to the GOP convention or endorse the Republican nominee.

Home rule in Luzerne County

Jennifer Learn-Andes has a story in TL today that asks the members of the last study commission if they think that another one is needed. They all said yes but don't expect me to that again. The plan that was voted down in 2003 was actually pretty good. It would have restructured the county government into a sort of Mayor/Council arrangement. The DA and Controller would still be elected as well as the Judges. But the row offices would become appointed positions which makes sense to me as elections for Prothonotary or Register of Wills are a waste of time. They are not policy positions and it's hard to judge who would be better at filing forms. And in this day of high tech medicine the Coroner should be hired based on his/her qualifications. There is no Democratic or Republican way to do an autopsy.

Both parties opposed the plan with Democrats saying things are fine the way they are because they win most of the elections but the Republicans reason was downright funny. They were afraid they would lose the only office they are guaranteed to win, minority commissioner.

What if FDR had been like GWB?

He would have gave Rockefeller a tax cut and invaded Switzerland.

According to this at Yankee Fog.

Dan Meuser update

It looks like Meuser is making the rounds of the conservative interest groups and kissed Grover Norquist's ring by signing his Taxpayer Protection Pledge. Norquist is best known for this quote, "My goal is to cut government in half in twenty-five years," he says, "to get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub." He's also a good friend of Jack Abramoff, even helping him with his work for some Indian tribes' that landed him in jail.

Meuser's company, Pride Mobility Products Corp., has run into another legal problem.

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. Earlier Pride settled a lawsuit over the death of an elderly man using their wheelchair, in which plaintiffs alleged that a defective battery caused a fire.

The timing of this lawsuit is interesting and Pride said they'll fight it court. Want to bet they settle out of court with a confidentiality clause included in the agreement.

And we all know about some of his campaign contributions that prompted this "Thank You" from the Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman.


Dear Mr. Meuser,

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.

Thanks to your contributions, the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives has been able to increase the minimum wage, ensure that our men and women in uniform have the resources they need in Iraq and continue to put pressure on President Bush to change his failed policies in Iraq.

We thank you for your past support and hope that you continue assisting us.
Sincerely,

T.J. Rooney

EDITOR'S NOTE: in the 2004 and 2006 elections, Dan Meuser and Pride Mobility made the following contributions to Democratic Candidates in the House and Senate. (Click here for contribution record)

Saturday pet blogging

Ptolemy's chair

It used to be my chair until I rocked it back and forth one too many times yelling at the TV during a Penn State game and broke a weld. I resisted replacing it just like I won't get rid of a favorite shirt with a bunch of holes in it. But Mrs G's Mom bought me a new recliner for Christmas because they both wanted it out of the house. So we installed the new piece of furniture and put my old friend off to the side until the junk hauler would come and get it. Then the cat decided he liked it and lays on it all the time. Now I'm told we can't get rid of it because it's Ptolemy's favorite which is OK by me because it occupies the space we usually put the Christmas tree. Humphrey is indifferent.

I'm told that Kevin Drum started this pet picture thing with FRIDAY CATBLOGGING. The Bassets are actually standing up this week and Fred was framed.

A call to action

No, I'm not going to ask you to call your Congressman about some issue or show up for a protest. But you might want to take action on this issue to preserve your peace and quiet at home.

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Pennsyltucky Politics let's us know that the do-no-call list is only good for 5 years and if you signed up for it in 2002 you have until September 15 to re-up or risk getting swamped by calls from companies that think that they can sell you something by pissing you off when they interrupt your busy life.

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Sometimes I miss the telemarketing calls because I would either play with them or let loose if I was in a bad mood. A company called Appleby Windows called me and I explained that I didn't need windows because my house was built into a cave on a side of a mountain. Another time I told a young lady from another company that she sounded like a nice girl and asked why she couldn't get an honest job. If I was in a particularly sour state of mind I would tell the person on the phone that if they ever called me again I would reach through the the phone and rip their lungs out. Some organizations are exempt including charities, pollsters and political outfits.

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To make sure you're not called, go to http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/or http://www.nocallsplease.com/, or call toll-free, 1-888-777-3406. The national do-not-call registry by the Federal Trade Commission is at http://www.donotcall.gov/ or 1-888-382-1222.

Bob Cordaro can't fill out forms

“People are able to fill their statements out without having scientists or forensic accountants help them. They just tell the truth and then they’re held accountable for what they tell,” -Mike Washo

Here we go again. For the second time Lackawanna County Commissioner Bob Cordaro is off the ballot after a challenge to his latest financial statement. He got bounced off the primary ballot when his last statement was found to be incomplete by the state Supreme Court but won a write-in campaign. He may get a third chance if the party nominates him as his own replacement and will file yet another financial disclosure. Good luck with that. So is he incapable of filling out some routine forms or doesn't he want to fill them out completely?

I've never been a fan of this guy and it has nothing to do with his party affiliation. I don't live in Lackawanna County but I'm still pissed off that he chased the Phillies Triple A team out of town then came up smelling like roses because the Yankee's team took their place. He's been running ads that have have Brian Cashman singing his praises. He was put in charge of the negotiations with Mandalay and gave away the store. I think the team should be sold but not at a bargain basement price. Luzerne County is objecting to his business acumen. And I won't even go into the fun and games at the Airport.

Lou Barletta get's a challenger

Hazleton-Local artist and coffee shop owner John Medashefski filed nomination papers for the city’s top office on Tuesday as a member of the Libertarian Party. He will run against Barletta in the November general election...."Look at the city. It’s a deplorable mess. Friends and relatives tell me they feel like prisoners in their own homes. There’s been three shootings since the primary. It’s like the wild west. Something’s got to be done,” Medashefski said.

He says he's optimistic about his chances, I'm not. Crime, roads and playgrounds are always good issues but Barletta is the local hero right now winning both the Republican and Democratic nominations.

Luzerne County candidate forums

Not much has been happening in the Luzerne County races for Commissioner and the row offices so I've spent the last few days speculating on the Congressional races next year. I expect that to change this month as the Luzerne County employees union (AFSCME Local 1398) has announced a series of forums with the candidates. They're not debates but a mix and match of candidates for different offices on different days appearing at different times. Doesn't make much sense to me but it's always good when candidates face a public forum. Right now I hear that a few of them have been hitting the Pierogi and Halushkie circuit (church bazaars). Things should heat up after Labor Day. Gee, I wonder what candidates the union will endorse?