Updating the Blog Roll

The big news in the local political blogosphere is A Big Fat Slob has started posting again after a 4 year hiatus and he started off with an instant classic If Trump Wrote the Gettysburg Address

The sad news is that's the only addition to the blog roll as many of our former bloggers have either quit or now put all their energy into Facebook. I can understand why. I deleted a bunch of sites because they haven't been updated in years.

Of those remaining:

Potential 2032 Democratic Presidential nominee Omeed renamed his blog Firouzi Files . He likes Joe Biden.

John Cole Cartoons is one of the best in the business.

NCFE touches on politics and has observations on life, the universe, everything plus he is a fan of  Hunter Thompson. Give me ether.

2 Political Junkies keep  us up to date on Pittsburgh and national politics. They keep Jack Kelly honest.

Lehigh Valley Ramblings is one of the best local political blogs in the country. Bernie does a lot of original reporting that results in some very entertaining pissing contests.  No pot belly pigs were harmed writing this post.

The Lu Lac Political Letter is regarded as the gold standard of local NEPA political blogs. The Yonk has built it into something of a media empire with his appearances on TV and radio.


The reluctant Democratic Committeeman Another Monkey has been busy shooting the moon.

Big Dan flies the false flag.

Keystone Politics is a progressive Philadelphia blogger that supports the Guv and bike riding.

The author of Susquehanna River Sentinel is a local product that now lives in the Philly area and is one the best sources of information about the River and the environment. 

 One of my first friends in this blogging thing was a guy from New York who helped me win some awards that don't seem to matter much now. Simply Left Behind  is the only site outside PA on the blogroll.


The Pennsylvania Progressive is like me. Slaking off. 

Above Average Jane is another one from the early days of hobby bloggers.

I still can't read Posts From The Fringe because of the background.  

Michelle doesn't post on her blog often she really hit on this one

What happened to Jennie Monica? 

Pittston Politics stopped posting over the summer but he has threatened to come back.  It looks like Joe has given up on the blogging thing in favor of posting right wing talking points on Facebook. Guns good, Rebel flag good and abortion bad.

 The Keystone Report looks similar to Drudge but  it's must visit everyday because Chris gives us all the headlines and his hair looks mahvellous. 

 Then there is the Blogfather. My inspiration and mentor. Wilkes-Barre Online probably got rid of the worst Mayor in the the history of the city. After his mission was complete he seemed to loose  his focus and now blogs infrequently at Circumlocution.

 

 

 

Joe Biden for President

All the Sunday morning talking heads show were abuzz about this NY Times story that Vice President Joseph Biden may after all run for President. In a normal year he would already be running and be the front runner. But this is not a normal year when the guy that finished second in the GOP primary last time, Rick Santorum (R-VA), is an afterthought and a guy that shoots from the lip, Donald Trump, is leading the pack.

Most of the "experts" said this shows how weak Hillary is because Bernie Sanders is drawing crowds and she is just another scandal away from imploding. I think Hillary will probably live through any real or imagined controversy as she has proved to be one tough cookie.

I've read many comparisons to past campaigns that say things like this will  be like 1968 when Gene McCarthy (Sanders) knocked President Johnson  out of the race only to have his VP Hubert Humphrey pick up the pieces after RFK was murdered to win the nomination and came close to sparing us from Nixon. Well things have changed since 1968 because of early filing deadlines for the primaries and it would be almost impossible to mount a campaign after Iowa and New Hampshire vote. 

So if Joe Biden is going to make a run he has to decide very soon.

I actually love the guy and think he would be a great President as does my pal Omeed. In 1988 I was working for his campaign in New Hampshire until the Dukakis campaign was able to torpedo him over the Neil Kinnock thing.



 

Biden wins the debate and stops the bleeding

After the President's poor debate performance Joe Biden had to step up and he did. He had command of the facts and rebutted Paul Ryan at every turn. Once he said that  Ryan spews a bunch of malarkey you knew he was on. Now the Republicans are attacking the moderator and Biden's facial expressions. The Dems panned Jim Lerher last time. 

I'm not going to recap it because my readers surely watched it.

At least Sullivan didn't have another nervous breakdown. 

Vote in the poll on the left sidebar.

Vice Presidential Debate Poll

I'll be putting up a poll on the sidebar later tonight.

If you want to watch the debate with some political junkies:

The Luzerne County Republican Party is hosting a Vice-Presidential Debate Watch Party at Rodano's on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. Large screen tv, pizza, cash bar. The event open to the public and admission is FREE! Please join us! Starts at 8PM.

2 weeks ago the Republicans were saying the polls were skewed because they showed Obama opening up a lead. Now they point to the polls because they show Romney catching up. If Obama wins the election get ready for more ACORN stole the election type nonsense. 

I think this poll result is interesting via Taegan Goddard:


A new Esquire/Yahoo! News poll finds that Americans would trust President Obama more to look after their dog when they're out of town than Mitt Romney, 52% to 27%.

I ride inside

Dogs Against Romney

Another great Blogfest

We had so many people at Blogfest come and go on Friday night  that I lost count.

Like the last one 11th CD candidate Gene Stilp stole the show,  this time  he parked his pink pig bus in front of Rooney's in the afternoon then assembled his 10 foot tall Medicare wheelchair. He got 17th CD candidate Matt Cartwright to join in.

Full report in the morning..

The political bloggers that make Blogfest happen.

Yonk, Joe V and your humble narrator

More photos at this LINK

Even more photos on Joe V's Photobucket

Snarky Blogger time. Some Bigwigs weigh in on Blogfest.

  Joe Biden. "I hear this Blogfest is a big fucking deal."

 Mitt Romney. " I'm sorry I couldn't make it tonight, Blogfest sounds like great sport. I had a crises when my dancing horse got stuck in the car elevator again. 47% of YOU people can't even imagine the problems I have to deal with for Pete's sake.


GOP US Senate candidate Tom Smith responded to my invitation to Blogfest. "Where the hell is Pittston? Do they have coal there?"

 Bob Casey. " I introduced a resolution in the Senate recognizing Blogfest as a great Pennsylvania tradition but the Republicans filibustered it."

 Clint Eastwood. "What do you want me to tell Gort? I can’t tell him to do that. I can’t tell him to do that to himself."

Meet the candidate

Republican PA  17th Congressional District candidate Laureen Cummings has been an energizer bunny visiting all the counties of the district for every event she can attend.  She has hit all the GOP County picnics plus a bunch of other stuff. I ran into her at the Luzerne County GOP picnic. You can read about it on her campaign Facebook page with lots of pictures. She has attended Blogfest in the past and promises to be there again along with her campaign manager Jim O'Meara.

On Saturday she will be in Pittston Twp at Bar on Oak, 900 Oak St. 6-8PM. Detail at her website.

She is handing out this nifty card taking an subtle shot at her opponent. 

Democrat Matt Cartwright hasn't slacked off since the primary after knocking off Blue Dog Tim Holden. He has also been also been all over the place even introducing VP Joe Biden in York. Details and pictures at the Cartwright campaign  Facebook page. After serving as the Gort42 Special Correspondent at the Democratic Convention in Charlotte he went rolling down the Delaware River.

Congressional Candidate Matt Cartwright Campaigns on the Delaware

 

 Cartwright has a big shindig planed for Nay Aug Park in Scranton, September 29th starting at 1PM. Details on his website. 

He will be at many other places before then.  

 

Matt Cartwright, a candidate for the 17th Congressional District, will speak at Keystone College Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. in Evans Hall, Hibbard Campus Center.

Matt Cartwright also tells me he will be at Blogfest.

A night with the Democrats

Eddie Day Pashinski and Phyllis Mundy

A nice night with my Democratic friends at Brews Brothers in Pittston watching Vice President Biden and President Barack Obama accept the Democratic nominations tonight. Alex Milanes was the token Republican in the crowd joining Luzerne County Chair Bob Boyer, Vice Chair Jane Waitukus and 2nd District honcho Casey Evans. State Reps Phyllis Mundy and Eddie Day Pashinski were the stars of the night. 17th CD candidate Matt Cartwright was represented by deputy dog Mike Szusrtak.

You can read the text of the President's speech at this link.

President Obama's acceptance speech.

He defended his record and outlined a path for the future and got down right feisty saying:

Now, our friends at the Republican convention were more than happy to talk about everything they think is wrong with America, but they didn’t have much to say about how they’d make it right.  They want your vote, but they don’t want you to know their plan.  And that’s because all they have to offer is the same prescription they’ve had for the last thirty years:

“Have a surplus? Try a tax cut.” 

“Deficit too high? Try another.”

“Feel a cold coming on? Take two tax cuts, roll back some regulations, and call us in the morning!”

He ended the Iraq war and will end the Afghanistan war and unlike Romney he payed tribute to our troops and veterans. 

He blasts the Republicans on foreign policy:


"You might not be ready for diplomacy with Beijing if you can’t visit the Olympics without insulting our closest ally. "

The President didn't say it but how can you expect Mitt Romney to stand up to the Iranians when he won't even stand up to Rush Limbaugh after he insults a young woman.


Bill Wellock filed this report in the Citizens Voice

Obama's speech attracts interest from both sides

Joe Biden in Scranton today

TL:

Vice President Joe Biden will be in Scranton today to meet with campaign supporters, visit friends and family, and give remarks at Scranton’s Courthouse Square fireworks celebration.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, is expected to attend the event and appear with Biden. They are scheduled to make a public appearance together at 7:30 p.m. today.

The dean of NEPA political reporters BORYS KRAWCZENIUK had an interview with the Veep

Biden Visit Tuesday to include trip to childhood home, fireworks in Scranton

 I was a volunteer  in Biden's 1988 Presidential bid that got torpedoed by the Dukakis campaign over the Neil Kinnock plagiarism thing.  I still find it hard to believe that somebody as loquacious as Biden would lift someones words without attribution

Corey O'Brien gets some national press

The New YorkTimes story a day before President Obama's visit to Scranton created something of of a buzz. It says that this is Hillary Clinton country full of Reagan Democrats who may vote for a Republican this time around. Despite what the Professor thinks Barack Obama will win Luzerne and Lackawanna counties in 2012 but our area but it will be a battleground as it always is. Expect the President and VP Biden to visit us in the run up to the election and the Republican nominee will also make a few stops.

At first I focused on this quote “For many people here, Obama is too liberal,” said Ed Mitchell, a Democratic strategist based in nearby Wilkes-Barre. Sorry Ed, Obama is not liberal enough, if he was he would hire retiring Congressman Barney Frank as Press Secretary or maybe Bernie Sanders or at least listen to their advice.

Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O'Brien's remarks got the most attention “Enough with the soft approach,” said Corey O’Brien, a Democratic Lackawanna County commissioner and early backer of Mr. Obama. “He’s got to say, ‘I’m in charge, and I’m going to get it done with or without Congress.’ ”

A few people chastised Corey for not knowing how the the Federal government works.

Where Campaigns Work Well

No, Barack Obama is not Harry Potter

FOR SOME REASON, a lot of people think after that his inauguration, President Obama was handed a top secret magic wand.

Kevin Drum: Republicans have to be chortling at this. It's exactly the response they've been hoping for as we head into election season...

Political Animal: Just to be clear, my point is not to pick on Corey O’Brien, an Obama supporter. He’s very likely frustrated and concerned, and knows plenty of people in his community who are equally frustrated and concerned. I don’t blame them in the slightest — given the larger economic circumstances, their anxiety is well justified....The public likes to think of the President of the United States, no matter who’s in office, as having vast powers....Americans hate Congress, overwhelmingly dislike Republicans, and the notion that the GOP is sabotaging the economy just to undermine Obama is widely believed. And yet, the president may suffer politically because many voters expect Obama to succeed — despite unprecedented Republican obstructionism — by “getting it done with or without Congress.”

The Plume Line

Why GOP benefits from blocking Obama’s jobs policies




I thought it would be worth checking back with O'Brien to get a sense of how widespread this sentiment is in that region, a bellwether area that Obama is set to visit today.

Turns out it is widespread, and that this dynamic may well be in full force. O’Brien said that many voters from the region are fully convinced that Republicans are deliberately trying to block Obama policies that might help alleviate joblessness — but that in their minds, the buck still stops with the president.

“People see that Republicans have been the party of blocking progress — that’s clear,” O’Brien told me. “The people of northeastern Pennsylvania, who will help decide who wins the state, all understand what’s going on.”

But he added: “They still look at the president and say, `the buck stops with the president.’ And that’s something the president has to overcome.”

O’Brien predicted that Republicans would not be rewarded for their obstructionism in the end. But he depicted an extremely volatile political environment, in which people are enraged by government’s failure to alleviate people’s economic suffering. He said Obama still needs to find some way of either securing some GOP support or making it even clearer that he grasps the depth of pubic rage over gridlock and that he’s the one fighting to make things better.

“The frustration is boiling over,” he said. “There’s an awareness here that the president can’t do this alone and that’s never been more true than it’s been now.” But he again characterized public sentiment by saying: “The buck stops with the president.”

And there you have it.


UPDATE: O’Brien got in touch with me after Obama’s speech today, and he sounded convinced that Obama was striking the tone he needs to strike. He said he thinks Obama “scored a lot of points” with eastern Pennsylvanians.

Biden coming to town

I got a press release from the White House that said Vice President Joe Biden will be in the area to inspect the flood damage on Friday but didn't give any details. Congressman Lou Barletta's office doesn't know where he will be either.

I think that the President and VP should just stay away from disaster areas. Let the people who know what they are doing do there jobs. They just get in the way.

Former Congressman Paul Kanjorski gives a full throttled defense of the federal government in the the CV:

Lu Lac has it

Home rule event tomoorow

My favorite radio talking head asked me to post this and I'm happy to oblige. Unlike some other people on WILK she is up front about her loyalties and biases, I can respect that. Plus she is a Red Sox fan, we'll get 'em next year.


Gort,
If you are blogging, can you give a shout out to a:




Home Rule Forum
King's College
Monday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.
Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center
Third Floor Walsh Room


Sponsored by the King's College Pre-Law Society
Moderated by Dr. Jayne Klenner Moore, King's Professor of CIS
10 minute opening statement, then questions from the audience
Open to the public!


Featuring Jim Haggerty and Rick Morelli on behalf of Home Rule yes and Attorney Vito DeLuca on behalf of Home Rule no


Coordinated by Dr. David Sosar of the Political Science Dept.
Thank You,
Sue

.


If you are blogging?


The above pic is from the Arlen Specter airport rally in April with VP Joe Biden. (L to R) Attorney and past Judge candidate Joe Terrana, the lovely and talented WILK newstalk radio host Sue Henry and fellow blogger Steve Urbanski who writes SPPE who is talented but not lovely.

You will notice that they put them in a cage.

A brief chat with Arlen Specter

After the airport rally yesterday with Vice President Joe Biden I got a chance to ask Senator Arlen Specter a couple of questions. My full report of the event will be forthcoming.


The Vice President made a compelling case to Democrats to vote for you although you were a Republican. What do you tell a lifelong Democrat like myself who never voted for you in the past why should I vote for you this time?

My roots go back to the Democratic Party originally. My parents were immigrants, FDR immigrants, hard hit by the depression. I was a JFK Democrat even served as one of the young lawyers on Warren Commission that investigated the assassination of President Kennedy. Came back to Philadelphia were I won some big cases and wanted to run for DA on the Democratic ticket but the party leaders said we don’t want an honest, tough DA in Philadelphia which won’t shock anybody about Philadelphia. The Republican Party came to me and said we haven’t won an election in a long time run on our ticket no strings attached. I didn’t even change my registration I ran as a Democrat on the Republican ticket ,won, and for a long time tried to bring some moderation to the Republican Party. And when President Obama wanted the stimulus package and we were about to slide into a 1929 Depression I simply would not be part of Republican obstructionism and I joined Obama. During my tenure in the Senate I have voted with Democrats probably more often on the big issues than with Republicans. I supported a woman’s right to choose, I opposed Bork. It would be a different country with Bork. I’m pro labor and got the AFL-CIO endorsement. I’m against warentless wiretapping, against Guantanamo and in favor of raising the minimum wage. Provided the 60th vote for the health care package. When August came I went out to the town hall meetings and defended Obama and the health care package

Part of the Military Commissions Act says that the government can declare a United States citizen arrested in the US an enemy combatant and hold them indefinitely. Is there any chance you can revisit that?

I think that’s wrong unless there is probable cause and a reason to hold them. The federal courts have taken jurisdiction over habeas corpus which I have pushed and I think that is an issue to be revisited and I think that the courts are taking it up. You have seen some limitations on detentions. There has to be a reason, there has to be a risk to the United States government on an evidentiary basis before that kind of detention can be justifiable.

Joe Biden visit Friday

If you want to see our always colorful Vice President who is never at a loss for words on Friday at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport you will need a ticket. They can be obtained at the Arlen Specter Scranton office today and tomorrow located at 520 Spruce St, 2nd floor in Biden's hometown of Scranton between 10AM and 5PM. The rally will be in one of the hangers just follow the signs and look for lots of law enforcement types. Doors open at 12:30PM and the program is scheduled to start at 2PM but they always run late. This is a BFD.

Update from Herself: For folks from Luzerne County and other areas who can't make it to Scranton there will be a ticket pickup for Friday's event in Wilkes-Barre as well:

DAY/DATE: THURSDAY APRIL 22nd
TIME: 12pm to 6pm
PLACE: BARNES & NOBLE ON PUBLIC SQUARE in WILKES-BARRE-- 7 S. Main St.



Specter's Democratic primary opponent was in Wilkes-Barre yesterday saying small businesses should have greater access to federal contracts decrying the influence of big business in the US Senate. Joe Sestak slammed Specter

CV: "I believe that the Democratic establishment in Washington, D.C., supported by the Democratic establishment in Harrisburg, got off track when it felt it had to make a political deal with Arlen Specter so he could try to keep his job because he couldn't win in the Republican primary," Sestak said.

Sestak finally dipped into his $5 Million warchest to go up on the the air with this bio ad




Specter had 2 positive ads running over the weekend but now is up with a spot that starts off calling Sestak Captain Queeg. If I didn't know better I would think that Capitol Ideas helped write the script. What about the strawberry's? Then he accuses him of being AWOL from Congress. Specter has switched to the Dems but this ad is out of the Karl Rove playbook. Attack your opponent's strength. Just like Bush tore down John Kerry's military service Specter is trying to do the same to Sestak.

Senate candidates coming to town

Congressman Joe Sestak will be in Wilkes-Barre tomorrow for a seminar on how to get more pork.

Joe will join members of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre business community to describe how he will work to bring more federal funding to Northeast Pennsylvania as the state's next U.S. Senator. Joe's opponent, 30-year Senator Arlen Specter, has made his ability to obtain earmarks for Pennsylvania projects the hallmark of his campaign, but Specter has lost his seniority and actually brought back less funding to the Commonwealth than first-term Senator Bob Casey in Casey's first year.

In his District, Joe has demonstrated other ways to win federal resources. As one example, Joe will bring to the event businessman Ed Brill, founder of Brill Worldwide Investments (BWWI). Through Joe's Business Procurement Summit, Ed has helped Pennsylvania small businesses win more than $13 million in federal contracts.

The event is Monday, April 19th at 1:00pm at The Innovation Center at Wilkes:


The Innovation Center at Wilkes
7 S. Main Street
2nd Floor (above the Barnes & Noble Store)
Wilkes Barre, PA 18701



On Friday Vice President Joe Biden will be at the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Airport for a rally to support the Pork King himself Senator Arlen Specter. I don't have all the details yet but I'm told many local Democratic officials will attend including Congressman Kanjorski


I hope to make this event because it's not everyday that the Vice-President of the United States comes to town. It's a Big Fucking Deal!

Yes Health Care Reform is a BFD. Just ask this guy who was rejected for health insurance because he has a pre -existing condition.

Geisinger TV rep can’t get a Geisinger policy

“Our decision to decline your application for insurance was based on the following reasons: STROKE,” the letter stated. “According to the non-group underwriting standards and guidelines, the above mentioned condition is disqualifying.”

Tweety for Senate

I still think that Chris Matthews is using this possible Senate run as a negotiating ploy in his contract talks with MSNBC. But if he did make it to the Senate it would make C-SPAN a lot more entertaining. Will the gentleman yield? NO I WILL NOT. Let alone when he would be the presiding officer.


Now they are even polling the possibility. From TPM:


The new numbers from Public Policy Polling (D): Specter 40%, Matthews 27%, and a very high 33% undecided.

The internals have good news and bad news for both candidates. Specter is below 50%, a bad place for an incumbent, but he's grabbing 30% of Democrats and a 41%-28% plurality among independents, indicating that he's able to draw some crossover support like he usually has in his previous races. If he can solidify the 32% of undecided GOP voters, he would basically have it made.

He might even be serious about this as he told the Colbert Report in the spring:

"Some kids wanted to be a fireman. I wanted to be a Senator."

My blog buddie Alex has some thoughts on the possibility; that there are people in Pennsylvania who would reflexively vote a) against a Republican or b) against Arlen Specter?
Stunning. I had no idea. Really. None. What. So. Ever. None.


Then there is the residency issue. I don't know where Matthew's votes but he has been in Washington for a long time. Rick Santorum got beat up because he really lived in Virginia but I'm sure Chris can buy a voting address in the Commonwealth. There might be a $500,000 fixer-upper for sale out at Harveys Lake that he could move into. But if he is really serious about running for Senator in PA he should buy Joe Biden's old house in Scranton.

PA 11th CD update

Congressman Paul Kanjorski was in Washington working on the current economic crisis and to develop a recovery plan with Speaker Pelosi and others. During the forum, Kanjorski discussed with his colleagues the idea of including a "Buy America's Future Program" in a new recovery package. This program would facilitate the ability of all Americans to voluntarily invest in promising companies with new technologies.

On Sunday he was in Scranton and received shououts from Bill, Hill and Joe.


President Clinton said "Thank you Congressman Paul Kanjorski for being here. Folks, Paul Kanjorski’s got a tough race. He’s got a tough race because some people in his district believe that illegal immigration is a bigger cause of their economic problems than President Bush's economic policies. I got news for them and I've got news for you – you need to help him get re-elected. Thank you."


Hillary chimed in "I just want to reiterate what Bill said. We need as many Democrats in the Congress as we can get and we need to send Paul Kanjorski back to the House of Representatives."


Lou Barletta's camp say that they have topped $1 million in donations and that's all the money they need to win.


They are both scheduled to attend a forum this Wednesday at East Stroudsburg University.



In a new ad Kanjo takes on the Cornerstone issue calling Mayor Lou a liar and hitting him about the sludge being dumped around Hazleton.


Lou Barletta - Not on our Side






This just in via Wally Edge:


Research 2000 for Daily Kos.


10/6-8. Likely voters. MoE 5%

Barletta (R) 43% Kanjorski (D-inc) 39% Undecided 18%

And Obama leads McCain 47%-43% in the Pa-11th CD

Joe, Jill, Hillary, and Bill in Scranton

This Sunday, October 12th, join Sen. Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, Sen. Hillary Clinton, and President Bill Clinton for a rally in Scranton.


Change We Need Rally with Sen. Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, Sen. Hillary Clinton, and President Bill Clinton

Riverfront Sports Complex
5 West Olive PlazaScranton, PA 18508
Sunday, October 12thDoors
Open: 1:15 p.m.
Program Begins: 3:15 p.m.

SNL makes it official

Sen. Biden and Gov. Palin go head to head

The Vice Presidential debate

Sarah Palin exceeded expectations just by not saying something outrageous or stupid.

She read her lines and so did Joe.

A couple of tidbits.

Joe Biden mentioned Scranton a few times. The word maverick was used by Palin 6 times and Biden 8. She flubbed Joe's name one time calling him Senator O'Biden. I liked the shoutout to the 3rd graders and her folksy demeanor. At first Biden was talking Senate speak but came down to earth especially when he talked about being a single parent after the tragic death of his wife and daughter.

On points I give it to Biden.

On style I give it to Palin.

Our last debate poll said Obama beat McCain 58-42.

I have a new poll on the sidebar. Tell me why your guy/gal did better than the other one in the comments.

Joe Biden in Wilkes-Barre Thursday

via That's How I See It


Joe Biden will be in Wilkes-Barre Thursday.


Info: Nesbitt Park180 Market Street Wilkes-Barre, PA Thursday, September 25th Doors Open: 1:00 p.m. Program Begins: 2:30 p.m.