Presidential Campaign Review (And Trump)

This presidential campaign has been painful to watch.  Let's review the candidates.

Ben Carson was/is weird
Carly Fiorina was in over her head and a pathological liar
Lindsey Graham was Lindsey Graham
Little Ricky Santorum reminded everyone why they hated him
Mike Huckabee just seemed too desperate - I actually thought he was going to resort to self immolation to get attention
Jeb Bush seemed like he really didn't want to be there
Marco Rubio bless his heart has no idea about anything and thinks that if he is just a blank slate he can win
John Kasich pretends to be from the sensible center, he really is not but he will govern from the extremes
Ted Cruz believes that G-D has chosen him to lead this country and he actually believes in his talking points
Martin O'Malley (who was my first choice) just could not get any oxygen in the Sanders/Clinton world. He tried to run from the right of Sanders and from the left of Hillary - a place that does not exist
Bernie Sanders is a great guy - I don't think he is running on issues that can be achieved - I wish they could be but he is not in the real world
Hillary Clinton who has the best resume of all the candidates but people just can't warm to her

And, then there is Donald J Trump - the MSM darling (they continue to give him a free pass)
I initially thought with Trump in the race it would be hilarious, I thought he was going to be a few months of bluster and drama and he would announce his latest reality show.
But no; it is Trump who has made this race painful.
In his speeches he says nothing, he rambles from topic to odd topic and insult to insult.
He is thin skinned
He is self absorbed
He really believes in nothing other than Donald J Trump
His opinions on the great issues of the day are not based on research or taking the time to think about them He is all impulse and says what he thinks is going to get the best reaction.
He is for traditional marriage and yet he has been married three times
He is all about using the military at every instance but when this country called him to serve, which it did 5 times he applied for and received 5 deferments (rich kid)
He said he learned more about the military from attending a military styled boarding high school than men who actually served in the military.  Remember the 5 deferments
He claims to be self made but  his father was a millionaire and he took over the company
He says he is a great and successful businessman but the companies that are called Trump have filed for bankruptcy 4 times.
He talks about the working class in very racist terms
At what point in is climb to celebrity status has he ever tried to relate to working people?
How is going to make Mexico pay for that wall?  Go to war? (see 5 deferments)
He is fomenting violence by Islamic extremists
I am convinced that he won't release his tax information because we will find out he is not as rich as he tells us he is. Think about - he earned a large pay check from NBC and convinced them to pay his children as well.
He and his children needed that those paychecks
And, then there are his events.
They started out as raucous and he encouraged it and now they have become violent and he has clearly encouraged it.
Very soon a supporter will shoot off her gun at one of his events but that won't stop him.
A week later a white man will shoot and kill a person of color at a Trump event and then and only then will Trump's campaign come to an end

It Is My Destiny!

Historic Numbers In NYC Mayors Race

If recent polls are to be believed  the next Mayor of  New York City will elected by an historic margin .  Bill de Blasio the city's current Public Advocate is leading his Republican opponent by 45 points and he has been leading Joseph Lhota since the general election began in September.


When I first saw that stunning margin a few weeks ago I thought that it would be impossible to maintain that type of historic margin, races usually tighten but this race does not seem to be tightening.

There has been a Republican in the Mayor's seat for 20 years, though Bloomberg was a Democrat before he changed parties to run for Mayor and in the end he governed like an independent. Mr. de Blasio is an old time traditional progressive and won the primary by building a strong coalition of the support across all the Democratic leaning constituencies.  He is not the most charismatic campaigner but compared to Mr. Lhota he is Bill Clintonesque.  It has not helped that Lhota has promised to keep all the most hated policies of the Giuliani and Bloomberg years.


With a week to go before New Yorker's head to the polls so it is likely that  Bill de Blasio will be the next Mayor the only question is whether his election margin will be record breaking.

Callahan Endorsed by E-T - My Own Endorsement Coming Soon

I am not convinced that newspaper endorsement have an effect on the outcome of an election or that people take it into consideration when voting but getting an editorial board endorsement is better than not getting one.

The newspaper of record for Northampton County The Express - Times / LehighValleyLive has endorsed my friend and excellent Mayor John Callahan for Northampton County Executive.

I will be blogging this week about who I am voting for and why and we all know that my endorsement is the kiss of death so important to the masses that I am sure you will all be waiting on pins and needles for my inspired pronouncements.

Since I have been accused of thinking I am better than most people, I am compelled by my own sense of over blown grandeur & self importance to tell you all how to vote.

Congressman Dent Leading - Glad to See It!

Could this be the act of leadership from Congressman Charles Dent that I have been looking for his entire career?  According to reports and his office our GOP Congressman is urging his colleagues to go along with the Senate and fund the government through a truly clean continuing resolution.


As you know the government is set for a partial shut down at midnight tonight unless a bill makes it through both chambers and is signed by the President.  The Democrats in the Senate will only pass and the President will only sign a free and clear straight forward spending bill.  The House is being held hostage by it's extreme right wing and the Speaker is so weak and powerless that he is unable to lead.


So, into the vacuum steps my Congressman Charlie Dent.  I have not always been kind to Mr. Dent but I do always acknowledge when he does the right thing.

Everyone always says what a great guy Mr. Dent is and how nice he is.  I don't really care if he is nicer than what Pope Francis appears to be what I want and expect from our Congressman is leadership.  Mr. Dent has always seemed to be happy being a back bencher and going along to get along.  My theory is why enter politics unless you are ready, willing and able to lead.  To this date the Congressman has shown little inclination in that direction.  I may not always agree with where Mr. Dent is headed but I just want him to show some guts and stand up for what he thinks is right.

Last week Mr. Dent issued a statement claiming he was from the governing wing of the Republican Party and was opposed to shutting down the government, even as he went along with legislation that would have in the end done just that.  But, I didn't comment about it because I was hoping he would be a man of his word.

I am pleased to see that Congressman Dent is just that; a man of his word and is working to ensure the federal government does not shut down.

Good on you; Congressman Dent

Senator Gregg is Frustrated

Former NH GOP Senator Judd Gregg has said that the GOP is being ignored and that Republicans should be ignored . Senator Gregg is by no means a centrist or moderate but he is part of the governing wing of the Republican party.  A wing that has so few members they could have their annual conference in my dinning room.


He thinks the national Republican Party has nothing to offer the American people, is devoid of good ideas and since it only offers obstruction to the "Obama" agenda and not alternatives it deserves to be ignored by the American voters.

"Most Americans do not seek purity; they seek answers to the everyday problems they confront. They expect their government to be of assistance in addressing those problems, not to aggravate them through artificial and self-inflicted economic mismanagement, such as having a default crisis that could easily be avoided. "

"If the Republican Party ignores this concern and constantly speaks to an ever-narrower segment of the population, it is not going to be viable for long, no matter how vocal that small band of people may be."

Unfortunately for Sen. Gregg he will be roundly criticized by the likes of the often married junky with a radio show and loved by the stars of MSNBC which means his days as an influence in the Republican party are over.

#note to sensible Republicans if you want to have a conference in my dinning room I will give you great deal on catering.

Another Mass Killing...It all feels so hopeless.

Another mass murdering rampage this time at a Navy Base.  How many times does this have to happen before this nation's leader will compelled to do something to end this madness?

Our soldiers were slaughtered on their base Texas, our babies were slaughtered in their first grade classroom in Connecticut, young couples were slaughtered while watching Batman in Colorado, our teenagers were slaughtered while changing classes also in Colorado, our college students were slaughtered on campus in Virginia and now our sailors were slaughtered in our nations capital.

And, our elected representatives in Congress will do nothing about it.  They are so afraid of a psychotic madman name Wayne La Pierre and they are more concerned about re-election then they are about our safety.

How many more people need to get slaughtered?

What is my Congressman Charlie Dent going to do about this?  Nothing, nothing at all.

At least my extreme right wing Senator Pat Toomey tried do something last year.

It all feels so hopeless.

When Mailer & Breslin Ran For Office

Author Lee Siegel remembers when Norman Mailer ran for Mayor of New York.  It was 1969 and his running mate was writer and activist journalist Jimmy Breslin.  Mr. Siegel misses when candidates for Mayor and some of the Mayors themselves were big and bold and exciting.

"Mailer’s ideas were as ambitious as the city itself. His platform’s central plank was making New York the 51st state. He wanted to put free bicycles in city parks and to ban cars from Manhattan. He proposed subsidized day care, giving methadone to addicts, requiring the police to live in the neighborhoods they served and converting dilapidated waterfronts to affordable housing."

It appears Mayor Bloomberg's technocratic style and the current batch of overly managed candidates for the worlds second hardest elected office leaves him cold and yearning for a far more exciting time in New York Politics.

I was 9/10 when the Mailer/Breslin ticket tried - I wish I would have been a little older so I could have appreciated in real time.

It all sounds so exciting, glamorous and fun!

Is Sarah Palin Capable of a Clear & Coherent Thought?

Is America's quitter in chief capable of a coherent thought?  I had to read this a few times to figure out what Sarah Palin's actual opinion is.


Something is wrong with sister Sarah her thoughts are all jumbled up and speaking in a cogent and clear sentences seems to be beyond her capabilities.  Whenever I hear her speak I think "What the hell did she just say?"  She just talks for the sake of talking.
  


Why does the MSM still pay attention to her?


She is never going to be President, she is never going to be a Senator, she is never going to say anything that makes sense.


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Tom Corbett- Polls agree..nobody likes you

New poll numbers are out or PA. Governor Tom Corbett and they are horrible (for him).

Pennsylvania is a cranky state and we are really hard on our Governors.  The first two years are just a horror and then we tend to soften and get used to them during the second two years. Since we started allowing our Governors to run for re-election in the 1970's every Governor has been re-elected. We put them through tough re-election races but the always win.  After that test we continue to support them for another two years and the we turn on them faster than Sean Hannity has turned on reason.

An interesting side note - no Lt. Governor has ever succeeded the Governor into office.  The Commonwealth has flipped parties for the Governor every 8 years.

In this poll only 38% of Republicans think the Governor deserves re-election which is stunning.  But, most PA Republicans are not tea baggers,  but some are so the very moderate Corbett has had to play to that wing of the party and no one really trusts him because we all know that is not him.

Many of us believe that when Corbett was Attorney General he refused to prosecute Jerry Sandusky because he thought it would hurt his chances for election to the Governorship because it would have pissed off Penn State fans. The when the shit hit the fan he jumps in and tries to control the situation and forces the firing of Joe Paterno.  The Governor is an automatic trustee of Penn State and he attended his first meeting during the crisis and in fact he is the first Governor to attend a trustee meeting ever.  He attended the meeting because he wanted to prove he was in control. His poll numbers were already bad but L'Affair Nittany Lion showed Corbett as a craven opportunist.

I had lunch with the Governor a few months ago........................................

Actually I attended Chamber of Commerce day at the capitol a few months ago and he was the luncheon speaker.

I think I was the only Democrat in the room and all the folks I was eating with dared me to ask a really tough question with a liberal bias during question and answer time.  Then we found out all questions needed to be submitted in advance and the host would pick which questions to ask.

It is tradition when a Governor enters a room to speak everyone stands up and applauds. And, because I am  who I am I was one of the first people standing up.

He is the Governor and he deserves the respect.

Then, came his speech.

He whined, bitched and complained about everything and took no responsibility for anything.  His failures were blamed on Barack Obama, the teachers, Ed Rendell, the teachers, the legislature, the teachers, me, the state store system, the courts, the teachers...

 Everyone and everything was to blame for his failed administration but him. I looked around at my Republican friends and they were in pain about how bad this speech was.  Here was a Republican Governor talking to an audience of Chamber of Commerce members, the perfect audience and half way through his whine they were tuned out and turned off.

The Governor answered a few questions, selected by the head of the PA Chamber, and I can assure you they were tough and provocative questions.  "Why do you think the teachers hate our children so much?"  "What can we do about ending all taxation for anyone who works hard for a living?"  OK those were not real questions but they were close.  The Governor's answers were as uninspiring as his speech.

Mercifully it ended,  When the Governor is done speaking and he leaves the room it is tradition to stand and applause.  I started to stand up (because I am that guy) and NO ONE else did.  His speech was so bad and his answers to the soft ball questions were so weak that a crowd of Chamber members could not even see fit to honor him with standing applause.

This should have been his crowd.
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NY Times Endorses Christine Quinn Mayor.

"But don’t worry, New York. Mr. Bloomberg’s is hardly the only way to run a city, and the excellent news is that there is a candidate who is ready to carry on at least as well as he did".

The New York Times has strong praise for Christine Quinn as it endorses her for Mayor.



"Ms. Quinn has been an impressive leader since her days as a neighborhood advocate and her early years on the City Council. We endorsed her for the Council in 1999 as someone “who can both work within the system and criticize it when necessary” — a judgment she has validated many times since. She has shepherded through important laws protecting New Yorkers’ health, safety and civil rights, including measures banning public smoking, protecting tenants and small businesses, and battling slumlords. She sponsored the sweeping 2007 legislation that made the city’s exemplary campaign-finance laws even stronger. She pushed successfully for a state law making kindergarten mandatory for 5-year-olds — giving thousands of poor and minority children a better start on their educations."

I am excited about the nations largest city and arguable the most important city on the planet having and out, loud and proud Lesbian as it's chief executive.

Quinn For Mayor

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Bethlehem No Longer has a Race For Mayor

And, then there was one.

Bethlehem now has a one person race for Mayor.  Independent Bob Sigmon has withdrawn from the race citing health concerns.  It is now too late for someone to get ballot access as an independent.  I can't imagine a scenario where Councilman Donchez is not elected Mayor.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2013/08/bethlehem_independent_candidat.html

Hopefully Mayor Callahan will work extra hard over the next few months to set things in motion that will keep the city moving forward for the next 4 years.

Jim Gregory is apparently still planning to launch a write in campaign.  I am not going to comment on Jim's attempt out of respect for almost 30 years of friendship.

With or Without Hillary

One of the things I cared most about during the Bethlehem's mayoral Democratic primary was that we needed to elect a Mayor who would take the forward momentum nurtured by John Callahan and continue to run with it.  The results of the primary left me with little hope and the addition of an independent candidate has left me with even less hope (I spent time on his web-site).

Throughout my political life I have always embraced change and challenged the powers that be.  I often supported the upstart challenger (though not always) but I usually draw the line at challenging a competent incumbent.

A few months ago I blogged about Hillary Clinton telling us to piss off and deciding not to run for President. Then, who would I support?  I have been giving this a lot of thought and I have evolved to a point in my thinking that even if Hillary does run I may not support her in the primary.  Is Hillary Clinton the right person to move us forward?  Is she the candidate of change?  Can she be the candidate of change?

Don't get me wrong I believe in Hillary Clinton and my support and affection for her is as strong now as it was in 2008.  But, can she be the candidate of moving us forward?

If not Hillary than whom?

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has captured my imagination and I am doing what I can to learn about him.  From time to time I will share what I learn.  In the mean time here is a link to his website,

http://www.martinomalley.com/

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Montgomery County & Equality - Perfect Together!

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes has decided to issue a wedding license to a lesbian couple.  The couple contacted him and after reviewing the request with both his office's solicitor and the county's solicitor it was decided to issue the marriage license because to do other wise would violate their civil rights.

It was not all that many years ago that Montgomery County, which is a suburb of Philadelphia was a bastion of Republican Conservatism.  Granted they were more George HW Bush Republican than Rick Santorum Republican.  It is now a little more blue than red but it is still a fairly moderate conservative type of county.

I am glad that this move has come from this county and not Philadelphia.  A suburban county sends a stronger message about the march to equality then a similar move from the a big city.

The ACLU has already filed a suit in court challenging my Commonwealth's desire to deny me full citizenship.

The real question now that The Supreme's ruled for equality is;

If the federal government can not discriminate should the various states be allowed to discriminate?

Well done you!  D. Bruce Hanes.

Mr. Hanes press release as reported by Main Line Times
http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2013/07/23/main_line_times/news/doc51eecae35360b015385105.txt

From The Advocate
http://www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/2013/07/24/penn-county-prepares-issue-same-sex-marriage-licenses

From Raging Chicken Press
http://www.ragingchickenpress.org/2013/07/24/breaking-news-montgomery-county-commissioners-office-issues-first-same-sex-marriage-license-in-defiance-of-pennsylvania-law/

An Independent Files for Mayor of Bethlehem

We now have a race for Bethlehem Mayor this fall, at least on paper.  It is tough to get elected if you are not a Democrat but it is not impossible.  Four years a Republican was elected Controller.

Former Moravian Academy teacher Bruce Sigmon has filed petitions to run as an Independent for Mayor.  Running as an Independent may actually make more sense than running as a Republican in the city of Bethlehem.

Mr. Sigmon seems to be off to a languid start.  He said he will not really begin active campaigning until sometime in August.  I have no idea what his positions are but I am willing to listen, given my disappointment in the Democratic Nominee.

But, first and foremost I care about moving this city forward and I will vote for the candidate who meets or comes close to my expectation of the type of leadership I want for my city.

I am open and ready to listen to both Mr. Sigmon & Mr. Donchez and if both disappoint me I will write in myself.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2013/07/bethlehem_independent_files_fo.html

If you want to contact St. Rep Daryl Metcalfe

If you feel the need to contact State Representative Daryl Metcalfe to let him know what you think about his hatred of democracy and his lack of respect for his duly elected colleague here is his contact information.

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?id=13

From the NY Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/archconservative-lawmaker-prevents-openly-gay-colleague-speaking-comments-god-law-article-1.1384923?localLinksEnabled=false

Ed Markey Finally Makes It To The Senate

Veteran Massachusetts Congressman Ed Markey has been a member of the House of Representatives for almost 40 years (that is 20 terms)  for many of those years has been the Senator heir apparent.

Many thought he should have been the Democrat to succeed Ted Kennedy but the powers wanted the popular Attorney General Martha Coakley, who turned out to be a terrible candidate and campaigned as if she deserved to win the seat, she didn't. The result was this nation had to suffer through a few years of Scott Brown, the male Sarah Palin. His politics may be a tad more centrist than Palin's but he proved himself as deep a thinker as she.

Congressman Markey was on the short list to challenge Senator Brown in the 2012 but along came that force of nature Elizabeth Warren and Mr. Markey, the ever loyal Democrat stepped aside and fully supported Ms. Warren's election.

And then, Senator John Kerry was finally awarded is alternate dream job, Secretary of State.  So, in less than 5 years another Senate seat becomes available. It was finally Congressman Markey's time.

Congressman Markey has earned this seat because of his dedication to public service, he excellent constituent service and representation, his proven record as a strong candidate and his devotion and loyalty to his party, his commonwealth and his nation.

I look forward to Senator Markey's leadership and legislative skills moving from the House to the Senate.  This nation will be better off with Ed Markey  in The United States Senate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/26/us/massachusetts-special-senate-election.html?smid=pl-share

But, Not Bob Donchez

There is a long tradition in American politics that has candidates end their campaigns on a high note they make their final pitch to the voters by talking about their vision for the future.  It's called their closing argument.

These closing arguments are usually the only positive moments of the campaign. Campaign operatives hope the final weekend of positive messaging will erase the stain of months of negative campaigning thus improving their chances on the following Tuesday.

But, not Bethlehem Mayoral Candidate Bob Donchez. He has decided to keep his loathsome campaign going and sinking it even deeper into the muck with yet two more misleading mailers.

Early polling must have shown Mr. Donchez some pretty shocking numbers and he knew the only way he could win was to destroy Willie Reynolds, he must have figured out that he could not win by being the Councilman Bob Donchez we have all come to know over the last 16 years.

What does that tell you about the last 16 years?

Older = Better Mayor

I am more mature!

What exactly does that mean? 

Does being older ensure you are going to make the best decisions?

What evidence is there to support the argument that older means wiser? 

Does a lot of experience guarantee that you will make the best choices?

The answer is of course no.

*I could end this here because I have made my point but I will continue.

Have you learned from your mistakes or do you still insist you were right and just misunderstood?

Do you live with your past glories or do await new opportunities?

Are your best days behind you or have they just prepared you for this moment?

Will you embrace change with open arms or hold it back because that is not the way we did it?

If you are in the last third of your life span are you as concerned about the future as you would be if you were in the first third?

Some would say that the more mature you are the less likely you are to be open to new ideas, that you are set in your ways and that change is more difficult for you.

Does a more mature person have the same level of energy and stamina as a younger person?

*I know I am asking a lot of questions here but my point is coming.

In my various jobs throughout the years my best bosses the ones I learned the most from have been younger than me.  There was often a trade off of learning.  I would be a calming influence on them and my age and experience was a good sounding board for them to bump ideas against. But, what I learned from them about technology, how to survive and thrive in a corporate setting and some basic people management and time management skills helped me to grow as a person and they opened my eyes to new ways of thinking to new ideas.  I was constantly shifting my paradigm.

In 2008 John McCain claimed his age and experience to be an advantage over the younger and untested Barack Obama.  Mr. McCain chose Sarah Palin to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency and Barack Obama chose Joe Biden.  I will leave up to you to decide whether the older more experienced man made the better choice. 

It is true that Obama did choose an older and more experienced man to be VP and he chose him for those very reasons.  But, the younger Barack Obama is the one in charge.

Bethlehem Mayoral candidate Bob Donchez is claiming to be more qualified to hold public office because he is more mature than the other candidate in the race.

Older = Better Mayor

Being Mayor of Bethlehem is not a retirement job.  Maybe in the past you would have had your career and now that you have the time and a pension you can give your full attention to the city and serve as Mayor.  The office of Mayor has changed since Mr. Donchez’s self professed role model for the office left in 1987.

Mr. Donchez and his benefactors have run a negative and disgraceful campaign and one they should not be very proud of.

I want a Mayor who will work hard to unite this city; Mr. Donchez is running a campaign that is trying to divide us.  If this is an example of how Mr. Donchez’s mature leadership will lead this city I say bring on the youthful J. William Reynolds.

You Are Not Jeanette Reibman

A debate was taped the other night for the 3 Democrats running for Northampton County Executive, the debate will air on WFMZ 69 on Monday night.

According to the report in yesterdays newspaper Glenn Reibman is taking credit for all the good things that have happened to Bethlehem.  Our Mayor John Callahan (also a candidate for County Executive) had nothing to to with it, he was just lucky to be in office when these good things happened.  Glenn Reibman as Northampton County Executive made these things happen.

OK

John Callahan was elected Mayor of Bethlehem 10 years ago.

Glenn Reibman was thrown out of office in the primary 8 years ago.  The voters in his own party were so disgusted by his time in office that they said enough! 

But, according to Glenn Reibman he is responsible for Bethlehem's successes.  I guess it all happened in the two yeas he was County Executive & John Callahan was Mayor. Callahan had nothing to do with this - it is all Glenn Reibman.

Let me note here that John Callahan has always acknowledged that the support of the county and the hard work done by the Mayors before him.  He has never taken credit for the city successes alone but you cannot deny that his leadership enabled them.

But, according to Glenn Reibman the two years he was in office during the beginning of the Callahan era in Bethlehem are the reason Bethlehem is successful.

On another issue Glenn Reibman during a forum broadcast on local NPR this week inferred that he was the political heir to his aunt the late State Senator Jeanette Reibman.  Sen. Reibman is one of the best people I will ever know. She is a woman who transformed this Commonwealth.  She was a public servant  untouched by scandal and admired by even her opponents.  Senator Reibman was my friend, she is my hero and she is someone whose memory I am determined to keep and share.  Glenn Reibman benefited from the last name his aunt made great, but once in office himself....The voters of the Democratic Party, her party said enough.

Why would we want to return Glenn Reibman to the office we threw him out of 8 years ago.