tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15358507240534989882024-03-06T03:31:35.616-05:00Local Values"Local Values" is a discussion of politics and public policy. The blog aims to focus on national, state and local (primarily those within central Pennsylvania) events. "Local Values" derives its name from the fact that all politics are inherently local and homegrown. The values that one locally acquires will be used to shape perspectives on contemporary events.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger208125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-62670998729263701342008-11-06T17:00:00.000-05:002008-11-06T17:05:49.816-05:00Reelection<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >On Tuesday, Chris Carney won his reelection bid convincingly against Chris Hackett. This was a district that many pundits had considered to be a "toss-up" early on and one of the few seats the Republican Party hoped to steal.<br /><br />Based on early reports on Election Day, Chris Hackett was expecting <a href="http://www.politickerpa.com/alexroarty/2511/rural-tournout-exceeding-expectations-10th">record rural turnout</a> which his campaign believed would work to his benefit. Obviously, in a district were Republicans outnumber Democrats by almost 40,000 registered voters, higher turnout would theoretically work to Hackett's advantage.<br /><br />Hackett's campaign was correct that more voters turned out in the district--in fact, almost 75,000 more voted in the congressional race--but the results didn't break his way. It seems the consensus going in was that Lackawanna and Luzerne would go to Carney, but the majorities he received there would <a href="http://www.citizensvoice.com/articles/2008/11/03/news/wb_voice.20081103.t.pg2.cv03cd10thanalysis_s1.2058593_top4.txt">need to be offset</a> by success in the western part of the district where Hackett had fared well in the primary.<br /><br />Surprisingly, Carney actually underperformed in Luzerne based on his 2006 percentage, but pounded Hackett in Lackawanna. It was his success throughout the rest of the district that sealed the deal.<br /><br />For instance, in Wayne County voter turnout exceeded 71%. This was a district that Sherwood won in 2006, yet Carney was able to steal. Not only does this likely reflect the increased Democrat registration throughout the district, but also that a "Republicans For Carney" contingent existed and helped his reelection bid. <br /><br />In fact, if you look at the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/">elections numbers</a> compared with Carney's original bid, you can see why he was so successful. Not only did he expand his majorities in counties that he won in 2006, but he also stole all but one county from the GOP. In this county (Snyder), Hackett was able to hold it, but made no gains in building on Sherwood's proportion.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >----------------------------------------------------------</span><span style="font-size:100%;">------<br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OVERALL:<br /></span>Carney--56.4% (159,072)<br />Hackett--43.6% (123,065)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2006</span><br />Carney--52.9% (110,115)<br />Sherwood--47.1% (97,862)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BY COUNTY:</span><br /><br /><u><b>Bradford County</b></u><br />Carney--51.8%<br />Hackett--48.2%<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2006</span><br />Carney--46.7%<br />Sherwood--53.3%<br /><u><b><br /></b></u><u><b>Lackawanna County</b></u><br />Carney--69.3%<br />Hackett--30.7%<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2006</span><br />Carney--62.9%<br />Sherwood--37.1%<br /><u><b><br /></b></u><u><b>Luzerne County</b></u><br />Carney--60.1%<br />Hackett--39.9%<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2006</span><br />Carney--60.2%<br />Sherwood--39.8%<br /><u><b><br />Lycoming County</b></u><br />Carney--50.9%<br />Hackett--49.1%<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2006</span><br />Carney--49.1%<br />Sherwood--51.0%<br /><u><b><br />Montour County</b></u><br />Carney--53.6%<br />Hackett--46.4%<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2006</span><br />Carney--54.2%<br />Sherwood--45.8%<br /><br /><u><b>Northumberland County</b></u><br />Carney--56.8%<br />Hackett--43.2%<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2006</span><br />Carney--56.1%<br />Sherwood--43.9%<br /><br /><u><b>Pike County</b></u><br />Carney--51.9%<br />Hackett--48.1%<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2006</span><br />Carney--52.2%<br />Sherwood--47.8%<br /><br /><u><b>Snyder County</b></u><br />Carney--43.5%<br />Hackett--56.5%<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> 2006</span><br />Carney--43.5%<br />Sherwood--56.5%<br /><br /><u><b>Sullivan County</b></u><br />Carney--55.3%<br />Hackett--44.7%<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2006</span><br />Carney--50.2%<br />Sherwood--49.8%<br /><br /><u><b>Susquehanna County</b></u><br />Carney--59.3%<br />Hackett--40.7%<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2006</span><br />Carney--49.7%<br />Sherwood--50.3%<br /><br /><u><b>Tioga County</b></u><br />Carney--55.0%<br />Hackett--45.0%<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2006</span><br />Carney--30.0%<br />Sherwood--70.0%<br /><br /><u><b>Union County</b></u><br />Carney--50.5%<br />Hackett--49.5%<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2006</span><br />Carney--48.8%<br />Sherwood--51.2%<br /><u><b><br />Wayne County</b></u><br />Carney--51.7%<br />Hackett--48.3%<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2006</span><br />Carney--48.5%<br />Sherwood--51.5%<br /><br /><u><b>Wyoming County</b></u><br />Carney--58.8%<br />Hackett--41.2%<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2006</span><br />Carney--42.3%<br />Sherwood--57.7%<br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Carney's staff credited his town-hall meetings throughout the district as a big reason for his success noting he <a href="http://www.thedailyreview.com/articles/2008/10/22/news/tw_review.20081022.a.pg8.tw22carney_s1.2031632_loc.txt">even held a meeting</a> in Tioga County which only has one municipality in the 10th District </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >(only 60 total votes on Tuesday) </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >.<br /><br />Carney stated he <a href="http://www.carneyforcongress.com/node/134">looks forward</a> to an ambitious second-term:<br /></span><blockquote style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> "I am anxiously awaiting our next term in Congress, where we can tackle the costs of health care, explore alternative energy and work toward energy independence, fight for more federal funding and jobs for our region, and continue to push for more middle class tax cuts. Working together, I know we can make this happen. To the voters of the 10th district, thank you again for this opportunity to be your Member of Congress."</span> </blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-43945193461706076932008-11-03T14:10:00.002-05:002008-11-03T14:15:13.955-05:00The Road To Victory<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Good look at the </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.citizensvoice.com/articles/2008/11/03/news/wb_voice.20081103.t.pg2.cv03cd10thanalysis_s1.2058593_top4.txt">numbers games</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> in 10th District:</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><blockquote style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span>Hackett won his Republican primary battle by sweeping in much of the southwestern portion of the district, winning Lycoming, Union and Snyder counties by more than 2,100 votes in an election decided by about 3,000 votes.<br />....<br /><br /></span><span>Assuming a 45 percent to 55 percent turnout on Election Day among registered voters district-wide — a conservative estimate, some analysts say, given the attention to presidential campaigns — about 194,000 to 237,000 people will vote in the 10th District. Combined, all counties, excluding Lackawanna and Luzerne, will see between 145,000 to 180,000 people vote. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">If Carney sweeps out of Luzerne and Lackawanna counties with a significant lead (he beat Sherwood by nearly 13,500 votes in those counties), Hackett will need to make significant ground in Snyder and Bradford, where Republicans double registered Democrats.</span> That kind of lead in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties still might be too difficult for Hackett to overcome. Keeping with a 45 percent to 55 percent turnout ratio, there would be about 28,000 to 34,000 voters in Bradford and Snyder counties combined on Election Day. Even if Hackett wins 60 percent of the vote in those counties — a significant margin — he would gain 5,600 to 6,900 votes. <span style="font-weight: bold;">In other words, any margin Carney pulls in Luzerne or Lackawanna counties has to be buffeted by Republican counties out west for Hackett to win.</span></span></span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-58695275914558599962008-11-03T13:59:00.004-05:002008-11-03T14:10:18.816-05:00Earmark Benefits<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In last week's debate, Chris Hackett charged that Chris Carney received more than </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://localvalues.blogspot.com/2008/10/thoughts-on-10-cd-debate.html">$100,000 in campaign contributions</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> from companies that he secured earmarks for. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Citizen's Voice </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.citizensvoice.com/articles/2008/11/01/news/wb_voice.20081101.t.pg8.cv01cdcarneydonations_s1.2056057_loc.txt">investigated</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> the claim and found that Carney actually received slightly less--$80,000--from those who received earmarks. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The $100,000 figure that Hackett used was much more generous since it included contributions from faculty at colleges where Carney received earmarks for as well as employees of companies that got the funds. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Carney's campaign manager Vincent Rongione responded by saying, "That is a very serious accusation. To accuse a government official of an illegal activity without proof is unbelievable. There is very little, if any, evidence at all to even try to make such a claim."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Mark Harris argued that regardless of the legality, "Congressman Carney directly benefitted from those earmarks by getting campaign contributions."</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-34016129687919232052008-10-31T07:50:00.003-04:002008-10-31T07:52:34.030-04:00Campaign Moves To Billtown<span style="font-family:georgia;">Williamsport got a heavy dose of the Presidential campaigns yesterday as both of the Vice Presidential candidates were in town.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Senator Joe Biden appeared in the afternoon at Lamade Gymnasium at Lycoming College. During his stump speech, Biden used the Halloween holiday for his newest punch line. He </span><a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20081030_ap_bidenpokeshalloweenfunatmccain.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">said</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">, "Look, I know Halloween is tomorrow night, but John McCain dressed as an agent of change, that's just one costume that does not fit. It does not fit."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Governor Sarah Palin campaigned up the road at Bowman Field in the evening. The crowd was energized and even chants of "drill baby drill" occassionally reigned down throughout Palin's speech. Palin used the stump as a chance to </span><a href="http://www.sungazette.com/page/content.detail/id/518022.html?nav=5011"><span style="font-family:georgia;">emphasize</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> the differences between the two campaigns on taxes and energy.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-68886852843633162322008-10-30T21:30:00.003-04:002008-10-30T22:16:27.213-04:00Thoughts On The 10 CD Debate<span style="font-family:georgia;">It was great to see these two candidates finally square off. I attempted to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">liveblog</span> the debate to give those who didn't watch a better feel for how it went. It was also be aired on C-SPAN tomorrow night for those who missed it. Below are my initial impressions:</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Carney won the toss and started the debate by stressing that he is a humble, bipartisan representative of a district who lives within its means. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hackett</span> wasted no time in getting to the matter at hand by bringing up Carney's failure to hold more debates. He used the remaining time to detail his background and professional experiences.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The first question out of the gate utilized <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hackett's</span> opening remarks and asked if one debate was adequate. Carney emphasized he held numerous town hall meetings and he was readily accessibly to his constituents. He also noted that other important offices (the Vice-President) only hold one debate so this was no out of the ordinary. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Hackett</span> went right for the jugular early by saying Carney is hiding his record by continually saying one thing in the district and doing a different thing in Washington. This was a theme that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Hackett</span> hammered home throughout the debate (Washington Carney vs. District Carney).</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">In regards to the bailout, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Hackett</span> scolded the "must pass" bailout as doing nothing. He recommended a capital gains tax reduction to 0% for the next two years so more capital can flow into the markets and self-correct many of the liquidity problems. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Hackett</span> preempted Carney here by saying while Carney had not voted for the financial rescue, he did vote for the auto industry loan, the Fannie/Freddie bailout, and rescue for the sugar industry.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Carney noted that he had talked to bank presidents in the district and found they were properly regulated as well as financially sound. It was Wall Street which was the cancer. Because the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Paulson</span> plan was all Congress looked at and didn't have further hearings, he didn't feel comfortable voting for it. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Social Security provided the first contentious issue of the night. The candidates squabbled over who was scaring seniors more as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Hackett</span> made the program appear in dire straights while Carney exaggerated the risk implications of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Hackett's</span> market proposals. Carney suggested that Social Security was in sound financial shape as the trust fund had trillions of dollars and was earning interest. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Hackett</span> used the bailout as an example of Washington waiting until a crisis to do something and Social Security was another issue of waiting until a crisis. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The issue of earmarks also brought some fireworks. Most notably, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Hackett</span> stated that the district had lost $20 million in the transition from Sherwood to Carney and this was a problem with relying on earmarks for revenue. He followed that up by claiming Carney had received $100,000 in donations from companies that he provided earmarks for.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Carney allowed the statistical claims to go unchecked while suggesting earmarking was a beneficial process for the district. Less than 1% of federal budget is earmarks, but that single percent has an exponential impact on the projects in the district: it wouldn't be there if it wasn't for earmarks. Carney even went so far as to defend Nancy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Pelosi's</span> earmarking (money inserted in the farm bill for her district) by claiming <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Pelosi</span> was "saving her people."</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The finance of the campaigns was also brought up. While Carney acknowledged he spent more money thus far, he wouldn't be here if it wasn't for individual donations because he didn't have deep pockets like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Hackett</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Hackett</span> suggested imposing term limits for campaigns to eliminate some of the money involved (2 terms for Senate and 10 years for House) and changing McCain-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Feingold</span>. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The most informative portion of the debate was on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Hackett's</span> tax liens. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Hackett</span> clarified that these were all legitimate challenges and not failure to pay taxes. For instance, he noted a $500 fine from the PA Department of Revenue. The taxes were paid by check and not through the electronic system (which he wasn't approved for). <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Hackett</span> disputed this fine levied against his business. Carney didn't buy it and brought up the fine in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Williamsport</span> to which <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Hackett</span> responded that it was a payment to the wrong party--much different than not paying as Carney implied. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The debate was rounded out by illegal immigration and military spending. On immigration, Carney stated there was a need for more personnel and tools to fight illegal immigration. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Hackett</span> agreed on no amnesty for illegals, but hammered Carney on his vote to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">de</span>-fund construction of the fence. Carney rebutted the challenge by noting <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Hackett</span> employed an illegal immigrant and used it as an example of the need to crack down on employers. </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">The only big difference between the two on defense was which country was more of an immediate threat: Pakistan of Iran. Carney suggested it was Pakistan, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Hackett</span> voted for Iran.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">In their closing statements, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Hackett</span> repeated the points in his opener and noted the need to change politicians to change the culture of Washington. He also brought up the content of the Specter ad by suggesting one-party rule is dangerous. Carney closed by stating there was no bipartisanship coming from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Hackett</span>. Carney's credentials--as provided by the National Journal and his bipartisan parents--were much more fitting for the district. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My initial impression is that this debate was much better to watch than any of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">presidential</span> debates. It was much more entertaining, combative, and substantive. I think </span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Hackett</span> won the debate, but they both are very qualified politicians. I found <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Hackett's</span> delivery to be superior and sharper. Carney stumbled over his words at points throughout the debate and didn't appear to get into a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">rhythm</span>. Overall, I thought he was spotty throughout. [As a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">side note</span>, I was curious who Chris Carney kept smiling and winking at to his right?]</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Substantively, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Hackett</span> was ready to challenge the points against his character and prodded Carney on his vulnerabilities. However, Carney did deliver the best line of the night. During the immigration portion, Carney said that the border is not the NFL: two feet in bounds does not mean citizenship.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-8460186406295504132008-10-30T09:52:00.002-04:002008-10-30T09:54:25.289-04:00Another Endorsement<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Chris Carney earned the endorsement of the </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.citizensvoice.com/articles/2008/10/29/editorial/doc4908b408ddb3b863329441.txt">Citizen's Voice</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> yesterday:</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><blockquote style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span>With two years of significant accomplishments to his credit, U.S. Rep. Chris Carney from Dimock Township has earned the right to another term in Washington representing the 10th Congressional District.<br /><br />Voters should choose Carney, a Democrat, whose moderate and pragmatic approach to many difficult issues facing residents of this region and the nation has proven to be a good fit for the rural and traditionally Republican-leaning district.<br /><br />...Hackett has not yet shown the flexibility and bi-partisanship that will be necessary to address and fix the nation’s social and economic woes, many of which have reached crisis proportions.</span></span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-67650668106172007452008-10-30T09:03:00.003-04:002008-10-30T09:52:14.026-04:00Outside Influence<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Alliance For Retired Americans cut an ad for Congressman Chris Carney. The ad attempts to highlight some differences between Carney and Hackett on issues facing seniors.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/E7f5V_J25RU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/E7f5V_J25RU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's not a great ad to begin with, but they seem to gloss over the fact that Carney has indeed supported making Social Security more personal with expanded investment opportunties. From Carney's </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.carneyforcongress.com/node/11">website</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">, "Workers should have opportunities and incentives to invest for their retirement, but not at the expense of the traditional Social Security system."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hackett has <a href="http://www.thedailyreview.com/articles/2008/10/05/editorial/doc48e92ab589f0b595698859.txt">stated</a>: "I think workers in their twenties and thirties should be given a choice that would allow them to receive better than a 1% return on their retirement dollars. That’s why I favor creating voluntary personal accounts controlled by each individual, rather than by Washington." <br /><br />Both rhetoric is very similar and focuses on preserving the traditional system while offering new opportunities to young workers entering the system. It is splitting hairs to say that Hackett supports "privatization" while Carney does not. <br /><br />Carney also picked up the "<a href="http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20181819&BRD=2279&PAG=461&dept_id=467076&rfi=6">Friend of the Farm Bureau</a>" award for his support of the farm bill. <br /><br />Frankly, after hearing Hackett <a href="http://localvalues.blogspot.com/2008/05/come-and-get-it.html">attack Carney</a> early on in the campaign on the federal government's agriculture subsidies, I thought he would continue to pursue the topic and distinguish himself from Carney on the idea of reforming the programs. But it's been an issue he seemed content with fading out of the campaign's focus. <br /><br />While the NRA has decided not to endorse in the district, </span></span><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hackett earned the endorsement of the </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.goapvf.org/2008-Top-Picks/hackett.htm">Gun Owners For America</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> yesterday. </span></span><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-27118501497807242122008-10-28T14:31:00.005-04:002008-10-28T14:43:12.462-04:00More Endorsements<span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >More editorial endorsements for Chris Carney from over the weekend. The <a href="http://www.dailyitem.com/0109_opinion/local_story_299230009.html">Daily Item</a> endorsed him on Saturday:<br /><span><span><span></span></span></span></span><blockquote style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span><span>However, since gaining office two years ago, Congressman Chris Carney has faithfully represented the traditional values embodied by 10th District voters, and for that, The Daily Item is endorsing Carney in his bid for re-election.</span></span></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >The <a href="http://www.timesleader.com/opinion/Chris_Carney_10-23-2008.html">Times Leader</a> followed suite:<br /></span><blockquote style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">CHRIS CARNEY, who has a background in counter-terrorism work, displays a command of many of the most important issues facing the nation.<br /><br />That knowledge, combined with Carney’s knack for voting independently rather than solely along party lines, makes him the better choice to serve the people of the 10th U.S. Congressional District, which encompasses much of Northeastern Pennsylvania including Wyoming County and Luzerne County’s Back Mountain area.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >For their endorsement in the 11th District, the <a href="http://www.timesleader.com/opinion/Lou_Barletta_10-25-2008.html">Times Leader</a> went with Lou Barletta over Paul Kanjorski:<br /></span><blockquote style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">SEND LOU Barletta to Washington, D.C.<br /><br />Although some people try to pigeonhole Barletta as a single-issue candidate, the Hazleton mayor who gained nationwide attention for his city’s attempted crackdown on illegal immigrants offers fresh ideas on a host of issues.</span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-16773154036106391712008-10-28T10:04:00.002-04:002008-10-28T10:06:21.551-04:00Another DCCC Spot Against Hackett<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The DCCC had produced yet another ad highlighting the nine tax liens against Chris Hackett's business.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ihXtsccKc8w&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ihXtsccKc8w&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-76480075717376735352008-10-28T10:00:00.000-04:002008-10-28T10:02:22.114-04:00New Poll<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A new poll out from the </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/articles/2008/10/27/news/doc490631c4c8d16833643617.txt">Lycoming College Polling Institute</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> shows Chris Carney with a 15-point lead in his 10th District reelection bid.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The poll, which sampled 441 likely voters, was taken last week between October 19th and 23rd. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">This new data slightly increases Carney and Hackett's polling percentages in the Local Values Average while decreasing the undecided category. The overall margin-of-victory for Carney is still hovering around 14%. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">If I were involved in the Hackett campaign, what would be most concerning about these polling numbers is not the overall lead that Carney holds, but the fact that poll after poll has shown Chris Hackett's unfavorables to be higher than his favorables. This is the third poll in a row which has highlighted that trend.<br /><br />That's not a good sign, and it signals that voters aren't responding to his campaign's message. I'd speculate that the DCCC and Carney ads have played a role in this as these spots have all explicitly questioned Hackett's character by attempting to expose him as a walking contradiction. They have essentially hit him with everything but the kitchen sink: his energy proposals and the </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXig5_Y9HU8">personal investments</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> he holds, his tough talk on illegal immigration while </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgQ-4lYyN-s">hiring an illegal immigrant</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> as a personal housekeeper, and his </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itTzjDBXoeo">personal tax problems and "radical" tax proposals</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">. Add in a bitter primary with Dan Meuser and you can see the issues with Hackett that are likely resonating with voters. I know Hackett has spent a lot of his campaign's time trying to paint Carney as a liberal out of touch with the distict, but he may not have done enough to address these concerns.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hackett does have the opportunity to change the game slightly with his debate performance Thursday night, but with only a week left in the campaign these numbers don't bode well for the campaign. </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-47097674440292893142008-10-27T17:15:00.002-04:002008-10-27T17:19:12.839-04:00Paper Endorsement<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Times-Tribune</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/articles/2008/10/27/editorial/sc_times_trib.20081027.a.pg12.tt27edit1_s1.2039949_edi.txt">officially endorsed</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Chris Carney today citing his background and ability to properly represent the district:</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><blockquote style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span>Mr. Carney has a particularly good background to serve in Congress. A former Penn State political science professor, he also is an active lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve. Yet his election to Congress two years ago might well have had more to do with political serendipity — a personal scandal that crippled the candidacy of Republican incumbent Don Sherwood.<br /><br />Mr. Carney has not wasted his opportunity while in office. He has honored the fundamental conservative social viewpoint that predominates in the vast district while ensuring that the region remains in play for federal development funding, defense contracts and so on. And, even though he is a freshman, he has held a seat on the powerful House Homeland Security Committee, where he has been able to employ his experience in military intelligence.<br /><br />...<br /><br /></span><span>Both candidates are capable, but Mr. Carney’s record favors his re-election.</span></span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-26360814553521818812008-10-27T17:08:00.002-04:002008-10-27T17:14:54.998-04:00Hackett and Specter<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Arlen Specter makes a special appearance in Chris Hackett's new campaign ad. The ad argues the importance of electing Hackett to avoid a one-party hegemony. In the ad Specter states, "With Chris Hackett, we'll have a check against massive Democratic control and that's vital to our country."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">This is a similar argument that the McCain campaign has been making in hopes that voters will elect him so he can provide a counterbalance.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/da83vt-4HAQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/da83vt-4HAQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-71256920535661110172008-10-24T17:45:00.007-04:002008-10-24T18:00:42.763-04:00Rock Solid<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >New Carney ad out touting his leadership in Washington and independent credentials. Looks like the campaign wanted to add a 'feel good' spot to the repertoire before Election Day.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwjkzBBNeK8">Chris Carney: "Rock Solid"</a><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iwjkzBBNeK8&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iwjkzBBNeK8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Of course, the reference to Carney being "effective" in the ad sources a December 12, 2007 </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >USA Today</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > article.<br /><br />In that article, the paper makes note of Carney </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-12-11-earmarks-freshmen_N.htm">being effective</a></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > only in terms of his ability to secure pork. He was highlighted since he got the most earmarks of any freshman representative:</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><blockquote style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Rep. Christopher Carney, D-Pa., who won in a heavily Republican district, secured the most money among the freshmen members. He was sole sponsor on 21 earmarks worth $18.2 million. That ranked him 48th among the 426 House members who requested earmarks.</span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-16325947948706515082008-10-24T13:25:00.003-04:002008-10-24T13:28:34.771-04:00Double Invitation<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.sungazette.com/page/content.detail/id/517551.html">Sun Gazette</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> decided to invited Chris Carney twice to their candidates' forum since he has been reluctant to accept event and debate invitations:</span><br /></span><blockquote style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Candidates invited to the event are: Republican Dave Huffman and Democrat Rick Mirabito, 83rd state House; Republican E. Eugene Yaw, Democrat Louis "Trey" Casimir and Independent Michael Dincher, 23rd state Senate; <span style="font-weight: bold;">U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-Dimick, and Republican Chris Carney, 10th Congress</span>; and Democrat Mark McCracken, Republican Glenn Thompson and Libertarian James Fryman.</span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-26782292314185238202008-10-23T17:03:00.003-04:002008-10-23T17:06:07.236-04:00Party Ads<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The political parties are up with new ads in the 11th District. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The two ads have one common theme: they both focus on Paul Kanjorski.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">NRCC's "Kick Out Kanjorski":</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pOqIp2GQEnA&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pOqIp2GQEnA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">DCCC's "Paul Kanjorski Measures Up For Pennsylvania Families"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LOhK5zKS-C0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LOhK5zKS-C0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-17570020717669614822008-10-23T16:45:00.004-04:002008-10-23T17:03:01.357-04:00In The 11th<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Lou Barletta one of four featured candidates in Ken Rudin's "</span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95968435">Political Junkie</a><span style="font-family:georgia;">" column over on NPR:</span><br /></span><blockquote style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Now on to Pennsylvania. <strong>Lou Barletta,</strong> the mayor of Hazleton, is one of the few Republican challengers to Democratic incumbents who are given a shot on Nov. 4. There are several factors that give Barletta hope. The incumbent, Paul Kanjorski, has been under fire for his role in obtaining millions of dollars in federal grants for a company owned by his relatives, a role that was investigated by the FBI. This issue has been around for years, and in fact, it was one of the things Barletta used when he ran against Kanjorski six years ago.<br /><br />He lost by 13 points, but it was the 71-year-old incumbent's closest race since he was first elected in 1984. Another issue is Kanjorski's role as the second-ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee and his vote for the unpopular $700 billion bailout/rescue bill of Wall Street. Barletta has been hitting the issue hard.<br /><br />Barletta is also a nationally known crusader against illegal immigration, a position that has made him extremely popular in Hazleton. A Republican, Barletta also had the nomination of the Democratic Party when he was re-elected in 2007. Two years ago, Hazleton became the first town in the country to ban employers from hiring illegal immigrants, though that ordinance was overturned by a federal judge. An appeals court hearing is expected at the end of the month.</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Also, the Pindell Report is now ready to say the race "</span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.politicker.com/pindell-report/race/7037/pa-11">Leans Republican</a><span style="font-family:georgia;">". James Pindell's decision to move the race to the GOP side of the board has been <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1535850724053498988">influenced</a> by Kanjorski losing control of his image and the failure of money in the race to impact polling numbers.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-14666186175526926622008-10-23T16:31:00.003-04:002008-10-23T16:44:03.759-04:00End Of The Hackett Drought<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Chris Hackett's campaign, after not having </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://localvalues.blogspot.com/2008/10/hacketts-website.html">updated their website</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> in almost a month, is back on the scene. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Yesterday, the campaign posted its ad which responds to Chris Carney's "<a href="http://www.timesleader.com/news/Politics/Hackett__Latest_ad__lsquo_despicable_rsquo__10-22-2008.html">despicable</a>" tactics. This is an ad which the campaign has been airing on television.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MZtNBqVCHj4&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MZtNBqVCHj4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Also, the campaign website was updated to make note of the honor Hackett received from the </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >60 Plus Association</span><span style="font-family:georgia;">. The Association, led by spokesman Pat Boone, presented Hackett with the </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.chrishackettforcongress.com/inthenews/2008/10/22/60-plus-association-honors-chris-hackett/">Honorary Guardian of Seniors’ Rights</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> award:</span><br /></span><p style="font-family: georgia;"></p><blockquote style="font-family:georgia;"><p><span style="font-size:100%;">The 60 Plus Association’s Guardian Award is presented to Democrats and Republicans in Congress based on their “senior friendly” voting records. The Honorary Award is given to those running for office and is based on their views on seniors’ issues.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Boone cited Hackett’s support for repealing the 1993 tax imposed by President Clinton on Social Security benefits, as well as Hackett’s support to repeal the ‘Death Tax’ which hurts small businesses and farmers across Pennsylvania and the country. “Chris Hackett, running for the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania’s 10th District, knows a bad tax when he sees one,” said Boone, “and the Death Tax is as bad as they come!</span></p></blockquote><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-62472229432318239502008-10-21T13:29:00.002-04:002008-10-21T13:32:44.101-04:00DCCC Gets In On The Action<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has decided to also hit <a href="http://localvalues.blogspot.com/2008/10/dust-up-over-flier.html">Hackett on the Fair Tax issue</a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Not only does the ad make note of this support, but it also goes after Hackett's personal tax trouble again.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/itTzjDBXoeo&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/itTzjDBXoeo&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-51192155983853509802008-10-20T18:10:00.000-04:002008-10-20T18:13:02.843-04:00Dust Up Over Flier<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Carney campaign </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.citizensvoice.com/articles/2008/10/20/news/wb_voice.20081020.t.pg5.cv20cdhackettax_s1.2026894_top5.txt">released a flier</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> highlighting Chris Hackett's alleged support of the Fair Tax.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The flier sparked some controversy between the two campaigns because Chris Hackett claims he has never has endorsed such a tax.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The source in question is an article from the <span style="font-style: italic;">Williamsport Sun Gazette</span> which stated that Hackett supported a sales tax replacing income taxes. The Carney campaign upped the ante by interpreting the context to mean Hackett endorsed the Fair Tax. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">A similar logic is displayed on the Carney </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.carneyforcongress.com/node/111">campaign website</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">:</span><br /></span><p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><u><strong></strong></u></span></p><blockquote style="font-family: georgia;"><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><u><strong>Chris Hackett wants a 23% sales tax on everything you buy:</strong></u></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Chris Hackett told the <em>Williamsport Sun Gazette</em> (8/21/07) that he “favors a national sales tax to replace various other taxes that are levied against Americans.” </span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;">According to the <em>New York Sun</em> (ScareTax, not FairTax, 12/17/07), the FairTax does away with the income tax, corporate taxes, estate taxes and just about any other federal levy. Under the FairTax, Washington would apply a single national sales tax on purchases, whether a DVD player, or a new house. FairTax advocates tout the plan with a 23% rate….which is "inclusive," meaning that for every dollar you pay, 23 cents is tax. That translates to a 30% tax on a 77-cent expenditure—or raising gas taxes by $1 a gallon</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">From the Citizen's Voice:</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><blockquote style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span>In interviews with The Citizens’ Voice in the past several months, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Hackett said he is open to ideas like a national sales tax replacing other taxes, but he has stopped short of ever endorsing those plans</span>. Instead, Hackett has called for a flat tax and reducing of the size of the federal tax code. A flat tax would have a single tax rate for everyone regardless of income. Proponents of a flat tax plan say it would simplify the tax code and help reduce tax costs overall.</span></span></blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Another interesting discussion we are likely to see in the debate between the two candidates. 10 days until the showdown.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-17449187686309383082008-10-20T17:39:00.002-04:002008-10-20T17:42:09.868-04:00NRCC TV<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">The National Republican Congressional Committee released a new wed ad hitting Kanjorski on his flip flopping.<br /><br />Interesting selection of music...<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jpThQMxiBrg&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jpThQMxiBrg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-70248880371174062782008-10-17T16:09:00.005-04:002008-10-17T16:13:03.359-04:00Hackett's Website<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">As a general observation, it would seem to me that the final 30 days in an election are the most important for a competitive campaign. Why then, after being so active earlier on, has the Hackett campaign's website remained so stagnant during the past month? It seems they haven't updated their </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.chrishackettforcongress.com/inthenews/">news section</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> since the end of September.<br /><br />Any ideas?<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-90344895075514003452008-10-17T15:47:00.005-04:002008-10-17T16:05:55.488-04:00No Forum<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Paul Kanjorski backed out of a forum yesterday with Lou Barletta which has caused some speculation into the reason(s) behind Kanjorski bailing at the last minute.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.politickerpa.com/danh/2191/more-kanjorski-forum-fallout">two primary reasons</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> being mentioned:</span><br /></span><ol style="font-family:georgia;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Kanjorski didn't like the combative release Barletta put our earlier in the day</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Kanjorski was upset that the NAACP flier did not include him</span></li></ol><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">In regards to reason #2, apparently the Monroe County NAACP was one of the sponsors of the forum between Barletta and Kanjorski and put out a flier featuring Barletta's picture with no Kanjorski image. However, the NAACP claims that Kanjorski was never firmly committed to the event and added his image to a second flier after he agreed. Then on Wednesday, Kanjorski changed his mind again leaving the forum without its billed speaker. <br /><br />The Kanjorski campaign </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081017/NEWS/810170368">acknowledged</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> that the flier was problematic, yet the Congressman made every attempt possible to attend the event. The campaign claims that his prior committment speaking to Obama volunteers didn't allow him to attend.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The Barletta campaign issued a </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.loubarletta.com/news/97">stinging press release</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> after Kanjorski backed out:</span><br /><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:12;" > </span></span><blockquote style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;"></span></span>"What's the difference between Paul Kanjorski and the Cowardly Lion? Answer: the Cowardly Lion didn't funnel 10 million taxpayer dollars to his family's business.<br /><br />"This is just another example of Paul Kanjorski's disrespect for the people of northeastern Pennsylvania. He takes the voters for granted and worse yet he takes their money for his cars and his gas, and to fund his family's bankrupt business. The congressman's actions speak for themselves."</blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Whichever side you choose to believe, pulling out 10 minutes before a scheduled event is never a good thing. </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-77926795453801676082008-10-16T17:49:00.003-04:002008-10-16T17:53:46.028-04:00Third Quarter Fundraising<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">The third quarter (July 1-September 30) campaign finance data is now available from <a href="http://www.fec.gov/DisclosureSearch/mapHSApp.do?drillLevel=state&stateName=PA">the FEC</a>. </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.timesleader.com/news/Donations_to_Carney_nearly_double_amount_given_to_Hackett_10-15-2008.html">In the 10th District</a><span style="font-family:georgia;">, Chris Carney raised $381,151 during those three months. Over that same period, Carney spent $950,049 and ended the quarter with $581,198.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Chris Hackett raised slightly less with $351,561 while spending $591,520 and ending with $330,673 cash on hand.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> <a href="http://www.standardspeaker.com/articles/2008/10/16/news/hz_standspeak.20081016.a.pg5.hz16_cv11thfec_s1.2018977_loc.txt">In the 11th District</a>, Paul Kanjorski spent $1.375 million for the quarter, raised $505,000, and ended with $1.35 million in cash on hand.<br /><br />Barletta spent close to $480,000, raised $409,000, and ended with $250,000 on hand.<br /><br />In <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/ietracker/">independent expenditures</a>, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has made the two seats a priority as they've spent $711,000 on Carney's seat and $857,000 for Kanjorski's seat. Both of which are in the Top 25 seat allocations for the Committee.<br /><br />Some substantial cash disadvantages for the GOP challengers in these districts coming down the stretch.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-38745834514842388472008-10-15T16:20:00.001-04:002008-10-15T16:44:25.471-04:00Unfounded<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://www.timesleader.com/news/breakingnews/Secret_Service_says_Kill_him_allegation_unfounded_.html">Breaking news</a> from the </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >Times Leader</span><span style="font-family:georgia;">:</span><br /></span><blockquote style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The agent in charge of the Secret Service field office in Scranton said allegations that someone yelled “kill him” when presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s name was mentioned during Tuesday’s Sarah Palin rally <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">are unfounded</span>.</span> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">The Scranton Times-Tribune first reported the alleged incident on its Web site Tuesday and then again in its print edition Wednesday. The first story, written by reporter David Singleton, appeared with allegations that while congressional candidate Chris Hackett was addressing the crowd and mentioned Oabama’s name a man in the audience shouted “kill him."</span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">...</span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">Agent Bill Slavoski said he was in the audience, along with an undisclosed number of additional secret service agents and other law enforcement officers and not one heard the comment.</span></p></blockquote><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535850724053498988.post-70762340882043067052008-10-15T11:20:00.000-04:002008-10-15T11:20:42.807-04:00Clarification From Carney Interview<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://gort42.blogspot.com/2008/10/congressman-chris-carney-interview.html">his interview</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> with Congressman Chris Carney, Gort managed to work in a question regarding the patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and pay-as-you-go (paygo) budgeting rules:</span><br /><br /></span> <div style="margin-left: 40px; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Our friend Local Values has a question on the pay go rules. The AMT patch actually violated the pay go rule and even Steny Hoyer voted against it but you voted for it. Any comment. </strong></span></div> <p style="margin-left: 40px; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong></strong></span></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong></strong></span></p> <div style="margin-left: 40px; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong></strong><strong></strong></span></div> <div style="margin-left: 40px; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The pay go rule? Which one, what time? It was also part of the sweetener package in the last bailout. It did comply with pay go because they did identify the pay for in the next budget. The pay for was identified in the first one but was not identified in the bailout bill which is one of the reasons I voted against it. Values guy is wrong.</span></div> <p style="margin-left: 40px; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>He’ll be glad to hear it.</strong></span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> First and foremost, I'm very thankful that Gort was able to plug one my questions into the conversation. I will likely never have the opportunity to interview these candidates so I appreciate Gort considering such a question. Second, I am grateful that the Congressman legitimately attempted to answer the question. He provided a substantive response which is very admirable in his tough reelection campaign. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"> However, it is important to clarify that "Values guy" is </span><i style="font-family: georgia;"><b>not</b></i><span style="font-family: georgia;"> wrong. <br /><br />I will give the Congressman the benefit of the doubt that he misunderstood the statement, yet I stand by the content in my original question because everything was factually accurate. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"> The </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://localvalues.blogspot.com/2008/10/questions-for-carney.html">question</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> that is in question:</span><br /><br /></span> <div style="margin-left: 40px; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">2) As a Blue Dog Democrat, you have stated your commitment to pay-as-you-go (paygo) budgeting rules and their importance in reaching a balanced budget. However, your votes have not always reflected this as a priority. For instance, last December you voted for an un-offset Alternative Minimum Tax (<a href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1183.xml">H.R. 3996</a>). This decision was a violation of paygo rules and was estimated by the CBO to cost <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/89xx/doc8926/hr3996.pdf">$50 billion</a> in 2008. Others, like Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of the Blue Dogs, refused to accept an unpaid for offset and voted against the bill. We all know that an AMT patch is an important priority for middle class taxpayers, but with deficits expected to reach record levels, what assurances can you make regarding your commitment to fiscal responsibility and the weight it will receive in your decision making?</span><br /></span> </div> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Again, in fairness to Chris Carney, I believe he was referring to the AMT patch for the upcoming year that was just passed as an add-on to the bailout bill and not to his vote from last December as the question indicates. His vote from last December was in fact a vote in favor of waiving pay-as-you-go budget rules.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"> For those unfamiliar, </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.cbo.gov/budget/glossary.shtml#P">paygo rules</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> are budget neutral and were implemented to prevent the nation's fiscal condition from getting worse. In fact, they were instrumental in the early '90s as Congress traveled the difficult path to reach budget surpluses. The rules require that any change in taxes be offset with either spending cuts or increased taxes elsewhere. Since Congress continues to enact AMT patches on an annual basis to prevent the middle-class from getting hit, the patches are subject to paygo rules and are expected to be offset. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Last year, the House successfully passed two versions of the AMT with offsets. However, in the Senate it was amended and stripped of the offsets. This was a violation (or waiving) of paygo rules.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Before the Senate amended the legislation, Congressman Carney </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/pa10_carney/minitaxrelief.html">stated in a press release</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">:</span><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ></span><blockquote style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >"I came to Congress with a goal of providing middle class tax relief. I was proud to vote for this fiscally responsible legislation to provide middle income families relief from the Alternative Minimum Tax. This legislation adheres to the pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) standard of fiscal discipline, I am a firm believer that Congress must not continue to pass more debt onto our grandchildren</span><span style="font-size:100%;">"</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">However, the bill was without revenue-raising offsets after the actions in the Senate. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.majorityleader.gov/in_the_news/press_releases/index.cfm?pressReleaseID=2154">highlighted this</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> on December 18, 2007 after the events played out in the Senate:</span><br /><br /></span> <div style="margin-left: 40px; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer released the following statement tonight after Senate Republicans blocked for a second time a fiscally responsible patch of the Alternative Minimum Tax. Senate Democrats again supported the House-passed fiscally responsible AMT bill: ...<br /><br /></strong>"House and Senate Democrats have tried twice this year to enact responsible legislation that would protect 23 million Americans from the AMT while not adding to the deficit by closing unfair tax loopholes for the wealthiest Americans. Republicans in the Senate blocked each bill, while the President bolstered their fiscal irresponsibility by threatening vetoes."</span> </div> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"> When the bill came back to the House after it was amended in the Senate, Hoyer voted against the un-offset bill to prove a point. Carney, </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1183.xml">on the other hand, did not</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">. Both are members of the Blue Dog Coalition, yet Hoyer believed it was more important to do the fiscally responsible thing while Carney placed a greater emphasis on passing an AMT patch before Congress adjourned. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"> From a </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://money.cnn.com/2007/12/19/pf/taxes/amt_vote_walkup/index.htm">CNN story</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> recapping the vote:</span><br /><br /></span> <div style="margin-left: 40px; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The House on Wednesday voted in favor (352-64) of a one-year AMT "patch" that the Senate had already approved earlier this month...<b><i>it's the first time House Democrats gave the nod to a "clean" bill, meaning it has no provisions to pay for the patch's estimated $53 billion price tag</i></b>.<br /></span> </div> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">In no way was the original question meant to be a "gotcha" moment. Rather, something I believe that voters should seriously consider when casting their ballot in November. In a situation like last December, we should know how much emphasis the Congressman will put on fiscal responsibility. It is easy to support doing the right thing in the abstract, but difficult situations will arise when two conflicting priorities collide. That is the nature of Congress. In this case, it was an extension of the AMT patch (which everyone acknowledges to be a necessity) and a $50 billion unfunded liability. As I tried to point out in the original question, how much emphasis will fiscal responsibility receive when you cast your vote.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I felt it was important to make this clarification for the readers of this blog in order to defend its integrity. </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1