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Friday, September 19, 2008

Bennett's Top Ten List

In a news release aimed at LV Congressman Charlie Dent's refusal to agree to more than four or five debates, challenger Sam Bennett ticks off ten reasons why she thinks she is a better candidate.

Unlike a Letterman Top Ten, there are no jokes.

"1. Our country needs change. Dent has had it his way in Washington for four years and four out of five times Charles W. Dent with George W. Bush.

2. Folks want to bring that change home. Dent attacks Sam’s work to help clean up Lehigh Valley communities as “money wasted” while his only two legislative accomplishments in four years are renaming post-offices.

3. Pennsylvania has suffered 1400 casualties in Iraq. Dent went to Washington, knowing there were no WMD’s and still votes to use trillions of dollars in Iraq.

4. When our troops are gone, Dent votes to tax military families, and when they come home, he says NO to their healthcare and job training.

5. Wages are falling and the wealth gap is growing while Dent makes three times the income of the average Lehigh Valley voter. Then he votes NO for fully raising the minimum wage and ensuring equal pay for equal work.

6. 212,000 Pennsylvania kids are uninsured as Dent accepts taxpayer-funded healthcare. Then he votes NO for expanding it for kids and military reservists.

7. Companies like Mack Trucks cut jobs in the Lehigh Valley and their mega millionaire CEO’s still cut checks to Dent for thousands of dollars. Then he votes NO to stopping CAFTA deals that trade Pennsylvania jobs for corporate profits and NO to the Employee Free Choice Act to give workers a fair shake.

8. Special interests are trying to take over Washington, and Dent accepts more than $90,000 from lobbyists. Then he refuses to give it back.

9. Gas prices are soaring and so are Dent’s campaign contributions from Big Oil. Dent accepts more than $75,000 from Big Oil and gives Big Oil $14 billion in tax breaks instead of investing in renewable energy, says NO to renewable energy, and says NO to efficiency and conservation.

10. Prescription drug costs are skyrocketing while Dent accepts tens of thousands of dollars from Big Pharma. And he votes NO for negotiating drug prices for Medicare patients and NO to allowing seniors to import FDA approved prescriptions from Canada."


Sounds pretty good on its face, huh? But much of what she is saying is simply untrue.

If you look at the very first statement, for example, in which Bennett complains that Dent supports Bush 80% of the time, the reality is much different. Congressional Quarterly (Vol. 66, page 2050) analyzed 2,646 roll call votes. Its determination is that Dent is actually the 11th most independent Republican in the House. His votes have supported Bush just 60% of the time.

And so it goes with the rest of that misleading list.

Dent not only supported children's health care, but voted to override a presidential veto. He has been a minimum wage rubber stamp, and was one of thirty Republicans who opposed adjourning until that was accomplished. His supposed connection to Big Oil is in reality a connection to many Lehigh Valley residents who work for utilities and alternative energy companies like Air Products. Dent's grandfather, a long-time UGI worker with an 8th grade education, was one of these people. "He thought that was honorable work and my opponent clearly thinks that people who work in the energy sector are dishonorable." As far as Iraq is concerned, Charlie worked with Democrats and Republicans to try and pass legislation that would have enacted the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group into law.

The Dent camp has told me it will no longer respond to charges without citations.

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

What's the saying about liars and figures? The accusation by the Democrats is that Dent voted against FULLY funding a minimum wage increase. The response? He voted for 3 of 4 minimum wage bills, so he's a rubber stamp. Well, what about the 4th bill that he rejected? Is that the one that FULLY funds a minimum wage? (But then that assumes someone cares about providing people something that approaches a living wage)
And what's the difference if Dent voted 80% or 60% for Bush? So what if you choose a source that adds or interprets votes differently. Big whoop. The point, in my opinion, is I want to vote for someone who doesn't agree with Bush more than 10% of the time, so 60 percent still isn't acceptable.
Please attack the other 8 points on the top 10 list so I can see just how much you're figuring.

Anonymous said...

Bernie said, "As far as Iraq ..."
Let me understand: "Charlie" wants an honorable withdrawal, so let's ignore that he drank the Kool-Aid and helped get us into this war with the neo-cons from whom the "independent" Republican now distances himself.
I disagree. A lot of people 7 years ago thought this war was a disaster. 49 percent of the voters 4 years ago said it. Don't gloss over the fact that "Charlie" helped lockstep us into a wrong war. I suggest your credibility suffers when you sidestep that accusation by saying, well he voted with Democrats for a possible solution to the mess so let's not pay attention to how he previously voted, thousands of lives and billions of dollars ago.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Bob Jr.,

I don't know where you were seven years ago, but I can tell you where I was. I was on the picket lines condemning this war. I was one of the people advocating against the invasion. I was co-hosting a radio show at the time and was nearly lynched for saying the war was a mistake.

At that time, Charlies Dent was not even in Congress.

After we invaded and broke the vase, we do have an obligation to fix it. Just as the invasion was a terrible mistake, immediate withdrawl would have resulted in the genocide of many innocents who never asked for our help in the first place. It would destabilize the area. Not one other country would be able to rely on us.

Charlie Dent initially supported the war effort. So did most Democrats. His thinking changed. He came to endorse the Iraq Study Group. He tried twice to have it enacted as official policy. He co-chaired the Tuesday group, which met with the President and told him, face to face, that his Iraq policy was off track.

At the same time, he refused to support cynical measures in which Congressmen were replacing military commanders, deciding war strategy.

I don't just understand Charlie's view concerning Iraq - I support them. His views are the only reasonable views. His views reflect what is going to happen there, no matter who is elected President. Dent is just being honest.

Bernie O'Hare said...

He voted for 3 of 4 minimum wage bills, so he's a rubber stamp. Well, what about the 4th bill that he rejected?

No, Dent supported the measure that was adopted.

Anonymous said...

So did most Democrats

There goes BOH again, shilling for the Republicans and posting LIES. BOH, you may want to check the Iraq War Resolution vote. Last time I checked, you had to be over 50% to use the term "most."

But then again, BOH and the Republicans are very fond of obfuscating numbers. Take a look at the financial markets.

Bernie O'Hare said...

The vast majority of Americans, both Democrat and Republican, supported the invasion of Iraq. As someone who opposed that war, I remember what happened very well.

You were all marching around and saluting each other, buying yellow ribbon magnets. I sure as hell don't remember reading any LTEs from Sam Bennett opposing the invasion of Iraq.

So let's drop the revisionism.

Anonymous said...

So now you are changing the argument from Congressional "Democrats" to the common people. You are a piece of work. Revisionist extraordinaire.

Did you check that roll call yet?

Anonymous said...

Sam Bennett's top ten list for herself:

#1 through #9 -- Get Paid!

#10 -- Be worshipped and adored by every living person who comes in contact with her.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I never claimed to be talking about the Dems in Congress. I was talking about the people I live and work with. The actual war resolution was opposed by a majority of the Democrats in the House, but was supported a majority of the Democrats in the Senate. Here's a link.

Anonymous said...

Charlie is a more frustrating opponent for Ds than the staunchly conservative Pat Toomey, because Charlie is largely liberal.

From a conservative's view, he's a repulsive wind gauge who's a more trusted vote for big spending and big government and morally devoid social policy.

He should have the balls to join the party of his philosophical kin. His view of Iraq is slightly to the left of Hillary Clinton, even though, unlike Joe Biden, Dent did not vote to authorize any war.

Anonymous said...

never claimed to be talking about the Dems in Congress. I was talking about the people I live and work with. The actual war resolution was opposed by a majority of the Democrats in the House, but was supported a majority of the Democrats in the Senate. Here's a link.

At least you admitted that were attempting to mislead.

By the way, taken as a WHOLE, a majority of Congressional Democrats OPPOSED the Iraq War Resolution.

But that is all beside the point. Dent is an enabler and proponent of the Iraq war. He needs to go with the current administration. We can always vote Bennett out in two years. Let's at least get rid of Charlie Dent while we have the chance.

Bernie O'Hare said...

At least you admitted that were attempting to mislead.

I misled no one. You misread what I wrote.

Anonymous said...

"We can always vote Bennett out in two years. Let's at least get rid of Charlie Dent while we have the chance."

Finally! A winning slogan for Sam!

Anonymous said...

11:18 am above,

So funny! I almost peed my pants.

Anonymous said...

Dent's vote on item 6 for kids:
HR 3162 (Roll Call #786): SCHIP motion to recommit with instructions – August 1, 2007.
Legislation was introduced that would renew funding for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicare. The GOP made a motion to submit a bare-bones proposal that would extend these two critical programs for just one year and cover an additional 600,000 uninsured children. The amendment did not provide funding and did not make the necessary Medicare changes. A yes vote supported the GOP motion, which was nixed 202-226.
Gerlach (R-6th) Yes
Murphy (D-8th) No
Carney (D-10th) No
Kanjorski (D-11th) No
Schwartz (D-13th) No
Dent (R-15th) Yes
Holden (D-17th) No

HR 3162: Children’s Health Insurance – August 1, 2007.
Voting 225-204, the House restored SCHIP funding for five years, instead of the GOP’s one-year extension, and covered 5.1 million children, more than eight times what their counterparts had offered. To pay for it, the bill would raise the federal cigarette tax by 45 cents per pack to 84 cents per pack and reduce taxpayer subsidies of insurers who provide private Medicare policies. The proposal was watered down in the Senate (S. 976) and passed 68 to 31 on August 2. However, President Bush vetoed the bill on October 3, 2007. “By the end of the year,” wrote the Congressional Quarterly, “Democrats had given up on expanding the program and instead passed an extension (that is) set to expire at the end of March 2009.”
Gerlach (R-6th) No
Murphy (D-8th) Yes
Carney (D-10th) Yes
Kanjorski (D-11th) Yes
Schwartz (D-13th) Yes
Dent (R-15th) No
Holden (D-17th) Yes

Anonymous said...

Dent's vote on item 7:
HRes. 1092 (Roll Call #181): U.S.-Colombia Trade Agreement – April 10, 2008.
The House voted, 224-195, to indefinitely delay President Bush’s “Fast Track” request for a trade agreement with Colombia. Fast track trade rules, established under the 1974 Trade Act, bar amendments and demand that Congress act within 90 days after its introduction on the floor. Colombia has had a long history of violence against trade union members and has done little to avert the violence. The trade bill, HR 5724, was modeled after NAFTA and a yes vote delayed the trade deal indefinitely.
Gerlach (R-6th) No
Murphy (D-8th) Yes
Carney (D-10th) Yes
Kanjorski (D-11th) Yes
Schwartz (D-13th) Yes
Dent (R-15th) No
Holden (D-17th) Yes

Anonymous said...

Dent's vot on item 9:
HR 6251 (Roll Call #469): Use it or Lose it – June 26, 2008.
The House passed legislation mandating oil companies to either drill on federal land they have leased or relinquish the right to do so. The “use it or lose it” bill was directed at dormant leases covering 68 million acres in the West and Alaska. The bill would prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from granting any new federal leases to companies not drilling on acreage already leased. Unlike coal operators, oil companies are currently not required to diligently develop their leases. It has been estimated that if these firms would drill on land already loaned to them, it would cut imported oil by one-third and provide six times the supply of the Artic National Wildness Reserve. Although the provision was passed, 223-195, it failed to receive the two-thirds majority vote required for passage under an expedited procedure that bypassed regular House rules.
Gerlach (R-6th) No
Murphy (D-8th) Yes
Carney (D-10th) Yes
Kanjorski (D-11th) Yes
Schwartz (D-13th) Yes
Dent (R-15th) No
Holden (D-17th) Yes

Anonymous said...

Charles W. Dent's vote on renewable energy item 9:

HR 3221 (Roll Call # 827): New Direction for Energy Independence amendment – August 4, 2007.
The House amended HR 3221 to require electric utilities to produce at least 15 percent of their energy by 2020 from renewable sources such as the wind, sun, tides, crops and geo-thermal forces. After resolving differences with the Senate’s version, the bill was sent to the president who signed it in July. A yes vote supported the amendment which passed 220-190.
Gerlach (R-6th) Yes
Murphy (D-8th) Yes
Carney (D-10th) Yes
Kanjorski (D-11th) Yes
Schwartz (D-13th) Yes
Dent (R-15th) No
Holden (D-17th) Yes

Anonymous said...

Bernie says, "I don't know where you were seven years ago ..."
You're not running for Congress, so who cares?
But since you raised the subject, seven years ago I too was in the minority and knew this war was disaster. Anyone who was supportive of this war in any way, shape or form, is not to be re-elected. And don't patronize by saying you understand Dent's position, as if others don't. I understand and still think he's wrong. Punish the lie, don't reward the lie by calling it a broken vase.
"His thinking changed." Too late.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Bob, Jr,

I never decide to support or oppose someone on the basis of one issue, even if that issue is Iraq. I've also got a newsflash for you. If you think everyone who supported that war will be ousted, you're living in fairy land.

I will often support candidates with whom I disagree on certain issues. First, I have to be comfortable with the candidate. I am comfortable with Dent, who is very reasonable and well-informed. Second, if I disagree with a candidate I already like on an issue, I look at his reasoning.

I oppose drilling. Period. I support the employee free choice act. Dent supports drilling. He opposes the employee free choice act.

I still support Dent bc I understand his reasoning, and he may be right. In the case of drilling, he believes we need to diversify as much as possible, and that should include drilling, so long as it is done in an environmentally sensitive way. With the Empolyee Free Choice Act, he believes ballots should always be private so people do not feel pressured. His views are reasonable. They are not caught up in any particular ideology. They are caught up in reason.

He is an exceptional candidate and I think he is the best the LV has to offer for any office. I will be supporting Dent.

Anonymous said...

Bob Jr. --

Guess you won't be voting for Obama then. He supported funding the war every time -- save one -- the vote to fund the surge.

And your righteous anger crap wears thin very fast in the face of facts.

How many attacks on U.S. soil since we went into Iraq?

None.

Anonymous said...

"And what's the difference if Dent voted 80% or 60% for Bush? So what if you choose a source that adds or interprets votes differently. Big whoop. The point, in my opinion, is I want to vote for someone who doesn't agree with Bush more than 10% of the time, so 60 percent still isn't acceptable."

According to this Congressional Quarterly Obama voted with George Bush 40% of the time. I guess he won't be getting your vote, Bob.

http://www.cq.com/graphics/weekly/2008/01/14/wr20080114-02prezsupport-cht.pdf

God, it shouldn't be so much fun making idiot blowhards like Bob look stupid -- but it is.

Anonymous said...

Just got "polled" by Bennett's camp. I guess I wasn't supposed to be able to figure it out, but the early disguise wore out quickly. When we got to the section on reasons to not vote for each candidate, there were four associated with Bennett, and 12 pertaining to Charlie. All of those were straight from the Bennett ramblings you've posted throughout the campaign.

As a pro-life conservative, I really hate voting for Charlie. But, it just got slightly more palatable.

Anonymous said...

So now I'm an idiot blowhard. Classy place you got here.

Anonymous said...

Bob Jr. --

Yes you are an idiot blowhard. Acceptance is the first stage.

So you still votin' for that no-good Bush-supporting, Barack Obama?

Forty-percent! Shoot, you can't tolerate anyone who would agree with Bush more than 10% of the time.

Anonymous said...

Hah. Run home, Bob Jr.

Schooled.

Anonymous said...

You anonymous cowards are morons. I looked at the site. Every Democratic Senator voted along with Bush at least 33 percent of the time. Applying your logic, no one should get my vote. I stand by comment, I don't want to vote for anyone who agrees with Bush more than 10 percent of the time. Why does that make me an idiot? Please, stop the nyah nyah for a moment and school me.

Anonymous said...

The last refuge of morons:
"How many attacks on U.S. soil since the invasion? Huh? Huh? Huh? Yeah, dats right, we bad."

Bernie O'Hare said...

Bob, Jr.

I'm glad for your comments. I'd agree we shouldn't call each other names, but you started things off by calling me a liar. Also, when you claim anonymous commenters are cowards, please realize that you just slammed yourself. You're here anonymously.

Anonymous said...

At this point Sam Bennett is loosing votes. She needs a reality check. I think I'm going to run for congress.

Anonymous said...

Duh, I'm not here anonymusly -- my real name is bob jr.

Yers,

bob jr.

More like billy bob jr. it seems to me.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Bob or whoever you are, If you identify yourself byt first and last name, then you are not anonymous. You heve every right to post anonymously.

Anonymous said...

The how many attacks on US soil line is getting very old.

After the first twin towers attack, Pres. Clinton kept us safe, with no further attacks on U.S. soil until W. took office, then the most devastating attack on U.S. soil in American history.

Funny how statements made in a vacuum sound like Republican sound bites.
Drill, Baby, Drill

Anonymous said...

"After the first twin towers attack, Pres. Clinton kept us safe . . ."

How? By being weak when American's were killed in Somalia and the Khobar Towers?

You mean when he let Osama Bin Laden skate?

Remember in space no one can hear a liberal's lies.