To the Long Dems, it is a capital offense to so much as whisper a word of encouragement to one of them thar' dirty Republicans. John Stoffa, for example, was excommunicated because he dared appoint some Republicans to cabinet level positions. It makes no difference that Fiscal Affairs Director Vic Mazziotti has come up with ways to save Northampton County nearly $10 million annually. It matters not that Director of Administration John Conklin has implemented programs that save lives, like reverse 911 and pictometry (enables 911 dispatchers to tell people how to escape a burning building). They are evil Republicans, and Stoffa must be evil because he hired them. So Long Dems drum up someone to run against Stoffa and even give that person the local machine's endorsement.
It takes some moxie to go against the machine. But that's exactly what state rep. Joe Brennan and Bethlehem City Councilman Bob Donchez have done. These two Democrats are willing to support Craig Dally, a Republican, for judge. This certainly says something about Craig's unique qualifications for the bench. But it speaks volumes about Joe and Bob, both of whom are risking party wrath to do the right thing.
Update: My own state rep., Rich Grucela, has just informed me that he is yet another Democrat who endorses Republican Craig Dally for judge. He's participated in a mailer and has even taped robo calls for Craig. He also supports Judge Zito, a recent Republican convert, and Jim Narlesky.
53 comments:
I'm far from being a Long Democrat but I can only say that if I were a party chief I would never support Brennan or Donchez again.In Harrisburg, Dally voted mostly with his party against the Democratic issues. He deserves no Democratic support at all. It is an embarrassment that he is even on the Democratic ballot. In fact Joe Long dropped the ball badly here. The County committee should have sent out a mailer letting all voters know that Dally, and now Zito, are both Republicans. He didn't and he should have. The Bethlehem City Committee should withhold any support from these two in the future also. In fact , if I were the county or city chair I would combine monies and do a newspaper ad now to let people know that the party does not support Dally, because they don't!!
Because Craig cross-filed, he's running on both the R and D sides of the ballot, which may give the endorsers some cover if anyone raises the party loyalty question.
I know why he is on both sides of the ballot. But if he is not pro union or if he doesn't or hasn't supported Democratic issues in the State house then why is he being endorsed over all of these Dem candidates who have? He shouldn't be!
Rumor has it and a front yard sign seems to indicate the same,
Brennan endorsed one D primary candidate over another. Is this appropriate?
This whole endorsement thing is really getting ridiculous.
Personally, I don't give a darn who endorses whom, and neither Joe or Bob's endorsements will influence my vote.
In Bethlehem two newcomers in the Council race Eric Evans and Michael Recchiutti are parading out Mayor Callahan, and Councilmen Donchez and Reynolds as having endorsed one or the other, or both.
Who cares, especially with Reynolds only having less than two years of elected office under his belt?
In the end it's more important whether or not the candidate is honest and will remain that way; whether they'll act based on the facts; and whether or not they'll remember who they're actually supposed to represent (the people and not special interests).
Why do many of these people begin to get so full of themselves to think that their endorsements really mean anything?
I'm curious about what Councilwoman Dolan's opinion of these real endorsements is, especially since her colleagues on Bethlehem Council are endorsing some of her opponents?
The old boys club story all over again. The honorable rep foghorn supports rep leghorn.
Brennan is a disgrace for doing so.
Fortunately endorsements are fairly meaningless particularly in Northco.
The the fact that Dally has little courtroom experience apparently is irrelevant.
Brennan also ignores rankings given by the candidates peers. Zito,Murray and Longenbach are ranked the highest well qualified or qualifed and Dally is near the bottom of the list.
It shouldnt be a popularity contest so lets hope voters cut through all of the rhetoric and hype and do the right thing.
Craig Dally is a pleasant young man, but how much lawyering has he actually done to sit the bench in front of seasoned attorneys?
To Anon 8:48:
I do not think Dolan was upset about elected officials supporting candidates, she was upset about the State Democractic Party appearing to have paid for and authorized mailers on behalf of candidates.
8:48
You are right. Endorsements shouldn't matter. The problem with this one, however, is that it gives people, who might not be paying attention to the judicial race, the impression that Dally is a Democrat because he is supported by two Democratic office holders. Shame on them!
Dolan is perfectly right to be upset..She'll crush Belinski anyway, so it doesn't matter.What does matter is that the idiots from SEIU 668 sent out a letter endorsing Belinski when no one from the union was even asked about the race. If I was a SEIU 668member I would tell the union to shove it and if they donate to cope
they should ask for their money back.
Don't forget Dolan got $5K from some strong political figure and
said she was proud to accept it.
Anon 9:26
Those kind of endorsements happened from other groups, too. The Sierra Club endorsed Belinski and never asked any of the other candidates or even its group about the race.
The County Chairman and the City Chairman need to pool some of their money together and then ask the real Democrats who are running for Judge to donate also towards a
full page ad that says
DALLY IS NOT A DEMOCRAT! HE DOES NOT SUPPORT OUR ISSUES!! PLEASE DO NOT VOTE FOR HIM!!
Dude, do you honestly think there's some gigantic difference etween a Democratic judge and Republican judge. These guys are judges. The office is NONpartisan. It's completely ridiculous to look at political affiliation in deciding on a judge.
Much more important is knowledge, temperament and experience. That's why Brennan endorsed Dally.
Instead of looking for party labels, why not look for the best person?
Peg Ferraro, a big tme R. just sent out a leter endorsing Heimbach, a Democrat. She is supporting someone she thinks is right.
I commend any local official who can look beyond party labels, especially in a judicial race.
Bernie Dude,
If you don't think there is a difference between Democratic Judges and republican judges you haven't looked at the Supreme court lately...Or for that matter most courts!! There is less partisanship on county courts for sure but why should Democrats support someone who doesn't agree with them on policy issues and has voted against them on most issues while in the State House..So take that, DUDE!
It's sorta in keeping with politics. you said: Severson will be indicted by a statewide grand jury on Thursday.
keep us posted.
I have heard Dilly Dally is polling well on the Dem side. So if Joe Long doesn't run an ad agaist him soon, the real Democratic Judges better move very quickly, pool some money together, and tell people Dally isn't a DEM....SOON!!!
If not you have all thrown away tens of thousands of dollars in your respective campaigns for nothing. Wake up !
But we're not talking about the Supreme Court. We're talking about a common pleas judge.
In my experience, the most compassionate judges in NC have been Republicans. Judge Grifo and Giordano have big hearts and really try to help people. So I would not form conclusions about a judicial candidate based on mere political affiliation.
Brennan and Donchez will never have a problem keeping party support. Brennan will always have the cover of TJ Rooney and Donchez Samuelson. Don't you worry your pretty little head about that.
And there is an underhanded reason for them to support Dally: Dally wins, it opens the seat for a special election. Irregardless of Bernie's views, Lamont would make a formitable candidate and presents an opportunity for D's to take another seat in the state house.
Think outside the box people.
Irregardless?
We all have typos, but that's not a word. That's like taking your fingernails and going across a blackboard.
It's regardless.
Sorry, but that's a pet peeve.
Your point is well made. The seat opens up. Not sure that Lamont would be all that formidable, especially since he represents the very kind of machine politics that it is increasingly becoming objectionable to Ds. Another D would probably do better.
The Rs will find someone, too.
Lamont couldn't get elected dog-catcher in Craig's district.
To Anon 9:26
Councilwoman Karen Dolan may or may not crush anybody. The voters will have their say on May 19.
What they should be asking is why she wasn't at the last Council meeting. Skipping the meeting to make calls to raise campaign money and to get people to attend a campaign house party the next night does not show commitment to the city. It shows only commitment to herself.
I'll bet the other incumbents running for re-election (Leeson and Belinski) attended the regular council meeting as they should.
11:09
Hey bippy,
If you knew anything about politics you would know that Dally's district is a Republican district that will never be won by a Democrat. So Brennan's endorsement still makes no damn sense.
Anon 9:26
Belinski always attends council meetings and is still a lousy councilperson. And yes, she will get crushed by Dolan..Thank God..
Anybody working for the county that got the SEIU 668 endorsement in the mail for Belinski please ignore it. Those morons did it blind without asking anyone. They will be reprimanded thoroughly.
Good Afternoon. I just want to remind all of you that Candy Barr Heimbach is the third candidate that was rated "Well Qualified" by the Northampton County Bar Association.
Candy has consistently received the support of her peers even those she has opposed in the courtroom. This is quite an honor and I urge you to support Candy Barr Heimbach for Judge as she has the most trial experience and is ready to serve.
Well Geoffrey,
Candy Barr is a nice lady and she is a good choice. However, she is polling behind Dally, and like the other candidates, she needs to knock him down a peg or two. She needs to have Jack Burke, the respected former Democratic Committee head to speak with Joe Long and Jim Schlener and have them do an ad telling the public that Dally is not a Democrat and he is not the party's choice for this position. If candy and the other candidates help the party to fund an ad it might help take out dally. Otherwise you can start calling him Judge now..
OT
With Severson likely headed for the hoosegow, can an investigation of Morganelli be far behind? What did John know and when did he know it? I want the full treatment and a very public frog march. Lie with dogs ...
Hey bippy,
Rich Grucela, like Joe Brennan,
is in a Statehouse seat that is his for life thanks to redistricting..They really don't have to give a crap whether their constituents agree with their poor choices for judge or not. Years ago
they wouldn't have dared to do this stuff. Now they're all one big
statehouse family and they support their buddies despite their differences in political ideologies. You can be pleased that the County Democratic Party is not half as strong as it used be. If it were, these candidates would be hammered for being so disloyal... Justin Jirolanio where are you now?
To Anon 1:50. Please get your facts straight before posting total untruths. Like all members of council, I have excellent attendance. I missed last Tuesday because I was uncontrollably sneezing and coughing from a cold, and with all the info out there right now about how to stop the spread of viruses and flus, I reluctantly called in sick.
Scarfing down hot tea and chicken soup, I did make phone calls for my campaign.
To Anon 8:48: That's exactly what bothers me. The State Dem Committee should not be endorsing or appearing to endorse any Dem candidate over another in a Primary. This is T.J. Rooney's doing, and I do not agree with the practice, even to protect incumbents. The primaries are for the voters of the party. The State Committee, which is funded in part by our donations, should stay out of OUR local primaries.
The same principle should be applied at the County level. Let the Dem voters choose the candidates.
To answer Anon 8:48. I have no problem with individual endorsements. It especially makes sense to me in the city council race because we are all trying to build a better, well-rounded council. I've been personally endorsing three council candidates whenever I'm asked. In fact, I had all three of their yard signs in my yard along with my own, except someone stole my Eric Evans sign. Eric, if you're reading this: 55 Bridle Path Road. I need a sign, pronto!
Good for them! down with the Long Dems. !VIve le resistence!
A vote for Craig Dally , Republican or Democrat is a vote for honesty, integrity and dedication. He is most qualified in everyway to hold the seat of Northampton County Judge. The Northampton Co Bar Assoc did not choose him because he is not part of the good old boy network. In my opinion that is a very good thing.
I keep reading people reference to polls. Who has conducted a real poll and what are the results of the poll?
During this primary campaign, some of the Northampton County judicial candidates have talked about how they are “tough on crime” and how they want to “protect the community.” While these are noble ideas, there is only one candidate running for Northampton County Judge who has the experience and integrity to protect and serve our community. That candidate is Candy Barr Heimbach.
In this crowded field of eight candidates, Candy has the most trial experience and is simply the best choice for Judge. When it comes to protecting and serving our community, we do not need candidates who simply offer ideas but rather we need a judge who has the experience to effectively and impartially make the difficult choices to keep our community safe.
Please to elect Candy Barr Heimbach Judge of Northampton County because she is prepared to serve and protect our community.
I've never met Candy Barr Heimbach, but have heard nothing but good things about her. She is rated highly by her peers. I don't think she has the most trial experience of all the candidates, but she is one of the county's top lawyers.
It's sad, in a way, that only three can be voted into office. Candy, Craig Dally, Sam Murray, Lenny Zito, Karl Longenbach, Barb Hollenbach & Jim Narlesky would all be great on the bench. To their credit, they've all avoided negative campaigning.
I do think they all spent too much money. Tomorrow, I will trye to get all the finace reorts and load over the weekend.
Dally, Brennan, Donchez and Dolan are all great quality public servants! Polls, endorsements, Party aside and other opinions are fine but these are people worthy of your vote. Party knuckleheads like Joe Long and his ilk need to be put out to pasture. Justin Jirilanio must be rolling in his grave with such (so-called) Party leaders. Average folks will not be misled by the Joe Longs of the world. My opinion is that Joe Long can't deliver two votes for anyone yet some bow to him and I know not why...go figure.
Both Brennan and Donchez have good relations with McClure. But, neither of them did this to open up Dally's seat. That is conspiracy theory and nothing more. They are for Dally because they like Dally.
To all individuals making this a political race - it is not a political race it is a bipartisan race. There are candidates who switched parties but you make no mention of that. This is all about choosing 3 good , qualified individuals with integrity regardless of political affliation.
Whoever said the Dally seat can't go Democratic hasn't watched how the Democrats got the majority back, winning growing suburbs like this district in 2006 and 2008. I'm not sure the best candidate has been decided yet on either side, but I think it's fair to assume a special election would be very, very competitive, given the right candidates run, and Harrisburg backs them.
I'm not voting for Dally personally, but I don't blame Reps Grucela or Brennan for their endorsements, anymore than I blame Rep. Freeman for voicing his opinion on the race, or Senator Boscola. These are public leaders, they have every right to share their opinion with their constituents. That's called guts.
In her twenty plus year career, Candy Barr Heimbach has been in the thick of approximately 100 jury trials. These trials were in front of REAL JUDGES and juries many times lasting weeks, involving multiple witnesses, against top legal talent from all over the state.
She has won over 95% of those trials, not because of her connections, but because of her brilliance, hard work, skill and ability to understand and connect with people on all sides of a matter.
Perhaps the greatest endorsement you will find in this election is not one from a pol from either end of the political spectrum but from the people who have been in the actual arena - the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County.
Overwhelmingly, they support Candy Barr Heimbach.
She clearly would make a great judge and actually coms in #2 on my online poll. We are lucky she is running. Thanks for those stats. I wish they weren't anonymous, but I've heard she's good.
Which of these candidates would be most like my favorite judge of all time -- Judge Roy Bean?
It's not the 'statistics'(which are easily verified) but the 'adjectives' which are paramount in this case.
A number of candidates in this election have claimed 'extensive trial experience' or some such manifestation thereof.
Being a 'Master' in a divorce proceeding or an attorney in a worker's compensation hearing (an administrative process which typically lasts 20-30 minutes) is not the same as being 'lead counsel' in a 'jury' trial.
Adjectives matter, and in my mind, anyone who wants to sit on the bench shouldn't start down that road by taking such liberties with the English language.
I know you are fixated on Long, Dertinger, et.al, but they aren't the problem with these kinds of endorsements. All of the so-called Long Democrats get along very well with Brennan, Grucela and Donchez and will continue you despite their endorsements of Republicans. The problem for these guys is with all the other qualified Democratic candidates running that they didn't endorse like: Hollenbach, Heimbach, Longenbach, Koury, etc. It's those people each with their own constituency and reach that won't forget. Not the so-called Long Democrats.
If these candidates in a nonpartisan judicial election begrudge a Dem for failing to support a Dem, then I have to question whether they would be impartial judges.
Bullshit, judges come into office with a political background and it does not just go away. There is a reason people have political affiliations as Republicans and Democrats. I find the Democrats endorsing a Republican candidate for a Democratic slot appalling.
I don't give a rats behind about Joe Long, this is about why we are in the Party we are in.
I hope every Democrate that endorses a Republican as a Democrat has a challanger in their Democratic primary.
If they make it throught to the general good for them.
Not everyone is a lever puller. That's your real argument and I find it ridiculous. I will judge a candidate on my own and support the best person, regardless of party. I would not penalize elected officials for doing the same thing.
I agree with 12:39, If a political office holder wants to endorse someone of another party in a primary over their party, leave. Change Parties or become an Independent.
That won't happen because these high principled independent thinkers couldn't get elected dog catcher without a major Party tagline. With that comes some obligation.
Just an interesting aside. How often do you see Republicans endorising Democrats. Very rarely. Why. Because they have a rule against it, and they enforce it. So Bernie likes it when Democrats endorse Republicans but you will almost never see a sitting Republican office holder endorse a Democrat.
I'm a Dem endorsing two Dems. City Councilwoman Karen Dolan is the most Democratically principled candidate running for City Council. The challengers, except Mike Recchiuti, are all somewhat unknown to those of us involved on City politics, but Karen comes to committee meetings, has helped out other Dems, and puts the city first. Mike is our committee treasurer and will bring new energy and ideas to council. Vote for Recchiuti and Dolan. Real Democrats.
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