As to the politics of Lisa Boscola, a quick look at her positions shows us that she is identified as “mixed” in her support for choice on the abortion issue. She supports cuts to the capital gains tax. She supports the death penalty. She has not spoken out on the war and occupation of Iraq, but if one reads the comments of her chief aide on the blog of O’Hare, you find that Kieklak supports a nuclear war against the Islamic world, starting with Iraq, after a withdrawal of US troops. The bottom line is that it appears that Boscola is to the right of Charlie Dent on the political spectrum. In other words, she is a perfect Democratic candidate for this 15th Congressional District. From Tad Walters to Paul McHale to Charlie Dent, this district loves a rightwinger.Like it or not, moderate Charlie Dent is probably the most liberal member of Congress ever elected in the Lehigh Valley.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
What the Far Left Thinks About Boscola
For the most part, LV Independent Press is just another in a long series of disappointments from our local peace community - LEPOCO. But today, I was pleasantly surprised to see an article, not about Columbia or El Salvador, but Lisa Boscola.
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19 comments:
LEPOCO is right about the evils of elective war.
Its Left-of-NPR stance on humanism is rather unbecoming, though.
Thanks for waking up LEPOCO, you just now realized that Boscola is a conservative. Where have you been?
It's a bit early to be crowning Dent the bestest Congressman ever, isn't it?
I'll wait a couple years before I agree with this assessment (or LEPOCO's hyperbole). Washington does funny things to people.
Anon 9:44, I didn't say he's the best member of Congress we've ever elected. That distinction, in my opinion, belongs to Fred Rooney. Maybe Dent will be better. Maybe not, it's too early to say.
My point is that, even though he is an R, he is the most liberal member we've ever elected. That's not saying much, but there it is.
Lisa is part of a long line of moderate (called blue dogs these days)Democrats who have succeeded winning elections. However, she is the first pro-choice Democrat ever elected to represent the 135th and it was her opponents both in 94 and 98 endorsed by PA for Human Life. Lepocco has everything right, except she will oppose continuing the policy that "liberal" Dent continues to lapdog--troop surge, no deadlines, etc. Furthermore, it is interesting Dent is liberal why? cause he is pro-choice, moderate on glbt issues and stem cells? Lisa is all that too. However, on working family issues Charlie is the godchild of Don Ritter. So, cut the crap about his progressive sensibilities. Walters,Rooney, McHale and one could hope Boscola all sided with labor, working people and traditional Democratic priorites--Dent even opposed minimum wage hikes in PA House and Senate. Give me a break...let Lisa be Lisa and our first woman Congresswoman.
Anon 1:36
The blue dogs are our conservative Dems. They are unabashed fiscal conservatives. The are pro business, too. They supported the Bankruptfcy Reform Act, helping out the banks and screwing the working families. They usually vote to deprive women of the rights to do what they see fit with their own bodies, and see nothiong wrong with arming us all with Uzis. The only thing Democratic about them is they will support unions.
You claim Boscola will oppose our continued involvement in Iraq, but she's made no statements on the subject. She's avoided doing so because once she takes a position, it might cost her votes. It's all about votes for her. Not doing the right thing.
Take a look at what her COS said. Drop nukes and let Allah sort them out. This is a Democratic position? This is a liberal position? I don't think so. She's kept the guy who made those statements, too.
Boscola's congressional hopes are in the ashes, dude. Get used to it. She doesn't have a prayer, and she knows it. She won't run.
Except for voting with the unions, Dent probably rates as far more liberal than any of his predecessors. Tad Walters was the chair of the House un-American Activities Commission, railing about the red menace. Fred Rooney was known to call the Bethlehem Steel for advice on what to do. Ritter was actually more conservative than Walters, and Paul McHale is actually a member of the Bush defense department. Toomey, despited his mild manners, is the darkest conservative of them all. He'sa free-trade anti-choice R who wants to replace social security with personal savings accounts. He tried to unseat the more moderate Specter, and I switched to Republican to keep Specter where he was. (I have since switched back to Dem).
So I think it's safe to say that Dentm for all of his flaws, is probably more in tune with the left than any of his predecessors. I never called him a liberal. He most definitely is a conservative. I just think his view are more moderate than those of his predecessors. They're also more moderate than Boscola's. That's a claim Kieklak made himself on this blog.
Lisa did get 72% of the vote. It will never happen again.
1) I read she got 71%. She will get 72 or more again. Voters do not vote for or against a person based on staff. Lisa's seat is as safe until she decides she no longer wishes to retain it. The numbers are too good for her.
2).Blue dogs, in which she would find simpatico, include many prominent pro-choicers like Jane Harman and Rep. Tauscher. Nearly all the non-southern Dems in their caucus are prochoice. My point is --Charlie's only liberal leanings are on choice, some gay issues, and stem cells.
3)You might be right about Toomey. Don actually lost his election when John Sunnunu as chief of staff cajoled him to voting against his career anti tax position thus ensuring hypocrisy. All the Dems had some conservative bonafides--dems are conservative in the Lehigh Valley--Tad walters was McCarren-Walters prohibiting commies from coming to the US; Fred always supported the Catholic Conference position on abortion and the leadership on Vietnam; Paul well he triangulated before even Clinton--which ensured he was able to campaign in 1992 saying "he never voted to raise taxes, Don did." He voted no on Nafta but yes on GATT and WTO and trade with China--another black mark on him. These Democrats win because of local issues, labor (usually) and siding by and large withorkers. Lisa is from that dna and we will win if she runs.
4) Why should she take a stand on Iraq until she has to vote? She is smart and will understand this war is a disaster. Regardless of Bernie's rantings, she follows her gut and knows where the district would be (hell 67% of US is against it).
5)Charlie as a moderate maybe accurate but it is part of his shtick; however, on bread and butter working folks issues--he is toomey esque. He would be for privatization of SSI if he thought he could get re-elected and support it.
6)Finally, I say it again--_Run Lisa, Run...make history and continue the moderate/conservative Harry Truman tradition of the 15th.
I appreciate your noble effort at damage control. The sad reality is that any hope Boscola had for Congress, has faded.
Voters will tie this to her because of the way she handled it. She looked like an enabler and demonstrated an arrogant disdain for voters.
She certainly failed to endear herself w/ Lehigh Vallet Mall workers with this little slap about Bernie K's situation. "If he were selling shoes at Macy's, this wouldn't be front page news."
One of those Macy employees penned a LTE. "I am one of the 250 local, taxpaying citizens who are proud to work at the Macy's at Lehigh Valley Mall. To belittle our jobs with such a comparison is an insult. The senator would do well to choose her words more carefully than she does her staffers."
Oopsie!
Her arrogance and disconnect have really turned off her voters. One of them, River, mentioned calling her office every day for seven days. He never heard a word. I am another constituent. I did not call but emailed her. Twice. I've heard nothing. She went into seclusion soon after this incident. On the day she announced she was keeping him, it was through a statement. She answered no questions.
Standing by her friend? She couldn't even stand by her brother! She didn't come tyo his defense until after he had been viciously slammed in a mailer sent by her own political consultant.
The only ones who would still want Lisa to run would be Charlie Dent and Tom Severson. The former knows he'd crush her and the latter is looking at a lot of dough from Boscola.
And in one fell swoop, Bernie K has managed to make Lisa's prior indiscretions an issue. Before this, Lisa got a lot of sympathy from folks who gave her credit for dealing w/ a problem. Now, all thosed questions have surfaced again, and there's not much sympathy this time.
She's really damaged herself, not by what Bernie said, but by how she handled it.
It was horrible leadership, and I hope someone takes her on. She's lost my support because she's no longer the Lisa who first ran for the state senate.
1) It is not damage control: she has done sufficient damage to herself. However, you are wrong: voters choose between names on the ballot. If this is the defining issue in a primary challenge or 08 race the opponent(s) will look absurd. This issue will be scene as a negative smear like the attacks on Pat Browne. Face it people want to know about real issues not staff histrionics no matter how awful, stupid, mysogynistic and pathetic they are...
2)I know the Macy's perturbed person and he sold his home to Sam Bennet so while Lisa's words were absurdly insensitive, I do not think it is prima facie evidence of a tide against her, rather a smart move by a possible opponent's backers.
3)And yes this revisits past bad behavior, but will voters care more about this misanthropic staffer or half a trillion spent in Iraq; thousands of soldiers dead and tens of thousands missing body parts; or about health care access and cost, medicare and prescription drugs, college affordability; energy independence; immigration; sinking wages etc...? She may not run because she is too reactive to the media, but she has the Senate seat for Jeanette Reibman-esque tenure. And I dont think Dent wants to run against her. Severson is irrelevant and stupid. As a loyalist who does not abandon friends in time of need: Run, Lisa Run....
Anon 9:05,
King George had loyalists, too.
I respect your loyalty to someone you think is your friend.
I think voters will care very much about how she handled this mess. And as a person with a conscience, I'll never support anyone who keeps a chief of staff who actually advises a first nuclear strike and with the sole intention of wiping out an entire people.
This situation has actually lost her the sympathy she used to have as a reformed drinker. Now, everyone is pointing to her past. Expect to see it in her next state senate race, because she's not running for congress.
And when she runs again, expect to see Bernie's remarks mailed to every voter, along w/ Lisa's remarks about Macy shoe salesmen. Expect to hear about it on the radio, and to see scenes of sexism on your TV.
And I won't call it negative campaigning. I'll call it what it is - the truth.
Loyalty is a virtue, too often discarded in contemporary times. The revolutionaries were loyal to their ideas, family and property.... I digress.
I cant' wait to see such mud slung as Lisa will make Pat Browne's defense look minor. Her opponents will attack personally--"her judgement" And she will remind voters --she delivered more returned tax dollars to Bethlehem than anyone in history; she forced a special session on property tax reform; she never voted for a tax hike; and she sides with working people on jobs, health care, access to child care and access to a college education. Maybe, you are right 72% wont be in the bag, but a majority will reject personal attacks and stick with Lisa.
Furthermore, Run Lisa, Run for Congress--do not be intimidated. And for goodness sake, return to ideas and issues, not Bernie K's crap flack.
I admire your loyalty.
Run , Lisa, Run
Will she run with her legs in the air and skirt around her head or just with a bottle of vodka. Labor never really forgot the welfare reform vote given to Gov. Ridge. He repaid her with a couple check presentations.
The $$$$ from the State! Thank 'love him or hate him Reibman' and his huge investment in economic development for the $$$. Rendell said so himself. She will easily win a primary and probably keep her Senate seat. But you are really dreaming if you think she can beat Dent.
What were all those things she did for Seniors again? Millan will be like a kid in a candy store.
Agreed: Run Lisa Run. Ur senate seat is safe. Dont be intimidated by the media nor the blogesphere.
1) Lisa was on the voters' side on welfare and building trades, afscme, psea etc continue to back her. Dent is for vouchers.
2)Agreed with Reibman and economic development, but Lisa will benefit.
3)Seniors over 60 got 90-10 forher if they r Dems. 90-10 if they are R will go for Dent
4)Blogmaster just ensured R defection will be high as he alleges Lisa is more conservative than Charlie Dent--great mail piece for Republicans for Lisa.
5)Seniors--special session on property tax reform; PACE; WAMS for senior programs; vs a Republican part of the medicare cutting and privatizing SSI.
Keep ur skirt and legs down, skip the vodka and Run Lisa Run
Anon 12:36,
I want some of what you're smokin'. Lisa had better start worrying about retaining her state senate seat. Her congressional hopes, if they ever existed at all, died with the way she handled Kieklak. And it was he, not she, who was heralding her possible entry.
God, I hope they spell my blog name right.
I don't smoke. I am just loyal.
If Severson does the mail (God forbid) he will purposefully misspell ur sight but he will get the Lehigh Valley part right since it sounds official.
Lisa has thought about Congress since 1999. She need not the counsel of Bernie to decide if she is up for it..hoping she is: Run Lisa Run
I'll say it again. I do admire your loyalty. Nothing wrong with that.
Seig Heil is something i would expect from B. Kliekak...
Guess when Lisa wins u will deduce the electorate are nazis? She will win re-election to the Senate with ease--the district is gerrymandered to ensure it and she will have all the money she needs in a primary.
Hope you are reading Lisa: Run for Congress. It can and will happen...no one needs to smoke nor drink to see she beats Bennett and defeats Dent.
Nazi's no;Confused yes.
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