Local Government TV

Friday, July 13, 2007

Bennett's Campaign Finance Report Doesn't Stack Up to Her Boasts

May 2007: Congressional candidate Sam Bennett brags to CQPolitics that she's received $162,000 - in pledges.

July 13, 2007: Bennett's three month report for the period ending June 30 reveals she raked in just $63,000. This is according to a report filed by Josh Drobnyk at The Morning Call. As of 5:00 PM, Bennett's report was not yet listed on the FEC website.

This means roughly $100,000 supposedly promised to Bennett has yet to materialize.

Here's a prediction from the Morning Call forum that makes lots of sense.

Sam Bennett will try and raise more money for Congress and then, at some point in the near future, she will declare that all the mean people who are being critical of her POM scam are causing her to drop out of the Congressional race.

Then, instead of donating the money she has raised (which, by the time she does drop out, will probably be in the neighborhood of $100k) to other honest Democratic candidates, Sam will says she needs to pay it all back to herself to cover past "personal debts and loans" that she made to her Congressional campaign, as well as to her past two failed campaigns for Mayor of Allentown.

Mark my words. She is far from being finished with coming up with schemes to line her own pockets.

34 comments:

  1. Oh yeah. That sounds exactly like something that Bennett would try to do.

    What a crook.

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  2. Do the math,

    A subpar quarter + 4 freshman congressmen to defend (Murphy, Sestak, Carney, Altmire) + 4 other possibly difficult districts (Kanjorski, Murtha, Holden, Schwartz) + an abundance of potentially vulnerable GOP reps (English, T. Murphy, Platts, Gerlach, Dent)= Charlie Dent gets a free pass from the DCCC because Sam Bennett is a waste of a candidate.

    I'm no math major, but the equation balances.

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  3. And, best of all for Sam Bennett, she gets to steal everything she raises for Congress!

    Anybody who gives her as much as a dime for Congress from now on is an absolute fool.

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  4. Dent is scared; Karl Rove and he both know he is one of the most vulnerable Republicans in the House. He will do anything, say anything to win re-election.
    He may be a "nice guy," but his people are nasty politcal hacks.
    He may be a "nice guy," but his votes on the war, on health care, on the environment and almost ever other issue are straight down the line with Bush.

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  5. Anon 12:35,

    If what you say is true, then local Dems have just given Charlie Dent an early Christmans present, Sam Bennett. She's a terrible excuse for a candidate, and anyone who gives her a dime is, as the other anonymous said, "an absolute fool."

    Dent is slightly right of center, but I'll take him over Bennett in a heartbeat.

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  6. I call bullshit. She'll donate if she drops out. She's not that bad. A political idiot, but not a terrible person.

    Anon 12:35. Bennett is a terrible candidate. Terrible, terrible terrible.

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  7. It is truely sad that in this district with the mood of the country away from incumbants, we will lose. A real progressive Democrat has a shot. Hell, last time Dert. just ended up on the ballot and got 45% with people still saying who the hell was Dert.. Dem. leadership wears blinders. They have crowned Bennet, she will get the nomination she will lose. Health care coverage falls off the radar again. I don't know much about Bennet but I am told the party bigwigs love her. And that famous line,'She's so smart". I'll take a dumb Dem. that can win.

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  8. Anon 1:19,

    Oh, you are soooo right. She was preselected by our local Dem leadership. That has to stop.

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  9. Anon 1:05:

    She's not a bad person? Where the hell have you been the past couple of weeks? In a hole?

    Even after her salary is revealed, she's wasting MORE money to hire a bunch of douche bags (aka: a committee) to explain why exactly her salary was so large to begin with!

    Not a bad person? I'll believe that when she starts paying back some of the money, drops her candidacy, and stands on one leg while barking like a dog. (Ok, I can do without the barking...)

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  10. Pay back the money? What are you smokong?

    The last thing in the world Bennett will do is pay back any money.

    In fact,Bernie, you should wacth and see what she does with her Congressional money, after she is "persuaded" to drop out of that race.

    Dollars to donuts she pockets all that money, too.

    She is a manipulative user and con artist of the first degree.

    How come people don't see that?

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  11. Anon 9:42 -

    I would think a majority of the money would be donated, in either Bennett's name or POM's (of course), to whomever precedes her in the race. But remember, that's IF she drops out.

    And people are beginning to see how manipulative of a person she actually is.

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  12. a. j., Why would you think she would donate the rest of her Congressional money to anybody else?

    Look up the reports she filed for her two losing mayor's races. She has "debts" in the form of loans she made to herself.

    That's where the money will go. She ain't giving squat to anybody else.

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  13. YOU BEAT ON SAM MORE THAN YOU BEAT UP ON FLECK. DO YOU DO IT FOR FUN, TO EMBARASS PEOPLE, OR JUST BECAUSE YOUR AN ASSHOLE. LETS POINT OUT SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS SAM HAS DONE FOR THE COMMUNITY. DO YOU EVER HAVE ANYTHING POSITIVE TO SAY ABOUT PEOPLE WHO PUT THEMSELVES OUT THERE AND DO STUFF. WHY DON'T YOU TRY DOING SOMETHING BERNIE INSTEAD OF SNIVELLING LIKE A WHINNY BITCH.

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  14. Of course it doesn't stack up, Bernie. Hell, it hasn't even been filed yet.

    Wonder if and when she will file so we can see who the idiots were who already gave her $63k.

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  15. WOW!! Bernardo may be a whinny bitch but I will stand up for him and say I have never seen him snivel. On the asshole point, I'm undecided but I believe we should put together a committee to look into it.

    So Bernardo, tell us-what are the positive things Sam has done for the community.

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  16. anon. 2:27, or should I say:

    Sam, Sam! Calm down.

    Bernie doesn't control any votes and won't be able to stop you from continuing to scam people out of money and tax dollars.

    And, he doesn't know how wonderful you are because he doesn't live in Allentown and has probably never seen you in operation in person. Boy, he doesn't know what he is missing, does he?

    Not enough people read his blog to put up much of a fuss for you so, ease up and get back on the phones with your fundraising calls.

    Remember, you still have a chance to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars from unsuspecting or gullible political givers who will believe your phony campaign pitch.

    You are going to need the extra money when the pressure gets so much that you have to bow out of the Congressional race. It beats getting a real job, doesn't it?

    So, get to work.

    P.S. We all know how wonderful you are. All we have to do is ask you.

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  17. Anonymous said...
    YOU BEAT ON SAM MORE THAN YOU BEAT UP ON FLECK. DO YOU DO IT FOR FUN, TO EMBARASS PEOPLE, OR JUST BECAUSE YOUR AN ASSHOLE. LETS POINT OUT SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS SAM HAS DONE FOR THE COMMUNITY. DO YOU EVER HAVE ANYTHING POSITIVE TO SAY ABOUT PEOPLE WHO PUT THEMSELVES OUT THERE AND DO STUFF. WHY DON'T YOU TRY DOING SOMETHING BERNIE INSTEAD OF SNIVELLING LIKE A WHINNY BITCH.

    2:27 PM


    This arguement is used whenever someone exercises bad judgement in the public eye.

    Wrong is wrong. Enough with the entitlements. Just because I do some good it doesn't exempt me from the reprecussions my own ignorance, malice, or malfeasance.

    Crime and punishment is simple. In this case she's damaged her image and the image of her "fluffy" non-profit.

    Right now it really doesn't matter what Bennet has done for the good; she needs to live through the reprecussions of her extremely poor, greedy-looking judgement.

    Your neighbor

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  18. DO YOU DO IT FOR FUN, TO EMBARASS PEOPLE, OR JUST BECAUSE YOUR AN ASSHOLE.

    Do I have to pick one? I'd have to say "all of the above."

    LETS POINT OUT SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS SAM HAS DONE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

    OK, below you will find a list of all of Bennett's accomplishments:


    I'm thinking.

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  19. First anyone that thinks platts is vulunerable is smoking something. The 19th congressional district has elected a convicted sex offender mayor in one of the more evenly divided boros and a comptroller who stole from his boro as mayor,just because they were the republican candidates.

    Second,the community in the 15th district is more than the cities, and few heavily congested boros. That is why Republicans hold the 15th distirct and so many of the state house and senate seats in the Lehigh valley. You simply can not win the 15th district without picking up atleast 40% in a good number of the larger twps in the district. But, the party continues to allocate rediculous funds to city candidates that don't need them and nominate candidates like Bennett. Bennett as a candidate will not pick up one more vote out side the city of Allentown and will probally lose some of those Dertinger got.

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  20. GreenDog:
    How do explain how a Democratic Nominee for president has won the 15th for the past 4 presidential elections?
    It is very possible to win the 15th without winning in the suburbs, if voter turn out is high in the cities.
    In 2004, the Dems lost the opportunity to gain the 15th seat by running a carpet bagger with money.

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  21. yeah, and now they are going to run a scam artist with no money except the tax dollars she can weasel out of the Governor.

    It is a disgrace.

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  22. kerry won alburtis, every district in emmaus, fountain hill, 2 districts in slatington, hanover twp , 3 salisbury twp districts, 6 district in south whitehall twp, and 10 of the districts in Whitehall twp. and catty, coplay. The major cities in lehigh county only made up 25% of the votes Kerry got in Lehigh county I'm assuming the Kerry won most of the suburbs in Northampton county too.

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  23. you can't as a democrat in 15th district unless you pull a good chunk of the s.whitehall, Salisbury, Whitehall twp as well as the immidate suburbs around bethlehem and easton.

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  24. Green Dog,

    Platts beat an underfunded candidate with a reasonably low percentage. Platts also did not have to face a "coordinated," as Rendell and Casey did far less in his district than a Presidential nominee will. You will beat on coordinated campaigns now in one of your rants, but you are wrong. We haven't lost a top of the ticket statewide since 1998. They are doing something right.

    Now, as for the point about the suburban voters, you're right, but only to a limited point. The overwhelming bulk of the Democratic votes in the Lehigh Valley are in the cities. That's just a fact. However, you are right because the truth is, until a Democrat can figure out a way to carry Palmer Twp., Forks Twp., Lower Nazareth Twp., Bethlehem Twp., Whitehall, South Whitehall, Emmaus, Salisbury, and Williams Township, they will not hit that magical 50.1%. That is also, just a fact. To those who bring up John Kerry, I must point out to you all that he won in 2004 by 750 or so votes in the 15th district, despite better margins in both counties than that, because of the parts of Montgomery and Berks that vote in the 15th. It's not an easy seat for Dems to win.

    Bottom line is, with Sam Bennett as the candidate, we are the fifth of five most likely challenger seats to get targeted. She needs to drop out. She should also just give up all of her ambitions of ever being elected, being county chair, or even being a public figure in the area. At what point does the term "loser" stick in one's mind?

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  25. I know the 19th congressional district. Avillo was better funded than any democratic candidate has been in 15 years and he still got steamrolled. I know how Democratic presidental campaigns operate in the 19th congressional district. They focus on the city of York,gettysburg,carlie and Mechanicburg and district 1 and 3 and 4 in spring garden twp, York twp 3-1,4-1 and 2, 1-1 and 1-2 West Manchester 1 North York boro, conewago twp, Littlestown,maybe oxford, colonial park, Hanover boro, and maybe the parts of manchester twp that are right next to the city line. Otherwise the committee people are on there own not enough of a foucus to do anything for a congressional candidate. In fact avillo had more money than Dertinger. It's hard if not impossible for a non incumbent democrat to win in the major part of the district York county. Unless they are unchallenged, if the county wasn't a first class county it would have 3 republican commissioners, and York county makes up close to 70 to 80% of the 19th congressional district.

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  26. actually avillo is the Democrat that has the lowest number of votes of any democratic congressional candidate in 2006 in pa. I think your mixing up Pa 19 with Pa 9 i.e. Tony Barr vs. Shuster. The 9th district might be a place to focus on the 19th is simply a waste of time.

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  27. Yes they have philadelphia and Pittsburgh to put a thumb on the scale. As to most of the democratic votes being in cities in the valley. I have to disagree. The most condensed numbers of Democratic voters live in the city but not the most. The most democatic voters live in the twps around the cities and boros.

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  28. Green Dog,

    I'm sorry to tell you, as someone who has worked with the voter rolls before, the majority of Northampton County Dems live in Bethlehem City and Easton. There are a ton in the suburbs, but not as many, because Bethlehem is overwhelmingly Democratic, and brings in a ton of numbers. In Lehigh County, you are correct by the numbers, but the Dems in the suburbs are mostly "Reagan Dems" who have a tendency to not vote Blue across the board. Registration is a bad indicator sometimes (especially Lehigh), you have to look at the #'s they post up usually.

    As for the 19th, you are correct. I meant to bring up the 16th, where Herr has held Pitts in the mid-50's the last two times and some Dems feel we should take a shot next time. The 19th isn't in play, and the coordinated handles it exactly the way they should.

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  29. I don't Pitts was held in the mid 50's because it was lois herr and that's the only reason. I honestly think you have a better shot at the 9th. If Barr has been able to pull poltis's numbers from 2004 in Franklin county he would have beaten Shuster. Barr actually won several I think it was 4 counties in 2006.

    As to the not voting straight across I'm one of them. There are certain people I won't vote for and Bennett is one of them.

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  30. Green Dog,

    I don't doubt there is a way to put the 9th in play, just not in 2008. I also don't think Herr was that awful strong.

    I agree about Bennett, and I usually do vote straight ticket. She's just that awful.

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  31. it depends who the presidental candidates is. There is a way to win in 2008 in the 9th distict. In fact we have a better chance of beating shuster than we do beating pitts. The only way to win in the 16th distict is to get 40% in lancaster county or have a much stronger conserative 3rd party candidate that draws off votes. Like the reform party candidate in the 19th in 1992 when a reform party candidate almost flipped the district to the democrats.

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  32. Without my glasses, I thought your headline read: Bennett's Campaign Finance Report Doesn't Stack up to Her BREASTS!"

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  33. Anon 5:51, i was getting ready to call you a sexist and remind you what happened to Bernie K, and then I looked at the headline w/o my glasses. You're right. I probably should have used a different word.

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  34. He's back, he's back. BTNP is back!

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