Easton's center city circle is where the third reading of the Declaration of Indpendence occurred on July 8, 1776. In our nation's founding document, we make clear that our leaders derive "their just powers from the consent of the governed." Be they English monarchs or party bosses, the few don't decide for the many.Instead of making decisions in some dark and dank smoke-filled bar like Northampton County Dems did last Spring, Bill Hall will announce his congressional candidacy at the same place where the Declaration of Independence was read - Easton's centre circle. He'll be there on Friday at noon, and the public is welcome. No one has to ask party boss Joe Long for permission. Even bloggers are allowed.
He explained why he's running to Capital Cahir.
Right now, I believe, that the people who run local politics, or federal politics, they don't really represent the people. They go ahead and they pick the candidates they want and they take those candidates and they promote them. They funnel money to them. They get them publicity. And then they endorse them. And I don't think that's right. I think it should be up to the people.
27 comments:
I might come down and check it out. I don't work until 4 on Friday, so I'll see how things flow.
Is Bill Hall runing against Joe Long, or is he running with Charley Dent based on his comments in the paper? Hall is a three time loser who is being supported by an disbarred attorney who can't keep his clothes on in the county government center. And is A.J. Cordi a credible volunteer for Hall or is he a pimple faced kid that doesn't know when to come in out of the rain? Is AJ old enough to vote, and is he a D, R or other? Sounds like Hall has his staff all ready to go. Good luck.
Joe, there's a gaping hole in your anonymous suit.
Personal attacks are childish and meaningless. Your days as a party chair are seriously numbered.
Scoop! Scoop!
Hall said he has three volunteers ready to help his campaign with communication and gathering petitions, but he has yet to come up with a fundraising plan. Among his volunteers, he said, is Nazareth blogger Bernie O'Hare, who first reported Hall's candidacy Monday on Lehigh Valley Ramblings
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b7_5hall.6081085oct09,0,4196516.story
Bernie, Couldn't you have told us personally? Reading this in the MSM after all we have been through together- How can we look at your blog again without thinking of the time you abandoned journblogalism for politics? Will you ever be the same?
Will politics?
Wow! The big babies come out swinging! Seems like The Democratic Machine machine
is out for the count.
Na Na Na Na Nanna Nanna Na Na, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah say goodbuy
to Joe Long and the Same Bennett
Machine. Na Na Na Na Nanna Nanna Na Na, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Good By!
I did tell Hall I'd support any effort he could make to get his name on the ballot. I certainly think he's a better candidate than Bennett. He told me about his candidacy on Friday, and I told you on Monday. I'd support efforts by other folks to get on the ballot, too. It's good for democracy. It's all about choice.
Yeah, Hall has a staff of 3 actual humans, not those animatronic DC Staff wannabees!
Whatcha gonna do, Joe Kim Long, fire up the Political Party Hummer and drive around the circle in Easton looking for some of the "great unwashed" to run over?
You are against Charlie Dent and his buddies in big oil, so you drive your xtrawide Avalanche, Hummers, and Durangos down to protest. LOL! Talk about elitists!
Let the little people ride the bus, or at least get run over by it! Is Lanta a union shop?
Better watch out for them Lanta buses on Friday, Mr. Hall, Joe Kim Long has one with your name on the bumpers!
I am just lovin this. There is a God!
Power to the People!!!
Anon 9:02 -
I don't represent anyone except myself, and I'm not very good at that as it is.
I'm just some pimple-faced kid who doesn't know when to get out of the rain. I'm so young that I still have to ask permission to cross the street!
I am one for competition and feel Sam Bennett may not be the best choice.
However, the more I hear about Hall and his ideas, the more I am not impressed.
He is for anti-abortion rights and in favor of staying in Iraq. He has run for as many (maybe more)offices as Bennett and lost all of them.
Why should I vote for him? What does he bring to the table that Dent and Bennett don't. So far he is a little bit Dent and little bit Bennett. And in my opinion the worse of each.
BethDem, I understand, respect and pretty much agree with what you're saying. I, too, am pro choice. I also completely disagree w/ hall's stance on immigration, as I read it. I still will work to get his name on the ballot as a Dem nominee. His candidacy gives people a choice. It allows the people to decide instead of party bosses. It even enables Bennett to be a better candidate.
Mad as bats, are you an old friend (Warren) of mine from Orefield?
In 2006 people were right to blast the party leaders for their failure to assure that a D was on the primary ballot for the right to challenge Dent.
In 2007 the leaders promote a candidate, Sam Bennett, for the 2008 election. Again they are vilified. Whether she is the best person for the job wasn't their decision, as is noted here often. The voters will still decide.
Had they waited around for a candidate to bubble up and run would they have escaped criticism if we were still waiting on primary day?
All they have sought to do is clear the field of those candidates whose names are mentioned in the press as potentials but who are not interested in the job. Why? So that those "candidates" who like to see their names in print can get out of the way of the candidates who actually intend to run. Politicians who flirt with the idea of running freeze the wallets of their supporters when those supporters might otherwise contribute to the new candidate once their favorite opts out.
Whether Bill Hall is a good candidate can be determined by the process-
He doesn't appear too stong on Democratic issues though. If the leaders were touting him as their candidate wouldn't you complain on those grounds?
Hall wants to protect innocent life and continue killing Islamic fascists? Sorry, Bill. Harry Truman's party is dead and so are your primary chances.
Dent is pro-abortion and more anti-war than presumed candidate Hillary.
Dent's more of democrat than you are.
Two more years. Bet the house.
Anon 3:20, what you are overlooking here is that the party leaders made 0 (ZERO) effort to recruit and or find a candidate. They mwet in Feb, Sam said she wanted it, and they said "DUH, OKAY!" No effort was made to even plant a crop of future candidates. There is no farm system. Their idea of a farm system is to ask around all the present officeholders in order of seniority, until they figure out whose turn it is. That is ridiculous. It discourages the dark horse from giving it a shot.
They should have their committeepeople
Anon 4:26
Bennett was not the first choice. I have heard of 2 or 3 others being asked. John Callahan has acknowledged that he was asked.
Bennett was supported by default, no one else stood up.
I think the party (DNC, DCCC, PA Dem) was so pissed after last November, since they blow their chance to knock off Dent, that they wanted a candidate identified early.
Unfortunately, the first couple of choices either declined (or as one of them said, they were not ready to decide that early) and we were stuck with Sam Bennett as the choice.
Anon 3:05, I am from New Tripoli, and I have few friends. I am a diagnised anti-social piece of vermin. Just ask my ex-wife!
Bernie! was that your camper that was torched in the 100 block of main st in Nazareth today?
I have a GP medium tent with an arctic liner and a wood stove you can use!
where is this show at,the state theater. you guys could win the freddy. but isnt this a soap opera . bernie are you playing the syncophant in this one .whos the director? mel brooks
Come on guys! This election the issues don't matter. They are going to pull that Democratic
button all the way through and
Bill Hall with it!
It's all about the Branding!
and Republicans are remembered as
Cheny / Bush / Dent
murder / murder / murder
war crimes / war crimes / war crimes
Anon 3:20,
I appreciate your comment. You are right. Party leaders were vilified in 2006 and it's happening again. Here's why. Party leaders did not just recruit Sam Bennett. They actually endorsed her, too. That is going too far. I'm have no problem with Long coming out in January and saying all kinds of nice things about Bennett. I do have a problem when he discourages others from running. And that's what he does ... repeatedly.
As far as Hall's stand on the issues, it is a party leader's job to get candidates interested in running. Let the elections sort out which philosophy best represents Democratic ideals. I don't believe party leaders have a role more significant than encouraging Democrats who seek office. When they start thinking they're puppet masters, we have a problem.
Maddy, No. Someboday thought that camper was my jeep. They'll have to try again.
Anon 6:03, Nah, it's Billy Givens. I just remembered that whenever I "volunteer" for someone, it's usually the kiss of death.
Bernie, 7:09
Rick D of LC was there with Joe Long on Ch 69 when Sam made her first announcement. The Montgomery and Bucks chairs were also in support although not in person.
As far as discouraging people from running-who was so easily dissuaded from exercising their rights?
I don't know if you were reading this blog back at that time. But if you were, you'd see that Lisa Boscola was not exactly thrilled, as evidenced by remarks from her chief of staff on this blog.
If Bennett wanted to run, fine. But getting party leaders to endorse here almost two years before an election is a preemptive move designed to discourage other Dems.
I followed the Bernie K's "remarks" story closely and don't recall any animosity towards the decision of the D chairs; mostly moonshine misogyny after midnight.
Everything I heard was that she didn't really want to run. Wasn't the way clear for her to run in 04 or 06 if she wanted it? I can imagine the chairs being frustrated with all of our higher ranking elected Ds who opted out back then. Did the possibility that they might run (or be expected to run) have dampened the interest of others who might have thought: "It's not my turn, Lisa will run or Jen will run or John(s) or Don..."
Further whatever campaign money she has is restricted to state races.
By the way are you planning a story on LC's decision to release the POM funds?
Anon 10:34,
Bernie K took more than a few shots at Joe Long on this blog, and Boscola was definitely contemplating a run when Long was parading Bennett everywhere. There was quite a bit of animosity.
Long even complained about it to the MC when the Bernie K story broke.
As far as doing a story on LC's release of POM money, the MC broke that story this morning. I have nothing to add to what appears in black and white. And what appears tells me that it is not an outright release, that none of the money can be used for Bennett's salary and that LC will maintain some oversight to ensure its wishes are followed. If you're a Bennett fan, you don't want me to write about it.
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