Lehigh Valley's Cure for Insomnia: League of Women Voters

Have trouble sleeping late at night?

Then you need to attend a debate sponsored by the Lehigh Valley League of Women Voters. Although past experience tells me these candidates' nights are total disasters, I made the mistake of going anyway. As is usual here on the east end of Route 33, political mischief is afoot in two county council races. Republicans enraged over campaign chicanery have even scheduled a courthouse news conference at 1 PM tomorrow. Things are hot. I expected to see some Branco bustin' and Maher mashing.

I bumped into Bill White on my way to last night's forum. We both walked into the wrong church. You see, Nazareth actually has two St. John's churches, and both are located at different corners of Broad and Prospect Streets. It's very confusing. Bill, slightly ahead of me, disappeared behind some side door. I heard a lot of shrieking, and Bill stumbled out about three seconds later with a beet-red face. I can't be sure, but think he interrupted a lamaze class.

Once we got to the right place, I noticed quite a few politicos. Bossman Long shadowed me, making a point of sitting right behind me in both debates, even when we had to move to different rooms. Allentown Democratic committeeman George Speros Maniatty, Jr, also insisted on sitting right next to me.

Must be true love. I asked George for a date, but he's a little bashful.

Bossman and George had no reason to worry about what questions I might pose. I couldn't pose any. True to form, last night's LWV debate was absolutely horrible, thanks to a lousy format and officious moderators who are obviously Tempo cast rejects.

Donna Reemsnyder, moderator of the first debate between Tony Branco and Peg Ferraro, was so important she was wearing not one, but two, name tags. She even had a black whistle around her neck. When she spoke, I thought she was giving us acting lessons. But very few of her questions had anything to do with county government. What the hell can a county council about widening Route 22 or regulating traffic on state and township roads? After she had droned on for about forty minutes, she blew her whistle and woke us up. We were then given an opportunity to submit questions, in writing, on little index cards. My question, which asked Branco about his lousy attendance record, was bounced. Too negative. But Reemslider continued to ask a few mindless questions of her own. Several people committed suicide.

Finally, in her very last question, Reemsnyder asked about negative campaigning coming from the Branco camp. Tony, of course, opposes negative campaigning. "I have not authorized or paid for any kind of negative campaign." But he hasn't tried to stop it, either.

After the first debate was over, we were separated into groups for different council races. I woke up Bossman Long and George, and most of us went into the next room to listen to Lamont McClure, Mark Schwartz and John Maher. Ron Angle was stuck at a meeting in Upper Mount Bethel Township, and that gave Maher an opportunity to take a few free shots.

The second moderator was slightly better than the first, but candidates can't question each other and the audience can pose no questions directly. And she just repeated the same, basically irrelevant, questions used in the first debate.

Maher insists, in response to the question about negative mailers and robo calls, "I am running a very positive campaign. Someone else in the district has taken up the banner. It's not part of my campaign." But Maher also unloaded on an absent Angle with this: "He's like a child if he doesn't get his way. He stands up and stamps his feet." I'm pretty sure that's not running a positive campaign.

Unfortunately, most of the audience was asleep when he made that remark.

There is one thing worse than anonymous robo calls or a negative smear campaign. It's a League of Women Voters Debate.

The Morning Call's Joe Nixon was somehow able to stay awake during last night's debate and has a well-written and objective account.