Bossman Long has spoken!In a letter published by the Morning Call today, the Chair of Northampton County's Democratic Committee and Northeast Pennsylvania Caucus takes the editorial board to task for daring to point out dirty electioneering, from his party, directed at His Eminence, Ron Angle.
"This borders on libel and slander," he huffs. "[T]o my knowledge, the Northampton County Democratic Party has not made any so-called negative robocalls."
The Bossman probably penned that little epitstle without knowledge that his protege, John Maher, is now running scared. Yesterday, Maher amended his campaign finance report, and it shows a $4,888.35 in-kind contribution from the local Democratic party for the anonymous, and negative, robo call campaign against Angle.
Instead of bullying the Morning Call, Bossman Long needs to correct the fraudulent campaign finance report his party filed last week. You can check it yourself here. This report shows $1,125 in contributions, all of them under $50, and no expenditures. And that's a sham. Maher's amended campaign finance report, by itself, demonstrates that.
In addition to that in-kind contribution, Maher's finance report, which you can see here, also reveals a $250 contribution to the local Democratic party on October 10. This was sent to 2117 Montgomery Street, which just happens to be Bossman Long's home address. Yet that contribution appears nowhere in the party's report.
Oopsie!
PSEA's finance reports reveal two contributions to Northampton County Dems, totalling $500, made September 11. Those contributions are also missing from the local Dems' filed finance report.
Oopsie!
Branco's finance report reveals a $1,000 expenditure to the local Dems on July 11 for palm cards. Guess what? You got it. That appears nowhere on the local party's filed reports.
By now, it is clear to most of us that a concerted effort is being made to keep the smear campaign against Angle and Ferraro under the radar and off the books. But it's not working. The local party needs to amend its finance report to reflect accurately all the money coming in and going out. Time to fess up.
26 comments:
Does Bossman Long even understand libel and slander? To his knowledge, pigs can fly, bloggers all go to hell, and north is actually south.
I don't take anything Bossman Long says seriously. Instead, I wait for the public rebuttal that always seems to come after he mails some lame letter to a newspaper or makes a crazy statement.
Just because he's a clueless idiot doesn't classify something as libel, or slander, lol.
The Northampton Democratic Committee has a picnic in September at the Tri-Boro Sportsman Club. Where is that expense listed?
Under PICNIC maybe?
The point was that it is not listed.
That's a good point. There should be some explanation.
where the hell are you looking? Get your head out of your ass.
Why would he explain anything when it's easier for him to write letters to the newspapers?
Remember, we - the bloggers - are the ones who are always wrong.
Record keeping isn't Emperor Long's strong suit. I don't see ant expenses for all the donuts!
A major supporter of Ron Angle quoting Paul Wellstone.
I understand that you have the right to say what you want about who you want.
But if any of the politicos out of favor with you had a history with half of the shenanigans of Angle they would see a reference to such indiscretions attached to every story about them.
Yet Ron Angle does not get that treatment. You might assume that Angle is just a regular good government kind of guy. If Barney Fife and Ralph Kramden can be hauled out to make a point surely The Dukes of Hazzard or some other car chase photo-reference ought to be brought out when a story about Ron comes out. Broderick Crawford in All the King's Men would also work.
Or and this would be my preference:
Avoid the cheap demagogic tricks altogether.
I say this out of a belief that there is a strain of objectivity in your blood. But I could be wrong.
Jim,
There is no strain of objectivity in my blood. You are wrong.
I freely admit my bias. I do try to be fair, but some may not agree with that self-assessment.
Wellstone is one of my favorites, an iconoclast who in many ways is just like Angle. Wellstone used to say he belonged to the Democratis wing of the Democratic party.
In the quote for today's one-liner, he says a lot in that simple sentence. Politics should not be power trips or big money games, but should be directed at improving people's lives.
And I suppose that's why I like Angle, especially on the county level. Over the past year, I've watched a crew of democrats who are obsessed with power. Right now, their party machine is embroiled both in a power trip and money game.
Even the American Heroes Grant had to be politicized instead of improved. It's sad.
I understand you don't like Ron. He's a divisive guy. But his politics is directed at improving people's lives. I can't say the same for most of the Dems on council.
And yes, I torment Ron and have posted goofy pictures next to him, too. I once posted his pic next to John Wayne Gacy. I'm twisted.
Why should Northampton County Democrats be concerned about legal oversight of their phony campaign finance forms?
They run the entire show in this fiefdom. The opposition party is quite simply pathetic.
The county's chief law enforcement officer, John Morganelli, is a partisan Democrat who associates himself with the filthiest political operator in the state. Morganelli's running unopposed and needs his slimy friends in the local party to help him get off the mat statewide after being rejected repeatedly by statewide democrats. Morganelli has never properly explained the dirty crap he pulled on Casey.
The entire party has carte blanch to break whatever campaign laws it chooses, as long as Morganelli chooses to look the other way. The bluer the county becomes, the more Tammany Hall-like it becomes.
Anonymous hit calls on a respected widow who's run nothing but a dignified, positive campaign; denials in the face of mounting evidence on this blog; false campaign finance reports .... I need a shower.
A multi-millionaire R in favor of low taxes because he cares about the little guy? It's just a coincidence that lower taxes, which often results in less service for the little guy, is such a benefit for the rich guy who doesn't need those services anyway.
I am stunned that you believe Wellstone and Angle are similar. One of the most progressive Senators in the last 50 years and Ron Angle?
Let's put the politics of both men aside as you can't be talking about that. Isn't it fair to say that Ron Angle is or has been obstructionist, divisive and intimidating?
Anon 6:14
As a Democrat, I think it's unfair to categorize the sleaze compaign with such a broad brush, when just a few bad apples (albeit those in charge) create an atmosphere, that other Democrats like myself abhore.
I have repeated denounced tactics such as what we seen. There is one weapon against this, however. It's called the power of the ballot.
all I can say is I asked john maher directly about the mailers and robocalls at mondays so called debate in nazareth and he told me he knew nothing about who was doing them or paying for them. it is too bad that you have to give up your life built integrity just to try and win an election
Boss Man Long denies it, doesn't that put the issue to rest?
*insert laughter here.*
Jim,
I am stunned that you believe Wellstone and Angle are similar. One of the most progressive Senators in the last 50 years and Ron Angle?
I knew that would get your attention. But before you call the funny farm and have me taken away, let me take one last shot at explaining this. Wellstone was one of my faves. So is Angle. How can this be? One was liberal, the other conservative. One was a real gentleman while the other is a little rough around the edges.
I say this for one and only one reason - the idea that politics should be used to improve people's lives. I think Ron gets that. It may not be artful and his grammar may be poor and he is divisive and obstructionist at times. But I have watched this man a long time. And I started out from a perspective very much like yours - I did not care for him at all. I even wrote a LTE once detailing all his omissions.
But after getting to know him, I believe he is a rare commodity and will be sorely missed when he's gone. He almost always operates with the intention of improving people's lives. And I won't detail some of the things he's done for people, most of them elderly. His enemies will slam him about everything, and he sure makes big mistakes, but he also has a big heart and really does care about people. I can recite at least older couples he was able to keep in their homes when predatory mortgage companies were going to take them away. Ron doesn't talk about that.
I don't share his conservative philosophy and would not want him in Congress, but on this level, he is perfect. Next Tuesday, Ron will be easily reelected, and the Mahers of this world will fade away.
And have to straighten out the local party, starting at the top.
Bernie, I'm kind of surprised and disappointed in you. And in The Morning Call, but that's not unusual. You're usually pretty sharp, the Call is rarely sharp anymore.
I am just a concerned and, I like to think, fairly informed Lehigh Valley resident and voter who has watched/followed Ron Angle from his Bangor School Board days, and I have yet to see any evidence, any at all, that proves that he is anything more than a demogogue and egotist who is in politics only for the greater glory of Ron Angle. I have seen absolutely no proof that Ron cares about anyone but himself. He is an embarrassment to Northampton County and to the Lehigh Valley.
We have too many Ron Angles in public life, and they discourage many other qualified people from running for public office. I have spoken to many potential candidates who have told me, flat out, that they don't want to waste several days/nights a month subjecting themselves to the poor behaviors of the Ron Angles and Lou Hershmans of the world. I can't say I blame them.
I can't identify myself because of my job, but I will say we deserve better than a bunch of bigmouth headline grabbers. We need leadership.
The shame of an Angle is that he could be a leader, but he can't get past his own ego.
Anon 11:05,
I understand your criticism, but disagree when you say we have too many Ron Angles. There are very few people like him. He's a complicated man, and tends to provoke sharp reactions just like yours. A former councilman has told me he'd never support anything that Angle supported because of his intense animosity. To some extent, your criticism is justified.
But it is really only part of the story. Far more often than not, Angle is a voice of good government. He demands accountability. He demands an open process. He really is a wathdog, or, as the ET put it in its endorsement, a bulldog. I have seen him stand, usually alone, against the special interests that pillage taxpatyers. Angle has voted against KOZ classifications or TIFFs for developers who promise the moon, but deliver nothing. He had the brains to oppose a prison expansion that was full the moment it was built and also required destruction of a state of the art archives building. For years, I heard him hammer Reibman about ignoring county bridges, and this was long before public officials suddenly became interested in them. Now, they are a cause celebre.
And unlike most people, Angle grows. He has learned not to go flying off the handle every three seconds. He has matured from those early days. I credit his wife and fatherhood for that.
I'm not going to change your vote in this comment, and I don't want to do that. I'm glad for your different point of view, and you back it up intelligently instead of with snarks.
But once this election is over, take a closer look at this guy.
Thanks for your comment.
blue coyote,
If you'd like to characterize criticism of the county's top law enforcement official - for ignoring his own party's law-breaking - as painting with a broad brush, you are part of the problem as well.
Where is Morganelli's investigation or recommendation that the state AG handle this?
"he also has a big heart and really does care about people. I can recite at least older couples he was able to keep in their homes when predatory mortgage companies were going to take them away. Ron doesn't talk about that."
Now that's Tammany Hall politics.
"I even wrote a LTE once detailing all his omissions."
To be fair shouldn't this be republished for those voters who haven't seen it?
Jim,
1)How can something Angle does not talk about or use in his campaign lit be viewed as Tammany Hall politics?
2) Why would I publish a LTE that I now view as flawed?
I opened up to you, and now you're just being unfair.
Bernie
When you say omissions I assume you meant actual facts not initial perceptions you have changed. If you were wrong about the omissions then no I would not expect you to share them now. Although if they had been on your site as a blog they would still be there in archive.
As for the Tammany reference I was talking about the one vote at a time policy of helping the community as Tammany did with the knowledge that the votes would come.
The anecdotal evidence that a politician helps a person in need here and there doesn't do much for me.
Jim,
1) The LTE I mention was written in 1999, long before I had a blog. In fact, that's how I met Angle. he sat down and talked to me about it. After that, I checked more records and founf he had been right about most of the things I criticized.
2) The anecodote I mention only relates to what you say about Angle not caring about the little guy. Most of the people that he does help aren't even in his diistrict. I know of a family in Jersey and another older gentleman near Philly. I also know of some people in this area. But I don't want to go into detail bc Angle does not himself. But you've misjudged him. He does not help people outside his own district bc he thinks it will get him a vote. He actually helps people get back on their feet because it makes him feel good.
I'll agree Angle can be divisive and has a massive ego. But that's only a small part of the picture to this very complicated man.
You are informed. Go ahead and vote for the "corporate culture" machine pol from California. Buy once the election is over, give Angle a second look. In fact, I'll arrange a meeting if you like.
Let me put another perspective out there:
-Joe Long is a liar.
-Ron Angle is a sideshow.
Can we remove both from power? Unfortunately not in one election, but it'd be nice.
To Anon 7:25
Thank you for responding. I am referring to Anon 6:14's post of "The entire party has carte blanch to break whatever campaign laws it chooses, as long as Morganelli chooses to look the other way."
Your critizism of the DA has merit. However, as a member of the Democratic party, I have never broken campaign laws, nor should the bulk of other Democrats be painted with "such a broad stroke".
Those of us that have spoken up against the smear tactics have an uphill battle against the machine. But one that is worthwhile. There are differences within our local party. Just as I am sure the Republican Party. Purging of the thugs is never instantaneous. I fear that any involvement by the AG would come too late.
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