Northampton Dem Bossman Joe Long hosted a "meet and greet" last night with Allegheny County Exec Dan Onorato. Long's entire committee - what's left of them - was ordered to pay homage to a Pittsburgh Dem whose eyes covet the governor's seat. It's no secret that the Lehigh Valley's favorite son, Don Cunningham, is casting his eyes in the same direction. So why would a local party boss oppose a popular homer?Long has reached across the state to settle some old and mostly imagined scores against Cunningham. Perhaps Cunningham forgot to genuflect last time he saw Long. Only Joe's moustache waxier knows for sure why Long is so annoyed. Don has tried to be nice, and even got Joe some choice tickets to see Bill Clinton last week. I guess they weren't close enough.
Long's decision to work against Cunningham should be a real blow. Let's look at that last election, shall we? Thanks to Long's brilliant campaign strategy of sleaze mailers and anonymous robocalls, two Northampton County Council candidates went down in flames and a third won by only a handful of votes. He indebted the local party $9,000 to a sleazy campaign consultant who has just been charged with terroristic threats, among other things. The one candidate Long failed to help, Steve Barron, won in an upset. Oh yeah, Cunningham aide Levi Price helped Steve in that race.
At tonight's "meet and greet," Northampton County Exec John Stoffa played hooky. Newly elected controller Steve Barron and Attorney General hopeful John Morganelli were also MIA. I was able to reach two local area chairs, and they were unable to make it. One highly placed official confesses, "I honestly forgot about it." Another prominent Dem tells me, "I was out of town."
Clinton campaign coordinator Rob Hopkins was one of about fifteen people who did show up for this event, and he had to be there for those with questions about Hillary. Not counting all the different campaign people, about nine people were there to listen.
As Rob explains this disappointing attendance, it was "certainly not worth a drive across the state."
Such is the mighty power of Bossman Joe Long.
given onorato's record (ani-union, raising drink taxes, etc), maybe joe likes him because his hair looks so much more lush in comparison to onorato's?
ReplyDeleteOf course there were only ten people there.
ReplyDeleteIf Joe Long is Onorato's guy in the valley, it's a blessing for Cunningham.
There are few people whoe rise to Joe Long's outstanding level of mediocrity while being able to alienate so many in the party while delivering so little.
Um yeah, Long. Like the valley is going to embrace some nitwit from Pittsburgh over Cunningham.
ReplyDeletewe'll chalk that up to wasted campaign expenditures.
ReplyDeleteNo Bernie, you can't steal Rick.
I don't know why you waste your time on Joe Long and what he does. He has become irrelevant. No one can dispute that. You should move onto something or someone else. He'll say "his candidates" won whatever office, but in the end, it was the candidates themselves who won their races. Long had nothing to do with their victories.
ReplyDeleteLong is NC Dem chair. He also chairs the NE Dem caucus. He is by no means irrelevant. He has damaged and indebted local Dems, and people need to know that.
ReplyDeleteJust another chapter in the comedy hour known as Joe Long. He'll go cry to his DNC minion now, but the fact is, this guy is the best chair at losing elections anyone in the Valley has ever seen. His betrayal of Don Cunningham is disgusting, and Joe Long should step down now.
ReplyDeleteYou are right -- JL did little to help any candidates including Barron. I worked hard for Steve and can tell you that the main thing that helped Steve was the Panto team in Easton bringing out the Dems and winning by 70%. We went to several Panto events and his people even helped to put out our signs and brochures.
ReplyDeleteThe LV Dems need a person to bring all factions together. By our very nature we are divisive and to have a Chair that doesn't get along with either county exec seems rediculous.
J Long was good enough to help J. Stoffa against Nyce in 05.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe you all forgot that.
Try that on somebody stupid. Most of the people who read this blog are well aware that Long went out of his way to hurt Stoffa over and over.
ReplyDeleteBO, I mean this in all sincereity even though I know you will refuse. Ask Mr. Stoffa if he met with Mr. Long as well as other County Democratic candidates during the summer of 2005, working on campaign strategy.
ReplyDeleteSadly, most of the people reading this blog are mistaken.