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Sunday, November 01, 2009

Remember the Robocall

Remember the Lusitania!

Remember the Alamo!

These are, of course, are time-honored battle cries. I've got a new one.

Remember the robocalls!

Just a few months ago, on primary weekend, Allentown phones were ringing with anonymous sleaze robocalls, directed at City Council candidate Lou Hershman. He was blamed him for everything, from the city's fiscal woes to swine flu. After the election, we learned that three other City Council wannabes - Michael D'Amore, Michael Schlossberg and Ray O'Connell - paid for this hit. In the background, pulling the strings, even going so far as to pick up some of the money used to finance this smear, was none other than Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski.

Of course, no one will admit that publicly. Kinda' makes you wonder how these three blind mice - D'Amore, Schlossberg & O'Connell - can claim independence or provide any meaningful oversight. Too timid to confront King Edwin over that vicious piece, do you really expect them to confront him over budget deficits or public safety? Of the three, only Ray O'Connell apologized. He told me, "If I could see Lou in public, I would reach my hand out and say, 'Lou, I'm sorry about what I did and it will never happen again."

Although willing to smear Hershman behind a veil of anonymity, King Edwin has run from Hershman's request to debate him. Hershman, the Allentown watchdog, has these questions. "I have to ask these gentlemen, what are you afraid of? Why does a 73-year old senior citizen named Lou Hershman scare you?"

They fear an independent voice.
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8 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 1, 2009 at 6:05 PM

    When he was on Council Herschman was about as good at being a watchdog as that purring pussy cat angle.

    Lou has no record to brag about.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LVCINovember 1, 2009 at 7:06 PM

    6:05 PM.. Is that you Ed?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Chris CaseyNovember 1, 2009 at 9:10 PM

    Ott's wife is the voice on a LC robocall this weekend, telling us what a great family man Scott is.

    I'm not voting for the best family man, I am voting for a County Exec.

    I hate repeating myself, but it shows he ran his own campaign, and had little professional help.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bernie O'HareNovember 1, 2009 at 10:00 PM

    I don't think anyone who has ever had a marriage go bad - and this includes Cunningham, Ott and me - can claim to be a great family man.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousNovember 2, 2009 at 2:40 AM

    Ott is happily married why the snark.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AuthorNovember 2, 2009 at 8:25 AM

    There are a bunch of complaints on callcatalog.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bernie O'HareNovember 2, 2009 at 8:32 AM

    Because I don't think anyone with a failed marriage, and that includes me, should ever really claim to be a family man. He's already failed once, and it is hypocritcal to suggest otherwise. If his ex-wife did the robo call and extolled his virtues as a family man, now that would be something else.

    Unfortunately, less than half of our married population can legitimately claim to be real family types.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousNovember 3, 2009 at 5:53 AM

    Marriages fail, you can still be a family man and not get a long with the woman you married.

    I've never heard a bad word about Don and how he raises his kids, which is the true test of any Family Man.

    ReplyDelete

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