I have my crystal ball out, and this is what I see.Bethelehem Mayor John Callahan will most likely lose his congressional race against popular incumbent Charlie Dent. He can't seek a third term as Mayor. So as a consolation prize, he'll be running for Northampton County Exec. He really has no choice. It's that or nothing.
Charles Dertinger, who will lose his bid for a state house seat, will not oppose the person he last year called the "boy mayor." He'll instead make a deal and sell his soul in return for a cabinet level position. Callahan will make this deal because it eliminates the opposition and makes John look that much stronger in the polls and any primary.
Republicans will field a candidate, too. The Northampton County Bulldog. That's why Democrats have been trying to destroy Ron Angle on this and other blogs for the past few weeks. He's becoming harder and harder to marginalize, especially now that he is doing a good job as Council President.
Bethlehem will be pitted against the rest of the County, and fundraising for this race will be like nothing you ever saw before. The Reibman crowd wants to return, and will rally around Callahan. John will be painted as an opportunist who knows nothing about county government, while Ron will be smeared as a racist, anti-Semitic, shoplifting Will forger with poor language skills.
62 comments:
Bernie don't be surprised but someone from the old Reibman camp will be running independent of the Democratic machine. The person will not have the $$$ of Mayor Callahn, the person will not have the Party support but I believe you will be shocked when it comes to pass.
I don't even know if this person has a chance but I am pretty sure they are going for it regardless.
Wow!
Marginalize ? No one made Sharon type the Will. No one made Ron file the Will. No one made Ron, Jr., witness the phony Will, and no one made Dorothy Cole, find that the Will was phony. Ron did that and drew his family into that all on his own. Conspiracy, forgery, false documents and perjury need to be investigate for possible wrong doing. Does cover-up also need to be added ?
Sounds pretty realistic, especially the Reibman part. What could Callahan do if he loses to Dent.
Callahan won't even take a position on national health care.
Anon 6:33, aks Lamont, Thanks for proving my point.
With this will controversy, Ron Angle, Jr. is politically dead at this point. Which is a shame, because I like the man's fight. Step aside, Ron, and let someone less tainted take your place.
Which one is the ape?
Thanks for the comment.
Ron's Will fight will eventuially be over, and he will prevail. Detractors like you will still try to taint him. But people are not as stupid as you seem to think.
"Which one is the ape?"
That would have to be Ron. He's regularly called a knuckle dragger.
...but what would Charlie Dent do if he loses?
VOR
Lobbyist? A dude like Uliana is making lots of money doing that.
Dent will have several lucrative job offers as a lobbyist for any of the industries currently paying him for future services rendered.
You should know bc that's pretty much what you're doing for the Soros foundation.
Lobbyist, that's a great subject Bernie.
Not that you don't have enough to do but how about a list of former local Lehigh Valley legislators as lobbyist's, rolling in the dough and all they have to do is pick up a phone and talk.
TJ Rooney is laughing all the way to the bank from what I hear.
Joe Uliana is getting $40K+ from the Airport Authority alone.
Pat Toomey?
Bernie,
You are just paranoid.
Surely you're prediction of your buddy Ron and his career will be as accurate as your prediction of last years council election results.
What about Gene Hackman or whatever his name is.
What about Gene Hackman or whatever his name is.
So Ron has discussed this with his old lady? If she thinks the spotlight is bad because he is Council Prez...wait until this race gets underway.
"So Ron has discussed this with his old lady?"
Well, I know Sharon would like Ron to step down from everything and he may one day listen to her. But as far as the spotlight goes, Angle has always been under a magifying glass. Nobody has received more intense coverage, good and bad, in local politics.
You defined Ron to a "T", O'Hare. Good job.
Bernie summed up Ron Angle as well as anyone ever has. For once I agree with your assessment. I can just see Mr. Callahan's mailer claiming, even Angle campaign operative and close friend cross dressing disbarred attorney Bernie Ohare says Ron Angle is.....
I love it!
By the way Bernie, no one has played for more press coverage than Ron Angle. He has made himself the center of any three ring circus he has been part of.
Please, playing the victim card with Ron Angle is just too, too much.
I think the county is ready for some vision and leadership. Callahan has done a good job but I as a Bethlehem resident I am more impressed with the leadership and vision of Easton's Mayor Panto. I attended the State of the City for both cities and I was truly impressed with his vision, his leadership, his character, passion and motivation. His regional support was refreshing and he is an excellent speaker. He has turned that city around in two years and I am impressed.
I agree Sal!
Perhaps the esteemed Tea Party of the Lehigh Valley could swing this thing to Callahan. Where's my checkbook?
Ron's family problems are not unusual. Everybody has them. The public attention paid to those problems is squarely Ron's responsibility as he chooses to be a controversial public figure. It's interesting that Callahan is already looking past his imminent loss to Dent.
Nobody asks for assholes to look into private family matters, and people who do so for political advantage are lower than whaleshit.
John Callahan would make an effective county executive. But he is committed to his current race. He is not looking past a loss to Dent. Dent doesn't represent the Valley he represents the Republican leadership. We need an independent thinker. Washington is filled with politicians. We need statesman(woman).
You do know that the present County Controller and a past county councilman are running for Executive when John Steps down. Barron and Heckman.
Wow B. O.,
You really have R.A. busy. First as I learned on your blog Ron is currently scouring the the 137th district for signatures on his petitions to be the next 137th district State Representative. Now , today I learn He will also be the County Executive for Northampton County. All of these elections you have proven and assured us that the bulldog is gauranteed to win. All of this in addition to the two conflicting (and soon to be proven illegal) positions he already holds as County Council pres and School board. I can not wait to tune in. Will SuperRon be able to hold all four elected positions at once. Of course he can because of all the reasons that you spin here. Tune in next time for all the spin you will weave as to why SuperRon can do this and it is not wrong, and he is not a political opportunist. Anyone else who runs for every single vacancy like you have SuperRon doing is just that a political opportunist but not your boy SSSSSSSSSSuperRon. Here he comes to save the Day.
Nervous? Ron was tempted to run for the state house but decides against it. He will run for exec bc he has devoted the last 10 years to the county and knows it pretty well. Unlike Dertinger, who was elected to council then immediatelty ran for congress, then ran for the state house the second he lost his council seat, Angle has been pretty steadily interested in the county.
"You do know that the present County Controller and a past county councilman are running for Executive when John Steps down. Barron and Heckman."
Neither of them would run against Callahan. Heckman would not even go against McHale.
"John Callahan would make an effective county executive. But he is committed to his current race. He is not looking past a loss to Dent. "
Unless hehas no brains at all, he most certainly is looking into what happens when he loses. He'd be a fool not to think about it, and he's no fool. And he really has no choice. He'll be running for exec after his loss to Dent.
Do you really think Angle can beat Callahan?
In a race for Congeress, no. In a race for county exec, yes.
Let's not forget that Callahan will be bloodied following his loss to Dent. Dent runs very hard, and will point out every weakness in Callahan it is fair to point out, as he did to Dertinger & Bennett. Both of them were damaged badly. Bennett left town and Dertinger could not even win re-election to county council, a race he was sure was in the bag.
Ron will correctly identify this pay to play pol as someone seeking a return to the Reibman days, while Angle will represent a continuation of the policies set forth by Stoffa.
The only real question, in my mind, is whether Ron's family will let him run. If it were up to him, I know he'd do it, but his family would prefer that he avoid the nasty campaign that will be launched against him.
Regarding Barron and Heckman, I don't think either will run for different reasons but both would be running as outsiders if Callahan runs.
It seems you don't mind if Barron runs but have a real problem with Heckman. I know both of these guys and think they are decent stand up guys. Whats your beef?
Bernie, Ron is telling people in Bangor that he won't be on the school board for long. Is he planning on resigning ?
I have heard no such rumor.
I have no beef w/ Heckman, just his supporters.
Callahan will win the 15th, time for real leadership and solutions for the people instead of special interests.
You seem to forget Callahan was just elected mayor for a four year term anyway.
blah, blah, blah. I get tired of spinmeisters. Anyone with half a brain knows Callahan is going to lose. Since you're probably not from the LV and were sent up here, it means diddly that he was just reelected Bethlehem mayor bc he can't be reelected again. Me is term limited. He'll have to run for exec.
Huh? Dent barely beat two nobodies. It's a stretch to claim he is invincible. Sure, Dent might win based on the usual mindless incumbent voting that keeps all sorts of scoundrels in Congress but that's nothing to brag about.
"Sure, Dent might win based on the usual mindless incumbent voting "
I see. The people are stupid. Especially LV people. Thank God the DCCC sends assholes like you to enlighten us. Perhaps you can use the nuclear option to pass a law allowing only intelligent people like you to vote.
Angle couldn't beat Reibman when Reibman was the most unpopular Executive ever. Now that he is violating all kinds of laws and with the recent filing of a phony Will, Callahan would win 60-40 easy. Heckman 55-45. Barron 53.2-47.8. Dertinger 51-49. Mickey Mouse by about ten votes.
Oh, and John Cusick is running for the Republican Nomination for CE in 2013. Also, odds are that Grucela will be bored by then and looking for another check.
Hey Ohare you should not knock people's supporters. What if people held you and Angle against Stoffa, he wouldn't get elected dog catcher.
You really are the mean-spirited back stabbing bastard people say you are.
The word is Angle is dying for a county job for a couple years to really pop up his County pension. A Callahan insider has got Angle to run and scare off other Republicans. After Callahan wins Callahan will give Angle a job.
One hand washes the other Ohare!
"blah, blah, blah. I get tired of spinmeisters."
If that is the case step away from the mirror. You are one of the best spinmeisters going.
I see. The people are stupid. Especially LV people. Thank God the DCCC sends assholes like you to enlighten us. Perhaps you can use the nuclear option to pass a law allowing only intelligent people like you to vote.
You drew your own conclusions. I was simply referring to the common knowledge that US Congressmen incumbents get reelected at a very high rate. This results in career Congressmen like Dent and is at the very heart of Congress' ineffectiveness. In other words, they are bought and paid for and always running the next race.
What you are saying is that the voters are stupid. That's my conclusion. Perhaps we should return to colonial rule.
Anon 8:28, Angle does not need to "prop up" his pension. If you think for one minute that he would trust anything he is told by Callahan or one of his insiders, yopu are nuts. Even now, he urged council to sue Bethlehem over a TIF precisely because he does not trust Callahan. He likes him and thinks he has a great sense of hiumor, but does not trust him at all.
From someone who has known the Angle family forever, RA does his thing and Sharon does hers, no one tells Ron what to do.
It is amazing that someone who blogs on politics could be so horribly uninformed about the statistical likelihood of incumbents being reelected. It does explain the incredible shortsightedness of its conclusions, though.
If you'd like to make the leap to "voters are stupid," that is your prerogative. It's certainly not mine. Common wisdom is that many voters pull a lever for a familiar name and its reasons why we have guys like Congressman Jefferson in LA get reelected AFTER he was video taped receiving bribes.
I suggest you do more studying and reading than shotgunning comments which really show your ignorance on such matters.
He likes him but does not trust him. What a stooge. Is this even possible? Sounds like typical two-faced behavior to me.
No matter how you slice it, your observations assume that the voters are stupid. It is fundamentally a rejection of democracy.
And for not jumping on the bandwagon with you, you imply that I'm stupid, too. Maybe you should take away my right to vote, right after you take away my right to blog.
You called the voters stupid, not me. It's clear.
By the way, term limits for Congress is also considered "anti-Democracy" but such limits have wide appeal.
Who in northampton county did not sell their soles for a cabinet position or a promotion to a higher payig position.
Why would anyone in their right mind vote for a shoplifter and better yet a will forger!!!
Anon 10:44 the answer is a dis-barred attorney and a triple dipping lifelong bureaucrat. That's who would vote for him.
Why would anyone think Angle wants or needs a pension, by smart, hook or crook, he's a multi millionaire or just plain ole millionaire.
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