FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 31, 2013
NEWS RELEASE
CROSLIS ENDORSEMENT OF SCOTT OTT EXPECTED, BUT “DISAPPOINTING”
Current Lehigh County Executive Matt Croslis turned his back on fellow Democrats today by endorsing Scott Ott as the next County Executive. “We would expect this endorsement from somebody who was appointed by the Republican Majority of Commissioners,” said Democratic candidate Tom Muller. “This is pay to pay politics at its worst. He obviously owes somebody for getting him his job as County Executive, and who knows what he’s been promised in the future. What we DO know, is that the Tom Muller Administration will NOT be for sale, at any price. I stand for good, moderate government, and pay to play will have no place in the Muller Administration.”
Reaction was similar among Democrats. “As the Mayor of Allentown for the past eight years, I understand the challenges and responsibilities inherent in successfully running a municipal government,” said Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski. “I am perplexed by Mr. Croslis' decision to support a candidate so egregiously unqualified as Scott Ott for County Executive. Scott Ott is the standard-bearer for the kind of radical, obstructionist politics that have plagued Washington for years.”
Pennsylvania Democratic Chairman Jim Burn offered his support for Tom Muller and was critical of Ott. “Tom Muller is fighting to make Lehigh County a better place to live, work, and raise a family. His opponent, Scott Ott would fight for his extremist Tea Party buddies, not the majority of Lehigh County. Lehigh County deserves a strong leader and Tom Muller is that leader,” Burn said.
“Let me be clear: Matt Croslis speaks only for himself,” said Lehigh County Democratic Party Chairman Rick Daugherty. “Tom Muller is the Lehigh County Democrats choice for County Executive. Matt's endorsement is interesting, but not significant. Personally, I've had several Republican Elected Officials approach me discreetly to share with me their support of Tom Muller. Mr. Croslis holds the appointment to County Executive because he is a Democrat. To see Matt Croslis only a few months after getting this position publicly support Mr. Ott, whose position and views could not be further from ours as Democrats, is disappointing.”
Matt Croslis’s endorsement may make headlines today, but it will not undermine the will of the people on Tuesday. Tom Muller has broad support from both Democrats and Republicans and looks forward to a hard fought final weekend, victory on Tuesday and four years of dedicated service to the residents of Lehigh County.
Contact: Mick Dee
Media Coordinator
Muller For Lehigh County
50 comments:
UnityPAC does not see party affiliation, only the qualifications and ability to lead. Scott Ott is a breath of fresh air and demonstrated his abilities to Scott Croslis in their day to day interactions. There is a way forward, it is UnityPAC.
put a fork in Muller.
So the only current or former Executive that's publicly endorsing Muller is Jane "70% Tax Hike" Ervin?
Not a good day for Muller!
For someone who tries to smear his opponent by claiming the opponent is all about party, Muller's press release seems all about party!
Maybe Muller needs to start relating to people as people, instead.
hmmmm.....perhaps someone has cut a deal to be the future county Solicitor? I believe the Solicitor is an appointed position, isn't it? Something sounds very fishy here!
Me me me me ..... la la la la la la la ...
Croslis' endorsement might deliver one vote for Ott...and I mean might. Nobody knows who someone votes for once they are in the booth alone.
very funny bye bye muller
This is more telling of where the race really is than any phony numbers Fleck is putting out so he can keep stealing money from Muller's donors.
puhlease.... who didn't see this coming the moment Croslis was appointed by the reform team. Just surprised they waited this long to do it.
Ott is the better choice. Muller the arrogant and petulent hobnober should go back to his piss and cry club.
He should eat a Whaa burger with his criess!
Not at all surprising. This has "Wayne Woodman dirty politics" written all over it. This is totally insignificant in the grand scheme of things. It's plain and simple dirty politics involving favors. If anything this will expose to the people that Scott is the epitome of what's wrong in Washington and his radical and dishonest policies will not fly in Lehigh County.
Matt is a real Democrat who would have made an excellent choice as the candidate for Lehigh County Executive. However, the Democratic leadership pushed him aside and went with a "country cloud" Republican as their candidate. So that is who you are stuck with and you can cry with your Republican on election night.
I find it an incredible indication of Muller's character that his first response is to personally attack Croslis without a shred of evidence to support his claims.
That Muller immediately thinks this is likely more of a revelation of how Muller operates than Croslis.
this could be a difference maker in a tight race. fact is, Matt is well-regarded by most democrats. he's always donated his time and labor on behalf of the party.
I don't expect the hard-core Ds will be swayed, but at a minimum it's gonna make the undecideds do a double-take.
Go Muller !!!
I think the best line Muller came up with was something to the affect of pay for play politics. I thought I read that Muller was a Republican that changed parties recently just to run against Ott. And people say Croslis's endorsement is fishy?
Matt Croslis - next Lehigh County Solicitor! Muller didn't see that coming under his mustache...
"...pay to play will have no place in the Muller Administration.”
OH PULLLLLEEEASE!!! Gag me with a spoon.
Where's a spoon?
"Scott Ott is a breath of fresh air and demonstrated his abilities to Scott Croslis in their day to day interactions. There is a way forward, it is UnityPAC."
Tricia Mezzacappa, let the grownups comment here. You're yesterday's news. By the way, it is Matt, not Scott.
"Croslis' endorsement might deliver one vote for Ott...and I mean might."
Actually, I never trusted Croslis. This is no surprise to me. You can be sure this came with a price.
Rule #1 in media relations:
Never respond instantly to anything. Makes your response look 100% emotional, 0% logical.
Just like that press release.
Rule #2 in media relations:
Pick your battles. Engaging everything, everyone and every event of your opposition is a fool's errand.
Muller didn't have to "respond" to this.
"Matt is well-regarded by most democrats. he's always donated his time and labor on behalf of the party."
That was true at one time, but changed as his personal life began taking a toll on his good judgment. He began increasingly to work for Rs. Last election, Woodman hired him to watch the official count in the Deely Simmons race. He represented Republican Glenn Eckhart. Then the Ott block hired him as Exec. Except not Croslis looks like a cad who can't be trusted by either party.
Rule #3 in media relations.
Anonymous advice on media relations, buried in a blog, is horseshit.
"Maybe Muller needs to start relating to people as people, instead. "
You mean like the way the Wizard of Ott condescended when he addressed Llehigh County's President Judge?
Faustian bargain.
I can't stand whiny old people," I'm hungry. I'm hungry."
F!&k them.
IM VOTING FOR OTT!
Frankly Scott Ott seems a little unstable.
Should Muller be fired?
Heres a joke....Tom Muller and his cronies whine about pay for play...he is managed by Pawlowski flack Mike Fleck. Pawlowski is the king of pay for play. Mullers financials are chock full of union contributions and law firm contributions. He is the chief union negotiator for the county and is currently in negotiations with these very same unions. That is direct evidence of pay for play conflict of interest. Where in Otts filings are there any examples of this sordid kind of thing? Nowhere. This is Freudian projection. It is Orwellian doublespeak. Muller the phony Democrat used to be Republican is an opportunist turned charlatan. He is not nearly elitist but, rather, someone enamored with the elites. Scott Ott all the way. This will be a winn for the common folks. Priviledge at a price needs to end. Lets stop entitling some at the expense of the rest of us.
8:28
Amen brother.
You nailed it perfectly in your post. Hammer meets nail.
Now watch your post go "poof" or you will be demonized as an uninformed idiot who supports a lying, bigoted granny killer.
Been there, done that. Time will tell.......
The big story is not that Croslis is endorsing Ott. It's that Croslis isn't endorsing Muller.
Think about it. Muller has been working closely with Croslis every day, yet he can't get Croslis to endorse him. Or at least get Croslis not to endorse Ott. That's huge, and one can only wonder what defect that Muller has that turned Croslis off.
Anon 8:28 that is exatcy the tyoe of thing the Hatch Act and other laws try to avoid.
When pols like Muller sit in government executive positions yet take donations form union he is negotiating with, it is flat out wrong.
He is a mustachioed scumbag. They had the law changed to allow this unethical behavior. I hope Mr. Ott jumps on this moral evil.
Mist people that have worked with Muller will tell you what an arrogant ass he is.
9:45, First, i don't think it's all that big a story. Second. I think the person who is defective is Croslis.
Concerning Platinum Plus Matt Croslis before a Lehigh County Court hearing said that the Gentleman's Club would improve the neighborhood in which Platinum Plus would operate.
Hey isn't that the same club that police caught dancers soliciting money for sex .... That ain't exactly improving the neighborhood is it.
Matt ,tell me again, how exactly will Scott OTT improve County Government....
Will your endorsement of OTT cause Schlossberg to seek new rental space for his office to get away from the big Croslis sign you see before entering the door to the building that houses his office ... And what does Brace say ... He too works in that building ...He won't say anything for he is unopposed in this election as Schlossberg was unopposed in his.
Incredible
"non 8:28 that is exatcy the tyoe of thing the Hatch Act and other laws try to avoid."
You can thank a republican House that the Wizard of Ott loves for amending and weakening it. Must be an infringement on individual rights.
"Concerning Platinum Plus Matt Croslis before a Lehigh County Court hearing said that the Gentleman's Club would improve the neighborhood in which Platinum Plus would operate."
Platinum Plus Matt is giving lehigh County voters a lap dance.
8:28- wait until Elmer Heinel starts asking for pay back for his donations to Ott. Then the county will see real pay to play.
9:45- It would be tough for Croslis to know how well Muller does his job because Croslis is not on the job in the government center very often. He is too busy practicing law at his private office while holding a full-time county job.
Under PA code, can a member of a civil service commission make a political endorsement?
I am unable to answer that at the moment.
"I understand the challenges and responsibilities inherent in successfully running a municipal government,” said Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski."
Are you kidding me? Are you fucking KIDDING ME?
They are as close to bankruptcy as it gets, and teh mancave thinks he's a success?
No way he said that with a straight face.
-Clem
What difference does Tom Muller taking donations from unions make. Every Mayor and executive in America takes donations from unions and then negotiates their contracts.
That is a pretty uninformed argument.
In this case there are TWO levels of checks and balances.
Normally a Mayor would receive donations from a union, then present the negotiated agreement to a legislative body.
In this case, the guys doing the negotiating has to first present it to a county executive and THEN to a council. That is one MORE check and balance than normal.
What a silly thing to use as an issue.
And why is anyone surprised that an appointee endorses the person who appointed him.
In other news, Christians endorse Christ and boston bookies endorse the red sox.
When's lunch?
That's huge, and one can only wonder what defect that Muller has that turned Croslis off. Based on Croslis previous showing in the exec race Matt thinks quite highly of himself as a potential candidate. Cunningham blew his chance at a repeat shot at it. Lehigh County Democrats really haven't given Matt the respect he thinks he deserves.So to answer your question, Muller never stepped aside and even more interesting, neither did Ed Hozza. Just a theory. Ott better win cause Matts ass is grass among Democrats
As I read through the comments, I have to laugh out loud. So many people who think they know the what and why. If they really had been watching Lehigh County government since 2005, the answer would be obvious.
The other thing is, why is it okay for Republicans to support Tom, but heresy for a Dem to support Ott? I don't agree with Matt on this one, I have zero love for Ott's wacky ideas. But I do support the right to support whoever you want for whatever reason. But in making a decision, one should realize that there are always long term consequences for biting the hand that feeds you.
MC has his reasons, and I'm sure he has weighed the political/professional ramifications. He has to live with them, not any of us.
Matt got to see Mulller in action and made the decision most have had. He is an arrogant asshole. He put this country club credentials on hold to run as a Democrat to fatten his pension.
He lacks scruples and ethics.
Vote for transparent and honest government. Vote for an end to insider cronyism.
Vote for Scott Ott, the "REAL" Republican.
A transparent Scott Ott would not form a LC PAC in Harrisburg to shield his donors. A transparent Scott Ott would have included LVAR contributions in his finance report. he fails the transparency test.
Honest Scott Ott has repeatedly lied in campaign literature.He has increased taxes and spending while falsely claiming to have cut them.
I'll take the arrogant asshole.
Let me vote based on the recommendation of a scumbag that defends strip clubs and prostitutes! Yep, that's a model person!
Muller is an arrogNt ass and something of a creep. I find him a very very unattractive person. But,and this is hard to believe, Scott Ott is even worse!
I'm forced to vote Muller.
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