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Thursday, November 14, 2013

"Lehigh Valley Discourse" Will Analyze Local Races Tonight

Express Times editor Jim Flagg and yours truly will be Alan Jenning's guests tonight at his radio show, Lehigh Valley Discourse. The show airs 6 PM on WDIY-FM 88.1.

Last time I was there, I cost the station a few sponsors. And that was before I even got there.

They must have forgotten.

We'll be discussing last week's election. Who really won? Who really lost?

If you have any insights or points you want made, post them below as a comment.

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey O'Hare, Analyze this!!

Anonymous said...

"No faithful Catholic could vote for this amendment."

Bernie, that was the quote of your friend Vic madman Mazziotti voting to not grant same sex couple benefits in Lehigh County.

ASs a faithful Catholic and a one time lectern, I find Mr. Mazziotti's comments offensive. That is unless he had a visit from our Lord Jesus Christ advising him on this complicated issue.

Please discuss on the radio.

Thank You

Anonymous said...

Karen Dolan is a loser.....ask not for whom the bell tolls. She's next to go.

Anonymous said...

bethlum loses - donchez will be a one term mayor

Guy Williams said...

That moderate republicans ruled the day in Norco and saved the day in lehigh

Anonymous said...

One vote Joe in Bangor. Is winning by 1 good or bad?

Anonymous said...

Vic Mazziotti does speak for this faithful Catholic and current lector on what is really not a complicated issue. I also let my faith direct my feelings about murder, abortion, war and the death penalty. Kudos to Mazziotti. He serves at the leisure of voters, such as I.

Anonymous said...

5:55 AM "One vote Joe in Bangor. Is winning by 1 good or bad?"

Winning is always good. If he won by 10 or 100, no one would be discussing it. It's also kept him in the news well past the time other winners have been forgotten.

Anonymous said...

Best analysis possible of recent election results:
Guy Williams said...
That moderate republicans ruled the day in Norco and saved the day in lehigh

5:55 AM

Anonymous said...

ask the question why does donchez need all these committees to figure out Bethlehem. didn't he learn anything in 17 years on council?

Anonymous said...

Ask Jennings how much his support for Mayor Ed undercut the democratic process in the Queen City.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"ASs a faithful Catholic and a one time lectern, I find Mr. Mazziotti's comments offensive."

As a lousy Catholic, i am offended too, especially since mazziotti never mentioned his religion the first time he voted against this. He had other objectoons. What the Pope, who also happens to be a Catholic, had to say is "Who am I to judge?"

As a Catholic, I am offended by Vic's strident defense of a man who would cut off funding for programs to feed our elderly.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Karen Dolan is a loser"

And who shall I say this is from? Which coward?

Anonymous said...

Obviously vic missed these comments from Pope Francis:

http://world.time.com/2013/09/19/pope-francis-expresses-tolerance-of-gays-support-for-women/

Anonymous said...

How about how the effect of the excessive use of Robocalls on the Lehigh county Exec race..

Anonymous said...

call tonight ask about 3js or just ask mogranelli donchez bocola zembroski heckman seyfred who cost johnny the election even cindy m's old man telling everyone at courthouse

Anonymous said...

Bernie @ 9:03
Not a personal attack sir. A loser in the politic context.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Since she was just overwhelmingly re-elected, it's hard for me to understand hoe she is a loser "in the political context."

Anonymous said...

DIscussion needs to be had about the poor showing of Mayor Pawlowski and the success of the Donovan Campaign. Michael ran as an independent candidate against an incumbent Mayor on both tickets. Yet, Donovan still got 38% of the vote. Nationally independents in this type of race can expect, at most, maybe 15%. What made that different in Allentown? This isn't being highly covered by the media outlets, and it's worth discussion.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Let me post some data I received.

Anonymous said...

Michael Donovon would have done even better without AJenning's support for Pawlowski. Ask WHY AJ felt it was necessary to throw such political support against MD. Is that his role?

Doc Rock said...

Ask why Bethlehem retains the archaic "at-large" election of council members. That makes it virtually impossible for the minority party to even get one member elected to council.

It also denies many neighborhoods a "voice" on council. Ask Alan if that's a good thing!

Anonymous said...

"That moderate republicans ruled the day in Norco and saved the day in Lehigh"

Yet at least three of the Norco victors are or were members of the tea party. Ms. Ferraro contributed to their party. They ran a stealth campaign. Yet make no mistake. Tea party policies are coming to Northampton County.

Ask Jennings if hiring the useless Marcus was worth losing contracts over and is using the poor to get his way is the right thing to do?

Anonymous said...

The unfortunate truth is that after the last several years I no longer trust Mr. Jennings to be a honest broker

Anonymous said...

Bernie anon 1132am brings up a great question, I'd be very interested in hearing what Jennings thinks of Pawlowski's very poor showing.

The Banker

Chris Casey said...

It wasn't that Dems did not vote. The problem is the many people who register as an ideal, Democrat, but vote Republican.

Chris Casey said...

A liberal Dem will not beat Corbett, The Dems need a moderate.
Dems need to rebrand themselves. Too many voters feelthey can't identify with either party

Anonymous said...

Even on the shows where we ironically burn nothing whatsoever, we still have a bigger audience than Business Matters and Discourse.

COMBINED.

Your move Trebek,

Wood Heat

Bernie O'Hare said...

Jennings stated his show is intended for intelligent listeners, so it certainly is not for you, Soupy.

Anonymous said...

My Church which is not Catholic takes positions which are based on God's words expressed in the Bible. To us the words of Jesus and the Ten Commandments are important. We recognize to be a member in good standing as does the Catholic that there is certain major Church doctrine that should not be debated. While other Church minor doctrine may from time to time be debated. There is no doubt that same sex marriage in our Church would not be consecrated. Catholic priests through confession hear parish members seek forgiveness for their sins with the Catholic priest acting as an earthly mediator. While in our faith the minister can offer services to hear peoples remorse about their actions he doesn't absolve anyone of their sins. He is not a mediator between God and Man. Now if we believe in Jesus he offers us forgiveness for our sins because he took away our original sin on calvary through his death. So when we pray to Jesus asking for giveness and truly repentive of our sins, we will be forgiven. But we must be sincere in our repentiveness. We can't give on doing the same thing deliberately all the time and expect forgiveness... In our faith a man lying with a man and a woman lying with a woman is a sin. How can a church consecrate a sin. A secular humanistic society that is in rebellion against God could care less about this. This type of society believes that what feels good ought to be good. But God decides what is good and permissible.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Vic's thinking is actually not Catholic. It's bigoted, but it's not Catholic.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, after careful analysis by some very smart people the verdict is in. The Democratic County council candidates were too closely associated with John Callahan. They were seen as part of "his" team.

While I realize they were not necessarily "his" puppets, the perception was out there. That perception hit hard in Bethlehem.

Had the Democratic council candidates run their own campaigns, independent of Mr. Callahan, many believe that without a doubt they would have picked up at least two it not three seats.

They would have definitely got Heckman based on his other numbers throughout the county. Probably Hunter and maybe even Seyfried,.

The association with Callahan, while not actually real, cost them 500 to up to 1000 votes and that made all the difference in the world.

Ask some of your sources off the record. We believe this deserves it sown story.
Also try and talk to Heckman, Hunter and Seyfried, I would love to get their takes on this since the turnout issue has been discredited.

Anonymous said...

Bernie: I discussed this issue with my pastor before I voted. My vote reflects the Catholic position. To say that it does not reflect the Catholic position is not the truth. Vic Mazziotti

Bernie O'Hare said...

The pope reflects the Catholic position, not you. While homosexuality is regarded as a sin, the Church would never a governmental decision that treats all of us the same. In fact, the church treats all of us the same. You are a sinner. Under your logic, you should be denying benefits to anyone who is in a state of sin. That's just sheer nonsense. What you are really promoting is intolerance, and are invoking religion to justify it.

Anonymous said...

Bernie: as I said, I talked to my pastor before I voted. What is your source for your comment that my vote did not represent the Catholic position? Did you ever consider doing some research before you started calling people names? Or would that be sheer nonsense too? Vic Mazziotti

Bernie O'Hare said...

Vic, I don't believe i called you any name. If you want me to do so, I can, bit I did not. I pointed out that you never mentioned any religious dissent the first time you voted against this. I also add that someone so concerned about religion, as you now pretend to be, would be so willing to support a man who us more than willing to cut off funding for our impoverished elderly. Did you discuss that with your pastor? Therein lies your hypocrisy.

I said you are wrong, that your Pastor is wrong (if he really said what you claim he said) and your thinking is intolerant. Finally, it is logically inconsistent.

The source I am relying on is Pope Francis, as well as the New Testamant. Even the Catholic Conference of Bishops has begun to relax in response to Pope Francis. And if the New Testament teaches anything, it is that love trumps sin. You may hate the sin, but you love the sinner.

It is one thing to say that a person who engages in homosexual acts is committing a sin. I understand that. I also understand that a Catholic church should not be forced into taking positions in its workplace or at its schools that will allow that sin.

This secular proposal does nothing of the sort. The same sex benefits principle simply means we are all equal in the eyes of the law. Just as in the eyes of the Catholic Church, we are all equal.

Under your thinking, the County would have to look at whether the benefits plan in question violates your tender catholic sensibilities. If a man cheats on his wife, then she must be denied benefits under your thinking. After all, that goes against the catholic grain. It is a slippery slope, and you are riding it to logico ad absurdum.

So let me summarize. Your argument is anti-Catholic. It is intolerant. You are using your faith to hide your intolerance. Your thinking is contrary to the sentiments of the Pope and New Testament. For someone who prides himself on logical thinking, it is incredibly illogical.

How interesting that you would hide behind your pastor's black robes to justify intolerance. But you don't bother speaking to the church when it comes to cutting off food to the needy.

This is not catholic thinking. It is not Thomas More. I am disappointed in your thinking and in you as a person.

On top of everything else, you have now opened the doors to those who hate Catholics.

Well done.

Last time you spoke to me, you told me to go to Hell and that you did not want to talk to me anymore. So why are you even here?

Anonymous said...

You hate to deal with facts, don't you Bernie. Saying that I am hiding behind my pastor, and suggesting that I made it up, is typical Bernie low class behavior. So, let's see who is telling the truth. I suggest that we go see my pastor and you can ask him if the position I took reflects the position of the Catholic Church. If he tells you I am wrong, I will write a check to Meals on Wheels for $500. But, if he tells you I am right, you write a check to Meals on Wheels for $500. Deal? Put your money where you mouth is Bernie! Or are you all talk? Vic Mazziotti

Bernie O'Hare said...

I am not saying that you are hiding behind your pastor. That is objectively what you have done. The first time you voted against this measure, you hid behind the law, though it increasingly is apparent that you are wrong on that point. The second time you voted against this measure, you hid behind your religion and your pastor. In both votes, what really motivated you is obviously intolerance. The law and religion are just convenient excuses.

I do not deny that you spoke to your Pastor. I do question what he told you, or whether you made clear what you were asking him. In any event, he is not the elected representative of lehigh county. You are. You used religion as a cover.

I do not dispute that you spoke to your Pastor, so why would I bet you on that point? I do dispute what you told him, and what he told you. I dispute this bc you are wrong to claim that an across the board denial of same sex benefits by a public employer is contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church. It is actually your vote, which does not treat us all as children of God, that is contrary to Catholic thinking.

Did you ask your pastor whether you should deprive Meals on Wheels? Is the Allentown Diocese ready to actually do its job and feed the hungry? Or are you too busy ferreting out queers?

Anonymous said...

Bernie: when is the last time you worked at the soup kitchen? I was there 2 weeks ago. Don't lecture me you bag of wind! Vic Mazziotti