Increased polarization has led to Congress becoming more paralyzed and unable to perform our most basic and fundamental tasks. ... This political polarization has led to a disturbing trend where fringe elements of both the far right and far left are emboldened and empowered. While the bases of both political parties are well represented in Congress, the governing center has been under increased pressure.
Too many Republicans expect unquestioning, blind unquestioning loyalty and obedience to President Trump, no matter how absurd or destructive the comment or behavior. Constitutional separation of powers is almost an alien concept after relentlessly demanding Congress assert its Article I powers during the Obama years. On the other side, far too many Democrats offer unflinching resistance and opposition to President Trump, even if they agree with him on a given policy or position.
Separation of political parties has replaced separation of powers as a guiding, governing philosophy. This dynamic is simply not sustainable and has already had troubling consequences.
We've already seen a rise in the three-headed monster of isolationism, protectionism and nativism. These are not qualities of a great nation. In fact, they dishonor the sacrifices and service of the greatest generation, who delivered both victory in WWII and the far-sighted, outward-looking, post-War, rules-based order that has brought unprecedented freedom and prosperity to America and to its friends, allies and partners.
Furthermore, tradition democratic values, the rule of law, freedom of the press, and an independent judiciary are under unprecedented attack throughout much of the world. It is incumbent on all of us to stand up and defend our way of life and our institutions.
In Congress, we need to re-establish a strong, bipartisan governing center that will help restore order and stability to Washington. ... [C]onsenus and compromise are not capitulation or surrender, but are instead essential to a functioning republic. ...
America has to honor its agreements if we ever hope to enter into new ones. ... We simply cannot walk away from American commitments, even ones we may have voted against or disagreed with, if we expect to continue to build new coalitions and enter into new agreements.
While I am leaving Congress, I am not retreating from the battlefield. I intend to continue aggressively advocating for people and policies of the sensible center. I hope to provide an even larger voice in favor of responsible governance and hope to foster a strong, center-right movement that embraces traditional conservative virtues of order, discipline, stability, measured statements and incremental change. Not the incendiary rhetoric, chaos and dysfunction that we have unfortunately grown accustomed to in recent years.
The people of the Lehigh Valley have a decision to make. Do we want to send someone to Congress who will just be a flamethrower who lies and who falsely portrays John Morganelli in Trump hats, as Wild has done? Or do we send an adult? My hope is that the sensible center will rise up for John Morganelli. If Democrats fail to do this, they insure a pro-Trump GOP victory in November.
106 comments:
Why do you keep insisting that only Morganelli can win in a general? The energy is on the left, not the center, this cycle, and the new district is considerably more left-leaning than the 15th was. Besides, the Median Voter Theorem works a lot better if voters' ideologies are unimodally distributed, which they definitely are not right now. It seems like Edwards is the only Democratic contender without major negatives.
You are absolutely insane to think anyone but Morganelli has a chance in the general. This is a centrist district. It is thanks to idiots like you that Pat Toomey, and not Joe Sestak, is in the US Senare. You had to shove Katie McGinty down everone’s Throat and she lost. Wild will get clobbered. She will be tied to Fed Ed, fairly or unfairly. The numerous pictures of her scowling will make for a field day. She will be tied to Hillary and Pelosi. Her record as a lawyer will reveal she represents big money, just like her campaign finances. All the outside money used to elect her in the primary will be thrown out there. They will have a much harder time attacking Morganelli. If you want a Democrat in Congress, the only candidate to vote for is Morganelli.
You're way off, and you didn't even read my post. I said Edwards, not Wild. Wild seems like a horrible candidate. I also preferred Sestak over McGinty (and I would have voted for him but the county never sent me my absentee ballot).
Every Democrat running for a House seat gets tied to Pelosi because she is the House Minority Leader, and from what I've heard, Morganelli is the one with endorsements from Clinton staffers. Plus, the new district 7 went for Clinton, not Trump, in the 2016 election, and special elections since then have swung towards the Democrats an average of something like 15 points. The 7th would normally be a swing district, but if you think this is going to be a normal midterm, you're the one who is insane.
And I'd thank you not to call me an idiot. You don't know me.
People all hate each other. Does anyone care about anyone else? This is just within one political party, no wonder we can't get anything accomplished.
People are hating on each other, we have lost a sense of commonality and community. Does anyone have anything good to say about others, even if they disagree on some things. Is there any commonality left? Does anyone ever ask what the hell we have in common anymore. It just seems like everything is going to hell.
My favorite day of the week is Mancrush Monday I actually sing those words it's my funday! Mancrush Monday,
The answer is NO, No and NO!
2:10, when you come on here spouting median voter theorems and other such nonsense, i’ll Call you an idiot. You did not back Edwards except to say his negatives are low. That’s bc no one knows him.also, give me a break on the new 7th going for Hillary. Be honest, if you can, and admit it was by just one point. As I said, the only Dem who can win in the fall is Morganelli.
It is sad we no longer have anything in common as a nation anymore, very sad.
Charlie’s a bitter guy who needs to do some serious introspection. He won’t. He’s a political grifter who’s heading off to a lucrative next act, Good riddance.
I agree with all of Dent's excerpts you quote. I would have voted for him again in a heartbeat if he were still running. However, resigning before his term is up has eroded a lot of the respect I had for him. For all the very reasons he claims in those quotes, he should have at least finished his term. Also, I think it is disrespectful to his constituents to leave early for whatever he has lined up.
I spent most of my adult life a Republican, but center-right doesn't seem to fit anymore. Considered a RINO. Tried the Dem, and never really comfortable there, and center-right, considered a DINO. Yet nationally, a third of the electorate is "independent". But in a closed primary state, not really a comfortable option either. Switched from I to D to vote for Morganelli in the primary (and had voted Kasich in 2016 GOP primary).
Our household gets the junk mail from both parties. Both GOP are falling over themselves to profess their love for Trump over America, so I can't stomach either of them. The Dems? Pro-Wild fliers are actually confirming for my intended vote for JM. Edwards' are all positive, and lay out his progressive stances. I actually respect that, even though I either don't agree or think, "sounds great, but how are you going to pay for that?"
The Joe Stestak reference was perfect. As for the idiot comment, well, repeating the same act over and over again and expecting different results does make your mental status suspect. Morganelli is the only viable candidate for reasonable people. But today's post is about Dent quitting … leaving our Congress with one less moderate voice for the remainder of the year. All the good will he earned with me has been lost as he rides off with his campaign funds for more lucrative pastures. His next move could either preserve or tarnish his legacy.
Dent left early so he can trash republicans in the fall election on MSNBC, Does he think that will heal the nation or just make him more money to add to his 2 pensions. As for the great divide, that is correct, two ideologically opposed parties. One believes in a capitalist system with freedom to work, associate and own property. The other wants all to be supervised or owned by the government, very happy to be dependent on the government for all basic needs. open borders, not really an independent country. Where is the possibility for compromise? The people in Washington may very well compromise, but do the people support them?
Dent is an empty suit and you need to take your knee pads off with your over and above support for Johnny.
He should have sered out his term that he was elected too instead of putting his own interest first. Milk the public teat for as long as you can and walk away. Today's officials are a joke!
There comments from assklownz about there sexaul devientcy's are repulsive all the time. There is much more important things in life in America today than them working the gloryholez all the time.
A much better thing is to get people in office that are not part of the grant grab get to give back. Like the now infamous pos dead Ed and itz gang of thugz still inhabiting the political arena for more the I very of public fundz and assetz. I will be crossing party linez on this vote as Morganellis will most deffinatly be working on the issuez in Washington!
republican redd
humanist by design
not a party favor
And if and when Dent signs with CNN or MSNBC, he deserves the payday. He has worked his ass off to be in this position and isn’t that the American way?? Don’t like it? Get off your ass and run for office. It’s not easy. Charlie has seen his kids grow up and missed much of their lives. He is a consummate politician and has not lost an election, ever. What have YOU done???
—-Mother Jones
You know what? Shut the fuck up. You are an embarrassment to anyone who has graduated elementary school. Jerchoff!!
O'Hares a little hateful repulsive crossdressing piece of shit.
Establishment to the end; go off and enjoy your pension you earned by doing nothing.
What do you do for a living? What have you done to make a difference? Go make some more Big Macs asshole. The world needs more ditch diggers.
Dent’s statement provide all the reasons why he should have stayed in office to fight the fight. Even his supporters from the comments register a loss of respect as he scurries to the private sector to cash in while creating a mess with the special election. He always supported the right even when wrong and saved his vicious moments attacking opponents in elections while polishing his “Charlie” moniker.
I still have the same respect for him now that I had before he announced he was leaving. I do not think he should be shackled to a job,especially when the mob rallies outside his office and demands that he leave.
"You're a repulsive piece of shit, O'Hare."
Have fun in court, Tricia Mezzacappa, aka Tricia Phillips. Be sure to bring your checkbook,not your gun.
Moderates demand that everybody be as feckless and pliable as they. Those who aren't are labeled extremists. While independent/libertarian leaning, I appreciate a Bernie Sanders for actually having philosophical beliefs and positions on policy. I disagree with everything he represents, but I appreciate that he's a real deal and believes what he says. Moderates getting along for decades have given us wars and insurmountable debt. They laid the foundation for the recoil we're experiencing. Going along to get along always feels good for a while. Then, you turn around and we're $21T in debt and still on a perpetual war footing. Charlie had an unremarkable career that increased his potential earning power. He's no different from most of the rest of both parties.
2.55
"As I said, the only Dem who can win in the fall is Morganelli."
you are correct.
Democrats have to be able to overlook Morganelli flirting with trump.
first Morganelli's tweets were jokes and then Morganelli was just wandering around and ran into trump on a private golf course.
give me a break.
You tie Wild to Fed Ed but conveniently forget Morganelli's ties to Jim Hickey. The same Jim Hickey who you conveniently fail to mention in articles about the Fed Ed investigation.
Dent gutless and sticks us with a special election bill to boot. Thanks for nothing Charlie.
Why cant we all just get along, maybe after pot is more legal we can all get along.
If Trump would have called John after his tweets, he would have jumped at the chance to go work for him. Wild is not the answer either. Dems need to look at someone totally different or the Repub will win in November.
Unless your name is Google,Stop acting like you no everything Bernie !
I think BOH is making the mistake of treating this like any other election year.
The anti-Trump wave will take care of any of the usual negatives Wild would face from sexist Republicans.
People are simply going to pull the D lever. You saw it last November as the Norco blue wave. You think that was a coincidence and people actually voted for individuals?
9:54 is right. Morganelli would be at the Justice Dept right now if Trump took him up on his offer. I don't buy for one minute that those tweets were jokes. And whitewashing his public record is not a good sign. Politicians and journalists don't delete tweets without at least an explanation for the record.
Frankly, you are in no position to talk about another person's honesty when you don't sign your comments. As I indicated, that is John's personal twitter, and he has no obligation to leave a tweet standing when he sees it is being taken the wrong way. If you are concerned about honesty and want to hold John to a higher standard than you apparently impose on yourself, then by all means do not vote for him. But do not vote for Wild. She is an absolute liar who broke her word that she would stay positive and run a clean campaign. She lied about who she really represents. She even photo-shopped a picture of John to put a Trump hat on him. That is blatantly dishonest. So she should be the last person to get your vote.
"The anti-Trump wave will take care of any of the usual negatives Wild would face from sexist Republicans."
You are absolutely nutz to make this argument. In case you have not noticed, Trump's approval ratings are going up again. There is a very large segment of Rs who treat him as though he were God. You are sorely mistaken if you think the anti-Trump sentiment so prevalent among Democrats has any impact beyond us., There are even Dems who still support him.
The only person who can beat Trump in the Fall is John Morganelli. If Wild is the nominee, I will never support her. The next Congressman will be Nothstein or Browning. This is why GOP Chair said she'd love to see Wild as the nominee. The one person who scares her is Morganelli.
Dent=Quitter
" You saw it last November as the Norco blue wave. You think that was a coincidence and people actually voted for individuals?"
It was largely a blue wave then. Brown was a terrible Exec, too, so to some extent, people were voting against him. But Trump was much more unpopular then than he is now. His approval rating have climbed from 37.8% in Nov. 2017 to 42% today. That makes no difference in a place like California, but it matters here.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/
Bernie, you are really twisting things here to suit your agenda. Whether or not you care to hear about the median voter theorem, it is a well-established concept in political science, and you are even using trying to use it when you claim only the most centrist candidate can win. The 7th may have only gone for Clinton by one point, but that was an 8-point swing left from the 15th, which went for Trump by 7, Obama in 2008 and 2012, and the Cook Political Report only has at R+4.
By negatives I didn't mean unfavorable ratings, I meant things that could really damage their campaign. I'll acknowledge that Edwards has relatively low name ID, but he also has the most money of the Dem. candidates and a Sanders endorsement, both of which can be easily leveraged to increase his name ID, although it isn't helping his name ID that you almost exclusively cover Wild and Morganelli.
-2:10
The question for 2018 is do Democrats want multiple terms with Morganelli or 2 years with Edwards/Wild/Other?
November is still a ways away, but appears to be unfavorable conditions for Republicans everywhere with a motivated Democratic base, and low polling/approval #'s among independents/moderates. Either way it all breaks, nobody is winning the 7th in a landslide, even at a pie in the sky optimistic best case scenario its a 10 pt win, but realistically a 3-4 pt win for Dems is more likely right now.
2020 is simply too far off to assume anything, incumbents have significant advantages, but the Lehigh Valley is a battle ground region with a healthy mix of city, high income/education suburbs and rural areas, so having an extreme left (or right) candidate will always agitate/irritate the independent/moderate voter, who will reflexively switch sides if they feel things going too far in either direction.
This is why Dent as a "RINO" was so effective. Most Republicans would robotic-ally vote for him because of the (R) next to his name, while Independents and moderate Dems felt comfortable enough with his policies/viewpoints to keep him in place.
I am well aware that I am using this theory, but reject the notion that there is any such thing as political "science." I consider politics an art. More fundamentally, I reject all of what I call the soft sciences, which really are little more than exalted ways of referring to bullshit. But that is an argument for another day.
I also agree that Edwards has the most money of the Ds, but has done a terrible job spending it. Is he waiting until Wednesday? I have heard that some of his campaign team were in Lower Nazareth, going door to door, but he has done little to get his message out there. Spend a little less time on theorems and a little more time hustling.
I did cover him at every debate, and probably should have been at the Sanders event, which I instead watched on Facebook. I believe I should have spotlighted more of his campaign.
I agree he is the only real liberal running, and respect those who are supporting him, except the shouters who disrupted the NextGen America debate. I oppose and detest mob rule. I disagree with some of his statements, but agree with him on many issues and consider him a moving and inspiring speaker.
He is also likable.
I have no problem with him, and if John were not running, I would support him.
"The question for 2018 is do Democrats want multiple terms with Morganelli or 2 years with Edwards/Wild/Other?"
Hold on there. John is in his 60s. He is good for two or three terms at most. Wild is 60 and could be there five terms. Edwards is a kid and could be there for 20 years.
John will not be there for long, and will answer to himself and the people of this district. He will not do what Trump wants or what the Dem leaders tell him to do. He will do what his conscience tells him.
Agree that Morganelli isn't going to be some Lehigh Valley institution in congress - was just making the point that for either party to get an electable candidate in there that can hold the seat under typical political circumstances, that they need some amount of cross over appeal. A flaming liberal or howling red faced conservative type can't hold the center in this district, but closed primaries in this state certainly increase a parties chances of shooting themselves in the foot.
"You tie Wild to Fed Ed but conveniently forget Morganelli's ties to Jim Hickey. The same Jim Hickey who you conveniently fail to mention in articles about the Fed Ed investigation."
What ties? First, I have not really tied Wild to Fed Ed, but the Rs certainly shall if she wins the Dem nod. I called her out bc she is a liar who ran a dirty and dishonest campaign. I had dismissed her as a Fed Ed concern bc I though she was a person of integrity. I now know different. Why was Saidel told to give the money to Susan. Why did Fleck and Ruchliwez claim that they had enlightened Wild on the "ways of the world"? I do have questions, but that's not enough for an attack. on that basis.
I have attacked her for her lies and for pretending she represents ordinary people when she really represents the insurance companies who screw ordinary people. She represented a township when it was sued for sexual harassment. Not exactly #metoo, but I have not attacked her on that point.
As for Hickey and Morganelli, what ties? Hickey came in with Reibman, not Morganelli. I am sure the two know each other, but that's about it. What ties are there? There are none.
I will have more to say about Hickey very soon, but he has never had a relationship with Morganelli.
As I indicated, that is John's personal twitter
Nice try. The name listed is "DA John Morganelli" and his bio says "District Attorney of Northampton County, Pennsylvania". That's not personal as much as you two would like it to be.
11:05 - Edwards may be a fine candidate but his reliance on BernieBros financing and his cockamamie "Reverend" status loses this voter.
The question for 2018 is do Democrats want multiple terms with Morganelli or 2 years with Edwards/Wild/Other?
This is nonsense. See Matt Cartwright.
So far as I know, he is describing what he is. It is not the DA twitter. I do not think there is an official twitter.
You are grasping at straws, trying to justify a very stupid decision. A vote for Wild is a vote for the R party.
"the shouters who disrupted the NextGen America debate"
I was not there but from your coverage, the shouting was at John Morganelli. That should tell you something about how out of place a Trump-supporting Democrat is at this point in the Trump universe.
John M announcing your endorsement for him ?.(google-thedirtytruthonbernieohaire)
"You are grasping at straws, trying to justify a very stupid decision. A vote for Wild is a vote for the R party."
Yes, we are aware you believe this. But unlike you, I will support whatever Democrat wins the primary. If it's Morganelli, he can't be worse than whatever Trump acolyte the Repubs nominate.
Good Riddance Dent !!!!
I like this guy! ^^^^
You say Morganelli is in his 60's does that include 69, he looks very old and tired to me. Can he really endure a 6 month campaign against a young Nothstein. He may get lapped out there.
@12:23 - Cartwright is there because it is/was a gerrymandered district fitted out for a Democrat in 2010. Much like Dent's Allentown to Harrisburg I-78 corridor district was tailored for Republicans. It's no coincidence that Dent's popularity dropped and "RINO" labeling escalated because his party purity levels weren't sufficiently high enough for a more concentrated batch of right wing voters.
The new 7th and Dent's pre 2010 district that composed Northampton & Lehigh counties is a more politically competitive district.
"You say Morganelli is in his 60's does that include 69, he looks very old and tired to me. Can he really endure a 6 month campaign against a young Nothstein. He may get lapped out there. "
How do you know it will not be Browning? John is in excellent physical condition. But I agree he has little experience going around in circles.
" That should tell you something about how out of place a Trump-supporting Democrat is at this point in the Trump universe. "
The fact is that John was shouted down without even being givwen an opportunity to answer. That does tell me something - it tells me there is just as much intolerance from the left as there is from the right.
" unlike you, I will support whatever Democrat wins the primary"
Should Wild win, I will not support her and will encourage readers not to do so. She is a proven liar and is unworthy of a seat in Congress. I will likely not support the R nominee bc they both have tried to out-Trump each other. I might support the libertarian.
Oh brother, we have a martyr. I'd counter with JM is a liar in that he openly and aggressively supported Donald Trump and now sends out mailers stating the opposite like we're all idiots.
B/c of Dent's selfishness, we will have no representation in Congress for about 6 months, and then someone for about 2 months before we get another person. And I wonder what the cost will be to the taxpayers for all of this? Way to go Charlie, thanks a lot!
Yeah, he can't stick it out for 7 more months?
John Morganelli has not "openly and aggressively supported Donald Trump." He basically wished him success. He was a Clinton supporter at a time when AG candidates were unwilling to state publicly who they supported bc it might cost them votes. Morganelli was more honest and forthright. What Wild did matters a lot more than the usual campaign bluster. She gave Morganelli her word that she would run a clean campaign and broke that word.
"Yeah, he can't stick it out for 7 more months? "
I don't blame him a bit. You people rallies outside his office, called him the swamp (after taking his money) and did just about everything you could to kill his ability to be effective.
You're a proven liar yourself, BO. A lying piece of shit.
It has finally come to light the part of Obama's legacy that will endure: DONALD J. TRUMP
ThanX
Stop claiming the world will end if Wild is nominated. She would beat Nothstein in the Fall., Stop claiming that Moraganelli is the be all and end all of great American leaders. This is just more ego and pension. He and the insider club of Donchez and Boscola are always helping each other to pluck more from the public fruit tree. What have they done for anyone else in politics. Boscola and Donchez sit on tons of money and give very little to other pols who have contributed mightily to their campaigns. Don't think that has not gone unnoticed by anew generation of democrats.
You are an alarmist.
Really?
Lee Snover, the NorCo GOP Chair would just love to see Wild get the nod,according to Salon:
"I prefer the most liberal, the most progressive to win, because that's a great contrast for us," Snover told Salon, identifying lawyer Susan Wild as an example of the type of candidate she believed Republicans would have the easiest time defeating. By contrast, she expressed more trepidation about District Attorney John Morganelli, an outspoken moderate, who she argued has "that Joe Manchin thing [a reference to the centrist United States Senator from West Virginia]. He talks like us but votes like them."
https://www.salon.com/2018/04/08/donald-trumps-shadow-looms-over-a-swing-district-in-pennsylvania/
Let's keep focused on making America great again!
Snover screwed up the county elections, she is no authority and is probably worried about Wild.
The most honest idealistic candidate in the race is Roger Ruggles. He has my vote.
If you were really interested in honesty, you'd sign your name. Ruggles is in the race simply to draw votes away from Morganelli in Easton. It is either that or pure ego. He has to know there is no way he can win, so I think it is the former. But he has the right to run.
The first comment about Snover, which included several shots at me, was deleted. If you come into my house and can't be respectful, expect that to happen. And comments about my deletion practice are themselves subject to deletion.
"The people of the Lehigh Valley have a decision to make. Do we want to send someone to Congress who will just be a flamethrower who lies and who falsely portrays..."
Two of my adult children received very official looking mailings today: creepy, and also very deceptive. Supposedly from "Pennsylvania State Voter Program" with a return address in Harrisburg. Also, in contrasting red ink across the envelope, "IMPORTANT TAXPAYER INFORMATION ENCLOSED." Inside, a letter asking in all bold upper caps, "what if your friends, your neighbors, and your community knew whether you voted?" In the text, "this chart shows the names of people you know and their voting histories..." and goes on to show a chart with us and our neighbors names and addresses, and the supposed voting histories for Nov 2014, March 2016, and Nov 2016, and May 15 2018 (?).
So many things wrong that the gullible would fall for:
1. seems creepy to be reporting how our neighbors voted, and vice versa
2. PA primary was late April, not March, in 2016, so false info
3. comparing between the two mailings, they gave different voting "records" for each of them, so bogus BS
4. google the "PA State Voter Program", as someone might do, and official PA site comes up that the naive don't realize is NOT this, and google it with the address, and the zip code is crossed off in the search info as missing, and the PO box does not come up at all. Very deceptive, especially as most would only search the name
5. content is not "taxpayer information"
6. the pre-sorted postage is actually paid out of Indianapolis,IN, not Harrisburg, PA
7. NO where is there "paid for" info, to further the deception that this is somehow official to the naive
8. it was only mailed to the two female who were registered Dems.
9. also today another letter addressed to one of them comes from "Nextgen Pennsylania"
10. also today, a big flier mailed to the other one, for Susan Wild paid for by "WOMEN VOTE!", with postage paid out of Baltimore, MD
So, as you wrote:"The people of the Lehigh Valley have a decision to make. Do we want to send someone to Congress who will just be a flamethrower who lies and who falsely portrays..."
Two of my adult children received very official looking mailings today... Supposedly from "Pennsylvania State Voter Program"...
Same here. The most obnoxious part is at the top in all caps which says, "WHAT IF YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR NIEGHBORS, AND YOUR COMMUNITY KNEW WHETHER YOU VOTED?. Then proceeded to list them, my wife and I.--"This chart shows the names [and addresses] of people you know and their voting histories."
Then threatens to send a second mailer updating letting other people who and who did not vote. What the hell!
The old voting district represented by Dent changes from a district Trump won by 8 points to a new district Clinton narrowly won. [1] Could Dent's worry of this new playing field scare him into not running? If so, he is not a fighter. [2] After all the supporters of Dent who gave time and money to his last candidacy, why would he quit mid-term and not have the duty of completion? Where is the loyalty to the campaign principles and those believers who he promised to serve? [3] I don't know who wrote his departure speech [maybe he did?] but if he believes those words then why doesn't he stay the course where he can lead the effort for change in the very arena he criticizes? A lack of soldiering those principles, loyalty, and leadership are reasons for change. By his words and actions, he is saying as much.
Looking over this a second time these only seemed to go out to Democrats, Looks like they were trying to strong arm votes for their party only because our neighbors who vote Republican didn't get one. Blackmail--what a hellva way for Democrats to get out the votes !
Ovem & LVCI,
As you probably both know, there is a Latin legal principle that goes back to the days of Cassius, called cui bono. Who benefits? Who has something to gain?
Over the decades, I am sure both of you are aware of the numerous voter suppression efforts aimed mostly at minorities, designed to keep them off the street on election day. This seems to be designed into embarrassing people to vote. Who benefits from this? Democrats. Not centrist Democrats. Liberal Democrats. The kind who would photoshop a bad picture of John Morganelli and put a Trump hat on him. The kind who would shout him down at a debate. The kind who would bully another Dem candidate, an Iraq war vet, into not submitting his nomination papers. The kind who have told Ken Kraft they will primary him bc he supports John Morganelli. From what I've seen of Edwards at numerous debates, I doubt very much he would condone this. From what I've seen of Sue Wild, she would help them lick the stamps.
If either of you get a chance, send me the flyer. BOHare5948@aol.com. I want to evaluate whether it could be considered voter intimidation. Please blackout personal identifying information.
Voting histories are a matter of public record, but the elections office insists I fill out and sign a request when I want one. I think that's fair.
Also, if someone is running for office and never votes or has a spotty record, I think people should know. But generally speaking, I believe that the right to vote includes the right not to vote.
5.59
so you would prefer that "liberal Democrats" do not vote?
sounds like anyone who portrays Morganelli in a bad light is doing something wrong.
Either you want more people to vote or you do not.
your comment sounds like you only want certain people to vote.
and who would benefit from that?
I have deleted a few anonymous personal attacks, one of which even accuses me of being anti-Semitic. No, I oppose people who break their word and lie. That has nothing to do with whatever her religious beliefs might be.
"so you would prefer that "liberal Democrats" do not vote?
sounds like anyone who portrays Morganelli in a bad light is doing something wrong.
Either you want more people to vote or you do not.
your comment sounds like you only want certain people to vote.
and who would benefit from that?"
Not what I said at all. I see the Wild supporter with the unusual page breaks is back.
If you embarrass people into voting, that is arguably a form of voter intimidation. Threatening to expose someone to his or her neighbors for not voting could be a form of voter intimidation and a crime. While I of course want everyone to vote, the right to vote should necessarily include the right NOT to vote.
My guess is that someone is playing games, and this Wild supporter seems to know.
Agreed.
You're thinking of the old district, Bernie. The new one no longer favors Morganelli.
This has already been discussed in detail. This is still very much a centrist district that Clinton only won by one per cent. And in the past year, Trump’s approval ratings have gone up. The only D who can win this is Morganelli. If your heart is with Edwards, I respect that. But not Wild, who is anti-union and was denied an endorsement from the very highly regarded Allentown firefighters.
10.10
"Not what I said at all. I see the Wild supporter with the unusual page breaks is back."
one thing you get wrong is that i am a Wild supporter.
i think that she does not deserve support because of her actions that you like to pound the table with.
However she is not Satan incarnate.
without proof you imply that Wild is the guilty party and "liberal Democrats" are a problem.
all because Morganelli was photo shopped.
So what happens if there was a photo of Morganelli wearing a maga hat while carrying trump's golf clubs?
would you mention it?
you know when he went out for a walk and just happened to run into trump on a private golf course.
What a cowinkydink.
so would "liberal Democrats" get the blame for that as well?
Would they be wrong for pointing out how Morganelli was schmoozing with trump?
I get and agree that Morganelli is probably the best candidate.
I however am not wearing blinders that keep me from seeing that Morganelli should have a better answer than "it was jokes" and Morganelli can explain why he wanted to hear from the transition team.
What did he want to hear from them?
Funny, we have a few Democrat Senators running, notably in Indiana and West Virginia, who are making an effort to show they always supported Trump. Trump has worked very hard and his approval numbers are certainly rising. Reading here, I get the impression Morganelli has hidden some of his prior positive remarks about Trump policies. Quite the opposite approach.
8:03 is again the Wild supporter with the strange page breaks. John has NEVER worn a Trump hat and issued a statement saying so. So Wild is a liar. Again. Your candidate is perfectly willing to deceive the public she wants to represent, just as she deceived John.
9.41
you missed the word "if" in my statement.
Wild is not my candidate.
but again attack the messenger.
but while the denials of Morganelli's behavior continue
the video
October 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTYtGl0svfo
the tea party speech
at approx 8.40
John is against the dream act from it's inception and testified to Congress about it.
guess he has "evolved"
19.40 John gets feedback from two organizations and they even have a newsletter!
FAIR
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation_for_American_Immigration_Reform
and ALIPAC
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/gheen-immigrants-may-smile-at-you-as-they-hand-you-your-cheeseburger-but-they-really-want-you-and-your-whole-family-to-die/
from June of 2014--(before John spoke at the tea party group)
"William Gheen of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC) claimed that Mexican American immigrants “may smile at you as they serve you your cheeseburger or cruise across your lawn with a weed eater” but in reality they want “for you and your whole family to die.”
also the video has John with the dog whistles such as the media is at fault.
John claims he has no use for the ACLU.
so aside from telling the crowd what they want to hear.
i doubt Morganelli knew about ALIPAC's leader making such a comment.
but he does get feedback from those two groups.
unless they video of him speaking is just another "joke"
i do not believe Morganelli is racist or a bigot.
at worst he is merely pandering to the crowd.
The unusual page breaks again from someone who is always trying to defend Wild and always bashing John. But you're not a Wild supporter. Just like your candidate, you are dishonest.
The person pretending to have no dog in this hunt is providing all kinds of links to cast John in a negative light. He is trying to divert attention away from Wild's dishonest behavior.
10:34
actually i am trying to show you the blinders you have decided to wear.
Morganelli made those comments.
so how is that bashing John when he states quite openly what he believes?
yet he gets a pass.
Morganelli is probably the best candidate for a Democrat to take the office.
where you get the idea that i am defending Wild is a mystery.
when will you admit that John plays to the crowd?
You continue to deflect attention away from Wild's dishonesty by bashing John. You have done this all along. It's no mystery. When you stop doing that and admit she is a bad candidate, then we can talk.
I wear no blinders when it comes to John. He and I have serious disagreements over the years on a host of issues, including some that have not been a focus of this campaign. But I have known him for 30 years. In that time, he has always had time to meet with anyone.In fact, I have often seen him give people a hand in he courthouse when they are lost and don't know where to go. He has no airs and does not think he is better than anyone else. He has always stood up for people who have no voice. Crime victims. People who no one else will believe. He has donated money from his own pocket, not campaign funds, for different efforts. He has stood up to establishment politicians and to judges. He is extremely smart, is well prepared. he has professionalized his office, and has made a point of hiring minorities and women.
He has helped working people. When illegals were on job sites taking work away from the unions, John would investigate and prosecute. But at the same time, if an illegal is victimized, John would make sure that person got Visa status.
He is a free speech purist who has defended the right of antiwar protestors to assemble at the Palmer Post Office, dismissing charges filed against them. He dismissed charges against a man accused of flying the flag upside down. He even dismissed charges against a Trump supporter despite her personal animosity to him.
When many DAs would let their staff handled the big cases, John has stepped in and has led by example. He tried 25 capital cases.
Because of the encouragement he gave to women in his office,oneisnow a judge, another is poised to succeed him, a third went to the US Attorney's office,and two others have been highly successful in private practice.
He has stood up for his own staff, making sure they are treated fairly, and he believes strongly in affordable health care for all.
He is a Democrat and unlike elitists like you, is willing to reach out and talk to the other side, instead of snubbing them.
Now from this point, if you want to comment, I insist you ID yourself. You have taken enough of my time anonymously. If you have any manners at all, you'll do that or go away.
Charlie Dent is part of the John McCain appeasement part of a bygone era of Republicans. His failure to back the Trump agenda cost him big support in the district. The fact that Trump overturned virtually all the Obama nonlegislated treaties & tackling trade abuses is hardening his base. May be the only politician that has done what he said he would do.
So hopefully the dems nominate a left wing liberal like Wild who will get crushed by the same group of dems that helped put Trump in the whitehouse.
I gave you an opportunity to ID yourself to continue this conversation and told you that was a condition of carrying on this discussion. You have refused, and think you can continue. You can't. You are just wasting my time.
So, I went back to the article you wrote on Israel. Since then, Trump has scuttled US participation in the Iran nuclear deal. It is an arrogant, most unwise move. It is an attack on European sovereignty:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2018/05/12/trumps-decision-to-blow-up-the-iran-deal-is-a-massive-attack-on-europe/?utm_term=.c6c1abd7aeb8
John Morganelli said, from your article, that:
"Morganelli agreed that "we need to be 1000% on the side of Israel." Noting that it is a parliamentary democracy, he said Israel is "the only ally we can count on in the Middle East." But he complained that the Trump administration has been making changes without consulting our key ally. He said whatever is done should be discussed with Israel first, and that a strategy should be developed moving forward."
Based on this, I cannot vote for John Morganelli. I don't believe his opinion is even shared by the majority of American Jews. For me, it is now a choice between Edwards and Wild.
John Morganelli is the best choice for the US Representative Seat. His hard nosed Kennedy Democrat political position is very representative of the Lehigh Valley. Charlie was good, but John will be better.
Morganelli said he would consult with Israel and come up with a unified strategy. I agree completely. I also agree with Woodman's remark that "[y]ou don't make deals with a country that wants to destroy a key ally." It was a foolish appeasement by Obama. But Trump is just as nutz, rattling his saber everywhere he goes.
"But Trump is just as nutz"
To imply that there is any equivalence between Obama's policy and Trump's madness is pretty lame. Iran was in compliance with the treaty. The U.S. unilaterally abrogated it, as was Israel's wish. The deal will not be renegotiated. The world is a more dangerous place now, and any candidate like Morganelli who thinks that throwing the treaty away and renegotiating it in accordance with Israel's wishes is a candidate I cannot support.
The rest of the world will now make it's way without the leadership of the US.
You don't have to support John over this issue. It is absolutely the right thing to do. And I've got news for you, the world was already a very dangerous place. Obama made it weaker with a policy of appeasement. Israel is attacked daily and is too often ignored by its allies. Europe has experienced a significant is in anti-Semitism, so it is little wonder they don't mind. Although Trump talked like a jerk, his actual response to the chemical attack in Syria was perfect. It was proportional. If we do not start portraying strength, thugs like Putin will walk all over us, just as he did when Obama was in power. I like many things about Obama. His foreign policy is not one of them. Trump has managed to make things worse with with his mouth and tweets, but agree completely that we should pull out of a deal that should never have been made.
Let me add here that a deal like this should have been confirmed by the Senate. Had that happened, I'd argue we're stuck. But Obama acted unilaterally. He has no power to bind the country that way. No nation should rely on a treaty or agreement that is not properly endorsed.
"And I've got news for you, the world was already a very dangerous place."
Very condescending of you to inform me of that. But although Obama's record was uneven, on balance he did make the world safer with this treaty. Don't take my word for this. Look at polls showing that Americans approved of this treaty by large margins.
I want someone representing me who does not let Israel dictate what our foreign policy should be. John Morganelli, with his statement that he is 1000% behind Israel, does not appear to be that person.
By the way, I also did not like his answer on the Republican tax cuts for the wealthy. He said wait and see. Susan Wild actually had a much better answer. She said that it was ballooning the deficit (which R's claim to care about), and that Republicans would then use that increased deficit to reduce social programs.
If Morganelli wins the primary, I will vote for him in the general election. But as long as there are candidates who give better answers, I can't vote for him in the primary.
So who is endorsing Mr.Morganelli besides Boscola? Support from the loose lush is no help. She has been caught driving while drunk and if not for her insider position she should have spent some time in jail. Of course you will claim she has a disease. Hopefully he has better support than her.
""And I've got news for you, the world was already a very dangerous place."
Very condescending of you to inform me of that. But although Obama's record was uneven, on balance he did make the world safer with this treaty. Don't take my word for this. Look at polls showing that Americans approved of this treaty by large margins."
Now I will be condescending bc you posted an incredibly dumb statement. First, it is no treaty. That requires the advice and consent of 2/3 of the Senate. Obama made the deal anyway, and that's all it can be called. Second, you assert that the world was safer bc a majority of American supported this deal. All that means is that it had support on the home front. That does not make us safer and it is illogical for you say so. A majority of Americans wanted us stay out of WWI. That did not make us safer. In fact, numerous US merchant sailors died as a result of German submarines. Before WWII, a maority of Americans opposed our involvement. What followed was Pearl Harbor. The thousands of American who lost their lives on Dec 11, 1941 would disagree that we were safer,or that what a majority of Americans thinks is what determines whether we are suffer. Yours has to be one of the dumbest statements in this thread, andI have seenmore than a few.
So you want Democratic primary voters to vote for a candidate that opposed Pres. Obama's policies and supports and promotes Trump policies
..mnnnn. ok
"Conservative or Liberal, Deist or Pagan, Jersey transplant or Lehigh Valley native, we're all in this mess together. Let's talk. Let us do no harm." B.O.Hare
"Yours has to be one of the dumbest statements in this thread" B.O. Hare, above.
So you have privileged access to the truth, and we who have an interest in avoiding nuclear war are just dumb, and are labeled as dumb. So much for the civil discourse that you hypocritically recommend in the first statement.
By the way, the Senate did vote in favor of this multi-lateral treaty. We have unilaterally abrogated it. The treaty still stands, as the other five signatories, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China remain in compliance.
I just learned that Ed Rendell, a real Democrat, has endorsed Susan Wild. Now let's see; am I going to go with a real Democrat, or Bernie? No mystery here; I choose the real Democrat.
Huffpost headline right now: "A Populist Clintonian and Pro-Trump Dem Duke it Out." Go Edwards!
"By the way, the Senate did vote in favor of this multi-lateral treaty. We have unilaterally abrogated it."
Incorrect. Just as a poll is not what makes us safer, a treaty is not a treaty unless it is confirmed by 2/3 of the Senate. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/05/09/if-the-iran-deal-had-been-a-senate-confirmed-treaty-would-trump-have-been-forced-to-stay-in-nope/?utm_term=.2c49c3619eb4
After over 100 comments, I am closing the comment option. We have reached a point of diminishing returns. On Tuesday, I will allow readers to make pitches for their candidates.
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