It's been rumored for the past month or so that Robert Brooks, a retired Bethlehem firefighter and current President of the Pa Professional Firefighters' Ass'n, was going to be announcing his candidacy for the now crowded race for the Democratic nomination to the Pa.-07 Congressional seat currently held by Republican Ryan Mackenzie. Yesterday, rumor became reality. Brooks not only announced but did so with multiple text bombs. I got three nearly identical text messages from him, except for the ask. The first just requested a "donation today." A second asked me to be a "Founding Donor." A third asked me to split a donation between "The Next 50 and me." He also received the endorsement of Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders, who asked me to send $27.
Brooks, who was able to retire and start collecting a defined benefit pension after just 20 years in Bethlehem, proclaims himself as an everyman. Aside from government employees, I know of very few people who have that kind of perc.
Other things bother me much more. He has previously supported Lamont McClure in the Pa.-07 Congressional race and has even sent text messages calling him a "strong Democrat with a proven track record of putting out fires and a long history of standing up to corruption." Would an everyman suddenly stab someone in the back the way Brooks just did?
And is he even really a Democrat?
In 2019, he posted the Clint Eastwood meme you see above, which stand for some well-known Republican ideals. I could understand a Democrat might endorse second amendment rights. He might think we need stronger discipline. He might want us all to tougher on crime. He might even think prayer in schools is a good idea. But if he supports all of these, it's time for him to change his party registration. What bothers me most is the skull with a Roman numeral III. This signifies the three percenters, "a decentralized, far-right, anti-government movement in the United States."
Finally, he's simply not a very nice person. Let me explain why.
In 2008, his in-laws transferred a residential property to him and his then wife and even fronted the cost of subdividing the property to the tune of $55,000. Everyman Brooks promised to pay the money back but never did. Eventually, he and his then wife agreed to sign a promissory note for the money, with monthly payment of $630. He never paid a cent. He was sued, and a $130,000 award was entered against him in 2020. In an effort to string things along, he appealed but lost in a unanimous Pennsylvania Superior Court ruling. In 2022, judgment was entered against him for $130,000.
That judgment remains open of record.
After screwing over his in-laws, he and his wife eventually parted ways, with a divorce being granted in 2018. He finally quitclaimed his interest in the property to his ex-wife in 2022. But before that happened, two foreclosure actions were filed against him. And he was sued by two credit card companies. He currently owns no real estate.
He's no working-class hero. A man who screwed over his own family and who dropped a candidate he said he supported is someone who will drop the working class he now pretends to champion.
Other Democrats in this race include NorCo Exec Lamont McClure, Susan Wild- puppet Carol Obando-Derstine, blatant opportunist Mark Pinsley, and carpetbagger and pretend-Democrat Ryan Crosswell.
41 comments:
It’s a good thing that this is a blog and not a podcast.
Otherwise we might see McClure’s lips moving when you speak.
Just the usual everyday list of political opportunists. I fear honest candidates no longer exist.
Jesus, get a room.
Bernie,
I loved your comment, “But if he supports all of these, it's time for him to change his party registration.”
I’ll add to your list by saying any Democrat who believes men shouldn’t by invading women’s sports and girls locker rooms should change his registration. And that goes for any Democrat who thinks criminal illegal aliens should be deported, cities should be safe, an Individual federal judge shouldn’t be allowed to dictate immigration and tax policies for the entire nation too.
There are a lot of reasons so many Democrats are switching party registration.
Scott Janney
Looks like some powerful people are afraid to run against Big Lamont.
And they should be. They should be.
As a "D" it looks like we're going to have to vote for MACKENZIE. Who's left?
Brooks makes no difference. Lamont has already done himself in with his gracedale shenanigans. No one, with the exception of a blogger, has any faith in him. mcclure will be greatly embarrassed by RM on election day.
The donation requests from this no good sounds like just another scam to feather his nest.
Yet another, lying, cheating, fraudster typical politician!
I see a pattern here. Democrats not named Lamont McClure announce their candidacy. Bernie OHare immediately posts hit piece the next day against said candidate.
Dems are not smart enough to understand that by running all these wanabees they are just splitting votes. Ryan will clear the board in a royal fashion.
I received the text bursts as well....I'm willing to keep an open mind, but the Bernie Sanders endorsement lost me...I'm in favor of our party finding new/younger and more moderate candidates as we've become to far left.
BOH - love a donation too.
Sounds like someone Trump can relate to
Does not sound like a good person, but I do not know him. However, your criticism/ questioning of whether he is a Democrat is a bit inconsistent with your past support of open primaries. If in your view the person voting in a primary does not have to be a registered member of the party, why does the candidate have to show some bona fides? They simply must meet the petition requirement.
I do not support open primaries, thus my opposition to him as not a true Dem would appear to be the more consistent path of resistance. (In all transparency, I am not a registered Dem, the party is a lost cause these days.)
You can't have it both ways.
Interesting misspelling in the 2nd paragraph. "Perk" is side benefit of a job or duty. "Perc" is often a truncation of "Percocet."
But your boy Lamont is the perfect candidate. 😂. He’s a snake, lying power grabbing dictator who picks and supports morons he can control.
It's awful that we (as a region) cannot come up with better candidates. We haven't had a good Congressman since Francis Walter. Although Charlie Dent come close.
Where is Joe Yosko when we need him?
I know of one type of government employees that don't get that kind of perk. Northampton County employees!!!!!! Lamont made sure of that the last 8 years. Hey hears 2% omg your so gracious!!!! Take you 37 cents an hour raise. I'll vote for this guy before Lamont every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Charlie Dent was a good congressman. If his peers would follow his lead we would have a check and balance government rather than the authoritarian dictatorship of Trump.
If the Dems had any sense, the response on their candidates should be, "Pass"
It can also invoke a "perc test," to determine if appropriate for a septic tank or cesspool.
Everyone pining for Charlie Dent seems to forget that as soon as things got tough he quit. I'm not sure how his peers following his lead would give us checks and balances.
Where's the transparency from Lamont? Why aren't the General-Purpose Financial Statements or CAFR available on the county website for the public to review?
He was one of the first to recognize Trump for what he is and act as a member of the separate branch of government not kiss Trump’s ring like Mackenzie. Until we have more congressmen like Dent we will live under this dictatorship.
Dent, Kinzinger. Cheney and Romney are true Republicans they had the guts to stand up to Trump and see the buffoon he is
"Other Democrats in this race include NorCo Exec Lamont McClure, Susan Wild- puppet Carol Obando-Derstine, blatant opportunist Mark Pinsley, and carpetbagger and pretend-Democrat Ryan Crosswell."
What a rogues gallery of crookedness and incompetence.
In BFD he had the name "Crooksy". He even started working for another FFs landscaping business, then started his own company and poached all the clients. Real question, how many fires did he fight? I heard of one where the hose got ripped out if his hand because he was panicking in the corner. Next thing you know he bids to be a driver because he's a coward.
That makes no sense. Do you think six people will be on the ballot?
"We haven't had a good Congressman since Francis Walter." Jesus, how old are you? 150?
Charlie Dent might have been a personable guy, I just considered him an underachiever. He did pose for lots of pictures with visitors.
The worst part was, after quitting the position, Charlie Dent 'whored' himself out to whatever liberal media outlet needed a Republican stooge to condemn his own colleagues and disrespect the voters and funders who put him in office. That, I consider a low-class way to wave goodbye to coworkers and friends.
Actually, I don't care how old you are. Keep talking. Tell us more about Congressman Walter. Sounds like the guy was a certified bad-ass; "In 1944, he presented President Roosevelt with a letter opener made of an arm bone of a fallen Japanese soldier."
1:44 pm, there is nothing to admire about those four since they bailed and left us with a lunatic Congress. They would have been patriots in my mind had they protested more, joined the Democrats, and helped prevent what we have now. The closest to really being a patriot is Cheney, but even she fell short.
Northampton County seems to be just as much of a shit show as Lehigh County. We need good, strong, honest people in government, but all we attract are "get along to go alongs" or power hungry people looking to piss down our necks and tell us what a storm we're having... they can all go to hades!!!
This blog and its author are just a mouthpiece for one party. He throws storys in about his bike to throw people off, but most see it.
Sure seems like 'Crooksy' knows how to come up with extra money and not pay it back!
YUK! on all 4. Surely, you're just poking the hornet's nest here to get a rise.
Another POS
You mean the CharlieDent who walked out on his job and his constituents to become a media darling?
In his video, he wants to bust up big companies. As someone who raised a family working for a big company, sounds like he wants to take food out of my mouth to give to another. Maybe the real threat are investors, who buy, divest and dispose of companies for a profit without regards for workers. Glad he crossed the finish line but please, hands off my job.
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