tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post2319732076575661789..comments2024-03-28T16:50:38.429-04:00Comments on Lehigh Valley Ramblings: Mike Fleck's Sinking Ship: Easton's Mayoral RaceBernie O'Harehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-65009495270792570652007-04-28T16:57:00.000-04:002007-04-28T16:57:00.000-04:00If the papers publish me, they'll publish anyone.If the papers publish me, they'll publish anyone.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-16104987823466850782007-04-28T09:55:00.000-04:002007-04-28T09:55:00.000-04:00I'm looking forward to Fleck's Op-ed on the Waterw...I'm looking forward to Fleck's Op-ed on the Waterwaste. Will the papers publish anything written with a crayon?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-70543511141360194042007-04-27T18:07:00.000-04:002007-04-27T18:07:00.000-04:00Bob, It's an honor to hear from you.I hope to have...Bob, It's an honor to hear from you.I hope to have the privilege of meeting you soon.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-29042263109530552212007-04-27T17:54:00.000-04:002007-04-27T17:54:00.000-04:00Bernie, I don't get to read too many blogs (no tim...Bernie, <BR/>I don't get to read too many blogs (no time) but someone pointed out that there was a series of discussions going on here that mentioned my wife and me (sort of). <BR/><BR/>So, to clear up any questions or misconceptions: I ran McHale's campaign in 1992 (thanks "anonymous 5:09 pm" for the kind words) and was called in again to save his dumb ass late in 1994. <BR/><BR/>After McHale came out as the first Democrat to call for Bill Clinton to resign from the Presidency I wrote him off as the self-absorbed fop that he had become. <BR/><BR/>I met Jenn Mann in the '92 campaign through her father Dave who I had known for many years as an Organizer for the UAW. <BR/><BR/>In 1998 my wife Karen Ritter and I had the honor to run Jenn's initial campaign for the 132nd District and Karen also helped in her first re-election race in 2000. Since then Jenn has gone on to a bright career based on her own merit and skills.<BR/><BR/>Karen did not run Jenn's State Senate race although she did help out where she could.<BR/><BR/>I am not too surprised at the lack of historical knowledge about campaigns and consultants who work or have worked in the Valley. <BR/><BR/>People only seem to focus on the tactics of the last election cycle and who did what to who. The amount of self-promotion that self-styled "consultants" do now days is also amusing to me. <BR/><BR/>Guess I'm too old school for that kind of waste of time and the fact that I ran the Congressional in 1992 against one of the Valley's all time top self-promoters (Mike Solomon) made me even more averse to that kind of activity. <BR/><BR/>By the way, Karen and I are still around working with unions and good Democrats all over the country. To paraphrase a line from Spamalot: "We aren't dead yet!" <BR/><BR/>Hope this clears up some things for your readers and I promise to try and spend more time cruising through the Lehigh Valley blogosphere and reading your blog, too. <BR/><BR/>It is always interesting to hear people's opinions, even the ones that are based on unsupported opinions or misinformation.<BR/><BR/>Bob WolperAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-70777249750629584092007-04-27T15:39:00.000-04:002007-04-27T15:39:00.000-04:00Yiu think it was a goat? Naaaaaaa.Yiu think it was a goat? Naaaaaaa.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-58081689777333382332007-04-27T14:22:00.000-04:002007-04-27T14:22:00.000-04:00Bernie your blogging is ethical. It's your behavi...Bernie your blogging is ethical. It's your behavior with Billy and Casey last night that's unethical. Poor goat.LVDemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07359661408192860813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-61597265812897964452007-04-27T12:33:00.000-04:002007-04-27T12:33:00.000-04:00To whom it may concern. The guidelines I try to fo...To whom it may concern. The guidelines I try to follow, which I posted on March 13, are as follows:<BR/><BR/>1. Publish as fact only that which you believe to be true. (If your statement is speculation, say so.)<BR/><BR/>2. If material exists online, link to it when you reference it.<BR/><BR/>3. Publicly correct any misinformation. (These corrections would appear in the most current version of your blog and as an added note to the original entry.)<BR/><BR/>4. Write each entry as if it could not be changed; add to, but do not rewrite or delete, any entry. (Changing or deleting entries destroys the integrity of the network. I will correct a spelling or grammatical error anytime I discover one. And I have a fifteen minute rule for changing posts. Once it's up for fifteen minutes, it's there for the entire world to see even if I know I'm dead wrong. At that point, I have to do a correction.)<BR/><BR/>5. Disclose any conflict of interest. (This is particularly important for an anonymous blogger.)<BR/><BR/>6. Note questionable and biased sources.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-40450644843498153452007-04-27T07:45:00.000-04:002007-04-27T07:45:00.000-04:00Karen Friedman is a based out of blue bell so she'...Karen Friedman is a based out of blue bell so she's not the best example of a LV based. I was trying to think of a few other names when I wrote that long post and Ritter was the one that I just couldn't think about. But now that I remember the name, I remember it from Mann's state senate race I believe. I wouldn't be shocked if Jenn was a volunteer at Paul's campaign b/c her father has been very active volunteering for campaigns. <BR/><BR/>As far as my focus on new consutants, it's b/c I'm young and tend to congregate with them, as I'm sure you did back in the day. But somebody asked who the consultants are that could help make the next big candidate. BTNP and Levi Price fit that bill.LVDemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07359661408192860813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-39335267919587044112007-04-26T23:06:00.000-04:002007-04-26T23:06:00.000-04:00House of Crayons,You died and made you the King of...House of Crayons,<BR/><BR/>You died and made you the King of Blogging Ethics? I know you're some kind of comment cop over at Easton Undressed, but please check the sanctimonious shit at the door when you come in my house. <BR/><BR/>I already this conversation with you back in March. I follow a <A HREF="http://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com/2007/03/is-lvramblings-rag-blog-is-it-ethical.html" REL="nofollow">code of ethics</A> I've set forth on my blog. If something is speculation, <EM> I say so</EM>. The business about not reporting a rumor is complete horseshit, especially in the blogosphere, which is highly interactive. When I say something is speculative, that's hardly a tacit endorsement unless you're a complete moron. I went thru this with you before. I even went to the trouble of publishing my own code of ethics, and I follow it. Where's your code of ethics? In your head? I'm just <EM>not</EM> going to follow your little condescending commands. I spoke to a few reporters and some big time bloggers about rumors and know there is nothing unethical about reporting them so long as the appropriate disclaimer is made. I rejected what you said back in March and I reject it now.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-78745418041089620192007-04-26T22:33:00.000-04:002007-04-26T22:33:00.000-04:00Rumors are bad blogging.People keep trying to ruin...Rumors are bad blogging.<BR/><BR/>People keep trying to ruin our with rumors and insinuations too.<BR/><BR/>Bernie, when you repeat a rumor yo tacitly endorse it.<BR/><BR/><I>I've seen nothing to back up that claim.<BR/><BR/>...amusement tax... is ridiculed.<BR/><BR/>Is this true? Beats me.</I><BR/><BR/>btw The amusement tax is a good thing. Yes, in my opinion Mike made some bad copromises by capping the tax for the State Theatre, but the tax is good and fair.House of Crayonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01904691897127195568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-6827475471576285292007-04-26T22:21:00.000-04:002007-04-26T22:21:00.000-04:00Hey O'hare, don't take the Casey name in vain! I s...Hey O'hare, don't take the Casey name in vain! I sign my work you know that, to separate it from the dregs like Billy Biter!<BR/> mama doris wants you to drop by for some chicken Pomodoro, with her fine arsenic sauce!Chris Caseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14444443021159003156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-2910772346841804782007-04-26T21:29:00.000-04:002007-04-26T21:29:00.000-04:00Larry, I appreciate your sage comments and actuall...Larry, I appreciate your sage comments and actually got your letter today regarding Buskirk. I met him tonight along with all the other magistrate candidates and will have more to say about that later. You're right. A consultant is only part of the picture. A lot of candidates don't use them at all.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-66369555300340146022007-04-26T21:23:00.000-04:002007-04-26T21:23:00.000-04:00I'm not anonymous "or" a consultant! I've lived i...I'm not anonymous "or" a consultant! I've lived in Bethlehem my whole life, supported and know almost every single elected official, past and present in the Lehigh Valley! I've helped many of them for FREE! Most of whom have won public office. Panto should be Mayor of Easton again! Heckman for Bethlehem City Council, Buskirk and Romig for Magistrate in their Districts are some of my my current favorites! Political Party organizations are a thing of the past,(sorry to say)<BR/>with no clout whatsoever. Also, paid consultants are a big waste of time and money. Severson (Precision Marketing) ran Tony Rybak campaign against my candidate Brennan and lost! My friends, can deliver more votes in five minutes than any of these, so called "experts" could deliver in five years. What part of these discussions am I missing? Best consultants are FREE advice from friends and family and candidates going door-to-door introducing themselves, is my opinion.<BR/><BR/>Elections are mostly won in 3 very<BR/>"equal" parts, money, volunteers and a good candidate. None more important than any of the other.<BR/><BR/>When anybody wishes to blog about consultants (sic), please don't forget family, friends, neighbors, hard work, decency, common sense and the candidate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-40108187748166395422007-04-26T21:15:00.000-04:002007-04-26T21:15:00.000-04:00Anon 8:47, The Internet is a funny place where peo...Anon 8:47, <BR/><BR/>The Internet is a funny place where people can say all kinds of things under a cloak of anonymity. I allow anonymous comments bc I love the dialogue, learn a great deal, and some folks who have things to say can only do so if they are anonymous. <BR/><BR/>But I would not conclude Fleck who made those comments. It could just as easily be a Fleck detractor who was trying to alienate the entire local Democratic party. It could have been a republican who wanted to get a chuckle at playing Dems off against each other. <BR/><BR/>Personally, I think it was that bastard Casey.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-28001043676156046972007-04-26T21:14:00.000-04:002007-04-26T21:14:00.000-04:00We don't hate Stoffa if he can get you and the med...We don't hate Stoffa if he can get you and the media to run interfertence for him he's a smart shrewd politican. Stoffa has a record but for some reason Reibman held back and didn't get the info out. That was Reibmans mistake. The point is I doubt that makes Shade a great consultant. If he was that good he would have gotten himself elected. Even the press tried to help with an endorsement over Harhart who is just as competent as the other fairly useless state reps from the valley.<BR/>Russ has a record its just not as a political consultant. PeaceAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-40123244575244931032007-04-26T20:47:00.000-04:002007-04-26T20:47:00.000-04:00hey, so I just read that comment about Fleck (the ...hey, so I just read that comment about Fleck (the first post about Fleck/Hickie, and the comment was one of the ones towards the end) where some dude went nuts protecting Fleck.<BR/><BR/>For those of us who know Fleck, his temperment and his ego, anyone else think that the one commentor who was cursing and protecting Fleck is actually fleck himself? Makes sense to me...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-12512381245066308092007-04-26T20:20:00.000-04:002007-04-26T20:20:00.000-04:00oh, i don't mind being called names. just ask my ...oh, i don't mind being called names. just ask my kids. but usually it's in connection with something i actually do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-9577449067865539072007-04-26T18:20:00.000-04:002007-04-26T18:20:00.000-04:00Anon 4:45,1) BTNP = Bernie Takes No Prisoners = Be...Anon 4:45,<BR/><BR/>1) BTNP = Bernie Takes No Prisoners = Bernie Kieklak = Lisa Boscola's chief of staff = your worst nightmare if you piss him off. He's nastier than Hickey if provoked. And he's one of the best. Lisa Boscola pulled in a 73% vicorty, highest in the LV. About a month before the election, Kieklak sent me an email telling me his internal polling had her winning with 72% of the vote. I thought he was spinning me. He wasn't. He's the real thing, and that's one Dem example of a political consultant who, except in the blogosphere, stays behind the scenes and lets his boss look good. He is a <EM> consultant who is also smart, or smarter, than their candidate but doesn't want to hog the limelight.</EM> <BR/><BR/>2) You really must hate Stoffa. Now you're trashing his consultant, Russ Shade, too. Stoffa won because of <EM>bloggers who played down past records and performance?</EM> I hate to break this to you, bippy, but the LV blogosphere was nonexistent at that time. We are a new phenomenon, and LVDem's very first post was AFTER the election was over. I wasn't even blogging about politics back then. Maybe there was a blogosphere in your I HATE STOFFA dimension, but not in the real world.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-15803133311063530672007-04-26T18:05:00.000-04:002007-04-26T18:05:00.000-04:00Anon 5:44Getting chilly in here. Do you know any g...Anon 5:44<BR/><BR/>Getting chilly in here. <BR/><BR/>Do you know any good Irish bog-trotters? <BR/><BR/>I'll be planning a story on this, but I'll limit it to those who actually get paid.<BR/><BR/>Shit, you've been called a lot worse than "bloodsucker" or "ethically challenged" during any single meeting of county council. And those were the Dems! <BR/><BR/>I promise not to say anything nice about you for a few days. I don't know what came over me. <BR/><BR/>And that cold wind ....Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-7223196580587979202007-04-26T17:44:00.000-04:002007-04-26T17:44:00.000-04:00if you're gonna do something on consultants, berni...if you're gonna do something on consultants, bernie, i'd appreciate it if you'd limit it only to those who actually hold themselves out as such, e.g. take money for their services. i'd rather not be called a "bloodsucker" and "ethically challenged" by some anonymous, mouthbreathing, cretinous troll with respect to a profession i've never purported to practic.<BR/><BR/>and don't you dare call me an idealist again, you no-good irish bog-trotter.<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>feel the wind...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-60308016341957444852007-04-26T17:09:00.000-04:002007-04-26T17:09:00.000-04:00I'm probably too old to be reading these blogs thi...I'm probably too old to be reading these blogs things but here goes. I am appalled at the lack of historical perspective expressed by some of the people who write in with comments. Doesn't anybody know Lehigh valley politics beyond the last two or three years? I have been volunteering in campaigns going back to the mid seventies. I remember walking across the Fahey Bridge from South Bethlehem to the Steelworkers hall with about 200 others and our new Congressman, Paul McHale, after he beat Don Ritter in the 1992 election. That was a heck of a campaign. The guy who managed that campaign was a labor guy named Bob or Bill something who was married to, i think, Karen Ritter a state rep from Allentown. i also remember that Jennifer Mann was involved in that campaign I think as a volunteer. Or it might have been McHale's second campaign in 1994. I think they also were involved in Jennifer's first campaign for the state house in 1998. I don't know if those two people are still doing campaigns but I do remember that Karen Ritter was a really good and highly respected state Representative and her husband, McHale's campaign manager, was a low key guy but not someone who you would want to tangle with. Hope that helps to jog some memories.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-67602364744577564582007-04-26T16:45:00.000-04:002007-04-26T16:45:00.000-04:00Yo! lVdem who or what is BTNP ? Russ Shade..come ...Yo! lVdem who or what is BTNP ? Russ Shade..come on, what did he do? An opponent overlly confident and no longer credible and a candidate that should have listed the major papers as in-kind contributors. Oh and bloggers who played down past records and performance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-7248207043555502892007-04-26T16:27:00.000-04:002007-04-26T16:27:00.000-04:00Bernie...a story on political consultants sounds g...Bernie...a story on political consultants sounds great. Good idea!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-22462594265084234012007-04-26T16:24:00.000-04:002007-04-26T16:24:00.000-04:00Anon 2:33,You may win more, but we're much prettie...Anon 2:33,<BR/><BR/>You may win more, but we're much prettier, except for Chris Casey. "The women are strong, the men good-looking and the kids are above average."Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-61600150052628879452007-04-26T16:12:00.000-04:002007-04-26T16:12:00.000-04:00I can see that the world of political consulting i...I can see that the world of political consulting is way overdue for a story. Who's good? Who isn't? That will be a project for me. <BR/><BR/>Incidentally, LVDem is right. Every now and then, I get cocky and think I'm a political genius and push my way into someone's campaign. It's always the kiss of death. I am associated with most of the major losses in this area. I can't even plant campaign signs. <BR/><BR/>I don't know who worked Mann's first campaign, but I'll be asking.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.com