How the Hell Did Kieklak Get a Raise?

Bernie Kieklak works for state senator Lisa Boscola. Female blogger LOLV, aka Capri Roth, is a little surprised to see that Bernie recently got a raise. She writes about it here.

Boscola Claims Her Chief of Staff is Leaving

Bernie Kieklak, chief of staff to state Sen. Lisa Boscola, may be quitting his job, according to a scoop from The Express Times' irrepressible Jim Deegan. As more discerning readers of this blog will remember, Bernie got into a jam this time last year as a result of sleazy misogynistic comments posted on this blog. Single-handedly, he pretty much ended any hope Boscola entertained of running for Congress.

Like everything involving Bernie Takes No Prisoners, as he liked to call himself, nothing is as it seems. He's quitting, but there's no resignation letter. According to Boscola, even the energy industry wants him, but she has no idea whether anyone else has hired him.

Say what?

In typical BTNP fashion, he's ignoring emails and phone calls, turning this into a soapbox drama. Personally, I think he's starting a new blog - Friends Don't Let Friends Blog Drunk. He'd be pretty good. This excerpt from his own obituary, which he wrote himself after losing a bet with me, reveals that much:

"O'Hare, who wore his high-school prom dress for the occasion, was humble as ever in front of the throng of international reporters, papparazzi, and inflatable groupies who numbered in the thousands.

"'I'm the smartest person on the planet and I'm always right,' O'Hare said.

"Meanwhile, the idiot Senate aide, Bernard Kieklak, was shackled and locked in stocks in the town square until his boss, Senator Lisa Boscola, doused him with 15 gallons of gasoline and set him ablaze with the designer Gucci flame-thrower she always carries in her purse.

"As the flames consumed him, Kieklak could be heard to shout, 'I was wrong and I admit it. Bernie O'Hare was right. And I apologize to Lefler and Micek [Morning Call dudes] for saying such stupid things... and at least I don't have to kiss Jolly Joe!'

"There are no funeral arrangements planned. No one liked him, not even his friends."

I miss the bastard.

BernieGate - Day 17: Boscola Ripped by Former "Executive Director"?

Yesterday, I told you about the email campaign launched by Aphrodite's Daughter. It's directed at Bernie Kieklak, aka BTNP, chief of staff to state senator Lisa Boscola. Kieklak has offered no apology to the private citizen he most viciously attacked, and we'd like him to remedy that insensitive oversight. A sample email, including all relevant email addresses, is right here.

In one of many comments posted to yesterday's blog, someone suggests Kieklak is "insanely jealous of his access to [Boscola] (witness his behavior in getting [Lisa]'s top aide -- a woman -- fired)."

It's true that in 2001, Kieklak was employed with another state senator. He wanted to reunite with Lisa afyer being yanked from her by senate leaders. He wormed his way back into Lisa's office by slamming her then female "executive director," Jennifer Boger, with demeaning emails very similar to the slings and arrows he unleashed here.

Boger soon left Boscola for another state senator, and Bernie was back!

I was about to correct the person who claimed Boscola had fired her only female top aide. But before that happened, it appears Boger did it herself!

Holy schneike!

Although I can't be positive we were talking to Boger, here are some of the exchanges.

Boger?: BTNP didnt get me fired I left on my own free will.

Anon: She would have been better off trying to convince you to stay.

Boger?: I would never have agreed to stay and work for someone of my gender who condones BTNP's behavior because by keeping him on her staff is exactly what she is doing - condoning his behavior.

Me: Actually, I blogged about this. As I recall, you returned to Senator Fumo's office. Did you suffer a paycut?

Anon: If there is even a remote chance that you are who I think you are, let me say this: Boscola lost her last opportunity to be taken seriously when you left her office.

Boger?: I am not sure I am the person you think I am but I think I was her only female executive director. COS title was reserved for BTNP only. I have been lurking and reading since this whole thing came about I suffered nothing when I left her office. As a matter of fact I gained more by leaving than had I stayed.

Me: Holy shit! You're Jennifer Boger! Good for you. I blogged about your situation, and it doesn't seem to me that there is any difference between the way BTNP acted towars you and the way he dealt with other women. I'm truly sorry for what you had to endure. What bothers me most is the failure to recognize this bad behavior toeards woman. Did he ever apologize to you?

Boger?: No I wish to stay as I posted.. Anonymous

This commenter loses any claim to anonymity when she tells us she was Boscola's only female executive director. Although I can't be sure it is Boger or someone posing as Boger, I do know one thing. Whoever posted that comment, Boger or not, did so from the senate of Pennsylvania. I've saved the results from my sitemeter.

BernieGate - Day 16

On June 13, The Morning Call first reported sexist and misogynistic remarks that Bernie Kieklak, chief of staff to state senator Lisa Boscola, published on this blog. His remarks to the press? "Do you think I care?" Boscola's public statement? ''What, do you want me to fire him now?''

On June 20, Boscola decided to keep her chief of staff. She's betting this crisis is just a tempest in a teapot, not The Perfect Storm. Inside sources tell me she's met with the editorial board of at least one local paper to put a lid on this story. Despite Boscola's efforts at damage control, The Morning Call and Express Times have both exposed Kieklak with a combined total of thirty-six news stories, editorials, letters to the editor and blogs.

Yesterday, Aphrodite's Daughter started an email campaign directed at Bernie Kieklak. She apparently subscribes to Edmund Burke's observation that evil triumphs "when good men [or women] do nothing." She urges us all to send emails, asking Kieklak to do two things.

First, track down Look Out Lehigh Valley, one of his victims, and make arrangements to apologize to her in person. Lisa Boscola doesn't seem to think we private citizens need an apology. Not important enough. The rest of us feel otherwise.

Second, after apologizing, Kieklak is asked to resign. ... Immediately.

Aphrodite's Daughter suggests we send a copy to Morning Call Comments Editor Glenn Kranzley. I'll be sending a cc to Lisa Boscola as well. If you'd like a sample email, including all relevant email addresses, just click here.

Also in hiding are most of the LV delegation to the state assembly. With the exception of state representative Doug Reichley, not a single member has condemned Kieklak's behavior. Their silence makes them enablers.

Yesterday, I individually emailed all members of the LV delegation to the state house and senate. This includes senators Pat Browne, Jim Rhoades, Rob Wonderling, and representatives Karen Beyer, Jenn Mann, Joe Brennan, Doug Reichley, Steve Samuelson, Bob Freeman, Rich Grucela, Craig Dally, Julie Harhart and Carl Mantz. Here's what I asked them.

As a member of the Lehigh Valley delegation to the General Assembly, you're undoubtedly aware of the sexist, misogynistic and vulgar remarks from Bernard Kieklak, chief of staff to state senator Lisa Boscola. It may interest you to know that, in addition to some of the remarks that were publicized, Mr. Kieklak also referred to state rep. Doug Reichley as a Nazi and slammed open records reform efforts as meaningless.

By retaining Kieklak, state senator Boscola has become his enabler. Her decision reflects poorly on the entire general assembly. It lends credence to what Express Times editor Joe Owens says about all of you. "[I]f you believe [Kieklak's] foul rant is anything more than what is said at every Harrisburg, Trenton and D.C. saloon within walking distance of bureaucratic fatcats, you're woefully mistaken."

I am asking you, as a local leader, to condemn what Kieklak has said, and make clear it is contrary to what you would tolerate from any member of your own staff. Regardless of your personal affection for Lisa, her decision to retain Kieklak diminishes all of you. Your own refusal to condemn this conduct will make you an enabler as well.

I already have one response, and will wait one week to tell you whether our delegation is willing to do what is right.

Women's Perspectives About Boscola - Disgust

I was appropriately put in my place a few days ago by a female blogger at LVPoliblog. "[I]t seems to me a lot of men are writing about what is important to women on blogs, but they don't really have a clue. I don't like when someone says they are speaking for me, when they don't know a thing about me." So this post is devoted entirely to female perspectives on Senator Lisa Boscola's decision to retain a sexist and misogynist chief of staff.

Look Out Lehigh Valley is one of two female bloggers that Boscola chief of staff Kieklak viciously attacked with sexual accusations. Here's part of what she wrote at LVPoliblog.

I guess I'm feeling slightly, well.... slighted that the story has been that he mouthed off about Charlie and Sam, but seemingly its no big deal that he shot extremely nasty insults my way. In the same breath, Boscola called both Sam and Charlie to apologize, but makes no mention at all anywhere that she's sorry that her chief of staff verbally attacked a 23 year old private citizen. I guess maybe as far as they are concerned it's no big deal that I was spoken to this way since neither of them will ever have to convince me to give them funding or support for a bill. I'm not saying I want a phone call from Boscola apologizing to me - I just want Lisa or Bernie K to stand up and say "Its inappropriate for him/me to speak to anyone the way I did, not just other elected officials or candidates." One of my coworkers said to me yesterday "well, they're all just missing the point."

Pamela Varkony, an Allentown writer and former member of Allentown city council, is the founder of Power of Women. She's also the Perspectives blogger at The Morning Call. Reading her blog is like sitting in some one's living room, having a nice conversation. Here's Pam's perspective.

What I want to say is directed to Lisa Boscola, woman to woman: Lisa, what you have done by leaving Bernie Kieklak in a position of authority on your staff and in your life, has set women's leadership back ten years. I am beyond disappointed, I am disgusted.

In a subsequent comment, Pam offers a possible explanation why there is no hue and outcry from women's groups. "I believe that if a male politician had retained a member of his staff who had said such things, there would be a much louder outcry from women in general and women's organizations in particular. But because 'the boss' is a woman and she's giving him a pass, so is everyone else."

Dottie, at LVPoliblog, chimes in with this. "[W]e should write letters to the editor, and question why the other elected women like Jennifer Mann are not speaking out on this. I saw two letters to the editor in the paper today but I believe they were written by men."

Finally, Aphrodite's Daughter, also at LVPoliblog, has this. "Today I wrote a letter to the Morning Call asking that the women who hold elected office in our community state publicly how they feel about the creep Bernie Kieklak's remarks. I would like a public C-O-N-D-M-N-A-T-I-O-N of Senator Boscola's overly lenient and inadequate punishment of her Chief of staff, by someone in government, mostly a powerful woman. I'd write a letter to Lt. Governor Knoll, but I'm not sure she's all there to begin with."

State Senator Boscola Keeps Potty-Mouth COS: She's Counting on You to Forget

On Tuesday, I warned you state senator Lisa Boscola would retain potty-mouth Bernie Kieklak as her chief of staff. Daily phone calls from constituent River, a frequent blog commenter, were ignored. Wednesday, when Boscola finally made her announcement, she just issued two written statements and then ran like hell.

One is a note from Lisa. She's really, really, really mad. And she means it.

The other is the obligatory apology from BTNP, aka Bernie Takes No Prisoners, aka Bernie Kieklak. He'll NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, NOT EVER, EVER, EVER .... EVER do anything like that EVER, EVER AGAIN. It's a little hard to stomach from a guy whose first reactions were "Do you think I care?" and "I do not regret a single thing I have ever done in my entire life".

As a demonstration of his complete insincerity, Kieklak has yet to call Congressman Charlie Dent to apologize in person.

This is a disgusting display of arrogance by both Boscola and her chief of staff. Joe Owens and Bill White knew she'd keep him. Lisa's counting on you to forget. She doesn't think that highly of you, when you come right down to it. She has stumbled through a very clear situation that demanded an immediate response. But she needs Bernie's "special" skills - his ability to slam potential opponents.

You see, the Lisa Boscola of today is a far different person than the person who first ran for the state senate in 1998. She was accessible then, and wasn't afraid to say what she thought. If you made an appointment to see her, you met with her, not Bernie. She got in trouble at times with party bosses in Harrisburg, but we admired her independence.

Her opponent, Len Gruppo, was running a dirty campaign that ranged from distortions of her voting record to stalking her with video cameras and tape recorders. Gruppo's negative campaign consultant? Tom Severson.

Lisa blasted Severson. "He is the ultimate sleazebag political consultant." She claimed Severson even admitted "they will do anything to win this race - lie, whatever. Because winning is all that matters."

Lisa won that race, striking a blow against sleaze politics.

Today's Lisa is a much different and far more careful person. And guess what? Now she actually uses Severson, the man she once called a sleazebag. In her 2006 campaign against an unknown with no money, Boscola paid $43,659.65 to the king of slime.

Severson does most of his campaign billing through Precision Marketing, Inc. But when he wants to stay under the radar, as he does with Dems, he uses other outfits. One of these is Political Strategies, Inc. It's not registered in Pennsylvania. Although identified as a Santa Monica corporation in Boscola campaign finance reports, I was unable to locate the company through a Google search. But guess what? Easton Mayoral candidate Sal Panto also uses that outfit. His finance report has a slightly different address for Political Strategies, Inc.. It's 2906 William Penn Hwy, Easton PA 18045.

That's the same address as Precision Marketing, Inc.!

Oopsie!

Lisa now subscribes to the Severson philosophy of sleazeball politics, and Bernie Kieklak fits right in. Slime opponents with remarks like "spineless shitbag" or "phony political whore." I'm sure Severson chuckled all the way to the bank. Winning is all that matters. Spend enough money, and people will buy it.

Sometimes.

Senator Boscola Will Retain COS Who Made Sexist and Misogynistic Remarks

Some inside scuttlebutt.

State senator Lisa Boscola will retain potty-mouth Bernie Kieklak as her chief of staff. She makes this decision with complete knowledge that her number one's vocabulary includes a lot of number two. She does so knowing that Kieklak has no remorse, as indicated by statements like "Do you think I care?" and "I do not regret a single thing I have ever done in my entire life". She is ignoring overwhelming pressure to dump him.

Kieklak will be forced to undergo anger management counseling and agree to an official sounding "condition of employment" that means nothing. Maybe wash his mouth out with soap, too.

Expect the news to hit the mainstream very soon.

Update: Mainstream Micek, our spy from inside the land of midnight payraises, cautions us to be ... well ... more cautious. "State Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, Will announce the fate of embattled aide Bernie Kieklak today. Despite what you may have read elsewhere, there hasn't been a formal announcement yet. Stay tuned today. We'll bring you the news as it happens." Inside word is that potty-mouth stays.

BernieGate - Day 6

June 13 A.M.: The Morning Call reports sexist and misogynistic remarks that Bernie Kieklak, chief of staff to state senator Lisa Boscola, published on this blog. His remarks to the press? "Do you think I care?" Boscola's public statement? ''What, do you want me to fire him now?''

June 13 P.M.: Kieklak, who fails to appear for work, offers his resignation, but Boscola won't accept it. Kieklak tell the press. "I do not regret a single thing I have ever done in my entire life."

June 14: Although Kieklak and Boscola are scheduled to meet, they both dodge the press.

June 15: Boscola's office confirms she met with Kieklak, but no decision is made and Boscola goes on vacation for the weekend.

June 16: Nothing new.

June 17: Nothing new.

June 18: Nothing new.

Is this leadership?

Bernie Kieklak Parodies Galore!

I'm no early bird. I need all the beauty sleep I can get. But at the crack of dawn today, my phone was blaring like a fog horn.

I stumbled to the phone, stubbing my toe in the process, and finally got there in writhing agony. The lady at the other end, a woman I work with, was "cackling maniacally."

"Bernie, have you checked out Bill White's column today. Bernie K is a pirate, trying to pick up the ladies in a bar."

"Arrrghhh." (Not a pirate sound, it's my damn toe).

I've checked out Bill's column, and it's one of his funniest. It was worth the early call. Even the stubbed toe.

There are more parodies at LV Poliblog and LV Road Rage.

Shiver me timbers!

Wit & Wisdom of State Senator Lisa Boscola's COS Bernie Kieklak

For the past few days, Bernie Kieklak has been in hot water over sexist and misogynist remarks on this blog. He's state senator Lisa Boscola's chief of staff, and she incredibly claims she had no idea he was like that. Since November, BTNP, aka Bernie Kieklak, has shared his views on political players and issues. I'm sharing some of his views with you.

On Michael Molovinsky, former Allentown mayoral candidate:

What a major league douchebag! Whenever I see ego-idiots, assholes, phoneys, fakes, and political poseurs like this dickhead, I immediately think: "Less competition."

P.S. Listen, numbnuts, why don't you try getting elected dog-fucking-catcher or Village Idiot before you continue your fantasizing, mental masturbating, and pretending that you're actually smarter than ANY elected official, anywhere, on any planet.

P.P.S. You couldn't lick Don Cunningham's ass if NASA trained you to do it.

On Mike Fleck, former Easton mayoral candidate:

Fleck is a moron. (And I mean no disrespect to all the morons visiting this blog... but THIS GUY really is your king!) I know for a fact he fucks fat girls. * * * Fleck is an idiot . . . and I mean no disrepect to all the idiots out there, but this guy really IS your King.

On civilians in Iraq:

Fuck 'em all! Get our troops outta there, drop the big nuke, and let Allah sort 'em out...

On The Morning Call: REPUBLICAN PAPER. REPUBLICAN PAPER. REPUBLICAN PAPER. REPUBLICAN PAPER. ... Charlie Dent could fart tomorrow and he'd get accolades on the front page. If a Dem did that, the paper would blast him or her for causing global warming!

On Morning Call State Editor Pete Lefler: The bottom line is that Pete Fucking Lefler coddles Republicans (I mean, can his tongue get any further up Dent's colon?) and despises local Democrats.

On Express Times Managing Editor Jim Deegan: I've also heard from good friends of mine in the Express-Times newsroom that sometimes, when Deegan doesn't comb his hair "just right," you can see the numerals "666" on his scalp.I know what you're thinking... if the Anti-Christ was going to take the shape of ANY human being on the planet, why wouldn't he choose a MUCH BETTER (less repulsive) shape than Deegan?

On Dent's political consultant, Shawn Millan: I respect and admire Shawn because he is really and truly "the Lehigh Valley's Karl Rove." Plus, he had the class to send Lisa flowers on an occasion or two in the past, which shows how effective he is on so many levels.

On fellow blogger BillyBytes: Billy Fucking Givens IS the biggest, dumbest asshole in the universe. Long may he reign as Surrogate Super Idiot for all those villages around the world that lack one.

Bernie Kieklack to me: WHY CAN'T WE ALL GET ALONG?

Eulogy for Boscola COS Bernie Kieklak, ... by Bernie Kieklak

Blogger's Note: BTNP wrote this himself, back in March.

CNN/AP/FOX NEWS/AL JAZEERA -- The war in Iraq, the death of Anna Nicole Smith, and the firings of 93 U.S. Attorneys-General took a back seat to breathtaking news out of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania today.

Political blogger Bernie O'Hare won a highly publicized wager with an idiot aide to a local State Senator that has sent shock waves throughout this quiet hamlet.

O'Hare, a known child pornographer who lives in sin with an inflatable girlfriend at a well-known crack house, was carried through the streets of town in a celebration described as "bigger than 100 Mardi Gras."

The public orgy included a military marching band, 4 hours of fireworks, and Mayor John Callahan, who presented O'Hare with the key to the City, a summons for fondling homeless people, and The Medal of the Highest Order of Purple Heart Pains-in-the-Asses.

A Catholic priest also exorcised 100 demons from O'Hare on the very spot at the Bethlehem Comfort Suites where The Blessed Virgin Mary gave birth to Baby Jesus.

School children joined the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in singing "O, Little Town of Bethlehem" during O'Hare's coronation ceremony. The planned "Virgin Sacrifice" was canceled due to the inability of local officials to identify a single virgin within the tri-state area.

O'Hare, who wore his high-school prom dress for the occasion, was humble as ever in front of the throng of international reporters, papparazzi, and inflatable groupies who numbered in the thousands.

"I'm the smartest person on the planet and I'm always right," O'Hare said.

Meanwhile, the idiot Senate aide, Bernard Kieklak, was shackled and locked in stocks in the town square until his boss, Senator Lisa Boscola, doused him with 15 gallons of gasoline and set him ablaze with the designer Gucci flame-thrower she always carries in her purse.

As the flames consumed him, Kieklak could be heard to shout, "I was wrong and I admit it. Bernie O'Hare was right. And I apologize to Lefler and Micek for saying such stupid things... and at least I don't have to kiss Jolly Joe!"

There are no funeral arrangements planned. No one liked him, not even his friends.