Is the GOP Now the Working Class Party?

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon made some interesting points in an recent interview with The Guardian. “We’ve turned the Republican party into a working-class party,” he boasts.

I do believe he has a point. Increasingly, Democrats are being viewed, and with justification, as elitists who have no regard for the working class.

Pa. GOP Chair Succumbs to Sexting Scandal

You've probably heard by now that Pa. GOP Chair Val DiGiorgio has resigned as state party boss over a sexting scandal that include sexually charged messages between him and a Philly City Council candidate, as well as the obligatory penis pic. After the candidate finished dead last, she dimed him.

I have little regard for either of these predators. One used his position; the other her looks. The reason he became state party boss boils down to two state committee members from NorCo. Glenn Geissinger and Peg Ferraro voted for him. Peg was always going to vote for him, but Geissinger switched. Here's what I wrote two years ago, when it happened

Geissinger Betrays NorCo GOP  (2/6/17)

Val DiGiorgio, a registered lobbyist for Comcast and French insurance company AXA, is the Pennsylvania Republican Party's new Fearless Leader, replacing outgoing chair Rob Gleason. He defeated respected Philadelphia attorney Lawrence Tabas in a close, 173-171 vote, on Saturday at Hershey. .

The money boys and power brokers liked DiGiorgio. Others preferred Tabas, who volunteered most of his time to the GOP.  Tabas always visited NorCo at different GOP functions, and represented the county party at no charge when AG Kane's Klowns executed what turned out to be a baseless search warrant on GOP finances

In late January, Northampton County's GOP met and voted to support Tabas. They had reasons to do so. Mary Barket, a member of the state committee, was recently widowed and needs a job. Tabas said he'd hire her. In addition, he wanted to install county GOP Chair Lee Snover in a leadership position within the state party ranks  Considering that Snover mobilized the party base and managed to turn NorCo red,  Snover is due for some recognition.

NorCo's representatives on the GOP state committee are Snover, Barket, Ron Angle, Peg Ferraro, Bob Kilbanks and Glenn Geissinger. All but Peg were expected to vote for Tabas,and all but Peg agreed to do so.

Peg Ferraro was asked to support DiGiorgio by Bob Asher, a long-time friend who always contributes to her campaigns. Everyone understood she would go her own way, but Snover expected to deliver the rest of the vote to Tabas. .

According to Snover, Geissinger promised he would vote for Tabas. Had he done so, the vote would be a 172-172 tie, and Gleason would have broken that tie with a vote for Tabas.

This was going to be a close vote, so Senator Pat Toomey dialed up the pressure for DiGiorgio. He promised two federal judgeships in undecided counties. Then, on Saturday, several State Senators came in and sat with committee members for the vote. Some committee people claim they were threatened with loss of employment unless they voted for DiGiorgio. .

In order to prevent this kind of retaliation, there was a push for a secret ballot, but that was shoved aside.

Before the vote, Geissinger played the room, visiting committee members from Luzerne and Lackawanna County. He appeared to be laying the groundwork for another congressional run. He ignored his own county.

With the exception of Blake Marles and Bob Daday, the Lehigh County delegation voted for the money man. This includes Glenn Eckhart, who went against the tea party he claims to support. .

When it was time for NorCo to vote, Snover and NorCo Republicans were betrayed by Geissinger.

"You heard the will of the people, you need to do what the people want," Snover reminded Geissinger.

"I know what I'm doing," snapped Geissinger. "I'm a legislator."

Geissinger's vote put DiGiorgio over the top. After leading the county to believe he would follow their wishes, he betrayed them. He voted a widow out of a job. He voted NorCo out of a position in real party leadership.

"What's the big deal?" he asked when it was all over.

As a NorCo Council member with a 54% attendance record last year, he should find out soon.

"Saddened" LC GOP Chair Resigns

As you can see in the letter below, Jessica Banotai has resigned as Lehigh County's GOP Chair. She apparently blames herself that the Lehigh County Executive and Allentown Mayoral positions have remained blue.

Let me tell you a little bit about Jessica. She's a Kutztown University graduate who has worked as a staffer for Congressman Charlie Dent and Senator Pat Toomey. She has always been both pleasant and professional. She was certainly that way when I saw her at a last-minute news conference called by Dent in early September to announce formally that he decided against running for Congress next year. It was at that time that Dent was being back-stabbed by his supposed former supporter, Justin Simmons. NorCo's GOP boss, General Lee Snover, had stated at a pro-Trump rally, "I looked into Charlie Dent's eyes, and I saw the swamp."

Like their hero, Donald Trump's myrmidons are never content with a simple criticism. They tend to get personal and ugly. In a PoliticsPa story about Dent's looming retirement, someone impersonated Banotai and posted some very personal remarks about her private life. It's the kind of information that only an insider like Justin Simmons would possess. Though there is no proof that Simmons or his supporters were behind this impersonation, this kind of ugly attack politics is something Simmons has always used in his previous campaigns for the state house.

I saw Banotai shortly after she was impersonated, and she was quite shaken.

The impersonation was eventually removed. Then Banotai herself was caught suggesting, as a joke, that Simmons be featured on a billboard as a member of Hitler youth. She made her comment in a text message she shared with a small group of friends. Except one of them was not her friend.

Next thing you know, Justin Simmons was playing the victim card everywhere he could, and was demanding that Banotai step down.

What happened to her is what often happens in sports. Someone gives you a shot when the ref's attention is elsewhere. You respond, and he's suddenly paying attention.

Rather than abandoning her party on the eve of an election, Banotai hung in there. She's stepping down now, on her own terms. She can fault herself for failing to elect a Republican as Lehigh County Executive or Allentown mayor. But it could be worse. Those seats were already Democratic. In NorCo, the Executive and four Council seats turned blue. While General Lee is draining the swamp, Democrats now have control of the Executive and Council.

Banotai's resignation:

It is with both sadness and pride that I notify you of my intention to resign my position as Chair of the Lehigh County Republican Committee effective immediately. It has been a great honor to serve as the Chair of this committee. I will always cherish the support I received from members of this committee when I was elected to serve as Chair in 2016.

I want to congratulate Marc Grammes, Tom Creighton, Percy Dougherty and Melissa Pavlack for their successful campaigns. I am certain they will serve the citizens of Lehigh County with great distinction.

Like you, I am also deeply saddened by the other results from Tuesday's elections. Lehigh County Republicans were ably represented by strong standard-bearers for our values and beliefs by Commissioner Brad Osborne and by Nat Hyman. Both of them put all of their energies and heart into their campaigns.

Sadly, based on unprecedented results from neighboring counties, Northampton, Bucks and Montgomery where Republican candidates were also wiped out practically across the board, they likely ran into the jaws of a wave election. This happens sometimes and there are certainly issues that will need to be addressed both locally and nationally by dedicated Republicans as a result of the lessons learned last night.

I truly wish that I could have helped this committee spearhead recapturing both the County Executive's seat and the Mayor's office in Allentown. Your hard work, dedication and tenacity are the backbone of the Lehigh County Republican Committee and I applaud you.

While I have had my differences with some of you, it is my sincerest hope that we can leave those in the past. I look forward to continuing to support the Committee's efforts, just not as Chair.

I wish you all and Vice Chair Sean Gill great success in the future.

Geissinger Betrays NorCo GOP

Val DiGiorgio, a registered lobbyist for Comcast and French insurance company AXA, is the Pennsylvania  Republican Party's new Fearless Leader, replacing outgoing chair Rob Gleason. He defeated respected Philadelphia attorney Lawrence Tabas in a close, 173-171 vote, on Saturday at Hershey. .

The money boys and power brokers liked DiGiorgio. Others preferred Tabas, who volunteered most of his time to the GOP.  Tabas always visited NorCo at different GOP functions, and represented the county party at no charge when AG Kane's Klowns executed what turned out to be a baseless search warrant on GOP finances

In late January, Northampton County's GOP met and voted to support Tabas. They had reasons to do so. Mary Barket, a member of the state committee, was recently widowed and needs a job. Tabas said he'd hire her. In addition, he wanted to install county GOP Chair Lee Snover in a leadership position within the state party ranks  Considering that Snover mobilized the party base and managed to turn NorCo red,  Snover is due for some recognition.

NorCo's representatives on the GOP state committee are Snover, Barket, Ron Angle, Peg Ferraro, Bob Kilbanks and Glenn Geissinger. All but Peg were expected to vote for Tabas,and all but Peg agreed to do so.

Peg Ferraro was asked to support DiGiorgio by Bob Asher, a long-time friend who always contributes to her campaigns. Everyone understood she would go her own way, but Snover expected to deliver the rest of the vote to Tabas. .

According to Snover, Geissinger promised he would vote for Tabas. Had he done so, the vote would be a 172-172 tie, and Gleason would have broken that tie with a vote for Tabas.

This was going to be a close vote, so Senator Pat Toomey dialed up the pressure for DiGiorgio. He promised two federal judgeships in undecided counties. Then, on Saturday, several State Senators came in and sat with committee members for the vote. Some committee people claim they were threatened with loss of employment unless they voted for DiGiorgio. .

In order to prevent this kind of retaliation, there was a push for a secret ballot, but that was shoved aside.

Before the vote, Geissinger played the room, visiting committee members from Luzerne and Lackawanna County. He appeared to be laying the groundwork for another congressional run. He ignored his own county.

With the exception of Blake Marles and Bob Daday, the Lehigh County delegation voted for the money man. This includes Glenn Eckhart, who went against the tea party he claims to support. .

When it was time for NorCo to vote, Snover and NorCo Republicans were betrayed by Geissinger.

"You heard the will of the people, you need to do what the people want," Snover reminded Geissinger.

"I know what I'm doing," snapped Geissinger. "I'm a legislator."

Geissinger's vote put DiGiorgio over the top. After leading the county to believe he would follow their wishes, he betrayed them. He voted a widow out of a job. He voted NorCo out of a position in real party leadership.

"What's the big deal?" he asked when it was all over.

As a NorCo Council member with a 54% attendance record last hear, he should find out soon.

Shutdown Definitely Hurting the GOP

According to a NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, the GOP is getting the blame for the federal shutdown, by a 53-21 margin. Only 24 percent have a favorable opinion of the GOP, and just 21 view of the Tea Party in a good light.

Locally, this is bad news for LC Exec candidate Scott Ott and for NorCo Council Republicans running for at-large seats.