Down in the polls, Callahan has supposedly clamored for more debate time, but he ducked a surprisingly good debate sponsored by the local tea party this Spring. Now, he’s running from a local debate on jobs and the economy at the very time that Charlie Dent is being endorsed by one of the nation’s leading small business organizations.On Friday, John Callahan backed out of an Oct. 18 debate with Congressman Dent hosted by the Nazareth/Bath Area, Whitehall Area and Slate Belt Chambers of Commerce. Maybe he’s afraid that someone will question him about his own “simple jobs plan,” something he was unable to explain at the Lafayette debate.
As Bernie’s own post on the Tea Party debate illustrates, the only “Democrat” in attendance was oddball Senate Dem primary candidate Joe Vodvarka. As you can see from his statement of principles, also available in Bernie’s post, Vodvarka is a pretty run-of-the-mill rightwinger. As we saw today in the new NBC/WSJ poll, the tea party is just the rump conservative base, and hasn’t actually brought in many new people:
“These are essentially conservative Republicans who are very ticked-off people,” said Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted the survey with Democratic pollster Peter Hart…Mr. McInturff said the tea-party movement had not necessarily drawn new people into the GOP. Rather, he said, “a substantial chunk of the Republican Party is rebranding themselves.”
This would be like if I faulted Charlie Dent for declining a debate hosted by Organizing for America, with only Democratic primary candidates, targeted at Democratic primary voters. It is obvious that this was an intra-right debate, hosted by conservative Bobby Gunther Walsh, aimed at conservatives and Republican primary voters, because it was before the Republican primary.
As for the October 18th debate, “backed out” implies that the Callahan campaign agreed to the debate, and then cancelled, which is simply false. The campaign has a scheduling conflict on the 18th.
The idea that Charlie Dent is the candidate who has been for more debates all along is ridiculous. First Dent whined about debating Jake Towne, then he refused to debate at Northampton Community College and straight up dropped off the debate at DeSales late on a Friday (and the newspapers never reported on it), and worst of all, he pulled strings behind the scenes to get the first debate chopped in half.
So why does Charlie Dent want this debate so much, but not the others?
I’ve heard from multiple sources now that Dent has been whining to Tony Ianelli that the Chamber hasn’t been out there shilling for him. So the Dent campaign found somebody who will shill for him – Frank DeRosa, Director of the Nazareth Chamber of Commerce, and known Republican partisan, who will coincidentally be the only moderator.
Dent knows his jobs record doesn’t hold up to scrutiny, so besides the obligatory news organization debates, he’s only agreeing to debate in tightly controlled settings stacked with Republicans. He thinks he has better chances of getting a gotcha moment from Callahan here and that’s why he’s going to the trouble.
Despite all the previous wrangling to avoid debates or change the rules, Dent has puzzingly offered to clear his schedule for just this one debate. If time isn’t an issue for the Nazareth Chamber debate, then why doesn’t he also have time for the NCC and DeSales debates?
More poor research. The Nazareth, Whitehall and Slate Belt Chambers are not part of the GLV Chamber and IF Dent complained to Ianelli that would have nothing to do with this debate.
If you're going to write about here because you care (and not just as a shill for the Democratic party) you need to do more front-end work.
You've also been real silent on Sestak ducking Toomey – not something an Independent would do.
"The Nazareth, Whitehall and Slate Belt Chambers are not part of the GLV Chamber and IF Dent complained to Ianelli that would have nothing to do with this debate."
Bullshit. They all know and talk to one another and your nitpicking won't change the real facts.
Ok, let's talk real facts – If you're right about them talking (and you're not), then you're still wrong.
Ianelli does a TV show called Business Matters. The people who've done that show REPEATEDLY are some of the biggest liberal voices in the state. Alan Jennings. Ed Rendell. Hillary Clinton. Union presidents. Etc.
Why do they come on the show over and over? Because they get a fair shake.
Does the Chamber have positions? Sure. But that doesn't preclude having a legitimate discussion – except when you're Callahan and you sold your soul to Pelosi and found out later what a big mistake that was.
Too bad.
Actually, there was a state legislature candidate at the Lehigh Valley Tea party group's spring candidate forum as well. I can't remember his name, but he told me he was pleasantly surprised at how well he was received.
Honestly, I think that if MoveOn.org sponsored a candidate debate, Charlie Dent would have no problem participating in it.
And it's frankly shortsighted for Democrats to refuse to participate in tea party candidate forums. Contrary to what many in the media write about the tea party groups, we are NOT "shills for the Republican Party" and many members are just as mistrustful of Republican candidates as of anyone else. More than that, though, we don't bite.
The Lehigh Valley tea party group, the largest in Pennsylvania, is co-sponsoring a candidate forum Monday, Oct. 4 at Penn's Peak for gubernatorial, US Senate and US House candidates. Candidates for the state legislature have been invited to participate in a Meet and Greet at the Chrin Center on Friday, October 22.
For additional information, go to http://www.lehighvalleyteaparty.org.
Anon 7:59
What do you expect from a CARPETBAGGER blogging away from NYC?
A real story would reveal who assigned Geeting to "care" about the Lehigh Valley so much to post so much Progressive Liberal Democratic propaganda all day long…
Can you comment on why Callahan has given himself a PAY RAISE FOUR YEARS IN A ROW?
(didn't think so)
VIVA LA REVOLUCION
H. Chavez
From the (state-controlled) AP :
"A deeply unpopular Congress is BOLTING FOR THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL without finishing its most bassic job — approving a budget for the government year which begins on Friday.
Lawmakers are postponing a major fight over taxes, TWO EMBARASSING ETHICS CASES (for Democrats Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters) and other hot political potatoes unitl ANGRY and frustrated VOTERS render their verdict in the November 2 elections."
ERICH HOENECKER
(keep up the propaganda, it brings back such memories)
Anon 11:54, as Jon has stated in previous posts, and obviously you have no memory, he was born and raised in Bethlehem and visits the area on a very regular basis. His family lives here. Jon knows more about the happenings of the Lehigh Valley than many of the people who live here on a daily basis.
And, Donna, I've never heard a Tea Party member agree with, or give credit to, the Obama administration, or any Democrat for that matter, on any issue. Such as health care. Thank goodness the President had the guts to take up the health care issue. Republicans, Tea partiers included, have no ideas and only want to repeal the Health Care Bill. Open your minds. We have to start somewhere. It's not perfect, but it's a start.
Do you have a pre-existing condition which may prevent you from keeping your health insurance or possibly having your health insurance drop you? I do. Do you have a child in their senior year of college who would have been cut from your health care plan upon graduation if not for the Health Care Bill? I do. And we all know people who have no insurance because of job loss. With this bill, they'll be able to have insurance. Donna, do you and the other tea partiers see something wrong with this? Hopefully not. All I'm saying is open your minds. By disagreeing with everything "Democrat", it makes the tea partiers and Republicans in general, look like robotic buffoons. All in lock-step; no minds of their own.
Charlie Dent would NEVER appear at a debate sponsored by MoveOn. And, Jon is right with everything he posted. Dent did try to wiggle out of and change time limits for debates. And, now all of a sudden, he can clear his calendar for this particular one!
Charlie Dent has cast many deciding votes which got this Country into the mess it's in. Vote him OUT!
Mary Ellen, just to be clear, you're quite comfortable with taking somneone else's money to pay for your health care
"Republicans, Tea partiers included, have no ideas and only want to repeal the Health Care Bill."
R's tried to bring tort reform, buying insurance across state lines, and other ideas and were shut out by the Dem congressional leaders while they claimed R's had no ideas. And our president, who doesn't even understand car insurance, was willing to take anything Pelosi and Reid could cobble together.
As for Tea Party and political party affiliation… the local LV Tea Party does not endorse candidates. I am aware that the Philly Independence Hall does endorse and that they have endorsed a Dem. So if they get on the right side of an issue instead of worrying about the letter behind their name any candidate could earn the Tea Party's admiration.
Oh yes, then there's that issue of looking for other people to fund your life (H/T — Anon 4:54) which really seems to be a non-issue for some people here…
"Do you have a child in their senior year of college who would have been cut from your health care plan upon graduation if not for the Health Care Bill? I do."
I do to, and I'm OK with repealing that… how long do we extend childhood? And have it paid by others?
Wayne and Anon 4:54,
What are you talking about that I'm "fine using someone else's money to pay for my healthcare?" My husband and I both are lucky to have well-paying, full-time jobs, a nice suburban home, my husband has an excellent healthcare plan and I am offered one; our oldest son has graduated from an outstanding University, our middle son is the senior in college I referred to (and who we will be keeping on our insurance plan until he secures a job, hopefully with healthcare – not hoping you'll pay for it) and our youngest son will be going off to college next year. We have our American Dream. But, we think about others who aren't as fortunate. And, when I spoke about my pre-existing condition, my coverage is fine now; but if my husband's company changes insurance companies, they may not pick me up. That is a worry I live with; but worse, I'm sure you've heard, many people are living that nightmare now and have lost everything, through no fault of their own. You see, breast cancer is one of the most targeted conditions, along with high-risk pregnancies.
Oh, and Wayne, I pity your son having a father who wouldn't want to keep him on his healthcare plan until he finds a job.
First commenter: I didn't say the Nazareth, Whitehall and Slate Belt chambers were part of GLV Chamber. Dent did complain to Ianelli. Ianelli told one of the people who talked to me "Who does Dent think we are, the mafia?" From what I understand the level of sanctimony and entitlement has been very embarrassing. I do not understand why you think that invalidates my reporting. Dent didn't get the goods from the GLV, so he ran to the separate Nazareth Chamber and they agreed.
I can understand Sestak ducking the PA Chamber debate. Why would he debate in front of the PA Chamber when the national Chamber of Commerce has been spending crazy amounts of money to defeat him? Why won't Toomey agree to debate in a neutral forum like in front of a few newspaper editorial boards or TV stations?
On your second point, the Morning Call debate will feature Tony Ianelli as a moderator, as it is sponsored by the GLVCC. So Callahan will absolutely be answering the Chamber's questions – just not at a sham debate organized by the Dent campaign and Dent's buddy at the Nazo Chamber.
Donna: I'm going with the NBC/WSJ poll over anecdotal evidence – the Tea Party is pretty exclusively a right wing phenomenon and has no purchase with the overwhelming majority of Democrats. The Tea Party's anti-government, anti-tax political goals are simply not what liberals and Democrats care about.
Hugo Chavez/Erich Hoenecker (??)/Rolf Oeler: you love reading this blog. You're just mad that I didn't approve your friend request on Facebook.
Anonymous 4:54: That is nuts. You are disputing the very concept of insurance – the healthy majority all make small payments, allowing the sick minority to avoid bearing the full cost of unforeseen treatment expenses. If you have private insurance, you are already in a big Socialist Risk Pool subsidizing sick people. Maybe everyone should just cancel their insurance and just pay out of pocket at the Emergency Room with bricks of gold or something.
Wayne – the entire medical liability system, which includes defensive medicine, is just 2.6% of annual health spending. Tort reform would not do anything to bring down health care costs. "Across state lines" is the worst idea ever and would only result in a race to the bottom in coverage. Defining down insurance coverage to meaninglessness is not my idea of good health care reform. It's too bad that you care more about nurturing your ideology than your child. I am 26 and am fortunate enough to have a job that offers insurance. My girlfriend does not have insurance. If she had to pay for her company's plan, which has awful coverage for almost $400 a month, she would have almost no money left over.
Because the unemployment rate is especially high for people my age, I have quite a few friends who can't find non-temp jobs right now, and they don't have insurance. For the generation that will graduate into this recession over the next several years, the insurance problem is going to be especially bad. They are going to take longer to settle into full-time jobs than they would if the economy was better. But these are young healthy people who insurance companies want in the insurance pool. They pay more in than they take out. Are we really better off to have these young people uninsured? If you oppose this provision, it's because you haven't spent enough time thinking about it.
Oh please…
My daughter will be on my plan as long as she follows the regulations (was being under 24 and a full time student) or lives at home and is under 26 (the new regs). I never said I wouldn't provide for her, I was objecting to the government "gifting" it to everyone through regulation.
These two extra years of coverage didn't come out of thin air and my premium will not be rising enough to pay for this extra coverage. It came from somebody else's pocket.
Why is it that everybody's needs are the concern of the government? And since the government doesn't create wealth, but obtains it by taxation, it is euphemistically called "redistribution". Or as Jon likes to say, "soak the rich".
People set their priorities. You may value keeping a nice suburban home over other things. When our children were growing up we sacrificed to send them to private school and to homeschool them. I had other parents with much higher family incomes than us tell me that they couldn't possibly afford to take their children out of public school. That's only true because they had different priorities – a garage full of "toys", a summer cabin, great vacations, etc. It's often not a matter of affording something, but the setting of priorities.
Whether it's education or healthcare it's a matter of priorities. Why should parents with two well paying full time jobs need the government to dictate the terms of coverage to their insurance provider? If healthcare for their grown children was a priority, they would pay for it.
I do not covet my neighbor's wealth, nor do I wish for the government to steal it for me.
Mary Ellen: Woody Guthrie, that bastion of conservative thought, said it best:
"Some people rob you with a 6 gun, some with a fountain pen"
"Oh, and Wayne, I pity your son having a father who wouldn't want to keep him on his healthcare plan until he finds a job."
Wayne, please pardon me for getting into your exchange with Mary Ellen, but I have to say that is the most condescending comment I've seen in awhile. To believe that you're a bad parent because you don't want the government to provide is beyond the pale.