Specter a Democrat!

Thank goodness, we (Republicans) no longer have to apologize for his actions! Good riddance, former RINO...You'll lose the dem primary and we'll have that seat back anyway (heh...like it's really been a "Republican" seat for the past 2+ decades).

The big question is this...will Specter return all of the Republican money he collected over the past 6 years? NOT!

Here's the MSNBC story: Specter a Democrat

Read more at the PA Watercooler...the stories are coming in one after another.


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Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to one of my closest and dearest friends, Jim Saring.

Jim and I have been friends for about 5-6 years, thrown together to work on a project for the Area 6 Republican Committee...we've been as close as brothers ever since.

Jim, enjoy your day. Happy birthday from the whole Shaw Clan!

Bill, Karen, Scraps and Lia.


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Sightings XXIV

Funny, "The Turd" doesn't look Italian.

Jimbo attended the Americans of Italian Heritage annual dinner last evening. He kept to himself, talking again to mostly non-politicos, and on one occasion was seen getting dressed down by one of the party-goers...funny stuff.

Even at non-partisan, non-political events, El Rey Jaime La Mierda is getting a foot up his a$$...it's the beginning of the end, Jimbo...enjoy the ride while you can!

(KJIII sipping his third or seventh Dewar's)

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Lisa Mossie's Last Times Herald Column

First of all, I have to say it's a damn shame. The powers that be at the Times Herald should be ashamed of themselves for bowing to "peer pressure".

I guess the only news fit to print is that which public opinion deems fit. First amendment be damned. Try now to get a letter to the editor published, if you mention Obama in a negative light...it just won't happen.

Well, Lisa, it may come down to publishing our own "underground" newspaper, but, we will not be silenced. Patrick Henry wrote "Common Sense", self published and distributed it on his own...maybe it's time for our own "Common Sense"...oh, right, that's called a blog (to quote Lisa "until they take that away, too".

Lisa's Last Column:

An Attack Of Righteous Indignation

By LISA MOSSIE
For The Times Herald

In the wake of the Pittsburgh police shootings, there has been a lot of concerned commentary coming out of the left denouncing the right-wing, anti-government, pro-gun culture that supposedly nurtured and bred the animal otherwise known as cop killer Richard Poplawski.

Liberals, who can usually barely be roused from the latest issue of Vanity Fair to formulate an opinion on cop killings, suddenly discovered a new cause to back because, in their estimation, cop killing can now be identified as a function of the conservative culture of hate.

In a snarky conversation comparing Dick Cheney’s oh-so-relevant hunting accident (it happened more than three years ago) with the murder of the policemen in Pittsburgh, Markos “Daily Kos” Moulitsas quipped, “When we were out of power, we organized to win the next election. Conservatives, apparently prefer to talk ‘revolution’ and kill cops.”

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s liberal “humorist” Reg Henry, whose column appears in this space on Saturdays, spoke with disgust of the “mother’s milk” imbibed by the right: anti-government, pro-gun vitriol spewed by conservative talk show radio hosts.

Henry then quickly distanced himself from directly blaming Limbaugh, by first cowardly refusing to name him (lest a Lexis Nexis search by Limbaugh’s producers drag Mr. Henry into the awkward position of having to defend his thin accusations and tortured logic on a national stage) and by secondly claiming that “these hatemongers did not fire the fatal shots at the Pittsburgh police ... but the killer took the general illogic to its logical conclusion.”

It should be noted here that Mr. Henry, in his righteous indignation, refused to give the killer “the perverse pleasure of naming him,” but didn’t dignify the fallen officers by naming them, either.

Instead, at the end of his column, Mr. Henry collectively calls Stephen Mayhle, Paul Sciullo II and Eric Kelly “needlessly dead heroes,” a moniker that rings hollow coming as it does after thorough politicization of their deaths.

Over here on the border of cop killer central, we Philadelphia suburbanites mourned with our city as it lost six officers to deliberate murder in the line of duty in the last three years.

Officers Gary Skerski, Chuck Cassidy, Isabelle Nazario, Patrick McDonald, John Pawlowski and Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski, were all killed by career criminals. Even Andre Butler, who killed Officer Nazario by ramming his stolen Escalade into her vehicle, had already amassed a significant criminal record by the tender age of 16.

He was, in fact, a fugitive from the juvenile justice system at the time of his arrest.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, on March 21 four Oakland police officers were killed in two related incidents.

Sergeants Mark Dunakin, Ervin Romans, Daniel Sakai, and Officer John Hege were killed by Lovelle Mixon.

In 2007, Mixon was released on parole after serving five years of a six-year sentence for assault with a firearm.

Shortly thereafter, he was named as a suspect in a homicide; however, there was insufficient evidence to hold him.

Nevertheless, there were enough additional charges to send him back to prison for nine more months.

This pillar of society and suspected rapist of a 12 year-old girl was so well respected in his Oakland community that he inspired numerous rallies in his support.

I seriously doubt that anyone attending those rallies was a Rush Limbaugh ditto-head.

In fact, all of these cop killers have had significant and multiple run-ins with the criminal justice system, all had a history of violence, weapons violations, and drug use and by rights, every last one of them should have been in custody at the time they were on the streets murdering police officers.

Based on the laws we have on our books already, none of these perpetrators should have had access to a firearm, much less been able to commit murder. Yet for liberals, to whom the concept of personal responsibility is anathema, the solution is always more laws and less freedoms. And now, thanks to Poplawski, they believe they can blame the right wing not only for our support of the Second Amendment, but as a culture that breeds hate and violence.

So let’s talk about what kind of culture breeds a cop killer.

Could it be a culture of criminal justice that is more about catch and release than punishment or rehabilitation; a culture that offers rewards for crimes that far outweigh the risks or the consequences?

Could it be a culture that holds up the admitted and unrepentant cop killer Mumia Abu Jamal as a “political prisoner,” a poster boy against the death penalty and a fitting commencement speaker to lecture our nation’s youth?

Could it be a culture of “stop snitching” perpetuated by the rap and hip-hop community and characterized by ostentatious displays of wealth? A culture that glorifies violence against cops and women in heavy rotation on-air and whose message is not only condoned but praised and awarded as “art”?

Could it be a culture that perpetuates victimhood and oppression as a way of life?

A culture whose spiritual leaders include race-baiters like Reverends Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Jeremiah Wright?

And hasn’t that culture of victim and oppressor just been validated on a national scale by the election of the first true product of that culture, Barack Obama?

Could it be a culture in which the media are able to paint all of law enforcement with the broad brush of corruption due to the actions of a few?

A culture of moral relativism that then uses that characterization to make excuses for the hostility, lawlessness and violence of the culture from whence the killers came?

Is this the “conservative culture” that breeds cop killers, or is this a very sour “mother’s milk” of another, more liberal kind?

Every attack on a cop is an attack on our way of life, our civilization and our liberty, regardless of the perpetrator’s political beliefs.

Every attack on a cop is an attack on us all.

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Sightings XXIII

Jimbo showed up at the Kelly Wall for Judge campaign fundraiser last evening.

He was there most of the night, working the room, talking mostly to non-political folks. Cripes, most of us ignored him anyway, except to get these snazzy pics of him.

I guess the Turd has to have someplace to go on a Thursday night, and, if I counted correctly, (while I was there) his drinks cost about $62.50 each. That's some expensive Dewar's, Jimbo...hope it was worth every cent.

(here's some pics for your viewing pleasure)

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Commissioner Castor Reports...The (Ethics) Corruption Policy

(The letter speaks for itself, no commentary required!-B.)

Good morning.

The reviews are in! Four newspapers (so far) have published editorials on the Hoeffel/Matthews corruption plan adopted two weeks ago disguised as an “ethics policy.”

The result? The reviews are uniformly negative and echo all of the objections I raised in our meetings on this subject. But Hoeffel and Matthews just ignore the will of the people and reasoned voices and adopt legislation designed only to feather their political nests.

The editorials sometimes bemoan the “bickering” at our CountyCommissioner meetings. Hoeffel and Matthews have attempted to use this to their advantage by claiming we’re “demeaning the office” of Commissioner by disagreeing in public. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Jim and I were elected on a platform of issues and ideas, not the least of which was to keep taxes low and make sure the government runs efficiently. In just sixteen months Hoeffel and Matthews have set our government on a perilous course of massive debt, massive spending and inevitable tax increases.

Positions Jim and I said we didn’t believe in have been created and big money has been paid to the people who filled those jobs. Cronyism, which Hoeffel attacked relentlessly and Jim denied we engaged in, is the norm. Jim’s secretary and her husband were given big jobs they were not qualified for. Jim’s best friend is the $135,000 solicitor who still finds time to take private cases on the side. Hoeffel’s top campaign aides have been given a $90,000 job in the solicitors office and a made up Deputy Chief Operating Officer position making $90,000 to work part-time 2 and a half days a week. These are just the high profile jobs. All kind of lower level jobs are being handed out to buddies and cronies of Hoeffel and Matthews.

That is what this deal was about. There is no good government here, folks. Joe Hoeffel is engaging in the kind of behavior he accused Republicans of engaging in for decades. Why is Hoeffel doing that? Because, with Jim Matthews' vote, he can.

I didn’t run for Commissioner to hand out jobs or make sure my friends’ businesses benefited from county contracts and lucrative consulting deals. I ran for Commissioner because I thought I could make a difference for the people of Montgomery County and I believed Jim Matthews when he told me he wanted the same things for the county as I did.

Jim lied. So did Joe Hoeffel. They lied to the voters and the press and to me. In fact, when Jim embraced the very $105 million economic development plan Hoeffel proposed that Jim ridiculed during the campaign as unnecessary and ill advised, he told the press his opposition during the campaign was “just campaign rhetoric.” In other words, “I lie during campaigns to get elected.”

Maybe that’s how Jim Matthews operates, but it’s not how I operate.

So now, instead of spending my time making policy I have to act as a one man ethics and good government policeman. With these two in charge, it’s a full time job. They are used to minority Commissioners like Ruth Damsker who just sat quietly in their seat, never raised any objections, and let the two majority Commissioners run the show.

They want to use their ability to hand out jobs and contracts, their ability to intimidate county employees and political supporters and their ability to pass just about any rule or regulation they want at the County to silence me and my supporters.

I will continue to blow the whistle on them every time they’re doing something that is not in this county’s best interests. They will not silence or intimidate me.

I ran for Commissioner to clean up the court house and maybe that’s exactly why these two made their deal in the first place. They both knew I’d never go along with these kinds of shenanigans and needed to figure out how to keep the old ways of doing things in place.

This corruption policy disguised as an ethics policy is only the latest step in the effort to silence me and my supporters. The first rule of a dictatorship is to silence dissent.

Based on these editorials, I’d say they failed. But absolute power corrupts absolutely, so you can be sure these two will continue their corrupt ways designed to benefit themselves politically, and their friends financially, while at the same time keep attacking those who oppose them. Their motives are different. Hoeffel acts to keep potential candidates from running against him and his pals. Jim wants to retaliate against our party for refusing to support his embracing of the Democrats. But this marriage of convenience works because these two have twin common goals: advance their individual political agendas and line their friends' pockets. Good government is the last thing on their minds, and it is my job to let people know that.

Sincerely,

Bruce L. Castor, Jr.
MontgomeryCounty Commissioner



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A Plea For Help

My Friends...

I normally do not use this forum to solicit anything (but your time), but this matter is very near and dear to our family.

Casey Taylor is the daughter of a childhood friend, Michael "MAT" Taylor. She is not even a year old and desperately needs a liver transplant. (She has a twin sister.) Her father is the closest match for a tissue donor and has been traveling from Florida to Pittsburgh almost weekly to undergo all of the testing involved (the transplant will take place at Pittsburgh's Children's Hospital).

They could use all of the help they can get. The link below takes you to a patient online donations page, where the money collected will be used solely for Casey's transplant expenses.

I know a lot of us give blindly to charities and never really know where the money is being spent...any money donated on this page goes directly to fund Casey Taylor's medical expenses and only Casey's.

I've known Casey's father, "MAT", for close to 35 years, when he was barely out of diapers himself. His family and mine have been friends at least that long, if not more. I was there when he married Maureen (too long ago to remember how long). These are good people who have found themselves in an impossible situation. As a personal favor to me, could you consider giving even $5.00, if not more, to help the Taylor's offset the cost of her operation and their traveling expenses?

Thank you all, in advance, for even considering this, and please, if you cannot afford to give, pray for Casey and her family?

http://cota.donorpages.com/PatientOnlineDonation/COTAforCaseyT


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The Turd Sides With Hoeffel (Again)

Like we thought this would go any other way but how it went! Apparently, JimboTurd decided that limiting political activity is ok, as long as it's Houffle's idea...From the Times Herald online:

By KEITH PHUCAS
Times Herald Staff

COURTHOUSE — The Montgomery County Commissioners voted 2-1 to adopt a controversial ethics ordinance banning county employees from participating in political activity Thursday.

Before the vote, county District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman and Sheriff’s solicitor Tom Speer signaled their intention to file lawsuits challenging the new policy.

Commissioners chairman James R. Matthews and vice chairman Joseph M. Hoeffel III voted for the ethics measure, and commissioner Bruce L. Castor Jr. voted against it.

Sources say that Jimturd was seriously up Huffell's ass on this one. while the meeting was in session, the following was sent to me from someone attending today's meeting:

Jimbo totally up Joe's ass. "Corruption" policy will be implemented. Joe flip flops. Not for total ban anymore (which is what Castor said he'd vote for at the last meeting...BS)

Look for a plethora of lawsuits coming from just about every department, row office, nook and cranny of Montco government...First amendment rights are being violated and the two democratic commissioners are in a pickle, albeit one of their own making...stay tuned, this is going to get very, very interesting, folks!

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Writemarsh Forever

April Fools!

(I love Whitemarsh and Montgomery County too much to ever leave!)

Besides, who else'd have the balls to break Jimbo's oysters on such a regular basis?
(Other than Republican Commissioner, Bruce Castor?)

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Writemarsh Is Moving

As most of my readers know, I have been out of work since November. This has been a thorn in my side, as well as my family's.

The job search has taken me from NYC to Fairfax, Virginia, looking to do what I love, printing (pre-press, in particular). Yesterday, I received a call from what could very well be my dream job...working for the publication company that prints the NRA's four magazines.

What does this mean? It means that after convincing my wife and children that this is what I really need to do, I an moving to Alexandria, Virginia to start my new job on June 1st of this year. The company has a program to help with the search for a new home, and we've decided to rent out our home in Whitemarsh, instead of trying to sell it in such a stagnant market. Karen and the kids will follow me when school ends two weeks after I leave..

So, dear readers, since I will no longer be living and working in PA, I'll have no real ties to this blog, as it was started to put the screws to one person, in particular.

I've not discussed this with my friends because of one (very good) reason...they'd have convinced me that this is not a good idea. But, I have to support my family, and I've not been doing a good job of that lately.

I'll post again before I go...I'm hoping to put together a "going-away" party, of sorts, and will blog the details as soon as they are finalized.

I'll always love each and every one of you for your support, but as per the cliche, all good things must come to an end.

I won't be going gently into the cold, dark night, I'll be back on eventually, blogging about national politics instead of local stuff.

Thank you again for reading...

Bill





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