And it Came to Pass...

A cartoon from the 1/4/2009 Sunday funnies:


(click image to enlarge)


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I Guess Jimbo "Had Some 'Splainin' To Do?

Not that anyone in Montco cares (now that he's "officially out"), but Jimbo has decided to tell Margaret Gibbons (of the Intelligencer) his tale of woe.

It seems that JimTurd is too old to run for Lt. Governor.

By his own reasoning, he's not willing to play second fiddle to the governor at his age, citing

"When you are in your 50s or 40s, any intelligent person who looks at the lieutenant governorship looks at it as a path, a bridge to another destination"..."When you are in your 60s, you have to look at it as a destination and I have to tell you that, as a lieutenant governor, there is not a whole lot to do."

He goes on to say that he's not willing to sit back and just nod to the governor (in more or less words) at his age...

"would drive me nuts being gagged as a lieutenant governor because you have to always defer to the governor."

As for getting the support of 10 county chairmen? Maybe so...but to not have the support in your home county speaks volumes state-wide. King James' censure last year still resonates around the state because of Jimbo's willingness to defer to the Democrat, Joe Hoeffel, in all decisions that benefit democrats in Montgomery County.

Because of this unholy alliance, Jo-Ho is now poised to become the dems candidate for the governor's mansion.

But, this self-imposed "age-ism" is not such a bad thing. The lesser of two evils is that he stay right here in Montco where we can keep an eye on his antics a bit more closely. At the end of the day, if this is the excuse he needs to stay out of the fray, I'll take it.

Whatever it takes to convince yourself, El Rey...whatever it takes. I'm just taking comfort in the fact that come 2011, you'll be out of sight, out of mind.

[Conspiratorially speaking, this may just be a ruse to keep the press off his back prior to a "late season" announcement that he has reconsidered and is, in fact, running, although I'm convinced that neither Corbett nor Gerlach would have him (and to that, we'll just have to wait and see).]

B.


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"Just When I Thought I was Out..."

"...they sucked me back in."

Or so we thought when King James declared earlier this month that he was, indeed, running for Lt. Governor.

Now, on the heels of a post by myself and on PAWatercooler.com, JimTurd turns 180º and is now out again. Kind of gives me the feeling of "I was for it before I was against it", ala John Kerry.

Don't play with us, Jimbo, we just can't take too much more of your douchebaggery.

On second thought, keep showing the good people of Montgomery County that you both can't commit to anything and that you are constantly second-guessing your decisions. It'll make for a better 2012 for all of us.

Rumors that neither Gerlach nor Corbett would run with him (which are turning up on message boards around the state) probably prompted his pull-out from the Lt. Gubernatorial race. I wonder why he wouldn't take the hint when he decided to run for re-election as county commissioner?

I guess we'll never know the answer to that one, but I' still wonder if Jo-Ho has photos of Jimbo in a compromising position.


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For The Record...

...Yes, I do.


(h/t to Al Bowman)


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Jimbo Lied...Again

Jim Matthews officially threw his hat into the ring–again– and is now a candidate for Lt. Governor. This was after Jim had said he would not be seeking the position again...that, in fact, he was going to concentrate on being Montgomery County Commissioner. Obviously, Jim lied...again.

Well, Jimbo, I'll be expecting your resignation from the election board in the morning. Oh, and don't expect a Montco Republican endorsement for this one...even though this blogger'd be glad to be rid of you, I can't say that I'd be at all for some power sharing agreement on the statewide level.

So, why not flip and run as Jo-Ho's running mate? Then there will not be any awkward moments on the campaign trail, when you're playing footsie under the table with Mr. Potato Head while hanging on your running mate's every word.

JimTurd for Lt. Governor? Jo-Ho for Governor? As much as I'd not like to admit it, I'd feel so much better if both of them were still county commissioners this time next year, But that's just this humble blogger's position.

B.

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Mensch Wins Special Election

With less than 13% of the electorate bothering to show up, Mensch handily beats both of his opponents convincingly, winning with 68% of the vote, a 2(+) to 1 margin over the democrat, Scheuring.

Seever wasn't even in the race.

Oh, and today is the anniversary of James Dean's untimely death. He went from 55 mph to zero when he abruptly stopped after hitting a 1950 Ford Custom Tudor Coupe.



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***REMINDER***

There is a special election today, September 29th in the 24th senatorial district of PA.

Republican Bob Mensch is squaring off against a democratic third-stringer in Anne Scheuring (a member of Lansdale Borough Council), and Barbara Steever, a Libertarian from Upper Hanover.

Scheuring has refused to debate Mensch and Steever. Both Mensch and Scheuring have received extensive support from their respective parties in the form of contributions and volunteers.

If you read this and live in the district, please be sure to vote.

I predict a lackluster turnout with a Mensch victory delivered by Republican 4/4 voters and (former) Wonderling supporters determining the outcome.


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Jo-Ho Steps Down from Election Board Post

Although Hoeffel states in the article that Kern's press release didn't influence his decision, it does seem kind of ironic that he stepped down before the end of the same day the press release came out.

I guess Jo-Ho is just one of those "ethical" guys that get into politics to serve the people, not to get all of his friends and cronies jobs...oh,wait, check that. He and Matthews made an agreement to share the power so they could give jobs to their friends and cronies.

Hopefully, president judge, Judge Richard J. Hodgson, will appoint the right person for the job, and the election board will no longer be under Marcel Groen's control, vis a vis Hoeffel.

Read Margaret Gibbons report from "The Intelligencer"



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GOP Chairman Kerns Demands Jo-Ho's Resignation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MONTGOMERY COUNTY GOP CHAIRMAN
CALLS ON JOE HOEFFEL TO STEP DOWN
FROM ELECTION BOARD

“Elections should be free and fair. Hoeffel needs to step aside immediately to ensure he’s not setting the table for himself”


Bob Kerns, Chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Committee, called on Democrat County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel to step down from the Montgomery County Board of Elections.

“Joe Hoeffel chairs the Montgomery County Board of Elections and can act in that capacity to advantage his candidacy for Governor. He needs to step down immediately and allow for an alternate to be appointed in his place,” Kerns said.

“This has been the tradition in the past when County Commissioners have run for office and I think Hoeffel needs to step down now,” Kerns said.

““Elections should be free and fair. Hoeffel needs to step aside immediately to ensure he’s not setting the table for himself,” Kerns said, noting that Hoeffel remained on the Board of Elections when he was a candidate in a contested election to be a Hillary Clinton delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

The President Judge of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas has the legal authority to appoint a replacement to the Board of Elections once Hoeffel steps aside.

Hoeffel announced on Sunday that he would be a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania Governor in 2010.


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Hoeffel Announces

"Jo-Ho" announced today that he will, indeed, be running for governor.

It surprises me that he hasn't announced a running mate-I guess he's waiting for Jimbo to either flip or announce the first *bi-partisan* gubernatorial ticket in the history of Montgomery County.

Funny, but if not for Jim-Turd empowering Hoeffel a year and a half or so ago, this may very well not have catapulted Jo-Ho to the statewide (if not national) stardom he now has...Thanks, KJIII, you selfless bastard. Thanks.





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Is "Racist" the new "Communist"?

During the McCarthy era, we had a run of people trying to "out" communists, to the point that it's overuse caused it to become less of a stigma to be called one. Is the current administration doing the same to the word "Racist"?

We very well may be going down that road. The video below is a great example of how "racism" is no longer a broad stroke of bigotry, but simply a case of both non- whites and "guilty" whites stating "white people hate everyone who isn't like them". The video is about an hour, but is well worth the time spent watching.




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Joe Hoeffel a Strong Possibility For Governor's Race

It looks like Joe Hoeffel will be seeking yet another position that will keep him on the public's payroll, if successful.

In a recent poll, Jo-jo garnered 30% of the support, should he decide to run against likely candidates. Unfortunately, Jim Matthews was not named as a likely running mate for Joe...bummer, considering how well they have worked together over the past year and a half.

Hopefully, as close as he and Jimbo have been, he will be a likely recipient of a huge dose of the "Matthews Effect"...one can only hope.

Read more about it here.

B.




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Facebook, today

"Friend" Jim Matthews? Ummmm...I think I'll pass!



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Congratulations are in Order

Congratulations to William (Will) Morgan, Boy Scout from Troop 140, on being honored this evening at the Whitemarsh Township Board of Supervisors meeting. Will was my son Jesse's very first patrol leader when Jesse 'bridged over" from Cub Scouts.

Will has earned the rank of Eagle Scout and the township is publicly honoring him for this great achievement.

Nationwide, less than 2% of all Boy Scouts achieve the rank of Eagle.

Will and his parents should be very proud. As a member of the Troop 140 committee, I sure am.



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The Bogeyman's Gonna Getcha!

I'm getting tired of the whole "Bogeyman's gonna getcha" tactics that BHO is using to stir up the waters of this health care issue.

The problem with the whole "health care reform" debate is that, in fact, the health care system isn't broken. It's not a health care issue, it's an insurance issue.

Everybody has access to health care...just look at the hospital emergency rooms, full of people with the flu and ingrown toenails. Hospitals are not allowed, by law, to turn them away without being seen. It comes down to who is paying for health care.

I'm currently unemployed, and my wife works...she gets health insurance through her employer. For those who do not, unfortunately, they have to pay, just as I do for homeowners, life and car insurance.

Do I want the federal gov't. meddling in those insurances, just because Joe Citizen can't afford full coverage, like I can? No!

This whole debate isn't about access to health care, it's about access to insurance. If one goes to work, even at a fast food joint, they have access to health insurance. One has to be willing to give up that Blackberry, the extra premium channels on their cable tv, and maybe the $35.00+ a week cigarette habit they have.

I'm out of work and we've cut back. People can afford insurance, but, if the gov't. keeps telling them "we'll take care of you", where's the incentive?

This is all smoke and mirrors, anyway. BHO thinks he can "scare" the American public into believing that the healthcare crisis is a "bogeyman" so to speak, but remember...after 8 years of Clinton failure on this topic, and 8 years of Bush not doing anything (b/c nothing needed to be done) the fact is, 16+ years have gone by and nobody is lining up to die because there lacks a national health care system.





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The President Explains Why Healthcare will fail...

...all the while trying to convince us that it will not!

H/T to "Republican Study Committee" on Facebook.

President Obama's defense of government-run health care: "If you think about it, UPS and FedEx are doing just fine… It’s the post office that’s always having problems."

Thank you, Mr. President for explaining to us that National, single provider health care will not work!


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It's like riding a bike...

I got an email today concerning our Former Senator, Rick Santorum, and the content of it pissed me off.

The person who wrote it flamed the former senator at face value, but did so without any substance..."flinging poo" so to speak. He also flamed someone who used to work for the senator, again, without substance, only for the sake of being insulting.

While the Dems accept ALL sorts of Dems just because they are Dems, we continue to kill our party by not accepting all of our Republicans into the "Big Tent" we continuously tout that we embrace. We use terms like "I held my nose and pulled the lever" or “I didn't vote for that guy at all" to show our distaste. This is one of the reasons there is a President Obama (instead of maybe a President Clinton or President McCain)

I don't get it...while the Democrats are organizing and becoming a force to be reckoned with, we have continually splintered as a party because "he's not conservative enough" or "she's not anti-abortion" or "he's an extremist", etc. We implode, rather than embrace someone who is fiscally or socially moderate. (for the record, I am both fiscally and socially überconservative...)

It's a pity. I pull straight lever, every time, because I want Republicans to win, and, we can win...we just don't really want to bad enough. There is no “perfect world” and there are no perfect Republicans. We must accept and embrace this to win elections.

I'm freakin' back.

B.




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well, well, well

This is strange, as I'm blogging for the first time in over 2 months. Things haven't been going as well as I thought they'd be by now, and I'd kind of lost my motivation to write.

As a lot of you know, I was laid off from my job back in November. The financial hardship notwithstanding, I've been experiencing a bit of lethargy (?) maybe in a lot of my life.

Backing up a bit, the ability to find a job over the last 7 -8 months has been terrible. My former "career" now only pays what the owner of the company wants to pay, it's become an "employer's market" in my chosen field. I called to inquire about a job in my field a month ago, they're paying half of what I was making in November, and-get this-required a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience...for a job that most people learned "on the job", in an apprenticeship!

That, coupled with a bit of health related issues, has chased my "muse" (so to speak) giving me no inspiration or desire to write anything. I've also been tied up with a bathroom remodel (now that I've got the spare time on my hands) that eats up a tremendous amount of what little energy I have.

So there it is, my loyal readers. No excuses, just explanations. Hopefully, this lone post will inspire me to get "back on the horse" or, I'll find that my "muse" has left me and I've written all I was supposed to.

Either way, it's been a great ride and I appreciate those of you who have been supportive of me (as well as those of you who choose to anonymously "jeer" me via the "comments" button).

Will I be back? Time will tell. Do I want to be back? More than ever.

Until then, bear with me...like all of G-d's creatures, I'm a work in progress, and I'm certain he's not through with me yet.

Have a peaceful day,

B.



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Fascism We Can Believe In - The Political Jungle

Fascism We Can Believe In - The Political Jungle

It's going on right under our noses, and we're letting it happen.

B. Read Full Text/Comments

Friends of the Forgotten

(Waiting to leave Norristown High School!)

Yesterday, I rode in my very first motorcycle "run", the Friends of the Forgotten Ride for Freedom, which honors POW/MIA's and their families.

I've watched this "run" from the sidelines, every year, since I've lived in this area. This time I was a (more than) willing participant. To say it was fun is an understatement.

The ride started at Norristown High School at 8 am for registration. The actual "heel's up" ride commenced at 11:30 sharp. My riding partner, George, and I arrived at about 11:10, registered and saddled up in plenty of time to get going. We were somewhere in the middle of the "pack" of near 1500 motorcycles, trikes and (a few) scooters.

We left at approximately 11:45 and arrived in Conshohocken about 12 noon. We then proceeded through Conshohocken to the Schuylkill Expressway, onto Rte 422, and ended at Valley Forge Park Visitor's Center. The total "parade" was about 25 minutes long, and averaged about 30-40 mph (counting highway travel).

When I exited Rte 422, I happened to look down the expressway, from the overpass, and could not see the end of the procession. I was really in awe of what I was part of. In past years, I had told my wife, Karen, that if I ever had the opportunity to do "that" I would. This year I was fortunate enough to achieve out one of my personal goals, to ride in the Ride for Freedom...a group I have watched for 17 years pass my "corner"...always wanting in, but never quite getting there.

Needless to say, I will strive to participate in this event every year from now on.

After the ride, I spent about a half an hour picking bugs from between my teeth...the sure sign of a "happy biker". I should have pics and some video later today.


The photo below is my friend, George, who invited me to tag along with him this year...thanks, George, I had a blast! (Photo was taken at the end, in Valley Forge Park)



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