StopLouBarletta.com

The video, posted above, is pure comedy. Titled, “Lou Barletta Speaks About the Credit Crisis,” it was produced by Mayor Lou Barletta and posted to his YouTube page. He mentions a few things in the short video that made me laugh. Namely the part where he explains that, “All types of loans are more expensive and difficult to obtain.”

I find this funny because Lou Barletta has yet to explain how and why he was able to get a $65,000 loan, in 2002, that he has yet to make a payment on. Not even an interest payment. The Barletta campaign has offered three different explanations on what the loan was. They first said that there was no loan, it never existed. Then they said that it was a “clerical error”. Finally, they said that it was a personal loan made to Mayor Lou Barletta. The three of these explanations came out over an eleven day period.

Still, however, based on paperwork filed by the Barletta Campaign, no payments have ever been made to pay down this loan, which was originally taken out to help cover costs of Lou Barletta’s failed 2002 Congressional bid. Additionally, based on the latest paperwork, it appears that the initial $65,000 that the Barletta Campaign originally reported may actually be worth over $100,000. And, again, Lou Barletta has yet to make a single payment on this loan.

Based on all of this, I find it amusing that Mayor Lou Barletta would make a video in which he talks about how “loans are getting more expensive and harder to obtain.” Obviously, this is not the case for Lou Barletta. For some reason, which is still unknown, he is able to obtain loans from banks for free. He doesn’t even have to pay back the principle. Must be nice, Mayor Lou.

This just further demonstrates just how out of touch (and possibly corrupt) Mayor Lou Barletta really is. As a local mayor, he’s already involved in shady loans and campaign financing. Can you imagine what this creep will be doing, and how he will be abusing his power, if he were actually elected to Congress? For the sake of everyone, Mayor Lou Barletta must be kept out of Congress.

-Dan Cheek
www.StopLouBarletta.com
StopLouBarletta@gmail.com

The Lou Barletta campaign has some serious issues in terms of finances. Not only has Barletta run up a huge amount of debt, there are lingering and serious questions about whether or not Barletta has violated Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules. After filing his latest Personal Financial Disclosure with the FEC, these questions have once again come front and center.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), as you might expect, is all over this….

Lou Barletta’s campaign continues to play the shell game with his questionable loan. Leaving us to ask, where is the loan now, Lou? Thursday, Congressman Paul Kanjorski filed an updated personal financial disclosure (PFD) form with no questionable loans or unanswered questions. Lou Barletta’s PFD on the other hand begs the question — is the $65,000 loan to the First National Bank actually an even larger loan between the amount of $100,001 and $250,000 as it is listed on his PFD? What’s the real story? Barletta says it was a personal loan, the FEC says it was a campaign loan, and his PFD seems to tell yet another story. What is Lou Barletta hiding and under which shell will we find the truth?

“Lou Barletta is playing quite the shell game with his questionable loan,” said Carrie James, regional press secretary at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Lou Barletta’s crooked book keeping raises serious doubts about his ability to honestly represent middle class families struggling in a tough economy. Pennsylvania families have to pay their bills on time, pay down loans and they certainly don’t have the option of taking out a loan without interest. Why should Lou Barletta’s deal with the bank be any different? If Lou Barletta has done no wrong, why won’t he release the proper documentation showing he is paying down the loan, it has accrued interest and he, like all other Pennsylvania families, is responsibly taking care of his finances?”

As I’ve said before, I don’t know what the real story is with this “loan”, or even if it is a loan. The problem is, however, that it would appear that the Barletta campaign doesn’t know what the real story is, either. And neither does the FEC. Obviously, this is a huge headache for everyone involved.

This much is clear, though; Lou Barletta’s campaign is a mess. Aside from this little nightmare, the campaign also has to deal with the fact that they are facing huge fund raising problems. Additionally, Barletta has yet to make a stand on any relevant political issue, aside from illegal immigration. Combined, all of this makes Barletta and his campaign people look like a bunch of clueless amateurs. If Lou Barletta has managed to screw up his own campaign this badly, how can anyone expect him to be an effective Congressman?

-Dan Cheek
www.StopLouBarletta.com
StopLouBarletta@gmail.com

This is a mess. As I mentioned in my last post, there is a $65,000 hellstorm swirling around the Lou Barletta Campaign. For the full details on that, click HERE. Now, apparently, the Barletta Campaign, or someone who says they are associated with the Campaign, is threatening legal action against a local political blog, The Pennsylvania Progressive, for some statements they made about this loan issue.

A guy by the name of John Keegan, who identified himself as, “Lou Barletta’s Lower Luzerne County Chairman for Lou Barletta For Congress Committee”, has apparently threatened the owner of The Pennsylvania Progressive with a lawsuit. There were constant back and forths between Keegan and the Pennsylvania Progressive and eventually the dispute even spilled over on to another local political blog, Gort42. To read all of the insanity, check out the following links (which were provided to me by Gort, owner of the Gort42 blog)…

http://pennsylvaniaprogressive.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/03/barletta-campai.html
http://pennsylvaniaprogressive.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/03/keegan-responds.html#comments
http://gort42.blogspot.com/2008/03/barletta-campaign-threatens-blogger.html
http://gort42.blogspot.com/2008/03/barletta-campaign-threatens-blogger_09.html

Crazy, eh? Now, because I’m just a third party here and not directly involved in this dispute, I’ll say only this; It would appear, based on what has been presented in those blog posts and resulting comments, that this $65,000 has the potential to be a real black eye for the Barletta Campaign. Maybe it was a personal loan, as the Barletta people say, and maybe it wasn’t. I don’t know. However, I think everyone can agree that the issue has been handled poorly by the Campaign. I’m no public relations expert, but in my opinion, this has been an epic failure for Lou Barletta and his people.

If a $65,000 personal loan can cause this much confusion and controversy, and Lou Barletta can do nothing to clarify and calm the situation, this speaks volumes about his ability to lead. This is, yet again, another example of how unprepared Lou Barletta is to even think of running for Congress, let alone actually serve as a Congressman. Mr. Barletta, in my opinion, should focus less on obtaining higher political offices and more on getting his own affairs in order. Lou Barletta does not deserve, and should not be elected, to serve in the United States Congress.

-Dan Cheek
www.StopLouBarletta.com
StopLouBarletta@gmail.com

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has, as many of you know, filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) regarding a $65,000 loan made to Lou Barletta. According to the DCCC, the loan was a “sweetheart deal” that required Barletta to pay no interest and make no payments, even though the loan was taken out in 2002. The Barletta campaign has said that this loan was a personal loan made to Barletta, not to his campaign, and that no laws or violations of ethics occurred.

However, the issue seems far from dead. One of the main reasons the story is still alive and kicking is that, as documented by the DCCC on its website, the Barletta Campaign has produced three very different explanations as to what the loan was for. The DCCC goes on to say…

“The fact is that Barletta has offered three different stories about this loan over the past 11 days. Mr. Barletta’s first story was, “that no money from any bank was ever loaned” [Wilkes Barre Times Leader, 2/9/08]. Mr. Barletta’s second story was that it was a “clerical error” [Citizen Voice, 2/15/08]. Now, Mr. Barletta’s third story is, “it was a personal loan” [Wilkes Barre Times Leader, 2/21/08]. Even Mr. Barletta can’t keep his story straight about this $65,000 loan, which raises more questions than answers.“

Ouch. Now, I have no idea what the real story is about this loan. The Lou Barletta Campaign’s (most current) story is that it was a “personal loan” and that no wrongdoing of any sort occurred. I’m willing to accept that, for now. However, what I find shocking is how sloppy Mr. Barletta’s campaign has handled this issue. If it was simply a personal loan, why all the confusion? It would seem Mr. Barletta has some issues in terms of managing his personal finances.

This whole situation may or may not be a political scandal in the making. As I said, for the moment, I’m willing to accept the Barletta campaign explanation. However, what all of this does reinforce is that Lou Barletta has some serious leadership issues. If he can’t keep his own campaign in order, how does he expect to serve as a US Congressman? Lou Barletta does not deserve to be elected to the United States Congress.

-Dan Cheek
www.StopLouBarletta.com
StopLouBarletta@gmail.com