StopLouBarletta.com

The following blog post appeared on Joe Leonardi’s blog, The Independent, Conservative, Common Sense Oasis, on November 28th, 2007.  The blog is entitled, “Why Lou Barletta Should Not Run for Congress.”  While I don’t agree with every point made by Mr. Leonardi, I do agree with him that Lou Barletta would not make a very good Congressman.

For those that don’t know, Joe Leonardi was the Republican nominee for Congress in the 11th Congressional District (the same one that Lou Barletta is currently running to represent) and identifies himself as a conservative Republican.  For a complete biography of Joe Leonardi, click HERE.  Now, on to what Mr. Leonardi says about Lou Barletta….

Why Lou Barletta Should Not Run For Congress
by: Joe Leonardi

Republicans are more than likely going to lose more seats in 2008. Throughout the country President Bush has destroyed our party unity. All you have to do is look at the cash on hand and donations coming into the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee compared to the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Mayor Lou Barletta — this is not the time, in a democratic district, to take on a democratic incumbent.

To break it down:

- According to FEC filings the Barletta for Congress committee is still in debt about one hundred fifty thousand dollars. Kanjorski’s committee has over 1.2 million dollars on hand. No matter what Lou raises, he is still over 1.3 million dollars down.

- The DCCC is not going to let a senior house member go without a major fight. The money that the DCCC will pour into the 11th will be astronomical. The NRCC will not have the money to fight back.

- Lou has made quite a splash with his stance on illegal immigration. However, Congressman Tom Tancredo has been more vocal and more effective. Tancredo actually helped kill the amnesty bill in the Congress. Has that translated into more support for his presidential bid? If immigration was the end all and be all of national politics, Tom Tancredo would be a top tier candidate in the presidential primary race. Is he?

- The big issues against Kanjorski are nepotism and cronyism. In Luzerne County the voters simply do not care. The money to the Kanjorski nephews was an issue in 2002 and 2006. Cronyism was an issue in the Luzerne County Commissioners race. However each and every time the incumbent democrat won. The fact is, that in Luzerne County, the voters don’t care about cronyism.

The 11th congressional district is more than just Luzerne County.

- Lackawanna County’s republican precincts went democratic in the last commissioner’s race. Granted, many of these precincts were in the 10th, but that only emphasizes the dissatisfaction. Most precincts in the 11th are democratic. If they are angry with republicans, does anyone think, that over one issue they are going to turn republican?

- Monroe County, for the first time in years, has elected democratic majority commissioners.

- Carbon County is a democratic stronghold. Kanjorski is very highly thought of there.

- Columbia County, which is probably the most conservative county, has strongly supported congressman Kanjorski. He has currently promised a levy system on the banks of the river. His seniority, being a member of the majority party and his accomplishments with the levy system up river, will all but assure continued support.

- On two major issues; abortion and gun control, Congressman Kanjorski is solidly in line with the voters in his district. He has received high ratings from the National Right to Life Committee and National Rifle Association. These are huge issues in Northeast Pennsylvania, and with no difference between candidates, most are likely to stick with their party.

- There is no conservative at the top of the republican ticket. Translated — on election day conservatives will stay home. The myth that Hilary Clinton will push conservatives to the polls is one that should not be counted on. If anything, after eight years of President Bush, it is my belief that Democrats will turn out in force to ensure the election of, along with a democratic house and senate, a democratic president.

- Finally, the Mayor’s experience is in the executive branch. In my opinion, Lou Barletta should run for either Governor or Lieutenant Governor. Congress would be a waste of his leadership qualities and abilities. In the House of Representatives he becomes one voice in a sea of four hundred thirty five. He will be a freshman in the minority party. He is not going to be given any committee assignments to raise his profile. If anything, with the democrats in control, he will be minimized and probably never get anywhere near a committee that has anything to do with immigration. Additionally, the democrats will likely cut off funds to much of his district. By freezing out “Congressman” Barletta, it ensures that in two years the seat will go back to the Democrats.

Mayor Barletta is a good, decent honorable man. If he chooses to run he will have my vote. However, presently he possesses secure, salient, powerful political capital. If he opts to misspend it — it will be Lou Barletta’s parting, political swan song.

Joe Leonardi

And there you have it.  It’s unfortunate Mr. Barletta either never read this article or chose to ignore Mr. Leonardi’s advice.

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

Tonight, I attended a talk given by famed journalist Robert Novak. He spoke at Wilkes University and presented a forty five minute speech on the 2008 Presidential election. For those that don’t know, Robert Novak is one of the most famous and influential conservative journalists in America. He was a founding member of CNN’s Crossfire, is an executive editor at Reader’s Digest, has written for almost every major national publication, and is the third most frequent guest of all time on Meet the Press.

As I said, Mr. Novak spoke for about forty five minutes, covering the 2008 Presidential Election in great detail. Novak has been covering politics since the early 1950′s and had a lot of insight to share about both parties, the three major candidates, and the important issues that will decide this election. At the end of the talk, Mr. Novak fielded about ten questions from the audiance.

During all of this, the issue of illegal immigration came up only once, at the very end of the Question and Answer portion of the night. The question asked was, “What role do you think the issue of illegal immigration will have on this election?” Mr. Novak, who has traveled the country extensively for several generations, did not hesitate with his answer.

“The issue of illegal immigration is, for the most part, an illusion.” Novak went on to explain that so far, the issue of illegal immigration has not been a major issue in this election. Additionally, he pointed out that the Republican Party, to which Mr. Lou Barletta belongs, chose as its candidate for the highest office in the land the candidate with the most liberal position on immigration. “That was no accident,” Mr. Novak said. He capped his explanation off with this, “The people who speak about illegal immigration are very passionate. They make a lot of noise and they sometimes get a lot of attention. However, they never actually accomplish anything.”

I bring this up because recently, Mr. Barletta criticized all three Presidential candidates for refusing to come to Hazelton to speak on the issue of illegal immigration. Barletta expressed his frustration with the candidates basically ignoring him by saying, “Illegal immigration is an issue that is very important not just to the residents of Hazleton, but also to the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania and the United States as a whole.” Perhaps, as pointed out by Mr. Robert Novak, that isn’t entirely the case.

Right now, the leading issues facing the Unites States, clearly, are the War in Iraq and the slumping economy. Thousands of are troops are deployed right now, fighting and dieing every day. People are loosing jobs and are struggling to put gas in their cars. Illegal immigration has nothing to do with any of those issues and by continually making that issue the centerpiece of his campaign, Mr. Barletta is showing that he really has no sense about what’s important to the American people and that he is either unwilling or unable to deal with these highly important and complex issues. Lou Barletta does not deserve to be elected to Congress.

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