My name is Dan Cheek. I run the website StopLouBarletta.com, which is dedicated to keeping Lou Barletta out of the US Congress.
Earlier this week, Hazleton (PA) mayor Lou Barletta released a statement blasting Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D) for comments he made about the last Congressional election, where the Democrats took control of both houses of Congress from the Republicans. Representative Kanjorski essentially said that Democratic promises to end the war in Iraq were “stretched” in order to improve their chances in the election. Lou Barletta, in his statement, said this statement left him “shocked and saddened”.
I’m not going to either defend or attack what Representative Kanjorski said. It’s common knowledge that all politicians, at every level, make a living by “stretching” the truth and promising things that, really, they can’t deliver on even if they wanted to. In my mind, Kanjorski’s comments were just business as usual. The problem I have, however, is with Lou Barletta.
It’s all well and good that Mayor Lou Barletta wants to rake Representative Kanjorski over the coals for his comments. Kanjorski is Barletta’s campaign opponent and I would expect nothing less. However, Lou Barletta has yet to make public where he stands on the Iraq War. To criticize someone on comments they made about a very important issue, while at the same maintaining a strict code of silence regarding your positions on the issue, is wrong.
Lou Barletta is running for the United States Congress. It’s all well and good for him to criticize his opponent. However, without coming out and announcing where he stands on the Iraq War, why should anyone care about his opinion of Paul Kanjorski’s comments? They shouldn’t. If Lou Barletta is serious about defeating Congressman Kanjorski, who has been in Congress for over twenty years and is one of the most senior members of the House of Representatives, he had best let everyone know where he stands on important issues and understand that criticizing his opponent’s position is not, in and of itself, a “position” or enough to get him elected.
Lou Barletta, since his campaign has kicked off several months ago, has refused to take any meaningful positions on any meaningful issue. He appears to be willing to bet that his badmouthing his opponent will be enough to win him a seat in Congress. Mayor Lou Barletta might be a popular mayor, but as a Congressional candidate, he is clearly in way over his head.
- Related Articles
- Related Q&A
Obama refuse to kiss the French First Lady, why?
By: happy pig | 30/12/2009I read a funny anecdote by accident : the British press has gone in a frenzy over an existential question : what happened to Barack et Carla? In fact, the British newspapers are wondering why the American president and the French First Lady did not kiss each other when they met for the first time.
Replacing Kyoto with an Universally Acceptable Treaty
By: Klaus H Hemsath | 30/12/2009Extending the Kyoto Treaty failed in Copenhagen. It is not salvageable. It must be replaced by an agreement acceptable to industrialized nations, quickly developing states, and all underdeveloped countries. An acceptable concept must be based on plentiful and affordable energy for all, on ending all emissions within 50 years, on using renewable and sustainable energies only, and on retrieving past emissions by their original emitters.
Bhalessa unsung politicians & Kashmir of 1993
By: Sadaket Malik | 29/12/2009The history of the state lacks absurdly the evidence of viewpoints made by majority of unsung heroes of the state on the trouble torn Kashmir. Their Kashmir policy, handling the situation of communal disharmony over time, the pages of history are absurdly lacking the mention of such epitomes of peace who played acted as a catalyst for the cementing Hindu Muslim amity during a course of time.
Bhalessa : A road map for Achievable motherhood
By: Sadaket Malik | 29/12/2009Unfortunately, the area has been divided and has not taken care of its geographical proximity or administrative conveniences. , Bhalessa is presently a part of Bhaderwah Constituency including some little part of Bhatyas and chilly hamlets, whereas the areas like of Basnota (Kahara) and Bonjawah are part of Inderwal assembly segment. Owing to the scatteredness of these areas the composite culture has been deteriorated. The regional chauvinism led its head high due to its political dislocation
NCLB: Why it failed?
By: shashanks | 29/12/2009The federal legislation NO Child Left behind or NCLB was based on the assumption that by establishing measurable goals and setting high standards, the individual outcomes in school education can be improved to a great extent.
The Government and the Right Of Suffrage
By: 2d0k | 29/12/2009The government is the people that comprise it. The development of the government depends not on the external factors that affect it but on the way the citizens enthusiastically participate in its internal affairs. All governmental authority emanates from the people and is exercised by representatives chosen by the people. This process of choosing is what is called the exercise of the right of suffrage, or the election process.
Politics As Usual-Is That Unusual
By: sanajai | 29/12/2009Paul Kirk, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, just appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to fill
Missing sailor found in the Caribbean
By: sanajai | 29/12/2009I don’t know about most kids but when I was 14 years old the Nintendo and my bicycle were the main hobbies in my life beside sports.
Addition by Subtraction
By: Dan Cheek | 19/05/2008 | PoliticsEven though Lou Barletta, current mayor of Hazleton, PA, is a Republican and running for Congress, I believe that Republican voters should not vote for him. It's a matter of addition by subtraction, I believe.