The LuLac Edition #129, Jan. 13, 2007

PHOTO INDEX: STATE REPRESENTATIVE FRANK ANDREWS SHIMKUS FROM THE 113TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT, AND THE LATE SENATOR HUBERT H. HUMPHREY WITH BLOG EDITOR AT 1972 FRIENDLY SONS OF ST. PATRICK DINNER IN PITTSTON.

WASHO STILL UNDECIDED
While the candidates are lining up for the Commissioners Race in Luzerne County, it appears everything is on hold for Lackawanna County Democrats until Minority Commissioner Mike Washo either picks a running mate or one is picked for him. Speculation this week got so out of control about it this week when there were reports Washo was not going to run at all but take a high salaried job with the recently re-elected Rendell administration. The Minority commissioner told the Scranton Times that was not the case and indicated he will be running. But who is partner will be is still open to speculation.

PARTY WITH THE EX TV GUY

Frank Andrews Shimkus, former anchorman at WYOU TV and WNEP TV will celebrate his new job with an inaugural ball basically positioned as a fundraiser. It's this Thursday at the Hilton Scranton and Conference Center, 100 Adams Ave. Admission to a 6 to 7 p.m. VIP session with House Democratic Leader Bill DeWeese is $500.Now $500.00 might sound a tad steep but the entertainment value of a Bill DeWeese speech is worth the cost of admission. And if the guy implodes like he usually does, well you just can't put a price tag on seeing something like that! Peon tickets for the ball from 7 to 9 p.m. are $100 apiece.

HUBERT HUMPHREY

Former Vice President, Senator and 1968 Presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey died 29 years ago today after a long battle with cancer. I had the opportunity to meet Humphrey in the 1972 campaign when my intrepid uncle Timmy Pribula took his Instamatic camera and strode to the dias at the Mayfair Supper Club and got photos of first me, then him with Mr. Humphrey. When I was trying to operate the camera, the flash wouldn't go off and the ex Vice President said, "You have to turn the knob there to get the flash back up!". I did and my uncle had his picture. Unfortunately I could not find his photo but found mine which is featured above. Humphrey went on to lose the 1972 Presidential nomination to George McGovern. I first worked for Humphrey at the age of 14 in the 1968 campaign, passing flyers out given to me from a union building (I think it might have been the ILGWU that had a street front headquarters) and really enjoyed it. In 1972 I was the youth coordinator for Humphrey in Luzerne County. HHH came in second in that '72 primary in Luzerne County (he won the primary statewide) because the old machine under the leadership of Pittston Mayor Bob Loftus and Senator Martin L. Murray went solidly behind Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine.
Here's a brief bio of Hubert Humphrey:
Hubert Humphrey, the son of pharmacist, was born in Wallace, South Dakota on 27th May, 1911. Educated at the University of Minnesota, Humphrey was forced to abandon his studies when his father's business collapsed in 1932. After helping his father to resurrect the family business Humphrey returned to university and finally graduated in 1939. Humphrey was an active member of the Democratic Party and worked as campaign manager for Franklin D. Roosevelt in Minnesota during the 1944 presidential election. The following year Humphrey was elected mayor of Minneapolis. A strong supporter of civil rights, Humphrey became a leading member of the American Democratic Action pressure group. In the 1948 Democtatic National Convention in 1948, Humphrey supported Harry S. Truman and his Fair Deal proposals included legislation on civil rights, fair employment practices and opposition to lynching. When Truman won the Democratic Party nomination, Southern Democrats formed the States' Rights Democratic Party (Dixiecrats) and Storm Thurmond was chosen as its presidential candidate. Humphrey was elected to the Senate in 1948. Over the next fifteen years Humphrey was closely association with many progressive causes including the formation of a Peace Corps, the creation of a Food for Peace program and legislation favoring trade unions, African Americans and the unemployed. During the period known as McCarthyism (1950-1954) members of the Republican Party and conservative members of the Democratic Party, accused Humphrey of being "soft on Communism". However, Humphrey had always fought Communist Party influence in progressive organizations such as the American Democtatic Action. Humphrey was defeated by John F. Kennedy in his attempt to become the Democratic Party's presidential candidate in 1960. He also failed in 1964, but the victor, Lyndon Baines Johnson selected him as his vice president and was able to influence the decision introduce the Voting Rights Act (1965) and the Immigration Act (1965) acts. In 1968 Humphrey was chosen as the party's presidential candidate against Richard Nixon of the Republican Party. With progressive forces in the country unhappy with Humphrey's support of the Vietnam War, and with George Wallace collecting over 9 million votes in the South, it was no surprise when he failed to win the election. Nixon won 31,770,237 votes against 31,270,533 for Humphrey. After working as professor of public affairs at the University of Minnesota for two years, Humphrey was once again elected to the Senate in 1970. Hubert Humphrey died of cancer on 13th January, 1978.