The LuLac Edition #254, June 30th, 2007

PHOTO INDEX: A COUPLE OF JOES AND A BOB. ALL COURTESY OF THE GOP! SECURITY EXPERT JOE PETERS, LACKAWANNA COUNTY COMMISSIONER ROBERT CORDARO AND DR. JOSEPH LEONARDI, FORMER 11th CONGRESSSIONAL CANDIDATE.

CARNEY'S FOE??

Will Chris Carney, Congressman in the 10th have real opposition in next year's race? The national GOP seems pretty preoccupied with their concerns and the news that Tom Marino is not running can't be good. Carney as you well know beat Don Sherwood last fall in a race that wasn't even close. With the district, in the past being gerry mandered to favor Republicans and a whole bunch of attack ads in the can telling us how close Chris Carney is to Nancy Pelosi, the GOP should have a better even than chance of retaining this seat. But they need an attractive, smart candidate. I'll offer up two. First, Dr. Joseph Leonardi. He has to move into this district but that's a small matter. He's smart, articulate, can tote the Republican party line but balance out his ideas so he'd attract the anti-Bush people in the party. It was a travesty how he was ignored in the '06 race against a clearly flawed Paul Kanjorski by the national party. They can make up for that mistake and regain the seat if they offer up some help. Whether Leonardi, a successful health care provider wants to put up with their nonsense is another story though. Still, he'd be a great candidate who'd wipe the floor with Carney in a debate. Another Joe that is staying in the limelight is Joe Peters. The son of Mayor Gene Peters, Joe is active on the local TV airwaves talking about terroism and security. He has the name recognition, the pedigree, the contacts and has run for state office before. What the GOP will do is anyone's guess. But let me remind them that in 2004, Dem Tim Holden beat a twenty year incumbent George Gekas for a Congressional seat that encompassed Harrisburg. Holden, from Pottsvile was thought to be a one term Congressman in 2006 but because the GOP couldn't come up with a decent candidate, they failed to regain that seat. The same can happen in the 10th with '08 most likely being a Democratic year and tons of money coming Carney's way.

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE....

You have to hand it to Bob Cordaro, he makes life interesting. Even when he's out of the limelight, they pull him back in. Apparently a supporter was videoed spying on people going to a Democratic fundraiser for Mike Washo. This is a priceless piece of video from YOU TUBE. And to be clear, we do not endorse the ethnic slur muttered by the subject in the video (although you have to wonder why that was the first thing that popped into his mind, I mean, whatever happened to "leave me alone" or "get the hell out of here!") or his behavior. Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33qnZMt9hEM. With friends like these, who needs enemies.

ONE YEAR AGO

Today I found myself driving to my favorite bakery, The Sanitary in Nanticoke. The top was down, the sun was blazing and I realized that one year ago today, the weather was pretty much the same except that the water was ready to come over the Susquehanna and the city was evacuated. How things stay the same and change at the same time. Glad we dodged that bullet.