The LuLac Edition #299, Sept. 7th, 2007

PHOTO INDEX: TWO GOOD MEN FROM NANTICOKE, STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOHN YUDICHAK (TOP) AND CONGRESSMAN PAUL KANJORSKI (BOTTOM). PLUS, THE ATTACK ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.

THE UGLY HEAD

So Bin Laden has reared his ugly head again today with a 26 minute diatribe against western civilization and of course the United States. On the site, I refuse to show a photo of this creep, Grecian formula beard or not but instead chose to show us all what he did to us. When 911 happened, I was one of those who said that his terrorist group had shot its load and that there would be no further attacks on America. I felt that even Bin Laden surprised himself with what he and his thugs accomplished. And even though we've had no attack on our shores (there have been a few that have been intercepted) I think Bin Laden has won a bigger physcological war over us. And if we are to survive as a democracy, we've got to get a handle on this thing. Here are my thoughts:

Bin Laden rails against President Bush. He blames Mr. Bush for just about everything wrong in the world. The President and the GOP wear this as a badge of honor, telling people that Bin Laden wants to bury us and end our way of life. True enough. This gives the President the political strength he once had after the initial attacks and puts the Democratic party in a box. The Dems condemn Bin Laden but really have to agree with the Bush foreign policy or be labeled as a party weak on national defense. (Since the Cold War, from 1952 through 2007, 57 years, Democrats have held the Presidency 20 years, the GOP 37. The Republicans like it or not are percieved as being stronger on national defense). The best the Dems can do is say the Bush administration has not caught Bin Laden. Very true. But they have to bow to the realization that when Osama makes a tape, the message is he's still out there. And for as much as he screams about that infidel Bush, his very re-appearance strengthens Bush's major cornerstone of his administration. Before the 2004 election, a Bin Laden tape was said to have influenced voters in key states against John Kerry. Now, as the 2008 election season starts to kick off, it seems Bin Laden wants to remind us he's there. The Democrats and even key GOP members against the war have to tread softly or else they'll be seen as weak on national defense. In 1968 when the Vietnam war was dragging on, the North Vietnam government did everything in its power to effect a regime change in the U.S. They argued about the shape of the conference table at the Paris peace talks which Lyndon Johnson wanted to bring to fruition before he left office. In l981, Iran did everything in its power to block the release of the hostages, even waiting until after Ronald Reagan took the oath of office. My point here is that the enemy then didn't give LBJ or JImmy Carter any satisfaction politically. But Bin Laden seems to be proving Bush right time after time, bolstering the President's anti terror policies that many have said were a tad misguided. Bin Laden is crazy as a fox. I think he's playing us. And I wouldn't be surprised if the next video tape you see from this sick bastard will have a road sign in the background that says, "Welcome to Iraq".

PAUL & JOHN

Two guys from Nanticoke have made it big politically. Not bad for a small town that's former claim to fame was 1960s actor Nick Adams. Once political friends and allies, they now look warily at each other. Talk is swirling around that John Yudichak might challenge Congressman Kanjorski for his seat in the 11th Congressional District. Kanjorski has been formidable, he was the lone guy standing after a parade of three Congressman, Musto, Nelligan and Harrison, served the 11th in 4 years. While Frank Harrison's people were touting the ex college professor's connections in D.C., Kanjorski pulled an upset and never looked back despite opposition from Marc Holtzman's millions and Lou Barletta's energy. The Congressman has brought millions to the district, and is easy to reach. But there are the financial government grant connections (constantly harped on by Dr. Joe Leonardi last fall but ignored) to the Kanjo family that don't look so nice and can be exploited against him, just as the Congressman did against Harrison about the water crisis. Yudichak in the meantime, by design or accident, has come upon a major issue that has become a hot button not only in the valley but nationwide. Health care. As reported here, Mr. Yudichak has proposed the creation of a consumer's advocate for health care in the state of Pennsylcania. With many unisured people and health care insurance getting higher for those who have it, this issue will surely get some play. And get Yudichak some attention. My inclination, right now is to think Mr. Yudichak, a young man with a great future will not run against Mr. Kanjorski and wait until the veteran lawmaker retires. But if he does decide to run, all he has to do is walk into a place like the Sanitary Bakery or a VFW and say, "Don't you think you deserve the same health care Congressman Kanjorski recieved when he had his open heart surgery in Boston? I'm glad he's feeling well and got the care he needed but don't you think you deserve, don't you think you've earned the same thing?" If he does that, he wins in a landslide.

Disclaimer: Although I've never met Mr. Yudichak, Mrs. LuLac worked with him in the 1990s when he was Development Director at the Osterhout Free Library.

FREDDY COME LATELY

Republican candidate-come-lately Fred Thompson won the ratings game Wednesday night over his debating GOP rivals by appearing on "TheTonight Show" with Jay Leno - but it wasn't the expected blowout. The Republican face off in New Hampshire, carried live at 9 p.m. by FoxNews, pulled in 3.1 million viewers - the largest debate audience of the2008 campaign. About 6 million viewers tuned in to see Thompson announce his presidential bid on Leno's late-night NBC program - up 15% from Leno's typical Wednesday audience.Thompson and his fellow GOP White House hopefuls can take comfort in knowing they soared past the 1.4 million viewers Bill Clinton collected on CNN with Larry King.