The LuLac Edition #349, Nov. 13th, 2007

PHOTO INDEX: SEATRAIN'S "13 QUESTIONS".



13 QUESTIONS



1. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT PAT ROBERTSON ENDORSING RUDY GIULIANI?



ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. THERE ARE SOME WHO SAY THAT ROBERTSON IS GONE OFF THE DEEP END, OTHERS WHO WONDER HOW HE CAN ENDORSE RUDY WHEN HE SAID 911 HAPPENED BECAUSE OF ALL THE SIN IN THE WORLD. THEY SAY POLITICS MAKES STRANGE BEDFELLOWS. PERSONALLY, I THINK THIS IS ROBERTSON’S SWIPE AT ROMNEY’S MORMAN RELIGION, I MIGHT BE READING TOO DEEP INTO THAT BUT I REALLY BELIEVE IT WAS A CALCULATION. RUDY’S SINS AND TRANSGRESSIONS JUST MIGHT BE IGNORED IF IT LOOKS LIKE HE CAN WIN THE GENERAL. ROBERTSON’S EMBRACEMENT IS A FIRST STEP.



2. FAVORITE CANDY BAR?



PAYDAY.



3. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF RENITA FENNICK’S OBSERVATION IN THE TIMES LEADER THAT A “D” BEFORE YOUR NAME FORGIVES EVERYTHING?



IF YOU ARE REFERRING TO HER INSIGHT THAT MARY DYSLESKI LOST FOR BLOWING THE WHISTLE ON TWO EMPLOYEES (WHO WERE HOLDOVERS FROM A DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATION I MIGHT ADD) AND BOB REILY WON BIG AFTER HAVING TWO OF HIS OFFICE WORKERS IN TROUBLE OVER FORGING A SIGNATURE, LET ME SAY THAT IT WAS QUITE AN OBSERVATION. REILLY’S OPPONENT NEVER BROUGHT IT UP AND I SERIOUSLY THINK THE REPUBLICAN PARTY EVEN INCLUDED IT IN ITS STRATEGY. FENNICK, WHO IN MY OPINION, ON A LOT OF ISSUES LIKE IMMIGRATION, HAS LOST HER WAY, WAS RIGHT ON TARGET WITH HER SUNDAY COLUMN. THE DEMS CAN GET AWAY WITH MORE BECAUSE THE GOP DOESN’T DO RESEARCH AND IF IT DID, WOULD HAVE NO MONEY TO MOUNT A SERIOUS MEDIA CAMPAIGN LIKE RED O’BRIEN DID AGAINST DYSLESKI.



4. DO YOU POST EVERYTHING YOU GET AND HOW MUCH DO YOU EDIT?



I ONLY EDIT STUFF THAT IS SLANDEROUS, SOURCES I CAN’T CONFIRM AND PERSONAL ATTACKS. THERE ARE THINGS I WON’T POST IF THEY PRESENT AN ANTI AMERICAN AGENDA OR HATE FILLED AGENDA.



5. HOW MANY TIMES DID MILTON SHAPP RUN FOR GOVERNOR AND IS IT TRUE HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT?



SHAPP RAN FOR GOVERNOR IN 1966. HIS HISTORIC “MAN AGAINST THE MACHINE” MEDIA BLITZ BEAT 36 YEAR OLD ROBERT CASEY, SENIOR. EVERY HOUSE GOT A 12 PAGE BOOK ABOUT HIM, THERE WERE TONS OF TV SPOTS AND A LOT OF FULL PAGE ADS. SHAPP LOST IN THE 1966 GENERAL TO LTN. GOVERNOR RAYMOND SHAFER. IN 1970, SHAPP RAN AGAIN IN THE PRIMARY AGAINST CASEY, BEAT HIM HANDILY AND THEN WON OVER SHAFER’S LTN. GOVERNOR RAYMOND BRODERICK (LATER A FEDERAL JUDGE). IN 1974, SHAPP AND HIS LTN. GOVERNOR, ERNIE KLINE WON OVER THE TEAM OF DREW LEWIS (LATER PRESIDENT REAGAN’S TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY) AND TUNKHANNOCK NATIVE AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE KEN LEE. IN 1976, SHAPP DECIDED TO JOIN THE FRAY OF OVER 16 DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION. HIS STRATEGY WAS TO RUN IN THE FLORIDA PRIMARY AND POSSIBLEY GARNER PART OF THE JEWISH VOTE. THAT WAS OVERSHADOWED BY THE BATTLE BETWEEN FORMER GEORGIA GOVERNOR JIMMY CARTER AND ALABAMA GOVERNOR GEORGE WALLACE. IT WAS A BATTLE BETWEEN THE NEW AND OLD SOUTH. CARTER WON AND SHAPP GOT LOST IN THE SHUFFLE. HE QUIT THE RACE AFTER RUNNING DEAD LAST WITH 1% OF THE VOTE. SHAPP HAD GAINED NATIONAL PROMINENCE DURING THE TRUCKER’S STRIKES OF THE MID 1970S BUT HE COULD NOT MAKE AN IMPRESSION.



6. TEMPTATIONS OR FOUR TOPS?



TEMPTATIONS BY A SLIVER. (AND I ALSO OWN A DOUBLE BREASTED TEMPTATIONS TYPE SUIT THAT IS VERY COLORFUL). BOTH GROUPS HAD WONDERFUL SONGS AND GREAT HARMONIES.



7. IN RECENT ARTICLES ABOUT GREG SKREPENAK, YOU MENTION ED WIDEMAN BEING THE MINORITY COMMISSIONER IN 1963. WHO DID HE RUN WITH?



WIDEMAN WAS TEAMED WITH ATTORNEY ED MCULLOUGH IN THAT RACE AGAINST JIM POST AND BILL GOSS. MCULLOUGH WAS FAVORED TO WIN THE MINORITY POST BUT WIDEMAN WON ON ELECTION DAY WITH A SCANT 191 VOTES. THERE WERE 3,000 ABSENTEE BALLOTS AFTER ELECTION DAY BUT WIDEMAN HELD ON TO BUILD AN IMPRESSIVE 4 TERMS AS LUZERNE COUNTY COMMISSIONER.



8. HOW MANY PENNSYLVANIA LIVING GOVERNORS ARE THERE?



FIVE. GEORGE LEADER WHO WAS ELECTED IN HIS THIRTIES SERVING FROM 1955 TO 1959, WILLIAM W. SCRANTON, SERVING FROM 1963 TO 1967, RICHARD THORNBURGH, SERVING 1979 TO 1987, TOM RIDGE SERVING FROM 1995 TO 2001, AND MARK SCHWEIKER WHO SUCCEEDED HIM UNTIL 2003.



9. HOW DO THE LOCAL REPUBLICANS REBUILD THEIR LOCAL PARTY?



DON’T KNOW. WORKING ON A PIECE THAT WILL INVESTIGATE HOW THAT TASK CAN BE DONE. I'D APPRECIATE ANY INPUT FROM ANYONE ON THIS MATTER. IN THE MID 70S, I USED TO DRIVE MY DAD TO DOWNTOWN SCRANTON FOR A DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT. BACK THEN THE TOWN WAS A MESS AND HE USED TO SAY THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IT WAS “TO BLOW IT UP AND START OVER”. I HAVE THAT VERY SAME FEELING ABOUT THE LUZERNE COUNTY GRAND OLD PARTY.



10. HOW DID YOU LIKED BEING YOU TUBED?



ENJOYED IT ACTUALLY. I WAS IN SOME PRETTY GOOD COMPANY.



11. ON THANKSGIVING, WHITE OR DARK MEAT?



DARK. LOVE THE DRUMSTICKS AND NO ONE IN ALL OF MY FAMILIES LIKE THEM SO I’M WALKING THE WALK (OR THE TURKEY’S WALK) ON THANKSGIVING DAY.



12. DOES THE GOP HAVE A CHANCE IN THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL RACE?



ABSOLUTLEY. LOOK FOR THE PARTY TO USE IMMIGRATION AS A WEDGE ISSUE, WATCH THEM TRY TO BOX THE DEMS IN ON NATIONAL SECURITY, SEE THEM RUN ADS AGAINST THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS FOR FALLING SHORT OF THEIR AGENDA AND LOOK FOR THEM TO USE NATIONALIZED HEALTH CARE AS A BAD THING RATHER THAN SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DEBATED. THEY’LL TELL YOU THE DEMS WON’T KEEP YOU SAFE AND USE FEAR AS A WEAPON AGAINST REASON. THE DEMOCRATS HAVE NO WALK IN THE PARK IN 2008, AFTER ALL THIS IS THE SAME PARTY (THE GOP) THAT CONVINCED US THAT A WAR HERO WITH THREE COMBAT MEDALS WAS A FRAUD (KERRY) AND THAT A ROTC LIGHTWEIGHT (BUSH) WAS G.I. JOE.



13. ORIGINAL ABE’S OR THE KNOCK OFFS?



I USED TO GO TO THE ORIGINAL ABE’S ON SOUTH MAIN STREET ALL THE TIME. 3 DOGS WITH EVERYTHING TO GO. BUT THERE WAS A VERY YOUNG, SNARLY WAITRESS THERE WHO SEEMED AS IF SHE WAS ENTITLED TO THE WORLD. SHE NEVER SAID “THANK YOU”, “PLEASE” OR “CAN I HELP YOU?” SHE WAS RUDE TO EVERYONE, EVEN HER CO-WORKERS. SO ONE DAY I DECIDED NOT TO GO BACK. THE OTHER PEOPLE THERE WERE GREAT, THE OTHER OLDER WAITRESSES WERE DOLLS BUT I COULDN’T UNDERSTAND WHY EVERYONE LET THIS ONE PERSON GET AWAY WITH SUCH BAD BEHAVIOR. ESPECIALLY TOWARD OLDER CUSTOMERS. THEY’VE BEEN IN BUSINESS 60 YEARS WITHOUT MY THREE DOGS A WEEK BREAKING THEM SO I’M SURE THEY DON’T EVEN MISS ME. BUT AS A CONSUMER, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO TAKE A STAND. I GO TO THE ONE NOW ON RT. 309 NEAR K MART. THE DOGS AREN’T AS GOOD, BUT THEY LOAD THEM UP WITH SAUERKRAUT AND THE WAITRESSES, YOUNG OR OLD, DON’T LOOK AT YOU AS IF YOU WERE GUM ON THEIR SHOES.