The LuLac Edition #418, Feb. 12th, 2008

PHOTO INDEX: CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE IN THE 11TH DISTRICT, AND FORMER GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE (THE PARTY BY THE WAY THAT COST AL GORE THE 2000 ELECTION AND GAVE US GEORGE BUSH!) IN THE 10TH DISTRICT KURT SHOTKO AND ABRAHAM LINCOLN, 16TH PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.

LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY

199 years ago today, Abe Lincoln was born. We no longer celebrate the birthdays of the two historically significant and real Presidential titans of Washington and Lincoln with separate holidays. Instead the two are honored with "PRESIDENT'S DAY", a day that includes Millard Fillmore, U.S. Grant, Richard Nixon, Herbert Hoover and not soon enough, George W. Bush. Lincoln's birthday, February 12, was formerly a national holiday, however, it is still observed in Illinois and many other states as a legal holiday, Lincoln's Birthday. A dozen states have legal holidays celebrating the third Monday in February as 'Presidents'Day' as a combination Washington-Lincoln Day. To commemorate his upcoming 200th birthday in February 2009, Congress established the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in 2000. Dedicated to renewing American appreciation of Lincoln's legacy, the 15-member commission is made up of lawmakers and scholars and also features an adivsory board of over 130 various Lincoln historians and enthusiasts. Lincoln's birthplace and family home are national historic memorials.

SHOTKO RUNS

Although it is doubtful the call screeners from WILK Radio will let Kurt Shotko on the air to promote his candidacy, the Scranton area activist and loveable malcontent has decided to join the race in the 11th Congressional District. According to the Times Leader's Steve Morcarsky, Shotko, 40, of Scranton, said he decided to run as an Independent because “we’ve given the Democrats a chance to do something for the future and all I see is stuff from the past.” Shotko said he doesn’t believe that Paul Kanjorski has “a comprehensive vision for a positive America and is not adequately representing the people.”

The only other announced candidate for the seat is Republican Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta, who launched his campaign last week. Shotko isn’t impressed with Barletta either, saying his focus is on one issue which is immigration. Shotko is an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq, evidenced by his high-profile protest and eventual arrest at Wilkes-Barre’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2005.
City police said Shotko and another man were holding large signs protesting President George W. Bush while they were in the area of Public Square. The signs were blowing in the wind, police said, and nearly struck at least one parade watcher while disrupting the views of others.
The two were asked to move behind the parade watchers, but refused, police said. They became rowdy when officers tried apprehending them, police said. The men were found guilty of disorderly conduct and sentenced to six months probation. They have an appeal pending before the state Superior Court. A charge of resisting arrest filed against Shotko was dropped.
Shotko was also arrested and cited with disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing and harassment after a verbal altercation with recruitment officers at an Army recruiting station in Hazle Township in 2004. Police said Shotko walked into the recruiting station, told three recruiters they were cowards, asked them why they lie to kids and said U.S. soldiers were killing innocent babies and civilians in Iraq. Police said Shotko refused to leave and said he wanted to stay to protest the war. Shotko had said he called state police after a recruiter threw him to the ground.
The 2004 charges were dismissed after the arresting officer failed to show up for court. Shotko doesn’t think the arrests will be an issue for many voters.

Those arrests should be an issue for many voters in the 11th District. I know it is for me. How many of us have sat back and watched this war take our finest young people and ruin them? We were told that to oppose the war was to oppose the troops. Nonsense! Kurt Shotko did what few of us have done in forty years, put himself and his liberty on the line for an unjust war that has sapped our economy and weakened us critically. He may not win because of his party affiliation but if I were his campaign strategist, I'd advise him to wear those arrests as a badge of courage.