The LuLac Edition #1677, July 13th, 2011

PHOTO INDEX: "13 QUESTIONS" LOGO.

13 QUESTIONS

1. Do you see any real competition for Senator Casey’s seat in the next election?

Not at this time. Even though it’s early, it looks like Casey will have an easy walk but the key word is “early”. A lot can happen between now and the 2012 Senate race. Plus the State wide GOP (unlike the Luzerne County Republicans) usually form ranks behind one candidate and then give that person unlimited support. So right now Casey is in good shape but I can’t predict the future.

2. Who is at fault for the debt ceiling debacle?

There is more than enough blame to go around. First off the President. He has played ball too long with the GOP. Plus they have no respect for him. He caved over and over when he had the majorities because he wanted to be “inclusive”. All that got him was no respect and ridicule. The Speaker of the House John Boehner will most likely be a one termer. He can’t control segments of his majority so even if he wanted to reach reasonable accommodation with the President, he too is being held hostage by the right wing of the party. These guys have no idea how this will effect the stock market, the world economy as well as how we can operate. If there is a revolt and rioting in the streets, the people with the pitchforks should come after this segment of Congress that is hellbent on destroying the economy.

3. What do you think of Mitt Romney as a Presidential candidate?

He is a fraud. Romney had a company that essentially broke up companies, sold them off into little pieces and decimated the work forces. Romney’s company’s actions lost more jobs in the economy than he wants to admit. And this is the same guy who in a debate said that people who were struck by a disaster (the people of Joplin, Mo.) should not have any federal aid and that friends and family should make them whole again. Obama is no prize but this guy is a plastic, fake heartless bastard. The best line of the ’08 campaign was from Mike Huckabee who said that “Romney reminded him of the guy who laid him off”.

4. What did you think of the Tom Corbett on time budget?

First time in 9 years, you have to like that. The guy stood by his guns, let’s see what type of fallout the social service cuts engender. Corbett did what he told the voters he was going to do. I think he should have taxed the oil dollars but it’s not like he made that a big secret in the campaign. It stuns me that people vote for someone in a campaign and then are shocked when he does what he says he’s going to do. His popularity has dipped but you’ll see a rise in it if his spending cuts create growth.

5. Any thoughts on the NFL lockout?

Nope, too warm out to think about it.

6. How are you going to vote in the upcoming county council election?

I almost always split my ticket so that’s the way I’ll go. There are candidates on both sides of the aisle that are absolutely scary, then there are others that are very good. People are going to really have to pay attention and not fall for any straight party line.

7. I watch you on WYLN TV on Service Electric with L.A. Tarone. When you guys argue is it real or made up?

Pretty much it’s real. We go over a show line up but rarely get to everything we want to talk about. The scary part though is I’m finding that I agree more with Tarone than he agrees with me. So maybe I’m not as liberal as I think I am.

8. When are you going to end your fixation with the Baptist church in Pittston?

Most likely when I’m dead. Look I know I’m beating a dead horse and for that one day I might lose some readers but people should be reminded of this travesty. Why is it that none of the Irish churches were closed and then destroyed? That’s all I’m asking.

9. A couple of weeks ago you alerted us to the opening of Curly Cream in Plains. Favorite flavor?

Tangerine twist, lemon twist. Numbers 1 and 2.

10. If you caught Derek Jeter’s 3,000 hit/home run ball what would you have done?

I’d give it to the player. First off I’m a guest at the event. Second, to sell it to someone would be a pain the rear. Third, there is something unseemly about a gimpy guy like me cashing in on someone else’s athletic ability. There is something wrong about it. Fourth, I would rather be known as the fan who thought of the game first, then the money second. That would distinguish me from the actual players. All that said, if I were Jeter’s agent, I’d advise Derek to write out a check to the kid who caught it as a thank you gift. Or if the kid didn’t accept it, donate money to the kid’s charity.

11. Does Derek Jeter belong in the top five of all time Yankee greats?

No. Lower top ten. I’d go in order, Ruth, Gehrig, Berra, Mantle, DiMaggio, Dickey, Ford, Maris, Jeter and Rivera. So he’d be number 9.

12. In one of the comments I read over the weekend, someone wrote that if you were Mayor of Wilkes Barre the featured food of the city would be Abe’s hot dogs. I’m from Honesdale. Are they that good?

Let me put it to you this way. When I had my cancer surgery in July of 2008, the last thing I ate before I entered the hospital (the surgery required fasting before and after) was an Abe’s hot dog. 11 days later the first thing I ate on the day I was released was an Abe’s Hot Dog. So yeah, they are that good.

13. I’m watching the All Star game tonight and I see numbers on the Pirates and Dodgers jerseys. The 7 on the Bucs is for Chuck Tanner, and the 4 on the Dodgers is for Duke Snider. But the Phillies have a B on their jerseys, who is that for?

The Buck Brothers who were owners of the team since the 1980s. Jim and “Whip” Buck died this year within a few months of each other and the Phillies management gave them that honor.