Friday, October 21, 2011

The LuLac Edition #1806, October 21st, 2011

John Kerry, Democratic nominee for President in 2004 and current Luzerne County District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll.

SWIFT BOATING JACKIE

There have always been fundamental differences between the Republican and Democratic parties. We can argue policy achievements, we can go back and forth about which party actually kept our nation safer and more secure militarily. We can also debate back and forth which party helps the poor and which one aids the rich. But in every debate over the aforementioned, there will always be shades of gray. Both parties in one era or another were identical to their commitment to its citizens.
But one area between Republicans and Democrats does not have any hues of gray. That is political messaging. The parties are as different as night and day and black and white.
The Republicans have a knack for politics. The Democrats think they do. There is a reason why the last 10 out of 18 Presidents have been Republicans. The Republicans can message better. When the Health Care debate began, 75% of the American people thought a public option was a good thing. The GOP took that sold 25% that were against it and galvanized doubt among the 75% majority. Before anyone could blink, the 25% base and its major GOP message machine had convinced another 25% that maybe a public option wasn’t such a good idea. Then before we knew it, the Public Option was jettisoned by President Gutless. Emboldened, the GOP attack machine went after the rest of the Health Care bill.
In the 2004 race, President Bush’s political team, went hard and heavy after John Kerry the Democratic nominee. They hammered on his military service which on paper was much more impressive than President Bush’s. Not to worry, the GOP hammered on not the fact that Kerry was a decorated war hero, but on the fact that he wasn’t that great a war hero. Doubt, doubt, doubt about the military service was put into the public discourse. Kerry felt he didn’t have to defend his war heroics because surely he believed in the intelligence of the American voter. Medals plus war veteran equals hero, right? On paper yes, on the GOP airwaves, not so much.
Here in Luzerne County we have a situation with the District Attorney’s race. We have a veteran prosecutor who has been on the scene of many grizzly murders in her time being opposed by a young Attorney a few years out of law school. The current DA has a good conviction rate, has an office full of competent colleagues, some who are on their way to getting themselves elected Judges. The current DA has instituted programs in the County to help decrease crime. Unbeatable, right? Not to worry says the GOP. The party and their candidate have hammered on the fact that Jackie Musto Carroll did nothing to stop the Cash For Kids scandal and the shenanigans of Mark Ciavarella and Mike Conahan. Well, as an assistant DA when this was all going down, maybe her boss Dave Lupas should’ve said something. Maybe a stenographer or a bailiff might have said something. But you know what? Covering both trials and sentencing, I saw two things that might have kept even Sherlock Holmes and Colombo out of the proverbial loop. These convicted Judges were sneaky, conniving, vindictive, powerful and ruthless bastards. Ask a former Judge named Lokuta. There might have been rumors but you can’t make a case on rumors. If the Feds never got involved, it would still be going on. But the GOP ignores that fact and they plant the seed that Jackie Musto Carroll is and was corrupt. Wrong. Jackie Musto Carroll for all of her street smarts and criminal experience was fooled, just like me, you, Conahan and Ciavarella’s friends and fellow Judges and various and sundry people they came in contact with. But the GOP is saying she needs to go. Nowhere have they addressed the fact that Musto Carroll wrote a scathing letter against Judge Mike Toole before he was carted off to jail. The GOP plays on those poor kids. Doubt, doubt, doubt.
The Republicans ignore the fact that Musto Carroll stood side by side with the Prosecuting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District. Would this fed stand next to a District Attorney that they thought might have been tainted? The feds cross all the “Ts” and dot all the “Is”. Not to worry, the GOP sends out a bunch of snappy sounding commercials that entertain us. They put out ads on TV that make our heart strings play like the proverbial angel’s harp. Grandpa giving the third generation dream girl a hug. It’s all part of the campaign messaging that says “doubt, doubt, doubt”. The past few weeks the Republicans do what they do best. They take a grain of truth and turn into a seed of doubt. It starts out slow like a violin concerto but in the end comes at you like a thundering Cresendo. Doubt, doubt, doubt. As the campaign comes to a close, there are no defenses from the Musto Carroll camp. No push back on the Salavantis assault. No word from the representatives in charge of Jackie Musto Carroll’s message. No word from Jackie Musto Carroll. And that’s no mystery. Jackie Musto Carroll was raised as a Democrat. Democrats think that the people, or at least a majority of them can’t be fooled by attacks that don’t make sense or have credibility. The people, I’m sure she reasons, will know the difference. Just like they did in 2004 when the Republicans who do what they do best, took a three time purple heart winner fighting in the dankness of murderous Southeast Asia and made him into the bad guy. His opponent, George Bush who never saw any military action and was MIA in the reserves while John Kerry was getting his ass shot off was made to be the good guy. The Republicans have the gift of demonizing people and issues. The Democrats have the mistaken belief that people rely on the better angels of their nature. Usually they do. Republicans at the core are decent human beings. But oh do they love to swift boat. And like John Kerry did in 2004, Jackie Musto Carroll and her supporters are letting the GOP do it with glee and impunity. Better angels might find their way to heaven but they rarely win elections. Especially in Luzerne County.

18 Comments:

At 4:35 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Your ignorance knows no bounds. Thousands of kids had no legal representation. Lupas and his trusted second in command, JMC, should have seen that. I can understand being hoodwinked by Ciavarella and Conahan. The rest cannot be ignored and excused.

 
At 6:51 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

For these Republicans to try and sell an attorney with 2 years as a lawyer and never have had a criminal case as a good candidate for DA is an absolute joke. All they have done is to shoot this young lady in her political foot. I admit that Carroll is a bit over the edge with her death penalty trials and she never should have tried that woman who was the third driver to hit a lady on the street but to replace her with a nobody with no experience is a disservice to the young attorney. This loss will follow her and the people behind her could not care less. Shameful.

 
At 6:55 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The sad truth is that the more often a lie is repeated and heard, the easier it is for people to believe it. I have heard the radio commercials for Musto Carroll's opponent, and I wondered when residents of Luzerne County acquired the folksy backwoods accent portrayed by the actors reading their lies. I mean lines. I am actually offended by their portrayal of us as old country coots.

 
At 7:15 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This article is pathetic. I as a democrate do not believe for one minute JMC didn't know what was going on. It was her job...get it..her job and she failed. I do not vote party...parties fail. I vote for who will do the job. Lets be honest who in their right mind would even admit knowing anyway. They would deny to the death to save their own butt. If she did admit knowing, it would show she still didn't do her job no different than her not admitting. She didn't do her job.

 
At 10:29 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The article is once again a LuLac classic. The Dems play rough and tumble politics but they go after each other in their primaries. The GOP has it down pat. When there is an opening, a tiny crack they'll keep on chipping until the damn breaks. I see no endorsement of Musto Carroll here but I do see a rundown of how to beat an incumbent, or failing that, give them many sleepless nights. You may disagree with the premise but the article and thoughts are far from pathetic.

 
At 10:31 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't think anyone accused Musto of being corrupt. She is accused of not doing her job. In fact, she admitted to not doing her job. The Interbranch Commission also confirmed this. I think your post is very interesting and well written, however, I think your mistake is that you downplay the significance of Musto being "fooled". It was her job not to be fooled. When you have an important job like the DA, you can't excuse failures by saying that criminal attorney was sneeky and fooled me.

 
At 11:43 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Musto Carroll and many from the probation office as well as others definitely knew very well what was going on. Sometimes you have to throw the baby out with the bathwater to cleanse the system of ALL its impurities. Both Muroski and Burke should have done something to clean up all the other judicial offices. When I was young my parents would always say, "If Johnny jumped off the bridge would you follow?" That's the problem in Luzerne County. Most individuals in politics or with government related jobs just go along.

 
At 12:11 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I had no idea who the Beatles were before i met John Lennon" - Yoko Ono.

"I had never heard of the Beatles before i met Paul McCartney" - Heather Mills.

"i had not known that the corruption was going on" - Jackie Musto Carrol.

 
At 2:14 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Honestly Dave the Dems are not polyanna dogooders.. The LBJ ad against Goldwater was so heinous that it only aired once. It was also so effective that it only had to be aired once. As far as locally, don't you remember the ad that got Kanjo into office?
JMC's non response is more disturbing than anything. Obviously she doesn't want to fight to keep her job.
As for the kid, I heard her on Corbett, she was just awful. And her reason for defending Bonner because it is her job. Really? She is self-employed, she could have not accepted his case. But according to her it was okay, because she chose to defend him before she decided to run for DA. You have to wonder how many respected, established attorneys refused the case.
JMC should answer her opponent, no matter how low life the ads are, the questions they ask are legitimate and deserve a response.

 
At 3:12 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

My Goodness! This young Lady actually has less experience than Bobby Kennedy when his brother Jack made him Attorney General. The younger generation does not believe in the pay your dues way we were brought along a while back.
I appreciate ambition and the energy of youth, but the wisdom of some mileage and experience in your profession is needed for this job especially if you want to go on to a judgeship which so often follows.

Carey Ave Jack

 
At 3:20 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll is not going to get down in the mud with the PIGs of the Salavents big money Republican's!!! Why do you think the republican & Salavants are spending $300,000.00 to get DA Carroll out of the DAs office ? A) Just Look at her campaign finance report part E Refunds to Robert T. Panowicz $500.00 why? also Daniel Boich $500.00 why? so when DA Carroll is out Salavents can drop all the charges of there family members!

 
At 3:26 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

6:51 The third or first , she hit a person and ran , so let her go ???

 
At 6:48 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

So what you are saying is hey get experiance Salavantis but not by reprenting criminals. Holy crap what would happen to our justice system if that were to happen. Oh and lets not forgot all the so called respected established lawyers who were in on the corruption. Its a good thing the attorney bowl is still half full with some respected established attorneys ...like JMC?..yeah right.

 
At 10:33 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Once more Yonki you inspire debate among the public. I don't think you throw out a public servant over one mistake. I have more of a problem with Salavantis defending Jerry Bonner. You want to talk about insider? That says it all about her ethics.

 
At 11:39 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Another thought to ponder about the potential judges to be elected. Many have worked with or for Musto Carroll for many years. Does this not present conflicts of interest? This obviously isn't the first time a subordinate essentially becomes your superior that you supported, but think about it, it screams reform and a new vision of how judges reach this office.

 
At 6:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Talk about stupid statements. Did you know that retired judge Pat Toole was a DA as was Corey Stevens, Peter Paul and Lukus? You need to read a little Luzerne County history before making stupid statements that only goes to show how little you know.

 
At 10:00 PM, Blogger David Yonki said...

IN RESPONSE
Talk about stupid statements. Did you know that retired judge Pat Toole was a DA as was Corey Stevens, Peter Paul and Lukus? You need to read a little Luzerne County history before making stupid statements that only goes to show how little you know.
YES I KNEW THAT AND I CAN ALSO TELL YOU THE YEARS THEY RAN AND HELD THOSE OFFICES. WHAT EXACTLY IS YOUR POINT HERE?

 
At 12:06 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yonk, read the comment 11:39. My re sponse was to that point. It isn't always about you! Sometimes other people piss me off as well.

 

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