The LuLac Edition #1907, January 19th, 2012

The Conservative alternatives, Gingrich and Santorum.


Laureen Cummings.


Our "Como Phobia logo".


Our 1967 logo.

PERRY OUT

He was once touted as the front runner. The next Governor of Texas that would become the power on the GOP throne. But Risk Perry did have the luxury that George W. Bush had (getting tutorials in foreign policy and economics ) from world wide experts. Perry struggling in the polls and having had dismal debate performances announced today he is dropping out of the race fort President. He has been stuck at 4% in the polls and has endorsed Newt Gingrich. The leaders of the right in the GOP prevailed upon him to bow out before the crucial South Carolina primary so maybe some of his votes could go to Newt Gingrich or possibly Rick Santorum. Perry would make an ideal Vice Presidential candidate with the huge bundle of electoral votes in Texas. Plus with a little practice, he may be a viable candidate a few cycles in.

SANTORUM WINS IOWA

That 8 vote margin didn’t hold up and Rick Santorum actually won Iowa by 34 votes. While this doesn’t change the delegate count, Santorum does get bragging rights. Plus, if Romney falters in South Carolina or has an unimpressive showing, the air of inevitability might be chipped away some.

ROMNEY’S TAXES

The 15% that Mitt Romney pays on taxes is going to be a problem in this year’s fall election. Mrs. LuLac and I pay a tax rate of about 28%. Now we don’t get taxed the way Romney gets taxed, on investments but the average American tax payer is not going to understand that. Romney is not the first rich man to run for but in this climate where job creators and big business is vilified, being loaded might be a liability. Romney needs to explain why his tax rate is so low. Not to satisfy a class argument but to give the American people a quick tutorial on how a rich guy can get to the point that he might pay less than the general public. Business people usually take risks and with that risks come reward. Romney’s people might due well to explain it. In the meantime, look for the Obama camp to pounce. Despite what you believe about me and other left of center Democrats, we have no class envy. Most of us recognize that the people who take the risks, deserve higher compensation. The heroes of the Democratic party, FDR and JFK were rich beyond comprehension. Plus we have had no trouble with politicians getting rich on their names and tours of duty like Reagan, Ford and Clinton. What is troubling about Romney is this type of tone deafness that seems to permeate his thoughts. The guy doesn’t know when to leave well enough alone. The other day he said that his speaking fees weren’t a lot of money. The figure that “was not a lot of money” was about $350,000!! He said this days before a primary in a state that has been historically one of the poorest and has pockets of unemployment of over 20%. Again, this was a type of error that should not have happened. Regular folks don’t care how rich people like Romney are. We couldn’t even imagine what to do with the interest on that money. But don’t throw out a figure that is small to you and significant to the majority. It was unintended but Mitt Romney just rubbed our noses into how wealthy he is. That’s what regular folks can’t stand. It is said Romney greatest fear is repeating the cardinal sin his father committed in 1968 saying “he was brainwashed by the generals” on the Vietnam War. It was true but he shouldn’t have said it. Mitt Romney, the last few weeks has not only repeated but magnified the sins of his father by not thinking culturally on the haves and have nots in a tough economy.

MUST SEE TV

ABC News plans to air an interview with the second wife of Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich on "Nightline" just two days before the GOP's South Carolina primary. Excerpts from the interview with Marianne Gingrich will be released during the day Thursday, ABC News spokesman Jeffrey Schneider said, ahead of both a Republican candidate debate Thursday evening in Charleston, S.C., and ABC's late-night news program. ABC News has not indicated what Marianne Gingrich said in the interview. Her ex-husband has said that they don't have a relationship.
The interview comes as Gingrich, the former House speaker, is trying to topple GOP front-runner Mitt Romney by casting himself as the more conservative option in the GOP presidential race. It would shine a spotlight on a part of Gingrich's past that could turn off Republican voters in a state filled with religious and cultural conservatives who may cringe at Gingrich's two divorces and acknowledged infidelities. Marianne Gingrich has said Gingrich proposed to her before the divorce from his first wife was final in 1981; they were married six months later. Her marriage to Gingrich ended in divorce in 2000, and Gingrich has admitted he'd already taken up with Callista Bisek, a former congressional aide who would become his third wife. The speaker who pilloried President Bill Clinton for his affair with Monica Lewinsky was himself having an affair at the time. Now to be fair to Gingrich, he did ask for an open marriage but his second wife refused. Apparently that was a deal breaker and that's why they got divorced.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT



KRAFT/OFFSET LAYS OFF

I know there are many dedicated workers under the dome at the Luzerne County Courthouse. And the people who will get hurt will be those who are making the least amount of money and have the least seniority. But it is going to be very hard for the county Council not to let anyone go given the layoffs at two hugely successful area firms, Offset Paperback and Kraft Foods. They had to make sacrifices, deal with market forces, cut the fat or using a BCNEPA term “right size”. Even though good people will be let go…it is going to be hard to justify not doing it in light of this recent news.

CUMMINGS STOPS BID

Laureen Cummings has ended her bid for United States Senator. She made the announcement earlier in the week. Telling the Scranton Times, the energetic and vociferous candidate declared, "I'm not going anywhere," Cummings, 47, of Old Forge, said Monday, two days after dropping out of the Senate race to back Tim Burns, a Republican business consultant from Washington County.
Her departure winnowed the remaining Republican candidates to six actively seeking support at regional caucuses before the state Republican Party meeting Jan. 27 and 28 in Hershey. Cummings said she did not want to split the Tea Party vote and backed Brewer because she felt he was close enough to her in the issues and was a more viable candidate to run statewide. You will most likely be hearing from her on radio and TV as well as other news outlets. The other candidates besides Jim Burns are Tom Smith, Steve Welch, Sam Rohrer, David Christian, ; and Marc Scaringi.

CASEY’S FOE

Incumbent Senator Bob Casey has opposition in the form of Allegheny County manufacturing plant owner Joe Vodvarka. Brian Kelly from Wilkes Barre who is a retired professor and ran against Paul Kanjorski a few years back said he could not get enough names on the ballot or his campaign off the ground. In 2006 despite much straight party backing in the primary Casey did have 3 primary opponents.

SANTORUM THE REAL DEAL

FOX News just released a poll that said 29% of Republican voters believe Rick Santorum is the candidate best described as the true conservative, and this certainly makes him the best conservative to take on Romney. This is over twice the number that named Newt Gingrich. Rick Santorum is gaining support and in 2nd place, just behind Mitt Romney in two other national polls released today. This is a great sign that we are headed for a big Santorum Surge in South Carolina, and well positioned as the alternative to Romney.
It is time for conservatives to unite behind the one conservative Republican candidate that can win -- and that one candidate is Rick Santorum.
This weekend Rick secured a huge endorsement from Tony Perkins and 150 other top evangelical leaders who recognized it is time for conservatives to come together and rally their support behind one candidate.
Tony Perkins stated, “Rick Santorum has consistently articulated the issues that are of concern to conservatives, both economic and social. He has woven those into a very solid platform.”

PAULA’S HOME HOKUM

First off I never watched Paula dean’s cooking show. No matter how good the food looks, I always found her annoying and really ignorant. The affected “y’alls” I felt were indicative of what we Americans do all the time, equate bad English with southern charm. So she cooks up this great tasting stuff and pushes it on her show. Albeit she recommended that her cooking was for special occasions. And not to be used every day. The other day she goes on “The Chew” (another food show) and announces she has Type 2 Diabetes. She of course starts to cry and say that she wants to be remembered as someone who by talking about her disease, helped people. Here are the facts; she kept the disease a secret for a few years. She revealed it now because she has a contract with a drug maker Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk site links to promotional materials for the drug Victoza which Dean now takes on a daily basis. Her other lucrative endorsements include Smithfield ham and Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Look, I wish her the best in terms of her health. But spare me the tears. Please. And please don’t over inflate the importance of your advice. Dean said on the Today Show, “You can have diabetes and have a piece of cake. You cannot have diabetes and eat a whole cake." I love to eat. I know guys that love to eat. I’ve known women who could eat me and those guys under the table. But I have yet to meet anyone who ever ate a whole cake in a day. I’m sorry, it never happened. Take your medicine, get on with your life but please….stop crying as if you’re a victim. You live by the butter knife, you die by the butter knife.

JILL’S BOOK

The Second Lady of the United States, Jill Biden has plans to author a children’s book titled “Don’t Forget, Nana, God Bless Our Troops”. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers announced today plans to publish an illustrated children’s book by Second Lady of the United States. The book will be illustrated by award-winning artist Raul Colon and is set to go on sale June 5, 2012.
“As a military mom and a teacher, I wanted to write this book to make all Americans, especially children, aware of the unique experience of children who have a parent or other relative deployed in our armed forces,” said Jill Biden. “I saw with my own grandchildren just how difficult it is to carry on while you are worried about a parent who is serving in a war zone … and I also learned what a difference it makes when members of the community show support. I hope my granddaughter Natalie’s story, which inspired the book, gives readers some insight into the strength and character of our military families, and encourages them to reach out in their neighborhoods and communities.”
Biden will be donating all net author proceeds to charities that support military families and children, and she has refused an advance for the book. In addition, Simon & Schuster will make a contribution to a charity that supports military families and children.
The book is inspired by the real life experiences of the Biden family and will be told through the eyes of Vice President Joe and Jill Biden’s granddaughter, Natalie Biden. As the Major of the Delaware Army National Guard, Natalie’s father, Beau Biden, was deployed to Iraq for a year.

100 BILLION

Is that the latest fighter jet coming off the assembly line? Is it the cost of a health care initiative? Is it a cure for cancer? Is it the cost of a new undeclared war? Is it the amount of money spent on security systems to fight terrorism? NOPE. 100 BILLION is the amount of money deadbeat parents owe in this country for child support. 100 BILLION. And in most cases, authorities can’t find the deadbeats because they stay one step ahead of the law. Round up the kids, jail the parents indefinitely and bring back orphanages.

MEDIA MATTERS

ECTV

If you're starting to work on your taxes you'll want to try to catch ECTV Live the week of January 23rd with hosts Tom Munley and David DeCosmo! Their guests will be Nancy Post from Lackawanna County's Voluntary Action Center and volunteer Jim Conrade who offers tax assistance advice to senior citizens. They'll be discussing services offered by the agency and some tips about the current tax codes. ECTV Live is broadcast on Comcast Ch19 each day at Noon and Midnight with selective showings at 6pm too. The traditional tax deadline of April 15th will also mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking oif the Titanic. In 1972 DeCosmo became personally involved with a story that lead to the "reuniting" of two Titanic survivors. He has produced a special program about regional connections to the Titanic disaster which is currently being aired on a rotating schedule on ECTV.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

This week Shadoe Steele’s guest on Saturday Night Live At the Oldies is Don Brewer of Grand Funk. Tune in to WILK AM and FM from 7PM to midnight with ABC News on top of the hour for the best oldies show in town.


STORM POLITICS

Tiffany Cloud has a great presentation this week on WYLN TV 35. Her guest is Carole Drewniak. “Storm Politics” can be seen on WYLN TV 35930 TH, 5 SAT, 11A Sun, 830 Mon, 930p T.

PCN

PCN TO PROVIDE FIRST-EVER LIVE COVERAGE OF STATE SUPREME COURT SESSION ON LEGISLATIVE REDISTRICTING
The Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) will provide an historic first with its gavel-to-gavel coverage of the state Supreme Court’s hearing on Pennsylvania’s legislative redistricting plan. The state’s highest court, for the first time, agreed to LIVE coverage by PCN beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, January 23 in Harrisburg. The state Supreme Court is scheduled to hear appeals to the legislative redistricting plan as proposed by the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission.
The justices will hear oral arguments of 11 prospective appeals filed in response to the redistricting plan that was approved in December of 2011. The state’s legislative districts were redrawn by a constitutionally-mandated commission to offset population shifts reflected in the 2010 census. A successful appeal will prevent the plan from becoming law.
PCN has been providing gavel-to-gavel coverage of the state’s Supreme Court proceedings since September of last year. The state’s highest court decision to allow PCN cameras into the courtroom is an historic first.
New procedures set forth by the high court regarding the broadcast of court proceedings now allows PCN to choose which session days to record, but all proceedings must be aired in their entirety. The January 23 session will be the first time LIVE coverage has been permitted during a state Supreme Court session.
PCN continues to record the En Banc coverage of the state’s Superior Court as well as the state’s Commonwealth Court. State Supreme Court proceedings are also recorded in their entirety.

CBS NEWSMAN DEAD

Richard Threlkeld, a far-ranging and award-winning correspondent who worked for both CBS and ABC News during a long career, has been killed in a car crash on New York's Long Island. The 74-year-old Threlkeld died Friday morning in Amagansett, N.Y., when his car collided with a propane tanker. He was pronounced dead at Southampton Hospital, according to the East Hampton, N.Y., Police Department. He lived in nearby East Hampton. The driver of the tanker, Earl Fryberger Jr., of Coatesville, Penn., was not injured, said police, who are investigating the accident.
Threlkeld spent more than 25 years at CBS News before retiring in 1998. He was a reporter, anchor and bureau chief who covered the Persian Gulf War and the Vietnam War, the Patty Hearst kidnapping and trial, the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, and the execution of Gary Gilmore. He was one of the last journalists evacuated from Phnom Penh and Saigon when those cities fell to the Communists in 1975.

SUNDAY MAGAZINE

This Weekend On Sunday Magazine....Brian Hughes speaks with Michael Hanley, the Executive Director of United Neighborhood Services of Lackawanna County about new asset testing for food stamp recipients in Pennsylvania beginning on May 1st.
Magic 93’s Frankie in the Morning speaks with Christine Zavaskas and Paul
LaBelle about the Judi R. Rock On 2 event to benefit cancer research coming up
on Feb 4th at the Scranton Cultural Center. And Frankie speaks with Alan K Stout from Big Brothers/Big Sisters about the 30th Bowl For Kids Sake fundraiser coming up at the end of March.
Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5:30am on JR 93.7 & 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X,
6:30am on Magic 93, and 9:30am on WARM 590 AM.

1967

Super Bowl I: The Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum....Albert DeSalvo (The Boston Strangler) is convicted of numerous crimes and sentenced to life in prison...Jeremy Thorpe becomes leader of the UK's Liberal Party.......A Fistful of Dollars, the first significant "spaghetti Western" film, is released in the U.S..... Raymond Shafer is inaugurated as Pennsylvania’s new Governor. Raymond Broderick is sworn in as Ltn. Governor………the Luzerne County Republican committee indicates that Commissioner William Goss will not be running for Commissioner. The Shickshinny resident is given the endorsement for Treasurer. Wilkes Barre City Councilwoman Ethel Price is given the endorsement for County Commissioner replacing Goss. Jim Post, the other majority GOP County Commissioner is given the other nod for the spering primary…..and 45 years ago, the number 1 song in LuLac land and America was "Georgy Girl" by the Seekers.


COMO PHOBIA