The LuLac Edition #3256, July 23rd, 2016

CLINTON PICKS KAINE...HOWEVER

Hillary Clinton picks her dance partner. (Photo: The New York Post)

So last night it was announced that Hillary Clinton picked Virginia Senator Tom Kaine as her Vice Presidential pick. It was widely thought of as a “safe” pick. There was even talk that Clinton needed a more exciting choice to get the base of the Democratic party ramped up to get out the vote. I think that Clinton based the pick on governing. Not that she is so sure she’ll win but because the significance of this office has grown in stature through the years.
Kaine comes from Virginia a state that the Democrats need to hold onto for the fall. That’s the political aspect of it. But he has been a Mayor, Governor and Senator. His experience matches up or even exceeds Donald Trump’s pick of Governor Mike Pence. 
However in a year where experience and knowledge has been seen to be dirty word, sadly there’s a chance where that might not matter.
Kaine is personally pro life but does not want to interfere in anyone’s right to make personal choices. This is in stark contrast to Mike Pence who believes that in the case of gay individuals you can pray away the gay through programs. Pence has advocated for that in the public sector. So he offers a reasonable choice for both women and the LGBT community. Plus his views align well with Clinton’s.
However, if you listen to right wing ideologues any Democrat who supports choice or even a reasonable stance like Kaine’s is selling baby parts behind every dumpster in every little town across America.
Kaine has supported the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership ) bill along with 12 other Democratic Senators Democratic” Senators who voted to fast track the TPA bill: Michael Bennet (Colo.), Tom Carper (Del.), Chris Coons (Del.), Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Patty Murray (Wash.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Mark Warner (Va.), and Ron Wyden (Ore.). This was a bill the President wanted to insure fair trade. At the time the bill passed in a rare bi partisan vote, Kaine stated, “My support for TPA is not a blind endorsement of any pending trade negotiation or deal. I look forward to ensuring the specifics of any final deal are placed before the public and fully debated to see if they meet our standards and benefit Virginia.” TPP in practice has been around since Franklin Roosevelt’s Secretary of State Cordell Hull set it in motion. What Kaaine voted for was the President’s ability to negotiate a trade deal without Congressional investigation and approval. Kaine’s working with a Republican Senate would in any other time be lauded especially since this Senate has never worked with the President on much of anything.
However with GOP Senators Susan Collins (Maine), Richard Shelby (Ala.), Jeff Sessions (Ala.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Rand Paul (Ky.) voting against it, this will give the Trump/Pence team a platform to decry “bad deals” and ironically give Trump if elected “Cart Blanche” to not need Congressional approval.
At the outset of this article we cited Kaine’s experience as Lt. Governor and Governor. He was thought of as a progressive Governor who was very level headed and popular. There are very few people who feel that he did a bad job.
However, during his time in state office it was reported that Kaine accepted gifts that amounted to $86, 325. It was not against Virginia law as long as it was reported. Kaine did follow the letter of the law. This pretty much was under the radar until the man who succeeded Kaine, Bob McDonnell was, accused of accepting gifts and sweetheart loans from a dietary supplement executive in exchange for promoting the businessman’s company. McDonnell was convicted but that overturned by the Supreme Court. You can be sure, positive that Donald Trump will attach his “crooked Hillary” moniker to Kaine too in this area. Already Trump tweeted that issue with Kaine.
Kaine is the pick and will be an immense compliment and help to Clinton. If elected he’ll be a good competent governing partner.
However………those “howevers” aforementioned need to be overcome. (Senate list and Kaine quote: Washington Post and Tim Kaine Senate page).

TRUMP STILL MIFFED AT TED

So right out of the gate after a great convention reception Donald Trump continues to pick a fight with his former opponent Ted Cruz. What is mystifying to me is that Trump seemed to not overreact to the plagiarism issue with his wife. She was pilloried on all fronts and he personally wisely let it die. Surrogates got into the mud on that one. But the thing with Cruz where he still says that a picture in the National Enquirer has might have credence is just hard to understand. At the press conference, Trump could have just shrugged his shoulders and deflected it. But he riffed. As the songs tell us, just “Let it go”.

TOOMEY SITS IT OUT

Our Senator Pat Toomey has been concentrating on his re-election bid during the Convention. The Senator did not attend the GOP convention even though he did make a statement on Ted Cruz’s speech there. Toomey said “There’s a right way to present that and there’s a wrong way, there’s a right time and a wrong time. In my view, when it’s an uncontested convention, the night belongs to the nominee, so I think it was inappropriate for Ted Cruz to do what he did”.
Toomey voted for Cruz but has held the Trump candidacy at bay saying he was running a separate campaign effort. There appeared to be no campaign events on his Facebook page or calendar but he did speak to supporters this week. (Quote: Washington Post).

PENCE, BARLETTA AND MARINO

Governor Mike Pence, and Congressmen Tom Marino and Lou Barltta. (Pa. GOP FAcebook)

So the other day the Pennsylvania delegation was waiting for a special guest to arrive at their morning breakfast. The guest was going to be there at 9am. Well that guest was Vice Presidential nominee Mike Pence who was late. Being late for a candidate is nothing new. So you rarely get in trouble when the time is affecting you. However if you are elected officials waiting for that said candidate, there is a possibility for some revelations you might not have expected to come out.
As the GOP faithful waited for Pence both Congressman Lou Barletta and Tom Marino stood up and started to fill time. Nothing new there right? Except that Marino started to tell the assembled multitude how much he dislikes the President and his policies. Marino started to riff about how his one vein in his forehead pops out when he has to listen to an Obama speech and how Lou Barltta has to hold his arm along with another Congressman so he doesn’t react and do a Joe Wilson and call the President a liar during a public speech. It was all on PCN the other day.
It is little wonder why Marino was attracted to Trump? Plus to this day, it still confuses me as to why David Madeira is not the 10th District Congressman.

TRUMP TO VISIT NEXT WEEK

Donald Trump is going to heavily target Pennsylvania. Right out of the gate he is coming to Scranton. The event is set for this coming Wednesday and our friend Bill O’Boyle from the Times Leader reports Trump will be at the Lackawanna College Student Union Gymnasium, but the campaign has not released any particulars.

MEDIA MATTERS 

Best media moment from the local coverage of the GOP Convention was this Facebook shot of WBRE TV's Valerie Tysanner coming across Katie Couric who was doing a Video report. This picture is great. (Photo: Valerie Tysanner Facebook page)