The LuLac Edition #3889, September 30th, 2018

A LITTLE ABOUT BRETT KAVANAUGH

The Brett Kavanaugh hearings have been top of mind now for three days. I did not see the hearings live but did hear a lot of it on the radio coming home from work and then going to the Property Tax Meeting on Thursday night at King’s.
Looking at this objectively as best I could, Brett Kavanaugh did more harm than good for himself when he testified after Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford. Here’s why. But before I do, a brief caveat.
First off, I understand and clearly accept more than others the fact that elections have consequences. I have held my nose in past elections and voted for the lesser of two evils if I knew that my interests, personal or political, would be harmed. Those progressives and Libertarians who stayed home, or wasted their vote on a Green or Third Party because they “didn’t care for the nominee of the Democrats” PUT Donald Trump in office. It’s okay for them to get out bent of shape and protest now but truth be told, their pique and vanity brought us to this point. My Democratic and LGBT friends never want to hear this but it’s true.
I was at this rodeo before when in 1968, the supporters of Gene McCarthy, and Bobby Kennedy, who were passionate anti war advocates didn’t vote for the Democratic nominee then, and as a result we got Nixon. In part, they are responsible for the thousands of thousands of lives lost in Vietnam from ’69 to 73 and Nixon’s Supreme Court picks.
So I get why the Republicans feel they have a right to this seat. Holding up Merritt Garland’s chances last year is something the GOP is going to be paying for in years in my mind but this year, Trump by reason of election had a chance to nominate his own person.
The hearings though became flawed when the GOP Senate Leadership did everything they could to rush this through. And like our moms told us, “Haste makes waste!”.
All that said, even though we were told Kavanaugh was a stellar pick, we never got the rest of his story. Not many people seemed to care or want to know what he did in the Bush 43 administration. There was no great outrage when only 5% of the documents weren’t released.
But sex is a story that even the dullest witted of any party can understand. When the allegations against Kavanaugh surfaced two weeks ago, a fire storm broke through.
It lead to Kavanaugh’s accuser’s testimony and later his. It also showed the complete disregard the GOP Senators have for the truth and process. But here’s my humble take on Kavanaugh’s testimony.
1. He cried, she didn’t.
2. He whined, she didn’t.
3. He brought up the freaking Clintons as being behind this. My God, if they really did everything the GOP said they did, they’d be broke and exhausted.
4. He appeared to be snarky instead of defiant. Unhinged instead of controlled. Say what you want about him but Clarence Thomas, back in '91, that dude was in control with calculated outrage articulated way better than this Prep school bully. 
5. Judges are supposed to be staid, measured, logical and sometimes unemotional. Kavanaugh was anything but.
6. His focus on beer and then his defense of his drinking by being combative reminded me of eight heavy drinkers I came across through the years. Some men, some women. His posturing had all the symptoms of a man who has not yet come to terms with why “he likes beer”.
7. I’m struck by the distrust of the Republican party of the American people. It seems like Kavanaugh, a smart man took bad advice from his advisers who wanted him to emulate the guy who picked him, old Diaper Don!Toughing it out didn't work for him.
Kavanaugh would have been better served by saying, “Look I drank in college and if what she said is true, I can’t tell you but because I honestly don't remember. I drank too much at parties and if anyone was hurt along the way because of that, I am truly sorry. I wish I could undo whatever people say happened. I don’t drink to excess anymore and I certainly never conducted myself that way since college. I apologize”.
Boom! That’s all he needed to do because a majority of Americans (never mind the face book crazies) would forgive him and let it proceed.
But now with an FBI investigation and further scrutiny, I would be mildly shocked if he had the votes in the Senate to get him through. Plus by his demeanor displayed this week, he’ll be lucky if he hangs on to his Federal Court seat now. 
However as things stand with the recent news about what the FBI can and can't do in their investigation, it looks like Kavanaugh will get the seat barring any unforeseen circumstances. If you have the votes, you could do anything you want. 
So mu advice to people unhappy now and who will be more so if he wins confirmation,  my advice is to get out and vote. Get your friends to do so too. It is evident that the Republican party has put all the chips on the table to get control of the Supreme Court at the expense of losing outraged women voters and thoughtful citizens through the years. If you're that pissed, let the GOP pay for it at the polls.

NEWEST FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL POLL

The newest Franklin and Marshall poll seems to bode well for the Democrats about one month away from the November mid term elections. Here are the results in key races and the way people are thinking.
Six in ten (60%) of the state’s registered voters are “very interested” in the 2018 mid-term elections; more Democrats (64%) than Republicans (58%) or independents (49%) say they are “very interested.”
Half (50%) of the state’s registered voters in Pennsylvania believe Governor Tom Wolf is doing an “excellent” or “good” job as governor, which is which is similar to his ratings in prior surveys.
Two in five (42%) registered voters believe Senator Bob Casey is doing an “excellent” or “good” job as the state’s U.S. Senator, which is similar to his ratings in recent surveys.
About two in five (37%) registered voters in Pennsylvania believes President Donald Trump is doing an “excellent” or “good” job as president, which is similar to his ratings in the August survey.
More registered voters prefer the Democratic candidate for U.S. House (51%) than the Republican candidate for the U.S. House (36%). Among likely voters, more favor a Democrat (49%) than a Republican (38%) for the U.S. House.
President Trump continues to be an essential motivating force in the upcoming mid-term elections. Three in four (74%) of those who plan to vote for a Democratic congressional candidate are casting their ballot mainly as a vote against President Trump and Republicans in Congress; while four in five (80%) of those who plan to vote for a Republican candidate are casting their ballot mainly as a vote to support President Trump and the Republicans in Congress.
Governor Wolf (52%) currently leads his Republican challenger Scott Wagner (30%) among likely voters, with (17%) remaining undecided.
Senator Casey (50%) currently holds a lead over his Republican challenger, Representative Lou Barletta (33%), among likely voters, (15%) remaining undecided.
This survey reflects interviews with 545 Pennsylvania registered voters, including 256 Democrats, 213 Republicans and 76 Independents conducted by the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College from September 17-23, 2018. The sample error for this survey is+/- 6.1 percentage points. A complete methodological statement can be found in the full report.
The Franklin & Marshall College Poll is produced in conjunction with the Philadelphia Daily News, WGAL-TV (South Central PA), Pittsburgh Tribune Review, WTAE-TV (Pittsburgh), WPVI-TV6/ABC (Philadelphia), Times-Shamrock Newspapers, Harrisburg Patriot-News/PennLive, LNP media group, and the Reading Eagle. It may be used in whole or in part, provided any use is attributed to the college.
Complete results can be found at http://www.fandm.edu/fandmpoll

BARLETTA GETS NOD FROM STATE TROOPERS

PENNSYLVANIA STATE TROOPERS ASSOCIATION ENDORSES LOU BARLETTA FOR SENATE

BARLETTA ENDORSED AS ‘TREMENDOUS ADVOCATE FOR

LAW ENFORCEMENT

The Pennsylvania State Troopers Association (PSTA) endorsed Congressman Lou Barletta for the United States Senate. Barletta, who has been endorsed by Fraternal Order of Police lodges from across Pennsylvania, has received the overwhelming support from law enforcement in the race for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania.
“From my time as mayor to my time in Congress, I have always backed those who keep our families and communities safe in Pennsylvania," Congressman Lou Barletta said. "When in the Senate, I will always strongly support law enforcement and fight for them as they work every day to keep our families safe.”
“Congressman Barletta has been a tremendous advocate for law enforcement in Washington,” said PSTA President David Kennedy. “We need more people in the United States Senate who will fight for the resources police need to protect and serve their communities across the nation. Nowhere is that more necessary than Pennsylvania where our department of 4,400 troopers is responsible for policing 85 percent of the commonwealth.”
The PSTA endorsed Barletta for the U.S. Senate one day after endorsing Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf for re-election. The endorsement by PSTA comes after Barletta received endorsements from the FOP Fort Pitt Lodge No. 1, the nation's oldest FOP lodge representing 900 active and 965 retired members of law enforcement in Pittsburgh; the Le-Hampton Lodge 35 FOP, representing 40 police departments across the Lehigh Valley; and the Hazleton FOP Lodge 18, representing members of law enforcement with whom Barletta worked while mayor of Hazleton.