The LuLac Edition #4,231, February 27th, 2020

BIDEN SHOWS UP, LEADS IN SOUTH CAROLINA POLL

Joe Biden at Fox Hill last year (Photo: LuLac)

Former Vice President Joe Biden finally showed up for a debate and he came across as the genuine guy we all know and love. Then the day after the debate, Biden got the important endorsement from Congressman Jim Clyburn. The veteran lawmaker said, “I want the public to know that I’m voting for Joe Biden. South Carolinians should be voting for Joe Biden,” said Clyburn, a longtime Biden ally, in an emotional statement. “This country is at an inflection point. It is time for us to restore this country’s dignity — this country’s respect.”
Saturday’s primary is a must-win contest for Biden after his weak showings in the first three states to vote in Democrats’ presidential nominating contest. African Americans, who make up two-thirds of the Democratic primary electorate in South Carolina, are central to Biden’s electoral strategy. But their support has been eroding, and it would have been devastating had Clyburn defied expectations and not endorsed him.
Clyburn, the highest-ranking African American in the House, had been widely expected to back Biden but withheld his announcement until after Tuesday’s debate in Charleston.

BERNIE TELLS THE TRUTH IN AN AGE WHERE TRUTH IS STRANGER

Bernie Sanders (Photo: MSNBC)

Bernie Sanders made a pretty fatal mistake the other day in the age of Trump. When he was speaking about Cuba, he did give the Castro regime some credit. He said, “We’re very opposed to the authoritarian nature of Cuba but, you know, it’s unfair to simply say everything is bad,” Sanders said during an interview with "60 Minutes." "When Fidel Castro came into office, you know what he did? He had a massive literacy program. Is that a bad thing? Even though Fidel Castro did it?"
Sanders touched the third rail of politics especially in an ignorant state like Florida. All those voters heard was “praise, Castro, not a bad thing”. Sanders has given the American people and especially the Trump supporters more than the benefit of the doubt but the entire doubt itself! Democrats in the state are distancing themselves and he got hammered in the last debate too.
Perhaps Bernie, who I believe is the other side of the Trump coin is relying on the fact that his supporters will give him a pass on this because he explained the nuances of what he meant. But the body politic this year is not much for nuances.
Meanwhile our friend Dr. Joe Leonardi had this advice for Sanders’ foes on a TV ad. Here’s his link: https://shortstoryscribe.wordpress.com/2020/02/26/the-perfect-commercial-for-any-democrat-not-named-sanders/.

CONGRESS WARNS PENTAGON NOT TO MOVE MONEY TO FUND TRUMP WALL

Lawmakers from both parties told Pentagon leaders on Wednesday that the Defense Department is undermining its own efforts to get military money by diverting billions of dollars for the construction of President Donald Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall
The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and the committee's top Republican warned Defense Secretary Mark Esper that overturning congressional funding decisions to shift money for the wall is an enormous problem that will have consequences.
The plan to shift money has triggered rare Republican opposition to one of Trump's priorities.

REP. CARTWRIGHT ANNOUNCES OVER $23 MILLION IN HUD FUNDS TO ADDRESS HOUSING ISSUES IN PA-08

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

Matt Cartwright announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has granted a total of more than $23 million to Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District through multiple programs to address issues of affordable housing. The funds are divided among several local housing authorities, as well as city- and county-level governments throughout the district.
“The work our local governments do to support affordable housing is invaluable, and this support from the federal level will help that work continue,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “These funds will keep our neighborhoods strong and ensure vulnerable residents, including the elderly and those with disabilities, have a place to call home.”
The following housing authorities will receive funding through the Public Housing Capital Fund:
Luzerne County Housing Authority: $2,923,395
Lackawanna County Housing Authority: $2,472,307
Monroe County Housing Authority: $700,029
Scranton Housing Authority: $2,990,656
Pittston Housing Authority: $766,876
Carbondale Housing Authority: $770,124
Hazleton Housing Authority: $587,740
Wilkes-Barre Housing Authority: $1,819,820

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

This week's guests are Jesse Ergott, President and CEO of NeighborWorks of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and Todd Pousley, Neighborhood Revitalization Manager.
Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400-The Game, NEPA's Fox .Sports Radio and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River.

ECTV PREVIEW

Be prepared to be amazed! Camelot was real! King Arthur was real! But valuable artifacts about him are "off limits" in present day Wales because of politics. George Horwatt of the Welch Cultural Endeaver of Northeastern Pennsylvania joins "PREVIEW" host David DeCosmo during the week of March 2nd to share some of the extensive research he's done on this fantastic story!
PREVIEW is seen 3 times daily on Comcast channel 19 and on the electric city television YouTube page.

BUDDY RUMCHEK

Want to hear some great parodies on the news? Tune in to WILK Radio at 6:20 and 8:20 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP

SUNDAY NIGHTS!

1980

Our 1980 logo.

Pierre Trudeau returns to office as Prime Minister of Canada….

The Audi Quattro, a four-wheel drive sporting coupe, is launched in West Germany……The first ShowBiz Pizza Place restaurant opens in Kansas City, MO…..Robert Mugabe is elected Prime Minister of Zimbabwe……The Soviet Union's first rock music festival starts and forty years go the number one song in LuLac land a d America was “Too Hot” by Kool & the Gang.

The LuLac Edition #4,230, February 26th, 2020

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

Our “Write On Wednesday” logo

Immigration has been on the back burner of the issues for this year’s Presidential campaign. But as this editorial points out, the state by state breakdown reveals a positive side to the debate.

IMMIGRATION BENEFITS STATE

Amid the demonization and fear-mongering that too often characterizes the immigration issue these days, it is helpful to have a perspective of what immigration means for the economy.
As revealed in a new state-by-state study of immigration and its impact on economies, immigration continues to play the same vital role it always has played in driving social and economic dynamism. The study found that to be especially true in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania ranked 14th nationally in terms of immigrants’ overall economic impact and 8th in the crucial category of “brain gain and innovation.” Clearly, imported talent plays a massive role in maintaining the competitiveness of the state’s major research universities and high-technology industries. The state also was the sixth in the number of foreign students enrolled in higher education.
But the impact is substantial across the economic spectrum. As reported by Pennsylvania Capital Star, immigration reversed long-time population decline in Erie as of 2018. Immigration also has played a major role in stabilizing Scranton’s population, which likely will be verified by the impending census.
The impact is not uniform or even, of course. It varies by region. But the variability primarily is in the degree of benefit; there was no region of the state where immigrants were found to be an economic drain.
Immigration opponents often claim that newcomers overwhelm social services, but that rarely is the case. The principal pressure is on public school systems, since about 23% of all U.S. schoolchildren are from immigrant households.
But that cost is less than the economic benefits of immigration. As law professor Alan Hyde of Rutgers University told Wallet Hub: “Immigrants start, net, all new businesses in the U.S. They revitalize cities. Their neighborhoods are low-crime. They fill many important jobs. Their taxes and Social Security contributions keep the systems afloat. Their principal cost is public education since one-quarter of U.S. schoolchildren are immigrants or their children. We educate children so that they will be even more productive than their parents, and this bet has historically paid off for immigrants with spectacular returns on investment in education.”
With the census and presidential and congressional elections looming, Pennsylvania residents should recognize the value of immigrants.

The LuLac Edition #4,229, February 24th, 2020

MONDAY MEMES 

The LuLac Edition #4,228, February 20th, 2020

HATE TRUMP BUT HE IS SMART LIKE A FOX

Our friend Joe Leonardi sent this missive on the President the other day. It is quite prescient.

TRUMP’S CHAOTIC GENIUS

He tweets about Stone being unfairly treated, the media and the prosecutors get all up in arms. People resign, others call for resignation. The judge publicly states sentencing will not be delayed.
He then commutes Blogo's sentencing, which he was over-sentenced anyway, just like Stone's recommendations are ridiculously long - both were political operatives and they were playing the game, but anyway...
The Trump pardons beloved former FortyNiner's owner Eddie, Jr.
So, when Stone gets sentences, Trump will come out and say he has now choice but to either commute or pardon him because the media backlash and outcry from other politicos clouded the judge's sentencing.
I'm not saying any of this reasoning is correct, but if it plays out this way, his base will cheer, cheer, cheer.... and Trump will have played everyone again.
The best way to make Trump irrelevant is to not take the bait and ignore him... the guy thrives off chaos... and the media is gonna keep giving him all the free press as last time, which helped him get elected in the first place.

DOWN BALLOT RACES SET FOR THE PRIMARY

With petitions already signed, sealed and delivered, the races for Congress and State Rep are shaping up in LuLac land. First off, in The Lu, here’s who’s running. The following Republicans filed to run in the 8th District primary — James Bognet of Hazle Twp., Earl Granville of Scott Twp., Harry Haas of Kingston and Michael Marsicano of Hazle Twp. The 8th District includes eastern Luzerne County, in addition to other Northeast Pennsylvania counties — Lackawanna, Wayne, Pike and most of Monroe. The 9th District includes Columbia, Carbon, Schuylkill, Montour, Berks and Lebanon counties, part of Northumberland County and western parts of Luzerne County.
Incumbents Cartwright and Meuser have filed. Once more the GOP is waging an intense primary fight that in the long run can only help the Democratic incumbent.
On the state Representative front, incumbents on the GOP side, Tarah C. Toohil, R-116, Karen Boback, R-117, and Aaron Kaufer have filed. Patrick Musto who was supposed to be on the ballot against Bobeck had his petitions rejected by the state. He is currently planning an appeal. Mike Carroll, D-118, Avoca; Eddie Day Pashinski, D-121, Wilkes-Barre; Gerald Mullery, D-119, of Newport Twp.; and Aaron Kaufer, R-120, Kin Todd Eachus, the former state House Majority Leader who was defeated by Toohil a decade ago has filed as a Democratic candidate for the 116th state House District. And Kaufer will presumably be opposed by Attorney Joanna Bryn Smith, of Wyoming. Mike Carroll, D-118, A Eddie Day Pashinski, D-121, and Gerald Mullery, D-119 all appear to have an easy ride in the primary and general election. 
In the Lac, Repreentatibe Marty Flynn in the 112th has his name on the ballot and appears to be on the way to another term. Former Penn Dot official James May is making a run for the seat in the 114th district. May is running to unseat Bridgit Kosierowski who won a specil election last year when Sid Michaels Kavulich passed away. May who almost ran for Representive a few years ago against Bobeck has been the face of Penn Dot for nearly a decade. He is well known, friendly and has a very pithy but effective message, "Cut the nonsense and fix the roads". This race come November will be the one to watch. 

LET’S GO AFTER SUSAN COLLINS HERE’S HOW!

When Susan Collins voted against the impeachment of Donald Trump, she said she thought he'd learned his lesson and wouldn't do the same thing again.1
How's that going, Senator Collins?
Everything Trump has done since his acquittal has proved that the only lesson he learned was that he can do literally anything and Republicans like Collins and other so-called "moderates" will never hold him accountable.
In fact, since day one of Trump's presidency, Collins has shown that she will never stand up to Trump or Mitch McConnell.
From tax cuts to Brett Kavanaugh to impeachment, Collins has been there to help McConnell push through Trump's agenda—all while disregarding her constituents and disingenuously expressing deep concern about how troubling all of this is.
Enough is enough. No one other than Trump himself bears more responsibility for the sorry state of our democracy than Collins—and she must go.
In the week after Collins uttered the inexplicable words that Trump had "learned his lesson," Trump has publicly insisted that he did nothing wrong and that the whole investigation was an illegal hoax, and he has declared that he absolutely wouldn't do anything differently.2
Then, Trump began taking revenge on those who testified honestly during the impeachment investigation. He fired the ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland. He had security throw Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman out of the White House, and even fired Vindman's twin brother for no reason at all.3
Of course, Collins responded with a concerned statement that she opposes any retribution against impeachment witnesses.4
And now, Trump has triggered the biggest crisis at the Justice Department since Richard Nixon's Saturday Night Massacre, by overruling the amount of prison time that federal prosecutors would seek for his buddy Roger Stone, leading all of the Justice Department lawyers working on the case to withdraw.
What's Collins going to do about that? As usual, nothing.
The good news is that voters in Maine are sick and tired of her act. The latest polls say that she's the least popular member of the entire Senate with her own constituents.
Change the rules of the Senate to ram through Neil Gorsuch on a near party-line vote? Collins voted for that.
Trump's massive tax giveaway to the rich? Collins voted for that, too, in exchange for McConnell promising to help her stabilize the Affordable Care Act insurance markets. Of course, when McConnell broke that promise, she did nothing.
And who could forget Collins casting the deciding vote to confirm sexual predator Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, after promising not to support a nominee who was "hostile" to Roe v. Wade.6
Collins has gotten away with pretending to be a moderate for too long. Now it's time for her to go.
"Susan Collins' defense of her Trump vote just keeps looking worse and worse," CNN, February 12, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/116772?t=8&akid=257258%2E13475785%2ESqgE8B
2. "Our View: A week of lessons learned by Sen. Collins and the nation," Portland Press Herald, February 13, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/116773?t=10&akid=257258%2E13475785%2ESqgE8B
3. "Trump Fires Impeachment Witnesses Gordon Sondland and Alexander Vindman in Post-Acquittal Purge," The New York Times, February 7, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/116729?t=12&akid=257258%2E13475785%2ESqgE8B
4. "Sen. Collins says she opposes any retribution against impeachment witnesses," Portland Press Herald, February 7, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/116774?t=14&akid=257258%2E13475785%2ESqgE8B
5. "Roger Stone backlash: Democrats demand Barr's resignation, call for investigation, hearings," NBC News, February 12, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/116775?t=16&akid=257258%2E13475785%2ESqgE8B
6. "Susan Collins says she won't support a Supreme Court nominee who's hostile to Roe v. Wade," Vox, July 1, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/116788?t=18&akid=257258%2E13475785%2ESqgE8B
Join MoveOn in helping Susan Collins MOVE ON OUT OF THE SENATE.
https://act.moveon.org/donate/pac-donation-footer?suggested_ask=5&donation_type=recurring&source=mailingfooter&utm_medium=email&t=31&akid=257258%2E13475785%2ESqgE8B

REPS. CARTWRIGHT, MEUSER, STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS CALL FOR CONTINUED FEDERAL FUNDING FOR ABANDONED MINE CLEAN-UP

Matt Cartwright with your blog editor.

At a press conference at the Harry E. waste coal site, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08), U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA-09), and state and local elected officials welcomed recent progress on legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to provide Northeastern Pennsylvania with long-term federal funding for the clean-up of the more than 100 remaining unreclaimed abandoned mine land (AML) sites in the region.
The bill, Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act Amendments of 2019 (H.R. 4248), passed the House Natural Resources Committee last week, and it is awaiting a vote by the full U.S. House. Authored by Rep. Cartwright and co-sponsored by Rep. Meuser, this bill would reauthorize the AML Trust Fund, which allows states to collect small fees from active coal mine operators in order to pay for abandoned mine reclamation – largely focused in historic coal communities like those in Northeastern Pennsylvania and throughout the Appalachian region. The reclamation process is essential to cleaning up our waterways and protecting communities from the hazards of abandoned mines, such as acid mine drainage, dangerous highwalls, unattended explosives and waste coal piles.
In Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District, there are more than 300 AML sites that have yet to be fully reclaimed. The cost to clean up these sites throughout the district is estimated to exceed $114 million, However, the AML Trust Fund will stop collecting reclamation funds in September 2021 if Congress does not act.
“The Swoyersville project should serve as a model for the hundreds of other sites across Northeastern Pennsylvania that can be transformed into places where our children can play safely, areas that can foster new businesses, and communities that will prosper,” said Rep. Cartwright. “If Congress fails to renew this fund, this urgent work will never be finished, and our local communities will be left to pay the price.
“It’s so important that we work together not only across party lines, but also across all levels of government, to make sure this important work gets done,” Rep. Cartwright continued. “Rep. Meuser’s support in Congress for this bill has been invaluable, and I’m proud that we’ve joined forces with our state and local leaders, as well as area businesses and nonprofits, to make this a team effort.”
“Lately, many headlines coming out of Washington aren’t very productive, so I am glad to come together today in a bipartisan way with meaningful solutions for mine-affected communities throughout our region,” said Rep. Meuser. “Coal is among our most important natural resources in Northeast Pennsylvania, but abandoned mines and coal refuse piles are a hazard to our public health and safety. Our efforts to incentivize coal refuse remediation and clean-up abandoned mines will make our communities safer, stimulate economic development, and create a significant difference in the quality of life for many Pennsylvanians.”
“I’ve lived in the center of the northern coalfields my entire life among the shadows of hundreds of abandoned mines, and they continue to pose health and safety risks like environmental degradation acid mine drainage,” said Robert Hughes, Executive Director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR). “Our reclamation efforts around the area are making progress, but we can’t let them come to a halt now. Cleaning up these hazardous sites not only creates a safer, cleaner environment for our children; it also has the potential to create new economic and recreational opportunities in our communities. EPCAMR thanks Representatives Cartwright and Meuser for leading the charge to reauthorize the AML Trust Fund to ensure this important work can carry on.”
State Senator John Yudichak (I-SD-14), Swoyersville Mayor Chris Concert (I) and Sean Lane, Vice President of Olympus Power — a company that uses waste coal from the Harry E. site at its Panther Creek cogeneration plant in Nesquehoning — also spoke about how federal, state and local efforts to clean up AML sites create jobs, restore local communities and pave the way for new economic adventure.

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400-The Game, NEPA's Fox .Sports Radio and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River.

ECTV PREVIEW

ECTV'S Public Affairs program "PREVIEW" features Jamie Hailstone during the week of February 24th as he discusses plans for this year's Scranton Saint Patrick's Parade with host David DeCosmo. Scranton's three hour parade is one of the largest in the country!PREVIEW is seen 3 times daily on Comcast channel 19 and on the electric city television YouTube page.

BUDDY RUMCHEK

Want to hear some great parodies on the news? Tune in to WILK Radio at 6:20 and 8:20 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP

SUNDAY NIGHTS!

1980

Our 1980 logo.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini states that Iran's parliament will decide the fate of the American embassy hostages.
A coup in Suriname ousts the government of Henck Arron; leaders Dési Bouterse and Roy Horb replace it with a National Military Council.
M-19 guerrillas begin the Dominican embassy siege in Colombia, holding 60 people hostage, including 14 ambassadors….and forty years ago the number one song in LuLac land and America was “And the Beat Goes On” by The Whispers.

The LuLac Edition #4,227, February 19th, 2020

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

Our “Write On Wednesday” logo

This week's "Write On Wednesday deals with the President's budget. Take a look at some of the stuff he is cutting.
Times Shamrock has it right.

TRUMP’S TRUE PRIORITIES REVEALED IN BUDGET PLAN

Like all proposed federal budgets in the modern era, President Donald Trump’s $4.8 trillion budget plan for the next fiscal year is dead on arrival in Congress.
But, also like all budget proposals, Trump’s plan reveals his true priorities, making it fortunate in this case that the budget is DOA.
After vowing on the stump in 2016 to eliminate the national debt and deficit within eight years, Trump drove the massive tax cut that primarily benefits wealth interests while driving up the debt and deficit to record levels, The deficit for the 2018-2019 fiscal year exceeded $1 trillion for the first time ever, and the deficit for the first three months of the current fiscal year, through January, is $356 billion.
Trump’s budget would attempt to reduce the deficit by attacking crucial programs that earlier had vowed to protect, including
$292 billion from safety-net cuts from Medicaid and food stamps and $70 billion from Social Security disability benefits. The administration contends the plan would reduce spending by $4.4 trillion over a decade, while yet again vastly increasing defense spending.
At a time when the world is in a defensive crouch regarding the coronavirus that has killed more than 1,000 people in China, Trump proposes a funding cut of 9% for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Trump would cut the Environmental Protection Agency by a stunning 26% and, even as he claims a desire to diminish the U.S. global military footprint, Trump would increase funding for overseas operations by $32 billion.
Americans should judge all politicians, including Trump, not only by what they say but how they would spend.

The LuLac Edition #4,226, February 17th, 2020

MONDAY MEMES 

This is a little late but still pretty funny. 

The LuLac Edition #4,225, February 17th, 2020

PRESIDENT'S DAY 2020

YOU CAN NEVER BEAT OR TOP GEORGE

Maybe its a documentary that is running on The History Channel or the fact that we have an utter boob and malcontent in the White House now, but on this President's Day it is instructive to honor and appreciate George Washington. Washington was born on February 22, 1732 and was the ultimate political leader, military general, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Previously, he led Patriot forces to victory in the nation's War for Independence. He presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which established the U.S. Constitution and a federal government. Washington has been called the "Father of His Country" for his manifold leadership in the formative days of the new nation.
After returning from the Revolutionary War, Washington was chosen as President of the Constitutional Convention.
The delegates to the Convention anticipated a Washington presidency and left it to him to define the office once elected. The state electors under the Constitution voted for the president on February 4, 1789, and Washington suspected that most republicans had not voted for him. The mandated March 4 date passed without a Congressional quorum to count the votes, but a quorum was reached on April 5. The votes were tallied the next day, and Congressional Secretary Charles Thomson was sent to Mount Vernon to tell Washington he had been elected president. Washington won the majority of every state's electoral votes; John Adams received the next highest number of votes and therefore became vice president. Washington had "anxious and painful sensations" about leaving the "domestic felicity" of Mount Vernon, but departed for New York City on April 23 to be inaugurated.
Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789, taking the oath of office at Federal Hall in New York City. His coach was led by militia and a marching band and followed by statesmen and foreign dignitaries in an inaugural parade, with a crowd of 10,000. Chancellor Robert R. Livingston administered the oath, using a Bible provided by the Masons, after which the militia fired a 13-gun salute. Washington read a speech in the Senate Chamber, asking "that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations—and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, consecrate the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States"
Originally Washington had planned to retire after his first term, while many Americans could not imagine anyone else taking his place. After nearly four years as President, and dealing with the infighting in his own cabinet and with partisan critics, Washington showed little enthusiasm in running for a second term, while Martha also wanted him not to run. James Madison urged him not to retire, that his absence would only allow the dangerous political rift in his cabinet, and in the House, to worsen. Jefferson also pleaded with him not to retire and agreed to drop his attacks on Hamilton, or he would also retire if Washington did. Hamilton maintained that Washington's absence would be "deplored as the greatest evil" to the country at this time.  Washington's close nephew George Augustine Washington, his manager at Mount Vernon, was critically ill and had to be replaced, further increasing Washington's desire to retire and return to Mount Vernon.
When the election of 1792 neared, Washington did not publicly announce his presidential candidacy but silently consented to run, to prevent a further political-personal rift in his cabinet. The Electoral College unanimously elected him president on February 13, 1793, and John Adams as vice president by a vote of 77 to 50. Washington, with nominal fanfare, arrived alone at his inauguration in his carriage. Sworn into office by Associate Justice William Cushing on March 4, 1793 in the Senate Chamber of Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Washington gave a brief address and then immediately retired to his Philadelphia presidential house, weary of office and in poor health.
In 1796, Washington declined to run for a third term of office, believing his death in office would create an image of a lifetime appointment. The precedent of a two-term limit was created by his retirement from office. In May 1792, in anticipation of his retirement, Washington instructed James Madison to prepare a "valedictory address", an initial draft of which was entitled the "Farewell Address".  In May 1796, Washington sent the manuscript to his Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton who did an extensive rewrite, while Washington provided final edits. On September 19, 1796, The American Daily Advertiser published the final version of the address.
Washington stressed that national identity was paramount, while a united America would safeguard freedom and prosperity. He warned the nation of three eminent dangers: regionalism, partisanship, and foreign entanglements, and said the "name of AMERICAN, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations." Washington called for men to move beyond partisanship for the common good, stressing that the United States must concentrate on its own interests. He warned against foreign alliances and their influence in domestic affairs and against bitter partisanship and the dangers of political parties. He counseled friendship and commerce with all nations, but advised against involvement in European wars.  He stressed the importance of religion, asserting that "religion and morality are indispensable supports" in a republic. Washington's address favored Hamilton's Federalist ideology and economic policies.
Washington closed the address by reflecting on his legacy:
"Though in reviewing the incidents of my Administration I am unconscious of intentional error, I am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors. Whatever they may be, I fervently beseech the Almighty to avert or mitigate the evils to which they may tend. I shall also carry with me the hope that my country will never cease to view them with indulgence, and that, after forty-five years of my life dedicated to its service with an upright zeal, the faults of incompetent abilities will be consigned to oblivion, as myself must soon be to the mansions of rest."
Washington died on December 14, 1799 at the age of 67.  (wikipedia, LuLac)

WASHINGTON'S FIRST CABINET AND THE REPLACEMENTS LISTED IN THE REST OF HIS TWO TERMS

Vice President

John Adams

1789–1797

Secretary of State

John Jay

1789–1790

Thomas Jefferson

1790–1793

Edmund Randolph

1794–1795

Timothy Pickering

1795–1797

Secretary of Treasury

Alexander Hamilton

1789–1795

Oliver Wolcott Jr.

1795–1797

Secretary of War

Henry Knox

1789–1794

Timothy Pickering

1794–1796

James McHenry

1796–1797

Attorney General

Edmund Randolph

1789–1794

William Bradford

1794–1795

The LuLac Edition #4,224, February 14th, 2020

SENATE VOTES TO LIMIT WAR WITH IRAN

Looks like President Trump is now on notice that his dalliance with war in Iran will not stand with the Senate. On Thursday, eight Republicans joined all Democrats and Independents in voting to advance a resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine that would end “hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran or any part of its government or military” unless explicitly authorized. It required only a simple majority to clear the chamber.
“While the President does and must always have the ability to defend the United States from imminent attack, the executive power to initiate war stops there. An offensive war requires a congressional debate and vote. This should not be a controversial proposition,” Kaine, a top proponent of reasserting Congress’ role in the war-making process, said in a floor speech ahead of the vote.
While Trump is almost certain to veto the measure, Kaine argued that it could still send a message to the president and potentially influence future decisions on such actions that might bring the country to the brink of war.
Trump’s decision to order a drone strike against top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani at Iraq’s Baghdad airport last month ratcheted up tensions in the region and threatened to pull the U.S. into another bloody war in the Middle East. Iran initially responded with missile strikes on military bases that house U.S. troops in Iraq, but has since held off on further retaliation, at least for now. But questions have arisen about the administration’s initial rationale for the attack, which warned of a vague “imminent” attack on U.S. troops in the region. (AOL News, LuLac)

PELOSI CALLS OUT BARR FOR THE LAP DOG ASS KISSER HE IS WITH OLD DIAPER DON

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, rebuked Attorney General William Barr on Thursday for his role in reducing the proposed sentence of Trump associate Roger Stone earlier this week.
“A.G. Barr has deeply damaged the rule of law by withdrawing the DOJ’s sentencing recommendation, the act of interference in Trump’s retribution against [the] lead attorney in the Stone case,” Pelosi told reporters at her weekly press conference.
Pelosi called Barr a “sad disappointment to our country” and said that he has “stooped to such levels.” She was referring to the Justice Department's decision to overrule career prosecutors and propose a reduction in the sentence for Stone. The reversal, announced Tuesday, prompted all four prosecutors to withdraw from the criminal case.
“The American people deserve better,” Pelosi said. “This is not what America is about. It is so wrong.”
She also blasted President Donald Trump on Thursday for demonstrating “once again, that he has no respect for the rule of law” by “engaging in political interference” in the sentencing of Stone.

BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS INTRODUCE BILL TO NAME U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HEADQUARTERS AFTER ITS FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN SECRETARY

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives)

Earlier this week, U.S. Senator Bob Casey and a bipartisan group of Senators introduced the William T. Coleman Jr. Department of Transportation Headquarters Act. This legislation would name the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) headquarters after William T. Coleman, Jr., the fourth United States Secretary of Transportation and first African American to serve in the position.
“As we prepare to celebrate the start of Black History Month, I am proud to cosponsor this bill to rename the U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters after the late William Thaddeus Coleman Jr., a Philadelphia native who was the first African-American to serve as Secretary of Transportation,” said Senator Casey. “From arguing 19 cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court and coauthoring the legal brief in Brown v. Board of Education, to his time at the helm of the Department of Transportation, Secretary Coleman exemplified the virtues of public service and I look forward to honoring his legacy.”
William T. Coleman, Jr. was the first African American to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court clerk. He was recruited to serve on the NAACP by Thurgood Marshall and helped argue McLaughlin v. Florida in 1964 to strike down laws preventing interracial marriage. Coleman was appointed Secretary of Transportation by President Gerald Ford in 1975 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton in 1995. Secretary Coleman died in 2017.
Senator Casey was joined in introducing this legislation by the Chairman and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), as well as Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Tom Carper (D-DE), Tim Scott (R-SC), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Pat Toomey (R-PA).

TODD EACHUS COMING BACK

Your blog editor with Todd Eachus at signing party.

Ten years after he was defeated by State Rep. Tarah Toohil, former House Majority Leader Todd Eachus is getting back in the game.
Eachus, 58 of Drums, announced Tuesday that he is seeking the Democratic nomination in the 116th Legislative District and, if successful, he will again square off against Toohil, R-Butler Township.
“I’ve been gone a long time,” Eachus said. “So the first thing I’m going to do is start knocking on doors.”Eachus owns Pure Plant Health, a company that distributes USDA-certified hemp.
Eachus has been making the rounds of all Democratic gatherings recently getting his petitions signed and having his presence felt. The race in Hazleton this fall will be one to watch. (Times Leader, LuLac)

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400-The Game, NEPA's Fox .Sports Radio and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River.

ECTV PREVIEW

Final planning is underway right now for several of our area's popular Saint Patrick's Parades. The first of those marches takes place in Pittston City and Mayor Michael Lombardo joins PREVIEW host David DeCosmo the week of February 17th to outline plans for the event!
PREVIEW is seen 3 times daily on Comcast channel 19 and on the electric city television YouTube page.

BUDDY RUMCHEK

Want to hear some great parodies on the news? Tune in to WILK Radio at 6:20 and 8:20 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP

SUNDAY NIGHTS!

1980

Our 1980 logo.

A total solar eclipse is seen in North Africa and West Asia. It was the 50th solar eclipse of Solar Saros 130.
AC/DC frontman Bon Scott dies after a night of heavy drinking in London…..

The United States Olympic Hockey Team defeats the Soviet Union in the semifinals of the Winter Olympics, in the Miracle on Ice and forty years ago this week the number one song in LuLac land and America was “ Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen.

The LuLac Edition #4,223, February 13th, 2020

13 QUESTIONS

Our 13 Questions logo.

1. What are your thoughts on the way the Attorney General has carried the water for the President?

It is a disgrace but certainly not surprising. I mean it is tampering right out in the open. He is protecting his friends and punishing his enemies. In public! The rule of law means nothing now. If I were a defense attorney who lost a case against the government’s justice department I’d ask others who were in the same boat with their defendants to do the same thing.
The silence of Trump supporters in this is in incredible. The GOP is no longer the party of law and order. It has become a joke.

2. How does it look for Biden?

Not great but he can still pull it off. Keep in mind he has never been a really good campaigner in a primary so that might be a fatal flaw. But it is still too early to tell at this date. The next two weeks will tell the tale.

3. How about those Chiefs?

Yes I was very glad for Andy Reid and the franchise in KC. Fifty years is a long time.

4. Do you have a snack when you watch the political debates?

Diet Snapple and an apple. Maybe some goldfish if I want to live dangerously.

5. Hey Jon Fetterman wore a suit to the Governor’s budget address. Do you dig his style?

Yes I do. Always have.

6. How do you feel about the way that the Senate voted on Impeachment?

History will judge them harshly, especially people like Lindsay Graham and Susan Collins.

7. LuLac is closing in on 16 years, any changes in the offing?

Nope.

8. Okay food question. Do you use coupons when you go to the grocery store?

Yes. I love the rush when a forty dollar order becomes a 31 dollars order.

9. What about those chants of those lemming’s yelling “Lock her up” when it comes to Nancy Pelosi?

Mindless robots who can’t think for themselves.

10. Trivia question. Andrew Johnson was Lincoln’s Vice President and became President when he was killed. Who did Lincoln have as a Veep prior to that?

Hannibal Hamlin. The Lincoln and Hamlin ticket was successful, and Hamlin served as Vice President from 1861 to 1865, which included all but the last month of the American Civil War. The first Republican Vice President, Hamlin held the office in an era when the office was considered more a part of the legislative branch than the executive; he was not personally close to Lincoln and did not play a major role in his administration. Hamlin did not get along with Mrs. Lincoln and she had no love lost for him either.

11. Attending any St. Patrick’s day events?

Yes. I will be driving in the parade in Wilkes Barre on March 15th, (maybe in Pittston on March 7th) and attending the Wilkes Barre St Patrick’s Day dinner on March 13th and the St. Patrick’s Day dinner in Pittston on March 17th. I’ll be wearing the green!

12. If Bernie doesn’t win the nomination, do you think his folks will sit it out?

If he is treated with respect and his followers learned the lesson of ’16, I’m sure they’ll fall in line.

13. Okay Biden is your first choice, if he falters, do you have any others in mind?

Klobachar and Mayor Pete. Not necessarily in that order.

The LuLac Edition #4,222, February 12h, 2020

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

Our “Write On Wednesday” logo

This week’s Write On Wednesday concerns the sale of guns, the re-sale and ordinances on firearms.This is from the Times-Shamrock editorial pages.

END SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARIES

Over the past decade, gun rights absolutists have prevailed upon their acolytes in the state Legislature to put the hammer to local governments that dare act in the cause of public safety.
After a series of state courts upheld local ordinances requiring gun owners to report to police the loss or theft of their weapons, enough legislators dutifully rolled over for the gun lobbyists to cow the local governments into submission.
The ordinances were in response to a common problem. Some people legally buy guns and then illegally sell them to people who cannot legally buy firearms themselves, usually due to criminal records. Then, when the weapons are used in crimes, the original owners tell investigators that the guns had been lost or stolen.
In upholding the ordinances, the courts found that the gun advocacy groups that sued could not demonstrate that they had suffered any harm and, therefore, had no standing to sue.
The Legislature shamefully responded by not only conferring such standing upon the absolutists, but requiring local governments to pay the gun advocates’ legal fees.
And, lawmakers held that no local government may adopt a gun-related ordinance that conflicts with state law.
Now, however, many of the same advocates and legislators who railed against local gun ordinances are behind a movement to establish “Second Amendment sanctuaries.” Such enclaves — municipalities or other political subdivisions — would refuse to enforce any state law that they perceive to diminish gun ownership rights in any way.
They would refuse, for example, to enforce a new state law that would enable a court, with full due process, to order the removal of firearms from someone involved in a domestic dispute. An extension of that law, which would allow a court to order guns to be removed from someone found to be a danger to himself or others, is under consideration. Or, such jurisdictions would ignore a state law to report lost or stolen guns, if one is adopted. The list is endless.
State lawmakers, who regularly have expressed their disdain for local gun-related laws, should act decisively to strike down the absurdity of Second Amendment sanctuaries.

The LuLac Edition #4,221, February 10th, 2020

MONDAY MEMES 

The LuLac Edition #4,220, February 7th, 2020

ROMNEY’S PROFILE IN COURAGE

One man, one human being stood up to the robots in the Republican party who voted in a bloc to support a treasonous and crooked President. History will judge the impotent Republican party for holding a sham trial, running away from the facts and supporting the misconduct of this sorry excuse for a President.
Mitt Romney was a Profile In Courage. The others, cowardly and impotent “leaders” who prize their own political preservation over a fraud.
History and the voters will judge all of them. All except Romney, despite the attacks from the Trump sons, Sonny and Fredo will be found wanting. 
That's what happens when you put a madman before country. Thry proved they are nothing but CHICKEN SHIT 

THE STATE OF THE UNION

The feud between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump -- that escalated memorably at Tuesday's State of the Union address -- continued Wednesday amid an impending Senate vote to acquit the president, with Pelosi saying she "felt very liberated" when she ripped up his speech even before he'd finished speaking.
After 134 days of impeachment drama, Pelosi told her caucus members that Democrats watched Trump "shred the truth right in front of us, tear up the truth," according to a Democratic aide who attended a closed-door meeting in the Capitol basement.
While Republicans say Pelosi’s performance “dishonored the House,” Pelosi contended that Trump “disrespected the chamber” and used it “as a backdrop for a reality show” for a speech “that had no connection with reality.”
“I felt very liberated last night. If that is what he is going to do, if that is what he is going to say as he’s taking away disability benefits from people on Social Security, or he is dismantling Medicaid, or he is in court trying to undo the pre-existing condition. The list goes on and on,” Pelosi, D-Calif., told her fellow House Democrats. “I tried to find one page I could spare that didn’t have a lie on it.”
The backlash from the Trump ites was crazed. For a group of people who supports a liar, cheat, a treasonous President, they certainly get their little itty bitty feelings hurt when one person disrespects their lying thug cowardly leader! (ABC, LuLac)

TRUMP’S CLASSLESS SUPERBOWL INTERVIEW

During a time when the entire nation had chance to see a real President try to unite us, old Diaper Don became Frank Castanza. Grievances, bitching attacking enemies. A very small man with a very big stage. Once more HE FAILED as a President.

BLACK SCRANTON HOLDS CEREMONY

For the first time, the Pan-African flag flies at City Hall.

The Black Scranton Project hosted an inaugural Pan-African flag-raising ceremony Saturday to kick off a February exhibit of the hidden Black history of Scranton in recognition of Black History Month.
The exhibit at the Artists for Art (AFA) Gallery features artifacts and works by local artists highlighting the Black community’s historic contributions to life in Scranton and Northeast Pennsylvania. The month-long exhibit includes work by local artists Jorge Ariza, Alessio Ayuninjam and Travis Prince.
Black Scranton founder Glynis Johns urged the crowd of about 75 people who attended the flag raising to also check out the art exhibit.
“Take some time during this month to learn a new story, learn a new face. There’s so many incredible Black and Brown people who are doing so much for the world and for the country,” Johns said. “I was really excited that I could spread this message.”
Other speakers said the city needs to do more to increase minority hiring in the school district and city government.
Scranton School District seventh-grade teacher Robert McCleod, who is in his ninth year with the SSD after teaching for 10 years in Wilkes-Barre, said he is one of two Black faculty members in the SSD.
“I am one-half of the Black faculty in the (Scranton) school district,” McCleod told the crowd. “Half. You’re looking at half.”
Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti said that soon after she won election, she and Johns spoke about raising the Pan-African flag on Feb. 1 on the flagpole in front of City Hall and flying it throughout the month of February.
“This is the beginning of what I hope in Scranton is really putting our money where our mouth is,” Cognetti said. “We can talk all we want about diversity and celebrating our diversity and people of color, we can do that or actually do something.”
Cognetti, a former member of the Scranton School Board, recalled being inspired by McCleod going to school board meetings and “stepping up and saying, ‘we’ve go to do something, we’ve got to get more teachers of color.’ ”
Ronald Felton President of the NAACP Wilkes Barre branch 2306 attended the event along with Executive Committee members Flora Jenkins and Peggy Felton.

Ronald L Felton, President, Wilkes-Barre NAACP and Glynis M Johns, Founder, Black Scranton Project

REP. CARTWRIGHT PREVAILS IN FIGHT TO INCREASE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, SAVING MONEY FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

House and Senate leaders today reached an agreement on two fiscal year 2020 federal spending packages, one of which includes funding secured by Rep. Cartwright to offset the costs of improving stormwater infrastructure in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
This increased funding doubles the money available for sediment removal grants and programs to control polluted stormwater runoff in the Chesapeake Bay watershed region, which includes parts of Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District. It will help cities and municipalities in Northeastern Pennsylvania meet a federal mandate to restore the Chesapeake Bay while requiring fewer local funds. This will help reduce stormwater fees paid by residents on their sewer bills.
As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Cartwright fought successfully for these funds to be included in the fiscal year 2020 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies budget bill, which passed the House in June. He then worked to guarantee that the funds remained in the final spending deal as his House colleagues negotiated with the U.S. Senate.
“Northeastern Pennsylvanians work hard to make a living and provide for their families. The Federal Government needs to help pay for major projects like this,” said Rep. Cartwright. “These new resources will help bring down stormwater fees over time and reduce the burden on working people. I was proud to fight hard for this funding so that Eighth District residents can keep more of their hard-earned savings.”
Specifically, Rep. Cartwright doubled the total money available for grants that can go to communities in Northeastern Pennsylvania, from $12 million in fiscal year 2019 to $24 million for fiscal year 2020.
This federal money will help clean up our region's waterways so our kids have safe, clean water to drink. Local governments can use these grants to address pollution problems or aging and faulty sewer and stormwater systems. In the past, cities such as Wilkes-Barre have used these grants to improve stormwater management and reduce pollution released into the Susquehanna River.

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400-The Game, NEPA's Fox .Sports Radio and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River.

ECTV PREVIEW

ECTV'S Public Affairs program "PREVIEW" welcomes Sarah Piccini of the Lackawanna Historical Society during the week of February 10th to unveil plans for exhibit on Women's Suffrage and area women who played a big part in the movement.
PREVIEW is seen 3 times daily on Comcast channel 19 and on the electric city television YouTube page.

BUDDY RUMCHEK

Want to hear some great parodies on the news? Tune in to WILK Radio at 6:20 and 8:20 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP

SUNDAY NIGHTS!

1980

Our 1980 logo.

The 1980 Winter Olympics open in Lake Placid, New York......In Vanuatu, followers of John Frum's cargo cult on the island of Tanna declare secession as the nation of Tafea……A total solar eclipse is seen in North Africa and West Asia. It was the 50th solar eclipse of Solar Saros 130 and forty years ago the number one song in LuLac”. and America was “On the Radio" by Donna Summer.