The LuLac Edition #4,233, March 5th, 2020

BIDEN WINS BIG

Your blog editor with Joe Biden (Photo: Bill Vinsko)

A few weeks ago the Biden campaign seemed dead in the water. But something strange happened. Democrats decided to go with someone who would not alienate people and not promise the impossible. The whole problem with the Sanders campaign was and is that it divided generations, Sanders himself; never a Democrat unpleasantly scowled his way into races without much of a record. When I spoke with a Trump voter who wanted to find a good Democrat to beat old Diaper, he told me that Sanders scared him, Not because of the pie in the sky proposals but because he had no record of accomplishment in doing any legislation as a Senator.
In a way, Sanders and his supporters are the other side of the Trump coin. Passionate, intolerant to some and feel entitled to the nomination because it might be the Senator’s turn. Sanders would provide a fat target for the GOP attack machine. If they could bring down John Kerry, a three time Medal of Honor winner in 2004, what do you think they’d do with Bernie?
The Bernie campaign was not a version of “Make America Great Again” but rather “Let’ blow things up!”. Given the rhetoric of Trump in ’16 and then his lack of dignity, most Democrats believed that America was never bad at all. Democrats enhance policies, not gut them. Democrats respect wealth, they don’t want to take away from the rich but rather get a fair share of the pie.
The Biden bloom came because at its heart, even though we are politically divided, this is a middle of the road nation. The drift to Biden proved that. The Sanders campaign will now have to get on board and join or pout. If they do the latter, they alone will be responsible for another four years of Trump.

BIDEN WINS WERE REFRESHING

The guy had no big media buys, or two field offices in states. Yet he won 11 states on Super Tuesday proving that his message resonated with Democrats who just want to win. What is most remarkable is Biden did this without big bucks or organization. It is ironic that maybe someone like Biden was the movement candidate all along.

SHADES OF NIXON

 President Trump with Puny Pat Toomey exiting Air Force 1. (Photo: Citizens' Voice: Sean McKeag)

The Trump Fox TV show on Thursday night in Scranton was a Nixon type town meeting. In the ’68 campaign, Richard Nixon took friendly questions from supporters in staged news conference. It worked for him and the Trump people want to show the President in a good light. Maybe not as bombastic and crude. It might be a good look for him. I’m fully expecting him to go bonkers but if he keeps his wits about him (and that’s a big if) you just might see more of these.
The President to tonight pulled out all the stops with his very partisan crowd. It was his greatest hits of fake news, fake facts and old time misrepresentation of anything Democratic.  The biggest whopper he told was that premiums on the Affordable Care Act are going down because of-the way his administration was managing health care. WRONG! It was a direct result of the ACA evening out. All Trump and the GOP did was try to kill it. 
Trump and his GOP LIE MACHINE are now telling us that Joe Biden was losing his marbles. Pathetic! 
Still, I'll give Trump this, he was measured and on one on one interviews he is very good. Look to see more of these in the future but bear in mind there will be a lot of manure to intellectually step through. 

WHERE ARE THE BERNIE YOUNG UNS?

People of my generation have said this all along. For a Democratic party to count on the young to show up on Election Day is pretty much a fallacy. Younger voters came out for Obama but after that shrunk in their enthusiasm. If Biden thinks he can get any chunk of the young, like Sanders on Tuesday he will be sorely disappointed.

REP. CARTWRIGHT STATEMENT ON CORONAVIRUS EMERGENCY FEDERAL FUNDING

Attorney Marion Munley Cartwright, me, and Representative Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright issued the following statement after the House Appropriations Committee unveiled an $8.3 billion emergency funding package to address the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, in the U.S.:
“Democrats and Republicans on this committee have come together to craft a strong, comprehensive funding package to fight and contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in the U.S.,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “In helping to accelerate vaccine development, distribute protective equipment, and make assistance available to small businesses affected by the outbreak, it meets the seriousness of this situation in a multifaceted way. Importantly, it also ensures that vaccines will be affordable for all who need them when they become available.”
This emergency funding package will be voted on later today in the U.S. House of Representatives. It includes:
More than $3 billion for research and development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics;
$2.2 billion in public health funding for prevention, preparedness, and response, $950 million of which is to support state & local health agencies;
Nearly $1 billion for procurement of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, to support healthcare preparedness and Community Health Centers, and to improve medical surge capacity;
$435 million to support health systems overseas to prevent, prepare, and respond to the coronavirus;
$300 million to respond to humanitarian needs;
$61 million to facilitate the development and review of medical countermeasures, devices, therapies, and vaccines, and to help mitigate potential supply chain interruptions; and
Allows for an estimated $7 billion in low-interest loans to affected small businesses.
The emergency supplemental also contains other strong provisions to ensure a full response and keep Americans safe. The bill:
Requires that funds are only used to fight the coronavirus and other infectious diseases;
Allows seniors to access telemedicine services for coronavirus treatment;
Helps ensure that vaccines and treatments for coronavirus are affordable; and
Ensures that state and local governments are reimbursed for costs incurred while assisting the federal response.
Additionally, the bill includes a requirement to reimburse $136 million to important health accounts, including mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention and heating and cooling assistance for low-income families, that was transferred by the Trump administration to support its response.
Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. According to the World Health Organization, over 20 vaccines are under development around the world, but it is expected to be over a year before any are proven effective and ready for widespread use. In the meantime, the best way to prevent this disease is to avoid being exposed through everyday preventive measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“As health care professionals and officials prepare for potential cases in our area, the most important thing we all can do is engage in proper preventive measures like frequent hand-washing, avoiding contact with those who are sick when possible and cleaning frequently touched surfaces,” Rep. Cartwright continued. “These are everyday habits that can help prevent the spread of several viruses.”

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

This week's guest is Gary Duncan from the Scranton St. Patrick's Parade committee
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

It's almost Show Time! Laurie Flemming from United Neighborhood Center's Older Active Adult Centers joins PREVIEW host David DeCosmo during the week of March 9th to outline plans for this year's "Seniors Got Talent" competition! They're joined by Pat Flemming, the Artistic Director for this year's show.
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.

LOT Polish Airlines Flight 007 crashes during an emergency landing near Warsaw, Poland, killing a 14-man American boxing team and 73 others.........Fifty people are killed at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia, when a Vostok-2M rocket explodes on its launch pad during a fueling operation......The MV Mi Amigo, the ship housing pirate radio station Radio Caroline, sinks off the English coast (the station returns aboard a new ship in 1983)…and forty years ago the number one song in LuLac land and America was “Another Brick In the Wall, Part II” by Pink Floyd.