The LuLac Edition #479, May 14th, 2008

PHOTO INDEX: FORMER CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT KEVIN MURPHY, CURRENT STATE REPRESENTATIVE FRANK ANDREWS SHIMKUS AND FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE JOHN EDWARDS.

REMATCH

It doesn't have the panache of a Balboa-Creed rematch but today Kevin Murphy won his race against incumbent State Rep Frank Andrews Shimkus in the 113th District. Murphy won by 532 votes and is the Democratic nominee. Shimkus, who gained the nod on the GOP side came close to upsetting Murphy in the primary. At issue were about 400 or so write in votes that weren't properly filled out. Shimkus said they should have been counted because there was an intent to vote for him. True enough but voters, especially those filling out write ins or absentee ballots have the responsibility to know what they're doing. Intent is wonderful but if you can't follow the rules, like blackening the oval, you're too stupid to vote. Sorry, that's a bit harsh but when you vote, it's not like playing darts at a bar in Dickson, it is a responsibility to know what you're doing.

All that said, Murphy who won the primary has to start looking over his shoulder because Shimkus has the support of the State House cadre that protects their own. Murphy's best bet is to run an outsider campaign. Shimkus' should play on his incumbency and not even mention party. This fall race will smack of thousands of yard signs, tens of thousands of dollars and so much media time it'll make the voters heads spin, kind of like ovals. By the time this is over between these two, people will be clamoring to bring back Fred Bellardi. That however would be impossible because he's making more than he did as a state rep. Both Murphy and Shimkus have giant supporters but have their share of detractors too. The candidate who gets a good message out first, defining himself positively and his foe negatively will win this one by at least a thousand votes. It'll be interesting to see who gets out of the gate first.

EDWARDS FOR OBAMA

Coming as no great surprise, former Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards endorsed Senator Obama this evening. The endorsement came a day after Clinton defeated Obama by more than 2-to-1 in the West Virginia primary. The loss highlighted Obama's challenge in winning over the "Hillary Democrats" — white, working-class voters who also supported Edwards in significant numbers before he exited the race in late January. Edwards praised Senator Clinton calling her a woman of steel but said the party must become united to defeat John McCain. One by one, Dems of stature are endorsing Obama but Clinton keeps on winning and saying she will fight to the end. A very strange race if you ask me. I asked a local politico when Hillary will stop campaigning, "At the Inauguration! Take your pick, Obama or McCain's!"

LOCAL PRIDE!

Here in Northeastern Pennsylvania we have always been our own worst enemies. Known forever as an old coaltown, this area finally has dug itself out of that public perception. But just when we take a few steps forward, some local puts us back 10 paces. The latest is from Tunkhannock Mayor Norm Ball, presumeably an educated man who wrote this

in a letter to the editor published in a local paper. He explained his support of Hillary Clinton this way: "Barack Hussein Obama and all of his talk will do nothing for our country. There is so much that people don't know about his upbringing in the Muslim world. His stepfather was a radical Muslim and the ranting of his minister against the white America, you can't convince me that some of that didn't rub off on him.
"No, I want a president that will salute our flag, and put their hand on the Bible when they take the oath of office."
Obama's campaign workers have grown wearily accustomed to the lies about the candidate's supposed radical Muslim ties and lack of patriotism. But they are sometimes astonished when public officials such as Ball or others representing the campaign of their opponent traffic in these falsehoods. Not to be shocked at all Obama-ites, this is still Northeast Pennsylvania where we don't try to educate ignorant people culturally, we elect them to positions of responsibility!