The LuLac Edition #5, 808, Octolber 29th, 2026

PROGRAM NOTE: 

BRESNEHAN/COGNETTI 

DEBATE

After watching the Bresnehan/Cognetti debate on Thursday night on WVIA, tune in to WYOU TV and 28-22 live streaming for The Political Roundtable. Join hoist Mark Hiller, me, Dr. David Sosar and former Judge, Veteran’s Affairs host Tom Munley for our analysis.

 

DEFECTION FROM THE BUSH TEXANS

The storied Bush family of Texas has no love lost fir Donald Trump. So much so that he wasn’t invited to the funerals of President George H.W. and his wife Barbara.  So while former President George W. has not come out for against the GOP, a few family members did.

Two members of the Bush family have crossed party lines in Texas’s closely watched U.S. Senate race, breaking with decades of Republican tradition in the state.

Neil Bush, 71, the younger brother of former President George W. Bush and son of the late President George H.W. Bush, revealed he voted for Democrat James Talarico over Trump-backed Republican Ken Paxton in the race to replace the Senate seat. He explained his reasoning on Facebook.

“My vote was motivated by two things: deep concern about Ken Paxton’s record and genuine admiration for the character and principles I see in James Talarico,” Bush wrote.

He went further, taking direct aim at the president. “I believe Donald Trump and those who have enabled him have done enormous damage to the Republican Party,” he wrote, adding that he worries about “a political culture in which loyalty to an individual takes precedence over loyalty to principle.”

Neil Bush is the second family member to back Talarico. Barbara Bush, daughter of George W. Bush, had already donated $2,500 to Lone Star Rising PAC, a super PAC supporting the Democrat, according to Federal Election Commission records dated September 23.

The Bush family’s frosty relationship with Trump dates back to the 2016 primary, when he repeatedly attacked Jeb Bush and mocked their mother, Barbara Bush.

Talarico, 37, faces Paxton, 63, in the November 3 general election, a contest widely seen as pivotal to Republican hopes of holding the Senate.

Bush concluded his post without naming Trump again. “Today, I voted against a style of politics that I believe has damaged our country,” he wrote. “More importantly, I voted for the kind of character and leadership I hope will help heal it.”

 

CAN THE LIBS TURN

THE SENATE BLUE

No, not those liberals but the Libertarians who along with the Green Party have been the bane of the Democrats for too long. The AP reports that Republicans are worried that Libertarian candidates could siphon away votes in some of this year’s most consequential U.S. Senate elections, potentially costing them control of the chamber.

It’s a particular concern in Texas, Ohio, Kansas and Iowa, which are bracing for razor-thin contests in which even a few percentage points for a third party can be enough to swing the outcome.

Although all of those states lean Republican, a number of party strategists say unhappiness with President Donald Trump could lead some conservatives to cast protest ballots. An unpopular war with Iran and Trump’s expansion of executive power — two issues that grate on an anti-establishment slice of the American right — could fuel the Libertarian Party’s message of nonintervention and limited centralized authority.

“Libertarians, we believe, could draw enough votes to affect the outcome in a number of these races,” said Republican former Ohio state lawmaker Gene Krebs, who is working on a project to diminish the impact of spoiler candidates.

Well there’s like a week left before the election, and many have already voted via mail so he better get cracking. In the meantime, this would be  sweet justice since third party candidates denied the Presidency to Al Gore in 2000 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.

 

 

THE BISHOPS

 AND THE

PRESIDENT

This falls into the category of “I wish I wrote that” The following is from Facebook regarding bishops meeting with the President to pray for him. Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t remember a cadre of Bishops going to any President (most men of faith) and then going to Trump who has broken every act of Christianity to date. I mean what were they going to do, reverse his bad behavior retroactively?

Plus, I don’t believe anyone said this but after the attacks made on Pope Leo by this President, why in the world would anyone of deep religious faith, indeed bishops go anywhere near this guy. Surely they had to know that when you visit the President, you get your picture taken.

Anyway, here’s the piece.

Twelve Catholic bishops gathered in the Oval Office to pray over President Trump, just days before the midterm elections.

One bishop explained that the gathering was not political. They were simply following Scripture’s call to pray for those in authority.

And indeed, we are called to pray for our leaders.

But we are also called to speak truth to them.

What troubles us is not that these bishops prayed for the president. It is what appears to have been missing from their public witness.

Where was the concern for the poor? For immigrant families being torn apart? For those suffering beneath the violence of war? For the marginalized whose dignity is threatened? For Christianity being distorted into an instrument of political power?

These are not partisan concerns. They are Gospel concerns.

We cannot know everything said behind closed doors. But we know what the world was shown.

A president surrounded by bishops. Hands extended in blessing. An image shared in the final days before an election.

Images carry messages. Silence carries messages, too.

For more than two centuries, women religious have served the Church without the institutional power granted to its hierarchy.

We founded schools and hospitals. Welcomed immigrants. Cared for the sick and dying. Stood beside those society abandoned. And when conscience demanded it, challenged the very institutions to which we belonged.

Not because we occupied the highest places in the Church.

But because the Gospel demanded it.

Moral authority is not measured by how close we stand to power, but by how faithfully we stand with those who have none.

The Church does not need more photographs of religious leaders standing beside the powerful.

It needs more courageous witnesses standing beside the powerless.

The hierarchy gave women religious little institutional authority.

History gave us something greater: moral authority.

And that authority comes with a responsibility:

To speak when silence would be easier

To stand where love demands.

And to remember that our first allegiance is not to a president, a political party, or even an institution.

It is to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

 

PENNIE’S 2027

OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD IS

COMING SOON: STARTING NOVEMBER 1ST,

PENNSYLVANIANS CAN ENROLL IN A

HIGH-QUALITY HEALTH PLAN THROUGH PENNIE

Pennie staff pose for a photo during the Open Enrollment kickoff event at Valley Forge 

Open Enrollment is right around the corner, and it is the time of year when Pennsylvanians can make sure they have health coverage for 2027. Pennie, Pennsylvania's official state-based health insurance marketplace, opens on November 1 for 2027 enrollment at pennie.com. Pennie offers quality health plans for individuals and families who do not have other coverage options. If you currently do not have health coverage, Open Enrollment is the time to act. Visit pennie.com to explore your options and get enrolled.

Pennie is the only place for Pennsylvanians to receive financial savings in the form of tax credits to help lower the cost of coverage. Four out of five enrollees qualify for financial savings. All plans sold through Pennie provide access to a wide range of medical services, including hospitalization, prescription drugs, maternity care, mental health services, and much more. Health plans offered through Pennie must cover care for pre-existing conditions, provide important financial protections especially during medical emergencies, and offer free preventive services such as check-ups, screenings, and vaccines.

"Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians remain uninsured and may not realize that they could get tax credits to lower the cost of health coverage through Pennie." said Devon Trolley, Pennie Executive Director. "Don't assume you can't afford coverage when it only takes a few minutes to check if you qualify for savings. Open Enrollment is the crucial time to ensure you and your family are protected from emergency costs and connected to medical care when you need it in 2027."

 

DOJ STONE WALLING

PARENTS OF ICE

MURDER VICTIM

WHILE FILING INSANE

CHARGES A THIRD

TIME AGAINST COMEY

The parents of Alex Pretti, a US citizen shot and killed by immigration agents in Minneapolis in January, are accusing the Department of Justice of violating their rights under a federal victims’ rights law, as they demand transparency and justice in their son’s death.

In a July letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche — obtained exclusively by CNN — an attorney representing Michael and Susan Pretti wrote they have not received any substantive updates from the DOJ regarding an investigation into their son’s death, and called the department’s attitude toward the case “cruel.”

“The government’s pattern of conduct is not only unconscionable, but unlawful,” the letter states. Pretti’s parents on Tuesday accused the federal government of “shielding Alex’s killers” by not turning over the entire federal case file to state investigators.

“We will no longer stay silent about the actions of the Department of Justice in the 275 days since Alex’s murder,” Pretti’s father, Michael, said in the family’s first news conference since the 37-year-old ICU nurse’s death.

The Pretti family met with US Attorney for the District of Minnesota Dan Rosen on July 13, the letter explains, the same day Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced in a news conference federal officials had handed over volumes of evidence from Pretti’s shooting.

Meanwhile the same Department of Justice has charged for FBI director Jim Comey a third time. A newly unsealed criminal filing accuses Comey of illegally disclosing national defense information to a reporter in 2016. Additional court filings allege that Comey directed FBI staff to "correct misinformation" by sharing details about government surveillance practices with the New York Times. Federal prosecutors say they filed the case to preserve it before the 10-year statute of limitations expired. Just hours before the filing was unsealed, a federal judge ruled that Comey's daughter, Maurene—a former Manhattan federal prosecutor—was unlawfully fired by Trump's Department of Justice last year.

The Trump administration has repeatedly targeted Comey, who oversaw the FBI's investigation into potential Russian interference in the 2016 election, through legal and political means.

"Well they're back, again," Comey said in a video statement posted to his Substack on Monday. "It would almost be funny, if it weren't such an appalling abuse of the Department of Justice… It's really important that we stand straight and keep the faith in America."

So the DOJ has done what I never imagined in my lifetime. That is to replace John Mitchell (Nixon’s Attorney General) with a confirmed bootlicker Todd “Yes sir, yes sir” Blanche.

He will go down in history as the WORST AG in the country. 

 

WB LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS HAS GUIDE 

Voters Guide

Information for the Voters Guide was compiled through Vote411, an effort of the National League of Women Voters. Local leagues are responsible for calling candidates within their areas and encouraging them to respond to the survey. I'm pleased to say that this year we had a higher response from candidates than in years past.

We received a small grant from the State League to support our Voters Guide. This money will go toward the publication of the Voters Guide. The layout is done by Blasi Printing and the printing and distribution were through Times Leader. The Times Leader (Kerry Miscavage) charges a small fee for this service.

In case you missed our voters guide in Sunday's Times Leader, please stop by the Osterhout Free Library for a free printed copy.

The digital version is also available on our website at https://lwvwba.org/Docs/Voters_Guide_Nov26.pdf

 

 

 

MEDIA MATTERS

 

POLITICAL ROUNDTABLE LIVE STREAMING LATEST EDITION

Tune in to 28-22 website for the latest edition of the Political Roundtable on WBRE TV. as stated earlier, tune into WVIA at 7pm, then after the debate tune to WYOU or 28-22 streaming for our take on the debate. 

Times: Friday 7:30pm

Sunday: 8:00pm

Monday: 7:30pm

Mark Hiller hosts me, Dr. David Sosar and Judge Tom Munley for political insights on the 2026 race.

 

 

BABY TRUMP WHINES ABOUT TALK

SHOW HOST

President Donald Trump has torn into Bill Maher in a 1,300-word social media rant after his former press secretary appeared on the comedian’s show.

​The acerbic post saw the president labeling Maher a “COMPLETE AND TOTAL LOSER” and claiming he used a “laughter machine” on his show, despite it having a live audience.

​Trump’s lengthy post — his longest Truth post ever, CNN reported — followed Friday’s episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, which featured an appearance by Karoline Leavitt, the first episode of the late-night TV show since the comedian dined with Trump, Kid Rock and ESPN host Stephen A. Smith at the White House on October 15.

During his show, Maher said that Trump had the “lowest approval rating of any midterm candidate ever,” poked fun at the president’s comments about Senator Jon Husted’s body and asked Leavitt what Trump could be like during the “lame-duck” phase of his presidency.

Trump’s Sunday night rant saw the president making a slew of claims about Maher, including a suggestion that the comedian had been desperate to dine at the White House after m​“Bill Maher lied, but he lies about everything, and I believe he lied to me when I asked him, with all the applause and laughter he gets after almost everything he says, about things that aren’t funny or even any good, what Laughter Machine does he use?” he said. “People can’t think he’s funny.”

Once more, you have to wonder what this guy is doing in the White House. Certainly not working.

 

MEDIA MATTERS

WVIA 

WALN

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

You'll hear the program Sunday at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400 am The Mothership and 7:30 am on 105 The River.

 

THE LAURIE CADDEN SHOW

Tune in every Saturday morning at 9am for The Laurie Cadden Show on WILK FM 103.1 and AM 980 and 910. Laurie’s program has been a northeastern Pennsylvania mainstay every Saturday. Tune in to hear her insights and take on local issues as well as entertaining and informative interviews.

 

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY NIGHT SOCK HOP

 

BEATLE EDD’S FAB FOUR MUSIC HOUR

Tune in every week to the Home of Rock and Roll for a jam packed, unpredictable hour starting at 9am Sundays. Host Edd Raineri gives you facts and great music from the immortal Fab Four on ROCK 107.

 

THE LULAC TIME MACHINE

DEFENSE DEPT REORG

October 1986

The Goldwater–Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of October 4, 1986 (Pub. L. 99–433; signed by President Ronald Reagan) made the most sweeping changes to the United States Department of Defense since the department was established in the National Security Act of 1947 by reworking the command structure of the U.S. military. It increased the powers of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and implemented some of the suggestions from the Packard Commission, commissioned by President Reagan in 1985. Among other changes, Goldwater–Nichols streamlined the military chain of command, which now runs from the president through the secretary of defense directly to combatant commanders (CCDRs, all four-star generals or admirals), bypassing the service chiefs. The service chiefs were assigned to an advisory role to the president and the secretary of defense, and given the responsibility for training and equipping personnel for the unified combatant commands.

Named after Senator Barry Goldwater (R-Arizona) and Representative Bill Nichols (D-Alabama), the bill passed the House of Representatives, 383–27, and the Senate, 95–0. It was signed into law by President Reagan on October 1, 1986. Admiral William J. Crowe was the first chairman to serve under this new legislation.

History

The Goldwater–Nichols Act was an attempt to fix problems caused by inter-service rivalry, which had emerged during the Vietnam War, contributed to the catastrophic failure of the Iranian hostage rescue mission in 1980, and which were still evident in the invasion of Grenada in 1983.

Such problems existed as well in World War II, during which two independent lines of command flowed from the president, one through the secretary of the Navy to naval forces, and the other through the secretary of war to land and air forces. In 1947, the military restructuring placed all military forces, including the newly independent Air Force, under a single civilian secretary of defense.

However, the United States military was still organized along the lines of command that reported to their respective service chiefs (Commandant of the Marine Corps, Chiefs of Staff of the Army and Air Force, and Chief of Naval Operations). These service chiefs in turn made up the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Joint Chiefs of Staff elected a chairman to communicate with the civilian government. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs in turn reported to the secretary of defense, the civilian head of the military. Both the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the secretary of defense reported to the president of the United States who holds the position of Commander-in-Chief (CINC) of all U.S. Armed Forces.

This system led to counter-productive inter-service rivalry. Peacetime activities (such as procurement and creation of doctrine, etc.) were tailored for each service in isolation. Additionally, wartime activities of each service were largely planned, executed, and evaluated independently. These practices resulted in division of effort and an inability to profit from economies of scale, and inhibited the development of modern warfare doctrine.

The formulation of the AirLand Battle doctrine in the late 1970s and early 1980s laid bare the difficulty of coordinating efforts among various service branches. AirLand Battle attempted to synthesize all of the capabilities of the service arms of the military into a single doctrine. The system envisioned ground, naval, air, and space based systems acting in concert to attack and defeat an opponent in depth. The structure of the armed forces effectively blocked realization of this ideal. The U.S. invasion of Grenada in 1983 further exposed the problems with the military command structure. Although the United States forces easily prevailed, its leaders expressed major concerns over different service branches' inability to coordinate and communicate with each other and the consequences of a lack of coordination if faced with a more threatening foe. 

Effects

The Goldwater–Nichols Act brought sweeping changes to the way the U.S. military forces were organized. The first successful test of Goldwater–Nichols was the 1989 United States invasion of Panama (code-named Operation Just Cause), where it functioned exactly as planned, allowing the U.S. commander, Army General Maxwell Reid Thurman, to excurse Operation Just Cause), where it functioned exactly as planned, allowing the U.S. commander, Army General Maxwell Reid Thurman, to exercise full control over Marine Corps, Army, Air Force and Navy assets without having to negotiate with the individual services and the number one song in LuLac land in 1986 was “Friends and Lovers” by Gloria Loring & Carl Anderson.

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