News, Entertainment, Enlightenment
PaUniteGoRed Endorses Joe Billie — PaUniteGoRed has endorsed Joe Billie for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 5th District.
“He is a great MAGA candidate for PA,” the group says noting that he is a veteran, pro-life and pro-Second Amendment.
For information about Joe visit here.
Irish Smiles Rebecca Warren — Probably most of our readers would like to tar and feather Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, the Republican who represents Pennsylvania’s 1st District in mostly Bucks County and far too often votes with Democrats.
So imagine our surprise when we learn Rebecca Warren, our gal in the hot Superior Court primary, was at the Fitzpatrick Saint Patty Day’s fete, yesterday (March 10) at Spring Mill Manor in Ivyland.
About 350 people attended the event.
She’s pictured with Brian’s brother Mike who had preceded Brian as the area’s congressman. Note that the area had been part of the 8th District until the state Supreme Court’s power-grab redistricting decision last year.
Anyway, don’t get mad. This is a good thing. A very good thing. It means the powerful Fitzpatricks are not in lock-step with GOP Chairman Val DiGiorgio who pulled out all stops to steal the endorsement from Rebecca.
A lot of us suspect that Val is a Democrat wolf in Republican clothing.
Hey, look at the track record. It’s not like we didn’t see it coming.
Montco Leaders Obsessed With Defeating Joe Gale — The Montgomery County Republican Party and other suburban swamp factions have recruited three candidates in hopes of taking out Joe Gale and his running-mate, Sean Gale, in the May 21 primary. In the process, the Gales are being subjected to vicious social media attacks by the flunky class and one former failed leader.
This is strange because Joe Gale is a very popular incumbent Republican county commissioner.
Montco has three commissioners, one of whom must always be a member of the minority party.
Incumbents are rarely the target for party bosses, who prefer to minimize boat rocking.
Of course, when the incumbent is a boat rocker himself and is threatening to capsize the whole sweet uni-party deal, the establishment cannot help themselves.
Joe is running for reelection with his brother Sean. If both are the Republican nominees on the general election ballot this would give Republicans the best chance to win back control of the county from the spend-happy Democrats considering the Gale Brothers have strong support from not just rank-n-file Republicans, but Independent voters and old-school Democrats.
Winning control of the county should be the goal of the party leadership you would think, but we suspect that is not the case. One can make a lot of money in second place we are learning (i.e. – ‘go along to get along’ wink-wink).
What is drawing the ire of the political class from both parties is Joe’s willingness to call attention to the bald corruption sucking the blood of the county taxpayers.
In his very first budget he pointed out the burden an 11 percent tax hike would impose.
More recently, Commissioner Gale revealed the scandalous and unnecessary cost of new justice center.
What he did most recently — see below — is what really caused the vampire to shriek.
At this month’s meeting (Feb. 7), Joe courageously declared many ugly truths. He said just defeated State Sen. John Rafferty who had represented the 44th District since 2003 had received a half-million dollars in union contributions over the course of his career including from indicted IBEW boss John Dougherty.
He pointed out that Johnny Doc actively lobbied his fellow commissioners for the project labor agreement that is adding so much to the cost of justice center.
He said that Gov. Tom Wolf and Sen. Bob Casey also lobbied for the agreement. What’s up with that? Why is a U.S. senator getting involved in a local project? Joe, of course, gives the ugly answer. Again watch the video.
Then Joe got to the really really ugly truth.
“What I’ve come to learn as commissioner is that many times it’s not about conservatism ideology and liberalism ideology, it’s a business,” he said. “And the Republican Party bosses are the best friends of the Democrat Party bosses and they collude to have power.”
And then he went there. He pointed out the county’s commerce director — a high-paid, do nothing job — when Josh Shapiro was running things was the wife of now state Republican Chairman Val DiGiorgio. At the time Val was merely head of the Chesco GOP but he like Josh who is now the state attorney general and the rising star of the Democrat Party had eyes on bigger things.
He pointed out that the former Montco GOP head, Mike Vereb, now works for Shapiro. Vereb is his Director of Government Affairs. It’s a six-figure job.
“It’s establishment collusion,” Joe said.
And he’s right. Again check the video.
By the way, Johnny Doc has given $180,000 to Shapiro.
Rebecca Warren Readying Petitions? — Happy VALentine’s Day. Rebecca Warren, the popular ex-Montour County D.A., will be circulating petitions to get on the May 21 primary ballot we have been told.
Pennsylvania GOP bosses twisted themselves into pretzels to keep her from snaring the party endorsement, Feb. 2.
Their first choice, ex-state representative Kate Harper from Montco, was crushed in regional straw polls so Megan King, a deputy district attorney from Chester County — the bailiwick of state Party Chairman Val DiGiorgio — was drafted as a last minute replacement.
Ms. King participated in only the final straw poll in which she finished dead last.
The suspicion is that Ms King will take directions from the establishment whereas Ms. Warren would not.
Else why keep try to keep her off the ballot?
Two seats are being contested for 10-year terms on the court which is the intermediate appellate court for most matters in the state.
There is no controversy involving the other candidate, Cumberland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christylee Peck, who finished first in the straw polls.
Our birdie tells us that people from around the state have been contacting Ms. Warren asking her to run.
Our birdie has also told us that DiGirogio has been unsuccessfully trying to set up a meeting with Ms. Warren.
Here’s a thought. Stay out of the race and let her run. May the best gal win.
Superior Court Primary Fight Looming? — With the last-minute insertion and subsequent endorsement of Megan King into the Pennsylvania Superior Court race, a potential Republican primary battle looms.
Two seats are being contested for 10-year terms on the court which is the intermediate appellate court for most matters in the state. The primary election is May 21.
Ms. King is a political neophyte. Her only public jobs have been as Chester County deputy district attorney (March 2015 to present), two stints as Lancaster County assistant district attorney, and state Supreme Court law clerk (1998-2001). All are unelected positions.
Anyway, the powers-that-be in the GOP drafted her after party choice Kate Harper was crushed in the state caucus straw polls losing handily to Cumberland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christylee Peck and former Montour County District Attorney Rebecca Warren.
On Saturday, she along with straw poll winner Peck were endorsed by the GOP State Committee. GOP politics just repeats itself over and over in this state. We’ll let someone else point out the Groundhog Day irony.
The suspicion is that Ms. King will be a good girl and do as she is told by special interests — that’s you Stradley Ronon. Why else would Ms. Warren, who finished a solid second in the straw poll, be pushed out? Why else would state representatives and congressmen and Matt Brouillette twist arms hard for Ms. King?
Could it be that they fear Ms. Warren would not be a good girl?
Anyway, a little birdie told us that Ms. Warren was given the opportunity to address the committee after the vote on the condition she not enter the primary. She declined. She was reportedly overheard to say “I guess we will have to see what happens in May.”
GOP Establishment Endorses Novice For Superior Court — Playing games as they play games, the Pennsylvania Republican Party twisted enough arms this morning (Feb 2) to get a a woman of little experience endorsed for state Superior Court in the May 21 primary.
Megan King, a Chester County deputy district attorney — note that’s DEPUTY district attorney — was a last minute replacement for establishment favorite former state rep Kate Harper who dropped out after being overwhelmingly rejected in the caucus straw polls.
Ms. King had been considering a run for county Common Pleas Court until a panicked establishment drafted her for the state post. She has never held elected office.
Also getting endorsed by the State Committee was Cumberland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christylee Peck, who was the top vote-getter in the straw polls.
Two seats are being contested for 10-year terms on the court which is theintermediate appellate court for most matters in the state.
Not getting the endorsement was much admired, woman-of-the-people Rebecca Warren, a highly regarded former Montour County District Attorney.
Ms. Warren had finished second in the straw polls.
We will note that endorsements aren’t the final say and encourage all Republicans to vote for Ms. Peck and Ms. Warren in May.
This morning’s committee vote was reportedly 261 for Peck; 223 for King; and 131 for Warren.
GOP Legislators Twisting Arms For Establishment Endorsements — A little birdie told us that Republican state legislators are calling members of the GOP State Committee — you all know who your state committee person is right? — to pressure them into backing establishment tools Megan King and Kate Harper for State Superior Court.
Two seats are being contested for 10-year terms on the court which is theintermediate appellate court for most matters in the state.
Ms. King and Ms. Harper were overwhelmingly rejected in the caucus straw polls in favor of Christylee Peck and Rebecca Warren.
The primary election is May 21.
The committee’s endorsement meeting is 10 a.m., Saturday. It will be streamed live on PCNTV. It has not been ascertained if the ballots will be secret or open. Contact your State Committee person — you can find them here, just click on the county — and let them know you’ll be watching.
Unless you like being a serf, your choice should be Christylee Peck and Rebecca Warren.
Megan King Superior Court Spoiler?— Pennsylvania’s Republican caucus have held their straw polls concerning this year’s state Superior Court race and the final tally is Christylee Peck, 185; Rebecca Warren, 167 and establishment pick Kate Harper, 130.
Oh wait, there is a fourth candidate, Megan King. She entered at the last minute. She got 13 votes. Ms. King is a Chester County deputy district attorney who had been considering a run for county Common Pleas Court.
What made her change her mind? Some are saying it was Ms. Harper’s very poor performance in the straw polls. She came in third and more than half her votes came from the Southeast Caucus. Some are saying that Val DiGiorgio, the state GOP chairman who had been Chesco boss until last month, whispered in Ms. King’s ear to do him a solid in the hope she will siphon off enough votes from one of the others to get Ms. Harper an endorsement when the official ones are made on Feb. 2.
Kate Harper, who represented the 61st Legislative District in the State House for 18 years until her defeat last fall by Liz Hanbidge, is a special-interest connected party loyalist.
The primary election is May 21.
Two seats are being contested for 10-year terms on the court which is the intermediate appellate court for most matters in the state.
Fresh New Montco Republican Party Looms — Stan Cascio has let us know that 100 persons of varying political identities attended a soiree at his home to create a fresh new Republican Party of Montgomery County.
He says there were Tea Party conservatives, establishmentarians, two independents and one Democrat, whom he declined to name.
Among those in attendance were official GOP county head LIz Preate Harvey; the wonderful and influential Dom Giordano of WPHT; and county commissioner candidate Sean Gale, the brother of county commissioner and running mate Joe Gale .
Stan says everyone in the room agreed on 80 percent of things.
Stan says like-minded people — those who love freedom, hate corruption and lies, and recognize that rights are God-given — must unite else the neo-feudalists i.e. the New Democrat Socialist Party that holds that some animals are more equal than others will prevail.
Stan, who is running for county controller, said the county GOP has agreed to refrain from making endorsements this primary election.
Stan expressed disappointment about ads being run by the Gale brothers attacking the establishment.
“We must stop forming circular firing squads,” he said.
Stan had a great observation about border security and immigration vs illegal immigration.
“What if one one of the Democrats waiting to see Hamilton in Puerto Rico had someone butt in front of them in line?” he asked. “What would they do about it?”
Of course, we know the answer. Rules for thee but not for me.
Rebecca Warren Choice Of Southwest Caucus — Lois Kaneshiki informs us that our gal Rebecca Warren is the pick of the Republican Party Southwest Caucus as to who the party should endorse for Superior Court this primary.
The tally was Ms. Warren, 49, Christylee Peck 44 and Montco-connected Kate Harper 9.
On Jan. 9, the Southeast Caucus tally was Kate. Harper. 79; Chistylee Peck. 49; and Rebecca Warren, 13.
Pennsylvania Superior Court is intermediate appellate court for most things.
Update: Lois has let us know that Ms. Warren has also been picked by the Northwest Caucus:
Warren 33
Peck 28
Harper 2