I'm not so sure about this one.
From the email inbox:
Dear Mark:
On Tuesday, we asked our opponent to participate in ten candidate forums, two in each of the five counties in the congressional district, so that voters could ask questions of both candidates regarding their ideas for the future of the district. We offered to work with our opponent’s campaign to determine the formats and rules for those forums. As a good faith gesture, we offered to hold the first forum in our opponent’s home town of Nanticoke.
The response from the Kanjorski camp: “The Congressman is too busy doing the job he’s paid to do to worry about that now.”
Corey believes that a Congressman’s most fundamental responsibility is to listen and respond to the needs and concerns of his constituents. If Paul Kanjorski is “too busy” collecting $4 million from Wall Street and meeting with political insiders to take questions from his constituents, we should send Paul Kanjorski a message: we are too busy for him.
As your Congressman, Corey will never be “too busy” to hear your questions and concerns. Days, nights, weekends -- 365 days a year. And not only will Corey participate in forums as a candidate, but he has also pledged to hold regular, face-to-face community forums throughout the district when he is in Congress.
It’s time to replace old-style politics with new style leadership.
Join us today at www.obrien2010.com.
Justin F. Carroll
Campaign Manager
Corey O'Brien for Congress
I take absolutely no issue with the great majority of what is expressed in that email. In my opinion, Paul Kanjorski has outlasted his welcome when you consider that his political campaigns are always funded by the very same people he's charged with providing the oversight of. That's like warning you not to touch my little sister after providing you with the keys to the ole man's liquor cabinet, a box of Trojans and complete privacy.
And I don't care what any ethics committee known for trading ethically charged prisoners on occasion had to say about the Cornerstone scam. Is it illegal to steer millions upon millions to your family? Apparently, it is not. Is it ethical and moral to fleece the taxpayers in such a way? Obviously, it is not.
But I do think it's a stretch, an intentional overreach to challenge any political opponent to 10 public debates inside of 10 weeks as the campaign winds down, and expect them to agree to it. Especially an opponent that is drawing a treasury check as a member of Congress, as in, he really does have a job to attend to. And especially a man of Kanjorski's considerably advanced age.
And it's not as if Kanjorski has been laying low of late. The guy has been all over the television dial of late, appearing on most of those Sunday politico shows I never, ever watch. Sorry, but the guy has been readily accessible. At least, his opinions on the pressing issues of the day have been.
In my twisted opinion, a challenge to debate one, or two, or three times during the run-up to an election is as doable as it is reasonable. But to chastise that opponent because of the rejection of a debate schedule that was probably ill-fated by design, to me, that's a bridge too far.
If Kanjo sucks, and if Kanjo needs to go, that's one thing. But tell me why Corey O'Brien should be his immediate successor and not how the grumpy old congressman is unwilling to debate at a dizzied pace that approaches absurdity and saturation overkill.
Sez me, Markie in Nord End.
Later
From the email inbox: Note to all: Tonight’s Luzerne County Council of Republican Women’s meeting has been postponed.
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