We interupt this blog for the regularly scheduled kissing up to Mike Reese segment

One of the strengths that Mike Reese will bring to the table as state represenative is his ability to get along well with others. He knows the commissioners and their staff well. Since there seems to be animosity between our new state senator and the commissioners, I think this relationship is essential. Considering this, we are fortunate to have Mike Reese as a state represenative.

Reese and Krieger will make a great team working for Westmoreland County in the House.

Allen Kukovich

In my theme of people this morning, I just wanted to publicly say: Allen Kukovich handled himself with complete class during the controversy surrounding Senator Regola.

Tom Balya

Everyone keeps saying we need a republican to go to the courthouse and fight with Tom Balya. I don't really think that is true. I have been a partisan republican. I have written partisan things about both Tom Balya and Tom Ceraso, but I actually find Balya easy to deal with. He likes the debate and he will come at you hard, but he will actually listen to what you have to say.

I think the next GOP commissioner can be a conservative republican and voice conservative principles and still work well with the commissioners. It is quite easy. Just argue and debate about issues. I have no doubt that I could get a long with Balya and Ceraso and I have been a partisan republican in the past. I am sure others can be effective and get along at the same time as well.

Jess Stairs

Seems like the Trib does not want Jess Stairs to be county commissioner. He is my third choice in ranking. If you are going to present to the judges a list, a thinking person would have to realize that Jess Stairs deserves to be on that GOP list. He is currently a state rep. He has tons of contacts in Harrisburg. He is an easy fellow to get along with. He would most likely be helpful in lobbying Harrisburg for things. As a minority commissioner, that is a great niche.

From what I understand and I was not at the meeting because I was in Philadelphia for Marathon Weekend (Pittsburgh Marathon is next), the goal of the few republicans in Westmoreland county responsible for the final list of 4 was someone who will fight with Tom and Tom and set the GOP up for the next election cycle to win 2 seats on the board of commissioners. Well, that is not the true point of serving the people. The goal should not be to fight with Tom and Tom so we can win next time. If the GOP has the right ideas about governing, we will win next time. Think about it: Ward as state senator. Krieger and Reese as state reps. These are the folks to show what the GOP can do. At the same time, put in a reasonable individual like Davis, Avolio or Stairs as commissioner. The GOP can work as a team to Westmoreland forward. People will notice and we can win next time. If we just play politics, people will see it and we will lose.

Tribune-Review Whispers column lexicon

"Westmoreland County Insiders"

I have learned that this means an individual who has an ax to grind but not the courage to put their name to the crap they are spewing.

The same definition goes for:

• Prominent Westmoreland republicans
• republican leaders
• any and all variations on the above theme

The whispers column is usually the place you check on sunday morning to see if a "republican leader" has stuck a knife in your back. I have never quite understood the anonymous nature of the column. It gives voice to political activists who do not have the courage to simply speak their minds.

A lot of republicans do not like Tom Balya, but he has the courage to put exactly what he is thinking in print for all to see on his website.

Latrobe Turkey Trot

For the record, I can run a 5K faster than 28 minutes. Since I had just run a marathon, I chose to run with my wife. She runs a slower pace than me.

Philadelphia Marathon

I ran it Sunday. I think I trained really well for a half marathon, because that was actually easy. When I hit mile 18, it was really hard. I just had to take it one mile at a time. What was really odd was when I hit mile 20, I thought "only 6 more miles to go!" Around mile 20, there were hills in Mannyuk (spelling?). That sucked. Who thought to put mile 20 there. But, the people were very nice in that portion of the race. Lots of water, gaterade, brownies, beer, bacon and energy gels were being given out.

I think I am going to run the Pittsburgh Marathon this May. They promise me only one hill.

Measuring the pulse of the GOP in Washington DC

Maybe Scottdale funeral director Ferguson is a good choice to replace Kim Ward as commissioner.

Bush pardons 14

Google it to find out who. I am an animal lover. I have dogs and cats. If I was President Bush, I would actually pardon Michael Vick. I think he has been sufficiently punished. He has been punished a lot harsher than many who have hit their wives.

That's what I would do. See if this guy could turn his life around given the chance.

I never thought he was very good as an NFL quarterback.

My public apology to Jess Stairs

As a member of the Westmoreland County Republican Committee, I apologize to Jess Stairs for him not being included on the "10 best candidates" list to replace Kim Ward. Certainly, Jess should have been in the top 10. He was certainly more qualified than many of the people on the final list--BY FAR.

63 out of 350 GOP committee members

Many of those were proxies and not actual committee people in attendance. I don't see how 63 out of all the republicans in Westmoreland County will make a difference to the judges. Of the 63, how many committee people were unopposed or written in. I know of 2 without researching. I return to my original ideal of a petition drive.

I am happy because my top choice, Scott Avolio, made the list.

However, I think the judges will ignore the process because the committee ignored two of the most qualified candidates and selected "political" choices. Their goal was to set themselves up to win two commissioner seats in the next election and not choose the most qualified candidates.

Why do I say this?

• Jess Stairs, a former state represenative for ever, applied and did not even make the final cut of 10. Love him or hate him, you have to admit that the guy had more governmental experience than the final 10. His exclusion from the list, taints the list.
• William Davis. I voted for him. He has served as a county commissioner. He has worked in the executive branch of Pennsylvania government. I think he would be the judges pick. I believe that the influential powers in our party did not want him because his credentials and experience would make him very independent from party leaders. Also, he may not run for re-election and if he did, he may not run a highly partisan and negative re-election campaign.

If these two men apply to the judges, the judges are going to listen to their qualifications. I think by excluding both of these qualified candidates, it makes the judges automatically look at the broader list.

Excuse me while I throw up

Stock market!!!!

I don't think there are enough Wal-Mart greeter positions available to cover all the seniors walloped by the stock market.

Who is going to be the Secretary of Treasury? What an opportunity to go down in history as a hero or goat?

George Bush inherited a recession when he started his first term. Bush got us out of it. Granted, Obama's recession seem way worse.

The list of 10 is in

I am plunking. I am only going to vote for 2. I was just going to vote for Scott Avolio, but I can't deny the experience the William Davis brings to the table. As a matter of fact, I sat with both Avolio and Davis at a Tim Krieger fundraiser.

I don't think the judges can go wrong with either of these two. I would be very comfortable with either of these candidates.

I like Wayne McGrew, but I think he is more suited as a candidate for district attorney.

Here is what congress should do with the auto industry

Merge GM and Ford into one company. Can management. Put Mitt Romney in charge of the new auto company. For Romney, turning around the US auto industry is probably a more important job than being President of the United States. Romney would have an incredible effect on the future of this country in this position. Of course, this solution represents a far too simplistic view of the world and it will never happen. Instead, the US auto industry is just going to fade away. Currently, Ford is going to sell it's stake in Mazda. We drive a Mazda CX-9. We bought it instead of the Ford Freestyle. So, Ford keeps its crappy assets and gets rid of the good stuff. That is not a solution. Still, the best car I have ever owned was my 1998 Ford Taurus. I didn't have the SHO model, but the next model down. I have the speeding tickets to prove that was one heck of an engine in that car! My father is still driving it.

Read Romney's op-ed on the auto industry:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/opinion/19romney.html?_r=2

Michael Steele for RNC Chair

Michael Steele, who should be a US Senator from Maryland (thanks a lot Rumsfield and Bush. You had to wait until the day after the election to fire Rumsfeld. You couldn't do it a week before the election. Cost us several senate seats. Bob Casey had a field day beating Santorum over the head with Rumsfield) would make a great chair of the RNC.

The RNC needs a new enthusiastic and unapologetic conservative leader. Michael Steele is that leader! Let's just hope the RNC can recognize a leader when they see one!

Scott Avolio's name has surfaced as a contender

Scott Avolio would be an excellent choice for commissioner. If I am still on the committee, I am voting for Scott.

Scott would govern well, articulate conservative principles well, and be a viable candidate for election when his term expires.

How to proceed to have an influence on the new commissioner

Consider the facts:

1. Many open slots remain on the republican committee
2. Some committee people are appointed
3. Many committee people ran unopposed
4. Many like me won with just one write-in vote

Not really a mandate to tell the judges that you have to pick from a list we tell you to! If we want to have a true influence, the committee should come up with a list of names. Put those names on a petition asking the judges to choose only from this list of approved candidates and then circulate that petition in the community. The more signatures we get from real republican and (why not) democratic voters, the more the judges would be apt to look at the list. It would be the people's list and that is who elects the judges.

Besides, we knew this would be the result when we selected our sitting commissioner to run. We can't really cry foul now. If that minority seat was so important to us, we would have found another candidate.

Here is an update from what was in the Trib on 11/12/08

Party officials will immediately start to solicit resumes and, next Tuesday, a seven-member subcommittee that includes Dunbar and Hempfield Supervisor Doug Weimer will cull the list down to 10 people.

That group will be permitted to address the party's entire 318-member committee on Nov. 22, when the final four will be selected.

"We would like all candidates to come through our vetting process," Dunbar said. "We just thought it would be an overbearing thing to present 36 people to the judges."

Here is the question. Will the judges care? In reality, the actions of the executive committee got this whole problem started, why should the judges look to them to solve it? You really have to question the executive committee's judgement in the matter. It was them who said only Kim Ward could win that seat. Kim is great, but there were other republicans in Westmoreland County that could have won that seat with $2 million and Bompiani's record of property tax increases.

So, I stand by my original proposal that the Westmoreland Republican Committee needs to take their list of 4 to the voters for a grassroots petition to present to the judges and the media. We have 300+ members. If each member would get 10 to 50 signatures on a petition, the resulting 3000 to 15000 signatures would get the judges attention. This probably won't.

Louis CK at the Palace tonight.

He is hilarious! Kudos to the Palace for booking him.

http://www.louisck.net/

Who should replace Kim Ward as commissioner?

I think Wayne McGrew would be a good choice. Doug Weimer would also be an excellent choice, but I don't know if he would be interested.


I am opening this topic up for comments, so please leave your opinion.

In your dreams...

After spending all that money on negative ads against Tony Bompiani and Mike O'Barto, do you really think democrats are going to care what the republican committee thinks? I bet not. I don't believe the Harrisburg GOP committees have built up any good will. I do believe that Mike Reese could help. Our new state representative is well liked in the courthouse. In all honesty and without any sarcasm, this would be a great opportunity for him to exert leadership. As for Kim Ward, there was just too much animosity between her and Tom and Tom. We need a commissioner who is strong, but can also work with those two yahoos.

Westmoreland County's 11 common pleas judges will decide who fills out the remaining three years of Ward's county commissioner term.

"We prefer they will listen to our collective voice of 87,000 Republicans, rather than have the free-for-all we had four years ago," said George Dunbar, chairman of the county's Republican committee.

Dunbar said the party's executive committee will meet Nov. 11 to determine a process for selecting several potential candidates whose names will be forwarded to the county judges for consideration.

As far as I know, I still have a vote on the committee. As the long as the GOP committee as a whole makes the recommendations, I am for it. If it is just the few folks on the executive committee, that is just as wrong as only the judges deciding.

What's next for the PAGOP?

In my opinion, our next move should be....Glen Meakem for Governor!

Tim Krieger's win is exciting!

Tim is an honest and conservative family man who is going to Harrisburg for all the right reasons. I am thrilled with this victory. Tim Krieger ran an awesome campaign.

Congratulations to Kim Ward

Kim will make a good state senator. Bompiani's charges against her were total distortions.

I wish Kim's father could have been there for her victory.

Egg on my face

I guess I should have never relied on the House Democratic Campaign Committee to adequetely fund Mike O'Barto's campaign. With the negative onslaught against him and no support to counter, Mike O'Barto never had a chance. The negative attacks were distorted and old news!

That being said, politics ain't bean bags. Mike Reese and the House Republican Campaign Committee had a plan and stuck to it and won. Congratualtions to Mike Reese.

Mike Reese is a pro-life, pro-family conservative and I am certain that along with Tim Krieger's great victory, Mike and Tim will be great represenatives for Westmoreland County.

I am totally at peace with his victory. Mike Reese is my state represenative and he has always treated me quite well despite my support of his opponents. I actually have great admiration for him in the way he has interacted with me.

I will even go to his next fundraiser if I get an invitation (I have yet to ever receive an invitation to a Reese event). If history is a guide, Reese will be our representaive for the next 30 years.

News flash:

The PA house republican campaign committee to contest all votes cast before 5PM because most folks are at work and those who voted before 5PM must be trying to hide something!

I still can't believe that RIDICULOUS argument in the 59th house race about 4:30pm meeting went uncontested.

I've gone from being chairman...

to working a poll in ....Hunker?!

I am voting for McCain/Palin because...

• Sarah Palin ran a marathon under 4 hours
• Piper Palin would be fun to watch grow up
• I promoted Sarah Palin for VP before most heard of her
• John McCain was very funny on SNL

But, I don't dislike Barack Obama. Either way, I think the country will be fine. Listening to Rush Limbaugh today, you would think the country was about to be taken over by Leon Trotsky.

I saw an interesting sign this morning in Hempfield

"write-in" taped onto a Regola for Senate sign. A couple folks have told me they were going to do this. The loyalty is admirable, but why not choose from those actually on the ballot.

Trib endorses no one in the 59th PA House seat

I hope voters see through the absolute bullshit that the normally fine people at the PA House campaign committee in support of Mike Reese. Why are they trying to destroy Mike O'Barto who is pro-life, pro-gun, pro-business in support of a candidate who is quite good friends with our liberal and very partisan county commissioners?

Answer: They don't care about policies. Only winning. I am very disappointed in some people that I thought I liked very much.

PAGOP--excessively negative.

PAGOP just unleashed an Obama/Rev Wright ad. I thought that McCain was against that being done. I intend to vote for McCain but the tactics are beginning to annoy me. I dislike Wright's teachings as much as anyone, but lets win this election on the issues. 2008--The year of highlighting the philosophies of those two great thinkers--Rev Jeremiah Wright and Joe the plumber.

I find it interesting how so many things in our history are intertwined. Apparently, Rev Wright was a nurse when LBJ had surger. Saw this pic on Wikipedia so I can't be certain of it. It is interesting.