Update from Mike Reese's kick off event

Very well attended. I can't stress how wrong I was about Mike Reese. I am actually thrilled to have him as a state represenative. He is a good family man, hard working, forgiving and knowledgeable. What more could you ask?

State Rep Tim Krieger was also in attendance. I have always had a high opinion of him.

George Dunbar to run against Casorio?

I have heard from several folks that George Dunbar will resign as GOP chair and run for state represenative againt Jim Casorio.

Speaking of Mike Reese...

He is having a campaign kick off at Giannilli II in Unity Township on Friday, February 12, 2010 at 6PM. $30/person

Their pizza is awesome. I already sent in a check for me and Rhonda. Come and have a beer or two or three...with me.

Lawmakers just look for things to do

People are hurting. Look at this headline from today's trib.

The state's insurance assistance program's waiting list has doubled in less than a year to more than 183,000, and the state expects the recession to push that to 282,000 by July. The program has enough money for 41,000 people.

But, what are PA lawmakers considering. That's going to help!

Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia have primary seat-belt enforcement laws, meaning police can stop vehicles for a seat belt violations, even if it is the only violation the officers notice.

Update on new State Rep Tim Krieger

From today's Tribune-Review:

Laurel: To Tim Krieger. The freshman state representative of Delmont goes to the head of his class for taking on Gov. Ed Rendell's spendonomics. Among commonsense and sorely needed fiscal reforms, Rep. Krieger advocates zero-based budgeting, requiring all spending to be justified in each state budget, and the elimination of millions of dollars in discretionary spending -- money lawmakers spread like fertilizer to grow influence and reap re-election. Hear! Hear! This is an auspicious start for a legislator who wants to make a difference in Harrisburg.

My wife had a meeting with Kim Ward and Mike Reese yesterday

We knew that Kim Ward was a going to be a good state senator. Rhonda said her and her staff were great. But, she already knew Kim and some of her staff.

State Rep Mike Reese was there. Rhonda doesn't think she had ever met him. Rhonda told me he was very engaged in the discussion about education. Rhonda told me he demonstrated good analytical skills. She also stated he was very friendly.

I thought I would just take this opportunity to again state that I was wrong and Mike Reese is doing a good job as state represenative.

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.

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.

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.

Newspaper endorses Mike O'Barto

"In the race for the 59th District, which includes a small portion of Fayette County, the Herald-Standard editorial board solidly endorses Democrat Mike O'Barto over Republican Mike Reese.

We think voters in Saltlick Township and two Bullskin Township precincts should support O'Barto because the 15-year Unity Township, Westmoreland County, supervisor has working knowledge of how decisions made in Harrisburg impact local government.

Reese, an assistant financial director for Westmoreland County and one-time aide to former county Commissioner Terry Marolt, has some good-sounding ideas. But so does O'Barto, who doesn't sound like he's reading straight from the GOP issues playbook, as does Reese.

In the race to succeed retiring Republican state Rep. Jess Stairs, we want someone who displays more of a passion for getting the job done and shaking up the status quo in Harrisburg, while governing with the working person in mind.O'Barto strikes us as the better pick in that regard."

Herald-Standard 10/29/2008

From this morning's Tribune Review

VOTE FOR TIM KRIEGER
• Rep. Tom Tangretti's decision to retire in the 57th Legislative District presents an opportunity to elect a fiscal reformer. Veteran U.S. Navy officer and attorney Tim Krieger, 47, fully understands what Harrisburg's recidivist reckless spending, bogus "economic development" and flight-encouraging tax policies have wrought. Democrat challenger John Boyle offers the same old Democrat boilerplate. Elect Tim Krieger.

Tim Krieger for State Representative

Don't forget to vote for Tim Krieger or tell others to!

By the way, Tim had a picnic fundraiser and it was really good. He had a really good guy playing guitar and singing. He also had a mini violin recital by his kids' violin class. I hope Tim wins so he can have more picnics.

I have to say that I am proud not to be associated with...

the PAGOP any longer. All they know how to do is send out negative ads. I received another negative mailer about Mike O'Barto today. Using ancient 1997 news articles from the Tribune-Review, the negative folks at the Reese campaign and the PAGOP are trying to paint Mike O'Barto as something he is not. I warned O'Barto about this. I told him they would try to distort this and tie him to the Harrisburgh pay raisers and insiders.

Look folks, you can't trust any politician that uses Harrisburg insider money to buy his way into office with negative ads. That is what Mike Reese is doing right now.

I use to hope the would Republicans take back the Pennsylvania House. Now, I don't care. To me, they will say anything or spend anything to win. I hope the PAGOP is spending this money on a true leader. Someone we really need in Harrisburg--Tim Krieger. I don't live in that district so I haven't gotten any of that mail. I am going to check into that.

ENOUGH!

Just got my latest mailer (2) in the Ward/Bompiani mudfest of a state senate race. I have to agree. ENOUGH! already, but for a different reason. Please focus on the future instead of mudslinging.

I also received Mike Reese's typical negative piece about Mike O'Barto. I warned O'Barto months ago that they would use this piece of ancient history as a negative ad. Mike O'Barto inherited that overtime issue when he was elected supervisor. He fixed the problem. The important fact to notice is that Mike O'Barto has been re-elected by large margins in Unity Township.

The other part of Reese's negative ad focuses on moving the supervisors' meeting from 4:30pm to 7:00pm. Again, O'Barto was just one of 3 votes. When Jake Blank was elected, the votes were there to change the meeting. I have to say this particular piece is the dumbest most inane negative attack I have ever seen.

The funniest thing about Reese's negative ad is that it is paid for by the folks who were in power when the midnight pay raise was passed. During the whole pay raise scandal, I did not hear a peep out of Mike Reese. In the governor's race that year, Bob Jubelier and the rest of the GOP establishment that supported the pay raise were pushing Lynn Swann for Governor. The only candidate with the guts to take on the pay raise establishment was Bill Scranton. Mike Reese did not support Bill. Mike Reese did not speak out against the pay raise. Mike Reese simply sat back and supported the pay raise establishment's candidate, Lynn Swann. The time to demonstrate leadership came and went for Mike Reese. He did/said nothing. This has always been my "problem" with Mike Reese. It has never been personal. When the right decision needed to be made, Mike Reese made the wrong decision. Now, Mike Reese is funded my the same people who had a hand in the pay raise.

Truth be told and for the same reason, I could care less about the outcome of 56th House race either.

In the 59th PA House seat race,

I recieved my first mailer. It was from Mike Reese. Mike Reese is promoting his MBA degree. Fantastic. An MBA degree certainly helped all those folks at Lehman Brothers, AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and not the least all the geniuses on Wall Street at the moment. Mike Reese is an extremely nice guy with a beautiful family. The problem is experience. Mike Reese is scant on experience. As John McCain says, this is no time for on the job training. In this dangerous economy, we need a candidate with experience. Mike O'Barto is that candidate. Mike O'Barto has been a supervisor in a rapidly growing township for quite some time. Mike O'Barto is independent and will fight for you.

Realize, Mike Reese's mailing piece was paid for by the Pennsylvania Republican Party. Unfortunately, the Pennsylvania Republican Party was the folks in charge who brought you the dastardly pay increase, bloated budgets, perks from PHEEA, a higher personal income tax and slow economic growth. By accepting their money, Mike Reese will be beholding to them. We don't need that. We need a strong, experienced and independent voice. We need Mike O'Barto in the 59th.

A negative push poll in the 59th State House race?

I need some help. I have been told that the campaign for Mike Reese used a negative push poll recently. For those of you who aren't sure what that is, the caller is given negative information about the opponent. Then, they are asked now that you know so and so is a scoundrel, who will you vote for in the 59th. It is a dishonest way to run a negative campaign. Did anyone receive this push poll call? If so, please e-mail me the questions at perry@westmorelandgop.com

If this is true, it just demonstrates that his campaign is more of the same Harrisburg insider crap that we have all come to dislike. If the Harrisburg insiders are running and funding his campaign, how can Mike Reese reform or stand up to the Harrisburg insiders and lobbyists?

If anyone has the poll questions, please let me know. I intend to help refute any negative charges made against Mike O'Barto in this election. I have lived in Unity Township. I know Mike O'Barto and he is a good supervisor. Mike O'Barto will make an excellent state represenative.

Tim Krieger Picnic reminder

Tim Krieger for State Represenative
2008 Fall Picnic
Saturday September 27
Hempfield Park, Pavilion A from 5:00 p.m. - Dusk

www.timkrieger.com

Is Tim Krieger the only person running for state rep?

As a drive around, all I see are Tim Krieger for State Represenative signs. Combined with his excellent website and door to door activities, I have to say that Tim Krieger is running the best campaign of anyone in Westmoreland County at this moment. Good job Tim and best of luck! You deserve to win because not only are you the best suited person to be state represenative, but you are also working the hardest of anyone!

Check out Tim's website!

http://www.timkrieger.com/

And make sure you plan on attending Tim's picnic on September 27 at Hempfield Park starting at 5PM. Details may be found here.

Republicans for Mike O'Barto

Ever since I have been chairman of the republican committee of Westmoreland County, it has been essential for our republican candidates to earn democratic voters' votes in order to win. For the most part, we have been successful in our efforts to attract democrats to vote for our candidates. In this current election, I hope democrats will see that Attorney General Tom Corbett and 57th state house candidate Tim Krieger offer superior leadership to Pennsylvanians. I urge democrats to vote for them.

However, I cannot ask democrats to cross over and vote for a republican candidate and ignore the superior leadership and experience Mike O'Barto offers the citizens of the 59th state house district. It would be hypocritical of me. As Unity Township supervisor, Mike O'Barto has gained the experience to represent us well in Harrisburg. Mike O'Barto is a pro-life democrat who believes in the second amendment, low taxes and better business environment in Pennsylvania. Mike O'Barto understands the effects Harrisburg legislation has on local governments and school districts. Mike O'Barto will not support legislation that puts a burden on local government and schools.

Of all the things people like about Jess Stairs, constituent service had to be first. If you had a problem with Harrisburg, Jess could fix it. Mike O'Barto will be equal to the task. As a resident of Unity Township, Mike O'Barto has been responsive to my needs. Mike O'Barto understands people need action from their represenative when concerns arise. As demonstrated by his experience and record as Unity Township supervisor, Mike O'Barto will deliver excellent service to the residents of the 59th district.

People are sick of partisan politics and bickering. People want action and leaders. We are living in uneasy economic times. Now is not the time to take a chance on an unproven candidate. The people of the 59th district need proven leadership, experience and independent voice in Harrisburg. Mike O'Barto is that candidate. For those reasons, I full support and endorse Mike O'Barto for the open 59th Pennsylvania State House seat.

With the upcoming reorganization of the county republican party, I wanted to make my views known now so that I can pass the responsibility for the reorganization to my vice chairman Ron Rometo. If I waited to announce my support for Mike O'Barto until after the reorganization, I fear some would question my handling of the convention. Since I like and respect both George Dunbar and Frank Schiefer, I wish to make certain that no one questions the process which leads to the election of the new chairman.

As for my vote on the Westmoreland County Republican Committee, I am sending my proxy to former Chairwoman and fellow Unity Township resident Debbie Irwin. I am certain she will vote my proxy in the best interest of the Westmoreland County Republican party.

For the record, I remain a republican and will vote for John McCain as long as he continues to support exploration for energy in the United States. I will not vote for any presidential candidate that does not have the leadership to see the necessity of being energy independent.