So, Now I’m a “Nut” That Asks Stupid Questions

As most of you know, I’m a PA resident.  While I know that Arlen Spectre’s time is short, I still have to cope with another long-term incumbent, Paul Kanjorski.  Yes, I have the displeasure of residing in his district (Actually, the district is rather nice, it’s Kanjorski that troubles me).   In much the same sense that someone can have a fungal infection, Kanjorski is… “mine.”

As most of us also know, Kanjorski made a splash for his recent comments regarding his constituents…

Now, it appears that Kanjorski is firing back, both at his critics, as well as his opponent, Lou Bartelletta.

U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski is being criticized again for comments he made, this time on a local radio show, but his campaign fired back on Thursday.

“We will do everything we can to meet with people, but I’m not going to set myself up for, you know, nuts to hit me with a camera.”

He said often times “people can’t resist changing what you said or taking things out of context.” He said these “snippets” lead to “distortions.”

TALKING POINT ALERT: These are the same talking points that the White House used when Conservatives posted videos that showed prominent Democrats, including the POTUS, citing their support for single payer.  It didn’t matter if we showed one minute of a speech, or five, or ten, the talking points never changed.

Kanjorski’s Republican opponent, Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta, leveled criticism against the congressman.

“Paul Kanjorski has been in Congress for 26 years and his response to our region’s 10 percent unemployment rate is to call his constituents ‘nuts’ and to attack the city of Hazleton,” Barletta said. “Do these so-called ‘nuts’ who attend town meetings fall into Kanjorski’s ‘defective people’ category?”

Mr. Barletta, this is what the Democrats always do when they are caught in the act.  They refuse to discuss substance; they attack the messenger.  Dissent must be marginalized and discredited.  If you are discredited, then people might ignore your ideas.

Ed Mitchell, Kanjorski’s campaign spokesman, fired back, saying the congressman stands by his comments made on WILK, “including the ones about Barletta’s sorry record as mayor.”

“With the reference to ‘nuts,’ he (Kanjorski) meant a small number of extreme political opponents who come to disrupt town meetings solely for the purpose of scoring political points they can register on YouTube or the Internet to inflict damage and embarrass the congressman and not to the people who come to those meetings to discuss issues and gather information,” Mitchell said. “He meant nothing disparaging by his comments.”

Mitchell said Kanjorski has held face-to-face town meetings for 26 years “that usually had crowds of 20-30 people a meeting.”

“When we hold our tele-town meetings, we speak to thousands of people,” Mitchell said. “It is simply better to communicate with our constituents this way.”

TRANSLATION: We have carefully scripted meetings during which we can instantly cut off any “inconvenient” questions.

Additionally, they again marginalize and discredit their opposition.    Note that disrupting meetings, or even assaulting people at public meetings is perfectly acceptable when the left does it.

“Perhaps Mr. Kanjorski should be worried about job creation and stopping Washington’s reckless spending instead of profiling people and continuing his negative campaign,” Barletta said in response. “I think most people would prefer it if the congressman spent more time doing his job and less time attacking everyone.”

Barletta said Kanjorski won’t hold town hall meetings because he is afraid of “nuts to hit me with a camera and ask stupid questions.”

In other words, he doesn’t want to be called out for supporting the President’s agenda, and be caught on tape making a fool out of himself trying to defend his votes.

“Kanjorski is the one who paid a man with a camera $10,000 to follow me and my family around for five months in 2008,” Barletta said. “Kanjorski’s campaign manager (Mitchell) admitted this in a Times Leader story in November 2008.”

Again, it’s bad, very, very, bad, when constituents ask a politician questions in a public forum.  Conversely, if a Democratic politician has an opponent stalked by a paid, cameraman, well…that’s OK.

Well, here are some of the “stupid” questions I would ask:

1. Did you read the Health Care Reform Bill?
2. What is your reaction to the fact that people are losing their plans and their doctors?
3. What is your reaction to the fact that Health Care Reform has already raised costs for businesses and individuals, and that many employers are now considering dropping coverage?
4. Will you vote for Cap and Trade even though it will bankrupt many American citizens?
5. How will you explain to your constituents that you will vote for Cap and Trade even though it will cause gas prices to go to $6-7 a gallon?

I could go on and on, but you get the point.  He’ll dismiss these, and other questions as “stupid” because he doesn’t want to answer them.    If he did, he would have to justify his votes, and the documented consequences of them.  Since his positions would be indefensible, he’d be the one that looked stupid.  And yes, we would certainly be there with cameras to capture that magical moment.

Did I mention that I can’t wait until November?

Elections have consequences.

Linkage of Interest:

Since I was away over the weekend, I couldn’t do a link post.  So, here are some links of interest.

Classic Liberal has a very chilling post about government threatening citizens.

Just a Conservative Girl has pic of the official vehicle of the current Congress.

Karen has a thought provoking post.

Teresa has a great video about the Declaration of Independence.

Ken has a great post on the politicians fearing awakened voters…they should be afraid.

Larry has a post on how Islamic states care for women.

Wyblog mixed a Star Trek reference with a hot dog eating contest. That has to go down as a record somewhere.  And yes, it was a no-win situation.

TCOTS has quoted and commented upon one of the most concise political statements that I have ever read.

The Reaganite Republican has  a game suitable for all ages.

John has evidence that AGW is a hoax.  Go fig.