Congressman-Elect Tom Marino Announces Two Key House Committeses

CONGRESSMAN-ELECT MARINO ASSIGNED TO TWO KEY HOUSE COMMITTEES

U.S. Rep.-Elect Tom Marino, R-Lycoming Township, has landed positions on two key congressional committees.

Marino was notified Wednesday that he will join the U.S. House Homeland Security and Judiciary committees when the 112th Congress convenes next month.

U.S. Rep. Pete King of New York will chair the Committee on Homeland Security which oversees the Department of Homeland Security operations. Chairman of the Judiciary Committee is Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas.
Marino said he is pleased and honored to be selected to two committees that are close to his heart and mirror his experience.

“I don’t think there is anything more important than to serve on a committee that is dedicated to protecting our people and our land,” Marino said. “Our focus not only will be to prevent terrorist attacks but to eliminate the terrorists.”

The newly elected congressman from the 10th District believes his legal background, including his prosecutorial work, makes him an ideal match for the Judiciary Committee.

“My 18 years of experience will help me with this committee that writes criminal law, protects the law of the land and strives to keep our children safe,” Marino said. “This committee is often referred to as the guardian of the Constitution and I cannot think of a more noble mission.”
Marino is one of 10 members of the Judiciary Committee and one of two former U.S. Attorneys assigned to the panel that will focus on strengthening national security, protecting intellectual property, and preventing frivolous lawsuits, according to Chairman-Elect Smith.

Other members of the Judiciary Committee include Rep. Mike Pence, Indiana, who is considered as a possible presidential contender, and Rep. Tim Griffin, Arkansas, who a freshman who served as U.S. Attorney from the Eastern District of Arkansas. Marino, 58, served as a U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

King said the priorities for the Committee on Homeland Security include: stopping the Obama administration’s plans to transfer Guantanamo detainees and try them in civilian courts; holding hearings on the plans to close Guantanamo; holding hearings on the attack at Fort Hood; and enacting additional border security legislation to curb illegal immigration.
Contact: Renita Fennick
570-239-8851

Kanjorski And Carney "Dumped" By DCCC

DCCC scales back NEPA ad buys

Democrats are slightly pulling back the TV help they’ll be giving to Congressmen Chris Carney (D-10) and Paul Kanjorski (D-11).

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has made some changes to its airtime reservations in northeast Pennsylvania, cutting off half-a-week’s worth of its planned TV buys in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre media market.

The move came as speculation builds among political insiders that Democrats are preparing to cut Kanjorski loose as part of their so-called triage plans to preserve a majority in Congress. When the DCCC recently posted a fundraising list of candidates in its Frontline Program for defending incumbents, Kanjorski’s name was nowhere to be found (Carney was on the list).

In June, 2010 it was reported that Kanjorski failed to pay his $250,000 in dues to the DCCC.

I guess the DCCC has a rule. No pay, No play.

Mr. Kanjorski Where's The Jobs?

A look on Recovery.gov, the U.S. government’s official website, that provides America and the world easy access to data related to Recovery Act spending provides some interesting information about the results for the 10th and 11th Congressional districts so far.

If you look at this chart you will see that the reported jobs for the 1st quarter of this year show that the 10th Congressional district rated 9th while the 11th Congressional district ranked 15th. So much for Paul Kanjorski's claims of seniority, not that either district did so well. 176 jobs vs 131 jobs doesn't sound like it commands a resounding applause.

When you compare what was spent to get those jobs as referenced in this chart you will see that the 11th Congressional district outspent the 10th Congressional district by $329 million to $296 million.
Basically $33 milllion more was spent to get 45 less jobs. Why isn't Paul Kanjorski razing cane about that fact? Is he too consumed patting himself on the back over financial reform that turned out to be a joke?

The real joke is on his constituents. In 2009 he proclaimed that the stimulus bill would create/save 7,700 jobs in his district.

The $787 billion economic stimulus package signed Tuesday by President Barack Obama will save or create 7,700 jobs in the 11th Congressional District, said U.S. Rep Paul Kanjorski, D-11.

Kanjorski voted for the final version of the bill last week after voting against an earlier House version. His district includes Monroe County and all or parts of Luzerne, Lackawanna, Carbon and Columbia counties.

"While the final recovery bill is not perfect, nor does it address all my concerns, I strongly believe we must take quick action to help Americans who are struggling and help spur job creation," Kanjorski said in a statement.

It's pure politics when Ed Mitchell and Paul Kanjorski want to talk about the fictitious unemployment figure for Hazleton against Lou Barletta. The official from the state who are in charge of those figures more than once stated they were misleading and should not be relied on from a statistical sense. Sholly said the figure is a little misleading: It should be no surprise that neither Mitchell nor Kanjorski would want to be honest about that fact.

What is fact is that unemployment continues to rise in Northeastern Pennsylvania despite the expenditure of over $600 million dollars? Kanjo, why don't you give Lou Barletta $600 million and see how many jobs would be created? What's that? You wouldn't give him a dime. He already knows that by your strangulation with the Eachus as your accomplice of the money flow to the City.

Carney In The 10th- Marino Is A Huge Challenge

In a district that is pro-Republican Chris Carney has enjoyed the incumbency of his office in a surreptitious way. He is flying under the radar hoping not to be noticed that he is out of place in the grand scheme of voter sentiment.

Here's how his bio starts in Wikipedia. Christopher P. "Chris" Carney (born March 2, 1959) is an American politician and member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district. One would think that his military career would supercede the words "American politician". Carney is also an associate professor of political science at Penn State Worthington Scranton, where he has taught since 1992. Again, secondary to "American politician" first.

In today's political climate marked by the ouster of Arlen Specter one would believe the last thing you would want to promote is being a "politician". Even Congressman sounds better than politician.

In this Times Leader article by Andrew Seder political observers explore whether Chris Carney will have a rough fall campaign against Republilcan Tom Marino.

“Marino has a record of public service, he has name recognition, he has big name Republican support, and he will take better advantage of this targeted district in this tough atmosphere for Democratic incumbents.”

Listening to Tom Marino on WILK he sounds like a very respectable and likeable candidate. His association with Louis DeNaples has been a terse topic but in the end, knowing Northeastern Pennsylvania, it is more about jealousy than substance. How many people associated with Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella? How many people associated with Michael Veon? Ask Tom Leighton about his association with Bill Brace.

The "D-sucking at the nipple-triple CCC" took no time in launching salvos at Marino. Lest they forget that Carney as the author of that famous Feith-Carney memo George Bush used as information, well he was provided misinformation, to get us into Iraq. It is rarely talked about and I believe the biased media wants it that way.

Carney's ability to raise money will be a nemesis for Marino. However, no amount of money and support can divide voter sentiment otherwise Arlen Specter would have been a victor.

In The Email Bag

I decided to post this one since it applies to our upcoming elections.

Subject: Retribution is less than 1 year away!

Take a look at this and just remember elections in November 2010.

Seniors

U..S. House & Senate have voted themselves $4,700 and $5,300 raises.
They voted to NOT give you a S.S. Cost of living raise in 2010 and 2011.

Your Medicare premiums will go up $285.60 for the 2-years

You will not get the 3% COLA: $660/yr.

Your total 2-yr loss and cost is -$1,600 or -$3,200 for husband and
wife.

Over these same 2-years each Congress person will get $10,000

Do you feel SCREWED?

Will they have your cost of drugs - doctor fees - local taxes - food, etc., decrease? NO WAY.

Congress received a raise and has better health and retirement benefits than you or I.

Why should they care about you?

You never did anything about it in the past. You obviously are too stupid or don't care.

Do you really think that Nancy, Harry, Chris, Charlie, Barnie, Paul, et al, care about you?

Send the message to these individuals --- "YOU'RE FIRED!"

In 2010 you will have a chance to get rid of the sitting Congress: up to 1/3 of the Senate and 100% of the House!

Make sure you're still mad in November 2010 and remind their replacements not to screw-up.

It is ok to forward this to your sphere of influence if you are finally tired of the abuse. Maybe it's time for Amendment 28 to the
Constitution..

28th Amendment will be as follows:

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators or Representatives, and Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States."

Let's get this passed around, folks - these people in Washington have
brought this upon themselves! It's time for retribution. Let's take back America.

Coverage For Sick Children In Question

Much has been made about a healthcare bill that was 2,409 pages. It was painfully obvious that those who voted for it could never claim they read every page and verse. This article from the New York Times demonstrates that Paul Kanjorski and Chris Carney who voted for the bill might have missed this little mistake.

The authors of the law say they meant to ban all forms of discrimination against children with pre-existing conditions like asthma, diabetes, birth defects, orthopedic problems, leukemia, cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease. The goal, they say, was to provide those youngsters with access to insurance and to a full range of benefits once they are in a health plan.

To insurance companies, the language of the law is not so clear.

Insurers agree that if they provide insurance for a child, they must cover pre-existing conditions. But, they say, the law does not require them to write insurance for the child and it does not guarantee the “availability of coverage” for all until 2014.

William G. Schiffbauer, a lawyer whose clients include employers and insurance companies, said: “The fine print differs from the larger political message. If a company sells insurance, it will have to cover pre-existing conditions for children covered by the policy. But it does not have to sell to somebody with a pre-existing condition. And the insurer could increase premiums to cover the additional cost.”

In plain language the insurance companies are taking the position that if a child has a pre-existing condition with no insurance or wants to switch insurance companies there is no mandate in the law that they have to write the policy.

But, insurers say, until 2014, the law does not require them to write insurance at all for the child or the family. In the language of insurance, the law does not include a “guaranteed issue” requirement before then.

Consumer advocates worry that instead of refusing to cover treatment for a specific pre-existing condition, an insurer might simply deny coverage for the child or the family.

“If you have a sick kid, the individual insurance market will continue to be a scary place,” said Karen L. Pollitz, a research professor at the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University.

Experts at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners share that concern.

Obviously Kanjorsk and Carney don't share the same concern otherwise it wouldn't take SOP to bring it to their attention.