Kanjorski's Disappearing Act

The following letter/article was printed in the Pocono Record 10/01/2010.

Howard Frank: Paul Kanjorski's disappearing act
Float like a butterfly; flee like a bee

By HOWARD FRANK
October 01, 2010

 Dear Congressman Kanjorski:

I am so disappointed with you.

The country is beset by record unemployment and a deep economic downturn. People — your people — are truly suffering.

Pocono voters will choose their leaders in November.

Your constituents. In your 11th Congressional District.

Yet you refuse to appear before them.

You've scheduled only one debate with your opponent, Hazelton Mayor Lou Barletta, to take place less than a week before Election Day. And that's it.

The Pocono Record asked you to meet with its editorial board. To sit across the table from your challenger, to stake your positions on issues that affect our readers' lives.

You refused.

Duck and cover isn't just a Cold War-era slogan. It's become a signature of your campaigns.

During your last run in 2008, you dropped out of an East Stroudsburg University debate with Barletta. At the last minute. You are avoiding debates like I avoid telemarketers.

When I called Barletta's campaign spokesman, he said: "You get us a day and time and we'll be there. We're not ducking the issues. We're not hiding from people."

Then I asked your staff about another debate. They refused.

Your spokesman said: "We don't see a value in giving Barletta forums to spread his lies about the congressman and smear him like his TV ads do."

But you're thumbing your nose at your constituents.

You are our congressman. You're our representative. Our envoy in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The public deserves to know where you stand. Meet you face to face. Look you in the eye. That means something to people.

You've also mostly abandoned town hall meetings, saying you can reach more people via the telephone.

Congressman, you can't represent the people if you won't appear before them.

Now, I'm not naive. I understand incumbents like to lie low, limit campaign risks and ease their way back into office.

But politics is a game that should be played on behalf of your constituents, not against them.

We can put a discussion together on the issues with other local media outlets. C'mon, we're not talking about the "Rumble in the Jungle" here. More like the "Debate in Penn Estates."

Without more debates, you do a disservice to yourself, your office and most of all, your district. The very one you are asking us to represent.

I've gotten to know you over the years. You're smart, quick on your feet, eloquent, even charming. Your opponent, he's a decent guy. Hard working, dedicated to his ideas. A gentleman.

Why hide like a child in a thunderstorm? Share your ideas and hold them up to scrutiny.

Our voters deserve a fearless voice. Make your case. Stand up. Show us what you've got.

Congressman Kanjorski, man up.

Pocono Reaction To Kanjorski Gaffe On Minorities

David Pierce, political writer for the Pocono Record, documents the reaction with this article in the Poconos to Congressman Paul Kanjorski's off remarks about minorities and defective people. Dagmaris Cabezas, president of the Latino Task Force of Monroe County was none too pleased with Kanjorski's statement. Given the fact that in the last election he ignored a minority gathering in the Poconos Kanjorski has an uphill battle to try to win their votes.

"I think a lot of minorities in the Poconos are going to abstain from voting," said Dagmaris Cabezas, president of the Latino Task Force of Monroe County.


She accused Kanjorski of ignoring minorities in the past and said Kanjorski should call a local meeting to explain his statement.


In the closing days of the 2008 campaign, Kanjorski was a last-minute no-show at a candidate forum with Barletta sponsored by the Monroe County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Paul Kanjorski- You Almost Had Me

In an article that appears in the Pocono Record Paul Kanjorski is touting that the Porkulus Spendulus package will create or save 7,700 jobs in his district.

"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.

His spokesperson, Abigal McDonough goes on to say- It is difficult to determine just how much of the massive spending bill will go to projects and programs in the 11th District, said Kanjorski spokeswoman Abigail McDonough. She noted localities will have to apply to the state for money.

So which way is it Paul? You do know the impact or as Abigail states, its difficult to determine since the localities will have to apply to the state for money? (Psstt..Chris Carney...how can you state that the Porkulus Spendulus will bring 7,500 jobs to your district with absolute certainty?)

Kanjorski is using the current crisis to raise his profile in the 11th district. He appears to have contrived a story about a money run to the tune of $500 million dollars. My friend the G man, Gort42, even blogged about the Motley Fool highlighting the story. If you watch the video he makes the claim that it happened September 15, 2008 on a Thursday. Actually that Thursday was September 18.

Felix Salmon over at the Portfolio.com sets the record straight about Kanjorski's meme. He gives a great chronological dissertation on the events that Kanjorski used in his story.

This is all, frankly, fiction, and it's not clear where most of it came from, although maybe Kanjorski's "friends" on Wall Street are the same people as Michael Gray's sources at the New York Post. Thinking back to that crazy week it's easy to get details wrong, especially when you're speaking off the cuff on a call-in show. But let's stop treating it as though there's any substance to it. Please.

On February 16, 2009 he he writes about the Mark II version of Kanjorski's story. Abigail McDonough is back at it again. But Ben Smith, of Politico.com, has talked to Kanjorski's spokeswoman, Abbie McDonough, and she is still citing the New York Post article rather than anything else as Kanjorski's source.

Paul Kanjorski Is Afraid To Face Lou Barletta

In today's edition of the Pocono Record it is reporting that Paul Kanjorski skipped out on a scheduled forum sponsored by the Monroe County NAACP and the ESU chapter of the American Democracy Project. My peer over at Political Rants posted a press release yesterday from Lou Barletta's campaign. The release asked the question "Why is Paul Kanjorski afraid of Lou Barletta?" An event organizer said that Kanjorski cancelled his appearance as a protest to that letter, not Zen's post but the letter itself.

"The congressman is going to be attending an event (Wednesday night) with Sen. (Bob) Casey," Kanjorski campaign manager Joe Werner said when questioned by a reporter. "It was a last-minute conflict. Evidently the people of Monroe County, and in particular the students at East Stroudsburg University, don't mean enough to Paul Kanjorski. Senator Bob Casey was more important. Life is about choices and Paul Kanjorski made his, albeit a bad one.

"It's not a matter of avoidance," Werner said when pressed for an explanation. Read the letter at Zen's Political Rants and judge for yourselves.

Werner didn't explain to the audience the reason for Kanjorski's absence. Event moderator Ron Byrd, who is NAACP chapter vice president, noted the lack of an explanation and cut off Werner's presentation.

"The congressman should have been here to make his own speech so your time is up," Byrd told him. "You said you wanted to make a statement and what you've done is make a campaign speech."

First Paul Kanjorski made sure he bailed out his financial friends then he made sure he bailed on the people of Monroe County.

A poster on the Pocono Record's comments on the story had this to say about the event. "I had the pleasure of attending this "debate" last night at ESU. Nice turnout and pretty informative to me. Though I am a Democrat, I came away very impressed with Lou Barletta. I thank the NAACP and ESU Democracy Project for organizing this meeting. I for one left out knowing that for the first time in my life, I will cross party lines and vote for a Republican. I have compared the candidates and in my heart I know LOU BARLETTA is the best candidate for us at this time. And though I am a big Obama supporter, I will make sure all 3000 people on my email list know what happened last night and what a wonderful candidate Lou Barletta is. I was super impressed!!!"