Now before you start troll rating me, wait until you have read the tale that I am about to tell you. You may not believe it.
Well I knew it was going be a long day. It turned out to be a very interesting day indeed. First, a little background, as long time Kossacks may already know, I’m a campaign worker for Tony Barr. Tony Barr is the Democratic Candidate for Pennsylvania’s R+15 9th District. If a Democrat walked on water at Lake Raystown, local papers and especially local radio would report that Democrats can’t swim.
It’s been a long year and a very different year, canvassing , knocking on door, getting out in the wilds of PA and actually talking to voters has produced some encouraging results for a Democratic hopeful in a dark red district. People hare scared about the future, they are angry and they are aching for change. Barack Obama’s campaign has more than few paid staffers in our CD and I believe that while Obama might not win the 9th outright, he will over-perform here, I am sure of it.
That was before the bailout.
With the bailout looming, Conservatives began to froth at the mouth. Our incumbent, Congressman Bill Shuster (R PA09), whom some of you may remember from the "Hookers and Blow" dust up at the RNC. Shuster was seen by ABC news partying with lobbyists at a St. Paul tavern, including party host, former Tom Delay staffer Glen LeMunyon. We called him on it in the press and really made some political hay out of it. Shuster works for lobbyists, Tony Barr is working for working people, that kind of thing.
Anyway, with the Bailout looming, Shuster declined four separate invitations to debate Tony Barr using the economic disaster as an excuse. When Shuster voted for the bailout local conservatives went absolutely ape. Honestly, I had no understanding just how ticked off they were and are, until today.
Thursday morning, I was in a friend’s basement. We had at our disposal, a computer with recording software, an electric guitar, a synthesizer, and a good microphone. We were cutting radio ads, when my cell phone rang.
It was a local radio talk show host, we’ll call him "D", not a total wingnut but still pretty conservative. "D" said he had asked Bill Shuster, that morning’s guest on his show, about debates, since the economic crisis was dealt with and Congress was out of session, would Shuster debate Tony Barr; Shuster’s response was that he would not because Tony Barr was not a legitimate candidate.
Shuster was referencing a dust up we had with the FEC over a disclosure form that had been dealt with months ago and was and is of no consequence, and "D" was calling me for comment. A little surprised that even Shuster would stoop so low as to bring up this garbage, I answered this charge as the crap tactic of a politician who will say anything to avoid facing the public that it was, and considered the matter dealt with.
Fast forward to 3:00 this afternoon, and now Shuster is appearing another right wing radio local talker, hosted by a local Pastor no less. "Rev. G" we’ll call him, asked Shuster about debates. Shuster gave his now standard answer about the FEC thing, and in a stunning attack of journalism, the good "Rev. G" the tape of my played my response right there on the air to Shuster’s stunned silence.
Then in yet another stunning attack of journalism, the Rev, hits Shuster with the question. "Well if Tony Barr gets his paperwork together will you debate then?" More stunned silence. "I didn’t say that" was finally Shuster’s response. Wait for it, that’s not the good part.
The good part happens half an hour later. On a locally produced right wing talker that makes the Limbaugh program sound like Air America, the host proceeded to ridicule Shuster unmercifully, defending Tony Barr’s humble status as teacher, (that’s the part that shocked me), rebuking Shuster for cowardice, even going so far as to play about 90 seconds of chicken music. The host of that show calling Shuster his "Weasel of the Week" an epithet usually reserved for the likes of Pelosi and Reid.
What’s more is that caller after caller after caller on all three shows, joined in, expressing their rage over the bailout and calling Shuster a coward for not debating.
So at least for today, for us here in the PA09th, right-wing talk radio, isn’t all bad.
http://www.tonybarr2008.com
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