Tuesday, June 23, 2009

MIKE LONG...OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND


Our friends at pa2010.com put together a top 10 list of political consultants and apparently there was such an uproar over Mike Long being omitted from the list that Dan Hirschhorn felt compelled to make a special addendum blog post giving Long a bj.

Good for Mike Long. No one will argue that he ran the State Senate Campaign Committee for nearly 2 decades and kept the Republicans in the majority for most of that time.

However, Hirschhorn forgot to mention that Long did much of this exemplary campaign work while a full-time state employee.

And, there was no mention of Long receiving $41,405 in bonuses for 2005 and 2006 -- more than any other state legislative employee.

Finally, and most importantly, Mike Long is added to a top 10 list based on his political acumen exhibited over two decades as a state employee, using state resources on state time, yet there is no mention of the bonusgate investigation being conducted by Attorney General Tom Corbett and that Long was one of the top targets for investigation.

This omission by pa2010.com is a wonderful example of "out of sight, out of mind" when it comes to Corbett's bonusgate investigation.

It has been a year since partisan prosecutor Tom Corbett charged 12 Democrats, yet there has been no sign of any impending indictments for anyone in the Senate Republican Caucus and certainly no word about Mike Long who has been called the Senate Republican "chief campaign strategist" (Post Gazette), "political guru" (Patriot News), "a homegrown version of White House political czar Karl Rove" (Morning Call), and "top political aide" (Capitolwire).

So, when there has been no news from Corbett about Mike Long, it shouldn't be surprising that even a sophisticated political site like pa2010.com would forget that Long was at one time a prime suspect for Corbett to investigate.



7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very interesting, I wonder how we can protect the Public Trust in all cases of any wrongdoings, fundrasing and campaigning on state times?

I mean if alleged Mike Long talkd about fundraisng at the capitol or in AG Office, do we have a need for a Federal Grand Jury?

Such hindsight can be as perfect as all hindsight, hope better minds prevails.

Anonymous said...

Where's Gene Stilp? Gene Stilp is the anti-pay raise activist who first called for Corbett to investigate Bonusgate. He campaigned against Veon in 2006, as well as against a long list of Republicans.

Is Stilp satisfied with an investigation targeting Veon and only Veon? The people should want to know.

Anonymous said...

I would take Brett Cott anyday ovr Mike Long.

Brett is open and not afraid to speak his mind, and has passion of a zealot when working for any candidate.

This is another reason why this investigation should be reolved in the best interest of justicem commonwealth, and people.

Anonymous said...

Yep, if I ws ever in a Fox Hole battling for my life, I would want Brett Cott in it.

Back to Back one can do no better!

Anonymous said...

Heck, if Deweese is exposed after doing what was right, than everyone will be exposed.

Politics is a sport where ruthless and arrogant men cannot save themselves by their own standards.

It is simply too competitive and destroys those that do not play ball, and in the truest sense of the word, become martyrs as are many already charged for just doing jobs.

The big trouble will come when others will be charged and not behave as expected and some will adamantly refuse to make any concessions or compromises and will become total nonconformist.

This is a Republican problem more than an Democratic one, based upon the future presentments.

At that point, Eachus, McCall, Corbett and all Leadership in Senate prior and current will not be immune, from being shocked, shocked, that gambling is taking place, as winning are passed out to Investigators, trusted to protect their own interest.

Pssse' is not a place anyone want to go!


S.Z. Sakall (AKA) Carl The Waiter

Anonymous said...

Didn't Confucius say, "One man's fox hole is another man's jail cell"?

Anonymous said...

None of these people deserve Jail Time. Many cooperated with AG Office.

Others later found out that they were doing their jobs but were violating laws without intent.

It is something all 4 Caucuses got use to, kept doing it more each year, and what looks like criminal activity actualluy became normal practices working for elected officils.

All violations and practices have been stopped and monies can be repaid.

These are good people that worked many hours in helping many citizens and admit they made mistakes, but they did many good things too, and that should not be forgotten.

One and many can account for themselves, be held to correcting what was done, and still be devoted to love doing their jobs, and part of that job was helping people on short pay and long hours.