NEPA NIMBY

If Wilkes University political science professor Tom Baldino wants to remain "a sought-after resource for expert commentary on political events and elections for numerous news organizations, from local media to national networks," he really should work on two things: staying consistent in his "expert commentary," and start checking in with CasablancaPA.

In an item in today's Wilkes-Barre Times Leader on embattled Majority Leader Todd Eachus, Baldino is shocked, shocked that Eachus is implicated in gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett's bonusgate investigation:

“[Eachus]’s always struck me as very straightforward and hard-working individual. So the allegations surprised me. One of things that bothers me is they came late in the process and the people who are making the allegations are people who have essentially negotiated plea deals or will plead to lesser charges and are offering up other names. In turn, for offering allegations against other people, this is how they demonstrate to prosecutors they deserve a lighter sentence. If Eachus was a serious player or integral as to what was going on, why wasn’t he identified when (former state Rep. Mike) Veon and the others were announced as major defendants? It’s curious to me why Eachus’ name is just coming out now." (WB Times Leader 1/3/10)

It goes without saying that we are surprised that a Northeast Pennsylvania political commentator who brags about his "expert commentary" would be surprised at revelations of criminality by a NEPA politician, but let's set that aside and compare Baldino's statement today with his "expert commentary" regarding former Senator Vince Fumo and criminal activity by other state senators:

"That begs the question of how pervasive some of this alleged activity might be, said Tom Baldino, a political science professor at Wilkes-Barre University in Luzerne County. 'If Fumo is convicted, it makes you wonder how many other senators knew of it, or minimally used staff in the same way,' said Baldino, who, like Fumo, grew up in South Philadelphia. 'It raises doubts of why someone didn't say anything about this behavior of Fumo.' (Tribune Review 2/25/09)

Let's get this straight. Baldino is suspicious of Corbett's witnesses when Eachus is found culpable of using taxpayer resources for political campaigns, yet Fumo's conviction casts doubt on the ethical standards of every state senator?

Sounds like a case of NIMBY (not in my backyard) when it comes to Baldino and a politician that he knows personally. That is pretty amaturish. Come on, Professor...you've got to stay consistent if you want to be ranked up there with Dr. Terry Madonna.

If Baldino had kept up on things via CasablancaPA, he would have known that it isn't just Corbett's witnesses that put the finger on Eachus and that Eachus' problems haven't arisen "late in the process." Corbett had hundreds of incriminating emails that showed Eachus to be a "serious player" in House Democratic campaign activity, and Baldino would could have found many of them in the Veon motion from July of 2009 right here at CasablancaPA.

You don't have to have a PhD to get it. Legislators of both parties using taxpayer resources for political campaign purposes is pervasive and a practice that has been common since Ben Franklin was in the Speaker's Chair. Any commentator who feigns disbelief about it should immediately lose their "expert commentary" license and join Matt Haverstick in the Department of Cluelessness at the University of Self-Rightousness.