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Wednesday, August 19, 2009

John Callahan's Got Legs and He Knows How to Use Them

Allentown's Cedar Creek Park has certainly been in the news of late, thanks in large part to all that controversy and poor communication over many of the changes planned by the Pawlowski administration. But everyone relaxed a bit on Sunday. It was "Pride in the Park" day, an annual celebration of the Lehigh Valley's gay community. A pilgrimage of politicians visits every year to speak and get teased.

This year, it seems that the LV gay community was rating the legs of different politicians who rose to speak. Walter Felton, who is running for magistrate in Allentown, got a 9. But Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan blew everyone away with an even 10. In fact, when Pride board member Rob Hopkins introduced Callahan, he said, "I know all three mayors, and John Callahan definitely has the best legs."

He's got legs and he knows how to use them.

In addition to showing them off to an appreciative audience, Callahan is using those legs to run away from the most important issue facing this country right now - health care reform.

Jake Towne, an independent congressional candidate, actually sent a detailed health care proposals to post on this blog and submitted an op-ed that was published in The Morning Call. Google reports 173,000 sources of information for incumbent Congressman Charlie Dent's positions on health care. Just last week, Congressman Dent stood outside Lehigh Valley Hospital's emergency room, advocating that physicians who provide life-saving emergency treatment, should be treated like good Samaritans. You might disagree with both Dent and Towne, but at least you know where they stand. But how about Congressional wannabe John Callahan?

He's got legs and he knows how to use them.

Does he support House Health Care bill HR 3200, which Speaker Nancy Pelosi is shoving down our throats? This is what The Morning Call's Scott Kraus reports: "Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, a Democrat who is expected to be Dent's opponent in 2010, would not say whether he supports the current legislation." Then why the hell is he running in the first place?

Congressman Charlie Dent’s campaign manager, Shawn Millan, is calling on Callahan to state clearly and definitively where he stands on this important issue as a service to the voters he wants to represent. “Callahan claimed that he wanted to challenge Charlie on the issues. Maybe he hasn’t read the papers lately, but health care is certainly THE issue on the minds of tens of thousands of people in the 15th District."

Actually, Shawn, Callahan does read the papers and must know that the Pelosi Pill is too bitter to most Americans. He also knows his goofy sales tax increase, targeted at low and middle income people, is making voters angry.

“John Callahan shouldn’t be allowed to get away with a ‘no comment’ on an issue this important to America,” Millan added.

“We’ll make it very easy for Mayor Callahan,” said Millan. “Yes or no, does he favor the Pelosi takeover of health care by the government outlined in HR 3200? And, yes or no, does he favor the so-called ‘public option’ which, in the words of Rep. Barney Frank, will lead to a single-payer system?

"John Callahan doesn’t get to hide behind his handlers at the DCCC on this issue. Let him tell the voters where he stands and let them decide from his position whether or not they think he belongs in Congress,” concludes Millan.

The problem is that, whenever Callahan opens his mouth, he hurts himself. In addition to promoting a regressive sales tax increase, he's claimed that the "quick infusion" of a federal stimulus package would eliminate any state budget crisis. I'll bet he wished he had that one back. So instead of speaking on the issues, he's running from them.

He's got legs, and he knows how to use them.
Update: A gaggle of union-led public insurance proponents rallied outside Congressman Dent's Bethlehem office yesterday, claiming there's no time to wait. Looks like they're protesting at the wrong office.

43 comments:

ironpigpen said...

OF COURSE a politican should have to state his position...but officially no comment.

Forget about the issue. What I wanted to say was good piece of writing. You set the whole thing up very nicely.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Thanks. No gay person was injured during the writing of this essay.

ironpigpen said...

Good. Hopefully, the Park was not injured, either.

Anonymous said...

As a healthcare voter, I was fully ready to vote for Callahan over Dent when he announced his bid to run because I assumed he was pro-public option. I was very surprised to realize that Callahan had yet to take a strong stand on healthcare. It makes a voter like me wonder what the reason would be to vote for him instead of Dent if they're both against public option. Also, IF he jumps on the public option bandwagon sometime soon, how loyal is he to that group if he was undecided even after he announced his bid?

Anonymous said...

The question for Charlie is does he agree with Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh that Obama wants to create "death panels", could Charlie show that exact languauge in any of the half dozen bills that currently exist. Will he publicly denounce Palin and Limbaugh for fear-baiting this important debate. A public statement Shawn.

What is Charlies answer, besides leaving America as the 32nd healthiest nation behind Costa Rica.

What is Charlies specific ideas, not the Party taliking points which is no plan at all. Millan is a paid hack, I love how ohater has elevated him to somehow become the conscience of the Nation on Healthcare. You claim to hate the political hacks. I guess the mancrush hacks get immunity.

Mayor Callahan won't fall into the trap Charlies handlers laid for other opponents. The great thing is he ignores this blog, I hope he keeps that up. This place is slightly right of North Korea.

Anonymous said...

Sarah Palin is irrelevant and there is no such thing as death panels.

That is why "end of life" panels were removed from the proposed bill exactly 72 hours after she started talking about them as death panels.

Limbaugh never used the term except to quote others who had - primarily Palin. And now the panels are off the table.

Anonymous said...

They were not removed because they were never mentioned in any of the bills. The first use of "end of Life Counseling", was signed into law by George W Bush with the medicare revisions. The latest incarnation was put there by a Republican Senator. Democrats must learn not to be so trusting. To the GOP healthcare is a game. The Republicans want to negotiate this bill to death. No matter what is "negotiated", the Republicans won't vote for it anyway.

Mr. Limbaughs trick of only repeating, "what he heard", failed him this time. Check the audio of five days ago. He states that "Obama has had to pull the death panels and that is what they are".

We have the tape, we have the audio. Your BS, will be a tough sell this go around.
The Dem's finally have a few folks willing to crawl throught the sewers with you folk and Charlie won't be allowed to smile his way out of this.

Does he agree with Palin and Limbaugh on "Death Panels", yes or no? An easy question and an easy answer for an informed congreessman.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I did not bring up that death panel talk, which is nonsense. I asked an important question - WHAT IS CALLAHAN'S POSITION ON HEALTH CARE REFORM? Having decided to run for Congress, I would think he might have a reason. Since this is only the single most important issue facing this country right now, he owes the voters a little more than "no comment."

Sanctifying Grace said...

You bum! You knew Wednesdays are George days. You knew I was putting a profile picture of you on my Avatar! I got to change it now. Damn!

Anonymous said...

Charlie has yet to give a real answer to that question. The Republican option is no option. staus Quo, scare seniors, scare the young. Hell scare everyone and tell people to wear weapons to President Obama's meetings.

I remember when a couple early in Bush regime were tossed from a meeting for wearing t-shirts with Bush' name with a line through it.

Charlie has the Republican position on Healthcare???, which is no position at all.

So I guess both Callahan and Charlie have the same no comment at this time.

Callahn is more honest with his real, no comment. Charlie refers you to the many non-bills and non- plans the protecters of big healthcare pay him to front.

Simple questions ohare, I guess the answer is Charlie willnot answer about his support fot the Palin-Limbaugh policy statements.

Joe Hilliard said...

Anon 2:39,

Callahan is "honest" with his no comment statement?

Yeah, he is saying one of the following -

"I have no position on H.B. 3200."

OR

"I will not tell you my position on H.B. 3200."

That is not leadership. The first statement is ludicrous. How can ANYONE have no position on this bill? The second is typical because politicians must appease their political masters and assess public opinion. Leaders decide and explain their position to the voters.

This country needs more leaders and far fewer politicians. (Which is my major complaint regarding the GOP as well!)

Anonymous said...

keep repeating Rush and Sarah are bad, very bad...
If that doesn't work try. "it's all their fault".

Scott Armstrong

Anonymous said...

What position will Callahan take on health care and other important issues if elected to the house? What ever position he is told to by house leadership.

Scott Armstrong

ironpigpen said...

"This place is slightly right of North Korea"

Are you Kim Jong-Il secretly causing disruption, O'Hare?

:)

Anonymous said...

Let's be honest here for a moment: we give presidential candidates a couple of years to flush out their policy proposals and positions, they release them and then we pick through them. How about we give a congressional candidate a couple of months to do the same. If he doesn't start taking clear positions in January when he is officially a candidate (as in, able to circulate petitions), then take pot shots. Until then, he's preparing, doing his homework and running the city of Bethlehem. Seeing as their is no "official" health care bill (there is like 30 proposals going through the senate), I think it's reasonable for the candidate to be FULLY educated. Considering he is focused on being mayor full time, I think that is fair to give him time. Voters aren't ready to start election debates more than a year away from the election.

Anonymous said...

8:34 is right on target. He makes the most sense. Bernie don't you think your love affair with vote no dent should at least wait until january. Stop the madness!!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm Charlie Dent and all I do is vote, "NO"

My constituents ask why and I tell them where to go...

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Let's be honest here for a moment: we give presidential candidates a couple of years to flush out their policy proposals and positions, they release them and then we pick through them."

No we don't and that's not honest. Palin was raked over for not knowing the issues within 2 weeks of being nominated for VP, and rightly so. I expect my Congressman and anyone who wants that job to know all about the single most important issue in America today, and that happens to be our health care system. No pass on that. Callahan, if he disagrees with Charlie on the issues, should at least have a position himself.

As far as not having a postion himself, I've linked to a fairly exhaustive list of his own opinions. I've written about it extensively here, and as recently as last week.

"Considering he is focused on being mayor full time, I think that is fair to give him time. Voters aren't ready to start election debates more than a year away from the election."

Where have you been? Bennett's campaign against Dent started 18 months before the election.

And this is not just an election issue. It's an important topic, the kind of thing that makes one decide to run for congress. It drives 1/6th of our economy. If Callahan has no position, then why the hell is he running? Blind ambition?

I agree that job as mayor should take his full attention. If he does not have time to do that and run for congress, then perhaps he needs to drop his congressional bid.

Anonymous said...

There are about a zillion health care plans in Congress. He will have no say in the one that is decided on anyway. I'm sure he'll support the public option plan..Nothing else makes any sense. Maybe he'll support the Republican plan?? Oops!! I forgot!They have none!!!

Bernie O'Hare said...

Actually, Obama has no bill. The legislation being considered is from Pelosi, and even Obama is leaning away from public insurance and towards a collective. That's an idea put forth by blue dogs and Republicans.

Callahan knows that, whatever he says, he will lose votes. So he is saying nothing. That may be politically expedient, but it is not leadership and actually hurts the public debate.

Anonymous said...

"Callahan knows that, whatever he says, he will lose votes. So he is saying nothing. That may be politically expedient, but it is not leadership and actually hurts the public debate."


BULLSEYE.

Anonymous said...

Love today's profile photo. George "The Animal" Steele is a former teacher with a B.S. from Michigan State and a masters from Central Michigan. I'm not sure where he stands on the health care debate.

Anonymous said...

Democrats DO NOT require Republican votes in either House of Reps or Senate (fillibuster-proof)

This OBAMA and the Democrats' ballgame - the health bill

Whatever happened to "keep your laws off my body" ???

I guess THAT slogan is just for abortion activists.

WHAT OBAMA PROMISED ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AND SAID IN SPEECHES AS A JUNIOR SENATOR FROM ILLINOIS IS WELL-DOCUMENTED

Obama's message nowadays seems to be changing everyday...

...he seems to have lost some of his Magical Charms trying so hard to "campaign" lately.

Burned out?

Anonymous said...

The Dent position on Healthcare is clearly the staus quo. He feels the Insurance Companies are in the best position to detrmine what we as consumersneed from our Doctors. If they feel you are a burden you are dropped from coverage. That is the staus quo. That is the Dent healthcare package. The GOP is owned lock stock and barrel by the Big Medicine Corporations. They have fooled Obama into thinking they would negotiate but they have no intentions of negotiating anything,
So at worst Callahan agrees with Dent any plan beyond that is better than Dent's

When will Charlie give a simple yes or no to whether he endorses the scare tactics of Limbaugh, Palin and Fox as well as other GOP leaders?

The sound of silence is Charlie telling you how important the people are in this debate.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Dent's position is NOT the status quo. Read what he has to day. First, he believes tort reform will reduce the cost of defensive medicine. Second, he believes those who pay for health insurance should get tax credits. Third, he believes insurance should be available across state lines. Fourth, he is willing to consider cooperatives. Fifth, he has argued that emergency care workers are Good Samaritans who should be exempt from litigation. Sixth, he supports programs to reduce all the bueaucracy and forms that help make medical care 1/6 of our budget.

We know where Charlie Dent stands. We know where Jake Towne stands. On the single most important issue in this country, we don't know where John Callahan stands. And that is inexcusable.

Anonymous said...

So Dent is anti-healthcare, ok. But I would have more respect for him if he would not accept his federal insurance which is taxpayer based, doesn't discriminate against pre-existing conditions and doesn't drop anyone's insurance if they get sick and are too costly. Dent should have the same insurance his constituents has. I would love to see all those old white men with medical conditions struggle to find some insurance company that would accept them. I bet less than half would get insurance without Medicare. To go one step further, he should suggest a bill to abolish Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA, which are all govt. run healthcare programs.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Actually, Dent never joined the federal health insurance program. He stuck w/ the state. And don't you think it's just a tad petty to slam him bc he has health insurance? Do you slam Callahan bc he has a preety good health insurance plan himself? The issue here is why Callahan, who wants to be a Congressman, would be unwilling to tell us where he stands on the single biggest issue right now?

Anonymous said...

Bernie, Give it a break..Everyone knows you love Charlie..You are looking through this with tainted glasses. No matter what callahan does you'll find another way to attack him and prop up Dent...You have absolutely no credibilty on this issue. Never, never will!!

Bernie O'Hare said...

It's certainly true that I like Chalrie Dent as LV Congressman as much as I like John Callahan as Bethlehem's mayor. I've been pretty up front about that. I admire both of them.

But you haven't answered my question. I'll bet Callahan has all kinds of opinions about the casino, one way streets in Bethlehem and that lovable hot dog dude, nut he wants to expand beyond Bethlehem. If so, then he owes it to us, the people who vote, to tell us where he stands on national issues. Is that so hard? If he is afraid to do so, he's already lost. If he is unprepared to do so, then he should never have run in the first place.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if this is why he's hesitant to make this a campaign issue.

"Before becoming Mayor of the City of Bethlehem Callahan was a Senior Institutional Healthcare Consultant for Pfizer, Inc., a “Fortune 20” company. The company had employed him for 13 years."

http://www.bethlehem-pa.gov/about/mayor/

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Sanctifying Grace said...

Bernie,

Does The Mayor have a campaign manager as of yet? If so, what is his or her name?

Peace, ~~Alex a/k/a ~~The Brain!

Bernie O'Hare said...

Anon 10:14, Ironically, Dent has been attacked bc he accepts contributions from the pharmacy industry, and now it appears that Callahan worked there. I don't think it's wrong to accept money from constituents within your district, not do I think Callahan's job should be held against him.

Fr. Alex, I will let you know when I find out.

Anonymous said...

Bobby Heenan was no angry priest but he was a very entertaining member of the WWE.

Callahan should ignore this blog. He will never get a fair shake on Dent.com

Sanctifying Grace said...

From now on, instead of calling you Anonymous; I'll call you:

The Invisible!

The mind is a terrible thing to waste. That's why I use my brain, instead!

Peace, ~~Alex

Bernie O'Hare said...

I admire and respect John Callahan, but believe there's nothing unfair about expecting a congressional candidate to have a view on the most important topic facing our nation. Some of you may be content with the fact that he happens to be a Dem. I don't look at things that way.

Anonymous said...

So Charlie has his six great solutions to the Health Care crisis in America. Really?

1. Tort Reform. The gold standard for GOP lemmings. If only we would kill all the malpractice lawyers healthcare would be a wonderful cheap thing. Lets cut throught this baloney. Many states including PA, have worked on tort reform and no one denies that fear of lawsuits is a serious concern to Healthcare professionals. Of course it is the Insurance Companies that charge these crazy rates that are nowhere near the amounts awarded and for that matter ever collected by individuals. I think if a public option is put in, folks who want it must agree to binding arbitrtation of medical malpractice claims through a mutually approved of Health panel. The idea that Americans must surrender all rights to seek recourse for medical malpractice is an interesting twist on the Capitalist system. Keep government out of health care but the government should protect healthcare from lawsuits, interesting. You do realize on the insurance side a team of lawyers will crush you to deny benifits and as I have seen will drag out a case until the patient dies. So I agree with some form of tort reform but cetain individual protections must exist in a free market or it isn't free anymore. Good old tort reform the GOP and Charlie have been walking that dog for 50 years.

Tax credits, So if I pay $1000 a month for insurance the government will let me write off $12,000? Sweet. Or is that not how it will work? You realize that is the government funded healthcare, backdoor version. Somehow the tax credits will never keep up with the cost, hasn't up to now. another favorite GOP pet.

Buy across State lines, most folks agree with that except no one has shown any solid evidence of that keeping cost down. We have competetion amongst gasoline brands and notice how the price per gallon doesn't vary by too much in any given region, competetion, hemmm?

Coooperatives, the GOP says they want this now. Of course we know they are stalling and if a cooperative is proposed it will have all the power of a 60 year old Rocky Balboa.

Emergency care immunity, Fine lay out the specfics. If a drunk paramedic screws up, you damn well better hold him accountable.

Reduce Bureaucracy, no crap. Wow lets also get rid of rats and replace them with purple unicorns. Everybody aboard the vague train.

So, I guess Charlie is for all the stuff the GOP has said since around 1948. In other words don't change anything that disrupts the profit of Big medicine.

Will Charlie now denounce Palin and Limbaugh? Charlie? Charlie?

You are right Bernie this is a very important topic, the most important for the Nation at this time and for this generation. I find Charlie's ideas as no ideas except mutually agreed upon concepts and protectionism for the Insurance Companies and Hospitals at the expense of individuals. We need to contain runaway double digit annual inflated cost of healthcare. We need a public option to control the cost drivers. Without control of the cost drivers you have not reformed a damned thing and the Republicans know it. Thank you for the opportunity to post.

Sleepy Patriot

Anonymous said...

Dear Sleepy Patriot --

I know how you control "cost drivers" -- you don't provide care.

No care -- little costs. It works in the UK.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/5955840/Patients-forced-to-live-in-agony-after-NHS-refuses-to-pay-for-painkilling-injections.html

See that was simple.

Ol Doc Graham

Bernie O'Hare said...

Sleepy Patriot,

Thanks for your comment. It is welcome. We know where Charlie stands. We know where Jake Towne stands. We have no isea where Callahan stands. That is a disservice to the voter on the most important issue facing us.

1. Tort Reform. I've always considered a medical malpractice lawsuit the best type of health care reform out there. Having said that, I'd agree that emergency room physicians and specialists sshould be exempted for their actions as good Samaritans. A drunk paramedic is not a good Samaritan. And something needs to be done to cut down on the costly defensive medicine being practiced. Basically, we agree. I don't think we're too far apart from Dent.

2.Tax credits. They will work essentially to encourage younger people to be insured. I do not know specifics, but your suggestion is, of course, ridiculous.

3. Insurance across state lines. You point to gas prices. I'll talk about insurance. NJ car insurance is outrrageous. Pa is low. And so on. It will allow people to search for the least expensive product.

4. Cooperaticves. This idea has appeal to Obama, many blue dogs and Republicans. Think about that.

5. Emergency care. Already discussed.

6. Bureaucracy. This is no vague proposal. Dent had some specific proposals in a 2006 debtae with Charles Dertinger, aimed at reducing the amount of paperwork by 70%, which translates to reduced cost.

As far as Palin or Limbaugh go, who cares? I don't. If we talk to each other instead of at each other, we can find room for a true bipartisan achievment. Obama has failed in that regard with the stim and cao-and-trade, but I think there are real possibilities here. Not all the R ideas are bad. Not all the D ideas are good.

But before we have this discussion, a candidate should at least state where he stands, especially on an issue of this admitted importance.

ironpigpen said...

Obama is not serious about tort reform.

Obama takes in too many contributions from lawyers to be truly supportive of that.

If Obama wanted to go hard after tort reform, he WOULD HAVE immediatlely in the same way he loaded up his plate with everything else.

Hurry, Hurry, Rush, Rush (Who cares about reading bills either if it saves time)

Obama is not serious about tort reform.

Phoebe Winslow said...

I have to admit, I have never seen JC's legs personally but how 'bout those lips? Looks like John Kennedy Junior's lips. Sorry Bernie, I am just saying......

Anonymous said...

Here's more
wrt why Callahan's ties to the drug industry may not make his health care play as "clean" as other dems.

Anonymous said...

The Republican Health care Reform Plan.

Blah, blah, blah...tort reform...Blah blah blah....Lawyers bad....blah blah blah.....Tort Reform...blah blah blah....only way.....blah blah blah....

Thank You

Anonymous said...

Hey 10:16, trust me Ohare has noticed. He has noticed.