While we fashion the Comet's own endorsement:
VIDEO: KDKA, Jon Delano.
"We need a mayor who has a vision. A mayor who knows how to grow this community. In this election, it's quite simple." ... State Rep. Ed Gainey, Democrat, Newly Fighting 24th
THE LIST: 2PJs
RECENT PROOF OF OBJECTIVE: WQED, Forum on City issues.
"While we fashion the Comet's own endorsement"
ReplyDeleteThe suspense is killing me!
Here are some more photos from yesterday's press conference http://p2pac.com/2013/04/25/p2pac-joins-with-40-elected-officials-advocacy-orgs-that-have-endorsed-bill-peduto/
ReplyDeleteBrianTH - I know, right? :) There's a short sneak-preview version now under this comment.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't address Wheatley's bid but that will take a separate and serious missive. Structurally his presence in the race is bad for Peduto (marketing himself as "the most extreme form of change", appealing more to progressives than to traditional conservative 'burgh Dems) but in terms of moving the conversation his presence might be magnetic enough provide Peduto a karmic benefit vis a vis Wagner.
Another one rides the bus
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/pittsburghparks/status/327191805865123842
So, he trots out people who have previously endorsed him as one big group and this is considered news?
ReplyDeleteGive me a break.
Doesn't help that he has Fitz front and center. Oh, wait --- he is Fitz's boy.
the best part was the Costa bros. putting their rep on the line for a nobody on a quixotic bid for glory. Guy " Sancho" Costa hooked his brothers into supporting his man. Guy wants nothing from Bill.Wrong answer!!
ReplyDelete@aNONymous 1:20 pm
ReplyDeleteThose men and women were not "trotted out" as passive objects. A group of experienced, long-time community leaders decided to stand together as a concerted, coordinated front behind a man that has been working with many of them and other elected officials, community groups, advocates, unions, ETC for years. They decided to demonstrate loyalty and support that has been EARNED over time and which seems to indicate that such support might be good for the community that supports them.
And as for your "Fitz-boy" cliche of a cowpie insult, it makes me sick with utter boredom, the nauseated gray brain-buzz one feels waiting in a Greyhound bus station at 3am watching CNN run what is essentially the same baby-food pablum newsclip for the ninety ninth time in a nine hour period of recycling rumors and innuendo without any solid evidence.
My understanding is that Jay Costa, Dan Frankel, and Sharene Shealy and possibly Bill Robinson were new endorsements among some others.
ReplyDeleteIt is still true that Guy Costa was given a leave of absence by Fitz from the County to go work for Peduto. Fitz was smart enough to know that Bill needed serious help getting into many of PGH's neighborhoods and Guy knows Pittsburgh. I'm betting Jay and Paul jumped in to the group yesterday to support Guy and not necessarily for Peduto. Note for the record that many in the pic DO NOT LIVE in the City and can not vote in this race. Peduto is grasping at straws...but we can also say it's not over yet...this race has been one that no one could ever have predicted six months ago.
ReplyDeleteThey represent the City residents in large respects... many respects... and those are some straws. I'll take them over over the life preserver Wagner grabbed care of Ravenstahl's entourage six ways from Sunday.
ReplyDeletewhat happened to boy mayors 900k and endorsement...did i miss something?
ReplyDeleteAnon 10:56 - I don't see Ravenstahl officially endorsing anyone in this race, owing to the fact that he is political poison and he knows it. I have no idea what's happening with his $900K, but it may not matter quite so much now that Jack can raise completely unlimited cash of his own. Unless Team Luke is absolutely terrified (and they've always been the ready believers in their own spin) he's probably going to revert to his standard, keeping most of it to himself. Apparently one can use it for personal expenses if one can claim it's helping one network, meet people etc.
ReplyDeleteNice ad by Bill P. with the fake cops.
ReplyDeleteWhere is his next fake endorsement coming from?
This might be a good point to ask what ever happened to Bob O'Connor's campaign cash? When he died it was around $100,000. Presumably it got transferred somehow to Corey? But who knows?
ReplyDeleteLooks like the land of misfit toys. Everyone and anyone who has lost a race, been deposed and is just generally angry at the world. No positive forces in that crowd.
ReplyDeleteAnon 7:25 - I wasn't aware that City officers refuse to walk or talk with Peduto. Because unless they all won't speak with him, the add isn't implying anything improper. Is this the first ad in the history of Pgh to include a visual of police? There's no "endorsement" suggested and the FOP should give its trumped up fake umbrage a break.
ReplyDelete@ Bram 930am...that has to be one of the most disingenuous things you've said in about two or three days since you played with AA community endorsement numbers. It's all about the visual and yes there is an implied endorsement with the fake cops and Bill walking down the street.
ReplyDeleteNot Fitz the First - I've walked with cops down the street from time to time. It's never even remotely occurred to me they were endorsing me. Cops work with all City office holders, all the time: the ones their union leaders endorse, the ones they themselves endorse despite their union leaders, and the ones they don't care about one way or another. Deal with it.
ReplyDeleteIt's more impressive to me that Peduto supports cops, than that their blowhard union leadership supports Wagner.
Now, why did Wagner choose of his own free will to vote with Corbett to cut seniors and familes' services, and to raise his own pay and pension? Because that's a thing "a leader with accountability" would stand up and admit to, and defend, rather than rely on the Tribune Review to smear the truthteller baselessly.
ReplyDelete"It's all about the visual and yes there is an implied endorsement with the fake cops and Bill walking down the street."
ReplyDeleteBull -- it illustrates Peduto standing up for them which is exactly what the voiceover is saying when the visual is shown.
Then of course there's Wagner's new ad which contains actual ad hominem attacks...
ReplyDeletePeduto supporters are the most ridiculous and immature bunch of people I've ever encountered on this planet. Supporters of Peduto make baseless attacks for weeks and weeks not a peep from the Wagner campaign. Mean spirited ttacks like Jack is "bumbling around like old drunkard", trying to tie him to the current administration creating a false idea that Jack is the "Establishment". Even more bogus concepts like Wagnerstahl, never mentioning anything about why their candidate is better. As soon as the Wagner campaign responds, the crying and whining starts, "Aren't we supposed to make baseless attacks and try to create this bogus impression that Jack is the status quo candidate without them calling us out and rightfully pointing out Bill's actual flaws as a candidate?" Bottom line to me the Peduto campaign has always been trying tear the other candidate(s) down more than making a cogent argument about Mr. Peduto.
ReplyDeletePeduto "saved" police jobs the same ways that all non-union employees "saved" police --- with a pay freeze for all of them --- not just Bill. A little bit more of his distortions of what really happens.
ReplyDeleteIf he really cared about public safety, he would have taken the lead on that on council during his time there. Better yet, he would have attended at least one of the annual briefings given by the police to members of council rather than always sending D.G.
PUH-leeze, like Wagner supporters haven't been slamming Peduto as someone who doesn't play well with others for weeks...where do you think they got that quote for that new ad from?
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's been the mainstream media that's noted that Wagner has been picking up Lukey's/The Establishment's biggest supporters and donors.
And as far as the Peduto campaign focusing more on tearing others down "more than making a cogent argument about Mr. Peduto," that's because the Wagner camp seems to thinks that actual concrete ideas and policies don't count as an argument -- or maybe they'd propose some. Their whole argument seems to rest on "Jack's a LEADER!" rather than here's what he'll do. So, I guess it's only natural that you could ignore the 100 policy papers Peduto is putting out as not counting as a "cogent argument."
Anon 9:01 - I think Peduto did take the lead on Council supporting the police: to defend the rules on a Mayor bypassing ranks on officer promotions (guarding against Command Cliques), and to treat those decisions with more scrutiny so the Bureau doesn't get embarrassed (promoting those with domestic allegations on record should either be done with a knowing and strong Mayoral defense, or for the good of community confidence in sensitivity and lawful demeanor, not done at all.) And he's often there for equipment, vehicles, all that is necessary. The rumor mill inside the FOP braintrust is working overdrive but he has a strong record.
ReplyDeleteAnd he says he wants to give Commanders more leeway to structure public safety zone by unique zone... you'd think that would be popular.
The one overriding similarity among those on that portico, from my own perspective, is that all of them generally are openly, honestly eager to discuss the city and the region and its future - not merely to speechify, but to discuss. While there, I spoke with Dr. Martoni, the President of County Council, about our unrecountable voting systems; I spoke with several individuals about the latest local green initiatives; I chatted with the representative of the PFT, the representative from CeaseFire, and others, and that's just my own flitting about. There were innumerable productive conversations going on. And I saw no political posturing, no turning away, no one waving anyone away with closed ears and a cold shoulder.
ReplyDeleteAnd a word about Guy Costa, whom I first met back when our kids played baseball. The City lost a load of expertise and ability when he stopped being Public Works Director. The first snowstorm after he left office (Snowmageddon), he called the new Director and offered his assistance, gratis. (He was turned down.) Guy Costa does know the city well, in a non-prejudicial, complete sort of way. And that is valuable.
Those who were on that portico are some of the most approachable persons in public service. Their ears and minds are open (some maybe more than others). Those serving in State legislative office are the most future-oriented, the most energetic, the most visibly in office not just for their own political gain.
The Anonymous who said it was a collection of misfit losers must have a rather stilted way of looking at things. I found the crowd to be a breath of fresh air, especially relative to what the current administration was doing inside the building at the same time.
Maria...she came here to get some action since that 2pj blog of hers gets almost zero comments except when another blogger friend chimes in, sorta like the daily Bram, Helen, Flyby kumbaya!!
ReplyDeleteFly--- completely agree with your assessment of Guy Costa.
ReplyDeleteHe is a very good man and leader. Was sorry to see him leave the City.
Bruce Kraus too is a very good, if not the best City Councilman.
Can't say anything good about Fitz. He has been a big disappointment. He is lucky to have run against such a weak opponent.
Natalia Rudiak has been a disappointment in that I was expecting her to go in and be an independent voice for the South Hills. Too quickly, she fell in with Shields and Peduto and lost ant semblance of independence.
Despite the protests registered here, Bill's ad with the fake police (with badges that look like official police badges) is deceptive at best. You keep talking about his 100 proposals, if these are so good, why did he have to go negative so fast and using a deceptive ad?
It wasn't deceptive. Wagner's politics are further to the right.
DeleteDecades ago, I worked in advertising. My boss used to say that the first most important thing to know is the target audience for the product.
ReplyDeleteIf voters respond to negative ads, then make negative ads to reach them. If voters respond to being told for whom to vote, then by all means do that.
Of course, one has to know how to find those target audience members. That was the job of the department I worked in (Media). If you buy time during Jeopardy, you get the older audience. If you buy time during local news, you get those who want to know what things have been happening around town.
There are voters who count yard signs, and so those become an important advertising medium.
Personally, I choose candidates to vote for by seeing what they do, listening to what they say, and talking with them.
Not everyone does that.
Personally, too, I think advertising should be totally unnecessary in elections. Good information should be overwhelmingly available for citizens. And candidates should be spending even more time in public forums. (This election has had a lot of them. There are more to come. And most do not cost money to attend.)
The idea that the first candidate to knock on your door usually gets your vote is ridiculous, too. It's all glad-handing and grandstanding. And fundraising! We vote for the candidates who are the best at fundraising! Even if that has nothing to do with the office for which the candidate is running.
But that is what it is. Play the game at hand, if that is the game you wish to win. Maybe later you can change the game.
At Anon 7:42 AM
ReplyDeleteYou write: Peduto supporters are the most ridiculous and immature bunch of people I've ever encountered on this planet.
I know Wagner and Peduto supporters to be mixed lots, with mixed motives, with mixed levels of maturity - I am most certainly sure that we all share in common occasional bouts of the ridiculous. I don't believe it's mature or sensible to lump any bunch of my fellow citizens who support either candidate under broad categories when we're facing terrible systemic corruption in our government that threatens to swamp our economy and democracy on local and national levels.
We have enormous practical problems to figure out together. We won't get far if we don't respect both the difficult facts of our situation and the difficult process of fair, thoughtful debate about what to do about those challenges.
Forget the FOP and forget the ad. Has anyone here actually talked to a cop about what they think of the candidates?
ReplyDelete