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O’Brien: Kanjorski is ‘protecting Wall Street’
Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien sought Thursday to frame his primary against Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) as a contest between Main Street and Wall Street, asserting that campaign finance reports to be published this month would prove who is “protecting Wall Street, and who is protecting Main Street.”
“He hasn’t supported working families in our region because he is too busy protecting Wall Street,” O’Brien told pa2010.com after rolling out an economic plan. “I think you’re going to find that I’ve raised most of my money from Main Street. The people who believe we need a new vision, a new leadership in our district … those are the people who are funding my campaign.”
The volley underscored what will clearly be O’Brien’s strategy of trying to tie Kanjorski to Wall Street as he attempts to unseat the longtime incumbent this year, and hinted that the race could quickly become a bitter one.
As chairman of the powerful House Financial Services subcommittee, Kanjorski has indeed benefited from campaign contributions from the finance industry over the years. But he’s also taken a lead in crafting financial reform legislation slowly working its way through Congress.
A Kanjorski campaign spokesman quickly shot back.
“That is empty negative rhetoric and O’Brien knows it,” spokesman Ed Mitchell wrote in an e-mail. “If Congressman Kanjorski has not supported working families then why has O’Brien so strongly supported him for reelection up till now? Why has the labor movement overwhelming backed Kanjorski if he’s such a foe of working people? If the Congressman is such a supporter of Wall St, why is he leading the way in the subcommittee he chairs for tighter regulation and reform of banks and the investment industry?
“Congressman Kanjorski has always championed efforts to raise the minimum wage,” he added, “for job creation and training programs, for high workplace safety standards and for preserving and protecting Social Security and Medicare as well as well as health care reform. Congressman Kanjorski has always stood up for working people and O’Brien knows that well. He has nothing else to say so he makes it up.”
In the interview, O’Brien also reiterated his criticism of Kanjorski’s initial vote against President Obama’s economic stimulus package early last year. And while he wouldn’t put a target on the money he’ll need to raise to beat Kanjorski, who’s known as a potent fundraiser, he said “we’ll raise more than enough money to be extremely competitive.”
January 7, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Tags: Corey O'Brien, PA-11, Paul Kanjorski
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Pete
Jan 7th, 2010
Why did O’Brien support Kanjo for reelection in 2008? BECAUSE KANJO WAS RUNNING AGAINST LOU (DOBBS) BARLETTA! I supported Kanjo in 2008, as well…mainly because any freaking Democrat with a pulse would be better than Hazleton’s Neanderthal in Chief.
Now that O’Brien is in the race, Democrats have a better option than Paul Kanjorski (D-Fannie Mae).
Rematch Tussle for PA’s Kanjorski… | GrassrootsPA
Jan 7th, 2010
[...] O’Brien: Kanjorski ‘protecting Wall Street’… [...]
The Pennsylvania Guardian
Jan 7th, 2010
O’Brien held a press conference at Dunmore coners in Lackawanna County today. From the photos it looked like O’Brien was standing on the sidewalk of the First National Community Bank of Dunmore’s parking lot.
Former Mt. Airy Casino owner Louis Denaples is the suspended chairman of the board of the bank and former Luzerne County Kids for Cash Judge Michael Conahan was on the board of directors of the bank before his indictment.
It seems odd that a politician would claim to be protecting main street, with his back to billionaire Louis Denaples’ bank on the bank’s property.
When the campaign finance data comes out next month, it should be interesting to see who is bank rolling O’Brien’s campaign.
Molly Maguire
Jan 7th, 2010
If O’Brien was standing on the sidewalk in the parking lot, well, that is public property. To suggest that the bank with the former DeNaples/Conahan connection being in the background suggests a connection between O’Brien and those crooks is assinine. Really, how silly. It’s like saying I’m an arsonist because I smoke the same brand of cigarettes used by an infamous arsonist or something. What makes you think O’Brien and his staff were aware of the bank’s connections when they set up the event? Most people probably are not.
And I agree with the first comment–this criticism of O’Brien for running against Kanjo and being critical if him now when he supported him in 2008 is just plain dumb, it’s one of the dumbest things I ever heard in politics and gawd knows you hear a lot of dumb things in the 11th. OF COURSE he supported him in 2008–what was he going to do, vote for Barletta? Abstain from voting on principle and allow Kanjo to be defeated and that disgrace Barletta to get in? I’m no big Kanjorski fan and I think he’s got problems and has probably been in office too long, but did I vote for him in 2008? You betcha–I’m a Democrat for crying out loud, and that year we had no better alternative. We’ll have to see if Corey shapes up to be a better alternative for us this year than Kanjo and if he’s got the stuff to defeat Barletta in the fall–if he does, then he’ll probably get my vote.
David Diano
Jan 7th, 2010
I can think of plenty of reasons why O’Brian could have supported Kanjo in 2008, and challenges him now:
Maybe…
1) In 2008, O’Brian felt he could best serve as commissioner.
2) He merely supported Kanjo over the GOP candidate.
3) O’Brian wanted more experience points before running for Congress, and wanted to wait until he was ready.
4) Kanjo’s hasn’t lived up to 2008 promises.
O’Brian’s previous support of Kanjo doesn’t sound relevant.
hank
Jan 13th, 2010
Cory has little man syndrome with high hopes!You bet they picked dunmore with fncb in the back ground he could of picked any where!Why there?Watch to see what ram consultants donates!