The Peril Of One-Party Rule

I thought this was an interesting item that popped up in the Philadelphia Inquirer online today (local Bucks County, PA stuff coming up).

It seems that, out of sheer desperation given the prospects of defeat in the fall, Vincent J. Deon, Northampton Township Republican Supervisor, sent an Email to urge Bucks County Repugs to “lean on courthouse employees and consultants for help in registering new GOP voters. “

"Many people owe their jobs to GOP leadership," it said. "Professionals, consultants, contractors, and loyal GOP supporters have benefitted handsomely."

“Lean on,” huh? What is this, a protection racket or a political party?

And when you read Deon’s Email here, he also states that if every courthouse employee and consultant that has a memory commits to registering 5 new Repug voters, their goal of registering 500 will be met.

I can just picture it now.

“Psst, buddy. C’mere. Here’s a registration form. Sign up as a Republican and nobody gets hurt. Ya’ got me?”

Fortunately, Steve Santarsiero (nice to misspell Steve’s name, Inky) and Diane Marseglia are running for the Bucks County Board of Commissioners to put things right on behalf of area residents and send Repugs Charles Martin and Jim Cawley packing. As noted in the story...

"This is what happens when you have one party controlling things for such a long time," said Steve Santasiero, one of the two Democratic candidates for the county board. "It's the arrogance of power."

Diane Marseglia, his running mate, said Deon's e-mail was an example of a "pay to play" mentality and questioned the GOP's disavowal of the message.

"I don't know how you distance yourself from someone who's an elected official, whose brother practically runs the Republican Party, and whose family has been involved in Republican politics for years," Marseglia said.

Deon's brother, Pasquale "Pat" Deon, is chairman of the regional SEPTA board and a member of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

If you’re as sick of the Repug status quo as I am (symptomatic of the mentality behind Deon’s letter), then click here to help Diane and Steve.

Update 8/18: Cause, meet effect (registration required - basically, Deon is out, and Dave Mellet, spokesperson for Steve and Diane, is right; if the Repugs were serious, Deon would have been out three weeks ago when he first denied responsibility, and at the very least, he should be voted off the Board of Supervisors).