5 PA Mayors Response to Obama's comment: OBAMA’S BITTER TASTE OF HIS OWN WORDS

rodeodance

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Apr-12-08 11:17 PM
Original message

5 PA Mayors Response to Obama's comment: OBAMA’S BITTER TASTE OF HIS OWN WORDS

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/04/obamas_bitter_taste_of_own_wor.html

5 PA Mayors Response to Obama's comment: OBAMA’S BITTER TASTE OF HIS OWN WORDS

April 12, 2008 5:30 PM

Chris Doherty, the mayor of Scranton, said: “I can tell you in Scranton and Northeast Pennsylvania, we’re optimistic. We’ve seen over 400,000 million invested in our city over the last seven years and we’re doing real well. It’s disappointing that Sen. Obama doesn’t realize that. He’s spent some time here and you could see the changes in our state and how well we are doing.

“As to people in our area turning to guns or to God or the perception that things are bad, the truth is what the governor said, people in Northeastern Pennsylvania like to hunt,’’ he said. “We worship our God regardless of our religion and that doesn’t happen in bad times necessarily, it happens as part of who we are, as people from Northeastern Pennsylvania. That tradition was passed down to us from our parents, from our grandparents, people in Pennsylvania have been here for three to four generations.

Robert Lucas, mayor of Sharon, Pa.: “The furthest thing from the truth is that we are bitter. To say that we cling to our religion and guns because of that – I can’t understand that. In this small city of 15,000, we have over 35 churches. Those churches weren’t built because we’re bitter and we don’t go to church because we are bitter.

“We don’t go up to the mountains to hunt because we are bitter. We’re concerned that seven years of Bush has really hurt us.’’

John Callahan, mayor of Bethlehem, Pa.: “We have lost thousands of high-paying blue collar, family-sustaining jobs. But we’re still here and we’re still fighting to make our cities and our neighborhoods strong.

Tom Leighton, mayor of Wilkes-Barre, Pa.: “Today’s the first day of fishing, and fishing and hunting brings families together. It allows time for fathers to spend time with their children. On top of other things that go on, whether it’s soccer or going to church, the people of Wilkes-Barre and the surrounding community have a strong faith and attend mass and their congregation daily.

The people of Wilkes-Barre “are not bitter,’’ the mayor said. “They are very optimistic about the future… We need leadership that is going to help us improve things here, not put us down.

Steve Reed, mayor of Harrisburg, Pa.: “We happen to like our small town values. We think they’re the bedrock of the American values that have built this nation and the people of our towns embrace their religions out of faith, not out of bitterness or frustration. I have found our small town citizens to be decent. They are hardworking. They are friendly. They are giving. They are caring. They are patriotic.

“They don’t deserve to be categorized as they were in the remarks made out in California,’’ he said. “It’s a very unfortunate stereotype of the citizens of our towns in this state, and in every state across the nation, to have them unfairly categorized as they were. Frankly, the remarks of Sen. Obama lacked judgment. They lack understanding.

“Frankly the remarks are condescending, they are negative, they are hurtful.’’