State Democratic Chair TJ Rooney said some unfortunate things yesterday when Barbara Hafer challenged the lack of transparency in the process of naming a candidate for the May 18th Special Election.
"I find it repugnant and patently offensive that Ms. Hafer would attack the ability of the members of the executive committee to read and write," he said. "It's time she get over it, because it's been decided, it's done, and it's time to move on. I would encourage all Democrats to get behind this candidate, because the Republican Party is going to make this special election a national election."
"Repugnant" was a poor choice for someone overseeing a process which, as we here at The Pennsylvania Progressive, revealed, was rigged from the beginning. Mark Critz, the Governor's choice, told Alex Roarty of PoliticsPA he had fifty of the hundred votes sewn up in a local straw poll which would influence the State Committee vote (and did according to many). The problem was the delegates slated to vote in that process had yet to be determined. The fix was in.
I cannot fault Mrs. Hafer for complaining about the process since it was rigged. The Democratic Party in Pennsylvania has a long record of such shenanigans under the leadership of Ed Rendell. I don't fault Rooney, he's a good man and a friend, but he's also Rendell's man as Mary Isenhour is Rendell's Executive Director and Don Morabito before her. As sitting Governor Rendell runs the Pennsylvania Democratic Party and he has done so with an iron fist for eight years. He forced Hafer out of the 2006 Senatorial race to clear the field for Bob Casey Jr. Others have been endorsed or pressured by the Party and the situation in the 12th CD is characteristic of goings on in the Party. I left the Democratic Party over similar shenanigans.
Calling Barbara Hafer, who served for 16 years as Auditor General and Treasurer "repugnant" for accurately questioning the lack of transparency was a very poor choice of words. I'm sure TJ Rooney, a classy guy, will apologize to her shortly. |
