Saturday, April 22, 2006

Crap trap Q & A about Diamond

I should not step here, as a crap-trap has been set. Nonetheless, I will dance around it, as it needs to be knocked down. However the best way to be is positive and direct. So, if you really want to get to the heart of the matter, listen to this podcast.

One-Man Think Tank: Russ Diamond weighs in on Swann endorsing Jubelirer Click on the link below to hear independent for governor Russ Diamond weigh in on Swann's endorsement of Jubelirer ...

Now back to the thread. ITALIC words are from a public email on another list. My reply is plain text.

Here's five reasons, not counting the allegations against him in the court papers, because they're merely allegations at this point, why I won't support the guy and why I think everyone here should be loyal to this cause and not the man behind the curtain.
For starters, learn to count. Any way you add, the number does not include five. The court papers have not materialized, so they are only allegations. When you serve papers to the court, you need to also serve the opposition. That has not happened.

To be a man behind the curtain, one would need to be behind a curtain. If one is visible, in plain view, with a spotlight to shine and be shined upon -- there is not man behind the curtain. The one's who are behind the curtain might be ones who run a blog at blogspot and don't put up personal identification. That has unfolded on a number of instances so far.
He (Russ Diamond) makes a controversial decision to run for office and it causes operation clean sweep to fall into chaos.
NO. The decision to run for office is only "controversial" to those who want to sustain the status quo.

A party loyalist would NOT want to see an Independent in the race. There is no controversy in the decision. The decision is a personal decision that Russ Diamond gets to make. If anyone finds controversy in the decision of another -- then that shows a lack of respect for freedom of the individual.
He is unable to heal the break in the group.

When you have a cancer, a doctor may be unable to heal the body. At times -- you just whack it off. If your legs were lazy -- or worse, filled with disease, I'd want to cut them off and live, rather than die.

The group was not a group as the others beyond Russ Diamond did nothing. They were instructed to help and they failed to act, repeatedly, for months. So, the rehab failed. The surgical strike makes good sense in my view.
The activists he punished made offers and even made them publicly.
The activists were not active, hence they were not activist. And, if they were, they would have been known. And, there was no punishment. They were not entitled to anything as they didn't create a darn thing. They were takers.

The public noise was made, and it has little impact except to undermine and prove points of true loyalty (to the status quo).
If he didn't put his candidacy before operation clean sweep my instinct tells me we would not be in this brouhaha.
If he didn't start PA Clean Sweep, he would not have made a brouhaha at the outset. Perhaps you feel that more than 100 candidates throughout the state are not a brouhaha. I feel that Russ was out to rattle some cages. He rattled too many when he got drafted for a race for the Gov's mansion. Those that wanted to suppress the movement, from inside, had to act in negative ways then.

But, to go to your lack of logic, the brouhaha had begun in earnest long ago for Russ Diamond. It didn't start yet for the inactive board members -- because they were waste-cases. Your instincts are wrong.

He claims that his campaign has nothing to do with Clean Sweep but he sends me a request for money.

He sends requests to money to everyone in PA, I hope. Same too with other campaigns.
I've never signed up with his campaign and now that I see what he's about I won't.
Lots of people won't sign up for his campaign. Go to the sidelines, again. Don't do anything here. Lack of action is the point of your being. Go for it.
The only place he could have gotten my email was from this group.

I have your email too. So what.
So, he sends out requests for money for his campaign to Clean Sweep people while he says he's the chairman of Clean Sweep and while he should be raising money for Clean Sweep and Clean Sweep candidates.
So you want to be in politics yet you are offended by a request for money. Get a life.
On a discussion board for Clean Sweep he again asks for help getting him on the ballot even though he says he's not a Clean Sweep candidate.
Getting on the ballot should happen before being a clean sweep candidate, if you ask me. Case in point: I am not on the ballot. I am not a clean sweep candidate. However, I am running for PA Senate (42nd). If anyone wants to help me get on the ballot, I would like to get your help. As I get on the ballot, I may then ask for a clean sweep nod, but frankly, I don't think it brings me much. First things first.

It is prudent for Diamond to know if he is on the ballot before he even considers getting a clean sweep approval (how ironic is that anyway).
He says he is resigning from Clean Sweep to make a clean break of it, but he does this a week after he jumps into the race, and uses a televised publicity stunt to do it.
Right. That's good. Effective. Prudent.
Smear without anything...

To say 'he might be a crook' can have a reply, 'you might be a rapist.' Proof, evidence, justifications are needed and you've got NONE. That's a smear that shows stupidity. Your insults are a reflection on you.
Yeah this bickering should stop and it goes both ways.

It goes against logic most of all. It goes against facts most of all. It goes against history most of all. Sure, it goes both ways. But really, it is time to think again because the insults are not spilled in a vacuum. We have seen what's what for many months.
I've said my peace about it and now I'll get back to stuffing envelopes for my local candidate.
You can't show up to a commons, drop a turd into the well of democracy, and call it a freshener -- and get away with saying you've done a peace enhancement.

Go back to stuffing envelopes for the local candidate -- and it might just be Ed Rendell, your local candidate. Working for a local candidate is nice, but it might not really be a help in my opinion.

To be loyal to a cause, without a person, is the essence of living in an ivory tower. To be a real patriot is to be loyal to both real people and a real causes. In an effective world, the person and ideas go hand in hand.

2 comments:

Mark Rauterkus said...

A reply to my post is posted:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pacleansweepuncensored/message/33

Mark Rauterkus said...

This was an off-line email that makes sense to repost.

Note, I didn't see his "harsh" post to this blog. Perhaps it went up and was removed by him later? That's okay.

- - - - -

Mark,

After posting a response to your blog, I realize it may have come off a bit harsh. But, honestly, many of your baseless and false assertions about me and other board members crossed the line.

You don't know me. I live hundreds of miles from you. But I've poured my heart and soul into this movement. Maybe we disagree on Russ. That's fine. Maybe we disagree on following principle vs. personal loyalty in terms of the "ivory tower" argument, but you make a valid point there.

These are issues where there can be intelligent, mature discussion. As a Libertarian, I'm sure we'd agree on long-term goals and could have a meaningful dialogue on how to best pursue them.

But to just smear me as a do-nothing or a Russ-basher is a complete fairy tale. I made over a dozen trips to Lebanon County in 2004 to work on Russ Diamond's small but committed campaign team. I have made PACleanSweep my #1 priority since the very early on, forgoing finishing my degree this spring and seeking more work hours. When people like Tom Lingenfelter were on the verge of being voted off the board for "inactivity," I was spending HOURS each and every day on PACleanSweep matters.

I apologize if the response, posted at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pacleansweepuncensored, went a little negative. But I have no stomach for people lying about me. The past month has been very rough on me. As a former supporter and friend of Russ' I was forced to choose between doing what I thought was right and taking a blind leap for a friend. I'm not going to bash the guy to. And I respect your right to disagree with the board members. But I only ask that you stick to the facts. Only then can the different sides in this internal dispute resolve their differences and coem together to fight the REAL enemy: the political status quo.

Best,
Mike Bergmaier
Chester County Coordinator
Strategic Director


- - - -

My reply went to my blog -- see #2 crap trap posting.