THE R's RISE UP! (And the D's bend over and bleat as usual.)

Is this the end of Totalitarian Pennsylvania?

I wouldn't hold my breath, kiddies.

Anger over raise ousts Brightbill, Jubelirer
At least 14 other incumbents fall across the state as voters send message to lawmakers.

Enraged voters forced state lawmakers to give up their raises, and yesterday, many were forced out of office.

Two Senate Republican leaders -- and a total of 16 incumbent lawmakers -- went down to a historic defeat in the primary.

No legislative leaders had lost an election since 1964 until yesterday, when voters ousted Senate Majority Leader David J. "Chip" Brightbill, R-Lebanon, and Senate President Pro Tem Robert Jubelirer, R-Blair. Blair County Commissioner John Eichelberger defeated Jubelirer, and former Lebanon City Councilman Mike Folmer defeated Brightbill.

Folmer was a Democrass until last Friday. It seems he is also a crook. And he never showed up for Lebanon City Council meetings. You got fat and lazy and comfortable, Chip. It serves you right.

Voters still angry over state lawmakers' attempt to give themselves pay raises had their first chance to pay them back in yesterday's primary. The connection couldn't be missed.

In the House, 14 members lost, based on unofficial returns. At least two more were locked in races where the outcome was uncertain at 1 a.m.
Some called the results proof that the grass-roots government reform effort ignited by the July 7 pay-raise vote is alive and well.

"The defeat of Jubelirer and Brightbill is going to send seismic shock waves through the Pennsylvania political establishment that are probably going to be felt for years to come," said Michael Young, a Harrisburg-based public opinion researcher. "Pennsylvania voters are mad as hell, and at least some of them are not going to take it anymore."

Nearly all the incumbents who went down voted for the pay raise, including midstate Reps. Peter Zug, R-Myerstown; Roy Baldwin, R-Manheim Twp.; Steve Maitland, R-Gettysburg; Pat Fleagle, R-Waynesboro; and state Rep. Gibson Armstrong, R-Quarryville.

Did you notice the R's, kiddies? It seems members of The Party of Blasphemy, Buggery, and 'Bortion are either mindless sheep or whores who have sold their votes (and their souls) to our power-mad solons regardless of their crimes. The next time you hear the Democrasses proclaim themselves the friends of the little guy, you have my permission to laugh in their faces.

Lawmakers last July gave themselves and other state officials raises of 11 percent to 54 percent. The raises were repealed after a public outcry, but they nonetheless inspired a slew of challengers to incumbents. Ballots around Pennsylvania featured more than the usual number of contested primaries for the 203 state House seats and 25 Senate seats up for grabs.

In all, 61 incumbents had primary contests. Another 31 seats were open because of retirements or other factors. Both numbers were two-decade highs.

The results guarantee that newcomers will make up nearly one-fifth of the General Assembly next year.

Sen. Jeff Piccola, R-Dauphin, was among those shocked by the results. "I thought for sure both [Jubelirer and Brightbill] would survive these challenges."

"It is a refreshing development," said Eric Epstein, organizer of RocktheCapital, a group that pressed for repeal and repayment of the raises. "People want reform and they want it now, and they will not settle for anything else."

Ha! Just wait until the biggest Philly Machine crook of them all, Slow Eddie Rendell, gets re-elected in November. Then he'll have four more years to wreak havoc on decent people without having to worry about running for statewide office ever again. The carnage will be mind boggling.

Three House leaders who faced primary battles survived: House Majority Leader Sam Smith, R-Jefferson; House Democratic Leader H. William DeWeese, D-Greene; and House Minority Whip Mike Veon, D-Beaver.
Veon was the only state lawmaker to vote against repealing the pay raises last fall.

See what I mean about Democrass whores and sheep? Veon should be cleaning stables for a living.

Due to time constraints, we now move to further action.

The Jubelirer and Brightbill defeats came despite record spending for legislative primary races. Both men raised more than $1 million in their efforts to retain their seats, sums usually seen in races for Congress.

That is a positive sign.

But Jubelirer told his supporters they were up against what appeared to be an irresistible force.

"I had everything. We raised the money. We had the organization. We had everything you could ask for, and all I thought was if I worked hard we could pull this off. I worked hard. It was just one of those years when it wasn't meant to be," Jubelirer said.

Sorry, Bob. It wasn't the spinning of Fortuna's wheel * that booted your butt out of power. You screwed up. Big time.

Epstein, however, said last night's results are really only a first step to structural changes in state government.

"I don't think we should be doing high fives in the end zone," he said. "There's a lot of hard work that needs to be done. The message was sent and now we need to write the next chapter of Pennsylvania's political history."

Sunshine and gumdrops do not get tax cuts passed, kiddies.

*A concept propagated by Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius in The Consolation of Philosophy.