Posted: Monday, 19 October 2009 11:09AM
NO'Brien For Congress
Steve Corbett Reporting
Monday, October 19, 2009
Not all that long ago, Glenmaura lawyer Corey O’Brien campaigned to get elected as a Lackawanna County commissioner.
The 36-year-old got his wish.
Now, about halfway into his term of public service, O’Brien is campaigning to win a seat in Congress.
Just hold your ballots, young man.
How about finishing the job the voters hired you to do? How about earning your keep? How about showing us that you can accomplish something in your limited career of paid public service?
Stick around until you’ve paid your dues and then maybe people will place more faith in your ability to do a bigger job. But first you must really prove yourself. You must show us that you’ve got the political stamina and perseverance required for public service. You must first show the people that you deserve a promotion.
O’Brien doesn’t see it that way.
O’Brien looks in the mirror and sees nothing and nobody but himself.
It would be bad enough if O’Brien merely announced his willingness to run for the House of Representatives. It’s worse now that he has challenged longtime incumbent Democrat Paul Kanjorski for the Democratic nomination in the 11th Congressional District.
O’Brien’s already reckless campaign is even worse than it looks. Instead of offering a new vision to replace an old vision, O’Brien immediately questioned Kanjorski’s integrity. Saying that Kanjorski lacks ethics, O’Brien stunned political observers by telling Times-Tribune reporter Borys Krawczeniuk that he was “embarrassed” and “offended” after meeting with Kanjorski before last year’s election in which Kanjorski won another term in Congress.
O’Brien’s discomfort deals with a deal Kanjorski put together using federal funds and members of his immediate family.
I’m offended, too, and have been saying so publicly for years. Despite my disagreement with Kanjorski, though, I still voted for him after I, too, talked with him about the deal. I simply did not want a Republican in Congress shaping public policy for my home region.
That’s the difference between me and O’Brien.
He kept quiet about his disagreement and endorsed Kanjorski. He even stood smiling with the congressman on the stage of Kanjorski’s victory party. He never let on that he was embarrassed and offended. He never told voters the truth.
A photograph appeared in the Times-Tribune Saturday that shows O’Brien and Kankorski smiling their biggest smiles at Kanjorski’s victory party. And when O’Brien puts on that smile, voters better watch out.
We don’t need another company man in Congress. We need a watch dog not a lap dog. We need somebody who is willing to stand up for what is right, not for what is politically expedient.
That takes courage and conviction.
O’Brien could have respectfully disagreed with Kanjorski and still endorsed him. But his naïve inexperience with politics at high levels made him believe that he had to go along to get along. O’Brien didn’t want to offend anyone who might matter to his own aspirations.
O’Brien is out for O’Brien.
Last week O’Brien promised to call “Corbett” after 5 p.m. to talk about his wild insinuation that Kanjorski has put public money in his own pockets. Even coming close to calling a congressman a thief is quite an accusation.
But O’Brien never called.
I gave him the benefit of the doubt and figured that something important must have come up. But O’Brien still hasn’t contacted me to explain or apologize to countless voters who waited to hear what evidence he had – if any- to support his serious claim against Kanjorski.
If anybody wanted to question O’Brien about his defamatory accusation you had to go to a downtown Scranton bar Wednesday night where O’Brien was scheduled to appear as a celebrity bartender.
Highballs for everybody.
Right now, though, O’Brien looks like a foul ball that’s about to descend and come crashing through the mirror into which the upstart political smoothie gazes.
O’Brien’s not ready for the major leagues. Do not look for his congressional campaign to go into extra innings.
The mighty Corey has already struck out.
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