PA-7: Independent Responds to Smears, Denounces Defamatory Tactics of Democrats and Republicans

From 3rd Party Independent Pulse, a press release from Jim Schneller and independent candidate in PA-7:

    Jim Schneller, candidate for U.S. Representative for the 7th district of Pennsylvania, returns comment on a recent flurry of reports and accusations that the Lentz campaign, or the Democrat Party, have assisted the Schneller campaign by collecting signatures. “Reading these articles has been an exercise in stomaching a half-baked accusation dressed up like a scandal, and is as tiresome as watching two mice pushing a pancake around a plate.”

    The practice of bald accusations and muck raking is an ongoing objection of the Jim Schneller for Congress campaign to current two-party election practices in our nation, where human interest replaces gathering of fact, and independent candidacies are discouraged by way of manipulative herding of the populace back and forth, election to election, while candidates with integrity succumb to overestrictiveness, and often wither.  Open debate between candidates ought to occur at a frequency of weeks, rather than months, so the public could judge character and wisdom, rather than become attuned to theatrics and meaningless “sport.”

  The truth in the story that Jim Schneller allowed some sort of Democrat gain by way of a disadvantaging of the GOP is visible just below the surface. Prominent is the fact that official pronouncements that Jim Schneller draws only GOP votes (including mention of unknown polls), are mainly attempts by the major parties to characterize Jim as “right-wing”, “birther”, “conservative”, and other inaccurate characterizations.  There is no rule that candidates must be described in one-word adjectives, and this practice is in no way fair reporting. 

    As for the signatures, the Democrats, in allegedly sending party regulars to circulate petitions, showed their fear of the Jim for Congress campaign. The GOP in issuing their press release, and a record pace issuing at that, showed their fear of the Jim for Congress campaign. Both parties have proven their complete cave-in to the  “usual” defamatory tactics of many political participants, and have done so against a candidate of virtue and integrity.  Both of the parties are apparently blind to the fact that their usual tactics a) don’t work, b) exhibit corruption on their part, but not on the target of their error, and c) are antithetical to regular practice by the citizenry in their daily life, namely, common decency  and a wish to avoid needless strife, especially where we are urgently in need of correcting the “big two”s  transformation of America into a semblance of it’s former self. 

    Jim Schneller knows and can verify for anyone, that the people on the street, no matter the economic circle, have no interest in further ruination of what is left of decency in politics, and are overwhelmingly in favor of a candidate who exhibits strengths of virtue rather than some nebulous “vetting” or “experience”, that amounts to nothing more than rubbing elbows and accustoming oneself to avoiding telling the public the truth.

    Clear also in the questioned gathering of signatures, to both parties’ detriment, is the fact that thousands more citizens, in addition to those not at issue, have, by signing, expressed their belief that having more names on the ballot is a desire, a solution, and urgent. This is what causes citizens to sign petitions for independent candidates.  The Jim for Congress campaign has been multi-partisan from the start and is proud of it’s appeal to all citizens.  Americans, and the citizens of the 7th District, have, to this day, enormous belief that American government can work – if only the corrupt could be displaced.  If the alleged party-collectors  met friends while collecting signatures and encouraged signing the petitions as a subterranean effort to stop Jim Schneller or “assist” their candidate Lentz, this was the exception.   The Jim for Congress campaign has not analyzed the signatures collected by the Democrat regulars in detail, but is confident that all parties and many independents are present, in a typical ratio, in the signor column.   Indeed, any conspiring to stack the petitions by attaining numerous pre-planned signatures at some location or another would be open to suit, and both parties know Jim Schneller’s willingness to litigate.   Importantly, on inquiring of random signors of the contended petitions, no reports of any slighting of candidate Schneller have shown.  The inquirees have consistently stated to the Schneller campaign, in the preceding weeks, without provocation, comments showing knowledge of Jim’s stated beliefs, such as that they “love the term limits” plank, “thank you for running,” and “a third candidate is long overdue”.  Thus they must have been informed by any “counter-circulators” of Jim’s platform.

    Foremost, the Jim for Congress campaign has seen numerous, if not most, potential petition circulators intimidated by veiled threats, insinuations, and other types of obstruction, to a point where the size of the two-party iceberg below has become plainly apparent.  Jim, not one to be affected by obstruction, enthusiastically proceeded regardless, speaking with over 14,000 future constituents, and gathering signatures at a near record pace. During that time Jim has himself seen every shade of threat, offer, and beguilement, and has pointedly made his response in the negative.  Jim Schneller has shown this all the more, in his obvious good character, having no interest whatsoever in gain from office, and this is plainly apparent to the public.  Both parties know this and seek to demoralize this qualified candidate before the campaign gets any more involved.
    

Firmly in support of party tactics is the fact that the Lentz objectors in the March 2010 challenge to GOP’s Meehan petitions, settled with the GOP before any Court decision. That challenge showed great promise for Lentz, even a feasible reduction of the ticket to a contest between he and Jim Schneller.  Instead, what was a giant opportunity, dissipated to nothing.  Like Meehan’s oft time handling of his District Attorney duties, the Lentz leadership bowed to deal-making, at the expense of public knowledge, meaningful investigation, and even a possible striking of the petitions.  It is again imprinted on citizen’s uninvited consciences, that they are a lesser folk not invited to witness the workings, and not worthy of what is purported to be grand decision making.  The above is ample support, once again, for Jim Schneller’s theme that the “big two” are really the “big one.”  Someone gave the order that Lentz retract, and that someone has no power over Jim Schneller.

    Pennsylvanians of the 7th District should be proud to face this truth and elect Jim now !  Opportunities like this are infrequent.
    Jim thanks all of those who did assist in his 60 day signature blitz, and this occurred in many ways outside of collecting signatures, under the circumstances. The biggest contributors were the citizens offering Jim every boost and support imaginable as he explained to them his campaign. Jim urges all citizens to watch for the telltale national enemy of the 2010 elections : sidetracking, also known as business-as-usual.  When your group descends into a discussion of the latest pundit revelations, when the talk feels like election talk in 2004 or 2006, remind yourself that the party bulls are back, and the sheep are being herded.  Trust no poll.  The parties are now nearly obsessive in their self-preserving.  As George Washington warned us two centuries ago – parties stand likely of eating away our great nation from within.  Bear this in mind continually, and you will be transformed into informed and dutiful citizens.  Urgency, otherwise, will be handily molded into business as usual, and the massive guilt and untrustworthiness of both parties will dissipate into a “best effort” of voting for the lesser evil.

    The Schneller campaign is dismayed that the Independence Hall Tea Party Association has offered quotes to the media that Jim Schneller is a spoiler candidate. This organization is fully aware of the fact that the Schneller for Congress campaign is running on principal, and of Jim Schneller’s determination and ability to win.  The Schneller campaign is also compelled to counter any claims spoken on specific issues related to the signatures accusation. Claims and theories made so far are pot shots, and party bombast. If Jim is accused of collaboration, short-sightedness, hypocrisy, or inexperience, he welcomes a debate in a public forum, or a chance to argue the merits in an organized online fashion.  Citizens acting in emotional outbursts are very often party operatives manning the blogs or sending unverified emails. 

     As Jim has informed the entire district : You’ll always get the truth here – and you’ll always have a representative who votes with the district, not the machine ! It is time that we stopped beating a cynical drum. It is time that we stopped being divided, but rather acted as a nation interested in cohesiveness. We must do so, our duty calls out for this, our national identity is blurred only because some in power have wrongly intended it so. “
    Jim Schneller’s principal and mainstay plank is his pledge to vote in a representative manner,  representing the views of his constituents, rather than any special interests, lobbyists, or party prerogatives.