“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” – Thomas Paine
Or at least unto a debate. 
Today the campaign was splashed on the Saturday front pages of the two main area newspapers. The first, the Morning Call’s, was about the incumbent, Charlie Dent, attempting to silence and bar me from debating. The second, in the Express Times, centered on the one of the 5 bands playing at Friday’s Freedom Concert in Northampton (details here) which has been accused by outside groups as anti-Semitic.
The campaign has been indirectly informed by the press that Charlie Dent is now refusing to debate at all with me due to the band selection. People of the 15th congressional district, this is the true self of your representative in Congress. Below is a video response and text from today’s press release.
“I am not an anti-Semite, nor have I ever held anti-Semite views. I condemn any and all racial and religious discrimination. A free and open society that staunchly defends individual rights is the only type of society that can eliminate racial bigotry.
“The Constitution makes no reference to hyphenated Americans. Terms like Jewish-American, Arab-American, Italian-American all miss at the truth; we are all individuals. Each individual is fundamentally equal under the law with all other individuals. The rule of law ensures the greatest opportunity for individuals to explore their strengths and surmount obstacles.
“It is said the smallest minority on earth is the individual, and each minority, each individual’s liberties is what I pledge to defend as your next Congressman. I view freedom as an indivisible whole consisting of both personal and economic liberties. It is a sad comment on the state of America that the greatest violations of liberties such as warrant-less wiretapping, torture, corporatist bailouts, and high taxation now come from the federal government, from the very halls of Congress that have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and its Bill of Rights.
“Our two-headed, one-party political scene is not the sharp divide the politicians and the media want us to believe. The true difference between the Democrat and Republican politicians in power is no greater than the choice between picking Coke or Pepsi at a supermarket.
“The lesser of two tyrannies is still tyranny. Rather than Coke or Pepsi, what the Republocrats all too often offer the American people is a choice between death by Arsenic or Cyanide.
“For the past six years, Congressman Dent, along with the rest of the Republocrats, has been spending our country into oblivion and leading America on the path to economic ruin. Dent voted for the TARP and Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac bailouts, and favored the $600 billion Republican version of the stimulus plan.
“My other competitor, John Callahan, stated he would have voted for the Banker Bailout and traveled to the capitol to support the $800 billion stimulus plan which has miserably failed. His idea of creating sustainable jobs is erecting (and taxing!) a casino where Bethlehem Steel once stood, and a $1 trillion dollar tax on healthcare that will instead further strengthen the government-sponsored monopolization of the healthcare industry.
(See “Who Supports Bailouts? Jake Towne, Charlie Dent, or John Callahan?” for more details)
“In contrast to these Establishment career politicians, I have patiently explained why corporate bailouts, stimulus plans, and government laws that discourage employment do not work. Further government spending, taxation, and debt to cure the problems caused by excessive federal spending, taxation, and debt is delusional nonsense. ”
“However, we do need more spending, but it is of a far different sort. Allowing everyone to keep what they earn and spend how they wish is not just the key to economic growth and getting America back to work – it is the path to our prosperity as a society. When the government prints up money with a printing press – whether for the military-industrial complex, Big Oil, Big Pharm, Big Ag, or Wall Street – the losers are each and every American. We need far more spending by individuals, but this is impossible without far less spending and taxation by the federal government.”
The views of any the five bands present at the Freedom Concert are not necessarily the views of Towne for Congress. If any of the bands were believed to be anti-Semites, they would not have been invited to play at the concert.
The newspaper was invited to send a representative to attend the concert on July 30th as my guest last Wednesday, and has not responded to the invitation.
Towne is a chemical engineer who worked in the semiconductor industry prior to running for office as an independent private citizen, including the past 4 years in China. Towne has promised to accept only the median household income and not enlist in the congressional health care or pension plans. The remainder of the $174,000 salary will be donated to local non-profit hospitals. He also champions sound money and a novel-yet-simple form of accountable and transparent government, “Our Open Office” which is explained on his website.
At the point where you have to declare “I am not an anti-semite” you’ve already lost the debate.
Dave
The summer is heating up in more ways than one! Jake is doing something right, if the opposition is squirming already…..the signatures haven’t even been submitted for ballot access! They’ve showed their hand waaay too early….gotta love it. Great job!
Thanks for the advice Dave… but there hasn’t been a debate.
If Dent truly believed this nonsense he would have saved it for the debate.
Great piece, Jake. Does this one get published anywhere else besides your website? Do you submit these gems to local newspapers or their online editions? I hope so. We, your supporters, already believe you.
@ Maria – yes this was sent to the local press. What they decide to do with it is their decision.
Just drop PokerFace from the show. They are anti-Semitic, you are not. You can’t run a campaign linked to people like that, no matter how much you try and distance yourself from them. Don’t give Dent an excuse to turn people against you and kick you out of this debate, where you obviously belong.
Dent just shot himself in the foot by attacking you for something this ridiculous so soon. Headline should read: “Dent Fears Debating Towne” or “Dent Lies to Save Face in Towne Debate”.
Dear TDOMLV -
Thank you for your note of concern. To be frank, if this is Dent’s best shot I am not too impressed.
Pokerface refutes the claims made about them. I believe them.
I will add I did not expect to be attacked on the topic, but it’s time someone showed the Republocrats some spine. Our country is in enough trouble.
Glad to see your getting more media attention…
Once a Liberty candidate becomes popular the machine starts to fear him.
I am half Jewish and I am friends with Paul Topete the leader of Poker Face. Fact is he has many Jewish friends many of whom donated money and placed Jake Towne for Congress signs in front of their houses.
Whenever people fear the truth and fear being uncovered from the little holes they hide, it is typical to sling mud. I’m encouraged. Go Jake.
I’m glad you are sticking by Poker Face. No need to fight their fight for them, but no need to run and hide either. I absolutely hate it when politician distance themselves from someone because some political hack organization throws out a racist accusation because they disagree with their political philosophy.
Plus they ROCK!