Join Us On Oct. 28!

Luncheon Program – Tuesday, October 28, 2008

“From Main St. to Wall St. –
The Role of Public Relations in Election '08”

Location: Table 31
Private Dining Room (3rd Floor)
1701 JFK Blvd.
The Comcast Building
Philadelphia, PA 19103

All meeting attendees need to go through security in the lobby of the Comcast Building to access the Private Dining Room on the 3rd Floor. Table 31’s Private Dining Room is located to the right as you exit the elevator on the 3rd Floor.

Time: 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Registration & Networking
12:00 - 1:30 PM Lunch and Program

Cost: $45 for members;

$55 for non-members;
$25 for students;

Additional $5 for Walk-ins

As the country gears up for an election unlike any in its history, two of the most unique presidential campaigns ever are leveraging various public relations tactics in the battle for the White House. Join PPRA and some of Philadelphia's top political media and expert political analysts as they discuss the role of public relations in these historic political machines and dissect what this election cycle has taught us about the communications profession, from ethics and integrity to public opinion and influence.

Panelists include:
Dan Cirucci (Moderator), PPRA Hall-of-Famer and political blogger
Greg Coy, Co-host of CN8’s “Your Morning”
Larry Eichel, Philadelphia Inquirer
Christine Flowers, Philadelphia Daily News
Jeff Jubelirer, Principal, Ceisler Jubelirer and political analyst

Click here to download the registration form.

Click here for online registration for the October Program.

Thank You!

Our blog has now been rated one of the TOP FOUR POLITICAL BLOGS IN NEW JERSEY by Blog Net News New Jersey.
Yesterday, we had one of our biggest days ever with a record number of visitors.
The column in the Philadelphia Daily News on baseball was picked up by the national blog Lucianne.com and that same column was the MOST READ DAILY NEWS OPINION COLUMN OF THE DAY.
At Lucianne and the Daily News web site the column generated a healthy number of responses.
We appreciate all the responses.
We welcome respectful disagreement.
We repeat: We LOVE the Phillies and are cheering for them. We just think that baseball is an awfully slow and (mostly) boring game.

Go Phillies, But . . .

For the first time in 15 years the Phillies are in the World Series. It's great. It's well-deserved. It's thrilling.
And even though the Tampa Bay Rays are clearly this year's Cinderella team, I'd love to see the Phillies win it all. But no matter how it turns out, one thing will remain true: Baseball is an insufferably boring pastime.
Except for the pitcher, catcher and hitter, all the players simply stand around waiting for something to happen. Huge amounts of time drift by aimlessly.
Players have to work hard to stay awake. So they chew gum or tobacco, spit, grab their crotches, shift their feet, adjust their caps, brush themselves off and gaze about hoping they'll actually have something to do. . . .
To read my entire column from this morning's Philadelphia Daily News, click here.

Easy Eatin Fajitas!

I hate to play with my food.

I don't like to peel fruit, shell crabs, crack open nuts or construct fajitas.

That's why I was delighted to discover the new fajita quesadillas at Chilli's. They're wonderful!

They consist of fajita-marinated steak or chicken with grilled onions and Jack cheese in buttery toasted tortillas. They are served with rice, black beans, sour cream & pico de gallo.

The tortillas (about a half dozen) are already prepared and stuffed and they're just the right size to pick up and eat. So, you don't have to construct the fajita and then endure the frustration of having it fall apart while you're trying to eat it.

I enjoyed this new treat over the weekend at Chilli's and I liked the meal so much that I came back again and enjoyed a Caribbean salad. Note: The classic, crunchy Caribbean salad isn't on the menu anymore but you're local Chilli's will probably be happy to prepare it for you if you ask for it. Mine was!

I also recommend the new Crispy Chicken Tacos. They’re made with strips of real white-meat chicken, cooked until golden brown, and topped with Ranch and Chipotle sauce. And try Chilli's Buffalo Chicken Crisper Bites with applewood-smoked bacon and blue cheese dressing.

Follow The Money

FEC Commission records show that former Secretary of State Colin Powell wrote a check for $2,300.00 (the maximum allowed by law) to the John McCain campaign last year. Since that time Powell has not given to any other presidential candidate. McCain is the only candidate to receive Powell's money.
BTW: John McCain enjoys the endorsement of FOUR former US Secretaries of State and more than 20 military generals.

Five Greatest Hymns

Since it is Sunday, let's talk about the five greatest hymns ever written.
In reverse order from five to one, here they are:
5. His Eye Is On The Sparrow
This song was originally written in 1905 by songwriters, lyricist Civilla D. Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel. The song is most associated with the late actress-singer Ethel Waters who used the title for her autobiography.
4. Just a Closer Walk With Thee
It was probably the favorite southern gospel song of the twentieth century and it is written by D.Gillis. It became known nationally in the 1930s, when African-American churches held huge musical conventions. In the 1940s, southern gospel quartets featured it in all-night gospel-singing rallies. It is probably the single most frequently played number in the hymn and dirge section of New Orleans "jazz funerals".
3. What A Friend We Have In Jesus
Originally written by Joseph M. Scriven as a poem in 1855 to comfort his mother who was living in Ireland while he was in Canada. Scriven originally published the poem anonymously, and only received full credit for it in the 1880s. The tune to the hymn was composed by Charles Croza Converse in 1868. William Bolcom composed a setting of the hymn. The hymn also has many versions with different lyrics in multiple languages
2. Amazing Grace
John Newton, the author of the lyrics to Amazing Grace, was born in 1725 in Wapping, England.
Despite the powerful message of "Amazing Grace," Newton's religious beliefs initially lacked conviction; his youth was marked by religious confusion and a lack of moral self-control and discipline.
After a brief time in the Royal Navy, Newton began his career in slave trading. The turning point in Newton's spiritual life was a violent storm that occurred one night while at sea. Moments after he left the deck, the crewman who had taken his place was swept overboard. Although he manned the vessel for the remainder of the tempest, he later commented that, throughout the tumult, he realized his helplessness and concluded that only the grace of God could save him. Prodded by what he had read in Thomas à Kempis' Imitation of Christ, Newton took the first step toward accepting faith.
1. How Great Thou Art.
Surely the most melodic and inspiring hymn ever written, it has won universal praise and acceptance. Written by Carl Gustav Boberg in Sweden in 1885, translated into English by Stuart K. Hine. It was popularized by George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows during Billy Graham crusades.
This hymn was the title track of Elvis Presley's second gospel LP "How Great Thou Art", which was released in 1967. The song won him a Grammy Award for "Best Sacred Performance" in 1967, and another Grammy in 1974 for "Best Inspirational Performance (Non-Classical)".
Boberg wrote the hymn following a two mile walk through a thunderstorm from a church meeting.
It was voted the United Kingdom's favorite hymn by BBC's Songs of Praise.
These five great hymns have been a source of comfort to me at various times in my life and I find that I return to the music and words of these hymns again and again.
I feel that each one of these hymns was touched by God -- inspired by the Lord himself. On this earth, you can't get much closer to heaven than that.

Catholic Voter's Guide

After Mass today we received a small 16-page booklet entitled "Voter's Guide For Serious Catholics."

The booklet is produced by Catholic Answers Action and receives wide distribution both in print form and via the Catholic Answers Action website.

The Voter's Guide identifies non-negotiable moral issues in current politics and helps the voter narrow down the list of acceptable candidates, whether they are running for national, state or local office.

Non-negotiable moral principles do not admit of exception or compromise. One's position either accords with these principles or does not. No one endorsing the wrong side of these issues can be said to act in accordance with the Church's moral norms.

Of course, abortion is the paramount non-negotiable and the first listed. Others include human cloning and euthanasia.

The Guide says: It is a serious sin to deliberately endorse or promote any of these [non-negotiable] actions, and no candidate who really wants to advance the common good will support any action contrary to the non-negotiable principles involved in these issues.

On abortion, the Guide clearly states: The Church teaches that regarding a law permitting abortions, it is 'never licit to obey it or to take part in a propaganda campaign in favor of such a law, or to vote for it.' . . . The unborn child is always an innocent party and no law may permit the taking of his life.

We stress that the Guide enunciates the official teachings of the Catholic Church as proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II, The Pontifical Council for the Family, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Did He Blow It?

From James Pethokoukis at US News & World Report:
Did Barack "Spread the Wealth" Obama Just Blow the Election?
No. Really.
You're kidding me. Barack Obama actually told that Joe the Plumber guy that he wants to "spread the wealth around." What, did Obama just get done reading the Wikipedia entry on Huey "Share the Wealth" Long or something? Was he somehow channeling that left-wing populist from the Depression? Talk about playing into the most extreme stereotype of your party, that it is infested with socialists.
A while back I chatted with a University of Chicago professor who was a frequent lunch companion of Obama's. This professor said that Obama was as close to a full-out Marxist as anyone who has ever run for president of the United States. Now, I tend to quickly dismiss that kind of talk as way over the top. My working assumption is that Obama is firmly within the mainstream of Democratic politics. But if he is as free with that sort of redistributive philosophy in private as he was on the campaign trail this week, I have no doubt that U of C professor really does figure him as a radical. And after last night's debate, a few more Americans might think that way, too. McCain's best line: "Now, of all times in America, we need to cut people's taxes. We need to encourage business, create jobs, not spread the wealth around."
And by the way, I just noticed that the IBD/TIPP poll, the most accurate in 2004, has McCain down by just 3 points. If the contest is perceived by the voters as a contest between a wealth redistributor and a wealth creator, then it could be a long night come Nov. 4. This is still a center-right country, gang. Note this Gallup poll from June:
When given a choice about how government should address the numerous economic difficulties facing today's consumer, Americans overwhelmingly—by 84% to 13%—prefer that the government focus on improving overall economic conditions and the jobs situation in the United States as opposed to taking steps to distribute wealth more evenly among Americans.
There you go.

'Spread The Wealth?'

What is the purpose of taxes?
According to everything I've ever learned taxes are collected so that the government can have the money that is needs to provide essential services to the people.
Seems pretty simple to me.
But now it seems that some people are trying to redefine the whole concept of taxes and the very role of government.
They're telling us that taxes need to be collected to redistribute income.
They're saying that if we don't agree to have our hard-earned money taken away and given to people who they think need it more than we do well, then we're just not "patriotic."
They're saying that taxes must now be imposed as a way of punishing success.
So, "wealthy' people will just have to be penalized.
And guess who gets to decide who's "wealthy?" Why, it's the same people who are going to do the penalizing -- the same people who are aiming to collect the money and redistribute it.
They define. They decide. They redistribute.
These people who want to turn taxes into a predatory system for redistributing wealth basically want to change the definition of and the role of government.
Today, they're suggesting that $250,000 may be a good definition of "wealthy." But since they get to decide when we've earned enough money, who knows what their definition may be tomorrow. $200,000? $150,000? $100,000? $75,0000?
We don't know.
They call this "spreading the wealth around."
I call it socialism.

Cool Cole!

We don't know the first thing about sports (least of all baseball) but, here's what we wrote about Philies pitcher Cole Hamels after meeting him way back in April at the beginning of the baseball season:

He is one of the most articulate, polished, and gracious athletes we've ever met. This San Diego native is not just The Pitcher From Central Casting, he's also an appealing ambassador for his team and for major league baseball. We watched him interact with some of the youngsters who came out to see him and he was attentively kind and natural.

Last night Cole was unflappably confident and chillingly effective as he led the Phillies to their first National League Championship in 15 years. Incredibly, Cole has now marked three wins and no losses in the playoffs, an accomplishment we haven't seen since Curt Schlilling pitched.

And Cole was his usual gracious self after the game, spreading credit around to the entire team.

Does Philly really deserve such a classy guy? Who cares!?

Cool, Cole -- Cool!