Written by Roberta Biros
I wrote on Friday that my mailbox has been the source of some interesting discussions in our household this week. One item (that made me laugh) was an invitation from my political opponent to her annual fundraiser [read HERE]. It was an obvious error in her mailing list (I hope), but it remained a source of great humor regardless. The other interesting letter that I received this week came from the Democratic Party of Mercer County.
Back in March and April, letters from the Chairman of the Democrat Committee (Bob Lark) were numerous and exhausting. I eventually published and discussed all of his letters HERE. When I ceased my campaign activities in mid-April, the letters from Bob Lark also immediately ceased (huh?, imagine that). I didn’t quite know what to expect when I received a new letter on Thursday afternoon. I opened the envelope with a bit of hesitation.
I was relieved when I found a general announcement from the Committee (rather than a ‘personal’ letter from Chairman Lark). The letter was a standard congratulatory sentiment offered to all of the Democratic Primary winners . . . me included. If you’d care to review the full letter, you may view it as a downloadable PDF HERE. It was clear that I received a copy because it is standard practice for ALL nominated candidates to be included. Heck, Neil McEwen (a Republican) was also included as he won the Democrat and Republican Primaries for his run as District Judge.
I read the letter . . . I thought about it . . . my husband and I discussed it. The letter states “you have our best wishes for a successful conclusion to your campaign”, yet Bob Lark (the official spokesman for the Mercer County Democrat Committee) as much as said that he wanted everyone to vote AGAINST me and support his long-time friend the current Republican incumbent. The letter also explained that we will be sent information regarding participation in upcoming fairs and parades, but I was told personally and very directly by two prominent Democrats that my participation WOULD NOT be welcomed at these events. The exact words were “don’t even think that you can show up at parades and fairs and think that you’ll be welcome”. Both individuals made it clear that they would actively work against me during my campaign.
So with a letter so full of conflicting statements, what impression should I be left with? It seems like one big ‘mixed message’ to me. I filed the letter away and thought nothing more about it . . . until the following morning.
On Friday morning (6/5), I got up at the usual time. I had breakfast and headed upstairs to get ready for the day. As part of my daily routine, I turned on the radio in my bedroom while I prepared to get dressed and ‘beautified’. The local news headlines from Joe Biro at WPIC 790AM, included a mention of Bob Lark’s letter. I turned up the radio to take a listen. Joe Biro explained that Bob Lark had sent a congratulatory letter to the nominees and to the news outlets (he received a copy). Biro pointed out with surprise that “Roberta Biros’ name was also included in the list of recipients”.
Hmmm. While I’m accustomed to checking the front page of The Herald each morning for some ‘breaking story’ about me, I didn’t realize that I’d make the local radio news. I went downstairs and told my husband the story. A few minutes later, the phone rang . . . it was WPIC 790AM. They wanted to know if I’d be willing to discuss the matter live on the air. Never being one to turn down good conversation, I agreed.
The interview went well. Joe Biro is the consummate professional and he was fair while also attempting to find out more about the odd letter from Bob Lark. Unfortunately, Joe Biro and the staff at WPIC knew about as much as I did about the letter. I explained that I’ve had NO direct or personal contact with representatives of the Democratic Party, and I was curious about the meaning as well. I couldn’t really say if there was any ‘special meaning’ in the letter, as I was as much in the dark as everyone else.
It seems that the letter created more questions than it answered, and I was not the only one left scratching my head. On air, Joe Biro mentioned that he was going to attempt to contact Bob Lark for a possible future interview. I hope that WPIC gets the opportunity to speak to Mr. Lark, as it may be the only opportunity that I have to hear what Chairman Lark’s position is on the issue.
Stay tuned!
Mercer County Conservatives 