For 12-27-92 
Boycott Baseball? Ok, Fine -- But You Go First 
It Doesn't Seem So Long Ago That Kirby Puckett Created A Fuss By Becoming The 
First Baseball Player To Collect A $3 Million Salary.

What About 
Those Raises?

Monday, December 21, 1992 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





FOR PAGE 1B &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 POLITICS, Page 8B &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Politics &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 8B &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Republican senators asked to kill Musto judgeship he Luzerne County
Republican Executive Committee has put state Sen. Charles &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lemmond and his 23 Republican state Senate colleagues on the spot over the
confirmation of Joe Musto for judge. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At a meeting Friday night the 11 members of the GOP's executive committee
voted to send a letter to Lemmond and the other Republican state senators
demanding that they vote against the confirmation of Musto, brother of
Democratic state Sen. Ray Musto, when the Senate reconvenes in January. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pat Judge, Republican Executive Committee vice chairman, said the committee
is outraged by the power politics and tactics of the Democrats in the state
Senate and want all of the Republican state senators to vote against all
Democratic appointments unless there is "some benefit for the (Republican)
party." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 One paragraph of the letter to the Republican state senators specifically
targets Joe Musto, who was nominated for county judge by Gov. Robert Casey in
early December. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We wish to bring to your attention that the appointment of Joseph Musto,
Esquire, to the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas will be coming before you
in January. This appointment totally smacks of nepotism and politics. A vote
against this appointment will serve to put everyone on notice of the way the
Democrats play the game of politics," the letter says. A vote against Musto,
the local committee says, "Is a perfect opportunity to return the favor," or
get even, as they say on the street. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The majority of the Republican executive committee, according to Judge, is
sizzling about the way the Democrats in the Senate, under the leadership of
the new Senate pro tem Bob Mellow of Lackawanna County, have been treating the
Republican senators in the wake of the Democratic power coup around the end of
November. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When the Democrats took over the Senate they put Mellow in the top spot.
After that they began putting themselves in the choice committee spots and
chairmanships. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Democrats accomplished the takeover with the vote of former Republican
state Sen. Frank Pecora, who became a Democrat a year or so ago. The
Republicans also went down another seat when Jim Greenwood of Bucks County got
elected to the U.S. Congress. The line-up now is 25 Democrats and 24
Republicans. It used to be 26 Republicans and 24 Democrats. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And with their newfound control, the Democrats also have the added
advantage of the vote of Lt. Gov. Mark Singel, who presides over the Senate
and can cast tie-breaker votes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Soon after the takeover, the Democrats began moving the Republicans out of
the more desirable Senate offices and the more convenient parking spaces.
Presumably, the Democrats also took away other Senate goodies as well because
people who know what's going on in Harrisburg will tell you the Republican
senators have gone ballistic over the way the Democrats are pushing them
around. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Back when the Democrats had control of the Senate and Marty Murray was
Senate pro tem, there was none of this kid stuff. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Murray could have muscled the Republicans out of this or that perk any time
he wanted to, but he never did. His idea was to keep everybody happy; keep the
peace and you get things done, usually your way, was how he saw it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If there is as much hostility as some people say there is in Harrisburg
then the Joe Musto confirmation just might be in trouble. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 To get confirmed he will need a two-thirds vote of the Senate. That means
12 Republicans would have to join with the 25 Democrats for the confirmation. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In the past, Joe Musto's brother Ray has pretty much had his way with these
judicial nominations and appointments of district justices as well. Except for
the time the nominations of Hugh Mundy and Corry Stevens got hung up, Musto's
anointed ones have ended up just fine. That's because the state Senate, out of
a respect for his clout and in accord with traditional customs of Senatorial
courtesy to a fellow member, have bowed to what Musto wanted just about all
the time. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It is exactly this concentration of power in the hands of Ray Musto and the
lack of any apparent Republican opposition to him and what he has been doing
with these judicial appointments that has the members of the county Republican
Executive Committee grinding their teeth. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 An example of the way the Republicans have sort of thrown up their hands in
despair actually happened with the Joe Musto nomination. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 So sure was just about every lawyer around that Musto was a shoo-in -- and
of course he was -- not a single Republican filed for the spot that was made
vacant with the retirement of Judge Bernard Brominski. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bill Keller, who ran for judge and was beaten, didn't bother to file. Nor
did Enid Harris or Jim Geddes or any of the others who had been interested in
being judge and had run for the office. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That's something the local Republican leadership wants to change. The
letter to the Republican senators demanding they go against Joe Musto is just
a start. Judge and Republican Chairman Jack Gallagher are sure to keep the
pressure on Lemmond and the other state senators over such things as judicial
appointments and political coups in the future. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lemmond said Saturday he had not yet received the executive committee's
letter and would reserve judgment until he reads it. After the political
takeover, he said the Republicans as a group decided they would not block
legislation just to be ornery. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As for his own vote on the Musto nomination, Lemmond said he has made no
commitment to vote for or against anyone. He said he would examine anything
anyone has to say about Musto or any other nominee. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ray Musto could not be reached Saturday night. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It was also announced at Friday's meeting that U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter will
be the principal speaker at the county GOP's Lincoln Day Dinner on Feb. 19 at
Convention Hall in Pittston Township. This is the county Republicans' big
event of the year. They expect a big crowd. A ticket costs $12.50. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Associate Editor Bill Griffith's column appears every Sunday in the Region
section.

For Page 1b 
Politics, Page 8b 
Politics 
8b 
Republican Senators Asked To Kill Musto Judgeship 
He Luzerne County Republican Executive Committee Has Put State Sen. Charles 
Lemmond And His 23 Republican State Senate Colleagues On The Spot Over The

For Page 1b Politics, Page 8b Politics 8b Republican Senators Asked To Kill Musto Judgeship He Luzerne County Republican Executive Committee Has Put State Sen. Charles Lemmond And His 23 Republican State Senate Colleagues On The Spot Over The