Category: Congressional Race

Presumptive GOP 7thD Nominee Unloads On Corrupt Bill Filled With Backroom Deals

The former U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Delaware County District Attorney who is going to almost certainly be the Republican nominee for the Pennsylvania 7th District Congressional seat being vacated by Democrat Joe Sestak for a senate run has spoken out on the health care disaster passed last night by the House of Representatives.

“Dems rammed through legislation that raises taxes on middle class & represents a government takeover of 17% of the economy,” Pat Meehan said on Twitter. “This is a bad bill filled with corrupt backroom deals to secure a bare majority of support. (The) bill could not stand on own merits.”

His expected opponent in November, State Rep. Bryan Lentz (D-161) has called the travesty “The type of common-sense starting point we need to lower costs for the consumer, improve the quality of care and help stabilize our economy.”

Where does the Democrat Party find such geniuses.

Hey Lentz, how about we put in the restrictions on access to lawyers that we just put on access to doctors and nurses and drugs? How about we restrict the actions of lawyers as we just did the actions of doctors and lawyers and drug makers?

It should be noted that Sestak voted for the bill, and was an enthusiastic backer.

GOP Picks Burns In Race To Fill Murtha Seat

GOP leaders from Pennsylvania’s 12 Congressional District, tonight, picked businessman Tim Burns as its candidate to fill  remaining months of the seat left vacant by the Feb. 8 death of John Murtha.

Burns beat out  Bill Russell, Murtha’s opposition in 2008, by a vote of 85-46.

Also seeking the nomination were Ron Robertson, Luke Summerfield  and Bill Choby.

Burns will take on Democrat Mark Critz in a special election on May 18, the day of the primary.

A separate vote will be taken to determine the candidates for the general election for a full two-year term. Russell said he will not remove himself from the primary.

Can Admiral Joe Be A Health Care ‘No’?

Residents of Pennsylvania’s 7th District are reportedly getting emails (aka spam) from President Obama asking them to call Congressman Joe Sestak to say  thank you for his vote last fall to socialize our health care system and “to report that OFA supporters in Pennsylvania have pledged 332,199 volunteer hours to back up member of Congress like yours who stand up for health reform”

Sestak wavering on socializing our health care system would be like Ed Rendell joining the Republican Party.

Hafer Off The Ballot

Former state Treasurer Barbara Hafer has removed herself from the Democratic primary ballot to replace the late John Murtha as congressman for the 12th District of Pennsylvania, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The state Democratic Party’s Executive Committee  picked 
Mark Critz, who had been Murtha’s district director, as its candidate in a special election to fill out the rest of Murtha’s term.

There will be a primary election to determine the party candidates for the general election race for a new two-year term . Still preparing to battle Critz in it are Cambria County Controller Ed Cernic Jr., Air Force veteran Ron Mackell Jr. of Johnstown and Navy veteran Ryan Bucchianeri.

Republicans will choose, tomorrow, either  Johnstown
businessman Tim Burns, Army veteran William Russell, or  Bill Choby as their nominee for the special election.,

Singel Backs Critz For Murtha Seat

Former Lt. Gov. Mark Singel, who ended his bid Thursday to replace fellow Democrat John Murtha as Pennsylvania 12th District’s representative in Congress, has endorsed Mark Critz for the seat. Critz is Murtha’s former district director.

A special election will be held May 18, the day of the state’s primary election, to fill the remaining months of the term of Murtha who died Feb. 8.

A election for a full-term will be held in November.

Other Democrats seeking the seat are Cambria County Controller Ed Cernic Jr., former Navy officer Ryan Bucchianeri, and former state Treasurer Barbara Hafer and writer Ron Mackell Jr

Theleading contender for the GOP nomination is Bill Russell, who wasMurtha’s opposition in 2008.  GOP activist Dave Battaglia  andbusinessman Tim Burns were also GOP primary candidates.

Thanks to PoliticsPa.Com

Sestak OK With Terror Trials In Pa., Is Lentz?

Congressman Joe Sestak (D-Pa7) is fine with having the trials of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his fellow 9/11 plotters  held in a federal court in western Pennsylvania if they should be blocked in New York City or Northern Virginia.

“I would accept them anywhere in America, to be brought here, to bebrought to justice, to have the keys thrown away or to have them giventhe death sentence by a jury of our peers,” said Thursday according to the Wall Street Journal.

If you feel that way, Joe, why bother with the trial? Do you understand the concept of the presumption of innocence? Do you realize that a judge is mandated to throw out tainted evidence, an action that could almost guarantee acquittal? Or do you think we should make exceptions for these guys and, if so, how would that not be a far greater mockery of due process and our system of justice than simply putting them  before military tribunals in accordance with well-established procedures?

Can you comprehend that these guys aren’t afraid of death — which as noted is not guaranteed so imagine them serving a life sentence in federal prison and being a constant source of inspiration for kidnappings and terrorist acts in attempts to free them — and that they would use these trials as platforms for propaganda and the acquisition of sensitive information  which they can funnel to their followers?

I guess not.

To be honest, Joe, I would be far more willing to guarantee a Specter-Toomey senate race this fall than I would KSM’s conviction in a civilian trial much less death.

Which brings us to the race to replace Sestak in the 7th District:  Does Bryan Lentz, the presumptive Democratic nominee agree with Sestak about this state being a fine place for a civilian terror trial? If not, is Lentz, who served in a civil affairs unit in Iraq and  was a prosecutor with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, willing to explain to the congressman why such a trial is a real bad idea?

Pat Meehan, the former federal prosecutor and Delaware County D.A. who is going to be the GOP nominee for the seat, certainly can.

More Seek Murtha Seat


The ballot to replace Democrat John Murtha as the representative for Pa-12 in Congress has gotten longer with announcements by Murtha’s former district director Mark Critz and Cambria County Controller Ed Cernic Jr. that they will seek the seat.

They join fellow Democrats former Lt. Gov Mark Singel and former State Treasurer Barbera Hafer in the race along with Ron Mackell Jr. and 34-year-old Ryan Bucchianeri who had begun primary challenges before Murtha’s Feb. 8 death.

Meanwhile, Murtha’s widow, Joyce, has announced she will not run.

The
leading contender for the GOP nomination is Bill Russell, who was
Murtha’s opposition in 2008.  GOP activist Dave Battaglia  and
businessman Tim Burns were also GOP primary candidates.

There will be a special election May 18, the day of the primary election, to fill the remaining months of Murtha’s term. The election for a full two-year term, of course, is in November.

Singel Seeks Murtha Seat

Former Lt. Gov. Mark Singel has announced that he will seek the 12th District Pennsylvania congressional seat left vacant by the Feb. 8 death of fellow Democrat John Murtha.

A special election will be held, May 18, the same day as the primary election, to fill the remaining months of Murtha’s term. An election for a fresh term will occur in November.

Singel represented the 35th District in the state senate from 1981-87, before becoming being elected lieutenant governor with Gov. Bob Casey. He wasacting governor for six months in 1993.

Ron Mackell Jr. and 34-year-old Ryan Bucchianeri  had announced primary challenges to Murtha. With the congressman’s death former state Treasurer Barbera Hafer has also expressed interest in the seat. Another possible candidate is Murtha’s widow, Joyce.

The leading contender for the GOP nomination is Bill Russell, who was Murtha’s opposition in 2008.  GOP activist Dave Battaglia  and businessman Tim Burns were also GOP primary candidates.

I’ve met Singel. Somehow, the subject of economist Milton Friedman came up. Singel seemed confused as to who he was then dismissed him saying something akin to “he’s from the 60s”.

Money Rolls In For Meehan

Ken Spain, the Communications Director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, has announced that Pat Meehan, the party-endorsed GOP candidate for the Pa7 congressional seat being vacated by Joe “People Love Me” Sestak has raised raises $580,000 in the 4th quarter $790,000 if you count September.

GOP Reps Face Lentz Plan, Form Circle, Prepare To Fire

The Republican state representatives from Delaware County have come out swinging against a proposal by Democrat state representative from Delaware County Bryan Lentz (161) to prohibit elected officials from holding more than one seat at a time.

The bill is aimed at Republican state representative from Delaware County Mario Civera (164) who won election to County Council, a seat he assumes Jan. 4, and who has announced he will keep his House seat until April when it will be too late for an election for his replacement to be held congruent with the May 18 primary election, a day in which a large Democratic turnout is expected due to the that party’s hot intermural contests.

Now while I suspect Lentz would be doing the same as Civera if the shoe were on his foot, he is basically right and the Republicans ought to tone down the outrage, especially in their attempts to tie Lentz’s pursuit of a seat in Congress to actually holding — and perhaps getting paid for — two different seats at the same time.

And regardless of how this turns out, Civera really better not be collecting two paychecks (and pension contributions etc.) after Jan. 4. If the Republicans want to get some moral traction on the matter they ought to declare now that he won’t be, and perhaps counter by submitting a bill prohibiting elected officials from running for re-election for a second office but allowing for existing terms to be completed.

Lentz is the Democratic front-runner to replace Congressman Joe Sestak who stepped down to run for Senate against Arlen Specter. He will almost certainly face well-respected federal prosecutor Pat Meehan in the general election even if  former Fox29 anchor Dawn Stensland should change her registration, move into the district and run against him in the GOP primary.