Posted on 07/30/2007 8:51:02 PM PDT by LdSentinal
WASHINGTON - National Republicans continue to court the mayor of Hazleton, the city where a much-copied anti-illegal immigration law was struck down last week by a federal judge.
Rep. Tom Cole, the chairman of National Republican Congressional Committee, told reporters on Monday that he recently had dinner with Mayor Lou Barletta and is hopeful he'll run for a seat in the U.S. House.
If Barletta runs, it would be one of the party's top priority House races, Cole said during a conference call.
"I think he would be a tremendous candidate," said Cole. "I think he's got a couple unique assets. I think the immigration issue and his success as mayor, the bipartisan support he's gotten from both parties, make him an unusually attractive candidate."
Barletta said in a phone interview Monday that he hasn't ruled out running against Rep. Paul Kanjorski, a 12-term Democrat he unsuccessfully challenged in 2002.
"I've been asked to consider running for Congress as well as other state offices, but right now I'm focusing on my job as mayor," Barletta said.
U.S. District Judge James Munley struck down Hazleton's Illegal Immigration Relief Act on Thursday, saying states and municipalities have no business trying to stem illegal immigration, a federal issue. The measure, which had put Barletta in the national spotlight, was emulated by towns and cities around the nation.
In the May mayoral primary, Barletta won both the Republican and Democratic nominations. That all but guarantees he will be elected to another third term in November.
When Arlen Specter is up for re-election, let’s have Barletta challenge him in the primary.
We’ll help raise $$.
I hope they want him to run for national office in order to expand his influence, not to get him out of Hazleton where he’s trying to do something and into a toothless “committee” or two in Congress to neutralize him.
Heck, I’ll send a few Kennedy half dollars.
Actually, Barletta should stay in PA and run for Governor in 2010.
Problem is, Barletta already ran for the House and lost in 2002. He’s in a rodent-leaning district. I think he’d be a better choice for Governor in 2010.
I don’t live in Pennsylvania, but I wish I did, just so I could vote for Mayor Barletta. If he ever ran for national office, I’d vote for him for his actions in standing up for the law in Hazleton. I think he’s a great American and a hero!
“Problem is, Barletta already ran for the House and lost in 2002. He’s in a rodent-leaning district. I think he’d be a better choice for Governor in 2010.”
When Barletta ran in 2002, he was nowhere near as well known as Kanjorski, was outspent 2:1, and was running in a year in which Democrat gubernatorial candidate Ed Rendell was winning huge margins in the district, and Barletta still managed to get a respectable 42%. Of course, that last 8% is always the toughest to get, but Barletta could do it. And if he falls short, he can always run for governor in 2010.
My thing is that if he runs for the House, he’ll be wasted. If he wins, he’ll simply be a marginalized voice on illegals, as the media has successfully done to Tancredo (although Tancredo hasn’t always helped himself - as with his ill-advised Miami stunt). Becoming Governor of PA would be a much more high-profile bully pulpit for Barletta (and we really don’t have a bonafide “heir apparent” for the Governorship in 2010).
Barletta can serve two years in the House and then run for either the open governorship or open Senate seat in 2010. I think he would be “wasted” more by serving as mayor from 2009-2011 instead of in Congress.
I think it would be difficult for Barletta to get the GOP gubernatorial or Senate nomination in 2010 from the mayorship of Hazleton, whereas being in Congress would give him greater exposure.
Well, he’s getting a lot of attention now where he is. If he runs for Congress and then goes for the Governorship, he’ll have to start running for the latter almost from day #1 after being elected to the former, and will not be able to give his full attention to the job. A quickie stepping stone approach looks bad. The last person to pull off such a stunt was Bill Scranton. After knocking off a weak freshman rodent in 1960 who won in a fluke in 1958, he had to run almost at once for the open Governorship in 1962.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.