Posted on 12/23/2009 9:27:53 PM PST by Born Conservative
Republicans are trying to woo U.S. Rep. Chris Carney to switch parties, with Sen. John McCain among several GOP leaders making pitches to the Susquehanna County Democrat.
Mr. McCain on Wednesday called Mr. Carney at his home in Dimock Twp. to ask whether he would consider joining the GOP, a Carney spokesman confirmed. The effort to persuade Mr. Carney was first reported by Politico, which quoted a GOP aide who said the party received "a nibble" from Mr. Carney.
But Mr. Carney's spokesman, press secretary Joshua Drobnyk, rebutted that part of the report. Mr. Carney in a statement late Wednesday said he was "flattered" but not interested.
"I appreciate the Republican Party's outreach, but I have no plans to change parties," Mr. Carney said.
Mr. McCain is not the only high-profile Republican to court Mr. Carney. He has also received phone calls from U.S. Rep. Peter Sessions, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, and U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, a "close friend" who represents a large district in Southcentral Pennsylvania, Mr. Drobnyk said.
Mr. Drobnyk said the GOP push was unexpected.
"Any time you get a call from the former presidential nominee of the Republican Party, it's a surprise," he said.
When asked about his talk with Mr. Carney, Mr. McCain told Politico, "I just said, 'Whatever you do, I know that you'll make the right decision for the country.' "
Mr. Drobnyk confirmed Mr. McCain's message was along those lines. Efforts to reach a spokesman for the senator were unsuccessful.
The 10th District, which Mr. Carney represents, has almost five registered Republicans for every four Democrats, but he won office in 2006 buoyed by voter discontent with incumbent Don Sherwood.
Few Republican candidates have emerged as challengers to Mr. Carney's second re-election bid in 2010. State Rep. Mike Peifer was a leading possibility but dropped out this week.
One person definitely in the race is Malcolm Derk, a Snyder County commissioner, who said Mr. Carney seemed an odd fit for a defection. According to a Washington Post database, Mr. Carney has voted with the Democratic majority 91 percent of the time.
But if national GOP leadership is ready to welcome Mr. Carney, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania cannot say the same. Spokesman Michael Barley said the state party wants to beat Mr. Carney, not convert him.
"We certainly aren't courting him," said Mr. Barley, who thought the wooing from Mr. McCain and others signals the GOP is confident and looking to capitalize on controversy surrounding Democratic spending and the health care overhaul.
Another McCain fail.
I’m sure McCain views any switch he can garner as a boon to his own campaign chances next year - feather in his cap/notch on the bedpost sort of thing.
I wish he’d just go away.
ping
Didn’t McCain assure us all that we need not fear an Obama administration? How did that work out?
Hey, didn’t this same McCain once enter into talks with Hanoi John Kerry ( the biggest traitor this country has seen since Benedict Arnold) about becoming Kerry’s VP candidate?
Liberal media running interference for the Dems again. The point of the article is to give a heads up to the Chicago Liberal machine and shame Carney.
Don’t hold your breath.
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