No he isn't. "Independence" in the dem party only lasts until a visit from the Whip's staff. Unless Critz is granted a cosmetic "no" vote to save his a$$ at election time, he'll be like the other "conservative" dems.. just holding out for a juicy, earmark-packed deal.
With rare exceptions, Pelosi is determined to shield her members from precarious votes for the remainder of the year — health care was the last tough vote. That is why there will be no budget this year: RATS are terrified of drafting and enacting a budget resolution with a $1.6 trillion deficit (or worse).
Bottom line: other than pork, there may be very little of a Critz record to pick apart in November, and my sense is that the NRCC will target its resources elsewhere. Burns could still get elected in a GOP tide, but he’ll need help from the top of the ticket - Toomey and Corbett - and I doubt they’ll have long coattails in this district, although we may be pleasantly surprised.
Pennsylvania is just bad news, time after time. Disproportionate number of seniors who still revere FDR and JFK; and who don’t understand that a vote for a local RAT is a vote for Pelosi. Many decent and well-meaning but very unsophisticated people in the rural areas, such as PA-12.