Posted on 11/04/2010 1:26:26 AM PDT by Chet 99
The southwestern Pennsylvania district long held by the late Rep. John P. Murtha will remain in Democratic hands after a victory by a former Murtha aide.
Mark Critz won the 12th congressional district seat in a special election in May to finish out Mr. Murthas term, defeating Republican Tim Burns. In Tuesdays rematch with Mr. Burns, Mr. Critz managed to turn his connection to Democrats or, more specifically, Mr. Murtha into a positive and won narrowly.
As economic development director for Mr. Murtha, who died in February and steered hundreds of millions of dollars in federal contracts to his home of Johnstown, Pa., Mr. Critz had good relations with area businesses. He also had some key endorsements, including Mr. Murthas widow, the National Rifle Association, the United Steelworkers and the United Mine Workers of America. They helped Mr. Critz position himself as a social conservative who is progun and antiabortion.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...
A disappointment, but not a surprise. They love their pork in that district.
So, the 64 million dollar question is, will our new leaders follow Jim DeMint and turn the pork off ?
Good Dem District. When they get bought they stay bought.
Well, Murtha said his contituents were a bunch of stupid rednecks. I guess he was right about that anyway.
The pork flow will now stop because the Democraps are out of power.
Same thing happened in neighboring Pittsburgh. The fools here voted for Mike Doyle, Democrat stooge against a hard-working, intelligent, capable Conservative woman, Melissa Haluszczak.
I’m from Pittsburgh. So many times I’ve heard the refrain “The Democrats are for the poor people, the Republicans are for the rich people.” The robots here still believe that although the steel mills, factories and mines are long closed (because of Democrat taxes and regulations); the union mentality still prevails.
I don’t know when they will wake up. Maybe another fifty years.
We were discussing this at work yesterday. Somebody suggested that, with the drop in Pa’s population - and a consequent loss of one representative - that that district would be the first to go. It’s one of the most gerrymandered districts in the state.
My mother was born in Pittsburgh. Even though she was basically a conservative, she believed that democrat/poor and republican/rich thing until the day she died.
It’ll be zeroed out of the existence by the new GOP legislature. Mark Critz should enjoy his tenure while it lasts.
They may love pork but not being in the majority presents a problem as to where they think they’re going to get any.
They shout "Vote Freedom First" and then endorse the communists who are hell-bent on enslaving us.
Yep, and now their “pork” is “minority pork”.
Corrupt people elect CORRUPT people.
Once you’re hooked on crack, you don’t want to turn in your crack dealer.
I am from the area, too, but Murtha's district. Too many "good" people turn a blind eye to the Democrats support of the culture of death and corruption because of greed. The Democrats are "good for the area" because they bring in money, no matter if the money is stolen, just as long as they get their bennies, and just as long as they stick it to the uncaring "rich."
The candidates lie about their support for the culture of life because, in the end, like Stupak, they will yield to the intense and relentless pressure by the Democrat leadership. People have not learned this.
As to the NRA, I would consider dropping my membership if they continue to support Democrats. It is true that individual candidates support gun ownership, but they are also subject to intense pressure to change their vote when it comes down to actual gun control legislation guaranteed to be put forth by the evil Democrat members of their own party.
I am from Pittsburgh also, and grew up hearing that EXACT refrain. My dearly departed dad believed it til the day he died and it was mindboggling to him that his two children, my brother and myself, were Republicans. I now live in NoVA and it galls me to think that the union probably still has my dad voting in Dems!
No more pork for them... refuse any funds for them... starve them forever.
LLS
Boy, there sure is strong competition for “dumbest people in America”. California leads, Delaware is second, followed by Nevada, this district, Barney’s district and maybe Alaska.
California and Delaware cemented their status as Communist entities, with no viable opposition. Can we just sell them to the highest bidders?
Either this district or PA-13 (Allyson Schwartz) will be a goner come redistricting.
Burns carried the Armstrong, Indiana, Somerset, and Westmoreland portions of the district; Critz carried Allegheny, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, and Washington.
If the district is dismantled, it borders the 18th (won by Tim Murphy 67-33), the 4th (won by Jason Altmire 51-49), and the 9th (won by Shuster 73-27). Bordering the 4th is also the 3rd (Mike Kelly beat incumbent Kathy Dahlkemper 56-44), and the 14th (won by Mike Doyle 69-28).
Doyle is surely safe - Pittsburgh proper has too many Democrats. But Critz and Altmire have to be shaking in their boots.
Also Tim Holden has to be worried; however he was paired with Gekas in 1992 and beat him.
Philly looks to have enough population to support two seats, with the remainder left over for the 13th. Possibly the 13th could be made more Republican, but the 7th and 8th are not reliably Republican either.
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.