Mike Fitzpatrick!
Why are we not surprised? After all, the Inquirer is a left-leaning paper. In their eyes, Fitzpatrick, with his moderate voting record, ability to “work across party lines” and “commendable record of public service,” is the best they can hope for in a Republican candidate.
But wait a minute, aren’t politicians with a moderate voting record and an ability to “work across party lines” (code for agreeing with the Democrats) part of what got us into this mess in the first place? Besides, isn’t the endorsement of a left-leaning newspaper exactly what Fitzpatrick doesn’t need right now? After all, the conservative base is the energized portion of the electorate, and the Inquirer endorsement can’t be a point in favor of Fitzpatrick for most of us.
Our advice to you: Make an effort to meet candidates, question them, read about them. Find out what they stand for; their approach to the problems of the day. A good place to start is this blog. We’ve linked to their websites as well as articles on candidates in many races, and have opined on them as well. You can check out some of the candidates by clicking on links on the blog roll, and you can find more information by putting their name in the TJC blog search engine. But don’t stop there, learn as much as you can about the candidates before the election. Be sure to visit their websites.
Our advice to the Inquirer: Let voters make their own decisions. We don’t need endorsements from the Republican party, and we don’t need endorsement advice from a bankrupt liberal newspaper.
Here’s the excerpt that pertains to the Eighth Congressional District:
In the Eighth District, which includes Bucks County and slivers of Montgomery County and Northeast Philadelphia, former Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick is seeking the Republican nomination for the House seat he lost in 2006 to Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy, who has no primary opposition.
Fitzpatrick, a lawyer and former Bucks County commissioner, offers the GOP the strongest chance to win back this seat. He’s a moderate Republican who can work across party lines. The Inquirer endorses MIKE FITZPATRICK.
His opponents are Gloria Carlineo, a GOP committeewoman in Solebury Township; James Jones, a Navy veteran and business consultant; and Ira Hoffman, a financial planner from Solebury. All three have brought valuable insights to the campaign, but none can match Fitzpatrick’s commendable record of public service.
Read the rest here: Choices for Congress.
Tags: 2010 PA Election, Mike Fitzpatrick
May 11, 2010 at 4:20 pm |
The record does NOT show Fitzpatrick “votes with a liberal bent.” The American Conservative Union, a reliable conservative source rates Fitzpatrick as a moderate conservative, certainly not a left leaner. His voting record in one term was 65, lowered, of course by the environmental stuff. And he has said cap and trade was never voted on. You are not fair to an honorable, decent guy. And the Dems are laughing at you, as they shudder at a Fitzpatrick challenge. You don’t really want us to suffer with Murphy who is a slickster with an ACU rating of 4 in one term and 8 in the other. Earmarks? Fitzpatrick “saved” the 9-11 Memorial Garden of Reflection with a transparent earmark. Ask them.
May 11, 2010 at 9:08 pm |
First of all, if you were part of the Fitzpatrick staff when he was in office, you should reveal that.
Next, just to be clear. No one is accusing Mike Fitzpatrick of not being a “nice guy.” That doesn’t mean he can beat Patrick Murphy.
I, for one, don’t want a candidate beholden to the Republican powers-that-be.
As to the cap and trade situation, perhaps you didn’t see the advertisement the Democrats is running about Fitzpatrick. Are you suggesting that they’re wrong when they say Fitzpatrick cosponsored the Cap and Trade bill? ( http://tinyurl.com/247uhjy ) And then there’s this:
H. Res. 971: A nonbinding resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Congress should enact legislation to slow, stop, and reverse the growth of the Nation’s dependence on imported oil in ways that provide cleaner air, reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, and enhance America’s competitiveness. Sponsor: Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA) (3 cosponsors) (from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change http://tinyurl.com/2cwd4ju )
And, Fitzpatrick made the National Journal’s list of the 25 most liberal Republicans in the U.S. House in 2005. (he was #24.)
I don’t think that Murphy and his folks are quaking in their boots worrying about Fitzpatrick. They’ve beaten him once. Granted the situation is changed, but they have to think their odds are pretty good this time around.
.
May 11, 2010 at 6:00 am |
I have followed your advice and–in this case–have [mirabile dictu] concluded that The [intellectually/fiscally bankrupt] Inquirer was correct…albeit not for the same reasons that were invoked.
http://fitzpatrickforcongress.com/on-the-issues.php
http://www.carlineo4congress.com/about/issues/
http://hoffman4congress.com/my-politics.html
http://jamesjonesforcongress.com/?page_id=5
There is little that differentiates the policies that they have articulated and, indeed, additional features on some sites (buttressing these statements by distilling philosophical principles) serve to enhance these iterations of fundamental concepts.
Therefore, notwithstanding campaign-related frictions that–perhaps inevitably–emerged, it is vital to appreciate the lessons of recent national political events…including the fate of Utah Senator Robert Bennett, and polling-data related to the Sestk/Speckter conflict.
On the one hand, the Tea Party Movement was largely responsible for removing from GOP leadership a supporter of burgeoning spending (as occurred with Charlie Christ in Florida). On the other hand, the Democrats are poised to purge an intellectually hopeless career politician from being rewarded for reflex-voting for everything his newly-readopted party wants.
Pivotal is the fact that Mike has encompassed TPM-adherents (including, in particular, the candidates who dropped-out after he announced his candidacy) while dominating GOP-loyalists. By adhering to the “open primary” pledge, he demonstrted his commitment to subjecting his platform to intense scrutiny.
His “inclusive” demeanor (public/private) serves as a model for how other public figures should behave during this volatile election-campaign, and I daresay he will be sincere when he invites the remaining candidates to join him in a vigorous anti-D [Obama/Murphy] effort.
May 11, 2010 at 6:42 am |
The problem with Fitzpatrick is that he’s got a record, and the record shows that he votes with a liberal bent, for card check, against drilling in ANWAR, for cap and trade, etc. And he brought home tons of earmarks. If you want to send “business as usual” back to D.C., except with an R behind his name instead of a D, I guess he’s your guy.