-
The Best CPAC Ever
February 8, 2012 | 27 comments
-
Florida Picks Mitt
February 1, 2012 | 66 comments
-
Fear and Loathing in the Sunshine State
January 31, 2012 | 160 comments
-
Winner Take All
January 30, 2012 | 91 comments
-
Florida Fireworks Finale
January 27, 2012 | 173 comments
Campaign Crawlers
Special Time in Pennsylvania
Republican Tim Burns battles for Murtha's 12th District.
Tim Burns was all smiles Wednesday night in Johnstown, and not just because the Republican congressional candidate was enjoying chili dogs at his favorite hometown diner, Coney Island Lunch. An hour earlier, in a public forum at a local high school, his Democratic opponent seemed to admit what the Burns campaign had been saying for days, that attack ads slamming the GOP candidate's tax positions were a lie.
"So I want to take this opportunity, that if I've misstated Mr. Burns's position on something, that I apologize. I didn't mean to do that," said Mark Critz, a former aide to the late Rep. Jack Murtha, whose February death vacated the seat to be filled by a May 18 special election. "It was my understanding that [Burns] did support the Fair Tax, and if that's wrong, I apologize."
The inclusion of two "ifs" meant this wasn't exactly an apology, nor did it appear specifically to include the TV ads funded by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, warning that "Burns supports putting a 23-percent sales tax on just about everything we buy." FactCheck.org called that a "quite misleading" attack, since it doesn't mention (a) that the so-called "Fair Tax" would abolish the IRS and repeal all federal income taxes, or (b) that Burns merely has said he would "ultimately" prefer such a policy while acknowledging "practical" problems with going "from where we are today to the Fair Tax."
Yet Critz's conditional apology was sufficient for a National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman to issue a press release: "Now that Critz has apologized for lying, he should promise to stop any other smear tactics by either his campaign or Speaker Pelosi's Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee."
Such are the daily clashes that define the intense battle for Pennsylvania's 12th District -- now less than three weeks from an election that could put a Republican in the seat held for more than a three decades by Murtha, the 19-term Democrat who rose to become chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee before his Feb. 8 death. The potential parallels to Sen. Scott Brown's January special-election upset -- replacing the departed Ted Kennedy in heavily Democratic Massachusetts -- are obvious enough. But to quote another famous Massachusetts Democrat, all politics is local and Murtha was the master of a peculiarly local brand of Pennsylvania politics.
Murtha's ghost looms large over the 12th District, which sprawls in a bizarre gerrymander over a predominantly rural area stretching from the southwestern corner of the state up to Ebensburg in Cambria County, a three-hour drive away. The crab-like geographical outlines of the erstwhile dominion of Murthadom, however, are no more bizarre than the political landscape in a district where Democrats hold a 2-to-1 registration advantage -- John Kerry carried the 12th in 2004 -- but John McCain beat Barack Obama in 2008.
This is the part of Pennsylvania whose small-town residents Obama infamously described at a San Francisco fundraising event two years ago: "It's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
Democrats seem to be banking on the "anti-trade sentiment," a genuine phenomenon in a Rust Belt region where the unemployment rate -- as high as 13.5 percent in Fayette County, and well above 10 percent in other 12th District counties -- would be even higher, were it not for the fact that for decades, ambitious young people have been moving away in search of better prospects elsewhere. The DCCC attack ads portray Burns's signature on a no-tax-increase pledge as favoring "tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas."
That kind of accusation is transparently intended to appeal to surviving adherents of the arcane ideology of Murthanomics, wherein the keys to prosperity are protectionism and pork-barrel federal spending. Republicans may laugh at Murthanomics as a misguided nostalgia for the days of Smoot-Hawley, but at least a third of the audience at Wednesday night's forum at Westmont Hilltop High applauded when Critz pledged to bring home the budget earmarks just like his late boss used to do. And even Burns -- a successful entrepreneur who surely knows better -- apparently felt compelled to make semi-protectionist "fair trade" noises about China "dumping" steel into the U.S. market.
Many Republicans learned to loathe Murtha when, in 2006, he accused Marines of killing Iraqi civilians "in cold blood," but the departed Democrat remains an object of bipartisan reverence in the 12th District. "My parents and grandparents are all Republicans, but they wouldn't hear a word against Murtha," one local GOP operative explained.
Fortunately for Burns, he is not campaigning against Murtha. The Republican is not really campaigning against Critz, either, except to portray him as the tool of a Washington political apparatus viewed with suspicion by bitter gun-clinging Pennsylvanians.
"Do you think Nancy Pelosi would be working so hard to get Mark Critz elected… if she thought for one minute that he was going to vote against her agenda?" Burns said in his final remarks Wednesday, which ended with a cheerful invitation. "I can't come to Johnstown without stopping at Coney Island for a hot dog, so that's where we're going after the debate -- maybe I'll see some of you there."
An hour later at the downtown diner, Burns and his staff seemed confident that they've seized the momentum in this neck-and-neck race. Top political oddsmaker Charlie Cook switched the 12th District from "toss-up" to "leans Republican," and Sarah Palin's Facebook endorsement on Monday unleashed a torrent of online donations that totaled more than $80,000 Wednesday afternoon and passed the $100,000 mark by mid-day Thursday, campaign sources said.
Some of that money got injected into the recession-plagued local economy as the Republican campaigners placed their orders at the stainless-steel counter. During coming weeks, much more out-of-town cash is likely to end up in the register at Coney Island Lunch -- "Best Hot Dogs and Hamburgers in U.S.A. Since 1916," as the sign outside proclaims. The national media will soon be pouring into the 12th District to cover the big election, and they won't want to miss the diner's specialty sandwich, a chili cheeseburger topped with a fried egg, known as the Sundowner.
"Don't knock it until you've tried it," Tim Burns said, an argument he may want to use with area voters who haven't elected a Republican to the House of Representatives since the 42-year-old candidate was in kindergarten.
About the Author
Robert Stacy McCain is co-author (with Lynn Vincent) of Donkey Cons: Sex, Crime, and Corruption in the Democratic Party (Nelson Current). He blogs at The Other McCain.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (220) | Leave a comment
Leave a Comment
More Articles by Robert Stacy McCain
More Articles From Campaign Crawlers
http://spectator.org/archives/2010/04/30/special-time-in-pennsylvania
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
Current Issue
- Useless Wonks
- The Continuing Crisis
- Progressive Derangements
- Digital Subscription (Save 78%)
- Buy a single issue (Save 50%)
- Send Spectator as a gift
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
Tim*| 4.30.10 @ 7:06AM
This Candidacy all started at a Tea Party .
The Tea Party Rebellion Escalates.
Remember In November.
Stephanie| 4.30.10 @ 9:06AM
Tim, I love that line!
"Remember in November."
that may be worthy of becoming a bumper sticker.
Otis, my man!| 4.30.10 @ 1:49PM
Stephanie,
It already is: http://shop.cafepress.com/health-care
Cheers!
Clinton| 4.30.10 @ 2:20PM
Busted Stephanie on that one.
REMEMBER NOVEMBER!| 4.30.10 @ 2:57PM
What does that mean, moron?
Son Of Sam| 4.30.10 @ 3:38PM
It means that the lying ObamaNazi scum are getting their asses booted out of office. You're going down in flames, you tax-fattened parasites
stand strong until freedom dawns
Son Of Sam
Purpleguy| 5.1.10 @ 10:17AM
No, it means y'all are gonna go home crying 'cause your teabagging didn't turn out the vote ... waaa, waaa ....
Bawney Fwank| 5.1.10 @ 11:02AM
Ooooh Purpleguy, you say that to all the big strong men.
saleboter| 4.30.10 @ 7:45AM
"a chili cheeseburger topped with a fried egg, known as the Sundowner."
Do the food police know about this?
Richard Baker| 4.30.10 @ 7:59AM
Why not a pork sandwich in honor of Murtha?
NavyBrat| 4.30.10 @ 8:15AM
"FactCheck.org called that a "quite misleading" attack, since it doesn't mention (a) that the so-called "Fair Tax" would abolish the IRS and repeal all federal income taxes, or (b) that Burns merely has said he would "ultimately" prefer such a policy while acknowledging "practical" problems with going "from where we are today to the Fair Tax."
As soon as I saw the Critz ad, this is exactly what I thought. This guy can't ever come up with a lie that holds water for more than 3 seconds. His campaign ad staff should be fired. And now I'm hungry for a chili cheeseburger, minus the egg. I'm only 45 minutes from Johnstown, so I might check this place out this weekend.
WeR1| 4.30.10 @ 8:52AM
Critz is trying to portray himself as bluer than blue (pro-gun, pro-life, anti-tax, etc) as he tries to become another Pelosi pawn.
Matt| 4.30.10 @ 9:34AM
do people in the 12th district think that Murtha has done them a favor. Things haven't gotten better, despite Murtha's earmarks. The district could really use a pro-growth businessperson, who can create lasting jobs and some economic growth. Hopefully Burns can do that, but I'm positive that Critz can't (or Pelosi)
loulou| 4.30.10 @ 9:54AM
Matt, you're right. Murtha put the 12th district on welfare and we know what that does to people.
It's like Senator Byrd of WV. He brought so much pork to WV he's perpetuated a basket case state. He didn't do it for West Virginians, he did it for himself--Robert C Byrd this and Robert C Byrd that all over the state. WV is a whole state of Katrina people--dependent on the gubmint.
Publius| 4.30.10 @ 2:25PM
The reality is that all tariffs and all trade subsidies destroy the industries they are intended to protect because these practices prevent companies that are using outdated technology or inefficient means of production from updating. The result is that these companies become progressively less competitive and the subsidies have to continually increase to support them, but we all know that fiscal spending is a finite beast compared to the unlimited revenue potential of the free-market. The results speak for themselves and Pennsylvania has felt the full impact of the failures of the steel industry, automotive industry and farming industry tariff and subsidy programs. Fifty years ago they had a future and today they only have the federal government, yet there are a host of suckers who believe the subsidies are a sustainable alternative to actual free-market capitalism.
axbucxdu| 5.1.10 @ 1:02PM
Publius| 4.30.10 @ 2:25PM wrote: "...The reality is that all tariffs and all trade subsidies destroy the industries they are intended to protect because these practices prevent companies that are using outdated technology or inefficient means of production from updating."
While I partially agree with this statement in terms of a domestic firm's internal costs, it's not necessarily true when that industry also has to compete with the currency manipulation conducted by a foreign competitor's home government. To cede domestic production to a foreign government in this way in the name of "Free Trade" is plainly foolish and stupid.
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 9:41AM
What's in Store for the Recycling Program in Hernando County, Florida? | Hernando Cou links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 9:48AM
The Greenroom » PA12: Tim Burns vs. Murthanomics links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Anthony| 4.30.10 @ 10:14AM
The ghost of Jack Murtha has far more concerns than the district this hack pol once controlled.
Unfortunately for this departed disgrace, like his pal Ted Kennedy, Murtha's ghost must face those of the brave American soldiers he impuned with regularity, not to mention his creator.
Who would want to trade places with Kennedy or Murtha??
In any event, we need to help Tim Burns do a Scott Brown on Murtha's seat. SEND MONEY!!!
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 1:08PM
Siobhan Magnus – Paint it Black – American Idol 2010 – TOP 12 | Knowledge to share wi links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
John OB| 4.30.10 @ 1:32PM
All Nancy has to do is whistle, and phony blue-dogs like Critz will come running to her heel!
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 1:35PM
April 30 - Steve's Links links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 2:02PM
Weather Was Great For Wheat Harvest | Blogging links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 2:29PM
The American Spectator : Special Time in Pennsylvania links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Dustoff| 4.30.10 @ 2:59PM
Factcheck.
FactCheck.org is a non-partisan,[1] nonprofit[2] website that describes itself as a "'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics."[3] It is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.[3]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This is the same Foundation who gave money to both Ayes & Obama. (yes you can look it up)
Not so sure I would trust what they say
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 2:59PM
American Spectator | Ifdny links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 3:09PM
American Spectator - Ardub links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 3:12PM
American Spectator - XTS links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 3:16PM
American Spectator - MeMiM links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 3:35PM
The American Spectator : Special Time in Pennsylvania < Read what Young Americans Rea links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
stmichrick| 4.30.10 @ 3:50PM
Is this guy Burns for real?
Following Brown, Palin and Bachman Republicans are becoming the Goodlooking Old Party. Can't hurt, given the plurality of fools that voted in Obama.
All I want from these candidates is an ability to knock down liberals in a soundbyte-streetfight, which is their venue of choice.
And stay away from the interns.
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 3:58PM
American Spectator links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 4:05PM
NHL Men's Schedule Series Colorado Avalanche Watch #NHL-SW-COL … | Colorado Avalanche links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 4:07PM
American Idol Episode Review 2.23.2010 ? Season 9 Episode 13 | Knowledge to share wit links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 4:25PM
Animal Science Students Win North American Competition | Know Your Health Information links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 4:49PM
Do you take your shoes off at work? | Shoes Beauty Wisdom links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 5:03PM
What website has good quality videos for mobile phones? links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 5:59PM
How soon did you start showing with your first pregnancy? links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 6:01PM
How Can I get my boyfriend to stop crying? links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 6:06PM
Weather could lead to first Derby run under lights links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 6:55PM
Candidate Of The Restoration: Tim Burns « The Camp Of The Saints links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 7:21PM
How old are babies usually when they start to raise their arms up? | beijing weather links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 7:38PM
Toss Tim the Keys to the Keystone State « Disrupt the Narrative links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 7:43PM
How to keep Mario/Luigi flying in the super Mario world? Also how to gain altitude wh links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 7:56PM
Ohio 15th District: Questions for Stivers | Educational Ohio links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 8:31PM
What does it mean when you dream of a baby that is crying? links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 8:51PM
For Some, Oil Spill A Business Opportunity | StartBusinessAndSucceed.com links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 9:00PM
When can babies start wearing the same amount of clothing as us? | beijing weather oc links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 9:33PM
Weather could lead to first Derby run under lights | beijing weather october links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 9:33PM
If another tablet: Slate HP canceled | digguk links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 10:30PM
Are business loans going to be more restricted? | Personal injury lawyer links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 10:58PM
Can a laptop with XP professional access a domain when at my office and my workgroup links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 11:21PM
The American Spectator : Special Time in Pennsylvania Image links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.30.10 @ 11:30PM
When do stores start bringing the new back to school clothes? links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 12:18AM
What are good foods for braces and foods to avoid? | beijing weather october links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 1:14AM
Catch 62 and Valuation and Division of Assets | Retired Pay World links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 1:20AM
Phoenix Suns' Playoff Run Could Decide Amare Stoudemire's Future » AmareDunks.com links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 3:48AM
How many hours of sleep are necessary for a pregnant woman to feel rested? links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 4:40AM
The American Spectator : Special Time in Pennsylvania links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 5:01AM
Special Report on Resveratrol – Proven Results! What is Resveratrol? | Resveratrol Su links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 5:08AM
Alan Wake: Videos – DE – Bright Falls: The prequel to Alan Wake – Episode 2 – ‘Time F links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 6:24AM
St. Paul Saints want to see your stuff | beijing weather october links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 8:00AM
Interview With Jonathan Budd (Pt 2 of 2) | Kevin Musty.com links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 8:00AM
Interview With Jonathan Budd (Pt 2 of 2) | Kevin Musty.com links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 9:41AM
chinese business? | Business with Chinese links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 10:32AM
Lady Gaga-loving soldiers remake ‘Telephone’ video links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 10:52AM
Star Exclusive: Jon Gosselin Debuts His New Girlfriend! – People Mash | Jon Gosselin links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 1:23PM
American Photo – May/June 2010 | Ebook Online Free links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 1:52PM
What website does an english to japanese translation, using the english alphabet? links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 2:14PM
How many hours of sleep are necessary for a pregnant woman to feel rested? links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.1.10 @ 2:27PM
How to Decide About the Exact Horse Racing Picks at the Time of Horse Racing | Racing links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.2.10 @ 2:09AM
The Greenroom » PA12 Special Report: Behind the Scenes of the Pennsylvania Patriot Re links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.2.10 @ 5:02AM
adventures_adventure trips_adventure trip_free online adventure games_adventure quest links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.3.10 @ 6:06AM
Wegmans Using Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Powered Pallet Trucks | FavStocks | Alternative Fuel links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Derek Leaberry| 5.4.10 @ 8:23AM
Is this pingback some computer dork gone crazy?
Pingback| 5.5.10 @ 1:57PM
PA-12: Calling All Tea Party People! Volunteers Needed in Pennsylvania : The Other M links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.6.10 @ 3:04AM
Fashonistz - News & Trends links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.8.10 @ 10:33AM
Melissa Hart on Stem Cell Research, Republican Congress PA | Hot Daily Gossip links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.13.10 @ 10:39AM
Just Watch Your Back | eBooks For Affiliates links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.13.10 @ 10:46AM
Just Watch Your Back | eBooks For Affiliates links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.14.10 @ 9:43AM
PA-12: The ‘Scott Heard Round the World’ Will Campaign for Tim Burns Today : The Oth links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 5.14.10 @ 6:56PM
Bizarre Foods - Deep Fried Bacon | TravelMeister.info links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
fjdskj| 7.1.10 @ 1:40AM
beijing massage shanghai girl
3ds Blog| 5.20.11 @ 6:23AM
What is going on with you pingback?
Angry Bird| 5.20.11 @ 6:24AM
I think Tim Burns is really cute
Sally Baird| 5.20.11 @ 6:26AM
I am heartily sick of all the political in house fighting. Its all about who you know....
nursing schools in Virginia| 5.20.11 @ 6:28AM
Totally- look at the money which poured in when Sarah Palin gave a personal endorsement.
Soulmates Site| 5.20.11 @ 6:28AM
Wish Sarah would give my facebook a personal endorsement!
Libby Perkiss| 5.20.11 @ 6:30AM
Politics is all about money- the largest bank account wins the race- its always been this way.
Theatre Breaks in London| 5.20.11 @ 6:31AM
What are the three financial steps to political freedom?
Universities in Virginia| 5.20.11 @ 6:32AM
Cant understand any of pingbacks posts- whats going on?
Bronny G| 5.20.11 @ 6:33AM
Tim Burns is the way of the future politicians- young, smart and cute
UTI treatment| 5.20.11 @ 6:35AM
I want to get into politics but I dont come from one of the 'right' families nor did I marry into one!
Internet Dating Partners| 5.20.11 @ 6:36AM
Build your empire now-
James Campbell| 5.20.11 @ 6:39AM
Republicans may laugh at Murthanomics as a misguided nostalgia but it is no laughing matter.
Lelani J| 6.5.11 @ 8:44AM
Well, it does seem that the Democrats appear to be banking on the "anti-trade sentiment!
UTI Treatment