Just wondering – which Dems want to support Touey? All I am hearing from Dems is that they are wondering what’s wrong with Mass that is motivating Touey to move back to her childhood home.
I guess she has some old friends here, but Dems I speak to are supporting local candidates.
I hope Ms Touey did not sell her home in Mass. She might be moving back soon.

Not sure, i think these candidates can kiss any help from sestak goodbye. He should offer to refund some of the money for the 7th to hold the democratic seat. Who is the favorite, presuming lentz, vitali, and now w touey? Its a shame to have to use resources that should be allocated elsewhere in the state.

I believe that Bryan Lentz is the likely favorite.
Greg Vitali is a solid legislator, but from what I have heard, may not want to jump into the fray.

Lentz is a fighter. He was a tough prosecutor, volunteered to go to Bosnia and Iraq, and then defeated an established 20+ year Republican incumbent in a district that had not seated a Democrat since the civil war. He has a record of accomplishment and leadership in Harrisburg.

Touey may be a nice person, but I believe that her residence will preclude her from making a credible case to the voters of the 7th.

Michael, you claim that Bryan Lentz has lived in the 7th “since before the Macarena was popular.” That is completely incorrect. Lentz, didn’t move into the district until 2005, the year before the 2006 Congressional election he got bumped out of to make way for Joe Sestak. Its no secret Lentz himself moved into the 7th specifically to run for Congress before being pressured to step aside to give Joe Sestak a clear shot in the Dem primary. Lentz was given the go ahead to run for the state House as a concillation prize. I’m pretty sure he lived in Philly prior to 2005. Even so, he didn’t move into the 7th until a full 9 years after the Macarena was popular in 1996.

As far as Costello, I’m not sure what your beef is with him. While the 6th may have changed over the course of his lifetime, he’s attended high school, college, and worked in the various communities that make up the 6th. I think that he’s perfectly in his right to make that point, as that knowledge of the district and its various communities would certainly be a selling point with voters.

SE GOPer is right about Livingston. Costello has every right to tout his local roots, but he hasn’t said it makes him a better candidate then Welch. Livingston is making assumptions. Costello should be making the case that Welch is an opportunist and Costello knows the district better, but Costello is being weak on this point instead. Livingston is attributing criticism where it doesn’t exist in an effort to make Welch look better. Hopefully Costello smartens up. Then Livingston in the next paragraph favors Lentz over Touhey because Lentz lives in the District and Touhey is a carpet bagger. I can see why Livingston was a 2008 congressional candidate and not in congress – his rationale doesn’t add up.

Michael-
1) SEPA and Nick make good points against the words you are trying to put in Costello’s mouth. However, if the job of a congressman is to represent his district, then it’s a fair argument that since Welch previously thought he was more in-tune with the 7th district to represent them, that the 6th was his second choice. Costello can more easily make the argument over Welch about who is more deeply rooted in the 6th.

2) The Democrats don’t want to run Touey over Lentz. Touey wants to run Touey. Any support for her is NOT coming from within the district, because almost nobody knows who she is or would consider her a superior candidate to Lentz.

3) The GOP is willing to give Welch a pass on Welch not even living in the district he’s running for. It’s ridiculous comparing Lentz moving from Philly to it’s suburbs vs Touey moving back into the State after 20+ years.

4) Lentz has established himself firmly in the community and local politics.

5) Touey returned briefly in 2006 to put another carpetbagger into the seat, who now, after raising millions of dollars to defend the seat, is abandoning it for a senate run and taking the money with him. Thanks, but no thanks.

6) Touey’s got TWO options:
a) offer to work on the Lentz or Vitali campaigns as a staffer
b) go work on Joe’s senate campaign (though, don’t expect to be paid for it)

I understand that Doug Pike is not a “lifelong resident” of the 6th either. Does anyone have the date as to when the lease on his Bryn Mawr apartment began?