Dan Hirschhorn's Blog
Dan Hirschhorn's Blog
pa2010.com Central
send to a friend | print | comment
LEFTOVERS: An open GOP primary in the 8th, Sestak on DADT
The Bucks County GOP is not endorsing a candidate for the 8th Congressional District.
That’s the word out of their meeting Thursday night. The endorsement was effectively former Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick’s for the taking. But with some grassroots conservatives wary of his changed positions on the Employee Free Choice Act and other issues, not to mention the harsh political climate for “establishment” candidates, Fitzpatrick called for the party to forgo an endorsement. Despite some early resistance to the request, Fitzpatrick got his wish.
“I am pleased that the county Republican Party followed my call to allow all the candidates in this Congressional election to have the same platform to express their ideas and thoughts on how to make this district a better place to work, live, and raise a family,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement. “It’s important that voters of this district get to know all of the Republican candidates in an effort to take on liberal Patrick Murphy in the November election.”
Gloria Carlineo, who seems to have emerged as Fitzpatrick’s most viable opponent in the May primary, told The Morning Call that it’s clear Fitzpatrick still has the party’s support.
Meanwhile, Congressman Joe Sestak doesn’t openly gay members of the military to be discharged while the Pentagon conducts its review of reversing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. In a letter to President Obama, Sestak called for a moratorium of any dismissals based on the policy. It came a day after Senator Arlen Specter co-sponsored a bill to repeal the law.
“While I am pleased that you have begun this process,” Sestak wrote, “I remain concerned about its pace and do not believe that taking so long to study the implementation of a repeal is necessary. If our ultimate goal is, as you have stated, to repeal this policy, then it does not make sense to wait a year, until after the implementation study led by General Ham and Jeh Johnson is complete, to halt discharges under it. We should not be dismissing those service members we will be retaining this time next year.”
March 5, 2010 at 1:52 am
Tags: Gloria Carlineo, Joe Sestak, Mike Fitzpatrick, PA-8
Leave a Reply
pa2010.com blogs
pa2010.com Central
Middle Ground
Purple in Pennsylvania
Left of Centre
The In-Specter
Suburban Snapshot
The BlueBlast
The PA GOP Pulse
Red in a Sea of Blue
The Latest from @DanPa2010
- On a train back to Philly... 4 hrs ago
- Waiting for my interview with the guv. We've still got some stuff from #pa08 and #pa11 later @pa2010news 5 hrs ago
- Some corrections @pa2010news http://bit.ly/dd7vEj 6 hrs ago
- More updates...
Stay connected with pa2010.com:
advertisement
advertisement
E 1
Mar 5th, 2010
Another key fact – after not endorsing Fitz, the Bucks GOP then turned around and endorsed dozens of GOP candidates in other races.
How disingenuous for the local GOP to say “Let’s not endorse Mike because it is the right thing to do” and then endorse candidates for dozens of other races. They did this for one reason – they are very concerned that Mike won’t win the primary.
Of course, I agree that this was the right call for the Bucks GOP. But it hard for me to applaud something that was the right thing to do in the first place and just shows how backwards the local GOP is.
The upcoming weeks should be interesting. Based upon my observations, I think Carlineo is the only real contender to challenge Mike. She is the only one with money and a large team of volunteers. (However, I like Ira and James as well.)
I see a lot of similarities between Rubio-Crist in Florida and Carlineo-Fitzpa trick here in the 8th District. Crist and Fitzpatrick are both RINOs and have the support of a Republican establishment that is out of touch with normal people – and both are taking 180 degree turns on issues to accommodate the current political environment. Rubio and Carlineo come from humble beginnings, they have been very involved in the Republican Party but not so much so that you would call them insiders, and both strongly benefit from a tea party-inspired uprising against politics as usual from Rupublicans and Democrats.
I am a fan of both Rubio and Carlineo and believe they will both win their primaries.
And go Sam Rohrer!!!! But don’t get me started on that one.
Ed H.
Mar 5th, 2010
Fitzpatrick’s turnabout on the Employee Free Choice Act is strange considering all of the times he went to labor for support in 2004 and 2006. With that, he’s showing he’s against working people and their rights, as well as the further harm to the economy by opposing unionization.
GOP decides not to endorse | Jeffrey Schott
Mar 5th, 2010
[...] http://www.pa2010.com/2010/03/leftovers-an-open-gop-primary-in-the-8th-sestak-on-dadt/ Share or bookmark: [...]
freedom fighter
Apr 11th, 2010
Carlineo and the newly ordained righties have neglected to study the art of winning elections here. Without a track record, money, grassroots support, a political base, and more money, a newcomer doesn’t stand a chance against Murphy, MoveOn, the Out-of-Towners’ $$$, and the DCCC. Only a candidate with a record of service,acknowledged integrity & intelligence and tons of support can rid us of Murphy. Mike can take him down.