Terrific GOP Candidates in Pennsylvania

As of Thursday night, I've begun writing a column on Pennsylvania blog about what should be one of the most ferocious congressional races imaginable: Republican Marina Kats versus Democrat Allyson Schwartz. I hope you'll visit -- and then go to Marina's preliminary site where you can volunteer your support. Marina is beautiful -- and, oh yes, she is extremely tough. Wear your helmet and shin guards, Allyson.


The critical point: It is absolutely essential for the nation's future that John McCain win the election on November 4, 2008. However, if the U.S. House and Senate that await him are filled with liberal Democrats, there is no way McCain can be a successful President. It's essential that activists know who the outstanding Republican candidates are -- and support them. I very much want Republicans -- conservative or libertarian -- around the world to "adopt" exemplary congressional candidates, especially the ones I've been writing about.

NOTE: THIS IS A "BONUS" COLUMN REPRINTED FROM MY PENNSYLVANIA BLOG (http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/, WHICH I HOPE YOU'LL VISIT FREQUENTLY. SUPPOSEDLY, THIS IS A "BAD YEAR FOR REPUBLICANS," BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL GOP CANDIDATES IN THE CRUCIAL STATE OF PA WHO HAVE A CHANCE EITHER TO WIN OR MAKE REAL INROADS IN DEMOCRATIC STRONGHOLDS.


Mike Livingston, Republican candidate for Congress in PA's 2d congressional district (Philadelphia). There's no truth to the rumor that Mike recently won the national "Brad-Pitt-Lookalike-Contest."

Mike Livingston, the law professor who's running for Congress from PA's 2d congressional district (against Dem. Chaka Fattah) and I have been corresponding regularly. I sent him the following today about his own race, Melissa Hart's race in the 4th district (against Dem. Jason Altmire), and Marina Kats's contest in the 13th (against Dem. Allyson Schwartz):



Dear Mike Livingston:I think I can bring attention to candidates I support. My "bull-in-a-china shop" approach online works better than I could have imagined.



Melissa Hart, who is running in the 4th District in western PA is a good friend of mine, and I keep trying to get people nationally to "adopt" her -- with some success. One of Melissa's big advantages this time (as compared to the mid-term election of 2006) is that John McCain should win the 4th by a large margin, particularly if Rev. Wright keeps spreading his cheerful message of ignorance and animosity. Altmire has yet to denounce Obama's "bitter" comments denigrating Pennsylvanians -- presumably because he agrees with them.



Mike, when your own campaign is done, maybe you can write a book about it. Running against Chaka Fattah may be in some ways a thankless task. However, there are tens of thousands of people in the 2d CD who will vote for Mike Livingston if you can get your message out.At the very least, your presence in the race is going to force Fattah to reconsider some of his militantly leftist positions. He's also going to have to explain why his seven terms in Congress have left at least 150,000 people in the district mired in poverty. If Fattah has a clue about economic development, he has fooled me -- and the people he supposedly represents.



If you haven't heard yet from Eric Dondero of BlogTalkRadio/Libertarian, you will soon. When libertarian Republicans learn who you are and what you believe in, many of them will support you -- by "support" I mean send money! There are thousands of libertarian Republicans out there who will contribute to your campaign -- if they can just find out that you exist.



I truly believe what I said earlier about how to get voters' support: to ask for it. The process is just that simple (although it requires great time and effort.



Many of the Republican candidates for Congress have a lot in common -- although you're not as good looking as Marina Kats (nobody is)! Marina has a great chance to make Allyson Schwartz, a terrible legislator, sweat. Allyson claims she's a powerful defender of the "middle-class." Somehow she thinks raising their taxes, discouraging energy development, and basically rooting for al Qaeda in Iraq constitute defending the country.



On libertarian (freedom loving) Republicans. One notable member of that group was a popular columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tom Hritz. He liked to smoke and one day a busybody at the P-G asked him if he was going to participate in "The Great American Smokeout." Irritated, Hritz said he was going to promote a new holiday called "National Mind-Your-Own-Business-Day."


Another Hritz-ism: Somebody asked him what he thought about the performance of Robt. Casey, Sr., father of Senator Bob. Hritz said, "Listen, after two terms of Bob Casey as Governor, Pennsylvania is lucky it's still a state."



Tom and his wife (also very funny) have passed away, but they're obviously still here in spirit. They'd have loved the chance to vote for people like Mike Livingston, Melissa Hart, and Marina Kats.

Critical Congressional Races in Pennsylvania

Note: Today on my Pennsylvania site I've posted about several Republican congressional candidates in the critical state of Pennsylvania. My emphasis will be on Melissa Hart in the 4th district (western PA), who's running to regain her congressional seat, and on "new" candidates. They will include Marina Kats (see column and photo below) in the 13th district (northeast Philly and Montgomery County), Mike Livingston in the 2d district (Philadelphia), Tom Manion in the 8th district (Bucks County), Mike Livingston in the 2d (Philadelphia), and Toni Gilhooley in the 17th district (Harrisburg area). The focus will be on how these candidates "link up" with John McCain's efforts in the Keystone State.

What happens in Pennsylvania in the 2008 election (and, frankly, in the 2010 mid-term election) will help determine the success of the McCain presidency. Yes, it's important that John McCain prevails in November, but it's vital that Republicans regain some of the House (and Senate) seats lost in 2006. No Republican or conservative wants to send John McCain to the White House and have him face a Congress opposed to all his key initiatives. The point is this: If you want to support McCain, please take the additional step of voting to send Republicans to Congress. There are 19 congressional seats in Pennsylvania, and it should be possible for Republicans -- over time -- to win at least 14 of them. When that occurs, Republicans nationally should be able to regain control of the House of Representatives.

If you'd like to support any (or all) of these exceptional candidates, please go to their web sites. Alternatively, you can contact me at TalkTop65@aol.com, and I'll put you in touch with them.

Philadelphia Bulletin article on Marina Kats below:

Kats Will Take On Schwartz In Montco Congressional Race
By: Bradley Vasoli, The Bulletin
02/27/2008

Marina Kats, an Abington attorney, became the sole Republican challenger to Democratic U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz in Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District Monday evening.
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Ms. Kats bested Upper Moreland Republican leader Lee Falgoust 178 to 81 at the Montgomery County Republican Committee's endorsement meeting. Mr. Falgoust responded by asking all county Republicans to support the endorsed candidate and withdrawing from the nomination contest, formally decided in the April 22 primary.

The presumptive nominee faces a formidable opponent in the incumbent Democrat. Mrs. Schwartz, a Jenkintown resident and former state senator, is running for a third term in the House of Representatives, having defeated real estate developer Raj Peter Bhakta in 2006 by 66 percent to 34 percent in a district that includes much of Montgomery County and most of Northeast Philadelphia. Her campaign now has roughly $1.6 million cash on hand.

Still, her opponent from Abington does not foresee a predictable Democratic victory. "I am very confident," Ms. Kats said. "We already know that money alone does not win the election." She cited Arizona Sen. John McCain's all-but-certain presidential primary victory over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as an example; Mr. McCain was out-raised manifold but still prevailed.

Ms. Kats also said that anti-incumbent impulses in America are currently strong and cut across party lines. In Maryland this year, she noted, Rep. Albert Wynn (D) and Rep. Wayne Gilchrist (R) both lost their respective primary battles. No congressperson from the state has lost a nomination contest since 1992.

"There's tremendous anti-incumbent sentiment right now," Ms. Kats said. "I think the fact that she's incumbent sort of goes against her not for her."The Republican has sought to distinguish herself from her opponent by speaking in favor of broad tax cuts and spending reductions. She also opposes amnesty for illegal aliens and describes herself as pro-Second Amendment on guns.

Ms. Kats differs with Mrs. Schwartz strongly on whether Washington should act presently to phase out the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq. Speaking to The Bulletin from her law office in Feasterville, she described looking upon an American flag that was flown for a year and a half over the base of her colleague Christopher Hudock when he was called to active duty in Iraq. Upon returning, he gave Ms. Kats the flag to hang in her office. She describes it as a reminder of the imperative that America prevail."I am supporting the withdrawal of American troops as soon as possible, but only when it is safe to do it for us and our national security interests."

Schwartz spokesperson Rachel Magnuson said the congresswoman welcomes the opportunity to compare her own professional record with Ms. Kats's."Congresswoman Schwartz is a fighter on behalf of middle class families," Ms. Magnuson said. "The issues that they care about are health care, the economy and making sure the streets are safe from crime."

Mrs. Schwartz, she continued, should do well against someone "who has made her money being an immigration and criminal defense lawyer."