By all accounts, Jason Altmire is doing very well as a freshman Congressman. He is a thoughtful Democrat, who seems to carefully consider the issues on their merits…rather than on how they will effect his re-election chances. He’s made a point of staying in touch with his constituents and listening to their concerns.
What more could you ask for?
Well, Melissa Hart seems to think that her brand of inside baseball politics will better serve the 4th District, so she is back in the mix.
To reconsider Melissa, one only needs to return to the night of her defeat….
I have rarely seen a candidate as “ungracious” as Melissa was on Election Night. By comparison, Rick Santorum’s concesson speech was a model of probity and charm.
Hart showed her true colors that night, when she was caught in the headlights of her own hubris.
It’s easy to be warm and fuzzy when you are the sitting Congresswoman and you’re handing out pork, or when you’re in full makeup in front of the TV commercial cameras, pontificating about being a coal miners granddaugher, it’s quite another thing to show grace under pressure. She showed none.
To some of you this might not seem like much, but to me, it showed the “real Missy,” the hard-line GOP sycophant who hitched her star to Tom DeLay and Rick Santorum, thinking she was on fast track to important committee assignment and riches. I think it showed her constituents something they’d perhaps already sensed, but never seen in such stark terms before.
I don’t think they want to go back and revisit that..
Piltdown Man
Truth takes time
Time wounds all heels. Some more than others.
With luck, the Democratic process will ‘wound’ her political career mortally, thus getting one more snake out of the pit permanently.
Spoiled Brat
She’s always acted like a spoiled little brat, a Santorum protege with little brains and an enormous sense of entitlement.
really
spoken like a true marxist. you must worship billary
Billary? ..
That’s so tired and old. Obama has won the nomination anyway.
Change of Hart?
What has changed in six months, but she’s not in Washington. Did someone forget to tell her that she lost?
I will relish voting for Jason and against her
I find it hilarious that these pols who, when they are in gov’t, can do nothing but extol the virtues of the private sector and business can’t wait to get back on to the federal taxpayer dime.
pd
What Will She Do?
What will Ms. Hart hope to accomplish? There will not be a Dubya butt to bury her nose in.
EMBA30
Actually, Melissa will have
Actually, Melissa will have several things in her “pro” list..
> She has extremely high name recognition
> She’ll be able to raise money
> The NRCC will get behind her
> Altmire will have a record he’ll have to run on
However, on the “con” side, she’ll face the following…
> She is a loser, not an incumbant.
> The GOP is still melting down and Bush will push her down further
> She’ll get money early, but if polling shows she has no traction, that money will go elsewhere.
> Her record, which hasn’t gotten any better since Election Day.
It actually should be an interesting race…and make no mistake, she’ll go negative early and often, led (no doubt) by her longtime consultant John Brabender…who, it seems, is developing quite a reputation for working with the most scandal-ridden Members of Congress, having gotten both Bob Ney and David Vitter tickets to Capitol Hill.
Pilt
Hart
cmon you cant possibly tell me you are happy with the job the invisible Altmire has done. I think Case has rubbed of on him. the dems are in deep trouble and god help us if the marxist hillary gets elected
Pitt ..
the problem is … the NRCC is bleeding money .. heck .. they couldn’t hold on to three deep red districts where they held special elections .. they won’t have much money .. if at all… to give Hart
Not all it is cracked up to be
Regardless, we need to at least applaud those who have an interest in representing their community in government. Be it a Republican, Democrat, Green or Independent, running for office is a difficult task. And the campaign is the easy part compared to the work load that comes once in office. These politicians take on a hefty load while sacrificing almost all of their personal time. The problem is that we do not have enough people getting involved and who want to run. If there were more interested candidates, we would have a better representation in government becuase it would be one composed of citizens, not career politicians.
How do we do that?
Hi Citizen Driven,
How do we get more people interested? I’m sincerely interested. Also, love your blogs on the site – keep up the great work!
Stanley
Everything fine is difficult
This is not an easy answer, and it is something we should explore in detail. Rather than give a long response, watch for some blog posts in the next few days that will help us craft an outline of how we get more candidates. By doing it this way, we can break it down and discuss each component of how to expand our choices in government.
We need Melissa back
We need back the representation we had under Melissa Hart. What has Jason done in Congress? Where is the consitituent help? Its time for Western Pennsylvanians to start thinking for themselves and compare the two candidates. Just wait and see. Jason will have all his ads done by Washington Lobbyists. Just wait.
altmire
can you say LAME DUCK
what planet do you live on
this area is still filled with retired blue collar or current blue coller. in her last stint she voted with bush 23 out of 24 times (once she probably was absent). you may be some above us, priveledged person but we are all not (like you).And that vote was against us b.c.w. We are still you neighbors whom work very hard, contribute to society and probably are some of your neighbors.We are tax paying citizens who she has ignored in the past, thats why we voted her out to get rid of her…....... What part of Mars do you live on because i’d like to find you and live in you’re lovely supreme world!!!!!(Or planet)
Hart is a corporate crony and Bush cheerleader
MELISSA HART WILL NOT DEFEAT JASON ALTMIRE. HART IS WORTHLESS TO THE DISTRICT AND SPENT MOST OF HER TIME IN WASHINGTON DC WHEN SHE LOST. SHE DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR THE DISTRICT IN THAT TIME. PEOPLE ARENT STUPID. THIS LOCK AND STEP REPUBLICAN LIKE TIM MURPHY AND PHIL ENGLISH WILL BE GOING DOWN BIG TIME IN 2008.
oh yeah
and you are for a marxist regime like we are headed for if the DEMS get complete control?????gimme a break
this isn't the 1950's
Nobody running for office is a marxist. Talk about the commies is what the hard right resorts to when they know they are about to lose.
So here is your break. Please take it and go spew your rhetoric about Dems and marxism else where. Clearly, its all you have to give to voters at this time.
Name calling.....
Name calling belongs on a) The playground or b) Right wing talk radio. I don’t want to find it here, though I know that’s probably an impossible dream.
Altmire has been in his district a lot. He’s got no problem on that front.
Hart was a rubber stamp for the Bush agenda and never truly represented the people of her district.
If you think Jason’s campaign will be “done by Washington lobbyists,” get a clue.
Hart, on the other hand, will no doubt continue to use BrabenderCox, the same firm that helped Santorum (lost) Bob Ney (disgraced and gone) David Vitter (disgraced by still hanging on) and numerous other right-wing standard-bearers. BC looked like geniuses while the GOP was ascendant, but the Emporer’s New Clothes caught up with them during the last cycle…..
Pilt
Melissa' Comeback
Three cheers for Melissa. Hopefully she can take out Altmire who is nothing but a big spender who panders and will say anything and doing anything to get elected. We don’t need people like him in public service.
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