Way cleared for Hart rematch against Altmire

[RamboLiberal]

Former Allegheny County Councilman Ron Francis of Ben Avon, has dropped out of the Republican race to take on U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, D-McCandless, this year, leaving Melissa Hart, who lost the seat in 2006, as the sole contender for her party's nomination.

In a letter to supporters this week, Mr. Francis, a partner in the Downtown law firm Reed Smith, said he didn't want to divide the GOP as the party seeks to defeat Mr. Altmire, a freshman lawmakers who is a top target for national Republican leaders.

"To defeat Congressman Altmire and reclaim the seat, we need to be united from the beginning behind one candidate," he wrote. "I have concluded that a majority of Republican primary voters in the Fourth Congressional District believe that Melissa Hart deserves a second chance to beat Congressman Altmire. I respect that opinion."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08025/852200-100.stm

Hope Jason can defeat Missy Bushbot again!

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

1. Hart's ego was bruised last election

Jason Altmire is a much better fit for PA04 than the ultra-RW, "female Santorum", bushbot Hartless.

I will again be supporting Jason and hope he gives her the mega-defeat she deserves!

[livetohike]

2. I wonder why she thinks she can win?

Cong. Altmire is not my congressman, but I've heard good things about him and think Missy should give it up.

[MrMickeysMom]

3. Why we should watch Malicious Heart...

The Republican machine will do ALL it can to win back Jason Altmire's congressional seat. One thing you have to acknowledge is their ability to continue dirty tricks and lies. I sincerely hope people of Altmire's district will give Heart the message LOUD AND STRONG.

Altmire is not my CM... I'm in the 18th, so I will do all I can to support Steve O'Donnell http://www.electodonnell.com who, IMO is the only one to beat Tim Murphy(R)

MH - we want someone who is not a Bushie, and you certainly WERE that!

[RamboLiberal]

4. I'm in Mike Doyle's district and his seat is fairly safe

So I'll be contributing to Altmire and also your district if you get a candidate that has a chance against Tim Murphy. Love to see him gone as well!

[MrMickeysMom]

5. There sure IS a candidate who can beat Tim Murphy- Steve O'Donnell...

Please visit here... http://www.electodonnell.com

I've seen all the Democratic candidates for the 18th, and he's the one! Thanks.

BTW, I've gotten some stuff in the mail from Doyle, who was my CM before the district was cut up and we got Murphy. I very much respect and will support Doyle,

Go Dems! :hi:

[RamboLiberal]

8. Thanks - I'll probably wait till after the primary

And see who comes out the nominee. On a budget and right now I've been concentrating on the presidential race.

[FREEWILL56]

6. So you are in the 14th. Me too.

Mike has no competition from the other party so he's very safe. The last time I saw him I was there to rally for him at the American Legion in Swissvale when he first ran for office. I went to school with his brother who was ahead of me and I had forgotten his name (first name for the wise arses out there) so I guess I'll be dragging out my yearbooks to look, if I think about it.

[pmadpgh]

7. Doyle and Altmire

Mike strongly supported Jason last time and will likely again.

[philly_bob]

22. I'm amazed at how dislikable Melissa Hart is.

I thought it was just me. Many others seem to share my opinion, judging from posts above.

[Bunny]

9. Channel 4 played Missy's first ad this morning. Quite the hatchet job, I must say.

Forget it, Missy. You're a loser.

[LynneSin]

10. I think Repukes are targetting the 4th and the 10th

They feel that they lost the 10th in a fluke because of the extra-marital affair that the former holder of the seat, Don Sherwood, had (plus there were accusations of violence against his mistress). PA10 is rural Pennsylvania (Williamsport area) and could be a tough race for democrat Chris Carney to hold to. I think the one benefit for Chris is the fact that he is considered a pretty moderate democrat, which might not appeal to folks here at DU, but could appeal to this conservative region of Pennsylvania

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

11. But they are targeting the 4th with a proven LOSER

Hart was the incumbent and Altmire the challenger and she lost...WHY would they expect different results with Hart in the position of challenger??

I personally think it is more Hart's ego that got her back into the PA04 race this year instead of the GOP deciding to target. Of course the GOP will supply $ to her campaign but it'll be interesting to see how much they do to aggressively challenge the seat.

Since I live in the district (northern suburbs of Allegheny County) this race is of particular interest to me. The thought of Missy Hart representing me again makes me as ill as the thought of Santorum returning as my Senator.:puke:

[PADEMJES12]

12. Luv the barf... that about sums Missy up

Yeah, it will be somewhat annoying to see Hart parading around trying to claim the high ground after she got kicked out on her butt.

[Joe Bacon]

13. I'm originally from Ambridge, I know Melissa Fart did nothing for my Dad

I remember my Dad really got pissed off at her when she closed her Beaver County field office saying it was unnecessary. He tried to contact her office once about Medicare and was told to live with the cuts. Ron Klink always treated Dad with respect. Melissa Fart never did.

[benfranklin1776]

18. Yes she basically turned her nose up at everyone outside of Bradford Woods

And the closure of the Beaver County Office was a prime example of her haughty dismissive arrogance of working people. Jason, by the way, reopened the office in Beaver County as he promised he would and visits Beaver and Lawrence often, not just at election time like Missy was fond of doing. She was a proud tool of Bush and joined him often and happily to vote against workers, the environment and the interests of anyone not in the country club set. It was a welcome breath of fresh air for the 4th when she was shown the door. Many remember her classless departure and will be happy to remind her of it come election time.

[piltdownman]

14. Prissy Missy

Missy has already come up swinging with a boilerplate GOP attack ad calling
Altmire a "tax and spend liberal." I guess she decided "going ugly early" IS the best strategy!

Of course, I think this early attack ad is just a sly way for her consultant's to get some cash flowing
at an otherwise dead time of the election cycle, but that's just me :-)

You really think anyone is going to remember this six months later? Or are
they thinking they'll "force" Altmire to respond? Not likely. Jason is smart and so are his people.
That's why he's in DC and Missy is doing...well...whatever it is she does when she isn't on the
Federal Government dole.

[Divernan]

20. "Going ugly early" sums up Melissa Hart's entire political career.

When she served in the state Senate, she thoroughly pissed off her GOP colleagues. She was nearly as rude and insulting to them as she was to every single Dem, and that was back in the days when there was still a great deal of professional collegiality between the reps and senators of the two parties.

[demodonkey]

21. With gas heading for $4 and this economy, does ANYBODY still buy that GOP are not the big spenders?

Even my freeper-type relatives are starting to realize that we can't keep borrowing from the Chinese to spend a $billion every day and a half in Iraq.

[dropkickpa]

15. Altmire needs to fight this as a serious threat

Hart lost because Altmire was not deemed to be a threat so she did very little campaigning. If Altmire treats her the same way, her guns blazing approach could work.

[piltdownman]

16. Altmire is well aware of that...

I don't think Altmire will underestimate Hart or her people. And part of that is not getting drawn into a
pissing match this early in the campaign. My guess is that Jason has low negatives and the Hart camp
is trying to chip away at that in the early going. I'd look for some direct mail to parrot her "big spender" TV, though
it may already be out there. I'm not on her list, so I don't often see it until later....

And I agree with the fact that Missy will be a fighter. She's come out swinging and I don't expect it to be pretty.

Remember, Congress votes on tons of stuff each year, and it's easy for Hart's consultant's to hand-pick a few which
they can twist into nasty TV ads. My guess is that someone's in a dark room doing that as we speak....

Piltdown Man

[dropkickpa]

17. I think that he is

But a lot of people seem to think it won't be a fight, and the right's little darling is not going to go quietly into the night.

[Freedomofspeech]

19. Oh, gawd....

I don't want to have to look at that face again. She and anne coulter have to be related.