Local newspapers and readers are lining up to support freshmen Jason Altmire, or maybe it’s just to keep Melissa Hart out of the race. It sure seems like she’s not very well liked out there. Here’s what one local newspaper editor had to say:
Former U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart’s apparently been champing at the bit for another shot at U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, who, of course, beat her in the 4th Congressional District race in November.Hart got so excited to announce her candidacy last weekend that she plumb forgot to call The Times. Oh, she found time in her hectic schedule to inform the hyphen-loving Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review of her plans Friday, but not us. (Sniff, sniff.)..
Is President Bush still in office? Is the war in Iraq still a catastrophe? Are American troops still being killed and maimed daily with no end in sight?
As long as the answers to those questions are yes, then a Republican won’t win the district.
But wait, it gets better!
We will never forget her TV appearance late on election night denying the report that Beaver County votes put current U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire over the top and that she had lost the election. The look of disbelief on her face and her weak verbal responses almost made her tenure as our representative worth it.
Yes, yes, I admit that this gent doesn’t exactly sound like a Republican super-voter, but it still doesn’t speak well of Missy’s nascent candidacy.
The 4th
I wouldn’t read into the Beaver County Times pooh-pooing Hart’s potential comeback. I have to say I have some reservations about Hart (Altmire will have a field day connecting her to Hastert, DeLay, “corruption”, etc., deserved or not). However, she carried the district three times in the recent past and it is arguable that she lost her seat as a result of the Reagan Dems that compose a healthy portion of her district (and Beaver County) “going home” in the last election. In a presidential year, some of those voters may stray from the reservation again. Hart is a very good campaigner who got lazy last year and it cost her dearly. If she wins the GOP nomination next year, she will not make the same mistake twice. Personally, I would like to see either state Rep. Mike Turzai or state Senator Jane Orie match up against Altmire (either one would place the race firmly in the toss-up category), but the district will remain very competitive even if Hart goes for the GOP. Right now, Altmire has the slightest of edges.
Missy abandoned Beaver County
She slapped Beaver county in the face when she closed her office in the county. People here have long memories, hold grudges and aren’t going to forget what she did. It was no accident Altmire made a point to put his office in Aliquippa which won him the gratitude of the locals.
pd
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