Peddle It Somewhere Else

At this time, I think it's appropriate for all Bucks County 8th district residents to properly salute Andy Warren for making us endure one of the most mean spirited and misinformative political campaigns that we have ever seen (granted, though, that many residents have lived here longer than I have).

Acting as a willing accomplice on Warren's behalf was Ginny Schrader, one of Warren's campaign co-chairs. In this capacity, she wrote a scurrilous Guest Opinion attacking Patrick Murphy last Sunday.

Well, Ginny, guess what? Someone else besides me was paying attention.

IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS CALL ON ANDY WARREN TO CEASE UNDERHANDED ATTACKS ON PATRICK MURPHY'S SERVICE IN WAR - 5/2/2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2006
CONTACT:=A0 Eric Schmeltzer, eric@iavapac.org

IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS CALL ON ANDY WARREN TO CEASE UNDERHANDED ATTACKS ON PATRICK MURPHY'S SERVICE IN WAR

NEW YORK - Sunday, in a local newspaper, a representative for Congressional candidate for Pennsylvania's 8th district, Andy Warren, attacked the war service of Patrick Murphy as inadequate background for service in Congress.

Jon Soltz, an Iraq veteran and Executive Director of Iraq and
Afghanistan Veterans of America Political Action Committee (IAVA PAC) released the following statement in response:

"We veterans of the war in Iraq immediately call on Andy Warren to stop all backhanded and disgraceful attacks on Patrick Murphy's honorable service in war in Iraq, and tell his staff and advisors to do the same

Only someone who never served in combat could so cavalierly discount its benefits to the making of a person and a leader.

"It is undeniable that Iraq is the number one issue of 2006. The war affects every aspect of American life. Patrick's seven months of service in the war make him uniquely qualified to go to Capitol Hill and add a credible voice in the debate on the war. In this race, only Patrick Murphy, as an Iraq vet, can go to Washington and hold all elected leaders accountable for the decisions that have adversely affected our troops in the field, and when they return home.

"Patrick Murphy has shown courage, maturity, and leadership under the most challenging of conditions, and has shown an incredible understanding of his community, and its local issues, as well.The people of the 8th district should cast their vote with pride for Patrick Murphy, who will be their warrior in Congress."

Ginny Schrader, Warren's campaign co-chair, wrote in the Sunday Bucks County Courier Times, "Murphy's entire candidacy rests on seven months in Iraq. My husband's granddaughter (and mine by love) has recently married a soldier who did two tours in Iraq.Under the present theory, would two tours in Iraq qualify him to run for the Senate?"

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America PAC is the only political action committee headed by a veteran of the war in Iraq, exclusively to benefit the campaigns of those Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans running for political office.

In case we haven't established this by now, I'll remind everyone that this is Andy Warren's campaign platform:

Patrick Murphy's residency Patrick Murphy's military service Patrick Murphy's residency Patrick Murphy's comparative lack of local government experience Patrick Murphy's residency Patrick Murphy's military service Patrick Murphy's residency Patrick Murphy's comparative lack of local government experience Patrick Murphy's military service and Patrick Murphy's residency.

That's it.

Warren likes to look beyond Primary Day on May 16th to the day when all of the 8th district's imaginary "moderate Republicans" will flock to his side, helping to sweep him to victory over Mike Fitzpatrick and thus send him to Washington in November. Putting aside the utter lunacy of such a proposition, I should point out that, by engaging in his childish campaign, Warren has helped reinforce the perception in the mind of some voters in this district that the Democrats are nothing but a bunch of spoiled little brats arguing back and forth with each other over childish nonsense. How Warren thinks that could possibly help him in a general election is beyond my comprehension.

Far from actually taking the hint, Mimi Reimel of Middletown, PA kept up this pathetic background noise with this sickening attack letter published in the Courier Times on Monday:

The Courier Times muddled editorial that trivializes both the residency requirement for congressional candidates and a politician's credibility leaves voters nowhere.

Patrick Murphy's misstating his residence is, indeed, an important issue for two reasons:

Can we try to put this “issue” to rest now, please? Patrick lives in Bucks County now. He USED to live in Northeast Philadelphia in an area that ended up as part of Bucks County through redistricting. God, this is tired...

Honesty really does matter: When a young politician starts out fudging on facts, we are wise to wonder what's next. Patrick Murphy wasn't raised in Bucks County and he wasn't a "paratrooper," both of which he's said often in person and on his web site. Living in Philly or being a claims adjuster in Iraq are both respectable; lying about them isn't.

This woman must be drunk. I can’t think of any other explanation for such a potentially libelous charge that Patrick Murphy would lie about his military service with ZERO PROOF WHATSOEVER (except, of course, in the beverage of choice of which Ms. Reimel may have been consuming as she wrote this). And “a claims adjuster in Iraq”? It’s almost too funny, really (trying to conjure up an image of Patrick wearing a three-piece suit and carrying a briefcase knocking on a bombed-out Falluja tenement on behalf of a property/casualty insurance company).

How can voters "move on" to the "real issues" when the candidate displays such a credibility gap? This is a "real issue."

To you, I know it is, seeing as how you’re affiliated with a reality-challenged candidate like Andy Warren. I wonder what the “over-under” is on how much longer his campaign will stay afloat until it runs out of dough?

True residency does matter. Residency isn't just about having a street address here; it's about really "living" in and connecting to a community. Sure, you can rent a Bucks County apartment and run for office from here, but that says nothing about a candidate's commitment. Andy Warren has lived in Bucks County for 50 or more years, taught high school and coached track here, ran for office here, served 16 years as a county commissioner here and he did all the other things a real, live, involved person did here.

This is not about showing an address on your PECO bill; it's about showing participation and concern for your community and the politics of it. Do we need or want the National Democratic Party airlifting in and bankrolling candidates they think are good for us? That subverts the process and mocks the whole reason behind the residency requirement.

Yes, Ms. Reimel, “honesty does matter,” as you stated earlier, and “subverting the process” is a bad thing. However, I would call enlisting the help of Jane Faust, who was convicted of voter fraud, to challenge the signatures on the petition of Patrick Murphy and not owing up to it “subverting the process” also. And I would say that not acknowledging in your letter that you’re part of Warren’s “leadership committee” is being dishonest as well. Another example of dishonesty would be Warren’s claim that he voted for Bill Clinton as well as George H.W. Bush.

Oh, and I love the part about the Democratic National Committee "airlifting in" candidates, as if the national organization is solely behind Patrick Murphy and no one else is. Well, I don't think Reimel should worry too much about that. She'll discover that Patrick has broad, grass roots support everywhere when Andy Warren gets steamrolled in a couple of weeks.

What we do need are active, concerned citizens who "know the neighborhood" and are willing to speak up for us, and our community, in Congress.

Mimi Reimel
Middletown

A similar screed was also published today in the Courier Times today by Pete Thompson alleging that Patrick Murphy purchased an apartment in New Hope in order to fulfill the residency requirement. Actually, I’m waiting for Warren to claim next that Murphy caused the McCaffrey’s Supermarket fire in Lower Makefield over a year ago, with his lackeys subsequently distributing flyers all over the district with “proof” of that charge also. THAT should get Warren the nomination for sure.

(Hmmm...could Pete Thompson be a relation to Sally Thompson, who is ALSO on Warren’s “leadership committee”?).

I would say that the “Swift Boating” of Murphy by Warren has indeed begun. This time, however, this sickening tactic will yield a completely different result than it did in 2004.