Mikey The "PAC" Man

If it seems like I beat up Mike Fitzpatrick pretty regularly at this site, it’s only because he completely deserves it.

(By the way, sorry I don't have a link for this editorial at the moment):

Doylestown Intelligencer – Friday, September 15, 2006

Takes One to Know One (Doylestown Intelligencer Editorial Board)

GOP stretches in criticism of Murphy

It's a little like the pot calling the kettle black: the state Republican Party's criticizing 8th congressional District candidate Patrick Murphy for attending a $250 per person fundraiser in Washington DC for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

The state party's executive director, Scott Migli, took a shot at Murphy and three other Democrats who are waging challenges against incumbent Pennsylvania Republican congressmen in the Dems' effort to recapture control of the House they lost 12 years ago. Migli called the four challengers "political pawns of Nancy Pelosi and the national Democratic Party."

It must drive those who follow politics crazy to hear their party, especially Republicans who support Fitzpatrick, spout such drivel, especially on behalf of Fitzpatrick, who never met a PAC contribution he didn't welcome, who sends or approves slick election mailing masquerading as newsletters and pays for them with taxpayer dollars, and who only the other day on local TV invited President Bush to Bucks County. What with Fitzpatrick's disagreements with the administration over handling the war in Iraq, environmental protection and Social Security, to name a few, we're not so sure Fitzpatrick's invitation is motivated by the warm fuzzies. But we know the first-term incumbent loves the idea of Bush's financial drawing power and has unabashedly accumulated a huge war chest to help him retain his seat in Congress.

To criticize Murphy for attending a modest $250 fundraiser put on by the leading Democrat in the House seems not only petty. To us it indicates a desperate party, one that is looking for something – anything – with which to discredit a member of the opposition. We think it's a credit to Murphy that he received an invitation to the Washington event, a tit-for-tat following a Murphy-Pelosi fundraiser last month in Philadelphia. Obviously Fitzpatrick is seen as vulnerable, something many incumbents of both parties are not.

We hope that in the weeks ahead the state Republican Party has better things to do than quibble about a lousy $250 fundraiser by the Democrats while their own candidates are raking in far greater sums from business and corporate giants that have grown fat thanks to favorable GOP policies. We think Fitzpatrick should be embarrassed by Migli's statements and not hesitate to dismiss them as so much ranting that doesn't represent his feelings on the matter.

Note to the Bucks County Courier Times editorial board; if you people had an ounce of impartiality in the election between Fitzpatrick and Patrick Murphy, you would have already printed this.

And while I’m on the subject, I should point out that whatever credibility you have concerning your editorial section is deteriorating as this election progresses. Aside from the letters and guest opinions of many other writers that are interesting (on both sides, but more often from liberals and progressives), you continue to publish drivel from acolytes of Fitzpatrick that question Patrick Murphy’s religion, which should be rejected out of hand.

In a post on Monday about Joe Sestak (who has a new TV ad that’s really great…yes I know I’m partial, but it is – sorry I’m currently having issues with uploading from YouTube that I’m trying to resolve or else I’d have it here already), I linked to this column by Chuck Todd of Hotline who wondered why the Repug slime machine isn’t going after Patrick yet.

They don’t have to. The Courier Times is already doing it for them.