We Deserve A Better Campaign Than This

I don’t know about anyone else living in the PA-08 U.S. Congressional District, but at this point, I really have to write the “meta post from hell” about this contest.

You see, I’ve been waiting, like my neighbors in this district, for Tom Manion to demonstrate decisively on what basis he believes he should win the election and thus serve us in Washington instead of Patrick Murphy.

A couple of days ago, I commented here on how the current financial meltdown gave him an opportunity to blame “low interest rates” and “affordable housing goals” as the reason for our plight (a bit of truth, but not much; even though I wouldn’t expect Manion to be a financial expert, I would at least expect him to seek wise counsel on the subject).

This post tells us that Manion showed some original thought on the energy issue, though, as I noted, his own party in Washington is primarily responsible for blocking tax credits that would spur development of alternative sources.

This tells us about the controversy concerning a Manion fundraiser at Worth and Company (a noted center of Repug “rainmaking”), this tells us that Manion opposes an assault weapons ban (though, as noted here, Patrick Murphy compromised himself on the gun issue), and this tells us that all Manion has to offer in response to the “squeeze” we currently face with health care and energy costs in particular is the laughable bromide that “much more needs to be done.”

But what really tore it with me on Manion was his truly ridiculous Guest Opinion that appeared in the Bucks County Courier Times yesterday. I’m sorry that I cannot link to it online; that marvel of technology known as phillyburbs.com has experienced “temporary difficulties” for the last three days.

However, this paragraph sums it up (he basically repeats this in one variation or another for about 700 words)…

From my experience in the business world, I know that American workers are prized the world over for their creativity and ingenuity. Continued success in the global economy depends on our educational system’s continued ability to produce the world’s most valued workers. Specifically, our schools should produce workers who are adept at 21st century skills.

And what exactly do you consider those “21st century skills” to be, Tom? Managerial, primarily? Anything pertaining to life sciences? Insurance?

What about funding and development of alternative energy? How does that impact the skills you’re talking about?

What would you do in Washington (apart from what Patrick Murphy is doing already, that is) to secure additional funding for our schools (you have “Education” listed as an issue on your web site, but that information doesn’t appear). Stem sell research? Global warming? Anything??

And while I know land use issues more or less “drill down” to the local level, I’d still like to hear your thoughts about what kind of planning municipalities can do in concert with county and/or state government.

Another thing – you apparently were meeting with train riders to help shape your views, which is a good (if unoriginal) idea. Did anything come out of that?

And don’t look for answers in Tom’s Guest Opinion yesterday, because they cannot be found. And what he wrote (assuming he, in fact, wrote it) should have received a thorough copy edit at the very least to clean up some of the style issues and grammatical mistakes before it was published.

Basically, it reads as if Manion reviewed his RNC-assigned boilerplate, decided to sit down and stare at the wall for a little while, and then concoct his Guest Opinion.

I’d like to see specific policy proposals, recommendations, or ideas for legislation. I’d like to see Manion review Patrick’s legislative record and explain to us what he would have done differently; I’m sure some of this will come out in the debate, but given the fact that we have a little more than a month to go until we vote…well, call me crazy, but I’d like to hear about this right freaking now!!

My preliminary impression of Tom Manion has been more or less supported by the developments in this campaign. I believe he is fundamentally a good man who, probably out of a sense of misplaced honor, considered it his duty to answer the call of the Bucks County Republican Party and oppose Patrick Murphy. But what I see from him is a dispirited effort and a total misunderstanding of the issues we face, let alone the solutions (yes, I would be inclined to support Patrick anyway, but I would at least respect Manion more if I saw that he was making a better case for himself).

Please click here to support Patrick Murphy for Congress. That will hasten Tom Manion’s return to corporate life, where I am sure he is much better suited than his current occupation, which is to serve as a human placeholder for his party and its failed notions of (non) governance, due to expire for good on election day.