U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner will travel to Lancaster County on Aug. 10 to help raise money for U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts' re-election campaign.
Not that Pitts needs the help.
The Chester County Republican has raised nearly half a million bucks for his re-election campaign this year — way, way more than he's raised by this point in his previous six runs.
And he shows no signs of stopping.
"The congressman's goal is to raise as much money as he can to maximize his ability to help other candidates as well as to successfully run his own campaign," said Pitts' Chief of Staff Gabe Neville.
With three months until the election, Pitts' war chest contains 31 times the cash of his Democratic opponent's.
The incumbent had more than $292,000 to spend as of June 30.
Bruce Slater had $9,493.
Which raises a question: Why?
Why is Pitts trying so hard?
Isn't bringing Boehner to town — did I mention that a ticket to a roundtable discussion with him is $2,300 — sort of like bringing an Uzi to a knife fight?
It seems that way.
Until you consider election returns in the 16th Congressional District since 1998, the year Pitts won his second two-year term.
Bottom line: his margins of victory have slipped. And as they have slipped, campaign-finance records show, Pitts' fundraising efforts have intensified.
In 1998, Pitts earned a second term after winning nearly 71 percent of vote against Democratic Robert S. Yorczyk. By June 30 of that year, Pitts had raised only $114,694.
At the end of June this year, he had picked up $451,446 in contributions.
So what's happened since 1998?
His election returns have fallen to 67 percent in 2000, 64 percent in 2004, and less than 57 percent in 2006. In fact, his margin of victory two years ago was a relatively slim 17 points.
(Pitts didn't face a major-party opponent in 2002, and therefore won a substantial victory, getting 88 percent of the vote.)
At the same time, his fundraising numbers at June 30 of those election years steadily rose from $114,694 in 1998 to $116,445 in 2000, $288,182 in 2002, and $338,019 in 2004. It fell slightly to $320,632 in 2006, but it's back up to $451,446 this year.
There are a number of reasons that his margins have slipped, including disaffection with the Republican Party, which certainly bleeds over onto Pitts himself, during the last couple of cycles. But the 16th is not nearly as solid red as it was before the 2002 redistricting, when Reading was placed in the district. Chester County, part of which is in the district as well, is also trending Democratic.
Given those trends and numbers, it certainly makes sense that Pitts is raising so much money.
If you want tickets to the Boehner event, call Pitts campaign headquarters at 295-9108. The event will be held in the evening — a time has not officially been announced — at Willow Valley Resort. Tickets are $2,300 for the roundtable discussion with Boehner and Pitts; $500 for the VIP reception; and $100 per person or $150 per couple for the general reception.
The other guy
Speaking of the race for the 16th, independent John A. Murphy of Chester County said he filed enough signatures in Harrisburg on July 25 to get on the November ballot. He needed 2,300 but filed nearly 5,000, he said.
The Federal Elections Commission lists him as a candidate on its Web site.
Democrats see him as a spoiler.
Lois Herr, who ran against Pitts two years ago and is now executive director of the county Democrats, wrote on The New PA 16th Web site that Murphy siphoned votes from her campaign.
"Joe Pitts received barely 57% of the vote in 2006, with my total being 39.5% and Murphy gaining slightly less than 4%. Imagine what could have happened if Murphy would have supported my campaign, or at least not spread falsehoods about my positions," Herr wrote.
Ware quits Finland post
Strasburg businesswoman Marilyn W. Ware is no longer the U.S. ambassador to Finland. She resigned the post on March 28 after serving in the post for two years.
A news release said Ware resigned for personal reasons and was returning home. She took the oath of office on Feb. 7, 2006.
In a prepared statement, Ware said:
"The opportunity to represent President George W. Bush and Secretary Condoleezza Rice on behalf of the people of the United States has been both a great honor and an enriching experience.
"I am equally proud to have worked with the government and citizens of the Republic of Finland. During this process, I have made many friends and come to appreciate the wealth of talent and opportunity in Finland. While I will miss all aspects of serving here as Ambassador, now is a time when I must focus on my needs and the needs of my family."
The news release said Ware would remain involved in some projects she began in Finland, including the "further publication of the history of John Morton, a Finnish descendant who played a pivotal role in the approval and signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1776.
Ware said she also intends to remain active in supporting U.S. and coalition efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Beiler challenges WagnerRepublican Chet Beiler, a Manheim-area businessman trying to unseat Democratic state Auditor General Jack Wagner, called on his opponent to agree to seven pre-election "discussions" to be held across the state.
"As I have traveled the state I have noticed that most people are unaware of the duties and responsibilities of the Office of Auditor General," Beiler wrote in a letter to Wagner. "As we both know this office has enormous power and a great ability to protect the citizenry.
"Considering the attention focused on the 2008 Presidential campaign we have a great opportunity to focus people on the Auditor General's Office. People are incredibly concerned about the future, the economy, jobs, energy, and taxes. They have lost confidence in their elected officials in Washington and Harrisburg and need their faith restored," Beiler wrote.
"Through a series of genuine discussions we can show people that opposing candidates can agree and disagree with respect and without personal attacks," he wrote.
Beiler suggested holding the events in Allegheny and Lancaster counties, where Wagner and Beiler live, and one each in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Erie and Johnstown/Altoona.
Wagner has not yet responded to Beiler's request.
McCain gathering
John McCain's campaign coordinators here in Lancaster County will hold a one-hour get-together at Long's Park on Aug. 14 for supporters of the Arizona Republican's presidential bid.
The gathering, part of a series of "McCain Nation" gatherings being held nationwide that same evening, begins at 6 p.m. on the lawn near the amphitheater.
"While I would love to see Sen. McCain or a surrogate attend the event, it is not planned for," said William P. Kiehl, one of the local McCain coordinators. "We Lancaster countians who support McCain and our assorted kids, pets, friends and the curious will just show up on the grass, have some fun for one hour, recommit ourselves to the campaign, and then disperse."
Speedy recovery
State Sen. Mike Brubaker is back on the job after successfully undergoing surgery to remove his prostate on Wednesday.
"He's already checking e-mails and checking calls," said Nathan Flood, Brubaker's chief of staff.
The 50-year-old Warwick Township Republican, who was diagnosed earlier this year with prostate cancer, is expected to return to a full schedule in two weeks.
"I feel great and am confident that the treatment and care I received will allow me to return to serving the people of the 36th Senatorial District in the manner they expect," Brubaker said in a prepared statement.
Double whammy
The ever-so-quotable Eric Epstein, a former Lancaster countian who founded Rock the Capital in the wake of the 2005 pay-raise furor, weighed in this week on Bonusgate.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported this week that taxpayers shelled out nearly $2 million in legal fees racked up by the House Democratic Caucus in the last 18 months. That number exceeds the $1.85 million in staff bonuses handed out by the caucus in 2006.
Talk about adding insult to injury.
"It appears to be an insatiable feeding frenzy for attorneys," said Epstein. "The worse things get, the better attorneys do."
Calendar
• State Sen. Mike Folmer hosts a daylong seminar on raw milk SATURDAY at Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon County. The event, featuring numerous experts and speakers, begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m. and will focus on the constitutionality of the distribution of raw milk, as well as the health benefits of its consumption.
• U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts holds a public meeting at 7 p.m. on Aug. 12 to discuss concerns about the proposed AES Natural Gas Pipeline Project. It is being held at the Octorara High School Auditorium, 226 Highland Road, Atglen. AES Corp. wants to build a liquefied natural gas import terminal at Sparrows Point, in Baltimore County, Maryland. The terminal would distribute natural gas via a proposed 88-mile natural gas pipeline through part of the district.
• The 12 defendants facing charges in the Bonusgate probe will appear for preliminary hearings on Oct. 7 before Dauphin County President Judge Richard A. Lewis in Courtroom 1 of the Dauphin County Courthouse. The hearings begin at 8:30 a.m.
Staff writer Tom Murse can be reached at tmurse@LNPnews.com or 481-6021. Politically Speaking appears Fridays.
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