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Joe Rooney for Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District

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If you are a Republican living in the Pennsylvania 13th Congressional District***and have been waiting for a fiscally conservative candidate to mount a serious challenge to the liberal Allyson Schwartz, this could be your year.  Joe Rooney, a former U.S. Marine Corps fighter pilot, is the lone candidate seeking to take on Schwartz this November.  His message of fiscal responsibility and American optimism will play well from Northeast Philly to Lansdale and King of Prussia.

As background, I went to my first Congressional meet ‘n greet in 2010 as a member of the Horsham Republican Committee (HRC).  That year the MontCo and Philly GOP organizations entertained a slate of four or five candidates running to oppose Ms. Schwartz, a popular and well-financed liberal Democrat Congresswoman.  I remember a long, long evening of seemingly endless, rambling monologues that failed to connect, let alone inspire.  I knew that night Schwartz would have little trouble winning re-election.

But at this year’s meet ‘n greet Joe Rooney turned out to be a pleasant, refreshing surprise for the 2012 election cycle.  His background, leadership, and values will play well to both moderates and conservatives concerned about the economic future of the country.  His home page offers a hint to Mr. Rooney’s motivation in representing the people of the 13th:

“America is the most powerful nation in the world.  However, we are in danger of damaging the future of this great nation by blatantly ignoring the ongoing fiscal crisis.”

It’s a message with which any hard-working head-of-household, retiree, unemployed worker or mortgage holder can empathize.  National fiscal health results in a robust economy that begets more job opportunities, better wages and a safe, secure path into the future.  And Rooney’s background is indicative of strong leadership that makes tough decisions and possesses the strength and commitment to see them through.

Joe served for twenty-three years as Marine Corps pilot of F-4 Phantoms and the F-18 Hornets, retiring as a Lt. Colonel.  And as good a pilot as he was, Beth – his wife of  25 years - was one of the Navy’s first female pilots and just the second woman to graduate from the prestigious US Navy Test Pilot School!

In person, Joe Rooney is a direct, no-nonsense speaker with a genuine populist message.  I found Joe to be personable, intelligent, and focused on the message he believes is important both to the people of Pennsylvania and to America’s future.  He is also well aware of the difficulties he faces in trying to unseat a popular Congressional Democrat with a huge campaign war chest. 

Joe Rooney is an American Optimist. 

 “The American economy can be the engine that drives the rest of the world out of the economic hole that currently exists.”   -  Joe Rooney

When Joe addressed our group, he referred to the view of America as that “Shining City on a Hill” - made popular by President Ronald Reagan – that portrays America as a land for Hope, Progress and Leadership.  The above quote illustrates his view that America can lead the global economy to recovery so long as we can get our own fiscal house in order.   

The Rooney’s live in Ardsley, PA and have five children, including a daughter currently serving in the US Navy aboard the USS KLAKRING and a son attending the US Air Force Academy, studying to become a fighter pilot.  Joe, who graduated from Bishop McDevitt High School, flies and captains B737s for Delta Airlines.

The biggest obstacle to a successful run by Joe Rooney in the PA 13th is FINANCIAL!  Allyson Schwartz is a deeply rooted, popular liberal Congresswoman, with a staggering financial advantage.  So please take a good look at Joe Rooney’s message and consider contributing to – or volunteering for -  the Joe Rooney for Congress campaign!

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***  Important Note:  The judicial decision that threw a wrench into Pennsylvania’s attempt to redraw state legislative voting districts DOES NOT affect the redistricting of national Congressional Districts.  So the redrawn boundaries for the 13th Congressional District will be used for the 2012 primary and general elections.  Click the link to see if your vote will be included in the new PA 13th.

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UPDATED: Horsham’s new political geography

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(See Comments section for updated information.)

Wednesday, January 25 the Horsham Republican Committee held its monthly organizational meeting.  It was one of the more interesting sessions we’ve had in quite a while for the issues discussed, developments in the local political geography, and for the chance to meet Joe Rooney, who is seeking GOP endorsement to challenge Congressional Representative Allyson Schwartz (D) in Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District.

One geographical development is the division of Horsham – almost precisely in half – between the 13th and 7th Congressional Districts.  Horsham will now be represented by two Congressional Representatives – Schwartz (D-13) and Patrick Meehan (R-7), which is not necessarily a bad thing for the Township when you consider that Horsham is largely ignored by Ms. Schwartz, whose power base is Northeast Philadelphia and the Democratic edges of eastern Montgomery County. 

Another interesting, less positive development was the sudden rejection by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court (PSC) of a negotiated plan to redraw State House and Senate districts in response to the 2010 census.  The move appeared both unexpected and unprecedented.  The redistricting plan had just been adopted December 11 by a bipartisan Legislative Reapportionment Commission (LRC).  There was however opposition from minority Democrats who feel that Republicans had unnecessarily carved up townships and communities in an attempt to preserve political advantages. 

Of course this is the common refrain made by the minority whenever the majority party flexes its political power in the reapportionment process that follows every 10-year census.  It matters not whether it’s Democrats or Republicans doing the carving; the other side is rarely happy with the results. 

The problem is that this is the time of year when supporters of incumbents and challengers alike troll voting districts for nominating signatures required in order to be listed on primary ballots.  To add a bit of extra urgency to the matter, the primary is only 3 months away (April 24).  It’s a bit difficult to mine nominating signatures when you can’t be totally certain where district lines will end up being drawn.  Signatures of voters not registered in a candidate’s district-of-interest are worthless. 

The move by the PSC caught many by surprise since:

a) the Court usually endorses the product of similar bipartisan LRCs, 

b) PSC Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille – Philadelphia’s former Republican District Attorney – joined the Court’s minority Democrats to quash the redistricting plan, and

c) no formal majority ruling as to why the plan was found “unconstitutional” was handed down.  That the written opinion is yet to come is a bit dysfunctional given the primary election time constraints;  the minority judicial opinion was provided, though just a few sentences long.

Redistricting is not an easy exercise, even if one were able to put aside partisan political objectives.  As explained by Todd Stevens (PA 151st Legislative District Representative) last night, there is generally a 4000-person wiggle factor when trying to match state legislative districting to 10-year census figures.  For national Congressional Districts the process is more difficult since district size must match EXACTLY the prescribed representative-to-constituent ratio determined by a rather convoluted formula I can not profess to understand.  (If you would like to see an example of “gerrymander“, simply check out the new lines of the redistricted PA 13th Congressional District, whose northwestern edge meanders for miles and miles - and almost house to house - from Montgomeryville-Lansdale to King of Prussia-Conshohocken!)

In any case the issue of Pennsylvania state legislative redistricting must be resolved quickly to offer any chance that upcoming primary and general elections will adhere to 2010 census-driven representation requirements.

The good news for Horsham is that it will retain a single State Representative in Mr. Stevens, who is a township native and resident.  By comparison, Upper Dublin in the last two iterations of reapportionment has been carved up between four state representative districts.

Another interesting discussion on the environmental and economic ramifications of natural gas fracking in the Marcellus Shale was also led by State Rep Stevens.  After listening to the sometimes edgy discussion, I concluded I do not know nearly enough about the subject to discuss it intelligently.  You can count on this being the subject of a future post, once I get around to some meaningful research.  

The highlight of the night however was meeting Joe Rooney, who is the lone candidate seeking the GOP nomination to challenge Allyson Schwartz in the PA 13th.  But since this post is already quite long enough and a bit mind-numbing, I will leave my impressions of Mr. Rooney for another post.  Keep an eye out here for that sometime next week.

In the meantime, check out Mr. Rooney’s website (linked above) and consider donating what you can should you agree with his politics.  His biggest obstacle to giving Allyson Schwartz a suitable challenge this November is financial.

Nesbitt-McCouch for Horsham Council!

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As a 14-year resident of Horsham Township (Montgomery County, PA), I cannot really make claim to the full history of Horsham’s success or affluence.  However, for the years my family has lived here, I can unequivocally state that we have been very happy and extremely comfortable with our life in one of America’s Best Places to Live!

I wouldn’t change a thing about how the Township is planned, managed or operated!  And that MUST include those who have served to keep Horsham Township on the best possible path, both in the past and for the future!

Greg Nesbitt and Mark McCouch are two of the Leaders responsible for the current success and publicly recognized attractiveness and livability of Horsham Township!  Both men have been instrumental – as HLRA-backing Council members - in working towards a feasible, attractive, community-oriented solution for the now vacant JRB Willow Grove property.  And MOST IMPORTANTLY, making sure that future DOES NOT include an airport that indubitably would prove a greater drain on Township resources and community atmosphere than it would benefit.

Even their Democrat opponents admit that there are no “particular issues or problems with the current council” that might require a change in Township Leadership.  The opposition also openly AGREES with the premise and direction that both the HLRA and Township Council has taken on the future look of the JRB Willow Grove property.

So, you have to ask yourself … Why would you change what is so obviously working for the community in which you live?!?  What would possess one to think we could improve on one of the Best Places to Live in America?!?

It’s obvious that you shouldn’t and wouldn’t think seriously about either!

VOTE GREG NESBITT AND MARK McCOUCH on Tuesday, November 8!

Rainy days and primaries always get me down

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As Karen Carpenter once sang,

Sometimes I’d like to quit
Nothing ever seems to fit
Hangin’ around, nothing to do but frown

Honest, I really did have to look that up!  It’s bad enough that I still remember the song.

But it sums up nicely what yesterday was like.  Primary Day in Montgomery County was dull, slow, wet, long, and dull.  That is until the evening voter rush hit, when it was even duller still if that’s possible.   

It is what it is.

What it was, was a Primary Day completing lacking in any headline-grabbing fights for Party endorsements, save a semi-interesting two-way battle for the County GOP nod in the County Sheriff’s race (Congrats to winning nominee, Eileen Whalon Behr!)  and a few skirmishes for judgeship nominations.  Other than that, it was about as interesting as a night at your daughter’s dance recital.  (C’mon … Admit it!)

You know you’re in for a long day when you remind neighbors the night before ” … to vote tomorrow!”, and they scrunch up their noses and say, “What’s tomorrow?!?” 

Oh, boy …  

Heck, not even a single Democrat poll worker/watcher bothered to show up at our polling place!

With over 800 registered voters in our district, well less than 100 turned out to vote.  But that’s what happens when rainy days and low-profile primaries converge.  

Let’s just hope it doesn’t rain in November for a race that will decide Montgomery (PA) County leadership for the next four years!

‘Cause if it does, there will be …

No need to talk it out
We know what it’s all about
Hangin’ around, nothing to do but frown

Montgomery County (PA) Republican Committee endorsement night

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Last night I attended the MCRC endorsement meeting for candidates running for county offices and for new and retained judges.  I serve as a Committee Member in Horsham Township (Area 11).  This was my first foray into the party endorsement process for endorsing nominees to run in a general election.  I was very interested in participating in the process and witnessing how a local party organization went about selecting endorsed candidates.

I was curious to see how open the process was; how objective the process would be; and to what extent back-room power politics might be involved.  I came away pleased in the way The Party went about this process, attempting to ensure a ticket that would win in November that would promote a management philosophy for Montgomery County reflective of Republican principles.  Endorsements do not preclude an unsuccessful party nominee from running as an independent, so the Party attempts to preserve unity behind the ticket by working to ensure a fair and impartial process.

Of course the big fight was for the head of the ticket, consisting of two Party candidates for the three seats on the county’s Board of Commissioners.  (Each party nominates two candidates.  But only the three top vote-getters are seated, ensuring one minority representative.  Please see another post on this blog for some well-publicized history on the soap opera-like relationship of the outgoing Board.)  The Montgomery County Democrats have nominated – unopposed – the up-and-coming State Representative Josh Shapiro and Leslie Richards, a Whitemarsh supervisor.  Given Shapiro’s pull with Democrats, this should prove to be a hotly contested race this year.  The county GOP has lost its long-held advantage in voter registration.

The candidates for the two commissioner endorsements were current Commissioner Bruce L. Castor, Jr., Lower Merion Commissioner Jenny Brown, and State Representative Kate Harper.  Candidates Marie N. Cavanaugh and Jill Govberg withdrew their nominations after poor showings in a poll of county GOP leaders.

The crowd was huge, as was witnessed by the almost impossible task of finding parking if you got there after 6:30 for the beginning of festivities at 8:00 PM at Westover Country Club in West Norriton.  Of roughly 850 committee people eligible to vote on endorsements, over 500 were present.  With 234 proxy votes (Each committee member can vote for one other signed-over committee member proxy.) the number of potential ballots exceeded 700.  A truly impressive number!

There are rules by which any candidate must receive a majority of ballots cast to obtain a party nomination.  If additional ballots are necessary, there are also rules by which candidates must receive a minimum percentage of ballots cast to move on to subsequent rounds.  There were at least two rounds of balloting last night. But only Register of Wills required the second ballot.  Voting was done by anonymous ballot, using the same voting machines we see at our local polling places every Election Day.

After the usual political pep talk, provided by recently renewed County GOP Chair, Bob Kerns, only the remaining candidates for Commissioner were permitted roughly 2 minutes to make their final case.  This was – quite frankly - wholly unnecessary, since committee members have been bombarded with mailings and phone calls seeking support.  And given the crucial nature of the endorsements being sought for Commissioner, it was unlikely that a significant number of voting members did not have their candidate homework finished or their minds made up before entering the venue. 

On the first ballot, Bruce Castor and Jenny Brown won the party endorsements for Commissioner, with Brown leading the way as top vote-getter.  The race between Castor and Kate Harper was close, but not close enough to force a second round of balloting for endorsement.

There were a number of unopposed nominations for county row offices, including District Attorney (Risa Ventri Fermin), Coroner (Dr. Gordon Clement), Prothonotary (Bill Donnelly), Recorder of Deeds (Nancy Becker), Controller (Stewart J. Greenleaf Jr.), and Clerk of Courts (Moon Ahn). In addition to the candidates for Commissioner, the positions of Sheriff (Winner – Eileen Behr), Register of Wills (Patricia Mosesso) and Treasurer (H. Charles Wilson III) were contested endorsements.  Several sitting judges, Thomas Branca and Arthur Tilson, were nominated for 10-year retentions.  And two candidates for open judgeships (Maureen Coggins and Daniel Clifford) were endorsed, with several candidates withdrawing their nominations at the meeting.  Three candidates vying for the two judicial endorsements.  (Maureen Coggins really wowed me when she addressed Area 11 committee members in January!)

As for my own preferences, I was pleased with how closely my votes reflected the will of the collective committee.  I backed winners for all but Register of Wills (I voted for Valerie Harris.) and one of the judge positions (Backing Mr Sheierson - whose name I indubitably just butchered – in lieu of Dan Clifford).  I even had the winner in the mild upset victory of Chuck Wilson for Treasurer over party leadership-backed Martin Dyas.  I was much more impressed with Mr. Wilson’s background than that of Mr. Dyas when both addressed the Area 11 committee members during a January candidates meet ‘n greet.  

In the end, I was quite impressed, not only with the superb group of candidates the committee endorsed but also with the openness of the process.  At no time was there any attempts to pressure the committee members into rubber-stamping any pre-selected slate of favorites.  (A suggestion from my local committee chairman, sure.  But I went off the reservation for several positions.  And voted for the candidates I had decided on prior to last night.)

Certainly there must have been some horse-trading in the pre-meeting nuptials between Castor and Brown; but given the critical importance of this year’s election, one can accept the candidates’ efforts to develop the pairing most likely to succeed in November.

Montgomery County (PA) Republican politics

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(Well, after trying to impress upon myself the need to build blog content in a regular, timely manner, I have already missed my schedule.  But frankly, I did not particularly like the appearance of what I had working, so maybe it’s best.)

Instead I’ll talk about one of my favorite topics … politics.  In this case, a look at our township Republican Committee meeting last night that allowed candidates for GOP endorsement to Montgomery County (PA) offices to address those local committee members who will decide the party’s November ticket.

If you’re from Montgomery County, you may or may not know the following:

  • MontCo is the wealthiest county in Pennsylvania
  • MontCo had been – in decades past - solidly Republican.  Essentially, if you could make it onto the county Republican ticket, you were a shoe-in.  Not so any longer.  Now Democrats outnumber Republicans in the County, and this years election looks to be a tough contest.
  • Tom Corbett, who won the Pennsylvania Governorship last November, took almost every county in PA.  But he did not carry MontCo! 

Now, if you’re not from MontCo, you may be interested to learn that one of the outgoing County Commissioners is James Matthews, brother of MSNBC Hardball host - Chris Matthews.  I used to like Chris until he started sounding so shrill, and especially after his on-air I-got-a-thrill-up-my-leg bit when candidate Barack Obama made a speech during the 2008 Democratic primary.  Of course he wasn’t the only media type to suffer ThrillUptheLeg-itis that campaign season, but I digress.

Long, long story short … His brother, Jim was elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2000, ran an unsuccessful campaign for Lt. Governor with former Pittsburgh Steeler, Lynn Swann.  He was re-elected to the Board in 2007, running with a reluctant ally in Bruce Castor.  But although BOTH Castor (#1 in balloting) and Matthews (#3) won seats on the Board (3 total), Matthews decided to strike a deal with the minority member of the Board, Democrat Joe Hoeffel!  This effectively froze Bruce Castor out of the County management process; and essentially handed the keys over to Hoeffel and the Democrats.  There is no greater betrayal – in my opinion – than an elected official pointedly, deliberately frustrating the intentions of the voters who put them in office! 

Fortunately, Matthews has been forced to see the writing on the wall.  And since he had no chance to capture a county GOP nod, he is not seeking re-election … not that he had much of a choice.

Anyways … to last night’s meeting …

The County will elect the following offices in November: Commissioners (3 … Dems and Reps run two-to-a-slate. Three top vote getter are in.  So you end up with two majority Commissioners and one minority Commissioner.), District Attorney*, Recorder of Deeds*, Prothonotary*, Coroner*, Controller*, Register of Wills, Sheriff, Treasurer, and Judges (2 this year).  The * offices have only one candidate running unopposed for the GOP nod.

Of those who appeared last night, I was most impressed with Bruce Castor, who really has his pulse on the County and seems itching to work on the Board with a willing and loyal fellow Republican so they can actually get things done RIGHT.  I also liked both Jill Govberg and Kate Harper.  But I’m told Kate does not play well with others in the Party.  Jill bothered me with lack of detail in a question I asked her on “misguided policies” she would change and her obfuscating answer on supporting the ticket if she does not get the nod.  Jenny Brown could not make the event for good local (Lower Merion) political reasons.  Disappointing … but I plan to call her as she was highly touted by several people.

As for the other contested nominations, I really enjoyed the appearances and off-the-cuff remarks of Valerie Harris and Denise Marshall for Register of Wills.  Eileen Behr - for Sheriff – is an interesting success story as the Chief of Police in Whitemarsh Township.  Chuck Wilson struck me as more qualified for Treasurer.  And I was truly impressed with Maureen Coggins for one of the Judge nominations, although all four candidates there seemed extremely qualified.

Even with all the people who spoke last night, it was not all that painful.  Last year, when the Horsham Republican Committee hosted candidates for the Pennsylvania 13th Congressional District opposing Allyson Schwartz, we only had 4-5 speakers.  But by the time night was FINALLY over, I felt like I ahd been waterboarded.  I knew then we had absolutely no chance beating Schwartz.  Last night was very, very different! 

The MontCo GOP caucus is February 9.  Being my first time as part of this process, I’m interested in seeing how this plays out.