In three successful LV Congressional bids, Charlie Dent first faced Philadelphia area carpetbagger Joe Driscoll, who considered the Lehigh Valley a "speed bump on his way to Congress." Then it was newly-elected Northampton County Council member Charles Dertinger, who complained during a debate that he had been "dragged into this race," kicking and screaming. Dertinger's words were played over and over on radio ads. Most recently, Dent faced Siobhan "Sam" Bennett, whose campaign was so laughable that even she had to ask TV producers to censor some of her comments.The common denominator to these three lousy candidates? Dem party boss Joe Long. So it should come as no surprise that the DCCC has avoided the Bossman's "advice" about Dent opponents in 2010. The've been sniffing around, and are considering at least these three choices.
1) Lehigh County Dem Party Boss Rick Daugherty. - The antithesis of Joe Long, Rick is affable and inclusive. Here's what he tells me.
"My hope is that a top tier Democratic candidate will run for Congress in the 15th Congressional District. I will work with anyone who has an interest in running. I believe democracy works best when competing ideas are discussed, debated and put before the public. I believe I would be a viable candidate for Congress but right now I have not made any decision about running. I really enjoy the job I have now. And as a former District Administrator for Congressman Paul McHale, fully understand the demands and limitations on running for Congress and being a Member of Congress. My goal has always been to try to contribute to the community, have a job I enjoy, and be able to support my family. I have been very fortunate throughout my career in the Lehigh Valley, and the job I have now allows me to do that."
I think what Rick is saying is that he'll run if no one else comes forward. But this would be at tremendous personal sacrifice. He would almost certainly have to resign his position as Executive Director at The Lehigh County Senior Citizen Center.
2) Former Fighter Pilot Dave Haines. - He's a former fighter pilot, an Annapolis grad, a Boeing-777 International Captain, a Northampton Food Bank volunteer, an assistant soccer coach at Northampton High School and a Deacon at St. John's UCC in Howertown. He was also one of the applicants for a Northampton County Council vacancy created last year by Wayne Grube's death.
But this is one fighter pilot who ejected. After seeing the Joe Long Dems in action, Haines quickly bailed.
"This letter is written to extend a courtesy not previously afforded by the Northampton County Council.
"After personally experiencing the arbitrary manner in which the council conducts business at the December 4, 2008 meeting, and closely watching press reports of council business over the past six weeks, it has become obvious that council would appear to be a body, currently more interested in political theatre than in effectively serving the citizens of Northampton County.
"It has also become clear that no 'new member' will be able to materially change the tenor of council in the short time leading to the 2009 election. Fulfilling a tragic or comedic role was never what I envisioned when making initial application to county council, therefore, please remove my name from further consideration at this time.
"Best of luck in the selection process and the coming year."
If nothing else, Haines speaks truth to power. Gotta' love that.
3) Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan. - Callahan is a first-tier candidate and represents a real threat to Charlie Dent. He replaced a brownfield with Emeril Lagasse. Bam! He did it without the KOZs so popular (and misdirected) in Allentown. How's that for kicking things up a notch?
On top of all that, he's really a nice guy. I saw him one cold December at Bethlehem's dog park. He doesn't know me from Adam, but knows Suki, my grandson's Jackapoo, quite well. What's a Jackapoo? That's a fancy word for mutt, but Callahan likes her anyway.
Little things like that go a long way with voters. One Democratic voter told a Bennett canvasser in the last election cycle that he was voting Dent. Years ago, when Charlie was goinjg door to door, the guy's dog ran off. Charlie ran down the street, got hiswdog, and brought him back.
People like that human touch. Both Dent and Callahan have it.
But does Callahan really want to gamble as much as he hopes everyone else is doing at the Bethlehem Sands? He'd be bucking the odds against a popular, centrist Republican who has even been courted by Obama. Unless Callahan announces Congressional intentions soon, it's a safe bet that he's holding.
33 comments:
It's incredible that such a blue Valley has a Republican Representative but as long as the LongDems hold the party hostage, there won't be qualified Democratic candidates for various positions, as very convincingly expressed by Haines.
John Callahan can kick Dent's butt, but John loves his job and can't envision the commute and the effect on his family. I know he'd prefer to take on Dent after his Mayor's term is up, but every year Dent is in office, makes it less likely that Callahan will win.
I've heard that Callahan is chsnging his strategy, gearing up to take on Dent in the next election cycle. If that's the case, I think the Lehigh Valley will experience the rise of a volunteer corps and then a voter turn-out -- to send John to Congress -- as big as the effort to send Obama.
John's the real deal: very, very smart and a truly charismatic and effective politician.
Run, John, run! Bethlehem will be fine. Our country needs you.
If Dent is re-elected, it becomes more and more likely he gets a friendly district in 2011. 2010 is the year.
Charles Dertinger is considering another run for Congress. He did well his last outing and would be a serious threat.
To Anon 12:39
The Valley has only been "blue" recently. Mostly due to the influx of people moving in from New Jersey and New York.
You do realize this "Long Dem" nonsense was created by Bernie. The county parties are very limited in their power. They have no paid staff, limited resources, and are totally run by volunteers.
You might disagree with how Joe Long runs the county party in Northampton that is all well and good. I'm from Lehigh County, I don't no personally, however can we stop acting like there is some sort of local democratic machine that runs things.
The local parties are run by people who show up. Pure and Simple. That is the only qualification for getting involved. Showing up.
All three of these candidates sound like great people. Lets be honest here, the DCCC will have more say in who the candidate is for the 15th in 2010 than Joe Long or any other local democratic leader because they are the ones who have the money and connections to give to a candidate.
Just like the RCCC would chose the republican candidate if there would be an incumbent democrat.
If you think that's wrong, fine, its the way things work everywhere in this country for all congressional campaigns. Regardless of party.
Bernie,
I will give you credit for writing some positive things about the potential democratic candidates.
I'm hoping whoever the candidate is you will be more fair than you were in 2008.
Callahan has had one too many U-tube moments. too much baggage.
What the demos need to do is resurrect Mike Solomon and get him on Dent's campaign. Remember, he had worked for 4 demos against don ritter, then jumped ship to ritter against mchale and mchale beat ritter.
demos first need to take out Pat Browne in lehigh county, if you cannot beat brown, you cannot beat dent.
Jennifer mann is probably itching for a run at congress, but must first get by browne
if Pennsylvanians' can decipher anything from rendell's casino board, they must realize that callahan had NOTHING to do with the sand casino selection and building in bethlehem
Here's the Callahan plan. He will pass this time and instead run in 2010. He thinks, and it isn't moronic thinking, that a Presidential year wil be better for him against Charlie than a Mid-Term. Dent will draw another third or fourth tier opponent. Rick Daugherty. Really nice guy. Not even a possibility.
You have to look an see if there are any Democrats who have the ability to raise money, and then take the fight to Dent.
Bernie -- Callahan annouced several months ago and the Morning Call wrote an article about how he is not running against Dent in two years.... and Callahan is a typical sleazy politician calavanting around the city.
I don't think Callahan will risk losing the best job in PA. to run a risking campaign against Charlie.
Callahan might win but it's not a sure thing. Callahan is as nice as you say, but he is running a multi-million-dollar winning streak tax incentive city hall via the Sands. Why would he now risk all for that seat when if he waits a few years, he might run
unopposed?
"I'm hoping whoever the candidate is you will be more fair than you were in 2008."I was fair in '08; but I call things as I see them. Bennett was a joke as a candidate, from beginning to end. She was poorly informed, claimed to be the author of an Iraq withdrawal study when she did not even know the President of Afghanistan, screwed up a debate so badly that she herself had to be asked to be bleeped, botched financial reports, failed to show up at candidates' nights while complaining Charlie would not debate her, falsely accused him of trying to get rich in Congress, and don't get me started on POM.
If you sat down and drew up the worst possible candidate to go against Charlie Dent, that person would be Sam Bennett.
Amazingly, she won in A-town.
"Charles Dertinger is considering another run for Congress. He did well his last outing and would be a serious threat."Really? Well, thanks for telling Northampton County voters. Instead of selecting him to sit on county council, we should give Dertinger time to focus on his race against Dent.
"You do realize this "Long Dem" nonsense was created by Bernie." - Actually, the Long Dem nonsense was created by Joe Long and his Longoons. I just happen to be the person who started using the "Long Dems" phrase to distinguish those sign-stealing thugs from the new Dems who believe Democrats need to be democrats.
I think the dream candidate would be don cunningham giving up on his long-shot run for governor and running for congress. he would squash dent so quickly, it would be over before labor day. The road to the governor's mansion runs through Congress, Don. Go do a case study on Tom Ridge's path to power in PA: it ran through DC when he was about your age.
It's Monday. Shouldn't Jenn Mann be announcing her next run for something? How about Morganelli or some of the other serial candidates?
Anon 7:32,
Passing this time would be foolish. This district is surrounded by Democrats like Kanjorski, Murphy, Schwartz, and Holden. All of them are itching for more safety in re-districting. So is Charlie Dent. If John Callahan passes, and a weak candidate runs in his place, Dent will win by a large margin again. Now, with four double digit wins under his belt, there is little reason for state legislative Democrats to fight very hard to stop Dent from having a safe district in re-districting, particularly if it's part of a deal to get a Democratic Congressman more safety. 2012 is not a real possibility is what i'm saying. John Callahan needs to run now if he wants this.
Jenn Mann? You got to be joking? What an empty suit she is! Pathetic! What is wrong with a centrist R like Dent? I don't agree with everything he does but neither do I agree with Arlen either! I consider Dent an independent and that isn't such a bad thing to be..eh?
5:09 am:
Yes, McHale beat Ritter in 1992 partly because Solomon jumped to Ritter. However, he also had a well run campaign that was not dominated by either the candidate himself, local power brokers or by Washington, DC know it alls.
That is a rare combination especially for the Valley.
That only happened because he had a good campaign manger who knew the District and the candidate real well and also knew how to play the Washington, DC game and was able to keep the candidate focused and everybody else in check.
That hasn't happened since and is not likely to happen in the future because everybody and his brother is now a "campaign consultant".
Dave,
An independent who's voting record is solidly Republican on all the big votes: stimulus, the budget, all of the war fundings, continuing Bush's tax cuts, etc., etc., etc. I'm curious to see where he'll fall on the big ones coming up, like health care and cap and trade, but I think we can reasonably guess where he is. Look, Dent's not Dick Cheney, and that's just fine and good and all, but this district voted for Barack Obama by 50,000 votes, then votes for a Congressman who's not with him so far. Do we want nothing done? It is time to take Charlie Dent out of Congress, but the Dems need a strong candidate to do that. They also need to do it now, and not wait for Dent to get a friendlier district after a fourth blow out win.
Do not forget that Obama reached out to Dent (invited to the White House Super Bowl party) and Dent still voted against everything Obama was trying to get passed, including the Stimulus. I think Callahan should run in 2010 because you know very well that with Specter running in 2010, all the big Dems will stop in town and campaign with and for Specter and Callahan, including Biden and Obama.
I'm not happy with all of Dent's voting but what is the alternative? Give us someone we can believe in and has a few new ideas? Where is that person? I know Charlie was lock step with Boehner and the good old boys but those days are now over. Which way will Dent now go? He can't run for cover with the president anymore! As long as he remains near the center..he will retain his seat AND..he keeps bringing home the BACON! He has not renounced entitlements and will recoup out tax money if he can and bring it home to support his constituents. What more you want from this guy?
Sestak..this guy will hurt Arlen and the Dem's will not support Arlen if he continues to waver on EFCA! Arlen is done..he just can't bring himself to admit it!
Arlen is an empty suit who's never authored landmark legislation, never sounded a statesman's warning over any major issue in his lifetime, and never considers anything before considering how it benefits him.
He is really the worst example of what's wrong with politics. He's not an independent thinker. He's a valueless survivor - a political cockroach. This is why he'll flip on card check. Hopefully it's too late for more savvy Ds, who will easily choose Sestak. Sestak then kills Toomey in the general.
Not even close.
Dent beats all comers because he's really a D. The earlier comment about voting lockstep with Boehner is ridiculous. He's one of the most despised RINOS in DC.
I've always admired Arlen and Dent. I surprised to read that Dent is one of the most despiised RINOs in DC. By whom? Someone who does not sign his name? I have never read anything like this about him. Anywhere.
My bad, Bernie. He's despised by conservatives as a RINO. It's why you like him. I don't get the Specter love, however. He's been a do-nothing, party-switching check collector for years. He's never done a statesman-like thing. He's never sounded alarm over any major issue. He's participated in colossal debt piling by Congress. He doesn't have an ounce of Dent's integrity.
Joe Long's running Dertinger against Obama in 2012 with Bennett as VP
Dave,
Dent voted against the stimulus and the budget. These are the most important votes of this term, to this point. That's not the center. Unfortunately, that's the right. I do agree with you though, we haven't put together a strong opponent so far, so we haven't deserved to beat him. I would disagree with your assertion that he's bringing home the bacon. We got stimulus in spite of him, not from him.
How's that GM bailout going on the plantation?
Oh yeah, that's right. GM is now officially in bankruptcy.
My bad.
Good to see Obama have a chance to take Michelle out to NYC on the tax-payers' dime, though. I love that date-night thing.
Ironpigpen,
I once again want to thank you for such racially charged language. Please keep the GOP talking this way, please. Please keep talking about a liberal "plantation." President Obama will be re-elected in 2012.
The GM bailout/bankruptcy is going fine. Tonight thousands of employees of GM took a $20 an hour paycut, but they have a job. In a lose/lose situation, that is fine.
Charlie Dent is
clueless in Washington?
Charlie Dent needs to be thrown out of office. The American people are not the enemy.
FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 437
H R 6304 YEA-AND-NAY 20-Jun-2008 12:48 PM
QUESTION: On Passage
BILL TITLE: FISA
Amendments Act of 2008
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll437.xml
If Bernie started the term "LongDem" it sure caught on quickly! I wonder why?
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