Daugherty v. Eaton Tonight!

Democrats Rick Daugherty and Jackson Eaton would both like to be their party's standard bearer in the never-ending crusade against LV Congressman Charlie Dent.  Tonight, they slug it out at Muhlenberg College in their final clash before the Primary on April 24.

In a debate sponsored by Muhlenberg Dems and moderated by Chris Borick, they meet at 7 PM in The Great Room at Seegers Union.

I plan to be there and will give you a blow-by-blow.

Jackson Eaton Gets Nods From LGBT Community

Democratic candidate Jackson Eaton, who's running for Congress in the Lehigh Valley, on Tuesday received the endorsement of two LGBT organizations - Equality Pennsylvania and the Capitol Region Stonewall Democrats Tuesday.

Steve Dorko of the Capitol Region Stonewall Democrats noted his group endorsed Eaton "because of his support for repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, his support for eliminating LGBT discrimination in U.S. immigration laws, and his commitment to oppose any efforts to remove existing LGBT rights”.

Adrian Shanker, President of Equality Pennsylvania, stated Eaton will be a "strong advocate for full equality for all Pennsylvanians”.

“We must continue to fight for full equality for all Pennsylvanians," said Eaton in a news release. "In Congress I pledge to be a champion for the rights of all people in our district."

Eaton is facing Rick Dougherty for the Democratic nomination against Republican incumbent Charlie Dent.

Charlie Dent's War on Women?

I surrender

While I was sitting in Allentown City Hall for the latest NIZ plan yesterday afternoon, Congressional candidate Jackson Eaton was conducting a news conference a few blocks away, slamming LV Congressman Charlie Dent. His announcement claimed he would "speak about women's health care issues and the lack of attention to the real issues affecting Americans in this election--like jobs and the economy.”

If the real issue is jobs and the economy, why a news conference about contraception?

His campaign has now furnished me a copy of Eaton's statement. Apparently, there's a Republican "War on Women." Who knew? Dent must be a captain or something.

Incidentally, this "War on Women" phrase appears to have been borrowed from union-backed MoveOn.

I'm sure they don't mind.

Here's part of what Eaton says.

The assault on women is also happening right here in the 15th District. Although Congressman Dent has called himself pro-choice, he has consistently voted to limit access to reproductive health care. Congressman Dent stated this month that he will vote against a health insurance compromise that allows employees at religious institutions to receive access to women’s health services through insurance companies directly rather than from the institution itself. Congressman Dent would allow a business to deny coverage of women’s health care based on vague “moral objections.” Congressman Dent has aligned himself with former Senator Rick Santorum and not the people of the 15th district.

Congressman Dent already abandoned women’s rights to equal pay when he voted against the Lilly Ledbetter bill, which would have extended access to the courts in fighting discriminatory employment practices. Congressman Dent voted against a woman’s right to choose when he voted for the Stupak amendment, which bars coverage of abortion in health insurance exchanges. Congressman Dent likes to say he’s a moderate when he’s back here in the District, but he votes with Republican leadership when he is in Washington.

The battle for contraceptive freedom was waged—and won—decades ago. This issue should long be behind us, and yet the Congressional Republicans want to refight these social wars. With the availability of birth control, with Roe v. Wade, with wellness-oriented woman’s health insurance coverage, we've made tremendous strides in providing comprehensive women’s health care over the last few decades. We cannot allow those in office to turn back the clock on our progress. Denying women access to health care is not the kind of leadership we need in Congress. We need to turn the conversation back to how we can help Americans recovering from the worst economic recession since WWII, not what we want to take away from women's healthcare and quality of life that has been achieved since then.

My opponent in the primary has been conspicuously silent on these issues. Yet his message is clear: he is not going to fight for women’s rights. I am the only Congressional candidate this year—Republican or Democrat—who is pro-choice. I vow that when I am elected to Congress, I will be a leader who respects and supports women, their access to health care, and the choices they make.

Not a word about what Eaton himself calls the real issues - jobs and the economy. By the way, if Dent is so simpatico with Santorum, why the hell did he endorse Romney today?

Dent's campaign manager, Shawn Millan, quickly dismissed Eaton's remarks. "Eaton says he wants to talk about jobs, but then holds a press conference and sends out fundraising e-mails about contraception? That’s a sad symptom of Jackson Eaton’s political game-playing. The fact is Congressman Dent’s record on women’s issues and on contraception has been strong and supportive while Eaton’s rhetoric on jobs is woeful.”

Eaton, a Republican until just a few weeks ago, actually interned for Dent. Now, he's turned coat and is running against the guy he helped elect.

I'm sure you can trust him.

Speaking about wars on women, there's no question that Rush Limbaugh did what he does best - make a fool out of himself. But as Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker - herself a woman - observes, "Republicans are waging war on women only if you believe that the morality of abortion should never be questioned or if you believe the federal government can order people to pay for something that violates their conscience. These issues are not so simple, nor are Republicans simpletons for trying to protect the unborn or challenging what they view as government overreach."

Jackson Eaton and Rick Daugherty Schedule Some Debates

Democrats Jackson Eaton and Rick Daugherty are duking it out over which one of them has the privilege of running into Charlie Dent buzzsaw this Fall. They're considering up to four debates before this Spring's 15th Congressional District primary.

One of the debates will take place at 7 PM, March 13, at the Macungie Institute in the Borough of Macungie. It will be moderated by the League of Women Voters. They've both also accepted an invitation from the Kutztown Democratic Club at some yet unscheduled date in early April.

"Given the current spectacle of the Republican debates on national television, I believe you and I can demonstrate to our Democratic voters that our Party can have a civil debate about meaningful and constructive ideas, not petty mudslinging and wild, often disgraceful charges against our President,” Eaton said in a ltter to Daugherty. “Instead, we can show the voters that we have ideas for the future and the means to get Congress working again for the 15th District rather than the vested interests that presently control Congressman Dent and the Republican tea party majority.”

Dent Files Four Times More Petition Signatures Than Needed

Late last week, Jackson Eaton's Congressional campaign announced that it filed nomination petition with twice the number of signatures needed to get on the ballot. That would mean about 2,000 signatures. According to Eaton, that's a "a show of strength."

Really?

Well, then he better move over for someone who's twice as strong. LV Congressman Charlie Dent filed nomination petitions containing 4,000 signatures, which is four times the amount needed. Dent, I'm told, was particularly gratified by the support from three new counties (Berks, Dauphin and Lebanon) in the 15th District.

"I want to thank everyone who took the time to sign a petition for me and especially those who volunteered to circulate a petition to get their friends' and neighbors' signatures. This was a great effort that was outstandingly successful," said Congressman Dent.

Although I don't have an exact total for Rick Daugherty, the third candidate in this race. I do know he was able to garner petitions in big numbers from all counties. Eaton, in contrast, had only six signatures from Lebanon County. In Berks and Dauphin, he had none.

Updated Sunday, 2 PM:  Rick Daugherty tells me, "I received around 1880 total signatures with 100 from Lebanon, 200 from Dauphin, and 46 from Berks."


Updated again, Sunday, 8:26 PM: Turns out Jackson Eaton did have one Petition from berks with 50 signatures.

Jackson Eaton Campaign Files For Congress

Lehigh Valley Democratic Congressional candidates Jackson Eaton and Rick Daugherty have both filed nomination petitions. According to Eaton's campaign, "we filed 2,117 signatures with Pennsylvania’s Secretary of the Commonwealth in order to appear on the Democratic ballot. In a show of strength we submitted more than twice the minimum required. This is a true testament to all the hard work of our volunteers and supporters."

I do not have figures for Daugherty.

Either Daugherty or Eaton will face incumbent Charlie Dent in the Fall. No Republican has challenged him.

Jackson Eaton to Meet the Press Today About Congressional Redistricting

Republican-turned-Democrat Jackson Eaton, who intends to run against LV Congressman Charlie Dent, will conduct a news conference today about "the break-up of Pennsylvania communities among multiple congressional districts that will occur with the new redistricting law expected to pass the state legislature in the next week." I'm going to take a wild guess here and predict he'll condemn the plan, as Dent has already done.

Eaton to House GOP: Leave Our District Alone!

Jackson Eaton, a Democratic candidate for Congress, has issued a statement condemning plans by the Republican-controlled Pa. General Assembly to divide the Lehigh Valley between two Congressional seats. LV Congressman Charlie Dent, the incumbent, is also opposed to splitting the Lehigh Valley, and has told Pennsylvania Avenue, "My goal in redistricting is to keep Lehigh and Northampton counties whole, or as whole as possible."

Eaton's statement is below:
Jackson Eaton: Don't Chop Up Lehigh Valley