To run for Congress, there is pretty much one requirement – getting 1000 valid signatures. If a candidate (Republican or Democrat) does not have the organization, responsibility or support to meet this lone criteria, I have a hard time feeling sorry for them. In Murtha’s district, one of the Democratic candidates withdrew in the face of only obtaining a little over 1000 signatures.

While I am certain that more than 50 percent of GOP voters are willing to vote against Fitzpatrick at the primary, that vote will be split if there are three grassroots candidates (Carlino, Jones, Hoffman) and Fitzpatrick must be happy about the current ballot lineup. I guarantee that the Fitzpatrick campaign saw the same problems with Jones’ petitions and decided that they were better off with James on the ballot. Plus, it could have been a PR nightmare for Fitzpatrick if he filed the challenge.

I don’t see a connection between an open primary and challenging petitions. The open primary deals with a party endorsement which gives an unfair advantage to one of the candidates. The petitions implicate a candidate’s ability to show that they have support within the district and to follow some simple rules.

FYI, I have seen and spoken to James. He is a nice guy and great American who proudly served his country. However, I do not think he expresses himself in a very coherent manner and I have zero interest about his candidacy. Jones’ website trumpets “Responsibility” – an ironic battle cry for a guy who can not even get his petitions in order.

But good luck to all GOP candidates in the 8th District. Your hearts are in the right place and I respect your efforts.

I agree that Gloria Carlineo is the only viable competition for Fitzpatrick. I think this challenge further proves the point. I wish Jones and Hoffman would step aside so we could focus on a Fitzpatrick-Carlineo matchup though I think it will come down to a Fitzpatrick v. Carlineo vote on May 18 anyways.

Way to fight, James!

You are a groundbreaker, and a courageous leader for conservatives.

Sounds like James should have been “fighting” harder to get valid signatures.

In Maryland you only need 100 Dollars to get on the Ballot Its an outrage that it is so Hard to get on the Ballot in Pennsylvania For Governor you need 2000 signitures Including 100 each from 10 Counties In New Jersey you only need 80 signitures to run for Governor we need mnore people on the Ballot not Less People we need freedom of choice not the People that the Lawyer Power Brokers of the Party want to shove down out throats to futher their owns aims of getting Bond Work and other cases and Big Money for their law Firms The Legal business has turned into a raquet where we the people get money extorted from US on a regular basis all Because it is so hard to get on the Ballot we need to change the ballot access Laws in the USA So what if 30 People want to run for office Thats a Good thing not a bad Thing People are smart enough to figure out who is a good candidate In Florida The Party Pused a Guy who was illiterate into an office simply cause he would do what the Power brokers wanted him to do At a Time when everyone Hates Our Government we need freedom of Choice

Dear Change,
If you are committed to getting elected you should be committed to knocking on doors in Feb and meet your future constituents. If you won’t do that simple task and prove to people that you really want the position I don’t think you deserve it.

I agree and really desire a Gloria Carlineo v Mike Murphy race. I wish Mr Hoffman would bow out now

I am upset that anyone would challenge James Jones’ integrity, or his right to be on the ballot.

He has served his country and is a great role model for our community, and for the future of America.

It just goes to show you that politics is a dirty game. That’s why Americans hate politicians, because they’re so full of dirty tricks.

Trunk Man-No one’s saying a candidate should not get out and be committed to meet his/her constituents in Feb. as you describe, the point is Pa. election laws are simply ridiculous, and outdated as compared to other states in the union. The number of signatures required and the number of counties is way too high, the fact that we are locked into a two-party system is now outdated, and the fact that you have to be registered in one of the two parties to vote in the primary is an outrage. That’s simply taxation without representation. As “Change” indicated, we need more candidates to run than just the same old, same old, and the same folks that influence these elections. Get rid of the two party system in Pa. get more people on the ballot. This state’s political set-up stinks, and this signatures on ballot issue is simply yet another example. It’s time to CHANGE THE CULTURE in Pa. politics. ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

I don’t see this as dirty or challenging James Jones’ integrity. This is about all the candidates having to follow a simple, albeit labor intensive, process that the State of PA requires. If Mr. Jones can not responsibly fulfill this basic obligation, I think it speaks volumes about his candidacy and level of support.

Should we make a special exception for his campaign alone – when the other candidates painfully fulfuilled their respective obligations? In a time when many are questioning liberal policies which promote handouts and bailouts, I am surprised that any conservative would believe that any candidate in the 8th District race should be provided a free pass on the signature requirement.

James Jones never told anyone to vote for him because of his race, and never asked for any handouts. He is seeking the support of the voters because of his record.

The other candidates do not have a record that even comes close to his.

I don’t know anything about Gloria Carlineo, and I don’t understand why she thinks that her personal ambition gives her the right to attack a war veteran.

As a Desert Storm veteran, I think it is shameless for other vets with political aspirations to think that they can not be criticized while running for office simply because they are a vet. I didn’t like it when John Kerry tried it and I don’t like it with Patty Murphy or now a James Jones supporter.

I agree with the earlier comments that if Mr. Jones did not have the leadership to come up with 1000 valid signatures, he should go home.

I’m not a supporter or detractor of any candidate in this race, simply stating that the process is too labor intensive in Pa., there should not be a need to come up with 1000 valid signatures. We need to CHANGE THE CULTURE of Pa. politics.

You know if Fitz would do this to any of these candidates they’d be screaming about it. If she’s so sure about the strength of her candidacy..why pick on Jones? It comes off as petty and she should’ve taken the high road. That being said ..that I’d chose a candidate who once supported Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination, given Sotomayor’s record of being an activist, liberal, ethno-centric judge.

Shame on Gloria Carlineo, and after all of the words for an open primary.

This is the most ridiculous comment section I have read since this site started. The basic question is can a candidate garner 1000 signatures. It is not that hard. It is labor intensive but with a few volunteers and some time can be done. Also the idea that Jones is being picked on is silly. He didn’t get an overwhelming amount of signatures so his opposition is knocking him out early. If he can not follow the rules by getting a mere 1000 signatures for a seat that encompasses over a half a million people then something is wrong. He should have gotten 300 and ran for a State Rep seat. People are complaining about the need to change the culture then follow the rules and change them when you are in power. Don’t cry about it when you can’t abide by them.

Punx Pundit, well said.

James started off running for US Senate. Then, for whatever reason, he “lowered” his sights to run for Congress. Yes, State Rep would have been a better fit.

As James is the one who is going to be embarrassed by this, I am surprised that he is trying to make this a big story.

And do you want some cheese with that whine?

[...] Jones Blasts Carlineo for Ballot Challenge. [...]

If Jones can’t get the signatures to be on the ballot, then he shouldn’t be on the ballot. Those are the rules of the game. Period, end of story.

However, Gloria Carlineo is the poster child for why party endorsements are needed.

Prior to running for congress, she was known as Gloria “Markus”.

http://twitter.com/angryprchick

As Gloria Markus she lobbied for the promotion of liberal, activist, affirmative-action-loving Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor.

Sotomayor is best known forthis quote: “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.” and for denying white firefighters promotions because they were…..well, white.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/12/did-firefighters-stand-chance-sotomayor/)

Here is Carlineo/Markus lobbying for the “wise Latina:

http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/Documents/Sotomayor/NLWJC-Sotomayor-Box0006-Folder00007.PDF

This would seem to be the tip of the iceberg. I wouldn’t be surprised if more skeletons come spilling out of this ambitious woman’s closet as the primary moves ahead.

Also, in her campaign she has slammed the GOP elite for trying to shut down the primary, and she has tried to sell herself as a “grass roots” conservative. Yet now she pulls the ultimate “party machine” manuever by trying to get Jones off the ballot. Again a fair thing to do, but ironic and hypocritical for a candidate who has created an image of apposing such actions.

My prediction is that the public will support candidates who are known to be honest and trustworthy and who embrace a positive message.

Her thuggish, loudmouthed supporters don’t help either.

Gloria, this challenge of yours is slime. Does Jones scare that much?

Sure one can challenge the signatures..but in this case it comes off as petty and a sign of weakness.

Let’s wait and see if the hundreds of singatures get knocked out. FitzMurphy didn’t challenge beacuse the more candidates the better for him. They will split the anti fitzmurphy vote.

Carlineo’s hypocracy is overwhelming. After emphasizing the need for an open primary to give voters choice and whining about tricks exactly like this that she said the GOP would play to eliminate new candidates, she pulls a stunt that she would have screamed bloody murder about if it had come from Fitz or anyone else.

Aparently her positive message isn’t strong enough to win votes – instead she needs to tear others down. But that’s the beauty of elections -true colors emerge when under pressure.

If James Jones had any real support or an organized campaign, this wouldn’t be an issue.

The signature requirement is intended to weed out the pretenders from the contenders. Even before this, it was evident that James was a pretender.

Good to see some Mike FitzRINO supporters on the board – pretending to care about James Jones. Mike and everyone else knows his only real threat is from Mrs. Carlineo. Rather than try and distort Gloria’s record and message, Mike should finally agree to a debate.

DAY 53 since Mike FitzRINO entered the race and STILL NO ISSUES LINK ON HIS WEBSITE.

Mr. Jones is more or less admitting his petitions are pretty bad . Perhaps he should run in Philadelphia where a lot of invalid petitions get candidates on the ballot because nobody challenges them . If he doesn’t have enough supporters to come up with 1000 valid signatures in a Congressional district , then he really is not capable of running a good campaign either .

Carlineo is a backstabbing politcal hack.

The vetting process and the press’s public exploration of her background is going to be painful for her and embarrassing for her loudmouthed, ill-informed supporters.

I hope Jones stays on the ballot.

Dan R, get a life. If you have something to say, say it. Impotent suggestions about the future are laughable. You only embarass yourself with such comments.

Both sides breaking Reagan’s 11th Commandment on this thread. Remember Murphy is the bad guy here.

In any event, I agree with PA Guns Rights take on this:

“8th District – James Jones
Challenged by a supporter of a primary opponent, the concerns raised about quite of few of the signatures submitted by Jones would be enough to get him thrown off the ballot. With a 4-way GOP primary, the removal of any one candidate could make a difference in what is perceived to be primarily a race between former Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick and newcomer Gloria Carlineo.

http://www.pagunrights.com/2010/03/petition-challenges-101-for-gunnies/

Carlineo and Jones should both be worrying more about Fitzpatrick than tarnishing each other.

She ztarted it.

4 Candidates means a cake walk for Fitzpatrick to the nominate. If Jones didn’t get the legit 1000 signatures, then he needs to go. He is a good man and should regroup and look to help the party elsewhere in the district/state. Fitzpatrick committed the other night at the Lower Bucks Patriot meeting to debates. Where are they Mike? Running the clock out isn’t going to help you defeat Murphy. You need to clean up your answers on why you voted they way you did during your two years. Saying times are different and you’ve changed aint going to inspire people. Debates will help you…courage?? Where is it??

Seabea
No one is challenging James Jones’ integrity, they are challenging his CAPABILITY to get the mandatory 1000 signatures. Heck I would have signed his petition as I don’t have a horse in this race other than I lean toward anyone but that RINO, Fitz. Rules are rules. I don’t want to work for a candidate that can’t follow them and get the necessary signatures in on time when recent races have been decided by about that margin count. When over 250K people turn out for the general election, getting 1000 signatures isn’t really that big of a deal.
Perhaps we should just bypass the rule altogether and let everybody get their name put on the ballot? Unfortunately I think the ruling class of the republican party has made their RINO Fitz support decision clear and want to dilute the competition to make sure he wins. As such, they aren’t going to get involved which forces his competition to cry fowl and draw unnecessary negative attention to (in this case) Carlineo. THAT is what is unfair.

Java:

James WON. He is still on the ballot.

That hardly vindicates his cheap-shot taking opponent.

She was at his darn press conference voicing her “support” for him. She signed a letter demanding an “open primary” with him.

Then she pulls this stunt……and LOOSES!!

You don’t see the slightest bit of hypocracy in this?

The fact that she is now dead in the water in the primary, and on the fast-track to political oblivion is not unfair, it’s her own doing.

Meanwhile, war veteran James Jones is SURGING ahead.

http://jamesjonesforcongress.com/