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Live-blogging the GOP convention in the 12th

LATROBE—Good evening, political junkies. We’re out here again in western Pennsylvania, along with pa2010.com reporter John Manganaro, to bring you the play by play of the Republican Party’s nominating convention for the special election in the 12th Congressional District.

We’ve also got a correspondent in Plymouth Meeting tonight for the Montgomery County Democratic Committee’s endorsement meeting, so if you check out our Twitter feed, you might just get some updates about that, too.

So stay tuned.

7:00—Me and John have been working the room. We spoke to candidates Bill Russell and Tim Burns, as well as state party chairman Rob Gleason. They’re about to call this puppy to order.

7:05—OK, so now state party executive director Luke Bernstein is calling it to order, with pledge of allegiance, moment of silence, all the jazz.

7:06—Bernstein: “Although congressman John Murtha was a frequent adversary of the Republican Party, we’re saddened by the death of this longtime public servant.”

7:08—Chairman Rob Gleason: “The eyes of the nation are on the 12th Congressional District. The pundits say this could be another Massachusetts. Let’s prove them right.”

7:09—Gleason says Critz “will be funded by a mountain of special interest funded groups.”

7:10—He’s making the argument that this is an “open and transparent” process. “Unlike our colleagues in the Democratic Party, your decision tonight is not subject to a closed door meeting or back-room deal.”

7:11—Gleason forgoes option to preside over the meeting, because he’s a conferee. So Bernstein’s the man tonight.

7:12—They’re doing attendance. Stay tuned.

7:17—While they’re finishing taking attendance, here’s a story we just posted from our interview with Gleason.

7:19—There’s a total of 132 conferees. A quorum is here.

7:21—There’s a 106,000 Republicans in the district, Bernstein notes.

7:22—A quick note: If the live-blog suddenly stops, it’s because I’m taking video of a candidate’s speech. Don’t fret, though. John is taking notes.

7:24—He just said the order of candidates. There’s a few folks we haven’t heard of yet.

7:29—OK, so the first guy’s name is Ron Robertson. Looks like no one in the press corps has ever heard of him.

7:30—He’s a Johnstown resident, giving a pretty boilerplate speech about the solutions being with the people, not Washington.

7:31—He also talks about how to district could disappear after census. Bashes decisions made in “marble buildings.” What’s wrong with marble?

7:32—Second amendment rights, no rights for terrorists, etc.

7:33—Speech over, now each candidate has up to 10 minutes of Q & A with the conferees.

7:34—”I want to make it perfectly clear I’m a conservative Republican.” Mentions Ronald Reagan.

7:35—Tough to hear any of the questions from the press-section nosebleeds.

7:37—Our correspondent in Plymouth Meeting is posting some Tweets here.

7:38—He said he’ll support the special-election nominee “110 percent” if it’s not him.

7:41—The lights dimmed and almost went out… an omen for the party?

7:42—Talking about the need for natural gas from Marcellus Shale, as well as “clean coal.”

7:43—Let it be known that Robertson will not run in the primary if he doesn’t win tonight. Too late to file anyway.

7:44—OK, up next is Bill Choby, who ran against Murtha a handful of times.

7:47—Just got some video of Choby. He called the Democrats “Woodstock Washington.” Didn’t know we were back in the 1960s.

7:48—Choby says he even took a poll on the race. Who knew? No he’s talking debt, fall of the Roman Empire. We could be next.

7:50—Something tells me we won’t get much earth-shattering news out of these speeches themselves. On to Q & A for Choby.

7:51—Also says he would support the winner tonight. Popular position. Wonder what Bill Russell will say.

7:52—Explaining what earmarks are, he says they were “essentially invented” by John Murtha. “It’s wrong. It’s very wrong.”

7:53—Says Critz has “no legislative experience. He’s basically a gopher. They want him to go down there and gopher earmarks for them.”

7:55—Talking about defensive medicine and tort reform. Now it’s onto balancing the budget. Good luck with that.

7:59—Says he wishes Hafer had stayed in the race. “She’s got a real attitude.”

8:00—Next is Luke Somerfield (sp?).

8:03—We officially have our first Rahm Emmanuel reference. Says he was right that you shouldn’t let a good crisis go to waste. Just doesn’t agree with end game.

8:04—”We can’t just say no to these bad policies. We have to roll back other policies going back decades.”

8:05—He’s giving a pretty wonkish speech, about reversing the unionization of the public sector.

8:06—Wants to end tax-favored status for employer-provided health insurance, while also ending mandates as to what insurance needs to cover.

8:07—”I don’t realistically think I’m going to win tonight. I have no popular support, no base and no financial resources.” Glad we got that out of the way. And that’s the way the speech ends, on to Q & A.

8:08—OK, we now know that his name is spelled “Summerfield” and he’s from Indiana County.

8:09—Why couldn’t anyone else say they weren’t gonna win? It makes people laugh. And that’s fun.

8:11—Someone asks him where he’s from. Translation: Who the hell are you? Economics background from Indiana, he says.

8:14—OK, guy-who-can’t win is done, now it’s Tim Burns, than Bill Russell.

8:19—Burns talks about how the election is in a national spotlight, how there are ramifications beyond the district. Says America is “the best nation in the history of man-kind.”

8:20—Talking about what America has done, says “I believe that is not something to apologize for.”

8:21—Says America has “best health care system in the world.” Now it’s onto the Q & A.

8:22—”This isn’t a job I’ve been preparing me whole life for. This isn’t my dream job. This isn’t something I’ve always aspired to do.”

8:23—”I think health care needs reform, but I don’t think it makes sense to take the best health care system in the world and destroy it with a 2,700 page bill … that I guarantee no one in America has read.”

8:24—Says a 20-page bill would make more sense to start with. Incremental is the word of the moment.

8:25—People love asking about the Ronald Reagan, 11th Commandment, don’t attack another Republican rule.

8:26—Says he doesn’t want to “reduce” the deficit. He wants to “eliminate” it.

8:28—Burns doesn’t “believe there’s any company that’s too big to fail.”

8:29—Says if 2 of the Big Three car companies went bust, than the “best and the brightest” from those companies would have started new companies to fill demand.

8:30—OK, that’s it for Burns. Here comes Bill Russell.

8:35—Wow, Russell started right in on Burns, saying that “my opponent” has implied being in the military only teaches you to give and follow orders. Says he’s “negotiated with Arab princes and Bedouin goat herders. Says b/c of his role in the Pentagon, knows how things work. Says Burns has admitted he doesn’t. “I appreciate his interest, but it’s not the time for on the job training.”

8:37—Admits not being from here. Says being in a military family was a sacrifice.

8:38—”I am beholden to the constituents, not to the party,” he says. Says the struggle is about “do we want a party-chosen candidate, or an independent candidate.”

8:40—During Q & A, says he’d scrap entire tax code for consumption tax instead.

8:42—Someone asks about “mismanagement” of campaign funds, obviously referring to this. “There has been no mismanagement of campaign funds, whatsoever. … I wouldn’t do anything differently. I am the top non-incumbent fundraiser in the nation.”

8:43—”Ever piece of direct-mail is an advertisement. That’s why I’m 30 points up in the polls.” That’s an internal poll, FYI.

8:45—In terms of affecting change, says “well first of all, we need a new president.”

8:46—That’s it for Russell. Lots of enthusiasm for him in the room. We’ll see if it translates to votes.

8:49—OK so now they’re doing the formal nominations. Russell is nominated first.

8:50—Now Tim Burns is nominated.

8:53—Looks like the other guys forgot to ask someone to nominate them. Burns and Russell are the only nominations. Weird.

8:54—The voting has begun. First 8 go to Burns.

8:55—So far it’s 16-6 Burns.

8:56—20 to 10.

8:57—All the Gleasons vote for Burns.

8:58—30-16

8:59—Burns might be pulling away.

9:01—He’s up 55-30 by our count.

9:02—They’re still voting, but by our count, Burns now has the nomination.

9:04—That’s it folks. It’s Tim Burns vs. Mark Critz

9:06—Takes room to applause. Now they’re trying to signify it as unanimous. It’s approved.

9:17—OK folks, that’s it for the live-blog. Speaking with candidates, and we’ll have complete coverage soon. Stay tuned.

March 11, 2010 at 9:50 pm

--Dan Hirschhorn

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