Dems frame 12th District special as a must-win… for GOP

On the eve of a special election being closely watched outside Pennsylvania, Democrats sought to frame the debate early, saying the 12th District contest is only a must-win for Republicans and apparently looking to preempt any possible narratives that might arise from a Democratic loss.

In an e-mail blast to reporters Monday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said it’s “important to remember that only one election [on Tuesday] features a Republican versus Democrat.”

“The NRCC…

May 18, 2010 at 1:59 pm | Comments (5)

Clinton cuts a call for Critz

A day after pThe calls, funded by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, are part of the party’s final efforts to hold the western Pennsylvania seat in the special election succeed John “Jack” Murtha./p
p“Like Congressman Jack Murtha before him, Mark’s top priority will be to create jobs in western Pennsylvania, and he’ll always stand up for seniors and the middle class,” Clinton says in the call./p
pCritz faces Republican Tim Burns in Tuesday’s special election, and the race is ranked No. 1 on the a href="http://www.pa2010.com/congressional-power-rankings/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2Fcongressional-power-rankings%2F','pa2010.com+Congressional+Power+Rankings.')" target="_blank"empa2010.com/em Congressional Power Rankings./a/p
pa href="http://www.pa2010.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/PA12WJC.mp3" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F05%2FPA12WJC.mp3','Click+here+to+listen+to+the+call.')" target="_blank">Click here to listen to the call.

May 17, 2010 at 1:28 pm | Comments (3)

Poll: Burns up 1 point in down-to-the-wire special election

Republican Tim Burns is clinging to a narrow, statistically insignificant one point lead over Democrat Mark Critz just hours before their high-profile special election in the 12th Congressional District, according to a new poll.

The Public Policy Polling survey released Sunday showed Burns edging out Critz 48 percent to 47 percent, with only 6 percent of voters still undecided. It was just the latest of several public and private polls that are forecasting a close…

May 17, 2010 at 8:43 am | Comments (0)

Clinton says Critz knows the ‘ins-and-outs’ of getting federal dollars

Former President Bill Clinton swung through western Pennsylvania Sunday, and he had a message for voters in the 12th Congressional District: Mark Critz can keep the cash flowing.

Clinton was in Johnstown to campaign for Critz, the Democratic candidate in Tuesday’s special election to succeed John Murtha. He framed Critz, a longtime John Murtha aide, as the late congressman’s natural successor. His visit marked the high point of a race that has attracted national attention,…

May 16, 2010 at 7:52 pm | Comments (8)

Burns and Critz spar in televised debate

JOHNSTOWN—Thirty minutes before his hotly anticipated debate with Republican Tim Burns, Democrat Mark Critz was mingling with supporters at Richland Senior High School here, appearing at ease with a red tie and demure gray suit. “Call me Mark,” Critz said to one supporter who addressed him repeatedly as Mr. Critz. “You‘ve known me too long to be calling me that.”

A few minutes later, Burns walked briskly into the auditorium toward the wide-open stage, and…

May 5, 2010 at 11:09 pm | Comments (6)

Murtha’s widow e-mails for Critz

The widow of the late John “Jack” Murtha continues to voice her support for the Democratic candidate to succeed him in the 12th Congressional District.

Joyce Murtha, who gave her husband’s longtime aide Mark Critz a big boost when she backed him earlier this year, wrote an e-mail missive to raise money for Critz’s campaign send Wednesday through the Democratic Congressional Campaign. The DCCC is seeking to raise $25,000 for Critz’s campaign by midnight Thursday.…

May 5, 2010 at 3:00 pm | Comments (1)

Murtha’s PAC gives Critz another $5K

Democrat Mark Critz continues to benefit from the war chest left behind by his late boss John Murtha.

Politico

May 4, 2010 at 7:00 am | Comments (1)

Critz defends Murtha in new ad

Democrat Mark Critz is sticking up for his longtime boss John Murtha, using a new campaign ad to accuse Republican opponent Tim Burns of besmirching the late congressman’s legacy in his own ad blitz.

The 30-second spot in the increasingly bitter special election battle is a response to a Burns ad that, without mentioning Murtha, brings up the Office of Congressional Ethics investigation that dogged him until his death and seeking to hang it on…

May 3, 2010 at 3:50 pm | Comments (4)

Russell: Don’t name a ship after Murtha

Republican Bill Russell this week waded into the Navy’s sometimes-controversial decision to name a ship after the late John Murtha, with his campaign calling it an “insult.”

Russell, a darling of some in the conservative grassroots, rose to prominence in 2008 partly because he fiercely spoke out when the the 12th District congressman called Marines involved in an incident in Iraq “cold-blooded killers.” Russell is running for the western Pennsylvania seat for the second time…

May 1, 2010 at 1:04 pm | Comments (3)

Critz evokes Murtha in new ad

Despite sometimes being called a “legacy candidate,” Democrat Mark Critz has in recent weeks mostly been distancing himself from that legacy, the late Congressman John Murtha. But now he’s embracing Murtha on TV.

Critz’s latest ad for the 12th District special election features his time as Murtha’s district director, when, the ad says, Critz helped Murtha “bring in thousands of new jobs.”

See the ad below.

…

April 23, 2010 at 9:17 pm | Comments (7)