It’s here that we’ll be joined from time to time by newsmakers, opinion leaders and political insiders of every stripe to discuss the issues surrounding the big 2010 elections. Below is part one of our first episode. Log-on throughout the week to see the rest.

In our first episode, hosted by pa2010.com editor Dan Hirschhorn, we were joined, from left to right, by former Philadelphia Democratic Party chairman David Glancey; Democratic 7th District candidate Bryan Lentz; Steven Welch, a Republican who was running in the 6th District but withdrew from the race a few days after this taping; and Republican strategist Nathan Shrader.

For all the latest political videos, visit the pa2010.com YouTube channel.

And enjoy!

About five weeks after he dropped out of the 6th District race in the wake of incumbent Jim Gerlach’s surprise decision to see reelection, Schroder still netted about a quarter of the endorsements votes cast by county committee members. Though Gerlach easily won the party’s endorsement, the strong showing for a candidate not even in the race underscored just how much Schroder’s supporters were stung by Gerlach’s decision—even after Steven Welch’s withdrawal from the contest effectively secured a primary win for the incumbent.

In the end, Gerlach got 128 votes, well over the 60 percent needed for an endorsement. Schroder, who was a favorite of the party’s conservative wing, got 56 votes, and Tea Party candidate Patrick Sellers had 9.

In an interview with pa2010.com, Schroder said people had told him of their intention to enter his name into nomination for the committee’s endorsement, and that he decided to take a hands-off approach to the matter. He has made no secret of his frustration with how things turned out.

“I took the approach that I wasn’t going to encourage it or discourage it,” Schroder said. “People can do what they want to. It was gratifying to know that there were a number of committee people who would vote for me.”

Schroder was confident, though, that the party will now come together.

“Once you get past the endorsement I think the party gets united,” he said. “Whatever differences there might be between various groups within the party, those pale with our differences with the Democrats.”

A campaign spokesman didn’t make Gerlach available for an interview over the weekend. But in a statement, Gerlach said: “I am honored to have earned the Chester County Republican Committee endorsement and extremely grateful for the support of the hard working committee members who have been the driving force behind every one of my victories.

“This endorsement clearly signals that Republicans are energized and united in purpose this year,” he added. “Our fight for common sense solutions that create jobs, let families keep more of their paychecks and shrink our crippling deficits is well under way.”

Welch made his sudden announcement as Chester County Republicans opened their nominating convention at a banquet hall here. Having asked to address the audience of almost 400 local committee members, Welch lauded what he called the “completely open” process in Chester County, and then stepped aside.

“For me to fight hard right now would do more harm than good,” Welch said. “For that reason, I am withdrawing.

“We have a chance to send Jim Gerlach back to Congress to lead the way forward,” he added.

His decision, which he told pa2010.com was only made late Friday night, marks the close of the first chapter of a young political career that was stymied by a couple rounds of bad luck, but one which he enthusiastically said will continue. Asked if a future run for public office is in the cards, Welch said “absolutely, yes.”

“Let’s be honest,” he said, “I’ve had a relatively unlucky start to this career, but I’ve enjoyed it.”

However he moves forward, it seems he can count on future support from Chester County Republicans. After taking the stage to some grumblings from committee members, he left to nothing but applause. During a subsequent interview, one committeeman approached Welch and said “that was a great move—the party will respect you forever.”

After Welch’s withdrawal, Gerlach easily won the party’s endorsement—but not before state Representative Curt Schroder, who dropped out of the race last month, had garnered a significant number of committee votes.

“This endorsement clearly signals that Republicans are energized and united in purpose this year,” Gerlach said in a statement later.

Welch, a wealthy biotech entrepreneur, had originally planned to run for Congress in the 7th District, but switched to the 6th District race after former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan became the GOP’s leading candidate in the 7th. At the time of the switch, Gerlach, the 6th District incumbent Republican, was running for governor, and Welch was a leading contender in the crowded GOP primary to replace him. But Gerlach changed his mind last month and decided to seek reelection, leading a couple other candidates to drop from the race, even as Welch seemed resolute that, this time, he was staying put.

“Clearly there was no path that would help the ideals I believe in,” Welch said in the interview. “I was going to lose.

“While I don’t agree with Jim on everything,” he added, “I certainly think he’s better than the Democratic alternative.”

His decision, which came as county Democrats were scheduled to vote on their endorsement in the race just 10 miles away, again shakes up a political landscape that has been reordered more than a few times this cycle. Six months ago, it was Republicans who were facing a potentially divisive primary, while Democrats seemed to have unified behind Doug Pike. Now, the tables are turned, with the GOP firmly behind Gerlach and Democrats looking at a competitive, three-way primary. Welch, for his part, had loaned his campaign half-a-million dollars, and can recoup any of that money that went unspent. The $150,000 he contributed outright, though, cannot be returned.

Before exiting the race, Welch lauded the Chester County party for what he called a fair endorsement process—something he contrasted with Montgomery County Republican leaders who, he said, didn’t inform him of their recent decision to endorse Gerlach or invite him to make his case (Welch said he learned about the endorsement from pa2010.com).

“I meant what I said in there,” Welch said afterward. “The party has been amazing. This has been fair. I want everyone to know that I will still be involved in this process, even though I’m not a candidate.”

“Arlen Specter’s sense of entitlement is typical of a 30-year Washington insider,” campaign spokesman Jonathon Dworkins said in a statement. “His refusal to defend his views on the most influential national news program in the country says it all. He thinks that just because he cut a deal in Washington he doesn’t owe voters the time of day.” By the end of the day, the campaign was pointing out that apparently embattled Flordia Gov. Charlie Crist will be debating his Senate opponent on Meet the Press.

Meanwhile, it turns out that 6th District Republican candidate Steven Welch isn’t just a biotech entrepreneur—he’s a writer, too. He announced on Friday the publication of “We Are All Born Entrepreneurs,” a book that “chronicles the struggles and successes of men and women across the country who overcame amazing odds to build successful businesses from scratch.”

“As I interviewed entrepreneurs across the country I realized that each one followed a different path, but there were also certain traits and skills that all successful entrepreneurs possessed,” Welch said in a statement. “I compiled over a dozen stories that I believe provide learning experiences for aspiring entrepreneurs and also answered the question of why so many of us find purpose in entrepreneurship.”

And speaking of debates, 8th District Republican candidate Gloria Carlineo wants to have some, too. In a statement Friday, she said there should be at least three debates throughout Bucks County.

“I believe it is imperative for every resident of the district to have the opportunity to hear what each candidate has to offer,” she said.

“Jim Gerlach has served Chester County with distinction throughout his career,” chairman Skip Brion said in a statement. “As our congressman since 2002, Jim has proven his commitment to the families, taxpayers and seniors in the 6th District.

“For the future of our country, our state and our county, we need a Republican like Jim Gerlach to win this seat, and I am asking the Chester County Republican Committee members to endorse Jim Gerlach for Congress,” Brion added.

His statements came as wealthy entrepreneur Steven Welch is undertaking what could be a fierce and bitter primary challenge, and with at least some patches of the local party establishment still unhappy that Gerlach’s late decision to seek reelection instead of running for governor forced state Representative Curt Schroder (R-Chester) out of the race. Some of those rank-and-file members have been looking to Welch as an alternative candidate. And while it seems exceedingly unlikely that Welch could beat Gerlach out for the endorsement on Saturday, his campaign will almost surely play up any significant show of support against the incumbent.

A poll memo from the Republican polling firm Wilson Research Strategies said that, if the primary were held today, 71 percent of primary voters would back Gerlach, compared to 6 percent for Welch and 23 percent who remain undecided. Like other internal campaign surveys, only the poll memo was released, making it impossible to evaluate the poll in detail.

But it seemed more intended to bolster the argument that Welch will make it harder for Republicans to hold the 6th District seat in November.

“Republican voters in southeast Pennsylvania know Jim very well and they have already reached the conclusion that he is doing a good job in Congress and should be returned to Washington for another term,” campaign pollster Chris Wilson said in a statement. “With solid numbers like these, Jim is a virtual lock to win the Republican primary. Any primary challenge to Jim Gerlach at this point would only serve Nancy Pelosi and Democrats in Washington.”

There’s no reason to doubt that Gerlach would hold a wide lead three months before the primary; he’s a four-term congressman, going up against a political newcomer in Welch who has, so far, only introduced himself to voters through contact efforts like direct mail. But Welch, a wealthy biotech entrepreneur, is expected to spend heavily on his own campaign, and when he eventually begins flooding the airwaves, Gerlach could see his lead narrow fast.

The poll memo also sought to warn Welch against trying to run from Gerlach’s right, saying that 91 percent of “very conservative” voters view the incumbent favorably. The poll memo said the telephone survey of 300 likely primary voters was conductd Feb. 9-11, with a margin of error of 5.6 percent.

Gerlach was running for governor until last month, when he dropped out of the race to seek reelection instead. Having already stepped away from a run for Congress in the 7th District in favor of former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan, Welch said he was staying staying put in the 6th District primary to offer voters a “new direction.”

Click here to see the poll memo.

UPDATE—Welch issued the following statement Tuesday afternoon: “I appreciate Congressman Gerlach confirming what everyone already knows. While I do not have strong name identification, when 6th District voters know they have a choice, 1/3 of likely Republican voters either support my campaign or are undecided. I continue meeting with voters and local leaders, and I look forward to sharing my message about responsible results and a new direction in Congress.”

Recent articles in both The Inquirer and The Daily News pointed out Welch’s decision to move a couple miles down the road, from Phoenixville to Charleston Township. For some reason, those little details slipped by me until earlier this month.

You may remember the early brouhaha over Welch’s decision to seek the GOP nomination in the 6th Congressional District, despite living across the river in the 7th. At the time, he said he wouldn’t move. There was even some outrage that Welch was claiming residency in Phoenixville, when critics said he lived in Upper Providence Township. With the help of Google Earth, we determined that everyone was actually right; Phoenixville is a borough that partly resides in Upper Providence.

But now, Welch is a bona fide resident of the 6th, where he’s trying to unseat incumbent Congressman Jim Gerlach in the May primary. I caught up with him at last week’s Tea Party forum to ask him about his new digs. He said he moved shortly after Christmas, and lamented what he saw as political silliness that had somewhat forced his hand.

“Despite the fact that I grew up in Chester County, despite that I started by business there … it was clear people wanted to just talk politics about it,” he said of the residency issue. Welch made the move, he said, to keep the campaign’s focus on policy.

“It was a small sacrifice to make,” he added. “It shows we’re committed to moving the 6th District forward.”

This is sort of one of those damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situations. If he stays put, he’s an outsider. If he moves, he’s a carpetbagger. Obviously, Welch thought the second charge was easier to deflect.

The institution that has rightfully come under great scrutiny lately is our federal government. Over the last decade, we have all watched the federal government grow dramatically in both size and scope. To put this in perspective, while the federal budget represented 33 percent of GDP in 2000, it is projected to represent 45 percent in 2010.

While it is easy to proclaim that the government is too big and needs to be shrunk, these are empty words until we address the root cause of the problem. Democrats will blame Republicans, and Republicans will blame Democrats. The simple truth is that this explosion of government occurred over periods when both parties were in control, and this cannot be simplified into a partisan issue.

Though the problem is very complex, it also contains a simple truth—the walls of government are being built each day by the very people who depend on them. This is why politicians on both sides of the aisle continue to make decisions not based on ideology, but on what centralizes power within the federal government. These decisions have the unintended consequences of continuing a cycle where political leaders accumulate more power, making it more difficult to replace them. This centralized power in Washington unfortunately also leads to more influence and government spending, further distorting our free-market system.

Only in Washington could we see misguided policies such as bailing out the automotive industry, and then turning around and creating a program like “Cash for Clunkers” for people to buy cars from the very companies that are now government-owned. This is only one outrageous example of many where the government has grown in scope and continues to interfere with free markets.

In fact, during 2009 approximately $3.3 billion was spent in Washington lobbying elected officials, $19 million which came from bankrupt GM and Chrysler. I am sure it is no surprise to hear that the average elected official who voted for the automotive bailout received almost twice as much in political contributions than one who voted against it.

While we have quietly been going about our lives, we have a government that has entrenched itself. We must now take the steps to change this. It will not be easy, but the reward is well worth the fight. To do so, I believe it is time we revisit term limits.

We must return to our Founding Fathers’ notion of citizen legislators, not career politicians. Previous attempts to move this agenda forward focused on 6-year term limits enacted immediately. This attempt in the mid-1990s to change the way Washington works did not succeed for two reasons. First, many people did not feel 6 years was enough, noting that it takes time to bring about change and understand the complexities of our government’s problems. Second, the fact that an overwhelming majority of Congress would effectively be voting themselves out of a job was insurmountable.

Due to these obstacles, I believe we can make two straightforward changes to the term-limit platform to help bring them to fruition. First, we should double the limit to 12 years, allowing for two full Senate terms, or six terms in the House of Representatives. Second, there should be a “grandfather clause” excluding all sitting legislators. While this is certainly not a perfect solution, I believe it provides the best chance of enacting this needed reform. These changes can help ensure that we have elected officials who will focus more on the needs of the nation, rather than the needs of government which is the source of centralized power.

Eighty-three percent of Americans support term limits, because they know it will create a churn of leaders, which will provide a continuing flow of fresh ideas and individuals with outside perspectives, which we need now more than ever.

This will get at the root cause of the problem. It will create a completely different mentality and dynamic within Congress. It will allow us to have political leaders who are looking to tear down the walls of government, as opposed to those who are propping them up in an effort to centralize more power in Washington.

The writer is a Republican candidate in the 6th Congressional District.

The two spoke during a candidates’ forum hosted by a coalition of Tea Party groups in the state. Incumbent Jim Gerlach was not present at the event across the street from City Hall. A prepared statement read on his behalf cited unspecified commitments in Washington.

Taking turns answering the same questions, both candidates warned against deficit spending and expansion of the federal government. Sellers, a Tea Party activist himself, was particularly zealous in his desire to cut programs.

“We can start with the easy ones,” he said, “like the Department of Education, which teaches no children… and the Department of Energy, which produces no energy.”

Both candidates decried President Obama’s economic stimulus bill. Welch pledged to never request any earmarks if elected, but Sellers said he would support sensible spending that would help the district. The two also differed on Iran. Although Sellers said the country is not an imminent threat, Welch said he would not rule out military action to stop it from acquiring nuclear weapons.

1. Spending on one’s own campaign is all the rage, and why not? Surely no one believes in a candidate as much as the candidate himself. Be they in-kind expenditures, direct donations or campaign loans, House candidates in Pennsylvania kicked more than $700,000 into their own races in late 2009, according to campaign finance data. There’s the relatively small spenders, like the $3,400 spent by 11th District Republican Chris Paige to cover expenses. Then there’s the big dogs, like 6th District Democrat Doug Pike, who gave his campaign another $340,000 last quarter, and 6th District Republican Steven Welch who gave his campaign $150,000 after sticking to loans worth half-a-million earlier in the cycle. Throughout this cycle, Pike and Welch alone have thrown a combined $1.5 million at their own candidacies.

2. Sometimes the money race looks just plain unfair. Take Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-13), who’s $2.84 million on hand is more than 100 times what her potential GOP rivals have—combined. Or what about state Representative Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware)? He’s out-raising his primary opponents more than 140-fold.

3. Go Phillies! Nothing wrong with a $500 contribution to Republican 7th District hopeful Pat Meehan, courtesy of the president of the 2008 World Series champs.

4. Gotta spend money to make money. Republican Bill Russell has raised $2.8 million since late 2008. But he’s spent almost all of it on massive direct-mail and voter contact efforts., and finished 2009 with just $211,000 in the bank. His candidacy was very much based on unseating longtime Congressman John Murtha (D-12). But after Murtha’s unfortunate passing, will Russell still be able to raise as much?