Post-Mortem Examination Of PA's 12th Congressional District Race

Late last month I posted the DCCC's video of the attack ad against the FairTax that was used in the special election race against Republican businessman Tim Burns who was running against Mark Critz for PA's 12th district House seat formerly held by the late John Murtha.  Critz was a former aide to Murtha & he decisively defeated Burns on Tuesday 53% to 45%.  There will be a rematch in November since both candidates also won their parties' primaries.

 

But the most important thing to learn is how Burns & the detestable Republican Party leadership (Michael Steele & John Boehner) handled the attack ad & the race after the ad was presented.

 

First, the ad that misleadingly stated that Burns supported a national sales tax that would increase the price of medicine & groceries by 23% was presented after Burns only said he would consider supporting the FairTax if elected.  After the ad was presented the Republican leadership advised Burns to back away from the FairTax - as they have on numerous occasions to other candidates since they don't want the FairTax any more than Democrat leaders do.  Burns obviously only had a rudimentary understanding of the FairTax & could not defend the onslaught so he backed away & may have sealed his fate as a loser in the process.

 

About two weeks ago I watched the Burns-Critz debate on TV & Burns was a model candidate looking like the Rock of Gibraltar as Critz kept dropping his microphone & water bottle - but Burns never uttered the word "FairTax."  This is light years away from a candidate like Mike Huckabee whose entire tax position in his literature in the last presidential race was literally "I support the FairTax."  I attended three Huckabee functions in SC during that campaign & the Governor started every one of them with a presentation of the FairTax that took up @ least 25% of the total time he spoke.  Governor Huckabee came from nowhere to finish in the final four presidential candidates while Burns was finished in one night losing to a bumbler.

 

Several people have asked me why AFFT financed ads refuting the original attack ad seemingly defending Burns after he backed away.  The push-back ads were funded by a Pennsylvania PAC organized by the advertising firm of Butcher and Butcher, which has a contractual arrangement with AFFT.  The contractual arrangement is currently on a 6-month renewal while AFFT and members of the FairTax Leadership Council are reviewing it.

The argument in favor of putting resources into this race was that AFFT was defending the FairTax, not Burns.  The push-back ads do send a signal to other candidates in other races that FairTax will hit back if attacked.  The other argument, of course, is that resources should go to candidates who will defend the FairTax on their own.  We definitely need top notch candidates who are well versed in the FairTax but there is something to be said for the other point of working in tandem with the strong educated FairTax supporting candidate - & that is what we intend to do.

 

Thanks to all of you - none of who live in PA's 12th district - who told me you sent letters against the attack ads & also in support of Burns when it looked like he might be a FairTax supporter.  I share your disappointment in this entire matter. 

 

It is important to know where your candidates stand in the upcoming primaries in your state.  The primaries are your best chance to find candidates who reflect your values - in NJ we have Dave Corsi (12th), Anna Little (6th), & Lon Hosford & Bruce Baker (both of the 7th) who are all unwavering FairTax supporters.  In Indiana all nine Republican candidates who won their primaries have pledged to support the FairTax if elected in November so let's hope for a sweep in Indiana. 

 

For the rest of us in the meantime please keep your powder dry until you find the candidate you are looking for & when you do support him with all of your might.

 

Some people were astonished that there was a low turn out in such an important special election.  I can only hope that every election has an extremely low turn out because people of substance in America today are so overwhelmingly outnumbered that a low turn out is the only chance we have to continue the Republic in a peaceful manner.