A Pennsylvania Democratic House candidate on Tuesday admitted to helping a third Tea Party candidate get on the ballot who he hopes will siphon votes away from his Republican opponent.If he didn't think it was improper then why did he try to cover it up? If he would fool the voters now imagine what he would do in Washington.
Bryan Lentz, the Democratic nominee running for the seat being vacated by Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), said that he knew that volunteers from his campaign helped Tea Party candidate Jim Schneller.
"If somebody's already made the decision to run, I didn't think that 'helping' with the process of signature petitions was improper," Lentz told told the Delaware County Daily Times editorial board in an interview.
Republicans have accused Democrats of helping set up Tea Party candidates as spoilers in several House and Senate races around the country. Democrats face a tough political environment this fall, when they are trying to maintain their congressional majorities against a GOP wave spurred in part by Tea Party groups.
Lentz said he could not remember when he learned of his volunteers' work on behalf of Schneller, but he said "I didn't think it was a bad thing for the process or for my candidacy."
Republican nominee Pat Meehan and Lentz are locked in a tight race, The Hill's 2010 Midterm Poll last week showed last week that Meehan is narrowly leading Lentz 40-39 percent.
Meehan's campaign responded to the Lentz's claim in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"It's about time Bryan Lentz would admit what the media has been reporting on for months," said Meehan campaign manager Bryan Kendro. "Despite his efforts to fool voters about his role in supporting Schneller's candidacy, he was forced to come clean, and he should apologize for not being forthright."
Next, via Jim Geraghty, Lentz would fit right in with Patrick Murphy (D-PA08) who obviously thought he would take a final crack at fooling voters:
Workers at Bucks County's voter registration office fielded 70 calls on Tuesday and dozens more this past week from residents worried they wouldn't be able to vote on Election Day.Read the rest of that sordid mess then take a shower. If you have to threaten and coerce voters into returning an absentee ballot... Oh never mind, this is business as usual for the Dems isn't it? If they can't threaten enough people they'll just dig them up.
The reason: a series of Democratic Party absentee ballot letters -- under the letterhead of the fictitious Pennsylvania Voter Assistance Office -- warning recipients that their ability to vote in November could be threatened.
"They are concerned because, number one they think it is from us, and number two they don't understand why they are receiving it," said Deena Dean, director of Bucks County's election office. "They don't understand why their participation in the upcoming election might be in jeopardy."
Republicans blasted the letters, with a spokesman calling them "deeply troubling."
Concerned about an "enthusiasm gap" with Republicans, Democrats are going to great lengths to urge their voters to cast ballots in the midterm election. In Bucks County, Democrats have a voter registration edge, but recent polls suggest 8th District Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy is trailing Republican Mike Fitzpatrick.
The Voter Assistance Office letters, spearheaded by the Bucks County Democratic Party, are part of the turnout effort.
The last of the three mailings warns the recipient that it is the "THIRD and FINAL notice.""By failing to return the enclosed documents, you may be placing your ability to participate in this year's general election at risk," the letter reads.
Despite consistent polling that has showed Republicans cleaning up in Pennsylvania, recent evidence suggests the polls are much tighter than they have appeared. The Hill released a poll this morning that showed Murphy leading Fitzpatrick by three points. This is well within the margin of error but it is the first independent poll showing Murphy in the lead. Polls that show Fitzpatrick ahead are based on greater turnout by Republicans and Independents favoring Republican candidates. It is all going to come down to who can turn out the vote. We know what lengths the Dems will go to turn their voters out, we must not be complacent.
I absolutely believe Fitzpatrick and Toomey will win but it is up to us to make that happen. Fitzpatrick is holding a GOTV blow out event on Saturday. More info on that available here. Kitchen Table Patriots have many events scheduled and there is plenty to do at the Bucks County GOP Victory Center as well. We need to turn out every vote to insure the election of Pat Toomey, Mike Fitzpatrick, Corbett and a slew of other great GOP candidates. Let's Roll!
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