Over the past four years, U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire has been relentless in his effort towards improving the lives of veterans and their families.

Representatives Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, Walt Minnick of Idaho and Zack Space of Ohio are among the Democrats no longer seen by Republicans as easy targets.

House Republicans once viewed Pennsylvania as an electoral gold mine, rich with 2010 pickup opportunities. After the latest quarterly reports, however, the GOP probably needs to scale back its expectations.

Republican House candidates in Pennsylvania, a state expected to be rich with electoral prizes for the GOP this fall, have fallen almost uniformly short in the competition for cash, imperiling their party's prospects in a knot of crucial congressional battlegrounds.

Jason Altmire has more than 7 times as much money as his upstart Republican opponent Keith Rothfus in his defense of his congressional seat north of Pittsburgh.  The incumbent Democrat had nearly $1.47 million in cash at the end of June, to Rothfus' $200,000. Altmire's second quarter FEC report shows he came into the period with $1.24 million, raised an additional $295,000 and watched his pennies, spending $72,800.

Some $161,700 of his money came from PACs. It is telling that the conservative Democrat got $1,500 from the National Rifle Assoc. (which has been courting Democrats lately) but little from major labor groups upset by his opposition to health care reform.

As for health care, that industry gave him his biggest donations during the quarter: $6,000 from teh American Health Care Organization; $5,000 from the American College of Surgeons; $5,000 from Vanguard Health Management; and $5,000 from Zeneca Inc.

Some of the biggest winners and losers from Tuesday’s primary elections didn’t get any votes. In fact, many of them weren’t even on the ballot.

These political players include the behind-the-scenes operatives who played key roles in orchestrating victories and the politicians who put skin in the game and came out looking better for the effort. Other pols didn’t fare so well — they showed flawed judgment, bet on the wrong candidates or saw their political fortunes take a turn for the worse. 

Here is POLITICO’s list of Tuesday’s real winners and losers.

Winners

Sen. Bob Casey. With Gov. Ed Rendell term-limited and vanquished senior Sen. Arlen Specter also on his way out, Casey is suddenly poised to step into a Democratic kingmaking role in Pennsylvania.

Tuesday’s primary showed his talent for playing the angles. He backed Specter, as did the rest of the state Democratic establishment, but not nearly as vigorously as many other top Democrats. Casey made a riskier play in the 12th District special election by making a campaign appearance there — he was the only prominent Democratic member of Congress called in to campaign for Mark Critz — but his visit only underscored his ability to connect to conservative, anti-abortion Democratic voters.

The Campaign Group. How does a candidate come back from a 20-point deficit in the polls to beat a 30-year incumbent when the White House and the entire state Democratic establishment is lined up in opposition? One great ad campaign.

Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak’s media firm, The Campaign Group, delivered exactly that to the two-term Democratic congressman. It made all of his spots in the Senate primary, including the blockbuster ad featuring Specter and former President George W. Bush — an ad that changed the trajectory of the race.
Sestak’s tireless stumping and cash-flush bank account were central to his victory, but so was The Campaign Group in an operation that was plagued with staffing changes and turnover. The firm also scored big Tuesday with another one of its clients: Pennsylvania Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato.

D.C. Morrison. Businessman D.C. Morrison had more impact on the Arkansas Democratic Senate primary results than any other politician or special interest group: By winning 13 percent, his candidacy almost single-handedly pushed Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Lt. Gov. Bill Halter into a runoff June 8.

That’s quite an achievement for a Democrat whom nobody had heard of before last month and one who, in online videos, calls President Ronald Reagan his “hero” and says he voted for Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) in the most recent presidential contest.

Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.). First, Altmire dodged a tough primary challenge that nearly surfaced amid anger over his vote against the Democratic health care plan. Then, last night, the two-term congressman got another big break: The GOP candidate recruited by the national party, former U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan, lost her primary 2-1 to attorney Keith Rothfus.

While Rothfus boasts support from regional tea party activists, he’s been a poor fundraiser who will find it hard to compete with Altmire and his more than $1.2 million in the bank.

Jef Pollock. Pollock burnished his reputation as a top pollster by correctly forecasting the Pennsylvania 12th District special election outcome. As Critz’s pollster, Pollock’s firm Global Strategy Group reported in the first week of May an 8-percentage-point lead (Critz won by 7.6 points) for his client. Meanwhile, several other public and private polls — including surveys leaked by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — showed the race as a statistical tie or gave Republican Tim Burns an edge. In a race in which almost nobody knew what to expect in terms of turnout, Pollock nailed it.

Arkansas television stations. Walk into any cafe in downtown Little Rock, and you’re likely to get an eye roll or a disgusted wave when you mention the avalanche of television ads running for and against Lincoln and Halter. Now, an impending runoff campaign guarantees three more weeks of outside groups likely buying up airtime during the coveted 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts.

For media outlets still recovering from the slide in advertising sales, the extra revenue is much appreciated. They’re not alone in their gratitude: Little Rock hotels, restaurants and bars should also benefit from the expense accounts of the national reporters who will continue to visit for at least another three weeks.

Richard Trumka and the AFL-CIO. The beleaguered labor giant went all out in the Pennsylvania special election in an effort to prove that unions could still help win the day in the type of district that is trending away from Democrats.

Their success was especially sweet for Trumka, a third-generation coal miner from southwest Pennsylvania.

The breakway SEIU gets much of the ink when it comes to labor politics, but the Pennsylvania special proved that the old-line industrial unions still in the AFL can move votes.

The federation made over 30,000 phone calls, knocked on over 15,000 doors, dropped over 75,000 flyers at 63 union work sites, did 100,000 robo-calls, dropped four mail pieces, aired TV and radio spots and organized a four-day bus tour of state labor officials in the district.

SEIU came in with ads late, but much of the defense against the flood of activity from third-party conservative groups was led by Trumka and Co.


Losers

Mike Huckabee. Two of the former governor’s endorsed candidates in his home state of Arkansas lost badly in their GOP primaries. And if that wasn’t bad enough, his nemesis from the Club for Growth — former Republican Rep. Pat Toomey, who served as the club’s president for a time — won the GOP Senate nomination in Pennsylvania on Tuesday and leads in polls for the November general election.

On the bright side, at least Huckabee’s daughter is thriving: Sarah Huckabee was the campaign manager for Rep. John Boozman, who rose above a crowded GOP primary field Tuesday to win 53 percent and avoid a runoff.

The Arkansas Democratic establishment. The state’s top officials may dislike Halter — they view him as a little too ambitious and calculating for his own good — but they can’t seem to stop him. Despite Lincoln’s support from popular Democrats including Gov. Mike Beebe and retiring Rep. Marion Berry, Halter came within 2 points of her in the Tuesday primary and forced Lincoln to a June 8 runoff.

Rep. Parker Griffith (R-Ala.). Griffith, who switched parties in December, is officially on notice after another party-switcher’s primary election defeat Tuesday — Specter.

If primary voters in Pennsylvania were prepared to reject an incumbent who’s been delivering the goods for 30 years and had support from the White House and the entire state Democratic apparatus, how do you think they’ll respond to a freshman whose new national party’s level of support is considerably less comprehensive?

While the parties may be different, the forces at play are disturbingly familiar. 

My apologies to you, Congressman Altmire. When you voted against the proposed health care plans in 2009, because of their fiscal shortfalls, I thought it was just a “party wink” because Congress had enough votes already pledged. But your “listening to your constituents” and “caring for fiscal and social impacts on them” appears to be quite genuine as evidenced in your vote on the Senate health care plan.

You will undoubtedly be penalized in Washington for not towing the party line. But, you were elected to serve and protect your constituents and we need more of our representatives to follow your example.

I agreed with you that the idea of universal healthcare has many appealing virtues and that the Senate bill had both good and disappointing points. But, you voted with the best interest of your constituents as your “#1 concern” versus following what party leaders demanded of you. Thank for you acting like our representative, which you are. My hope is that we can get more members from both parties to do this same “listening to their constituents” at all levels of government.

I extend this letter not on behalf of the municipality, but rather all like-minded constituents in the municipality. Robert J. Brooks, Murrysville

Published in the Penn Franklin
April 2, 2010

 

U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, D-4th, exhibited a quality of leadership that needs our review. A young, dynamic, well-educated family man, he listened to his constituents and voted his conscience, while his many colleagues were bought off by threats and special favors.
One of the most knowledgeable congressmen when it comes to health care policy, Altmire knew that the process and final bill were loaded with problems.
Yes, we need health care reform, but not a total federal takeover, especially with many unanswered questions hanging unresolved.
Our congressman's actions bring to mind John F. Kennedy's "Profiles in Courage." After all the threats and pleas and calls from thousands of vocal positive and negative constituents, we owe him our admiration and support.
Having leaders in Congress like Altmire gives us and our families hope for the future.

Dan Przybylek
Buffalo Township

Many of us feel U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire deserves a lot of credit for standing by his convictions and the "no" vote he cast on the health care package.

Altmire was under tremendous pressure from both sides of the issue, including several meetings with President Barack Obama at the White House and House Speaker House Nancy Pelosi, to vote in the affirmative.

In addition, his office received thousands of phone calls to try and influence his decision.

At the end of the day, after a thorough review of the language contained in the bill and other factors, the congressman said he cast the "no" vote because overwhelmingly, the people from his district strongly opposed this legislation.

Altmire did not cave in under pressure from other politicians or political action committees but rather did the right thing and voted for what is best for the people he represents.

Believe me, that takes a huge amount courage.

Dan Donatella

Industry

Editor's note: The writer is the former chairman of the Beaver County Board of Commissioners (retired).

Watch Congressman Altmire's appearance on Fox News Sunday.

 

I am a conservative Republican who usually votes a straight Republican ticket.

Lately, I have been somewhat impressed with U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire's voting record. I feel that he is one politician who truly cares.

On Tuesday, I watched as the 53 orphans from Haiti were brought to Pittsburgh. I was very moved by the effort given to this operation by the many people involved.

Not the least was the effort by Altmire, who contacted the White House and the State Department and cleared the way for this wonderful humanitarian operation to succeed. My congratulations go out to Altmire and all involved, including Gov. Ed Rendell.

Altmire can depend on this Republican's vote from this point on.

Charles Matthews

Independence Township

 

At the other end of the Democratic Caucus from Honda is Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., whose composite scores are an even 50.0, putting him at the center of the House. His pro-gun, anti-abortion, hard-line immigration stances play well in his Republican-leaning district. "Amnesty? Folks in my district aren't going to go for that," Altmire said. "Any bill -- no matter how hard-line it is on immigration -- that includes that... is going to be real tough for me to support."

Last year, congressional Democratic leaders scheduled very few votes on controversial social issues that might split their party. One view is that the leaders avoided such hot-button subjects because they didn't want to force Democrats in GOP-leaning districts to make tough votes -- and potentially risk the party's majority in the process. Altmire has a different theory. "The reason, in my opinion, they didn't have those votes is because they wouldn't have won them," he said.

A case in point was a 2008 bill that Altmire co-sponsored, backed by the National Rifle Association, to overturn the District of Columbia's gun control laws. The House passed the bill 260-160, with 82 Democrats and 178 Republicans forming the winning coalition. Altmire believes that his position would prevail this year too, even with fewer Republicans in Congress. "I would expect guns and immigration still would favor the conservative side," he said.

Last year, House Democratic leaders could afford to lose only 18 of their rank-and-file members and still win votes without any Republican support. And the leaders did lose at times: Of the key votes used in the 2008 ratings, Republicans defeated a majority of Democrats by swaying Democratic centrists on such issues as business regulation, national security, gun control, and fiscal discipline. But after picking up 21 additional seats in November, House Democratic leaders have shown a willingness to press for more-liberal legislation, starting with the stimulus package.

Moderate Democrats worry that their leaders and the White House may push too far to the left this year. "As long as 39 of us are cohesive and hold firm, the Democratic leadership will have to work with us to mollify our concerns to ensure they have the votes to pass legislation," said Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., co-chair of the 49-member Blue Dog Coalition of moderate House Democrats. She was the 15th-most-conservative House Democrat in the 2008 ratings.

Herseth Sandlin said that moderate Democrats want to see legislation developed with their input from start to finish through the regular committee process, rather than just at the end after liberal leaders have negotiated bills behind closed doors. "Even if we're uncomfortable with certain elements in the final package, we will have had that opportunity to influence the legislation in a way that makes sense for our constituents and makes sense for our principles," she said.

In the Senate, the support of moderate Democrats is crucial to Obama and Democratic leaders because their party is two votes short of the 60-vote threshold needed to break filibusters. Those numbers give the chamber's moderate Democrats even more negotiating power than their House counterparts.

In the key votes used in the 2008 ratings, Senate Democratic centrists occasionally voted against their leaders, including these three outliers, who ranked as the first-, second-, and third-most-conservative Democrats, respectively, in their chamber.

• Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., whose concerns over fiscal discipline resulted in his being the only Democrat to vote against the majority's budget resolution -- usually a test of party loyalty.

• Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., who was among a handful of Democrats to oppose a measure in March expanding social safety net programs by raising taxes on millionaires. "I am a fiscal conservative," he said. "I am very concerned about spending."

• Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., whose increasingly Republican home state is an oil and gas producer, leading her to endorse conservative positions on energy legislation in particular.

Although fiscal discipline is a key sticking point for moderate Senate Democrats, their opposition could kill legislation on issues ranging from abortion rights to immigration reform. Nelson, for example, advocated less spending on school construction in this year's stimulus package because of conservative-style worries about local control of education. "I'm philosophically concerned about having the federal government having much more to do with K-12 education," he said.

Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, a second-term member whose vote ratings were liberal on social and foreign policy but moderate on economic issues, recently formed a Populist Caucus aimed at developing policy positions that Democrats of all stripes can agree on. "There isn't really a lot of disagreement on some of these core economic middle-class values," Braley said, pointing to such issues as middle-class tax cuts, affordable health care, and consumer protection.

But Braley acknowledged that ideological differences will pose a challenge as he and others seek to build winning coalitions in this Congress. "The great thing about Democrats is, sometimes we agree to disagree," he said.

-National Journal Magazine

The first time they met, two years ago, Jason Altmire nipped incumbent Republican Melissa Hart in a tight race.

Last night, Mr. Altmire was riding a wave of nationwide Democratic gains, but this time with the benefit of incumbency and superior funding.

-- Post Gazette

This year’s race for Congress in the 4th District is like deja vu all over again.

Upstart Democrat Jason Altmire ousted Republican Melissa Hart from Congress in a political shocker two years ago.

U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire and challenger Melissa Hart argued yesterday over Social Security, a potent issue in the senior-rich 4th Congressional District.

Last month, McAfee got a letter from Altmire that restored his faith in democracy and his belief that government officials appreciate the sacrifices of soldiers of the Korean War.

Results of an independent poll released Tuesday show that Democratic U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire holds a comfortable 12 percentage point lead over Republican challenger Melissa Hart in the 4th Congressional District race.
-Beaver County Times

Republican Melissa Hart’s win-at-all-costs campaign strategy was on full display last week to the New York Times, and it wasn’t pretty.
-Beaver County Times

Murrysville police cars are getting an upgrade

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — Lawrence County received $1.25 million for two projects meant to bring in businesses and jobs.

Local senior citizens got an up-close look at two new Medicare provisions authored by U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, Pa.-4, when he visited Plum Senior Community Center this month.

 

Some college interns will get school credits for their jobs, under legislation that is expected to be signed by President Bush next week.

A bill empowering Congress to act on recommendations by the U.S. International Trade Commission against unfair trade practices has gotten the support of officials at Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp.

A local legislator wants to help small business owners get a piece of the federal contracting pie.

If Melissa Hart has any hopes of recapturing her former congressional seat, she's going to have to do a lot of fund-raising to catch up to her opponent between now and the November election.
-Inside Butler County

U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey unveiled a joint plan Wednesday to help volunteer fire departments across the country hit hard by soaring gas and diesel fuel costs.
-Beaver County Times

As demand continues to increase, Jameson Hospital is taking steps to expand its emergency department as well as add surgical capacity at its North Campus along Wilmington Avenue.
-Ellwood City Ledger

In a unique bipartisan appearance, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire and Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy held the second of two joint town-hall meetings on Penn State-Beaver’s Center Township campus Wednesday.
-Beaver County Times

Seventy-two percent of America's firefighters report for duty and do not get paid. Now, a new effort is under way in Washington, D.C., to give a tax credit to those men and women.
- WTAE-TV (ThePittsburghChannel.com)

At a news conference Monday at Wheatland Tube’s pipe and tube plant in Wheatland, Bolt was on hand to support a trade measure by U.S. Reps. Jason Altmire, McCandless, D-4th District, and Phil English, Erie, R-3rd District.
-The Sharon Herald

Altmire visited Pittsburgh on Friday, accompanied by Congressman James Oberstar, D-Minn., who is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to discuss Western Pennsylvania's transportation and infrastructure.
-Butler Eagle

U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, D-McCandless, thought he had a pretty good idea of how skyrocketing fuel prices have hurt small businesses until he made a visit to Plum three weeks ago.
-Valley News Dispatch