Is Pennsylvania Poised to Repeat the 'Massachusetts Miracle'?

There are far too many similarities between Massachusetts' recent Senate Election and the Special Election that will be held in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District (PA-12). While you might not know who Tim Burns is yet, we guarantee that, before this race is over, he will be a household name. If you have been following us for awhile now, you know, all too well, the break-neck pace we took covering the Scott Brown campaign and election. In the weeks since then, we have been given the names of dozens of phenomenal Congressional candidates from across the country. While we have plans in the works to try and help promote as many of them as possible, it's Tim Burn's candidacy and the special election in PA-12 that has really captivated us.

As for Tim Burns himself, we refuse to refer to him as “the next Scott Brown.” What worked for Massachusetts is unique to Massachusetts (and, frankly we're not sure how the residents of the PA-12 would feel being compared by proxy to MA voters). Scott was a local politician going back to 1987; Tim is not a veteran politician and has spent all of his life in the private sector. Scott's background in law serves him well in the Senate, but we already have 162 lawyers in the House of Representatives, so an accomplished businessman, like Tim, would be preferable in our eyes. He is like Scott, though, in that he is a strong proponent of national security and would drastically reduce the federal budget.

It's not just the fact that Tim is a successful business owner that drew us to him, but it was this quote from his campaign website that endeared him to us:

“You see, I have two young sons. I'm doing this for them. Because, by the time they graduate from High School, their portion of the national debt is likely to be hundreds of thousands of dollars. On graduation day, when all kids are supposed to be looking forward to a bright future, what will theirs be? And what do I tell them? Do I tell them that I saw this coming and did nothing? I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I must admit, I don't have a strong desire to run for political office.”

This idea of average citizens taking the time to put their own lives on hold, in order to represent their neighbors in Washington, is the EXACT mentality the Founding Fathers envisioned with drafting our Constitution. Never, in their wildest dreams, could they have imagined “career politicians” perverting the process in the manner we see today.

You're probably wondering why this is important to you, in your life. Think back to November, when the Healthcare Bill passed through the House. This "Flagship Bill" of our new, ever-expanding federal government, and the worst piece of legislation drafted in any of our lifetimes, only passed 220-215. We are at a crucial time in our nation’s history; we are holding on to our liberty by a thread. Believe us when we say that every vote and every Congressional race, from now until November, matters. At the present, it appears as though the special election to fill Murtha's...err the Democrat's...err, THE PEOPLES SEAT, will be held on May 18th.

Think of the message this will send to our “elected representatives", who still have yet to see the writing on the wall after both the Virginia and New Jersey Gubernatorial elections, as well as the Special Senate Election in Massachusetts. This Special Election gives us yet another opportunity to keep the nationwide electorate "fired up" and on top of the issues.

We have taken a moment to introduce Tim Burns, and we support him in this race, but we also want to present, to you, the circumstances surrounding this Special Election. We, being from Massachusetts, find some strange coincidences that seem all too familiar:

Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District was represented by the late Jack Murtha. Whatever you feel about Murtha, it's a moot point now. There are some eerie similarities between Murtha and the late Ted Kennedy. They were both HEAVILY entrenched and powerful Democrats, key components to the “Machine”. Both were born in 1932. Both died at 77 years of age. While there is no denying they both did some good in their careers (or people wouldn’t have voted for them, right?), they both have their fair share of detrimental controversies that will haunt their legacies.

Kennedy never was able to live down, literally, getting away with murder (also known as, "The Chappaquiddick Incident”) and Murtha, rightfully, earned the title of “The King of Pork”. His disparaging remarks, regarding the war in Iraq and our Marines at Haditha, will always be mentioned in any retrospective of his political career. While the graft and corruption of Massachusetts’ politics is legendary, the horrifically gerrymandered district Murtha bequeathed upon his disenfranchised constituents would be considered “modern art” in certain Progressive circles.

We, the People, have a formidable message to send to Washington. This is the year to do it. Scott Brown was a victory in a battle, not the war (so to speak). As a nation of patriots in this year of grassroots political unrest, we must declare that no seat, no district, no incumbent, no partisan politician is safe. Murtha may have held his seat for 36 years (Kennedy held his for 47) but, in this election cycle, ANYTHING is possible.

Back in November, most people weren't paying attention to our little Special Senate Election up here in MA, so you might be surprised to learn that Scott Brown did have a challenger back in the Republican Primaries. While Tim Burns has William Russell, Scott Brown had Jack E. Robinson. Now, both Russell and Robinson are fine candidates in our eyes and, if they weren't in contested elections, we'd have no problem pulling the lever for either of them. That being said, these elections are contested. In a year where every incumbent has a target on their back, a candidate perceived as the product of a “political machine” or the dreaded “perennial candidate” (especially one with baggage) isn't going to get the support of this energized and hyper-vigilant electorate. As Scott Brown would often say, “We can do better!”

This, of course, leaves one player in the game that has yet to be named. Who will fill the role of “Martha Coakley”? Who gets to become the emergency candidate, cherry-picked by the Democrat machine, to run?

(NOTE: If she would PLEASE resign as our Attorney General, we'll GLADLY drop everything and drive her to PA right now.)

There are a few weaker Democrat candidates who are currently in the race. However, if the MA model truly applies here, as we believe it does, then surely the DNC is already in Pennsylvania procuring their “anointed candidate”, who will also be groomed to go to Washington, to serve as a rubber stamp for whatever nefarious legislation that might come down-the-pike. Hopefully, whoever this person is, they will be just as entertaining to the people of Pennsylvania as Coakley was for us in MA. As one truly great friend of ours and resident of PA-12 once said, in regards to Coakley,

“I've seen politicians shoot themselves in the foot before; I've just never seen one reload so quickly".

As delightful a thought as this may be, we highly doubt that the Democratic machine will run another candidate on the “I'm entitled; so, elect me!” platform. The Progressive elite are many things, but they're not stupid. On issues of policy they'll make the same mistakes until the end of time, but as for election tactics, they're quick to adapt. Anyone who doubts this should look at the manner in which Obama campaigned compared to how Hillary campaigned in the 2008 elections: Old tactics for new tactics. Whoever runs as the Democrat nominee in PA-12, will be running on the prototype platform for fresh-faced Progressives seeking elected office in swing states.

For those that realize the importance of this race, we encourage you to learn more about Tim Burns and support him in any way that you can.

Tim Burn's campaign website:
http://www.timburnsforcongress.com/html/why.html

Tim's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tim-Burns/97230982087?ref=ts

Tim on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/TimothyBurns