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Local Congressional races Non-partisan group also says 10th district seen leaning toward Hackett over Carney

August 13, 2008

Kanjorski-Barletta called tossup

By Bill O'Boyle boboyle@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer
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Another Washington, D.C., non-partisan political group has assessed the two congressional races in Northeastern Pennsylvania and finds the 11th District race a tossup and the 10th race leaning Republican.

The Pindell Report, a Politicker.com product, says 12-term incumbent Democrat Paul E. Kanjorski is in a dead heat with Republican challenger Lou Barletta in the 11th. The report also shows Republican challenger Chris Hackett is ahead of first-term Democrat Chris Carney in the 10th District race.

James Pindell, the managing editor of Politicker.com and its 15 state political news sites, is described as an “insider’s insider” by The Washington Post.

In his report on the 11th race, Pindell wrote: “Barletta has been hammering Kanjorski on a daily basis in press releases and through newspapers. But the strategy masks a fundamental problem for Barletta. Kanjorski has seen a wave of negative stories and he appears a little rusty on the trail. National Democrats believe that while Kanjorski has an edge, he will have to find a way to reverse the tide.”

Kanjorski campaign spokesman Ed Mitchell said the “horse race analysis” by Pindell and others is “inside baseball.”

“The hard-working, middle-class family doesn’t read them,” Mitchell said. “They’re looking for solutions on fuel prices, health care, bringing our valiant troops home from Iraq and saving Social Security. In this race, only Paul Kanjorski has offered answers to those dire problems. We’ve got Barletta on the run and that will be more evident in the next few days.”

Barletta said he was pleased with the analysis provided by Pindell.

“Many Washington, D.C., and national publications are starting to notice what we have seen for quite some time – the people of the 11th Congressional District are unhappy and embarrassed by their current representative,” Barletta said. “I will continue to work hard to earn every vote I can.”

In the 10th District race, Pindell wrote: “Had it not been for then-U.S. Rep. Don Sherwood’s personal foibles, Carney would likely not be in Congress today. And even after details surfaced of Sherwood’s apparent choking of a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair, the Democrat was only able to carve out a 53 percent to 47 percent victory over Sherwood, a four-term Republican, in this heavily conservative district in northeastern Pennsylvania. This cycle, Carney is facing Hackett, whose record is considerably less tainted. Hackett has already survived a tough primary against wheelchair company executive Dan Meuser, and showed that he was willing to use his millions to help finance his bid.”

Mark Harris, spokesman for Hackett, said the report shows Carney’s true Democratic colors.

“The 10th District is clearly tired of Chris Carney voting with Nancy Pelosi and the liberals over 90 percent of the time,” Harris said. “Chris Hackett will return our district to its conservative roots.”

Carney campaign manager Vincent Rongione discounted the credibility of the Pindell Report.

“Chris Carney has high approval ratings and bipartisan support,” Rongione said. “Republicans and Democrats alike have come out in support of his re-election. Our campaign has had plenty of experience with misinformed bloggers; it looks like this Web site is no different.”

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