Altmire/Hart Update

From Jon Delano at KDKA:

One local congressional race appears to be a dead-heat between three-term incumbent Melissa Hart and her challenger Jason Altmire.

That's what one independent poll reports today.

Congresswoman Melissa Hart was not supposed to have a tough race this year but don't tell Democrat Jason Altmire that.

It's a race - we all know that now.

The race between Republican Hart and Democrat Altmire is heating up with one independent poll showing Hart, the incumbent, just barely ahead of her challenger.

The Susquehanna Poll has hart at 46 percent, just four points ahead of Altmire at 42 percent.

This matches exactly the poll done by the Trib a few days ago.

Of course, NOW (RIGHT AFTER the P-G endorses Missy's opponent and RIGHT AFTER the Susquehanna poll shows the two of them tied) the Hart Campaign FINALLY decides to releases it's own poll. And what do you think it shows? From KDKA:

Hart's campaign issued its own poll in rebuttal showing hart with a 12-point lead, 50 percent to 38 percent.

Here's the press release. The polling company, Public Opinion Strategies, is a Republican polling company (take a look at the client list - see if you can find a Democratic State Party).

But Altmire had his own polling done with a Democratic polling company - so we can't begrudge Missy her own partisan polling.

But consider the numbers. A while back, Altmire's poll numbers had him getting close, the Trib's polling numbers this week have the two running neck and neck, and now the independent Susquehnna poll agrees.

But Missy's partisan polling company has her a whopping 12 points ahead.

Something's not right - which do you think more closely reflect reality?

I enjoyed how Delano finishes:

As for why she should be elected, Hart focuses on her local service.

"I work harder than any congressman they've ever had, in every community," said Hart. "I'm listening in every community, finding issues that we can deal with, and help them with on the federal level, from rural water and sewer to helping redevelop Brownfields."

Notice she's not mentioning her party or her president or Pennsylvania's junior senator. Delano then turns to Altmire:

For Altmire, this election is all about sending a message to Washington.

"If you like the direction of the country, if you think we're heading the right way, then vote for Melissa Hart to get more of the same," said Altmire. "But if you want change, and you want to go in a different direction, vote for Jason Altmire because we can't change Congress until we change the people we send there."

Almire's putting her shoulder to shoulder with the Republicans who've made such a mess in Washington - good for him.

Take a look at the ending:

Altmire says, to send a message of unhappiness with the way things are going in Washington, you have to defeat the incumbent.

While Hart says voters should remember all the things she has done, locally, to help this region.

Missy sounds a little desperate to me. Doesn't she?