Proof they're getting nervous in the Hart Camp

From CQ magazine:

Eastern Pennsylvania is recognized as a key battleground in this year’s campaign for House control. There are three highly competitive races in suburban Philadelphia and one in northeastern Pennsylvania. The populous, Democratic-leaning Philadelphia area is key to Democrats’ hopes of electing Edward G. Rendell to a second term as governor and state Treasurer Bob Casey to the Senate over Republican incumbent Rick Santorum.

But western Pennsylvania, or at least the Pittsburgh-area 4th District, is getting into the act as well. The contest between three-term Republican Rep. Melissa A. Hart and Democrat Jason Altmire, a former hospital association executive and congressional aide, now appears sufficiently competitive to merit a change to CQPolitics.com’s rating of the race, to Leans Republican from Republican Favored.

While the “Leans” rating means Hart still maintains an edge in the race, it also means that Altmire is waging a tougher fight than earlier expected and that an upset is a more plausible possibility. The previous “Favored” rating suggested that Altmire was a more distinct underdog.

Interesting. Looks like it's a real race. Here's the important part:

According to a filing with the Federal Election Commission, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) on Tuesday reported spending $163,000 to produce and air a television ad opposing Altmire — one day after the House GOP campaign committee reported spending $10,569 to poll the district. (Altmire recently released a poll taken for his campaign that showed him trailing Hart by just 48 percent to 44 percent).

That's almost $175,000 for a "safe" seat? It puts a lie to any utterance coming from the Republicans about how they're "double digit" ahead of Altmire, doncha think?

CQ does some ad-analysis as well. It's fun to watch the rhetoric. Here's an example about a recent TV ad:

Echoing a theme used by numerous Democratic candidates nationwide, Altmire accuses the incumbent of voting in near-unanimity with Bush, whose popularity has sharply declined nationally and statewide in the two years since he was re-elected as president.

To which the Hart camp's response is described this way:

As for the charge that Hart is too closely tied to Bush, Myslinski said: “Jason Altmire can make whatever claims he wants about Melissa voting with George Bush. But the truth is, she votes with Pennsylvania’s 4th District 100 percent of the time. And that’s why she’ll be back in Congress.”

Notice Luke didn't deny the "near-unanimity" of Hart's voting record - instead he does what every politician does when faced with an uncomfortable reality. He simply changes the subject. "she votes with Pennsylvania’s 4th district 100 percent of the time"?? Or this one:

Altmire’s ad goes on to accuse Hart of supporting cuts in veterans programs, citing her April 2005 vote in favor of a budget resolution that was backed by most Republicans and opposed by all Democrats. It also claims Hart voted to cut student loan programs by $14 billion, citing the congresswoman’s support in November 2005 for another GOP-drafted budget bill.

It's "answered" by:

Hart campaign manager Luke Myslinski rejected Altmire’s accusations, stating that veterans’ spending has increased by $1,200 per veteran since 2000, the year Hart was elected. He also pointed to a Hart-sponsored amendment, attached to an overhaul of pension laws that was signed into law by Bush, that allows deposits to college savings plans to remain permanently tax-free.

In case you missed it, he changed the subject. Again. Whether Veteran's spending has increased in the last 6 years has little if anything to do with the April 2005 resolution, does it?

And if some kid doesn't have the cash to go to college, telling him or her that all the money he or she puts away into a savings plan is "tax free" is of little comfort. If there's no money for college, then how much money is going to be saved for college?

They must be shaking in their boots over there in Hart-Ville.

Good Night, folks.

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