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Altmire, Critz Face Off

The two incumbent congressmen vying for the Democratic nomination in the 12th congressional district faced off in a meeting with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial board. They zinged each other from their alternatively liberal and conservative standpoints.

Here are some selections from Tim McNulty’s report:

Every study on congressional voting patterns shows the two men are among the most conservative Democrats in Pennsylvania’s delegation, but they do have some differences. Mr. Altmire supported a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution; federal funding for Planned Parenthood; the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform bill; and supported repealing the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy on gays in the military. Mr. Critz took opposite positions.

The balanced budget amendment was a Republican-driven measure that Mr. Critz said would endanger Social Security, Medicare and veterans benefits. It “is pandering to the right wing and would be devastating to programs,” he said. Mr. Altmire denied the entitlements would be hurt.

Mr. Altmire called the military policy on gays part of “the civil rights issue of our time,” while Mr. Critz said he was dissatisfied when the military did not issue a requested report on its effect on bases.

He said he did not support financial industry reform because it would hurt small banks and credit unions in his district. Mr. Altmire did not buy that, saying institutions with less than $10 billion in assets would have been exempted.

Coming after the financial meltdown in 2008, only “the far right of the Democratic party” voted against Dodd-Frank, said Mr. Altmire. “I can’t imagine voting against doing something when we almost literally saw our entire economy collapse. That for me was a very easy vote.”

Read the full story here.

2 Responses

  1. Still not sure why he still aligns himself with the Democratic party; but, speaking from a conservative perspective, we don’t want him either. He’s lost nearly all of the little credibility he had with me to begin with. I’ve met him and he seems sincere, but he’s not a viably reliable option for either party. Perhaps he’s just independent or perhaps he’s putting on a moderate charade. I really don’t know. It’s time to get him out of Washington.

  2. We are still waiting for Altmire’s plan for affordable health care for the Western PA Middle Class and Middle Class Seniors. When will Altmirecare be released? Why elect a health-care expert, if he hides from the issues, except to attend fund-raisers with BIG HEALTHCARE? Mr. Altmire should have also explained why he still carries the label of Democrat.

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