With a rematch now officially set, Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-8th) appears eager to bring the fight to his opponent, former Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R), whom he unseated in 2006 in the Bucks County-based district.
Speaking with reporters today, Murphy focused on several specific issues in Fitzpatrick’s voting record – his former support for the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA or Card Check), the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and Cap and Trade legislation, high profile legislative efforts supported largely by Democrats – that don’t quite match the former congressman’s recent campaign rhetoric.
As a member of Congress, Fitzpatrick was rated as one of the Houses’ most liberal Republicans, but as more conservative, ‘tea party’ voters gain influence nationally and in the 8th district, Fitzpatrick has changed his tune on some key issues.
“I think folks have had more than enough of Washington politicians telling them one thing and doing another,” Murphy said in a release this afternoon. “Whether it’s protecting workers’ rights, fighting jobs outsourcing, or protecting the environment, I vote with conviction — not with the political winds.”
While local conservatives are set on unseating Murphy, a crowded-if-unimpressive GOP primary field showed that Fitzpatrick’s support among Bucks conservatives is not absolute, something Murphy is sure to exploit.
“Local groups representing working families felt betrayed when Mike promised to fight against job-killing outsourcing bills, only to cave when Dick Cheney needed him to be the tie-breaking vote in CAFTA,” Murphy said. ”Mike has been veering hard right in at attempt to appeal to the fringes of his party, apparently hoping that his previous allies suffer from amnesia and will fail to notice. So far, it’s not working.”
Tags: Mike Fitzpatrick, Mike Fitzpatrick for Congress, Patrick Murphy, Patrick Murphy for Congress
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Clearly Murphy must be behind in the polls if he is attacking Mike Fitzpatrick. It is laughable that Murphy attacks Fitz for being a liberal Republican. Seriously, if Murhpy wants to see a liberal all he has to do is look in the mirror. Congressman Murphy should apologize for his vote for Obamacare. Didn’t Murphy run as a blue dogDemocrat? Yes, but he is actually a Pelosi liberal.
Murphy and his road show should go on SNL it’s that laughable. Union’s decide not to endorse Mike Fitzpatrick over the king of pay to play himself Patrick Murphy! What planet do you think that we are from Patrick? Theses guys have been giving you hundreds of thousands of dollars from day one. Stay tuned next week when Murphy is joined in a press conference by the trial lawyers who announce they are switching their support from the Doctors to him!
I worked against Fitz in the primary, but if Murphy thinks he can pin the flipflop label on Mike he is nuts. Let’s start with defining “bluedog”. Bring it on ya lapdog!