Gerlach Goes After Trivedi in First Ad (Watch Video)

Rep. Jim Gerlach Tuesday launched his first ad of the 2012 cycle, and he didn’t pull any punches at the start of his second round against Democrat Manan Trivedi.

“Typical false attacks,” says an announcer about Trivedi’s first ad , which went on the air two weeks ago. The Gerlach spot focuses on Trivedi’s vocal support for President Obama’s stimulus plan.

“Manan Trivedi supported billions in wasted stimulus. Spending, Trivedi said, was absolutely necessary. Spending that actually created jobs… in China.”

The ad pivots halfway to boast of Gerlach’s business credentials, including endorsements from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the NFIB.

Update: Trivedi Senior Adviser Daren Berringer fired back.

“Congressman Gerlach’s record and now his ad continue to miss the mark here in Pennsylvania. He has been a part of the go-along to get-along crowd within this Republican Congress for so long that he fails to remember his own agenda to slash Medicare for seniors, remove access to health care for women and send millions of dollars in tax breaks to corporations who outsource jobs overseas,” he said.

“With our economy continuing to struggle, Congressman Gerlach has no concrete accomplishments on jobs in Washington, but he sure is good at taking pay raises and doubling his own pension.”

Gerlach’s campaign said the ad is on cable throughout the district (and, like Trivedi, not on broadcast TV).

The Gerlach campaign clearly doesn’t take the challenge for granted, otherwise they would have stuck to an all-positive message. They sought to define their opponent as well.

The five-term Congressman is an infamous escape artist, routinely defeating Democrats by narrow margins in unfavorable election environments. In the pro-GOP year 2010, he beat Trivedi by 14 points. Since last cycle, the 6th was redistricted in such a way that is became 5 percent more favorable to Republicans.

That’s the good redistricting news for Gerlach. The bad news is, because the district is significantly different, 50 percent of 6th district constituents have never seen his name (or Trivedi’s) on the ballot before.

Trivedi has a good profile. A battlefield surgeon who served in Iraq, he grew up in Berks County and is now a physician. Though Gerlach ended the second quarter with more cash on hand ($885K total), Trivedi boasted the most of any Dem challenger in Pa. ($527K).

The benefit of Trivedi’s profile isn’t lost on Gerlach’s campaign, which in recent weeks has highlighted questions about the Democrat’s residency (pun intended). The Trivedis own a home in the DC area, Trivedi says because his wife works there frequently. And while Trivedi has worked in two DC-area hospitals in 2012, he has practiced medicine in Pa.

Here’s a web video the Gerlach people put out on the subject:

8 Responses

  1. What political party is Jim Gerlach? You couldn’t tell from this ad as it doesn’t mention his political affiliation at all. Since he is in a newly redrawn district, he is unknown to most of the constituents so why hide the fact you are a Republican? What was he the only Republican to practice one act of bipartisanship as most Republicans voted against anything and everything proposed by the Dems? What are you afraid of Gerlach? Your own voting record or the idiots at the top of the ticket?

  2. Gerlach is SOOOOOOOO partisan that it’s disgusting. I was glad when I moved out of the district recently. He gets nothing done.

  3. @politigator – The residency attack on Trivedi is the most disingenuous attack I can imagine. Gerlach is from Western PA. He ran for office and lost out there, so he shopped for a district he could win in and moved to Chesco. Trivedi is from Berks County and lives in Berks County. If anyone should be making an issue of the other’s roots in the community, it’s Trivedi. Thankfully, he’s chosen to focus on real issues instead.

  4. @Really?: Really? He never said Trivedi voted for the stimulus. If you are a challenger that comes out in support for a particular position, then that candidate should be treated as if he/she voted in favor of that position in office. This Teflon-like treatment of challengers is ridiculous in a democracy. He should be held accountable for what he supports. Otherwise, what basis would you have to support Trivedi in the first place?

  5. Talk about a phantom. Manny Trivedi, according to recent articles/reports, has been earning a part-time income outside the district. Talk about someone who is desperately searching for a career other than the one he has. Why doesn’t he set up shop as a doctor in the Berks and help people? The person who said Gerlach disappears and then reappears every two years has never needed help from Jim’s office. I personally know several people that Jim helped with very serious problems and I am sure there are many others. Jim is one of the best in Congress at constituent service. Maybe, just maybe, that is why he gets reelected every time, because he gets the job done for the people of his district. Something your candidate wouldn’t know anything about since he can’t seem to figure out WHERE he belongs or WHAT job he should be doing. Wow Manny Trivedi will make a effect member of congress…..NOT!

  6. How much money did Gerlach waste on that ad?

    Probably not too much. Looks like the work of an intern who read somewhere that negative ads should be in black & white, and thinks people want to read all that text.

    Did Gerlach’s staff miss the GOP memo about how “people who earn money are the good guys, and not the bad 47%” Gerlach’s make more than $100,000 by not only living and working in Washington, but all on the taxpayer dime. Gerlach should be outraged at a moocher like Gerlach.

    There’s no ominous music. There’s no “I approve this message”. And, Trivedi gives a perfectly good accounting of himself addressing the issue.

    All in all, a very weak effort by the Gerlach campaign. Did he hire people who weren’t smart enough for the Romney campaign?

  7. Jim, are you that scared of Manny you cut a campaign ad to trick voters into thinking Manny Trivedi voted for the economic stimulus bill when he wasn’t even in Congress. I am so disgusted by Jim, just another phony career politician framing his attack ad on lies while he votes to bail out his Wall Street Republican pals who write him checks. Hypocrite.

  8. “Jim Gerlach, the invisible Congressman…disappearing shortly after Election Day and magically showing up like clockwork for a campaign every two years.”

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