The National Republican Campaign Committee is launching a mock Mike Parrish site to combat his run for Congress in PA-6.
They’re hitting Parrish on his recent party switch. He was a Republican contributor from SEPA before changing his party affiliation to run for Congress against Rep. Jim Gerlach as a Democrat. Gerlach retired and now it’s a wide open race.
“Michael Parrish wants to be in Congress so badly, he is willing to abandon his political principals and join the party of ObamaCare and Nancy Pelosi just to have an easier path to a general election,” said NRCC Regional Spokesman Ian Prior. “This begs the question – if Parrish is so willing to cast his beliefs aside for what is best for his political career, how long would it take him to sell out Pennsylvania families when their needs don’t match up to those of his new leader, Nancy Pelosi.”
It’s one of a string of similar websites, as Time Magazine noted this week, along with criticism that the appearance of the sites could be misleading.
This isn’t the first time that Prior and Parrish have sparred.
“Public service, to me, isn’t about partisan attacks, its about selfless service to our nation,” Parrish said after their last spat. “Mr. Prior spends his days behind a desk throwing personal insults at people who want to make a difference for this country. Mr. Prior is exactly what is wrong with Washington right now and why I’m running for Congress. I don’t think Mr.Prior has earned the right to comment about my integrity or my commitment to serve my fellow Pennsylvanian’s and our country.”
But the NRCC isn’t the only group hitting Parrish today for his party switch. The Congressional Leadership Fund sent out an email this morning detailing the history of Parrish’s campaign contributions:
July 2008: Parrish gives $2,000 to John McCain’s presidential campaign
May 2010: Parrish gives $2,000 to Tom Corbett for governor
June 2011: Parrish gives $1,000 to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign
December 2013: Parrish says he’ll run for office as a Democrat
February 2014: Parrish scores an endorsement fundraiser from Nancy Pelosi
Parrish is the only Democrat officially in the race for this seat. Chester County Commissioner Ryan Costello is the likely GOP nominee.
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11 Responses
He needs more time to work for Democratic causes. He changes parties in December. Sorry, his contributions tell me where he stands. A moderate Republican, yes. A defending Democrat, no. He wasas non committal in his response to a question about the Affordable Care Act. Not ready for prime time. Work for the Democratic causes awhile, then try out again. Maybe some heavyweight Dems see some deep pockets from him and are willing to look the other way in hopes of persuading him to vote the Democratic ideal. Very chancy.
I commend Mike Parrish for the centrist stand he’s taking. Know I won’t agree with him on everything, but he’s preaching a sensible, fiscally conservative, socially progressive message that I think many voters on both sides of the aisle want to hear. His rationale for switching parties – disgust with the obstructionist politics of a Republican Party that shut down our government (suspending veterans benefits) and an extreme social agenda that “no longer reflects my values” is EXACTLY what’s driving so many moderate Republicans and independents away from today’s GOP. Republican Party would do better to take a good hard look at itself in the mirror before criticizing this courageous vet who’s taking a commendable stand for principles and action.
Very funny stuff. Mr. Parrish may be the doppelgänger of Steve Welch, the rich fellow who was not sure if he was a Democrat or Republican. He ran as a “Republican” for all the Congressional seats around here in 2010 and then ran for Senate in 2012. Governor Corbutt twisted the arms of the Republican State Committee (gosh, that must have been hard work with that bunch of issue-sensitive heroes) to get him the endorsement for Senate –in spite of his vote for Obama and money to Sestak. Poor Mr. Welch got killed in the primary though.
Has anyone seen Parrish and Welch in the same room –they may be the same person. Regardless, will Governor Corbutt support Parrish?
Come on, Mike. Picking a fight with a staffer? Kinda beneath a future Congressman, isn’t it? Of course this guy is going to face questions about being a Republican, but I’m worried that he’s not ready for prime time.
@KSJW – good catch, thank you! Here’s the link: http://parrish4congress.com/
I’ve also added it to the article.
@Jeff West, because Democrats have never done that before: https://www.politicspa.com/dems-parody-corbett-site/53485/
@Brittany, where’s the link? You included the Corbett one in your Corbett article.
I was sent an email by Mike Parrish asking for my support. I have responded twice asking what his position was on Obamacare. I never got a response so I asked to be unsubscribed.
If someone is running for office, asked for your support and does not respond to you on an issue, how can someone support him?
The GOP obviously designed this poorly-executed site to be mistaken for a pro-Parrish site when it’s actually an attack site against him. This kind of intentionally deceptive advertising is childish, unnecessary and ultimately ineffective, because you’re telling the voter, “This is a fake, we are lying to you.” Like in so many other areas, when Republicans don’t have a legitimate case to make, they reflexively go to lies first.
How can anybody, R or D, really trust this guy as to what he believes?
Sounds like the Republicans are scared of Mike!
Can’t say that I blame the Republicans for this one because they’re right Mike Parrish is no Democrat. If elected he’d probably be Fox News and conservative talk radios “go-to-guy” whenever they needed a Democrat to get on the air to bash President Obama and other Democrats in Lieberman like fashion. Anybody Democrat But Parrish.