Rothfus Rules Out Primary Run Against Murphy

by Greta Fenzl and Keegan Gibson

As two time Congressional candidate Keith Rothfus said this past May, his intention in 2012 is to run against Democrat Jason Altmire. Rothfus reaffirmed that plan and dispelled any rumors of a primary challenge to fellow Republican Tim Murphy at the Republican State Committee meeting in Harrisburg last weekend.

“I am not going to run against Tim Murphy in any primary, period. There’s alot of chattering back and forth but, no. I am running to knock a Democrat out of the House of Representatives because we need a new vision going forward.”

Rothfus was strong in his conviction that Altmire needs to be ousted, based on a strong Democratic voting record in the House. Although reports have concluded that Altmire voted the Democratic line roughly half the time, which Altmire also claims, Rothfus has pegged that number at closer to 90 percent in the past.

“He has consistently voted with the big spenders in the party. When he tried to cut $61 billion out of the 2011 continuing resolution, which is a 1.6 percent cut, he voted no. So over the past 5 years, he has voted for an additional $6 trillion in cumulative deficit spending, which our kids and grandkids have to pay for… So I don’t see it,” Rothfus said.

He also emphasized that his upcoming campaign wasn’t an effort to recoup the remaining debt from his last run at office. His $200,000 campaign debt stems from a personal loan he made to his own effort, he said.

“I formed a separate committee to make sure so people understand when I’m raising money, every dime I raise now goes to the new campaign. It’s not going to retire my debt.”

Because Rothfus’ home is very close to the border between the 4th and the 12th districts, things could change after potential redistricting. If he were to become part of the 12th district, he will then run in that district, rather than moving his address to continue a race in the 4th. “I will not run for a district that I do not live in,” explained Rothfus.

But one thing he’s sure of is his ultimate campaign goal.

As he plainly put it, his bottom line is that, “I am intending to run and to knock out a Democrat.”

2 Responses

  1. Isn’t it time we stop listening to these polls…Few of us have time to look at deiltas. for all we know, the question could have been phrased… If having a Christian government meant the continuation of the United States as a nation, would you be in favor?Headline reads… one third favor Shara Law…Second thought. Does any no partisan group really sample non partisan people just out of curiosity over how people would feel about having religion and government combined?Or, is it done by someone on one side of the issue or the other, who wants to use the results for their own personal gain?Most polls are done for someones personal gain.Time to stop taking them seriously…

  2. As an American, I am ashamed and surprised to say that the United States is quite hypocritical. Americans like to say that they love freedom and justice, but here are some examples of where American actions conflict with American standards:

    1. The US inspected a Soviet Union fighter jet that landed in Japan in 1976, but protested that China should not search an American plane that landed in China in 2001.

    http://home.iwichita.com/rh1/hold/av/avhist/mily/spyplane.htm

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1255343.stm

    2. The Fifth Amendment of the Bill of Rights clearly states that people should not be subject to the same offense twice, but sex offenders can be convicted of crimes and then later be required to register as sex offenders and be held for life under indefinite civil commitment laws even after they complete their original sentences. “John TV” shows that embarrass and punish people arrested on prostitution charges also violate the Fifth Amendment guarantee of due process rights.

    http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/01/12/scotus.sex.offender.law/index.html

    http://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/?q=due-process

    3. The Sixth Amendment guaranteeing the right to speedy trials is violated by holding prisoners at Guantanamo Bay without charge. The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishments and is violated by torturing Guantanamo Bay prisoners. Whether the prisoners are foreigners or not makes no difference because it violates the intent of the Constitution and sends the message to other nations that human rights violations are acceptable. Taking the moral high ground is difficult when you are immoral yourself. If you want to prevent terrorism, give terrorists a trial, improve airline security, and don’t give out visas easily. Torturing suspected terrorists only recruits more terrorists. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

    http://www.historiansagainstwar.org/resources/torture/cohn.html

    4. The Fourth Amendment protection against illegal searches is violated by the Patriot Act that allows secret warrants.

    http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/webster/090419

    5. The Fourth Amendment protection against illegal searches and seizures, the Fifth amendment that allows due process, and the Eighth Amendment that forbids excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual punishment are all violated by DUI checkpoints and asset forfeiture laws.

    http://detnews.com/article/20091112/METRO/911120388/Police-property-seizures-ensnare-even-the-innocent

    6. The Fourth Amendment protection against illegal searches and the Fourteenth Amendment that guarantees equal protection of the law is violated by Arizona’s immigration law that requires police to question people who look like illegal immigrants. Illegal immigration would be better stopped by having a strong border and fining employers of illegal immigrants, not by profiling Americans who look like foreigners.

    http://www.salem-news.com/articles/may062010/arizona-law-rs.php

    7. The United States criticizes Iran and North Korea for developing nuclear power, but the US helps the United Arab Emirates, India, and Vietnam develop nuclear technology.

    http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/08/07/us_vietnam_nuke_deal_likely_to_allow_enrichment/

    8. The USA supports democracy, but has overthrown democratically elected leaders in Iran and Chile. The US also supports countries that do not have religious freedom and democracy like Saudi Arabia and has supported dictators like Ferdinand Marcos from the Philippines, Ngo Dinh Diem in Vietnam, Suharto in Indonesia, and Saddam Hussein from Iraq.

    http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06353/747165-109.stm

    http://www.military-veterans-for-justice.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=13

    9. The US opposes terrorism, but has supported Osama bin Laden and freed the accused Cuban terrorist Luis Posada Carriles suspected of blowing up a plane in 1976.

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2001/09/15/osama-qna.htm

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/may/15/theterroristbushisntafter

    10. The United States says that it supports free trade, but foreign companies can currently only own 25% of an airline in the US, while American companies can buy 49% of an airline in Europe.

    http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=atMw6Pzh8Ls0

    11. The United States criticizes Airbus for receiving European government subsidies while ignoring the fact that Boeing accepted government tax breaks.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/business/global/04wto.html

    12. The US has a secret panel “kill list” of Americans who are targeted to be killed. This clearly violates the Fifth Amendment which states no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. If China had a list like this, I am certain Americans would be outraged.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/05/us-cia-killlist-idUSTRE79475C20111005

    http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/targeted-killing-death-without-due-process

    Maybe it is just human nature, but Americans have always looked for an enemy to blame from witches to blacks to Communists. Today people are aghast that the US had Japanese concentration camps and once allowed slavery and segregation. How will people look back on the treatment of sex offenders, Muslims, and illegal immigrants in the USA 60 years from now?

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/opinion/05kristof.html

    Criminals should be punished, but only in a way that doesn’t violate the Constitution. Even innocent people can be arrested and wrongly convicted.

    Enough is enough. If you care about your freedom, write your elected officials. Governments would love to take away all your freedom if they could. Our freedoms are diminishing, not growing. Stand up, fight for your rights, and protect our freedom now!

    http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

    http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html

    ———–

    First they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, but I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me, but there was no one left to speak for me.

    If only one person is not free, then no one is free.

    They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

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