Republican Keith Rothfus amped up his attack on incumbent Rep. Mark Critz (D-Cambria) today by accusing him of supporting a pro-choice agenda – a pertinent issue in the relatively socially conservative 12th district.
Rothfus’s attack comes a day after Critz held a fundraiser with Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Montgomery) at the Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh.
“Why would someone who claims to be pro-life use to raise money a Congresswoman who receives a 0% rating from national right to life, who’s number one contributor is an organization ‘dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women,’ who voted against a ban of sex-selection abortions, and who co-founded and acted as Executive Director of an abortion clinic in Philadelphia for 13 years,” asked Rothfus’s campaign in a press release.
In addition, Rothfus said Critz’s 55 percent rating from National Right to Life indicates a checkered past on the rights of the unborn. Specifically, Rothfus’s campaign pointed out Critz and Schwartz’s vote against the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act and a resolution defunding Planned Parenthood.
Mike Mikus, Critz’s spokesperson, said in an email that Critz has proven he’s strongly pro-life during his tenure in Congress.
“Everybody knows that Mark Critz is pro-life, and he’s proven it time and again, even taking heat from members of his own party for his position,” Mikus said.
“Keith Rothfus is making patently false attacks because he supports outsourcing our jobs overseas and the plan to make seniors pay $6400 more a year for Medicare. His positions have as much of a chance in Western Pennsylvania as a popsicle laying on the Turnpike.”
The House has held two high-profile votes to defund Planned Parenthood; Critz voted initially against the measure, but later voted in favor of it. Indeed, the Congressman came under fire during his primary contest against Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Allegheny) on the subject; Altmire even used the issue in a television ad against Critz.
But for Rothfus, the attack on Schwartz could potentially come back to bite him in the future. It’s rather unusual for a candidate to throw a punch at non-opponents in the delegation, and Schwartz isn’t someone with whom a candidate should pick a fight. She’s a very successful fundraiser and, as a top leader of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, has a loud voice regarding its spending decisions.
PoliticsPA was unable to reach Schwartz’s campaign for comment.
9 Responses
Bob, I shaer your concern about the Democratic field in PA. But I feel that Allyson has done a fine job at the DCCC. In addition to recruitment, she’s in charge of candidate services, and under her leadershi the DCCC has broken most every one of its own fundraising records. I’m also not sure why you think she’d fair so poorly statewide. She was first elected to Congress in an extremely competitive 13th District, which she singlehandedly turned into a safe seat (made even safer through redistricting) through sheer force of personality and political prowess. As a likeable Philadelphia-based social liberal and fiscal moderate with a nack for fundraising, I imagine her statewide appeal and performance would look much like that of Governor Rendell. All of that said, I don’t see her running statewide as her level of influence in the House and in her caucus is expanding rapidly.
Allyson has not done a good job at DCCC. If she was in charge of recruiting in PA then she should get an F. We don’t have great challengers to the vulnerable freshman Republicans.
While I like what Allyson stands for and agree with most of it, I also recognize that she would be a terrible statewide candidate. If Allyson were to be our nominee for Gov or Senator, we would lose by double digits and lose every county west of Montgomery.
I don’t think us women have a very good choice here. Rothfus is a lousy choice as you mention and critz is equally as bad or worse. He voted to defund planned parenthood… which is in line with apparently telling disparaging jokes at our state convention. Ive never been so offended. Neither one is worth supporting on election day. I presume Schwartz was doing this to build her own profile in the western part of the state, but women should steer their money elsewhere and not to mark critz of Johnstown. There are other good candidates like Kathy Boockvar and Missa Eaton.
Dear PA4CHOICEDEM: yes Congresswoman Schwartz is very classy! But Western PA Women Professionals need to be concerned about Keith Rothfus, former employee of Faith Healer Pat Robertson! Faith is admirable but it should not be a contrapception option! If Keith the Candidate is successful in his eternal campaign to return to the Beltway, he’ll be leading the charge for health plans not to cover contraception except for workshops on the RHYTHM METHOD!
Leave Leader Turzai alone. He is one the most skilled political leaders the Commonwealth has ever seen.
Schwartz is a very classy lady and a great Congresswoman for Pennsylvania. I truly do not think Mark Critz deserves to be in the same room with her, let alone have her fundraise for him. He is not only anti-choice, he is anti-woman. At the PA Federation of Democratic Women convention I was in shock as he told a joke that was very demeaning to women and gays. I told him afterwards just how offended I was along with a bunch of the room.
Dear Mr. Paperstacks: Social conservative extremists like Keith the Candidate Rothfus despise professional women like Congresswoman Schwartz because they unequivocally believe that these women should be at home making babies (when not using the rhythm method) and making cookies!
Dear Keith the Candidate Rothfus, and former employee of Faith Healer Pat Robertson: Please stand up for Seniors and denounce the Turzai voter suppression plan that denys Seniors their right to vote. Keith do the right thing! Be for our democracy! Be American! In your heart, Keith, you know denying Seniors the right to vote is dead wrong!
Critz almost lost the primary because he is so pro-life. Now Rothfus wants to say Critz is wildly pro-choice? Jeez, does Rothfus think life begins at handshake?