Meehan Slams Lentz for Hypocrisy in Fourth Debate

Pat Meehan prevails in fourth debate; shows command of issues

DREXEL HILL, PA –  Pat Meehan and Bryan Lentz, candidates for Congress in the 7th Congressional Debate, met today for their fourth debate at the studios of NBC 10.  Pat Meehan demonstrated a clear understanding of the issues while Bryan Lentz stumbled, particularly when asked about his hypocrisy over taking a taxpayer-funded car and accepting per diem payments after pledging not to as a candidate in 2006.
 
“This debate demonstrated one thing very clear – Bryan Lentz has no explanation for why he flip-flopped on a pledge to reform Harrisburg,” said Bryan Kendro, campaign manager for Pat Meehan.  “Actions speak louder than words, and Bryan Lentz is just a typical politician who can’t be trusted.  He said he wouldn’t take a car, and then he did.  He said he wouldn’t take a per diem, and then he did.  How can we expect Bryan Lentz to reform Washington, when he refused to do it Harrisburg?”
  
Here’s what Lentz said as a candidate in 2006:

“Lentz also wants legislators to forgo some of their perks, such as receiving, in addition to their salary, a $128 per diem for showing up to vote and receiving $650 a month to pay for a car.  ‘Mr. Gannon drives a Grand Marquis, which I think is a great name for a car that’s funded by taxpayers,’ Lentz said.  He added, ‘I don’t need a car allowance. I’ll pay for my own car like everybody else in this district. I don’t intend on collecting a $128 a day per diem. I think I’m supposed to go out there to serve the people.'”  (Ed Mahon, “Tom Gannon, a 28-year legislator, faces challenger in 161st District”, News of Delaware County, 10/16/2006)
 
Here is the exchange between Lentz and Meehan from today’s debate:

Lentz: “What I said about the per diems was that there is a practice still ongoing in Harrisburg of legislators who go there five days a week simply to collect a per diem. In fact, the legislator who is now a worker on Pat Meehan’s campaign that I beat, Tom Gannon, was among those who would go there just to sign in and get a per diem. And I said I would not engage in that practice. If you look, I had one of the lowest per diem collections of any member of the general assembly. And people are less interested in how I get to Harrisburg than what I did. He’s wrong when he says I didn’t stand up and fight for reform in Harrisburg.”

Meehan: “He’s saying that now, but when he was a candidate and when he was running, he said something different. He said ‘I am not going to take the per diem.’ Look at the record of what he actually said and what he actually did. The fact of the matter is what you said is different than what you did.”

The Meehan for Congress campaign exposed Lentz’s hypocrisy on taking a taxpayer-funded car and accepting per diem payments earlier this week.
 
You can watch the exchange and the entire debate Saturday morning, October 2 at 7:30 AM on NBC 10.