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Murphy’s Got Chemistry

By Sari Heidenreich, Contributing Writer

With the potential for a heated primary race in Pennsylvania’s 18th district, the American Chemistry Council, a Washington-based industry trade and lobby group, is spending over $500,000 on a TV and radio ad buy in support of Congressman Tim Murphy.

The television spot, which is running in the Pittsburgh area, hails the Republican congressman as a job protector and creator, saying he supports small businesses, cuts to government regulation, and expanding domestic energy production.

Under the new Congressional maps released earlier this week, Murphy’s district remained mostly unchanged, gaining several communities in Washington and Greene counties. These maps must still be approved by the PA House and signed by Gov. Tom Corbett but a PoliticsPA analysis has labeled Murphy’s new district “potentially vulnerable” for Republicans under the right conditions – particularly if Murphy is not the nominee.

In the past, Democrats has struggled to find “the right candidate to run against Murphy” but, if they find someone this year, Murphy could have a race on his hands. Murphy is also being challenged in the primary by Evan Feinberg, a former aid to Senator’s Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Rand Paul (R-KY). Speaking to The Hill earlier this week, the Senators hinted that they were considering endorsing Feinberg.

A GOP media consultant with ties to Feinberg said the American Chemistry Council (ACC) divided the December 14 to January 4 buy between broadcast and cable, spending $332,360 on the former and $96,050 on the latter. An additional $94,000 or so will air on the radio.

ACC Vice President of Communications Anne Kolton said “Congressman Murphy has been a strong supporter of efforts to encourage economic growth and job creation in the business of chemistry, which has a strong presence in Pennsylvania, and in other industries, as well.”

Here is the ad:

And here’s the full transcript:

“Partisan politics — gridlock in Washington keeps things from getting done. Fortunately South West Pennsylvania has Tim Murphy working to protect and create jobs. Congressman Murphy is a leader, standing up to support small businesses, cut government regulation, expand domestic energy production — to get America working again. Tim Murphy, in today’s economy, jobs are his top priority. Call today and tell Tim Murphy ‘Keep fighting for jobs and Pennsylvania’s future.’”

H/t to Tim McNulty of Early Returns, who also caught wind of the buy and beat us to the punch.

20 Responses

  1. Congressman Murphy does not owe them anything because he has voted to protect energy companies that produce thousands of jobs. Murphy staying in office will help keep many of his constituents jobs.

  2. I am wondering what the congressman has to offer in return for the half-million dollars in advertising. Certainly, lobbyists for big chem have something in mind. I can recall how the Bush administration responded to such lobbyists by exempting them from national security requirments after 9-11 and allowed them to be “self-policing.” What would have happened if terrorists happened to target a big chemical plant boggles the imagination.

  3. I understand that Bob Guzzardi plans to give Sandusky an honorary lifetime membership to his gym Illrepute, otherwise know as Philly 12th street gym!

  4. Arlen Specter did us all a favor when he left the Party. Perhaps Rep. Murphy will consider following Arlen Specter’s example.

    Speaker Boehner squishes because he has to place Big Government Union Republicans like Rep.Tim “Card Check” Murphy.

    Just because Judy Brown is contrary doesn’t mean she is wrong.

  5. Judy has history of supporting successful candidates such as Sue Means and John Vernon. Im sure Eric will do well with her help.

  6. Murphy’s seat is as Republican as Altmire’s…oh, wait.

    The most important vote Murphy makes for a speaker. You can either have a democrat speaker or a republican one. Apparently, Judy prefers that PA-18 elect a democrat speaker. I’d swear her commitment to self-immolation makes me wonder if she’s actually a Democrat plant. Didn’t you also support that Vernon guy? What’s he doing these days?

  7. Why should the democrats run anyone against Murphy. He votes their way. Murphy will be challenged in a primary. Let’s see if the democrats find someone to run. As I said before – We in the district have never had a choice. Let’s see how really popular he is. Don’t underestimate Evan. In a debate with Murphy – I put my money on Evan.

  8. The fact is this district is moderately Republican and out of the 12 congressional Republicans Congressman Murphy is the second most conservative. Tim murphy is no arlen specter and he would never leave his party. 18th district supports labor that is a fact and the new 18thcongressional adds Washington city and greene county in it making it even more pro labor. Evan would lose against a well funded democrat. Congressman Murphy scares away any good democratic challenger because he’s extremely popular.

  9. I think that Even Feinberg can make a compelling case to union workers that their Union Leadership is selling them out for their own political power and executive pay.

    Workers need and want work, not political power and Unions’ policies of spending trillions on bailouts and stimulus and supporting a president who proposes cap and trade is not creating jobs or a better standard of living.

  10. PGH Dad makes the point that Tim Murphy is Pro-Union and not pro-small business. In fact, though, the district went for Pat Toomey by a landslide 65% and Pat Toomey is reliably opposed to Card Check and to Unions’ relentless Big Government spending, deficit and deficit and cronyism.

    Judy Brown makes a telling point about former Union Democrat Levdansky.

    In any event, it is the Unions’ policies of mandatory union membership and mandatory dues collection that are driving our country to bankruptcy. “Entitlements”, actually wealth transfers from young to old and not real pension investments, must be addressed. Rep. Murphy will not challenge them; Evan Feinberg will make common cause with other fiscal common sense House members to address our country’s fiscal recklessness.

    Evan Feinberg is “no squish” for economic freedom.

  11. Brian – sure the ACC sould if Murphy has a friend there. Last year some energy group spent money on a radio ad saying State Rep Levdansky was pro-energy. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Found out later that he had a good friend at Consol Energy. Didn’t work. Levdansky lost his election.

    Just need to figure out who Murphy’s friend is. That’s the way it’s done.

  12. PGH Dad – the 18th is rated +6 Republican. McCain won Washington, Beaver, Westmoreland and Butler Counties. I saw what happened in Ohio. The unions managed to get out the vote better than the Republicans. Some day the people will wake up until then Ohio remains a haven for unemployed union workers.

    Look at what happened in Wisconsin. A long time democrat state it went from 90% blue to almost 90% red in one election. Democrats tried to win the Senate recall and lost. They tried to take out a Supreme Court judge and lost. Walker will win his recall if there is one.

    Brian – the reason he gets the support of conservatives and Reagan Democrats is because we haven’t had anyone else to vote for.

    I’m really tired of hearing Murphy spout “You have to know the district I represent.” I know the district. I live there.

  13. Evan Feinberg would lose in a general election. He would get destroyed in the pro union counties of Greene and Washington. Congressman Murphy does very well in elections because he can get support of conservative and moderate democrats. Evan thinks he can be Rand Paul or Mike Lee those types of republicans dont win elections in blue collar swpa.

  14. Judy, what planet do you live on? You can’t be stridently anti-union and get elected dog catcher in SW PA. Did you see what happened in Ohio when the conservatives tried to eliminate collective bargaining rights? Walk away from your computer for an hour, drive outside of USC, and talk to a working class stiff. Some forty percent of union members vote Republican. But when conservatives continually pick fights with unions – they’ll tune out the GOP.

  15. If congressman murphy wasn’t pro business the ACC wouldn’t waste half a million dollars on him. There not stupid judy.

  16. Sadly the ACC ad is factually incorrect. Murphy does not support small business. He voted for Card Check and recently for the bill that if it’s a government contract it must go to the unions. He is pro-union not pro-small business.

  17. Congressman Murphy has lived in Pittsburgh longer than Evan Feinberg has been alive. Evan has no idea what swpa people believe in and I am sure Congressman Murphy isn’t scared of the same usual challenger election after election.

  18. Another ‘Big Gov.” guy, voted against public companies having to disclose ‘golden parachutes’, for controlling ‘farm dust’, and did vote against ObamaCare.
    His support from CMA, in the current ad blitz, is meant to discourage Evan Feinberg from running- otherwise, why spend all this money, NOW?

    Feinberg, born here, unlike Clevelander Murphy, is a Republican.
    Murphy is ‘Arlen Spector Lite’, wanting to offend no one – BUT a big spender we can no longer afford.

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