U.S. Rep Jim Gerlach for PA Governor: Gerlach's Integrity Poses Threats To Corbett
U.S. Rep Jim Gerlach, R-PA, who is running for the PA Republican gubernatorial nomination, has the upper edge in the integrity category on his opponent PA AG Tom Corbett. Even though Corbett recently charged 10 Republicans in the PA “bonusgate” scandal, this was over a full year after he announced charges in July, 2008 against 12 Democrats involved in the scandal.
Jim Gerlach has exhibited integrity, leadership and common sense while representing PA’s 6th congressional district in Congress. Laura Vescey points to comments made by Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman T.J. Rooney said that "state Democratic Party insiders are more afraid of having the Democratic nominee facing Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6) in the governor’s race. Gerlach has experience, a voting record and a history of tough races, which is part of the reason why Gerlach seems unfazed that Corbett has the headlines now courtesy of Bonusgate." Rep. Gerlach showed his integrity and convictions by voting NO on the socialist Obama/PelosiCare House bill. In The Morning Call Gerlach referred to the bill as "a mix of job-crushing tax hikes, Medicare cuts and expanding government control over health care decisions." Rep. Gerlach went on to say, "it is just a bad bill on its face and the majority of my constituents are opposed to it.”
Jim Gerlach has tremendous legislative experience serving in the PA House, Senate and the U.S. congress. PA needs a governor with strong legislative experience who has a no nonsense, common sense approach to solving PA’s problems. In a York, PA blog entitled “Fun With Politics” Tom Joyce was impressed with Jim Gerlach’s straightforward and no nonsense ideas for improving PA at a York County Republican Victory dinner in West Manchester.
Joyce writes, “… I was pretty impressed with Gerlach when he spoke at the York County Republican Victory Dinner at the Holiday Inn in West Manchester the Thursday before last. Gerlach's not a flashy speaker. After a rather lame joke and the obligatory reference to his difficult upbringing, much of his discussion involved minute detailing of his policy proposals. And that's exactly what impressed me. When it comes to political candidates, I tend to gravitate toward the one who'd look more at home in a back office going over reports and accounting sheets than in front of a podium, stirring up the crowd with his lofty rhetoric. "Hey, if you elect me, here's what I want to do ..." Now that's my kind of campaign speech!”
As support for Mr. Joyce's review, Jim Gerlach has been very specific for his proposals to put PA back on track and has outlined in his website a 17 point plan for improving PA . Jim Gerlach's "Pledge to PA” is a contract to protect taxpayers and create jobs.
JIM GERLACH IS A STRAIGHTFORWARD AND HONEST MAN WHO WILL BRING COMMON SENSE LEADERSHIP TO PENNSYLVANIANS
Tom Corbett, on the other hand, as PA AG is in a troubling situation. Corbett has been charged with prosecutorial partisanship since it took him well over a year to charge members of his own state party in the “bonusgate” scandal. This implies favoritism given by Corbett to those in PA Republican leadership positions, who could help him with his gubernatorial race.
Two of the Republicans recently charged by Corbett are Rep. John M. Perzel, former PA Republican state house speaker and Brian Preski, Perzel's former chief of staff. However, coincidentally, Corbett met with state Rep. Perzel at a Harrisburg hotel in October 2007 and two months later Preski organized a campaign fundraiser for Corbett. But Corbett's office at the time was actively investigating Perzel and Preski and others in the PA General Assembly in “bonusgate”. This begs the question what were they talking about? AG Corbett has an obligation to the commonwealth to come clean on the specifics of that conversation given his transparently partisan relationship with Perzel and Preski and the bonusgate investigation.
Many of those in the media, Democrats and Republicans have called for Corbett to resign as AG due to the obvious partisanship he has exhibited in the investigation. CasablancaPA, a blog, dedicated to exposing the “hypocrisy of Tom Corbett” has been notably critical of the obvious ethical conflicts of Corbett serving as PA AG while running for the PA Republican gubernatorial nomination. The Philadelphia Daily News reports that Harrisburg good government activist Gene Stilp actually called on the U.S. Attorney's Office to investigate state Attorney General Tom Corbett. Stilip has also called for Corbett’s resignation stating, "The chief Pennsylvania law enforcement officer, Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett, was clearly involved in a conflict of interest by meeting with people he is investigating and working with people he is investigating while they are raising money for his campaign at that time," Stilp wrote. "The investigation into this must be conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice. Were there other conflicts of interest no one knows about?"
Many have also suggested that Corbett should take cues from newly elected Virginia Republican governor Bob McDonnell, who stepped down as Virginia AG while running for the governor’s office. Brad Bumsted reports in the Tribune-Review, "PA House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne County, suggested the attorney general take a cue from Bob McDonnell, a Virginia Republican who resigned to run for governor this year." Eachus called McDonnell "a model you can look to. There's a tradition in Virginia — although no law — for the attorney general to resign if he seeks higher office." McDonnell stepped down as Virginia AG without having Corbett’s additional political baggage of a bonusgate-like scandal.
Pennsylvanians should call for Tom Corbett to do the same as Bob McDonnell. He should resign as state PA AG if he is dedicated to ensuring that the PA commonwealth is fairly represented by a full-time AG and to avoid any further negative optics surrounding his conflicts of interest as PA AG while also running for PA governor.
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