Chris Paige to Challenge Barletta in Hazleton
Chris Paige, who is the Republican challenger to Mayor Barletta in the 11th Congressional District Primary, has announced on his blog that he is taking the fight right to Barletta’s power base of Hazleton, PA. Paige is holding a Townhall style meeting at the Hazleton Elks Lodge this Thursday at 6pm. At the event, Paige plans on discussing Mayor Barletta’s plan to sell-off the Hazleton Water Authority. Paige says he will also take questions from the audience. If Paige’s plan was to fire a shot across Barletta’s bow, this should accomplish that nicely.
Adding to the drama, Paige acknowledges that he has heard that Lou Barletta is less than pleased with this event, due to both the location and the topic. As a response, Paige, in a follow up blog post, invites the mayor to join him at the event. If Barletta took Chris Paige up on the offer, what results could be an impromptu debate. Or an amateur cage fight. More than likely, though, Barletta will keep his distance. I doubt that he would risk having to defend his positions in front of a live audience of voters, even if it is on his home turf. And even if Barletta was willing to risk it, his political advisers would probably talk him out of it.
Personally, I think this is a good idea on the part of Chris Paige. Whomever wins the Republican nomination will be (potentially) taking on one of the most senior incumbent Democrats, in Rep. Paul Kanjorski. This will be a daunting task, as Kanjorski is well armed with cash and isn’t afraid to spend early and often, as he proved in his last election when he began running television ads in the Summer, months before the election. Republican voters need to send someone who isn’t afraid to engage in open political warfare with an opponent, and with this Townhall Meeting in Hazleton and the challenge to Lou Barletta, Chris Paige is starting to prove that he is willing to do that.
Lou Barletta has ran against Paul Kanjorski twice before and has come up short both times. Additionally, Barletta has built up huge amounts of campaign debt, has run the city of Hazlton into the dirt and to the brink of bankruptcy. Lou Barletta has proven, repeatedly, that he is not up to the task of carrying the Republican banner to the halls of the US Congress. It is time to move on and find someone else who is up to the challenge. Chris Paige may very well be that candidate.
See also: Chris Paige on “Lou Barletta’s Hazleton” and Who is Chris Paige?
-Dan Cheek
www.StopLouBarletta.com
StopLouBarletta@gmail.com
