PAWaterCooler.com

PA Businessman Meuser : “Reform the GOP”

One in a series of interviews with statewide GOP leaders

By: Chris Freind

Dan Meuser has been active in Republican politics for decades. After an immensely successful career as President of Pride Mobility, a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of power mobility products, Meuser, 44, retired several months ago to dedicate his time, expertise and resources to political and civic endeavors. After watching his Party suffer significant losses in the last two election cycles, Meuser is more determined than ever rebuild the GOP and restore its once-favorable image throughout the Commonwealth. The Bulletin recently sat down with Meuser to discuss the future of the GOP in the Keystone state.

The Bulletin: The Republican Party imploded in the 2006 election, losing control of the US House and Senate, and effectively, the state house. While many Party leaders talked about making changes to get the party back on track, the situation only worsened. What caused the 2006 GOP collapse, and why weren’t the necessary changes made?

Dan Meuser: The platform of the Republican Party is most beneficial to the American people and the future prosperity of our nation. The problem is that we did not effectively communicate our principles to voters, nor did we act upon them while governing as the majority.

We did a terrible job telling the average voter what we were going to do for them and poorly articulated how our policies would affect people’s everyday lives. We must discuss our principles in a manner that clearly shows how they promote job creation and lower health care costs – and how middle-class tax cuts are so beneficial.

A major change that needs to take place is that politicians need to stop saying one thing to get elected, and then voting the opposite way in office.

TB: In 1980, Ronald Reagan chose three Pennsylvanians to be in his cabinet, not just from the same state, but the same COUNTY (Montgomery). In 1994, Pennsylvania was the most Republican state in the nation in terms of elected office holders (Gov., both houses of the state legislature, row offices, both US Senate seats, and a GOP congressional delegation). Now the Democrats have a 1.2 million voter edge in the Keystone State, with a firm grasp on most elected offices in the state. What transpired to make this huge turnaround a reality?

DM: Pennsylvania voters are center-right, and the Republican Party will have the opportunity to gain voters in the near future as long as we do the necessary preparation. The opportunity will come when the extreme liberal agenda of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reed surfaces in the new Congress and their definition of change becomes clear to voters.

We need to immediately start organizing our party and reaching out to perspective voters as they turn 18, invite College Republicans to our events and have strong local party leadership. We can work together with the County organizations and committee people to set and exceed voter registration goals.

TB: The GOP has only two statewide Republicans left: Attorney General Tom Corbett, who was one of the few bright spots with a resounding election day win, and Sen. Arlen Specter, who faces re-election in 2010. Some political observers say conservative Republicans can no longer win statewide. Do you agree with this assessment?

DM: Again, conservative principles help both the average working person and family prosper. We need to be specific in our agenda and lay out a plan for helping businesses create jobs, work to increase wages and yes, push for middle class tax cuts, as well as reducing health care and energy costs.

TB: Why didn’t the McCain campaign connect with the people? Should it have distanced itself from the Bush Administration’s policies earlier? What should its consistent theme have been?

DM: The McCain campaign did a poor job of communicating the record of Senator Obama. Independent publications assessed him and concluded that Barack Obama has the most liberal voting record in the United States Senate, yet the McCain campaign let him get away with running as a centrist. I’ll give you one example. Senator Obama voted 94 times to repeal tax cuts and increase taxes as a Senator, yet the exit polls show that voters believed Obama was better on lower taxes. This is because Obama communicated directly with the average voter, and the media did not challenge him or his record.

John McCain had many policy differences with the current administration and he should have been far more pronounced in his articulation of his positions much earlier in the campaign.

TB: A glaring deficiency in the GOP is its lack of a “bullpen”. What needs to happen in the short and long term to groom younger Republicans to lead the party? Do you think the GOP Establishment exhibits an “it’s your turn” mentality in selecting candidates (such as Bob Dole and John McCain) instead of choosing the best qualified people?

DM: The best leaders are often the most reluctant ones. Our Party needs to have an organized effort to reach out to community and business leaders. There should be accountability for Committee Members, County Chairs and elected officials to consistently grow our bullpen.

In hindsight regarding the recent Presidential election, some could argue that Governor Romney would have been much better suited to deal with the economic crisis and potentially could have laid out a more effective plan to help struggling families and fix the economy.

TB: With races for Governor and Senate in 2010, what is your outlook for the near future?

DM: The economy will continue to be the biggest concern in 2010. If we don’t do better articulating our message, we’ll be letting down thousands of families throughout Pennsylvania. If the extreme liberal agenda is left unchecked, such as the elimination of the secret ballot in union elections and increased taxes, Pennsylvania industry will continue to fade and it will be increasingly difficult to attract new business and bring jobs to our area. We need to advocate middle class tax cuts, offer tax credits for any small business that hires a new employee and work to reduce health care costs. These are the things that will help people and our economy recover from tough economic times.

Chris Freind can be reached at CF@TheBulletin.us

Oops. Dan Meuser hired illegal immigrants.

Fighting illegal immigration has been a linchpin of Mr. Meuser’s campaign. In a television ad aired repeatedly during the last month, he touted “The Meuser Plan” for addressing the issue.

He faces Chris Hackett for the Republican nomination to the 10th Congressional District seat and the right to challenge Rep. Chris Carney, D-Dimock Township.

In a statement, Mr. Hackett’s spokesman Mark Harris took aim at Mr. Meuser.

“This certainly raises a lot of questions, not the least of which is how Dan Meuser can be a credible voice on the immigration issue when his own company is guilty of violating immigration law,” Mr. Harris said.

Mr. Meuser defended his handling of the undocumented worker incident.

“Pride (Health Care Inc.) has an absolute history of doing the right thing,” Mr. Meuser said. “And I say that in all due critical review. We had an issue. We corrected it. Pride looks at things in a very long-term way. We take responsibility and we go from there.”

Determined to avoid a repeat, Mr. Meuser said Pride upgraded its employee screening to include personal interviews, drug testing and, more recently, criminal background checks and participation in a new citizenship status verification system established by the Department of Homeland Security.

No word if Hazelton’s Mayor Lou Barletta will be altering his endorsement.

(a recurring series, for all click here)

For our tenth congressional district, we go to the expanses of the northeastern corner of the state. One of the oldest districts in the country, it has existed in somewhat similar area continuously for most of the state’s history. Containing all or part of fourteen counties, the district extends from Pike County on the border with New Jersey and Bradford County on the border with New York, to the cities of Sunbury, Williamsport and Kingston. This district is home to many New York commuters, who are attracted to the lower home prices and taxes. Many here are lifelong Republicans, and one of the founders of the Republican Party, David Wilmot, was once congressman from this area, which has favored the GOP ever since. Prior to the 2002 redistricting, the district also included much of Scranton, and was considered a district in which Democrats could win, as Clinton came within 3 point of beating Bush in 1992. Former Congressman Joe McDade, who served for 36 years, won this district by wide margins every time. After he retired in 1998, Chevy dealer Don Sherwood faced off with Pat Casey, son of PA political legend Bob Casey. One of the closest elections in that cycle, Sherwood only edged out Casey by 515 votes, and was regarded by many Republicans as a weak incumbent. As a consequence, Scranton was put in the 11th district, and Sherwood won the next two elections by a landslide. The new district had a Cook rating of R+8 and gave Bush a 20 point margin in 2004. But in 2006, dogged by revelations of a extra-marital affair and allegations of abuse, the DCCC targeted Sherwood and recruited a storng challenger, who defeated him that November.

That challenger, now Congressman Chris Carney, successfully won the seat, despite the demographics of the district. He served in the Navy and has been in the Naval Reserve for 13 years, and he was sent overseas for multiple missions. When he ran in 2006, Carney campaigned on fairly conservative policies, including supporting private Social Security accounts, pro-life, pro-gun and pro-marriage. Carney is a fairly odd Democrat, in that he closely indentifies with neoconservative positions, and until 2004 he served under Douglas Feith at the Office of Special Plans. Carney won support from a wide variety of sources; for example both “neocon” Richard Perle and war opponent Jack Murtha helped him raise funds. Sherwood’s extramarital activities hurt him among the strongly conservative voters of the district, and many felt comfortable about switching over to Carney because of his socially conservative positions. However, in Congress he has not shown much bipartisanship or conservatism, and he has stayed fairly close to Nancy Pelosi, only breaking ranks when he risks angering many in his district. According to the Washington Post, Carney has voted with his party 87.3 percent of the time, which, while less than many other members, is still a fairly liberal record. He was given several strong committee positions for a freshman, but has not made a name for himself on many issues.

The DCCC went into this cycle prepared for a strong Republican challenge, and put Carney into the Frontline program and gave him help fundraising. Carney has raised about a million, which while not disappointing, is much less than other PA incumbents up for large re-election battles. Carney dodged a bullet when US Attorney Marino passed on the race. Since then, the Republican contest has been divided by any number of candidates. However, as of close of filing, there remain only three candidates standing, all local businessmen; Davis Haire, Chris Hackett and Dan Meuser. The combined GOP opposition, mostly Hackett and Meuser, out raised Carney in 2007, a troubling sign for Democrats. Carney will find it an uphill battle to retain control of the district, as he has had a target on him since the day he was elected. Democrats who represent districts as red as his don’t usually survive long and while Carney has shown some skill, he is going to need to put on his game face. Hackett had raised about two thirds of a million in 2007, and he seems to be in a better position than Meuser, but the GOP race will likely go down to the wire. Whoever wins will likely get millions of dollars in aid, as the NRCC has no hope of recapturing Congress without this district.

An editorial comment: I want to congratulate all three of the GOP candidates for having well designed websites, all of which look better than Carney’s. It’s not often you see that, especially among Republicans.

District Statistics

2006 Election
Chris Carney(D)- 53%
Don Sherwood(R) 47%

2004 Election
Don Sherwood(R)- 93%
Veronica Hannevig(CNP) 7%

Bush(R)- 60%
Kerry(D)- 40%

1998 Election
Don Sherwood(R)- 48.7%
Pat Casey(D)-48.4%

Sources:
Wikipedia
Michael Barone’s Almanac
Politics1

Chris Hackett has quickly raised a quarter of a million dollars for his quest to defeat Chris Carney, and the Politico seems considers him the leader of the pack. (H/T Chris)Meanwhile Dan Mueser has officially announced and he has a website, but it is not well edited as of today at 4:50 pm. (H/T Gort)

[if I could only get you to knock it off with the fonts... you're killing the whole gestalt man... -AlexC]

In the race to recapture the 10th district, the crowded GOP field just got a little less crowded:

Statement from Joe Peters
Sept. 12, 2007

 

“I have decided to end my exploratory efforts for the Republican nomination for the 10th Congressional District seat.

 

This decision is made even though every important metric along the way led me to conclude that I would win the nomination. From political support to survey research to fundraising ability, my efforts passed every test for a successful candidate.

 

However, I have concluded the demands of a campaign would cause too much stress on my new business ventures, which have been my main priority for the last few years. As such, I must place family and future first.

 

I want to thank the people of the 10th District, especially my family and friends who supported me during this process, including countless grassroots Republicans and donors.

 

In addition to my business interests, I intend to keep my focus on recapturing the 10th Congressional District for the GOP.”

The primary race appears to be settling into a Meuser-Hackett race. Based on my first impressions, Hackett looks better, but I did not really look at any candidates yet.

Good luck to whoever wins.

Speaking of good luck and hard work, if your wallet is itching to donate to a good candidate, look no further than here. I know it is Massachusetts, but why not try. Here is a Redstate diary on the current state of the race.

My buddy Gort has heard a rumor that Joe Peters is seriously considering running against Chris Carney. With Dave out I think Joe Peters a fellow King’s graduate is not my horse in this race. So look for him to drop out soon.

Also a comment contains a possible GOP primary field.

I am hearing that a 3-way primary is likely:
1. Joe Peters (R-Drug Czar)
2. Dan Meuser (R-Hillary Clinton)
3. Chris Hackett (R-Bona Fide Conservative)

I hear Madeira is out in favor of Hackett, who is the one real conservative in the race.Peters has the credentials, the name ID, and the political experience .Meuser has the most money and DC connections, but likes to give money to Democrats occasionally. Sounds like an entertaining primary that will set up the winner for a battle royale with Carney in the Fall.

I do not know if Dave is supporting Hackett or anything else about this guy. If he is this Hackett we have some problems, for it seems he has a close relations with Democratic Commissioner Greg Skrepenak.

If this guy is a bona fide conservative I doubt he would be participating in “pay to play” with Skrep, so he is not a true conservative or we have the wrong Hackett, for it is a somewhat common name. So considering Meuser’s admiration for certain liberals and perhaps an unethical Hackett, I am convinced Joe Peters is the best choice.

On the heels of Fitz’s post (no doubt. ), the Pa Dems put out a press release.

Dear Mr. Meuser,

 

On behalf of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, I wanted to thank you for your kind past contributions to strong Democrats such as Congressman Paul Kanjorski, Senator Hillary Clinton, Congressman Charlie Rangel and many others. Your contributions have helped Democrats to take back the House and Senate in 2006 and potentially take the White House in 2008.

 

Thanks to your contributions, the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives has been able to increase the minimum wage, ensure that our men and women in uniform have the resources they need in Iraq and continue to put pressure on President Bush to change his failed policies in Iraq.

 

We thank you for your past support and hope that you continue assisting us.

 

Sincerely,

 

TJ Rooney

“Put pressure on President Bush?” Democrats hold the purse strings.

They told us they were going to get us out. What’s the hold up?

In anycase, let’s get Montcowatch on this guy. Oh, wait… is there a Lackawannawatch? Perhaps a Scrantonwatch.

NEPA Blogger Danny Bauder has discovered that Dan Meuser the establishment choice to run against Congressman Chris Carney in 2008 has recently donated money to Democrats such as Hillary Clinton.  I did some more research myself, and I discovered he gives a lot of money to a lot of Democrats across the country and the state.

Now what does this all mean? Basically anyone supporting Dan Meuser should drop him now. I know with Marino out he is the establishment choice, but it seems he also entrenched in the Democratic establishment. The establishment should team up with the grassroots conservative movement and support Dave Madeira for this seat. Dave has proven he can do well without their help, but with their help he can steam role Chris Carney in November 2008.