Lou Barletta ponders his future

A story in the Morning Call on Tuesday says he is giving a run for Congress "serious consideration" and will make up his mind by the beginning of next year. It said he is also contemplating a run for statewide office, such as treasurer, lieutenant governor or governor. But then in The Standard Speaker he hedges “I’m not really thinking much about it.”Barletta is serving out his second term as Hazleton mayor and awaiting his third.“Apparently my name has been dropped in circles in Washington,” Barletta said, adding that wherever he goes people ask him to run for a higher office in the commonwealth.“I’m flattered, but my answer is always the same: I will consider it, but I’m focusing on my job as mayor,” he said.

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Is this a reaction to this fiction?

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A National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman says the committee is taking a serious look at backing a challenger against U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski next year.

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A similar story was put out by the NRCC about this time in 2005. In 2002 Barletta ran against Paul Kanjorski and lost by 14 percentage points despite raising over a million dollars. I doubt if Mayor Lou would be willing to go on another suicide mission. My gut tells me that 2008 will be another big year for the Democrats taking back the White House and increasing their majorities in the House and Senate. The GOP will be playing defense in Pennsylvania trying to defend seats held by Charlie Dent, Jim Gerlach and Phil English with nominal efforts aimed at freshmen Patrick Murphy and Joseph Sestak.

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They all think that Chris Carney is vulnerable but they will have to find a candidate that doesn't own a company that makes wheelchairs that blow up, killing people or burn down their houses.