Pa 10th Congressional Distirct prediction

I want to preface this by saying I personally like both gentlemen. They are young, telegenic and successful in their chosen professions with beautiful families. It's like we have 2 congressional candidates from central casting.
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Both campaigns have been very responsive to this lowly blogger and I'm grateful for that. It's too late now but I think that Hackett's refusing my request for a 2nd interview was a mistake. I agree with the Hackett camp that there should have been more debates but if he won't debate Gort.....
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I have interviewed both of them and asked some questions that weren't in the news at the time but were important to me. You can read the interviews here:


Congressman Chris Carney-the interview


Chris Hackett for Congress, the interview


A common question I asked was about the Military Commissions Act that says the government can declare a United States citizen an enemy combatant and hold them without habeas corpus.


The exchange with Hackett:


Specifically, do you favor holding an American citizen without access to the courts?

Correct me if I’m wrong but they are not holding American citizens, are they?

Jose Padilla

That’s true he was held, but has since been convicted and is awaiting sentencing. The reality is we have to hold enemy combatants. The Military Commissions Act gave broad authority to the President to designate someone is an illegal enemy combatant, which was the designation issued to Jose Padilla.

Even they are a United States citizen arrested in the United States?

Yes.
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And with Carney:

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There is a provision of the Military Commissions Act that says the government can declare a United States citizen an enemy combatant and hold them without habeas corpus.


When you suspend the constitution you have to be little bit nervous about that. I swore a couple of times to protect and defend the constitution both as a military officer and as a member of Congress. You can hold people in this country by charging them under the 5th amendment and charge them with a crime and they get due process. American citizens should not be deprived due process.

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So do you favor repealing that provision of the act?
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As long as there is a legal way to cover them if they are an American citizen they get full rights as an American citizen.

Is that a yes?
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That’s a yes. When we ignore our own rules we hurt ourselves as a nation. We hurt our ethic, we hurt what we stand for in the eyes of our people and the eyes of the world.

The response to that question made up my mind. The United States is not some tin horn dictatorship that can lock up people without giving them an opportunity to plead their case in court. What has happened to the Republican Party that I grew up with? You remember them, balanced budgets and keeping the government out of your life. The rule of law.

Hackett scored some points in the debate about earmarks and even got away with calling Carney a crook and a liar over his campaign contributions from companies that got some pork and his vote over the fence which has turned out to be a boondoggle. It's probably too little to late. The Hackett camp is highlighting this spot about Nancy Pelosi's salmon earmark and his 80% remark.
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I go back to the old rule of politics; Challengers don't win the election, incumbents lose them. And Carney hasn't done anything to lose.

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He stated his case in our interview: The far left attacked me, I’m not liberal. They ran newspaper, radio and television ads against me. So frankly if the far left and the far right are attacking you- you are probably in the right spot actually.



Carney won by 6 points in 2006, expect a similar result.

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The Really Pissed Off Republican has his predictions.

And That's How I See It has some Election Night Predictions.


Highlights from the PA 10th Congressional debate








My blog buddies have great write ups of the debate;


The Lu Lac Political Letter


Local Values


The Really Pissed Off Republican


The whole thing is on WVIA's website.


Vote on the sidebar. Next up, President.