The hot and humid weather of the last few days makes it clear that a new season of the year has arrived—but the headlines make it just as clear that almost nothing has changed in our nation’s capital.

This week, President Obama asks Congress to spend another $50 billion--$50 billion that can only come from additional deficit spending—to bail out state and local governments.

After spending trillions on predictably failed attempts to bail out the economy, for which we have nothing to show but a river of red ink and an unemployment rate stuck just below ten percent, the last thing our country can afford is to spend billions more on government programs.

To the surprise of no one, nothing has been heard on the most recent attempt to spend our country into prosperity from Congressman Jason Altmire . . . which is just the latest example of his failure to exercise any leadership on the issues facing the country.

I began this campaign as an underdog, a candidate of whom no one had ever heard who was taken by the idea that voters in Western Pennsylvania wanted to see real change in Washington.

Since September, we built a coalition of volunteers, raised money, knocked on doors, and took our message to the voters.

The result was distinct: we carried each of the six counties in the district and won more than two-thirds of the vote overall.

This is not my victory: it is yours. Your hard work, your commitment, and your determination to build a better future for our country all paid off in this victory—and what we accomplished this month is only the dress rehearsal for our victory in November.

From the bottom of our hearts, my family and I thank each of you for your unswerving commitment to our nation’s future. I hope that each of you will enjoy this holiday weekend with a joy tempered by the recollection of those who over more than two centuries have laid down their lives for our freedoms.

The liberal media would have us believe that now that “health care reform” has been approved by Congress by the narrowest of margins, despite overwhelming public opposition, that it is now part of the fabric of American life and already enjoys broad public support.

I do not know to whom these journalists are talking, but it is not the hundreds of people—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike—I have met in the last week. These voters are not prepared to simply shrug their shoulders and forget about this multi-trillion dollar calamity as if a government takeover of health care were of no more significance than the defeat of a favored team in the NCAA tournament.
They want to see this terrible bill repealed, and so do I.

I was the first candidate in this race to pledge to work for the repeal of ObamaCare. If I am elected, that will be my first priority. Jason Altmire may have been allowed to cast a “no” vote on this bill by Nancy Pelosi, but no one has suggested that he will lift a finger to roll back this monstrosity. Nor can any sensible person imagine that my primary opponent, a career federal employee and no stranger to the expansion of federal power, is really going to work as a matter of principle to eliminate this trillion-dollar boondoggle.

I am heartened by what I have heard in the last few days: if we work hard to elect principled conservatives in November, we can undo a wrong-headed and potentially calamitous piece of legislation.

What a great way to start a campaign. Thanks to the hard work of well over a hundred volunteers, we have filed more than 2500 signatures on nominating petitions in Harrisburg.

What’s more, we collected those signatures in the midst of the worst winter western Pennsylvania has seen in a generation.

I am honored by the confidence so many people have placed in me--and each day, I am more confident that the people of our region want to see principled leadership and fundamental reform in Washington. The stakes are too high for our country’s future to be left in the hands of career politicians from either party.

When the big government liberals like Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Jason Altmire advocated for the $800 billion stimulus package, we were told unemployment would peak at 8%.  It soared to 10% and remains stubbornly high. Congressman Altmire now admits that lots of the Stimulus has not worked.  This is money that the big government liberals took from our children and grandchildren to pay off political favorites.  It is time that the unspent portion of the stimulus be rescinded.  

Question:  How does a Congressman who votes for two consecutive $1.5 Trillion budget deficits, an $800 billion failed stimulus package and another $150 billion "jobs" stimulus get to claim to be a blue dog fiscal conservative?  

Answer:  When he becomes a professional politician and he thinks the people back home aren't paying attention.  

We are paying attention, and in November, we will let him know.

HARRISBURG — Despite losing his re-election bid in November 2006, former House Democratic Whip Mike Veon continued to approve staff bonuses for campaign work before leaving office, the former top House Democratic staffer testified today.
Michael Manzo, ex-chief of staff for former House Minority Leader Bill DeWeese, said Veon approved the bonuses from 2004-06 and is convinced DeWeese knew about the program, though he testified he never had "explicitly" discussed it with DeWeese.

"I could always be much more direct with Mike," Manzo said. That stemmed, in part, from the fact DeWeese "was not a hands-on guy," Manzo testified.

Veon, 53, who represented his Beaver County district for 20 years, is accused of overseeing a secret $1.4 million bonus system paid for by taxpayers to motivate staffers to work on campaigns.

Three of Veon's former aides also are charged in the case being prosecuted by Attorney General Tom Corbett's office — Annamarie Peretta-Rosepink, 47, a former district office manager in Beaver Falls; Brett Cott, 37, a former policy aide in Harrisburg; and Stephen Keefer, 39, the ex-director of House Democrats' information technology department.

All are charged with multiple felonies of theft, conspiracy and conflict of interest.

Manzo, the prosecution's star witness, said he and former administrator Scott Brubaker recommended bonus amounts and got Veon's approval. Brubaker then informed DeWeese, Manzo said.

DeWeese, charged with crimes in a separate case, denies knowledge of bonuses for campaign work.

After Republican Jim Marshall defeated Veon in the general election, Veon approved bonuses for campaign work before leaving office Nov. 30, Manzo said.

"Mike set the amounts for his staff. It was my suggestion for everybody else," said Manzo, who struck a plea agreement and is cooperating with prosecutors.

Prosecutors reduced charges against Manzo and his wife Rachel, who also was charged and entered a guilty plea.

Commonwealth witnesses with plea agreements who will testify against the defendants are "liars" who are in a "cover your butt mode," said attorney Bryan Walk, who is representing Cott.

Prosecutors began presenting e-mails as evidence intended to show Veon approved the bonuses.

The defense is focused on showing DeWeese as the higher-ranking leader behind the bonuses.

The attorney for Peretta-Rosepink admitted that campaign activity occurred in Veon's Beaver Falls office but said his client had no authority to approve bonuses.

"I understand there was campaigning in the Beaver County office — I can't deny that," said Michael Palermo, a Carlisle attorney. "I assure you she didn't have the authority to award anybody a bonus."

Palermo said Peretta-Rosepink worked 60 to 80 hours a week. "Nobody is going to say the taxpayers of Pennsylvania didn't get 120 percent from Annamarie Peretta-Rosepink," Palermo said.

Walk said there are no e-mails showing Cott authorized bonuses.

"Politics, legislating and campaigning are like a big ball of yarn," Walk said.

Cott spearheaded an effort that knocked Green Party candidate Carl Romanelli off the ballot in the 2006 U.S. Senate race, an effort Democrats believed would help Sen. Robert Casey. Prosecutors say it was paid for with tax money.

"Brett did exactly what he was asked to do," Walk said.

"Tom Corbett has a stake in this case," Walk said, starting to refer to Corbett's bid for the Republican nomination for governor, before Judge Richard Lewis interrupted him.

"Let's move on," Lewis said.

"I don't need to tell you why they need a conviction," Walk said. "You know why."

Veon's lawyers have said the bonus investigation is politically motivated by Corbett's effort to increase his standing with voters. Corbett said the case is based on a state grand jury's recommendation.

Veon was one of 12 Democrats charged in July 2008. Seven pleaded guilty this month.

A jury last month acquitted former Rep. Sean Ramaley of Baden, accused of holding a "ghost job" in Veon's office.

In November, 10 Republicans, including former House Speaker John Perzel of Philadelphia, were charged with diverting $10 million in tax money for sophisticated computer systems to give the GOP an edge in elections. Perzel said he is innocent.

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