Thread: Breaking News: Lou Barletta to run for Congress

Breaking News: Sources say Barletta will run against Kanjorski 4:42 p.m.
By Borys Krawczeniuk, Staff Writer02/05/2008

Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta will seek the Republican nomination to the 11th Congressional District seat in hopes of knocking off Democratic U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, two sources familiar with his plans said today.

Both sources spoke on the condition they not be named. One of the sources said the official announcement would likely come at a rally Thursday, probably in Hazleton, on the eve of the state Republican Party's weekend meeting in Harrisburg.

The deadline for filing nomination petitions to run for Congress is Feb. 12. At the state GOP's behest, supporters of the mayor have been carrying out a "Draft Lou Barletta" campaign featuring petition-signing parties this week.

Kanjorski and Barletta are likely to win their parties' nominations because no one else has emerged to challenge either.

If they are the nominees, they would reprise their 2002 matchup, which Kanjorski won handily. Since then, however, Barletta has risen to national prominence by battling illegal immigration. Because of that, the race would instantly rise to become one of the most high-profile in the country.
http://www.citizensvoice.com/site/news. ... 8523&rfi=6

GO LOU!!!!!!!!

Run Lou Run! (Gee, where have I heard that before... )

Thats wonderful news, but i wish he was running for the Senate!

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy !!!

And remember each and every one of us should be doing the same thing.

We must take over the Congress to stop these madmen from destroying our country.

you go Lou,campaign donation coming your way-Senate in 2010!

Posting since it is a longer article, maybe some members missed it plus we can use all the good news we can get today.
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Barletta running for Congress
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM, AP WRITER02/07/2008

ALLENTOWN - Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta, who has gained a national following with his get-tough approach to illegal immigration, is running for Congress.


Barletta told The Associated Press on Thursday that he will seek the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent 12-term Democratic Rep. Paul Kanjorski, who represents a heavily Democratic district in northeastern Pennsylvania.

"I realized that I'm not just fighting for Hazleton any more. I'm fighting for people all over the country who want their voices heard," Barletta said. "I've done as much as I can fighting illegal immigration as the mayor of a city. I need to take this fight to Washington, because that's where the problem needs to be fixed."

Barletta, who was courted heavily by Republicans and had
been widely expected to run, planned to officially announce his entry into the race at a news conference in Hazleton later Thursday.

He told the AP he wants to secure the nation's borders, airports and seaports; target criminals who supply fraudulent documents to illegal immigrants; go after "sanctuary cities" that shelter them; and "crack down on businesses that are hiring illegal immigrants, who are profiting from cheap labor and depressing the wages of the American worker."

Barletta has sought to make his city of 30,000 inhospitable to illegal immigrants, whom he blames for violent crime, graffiti, and overburdened schools and hospitals.

At Barletta's urging, Hazleton City Council in 2006 approved the Illegal Immigration Relief Act, which sought to deny business permits to companies that employ illegal immigrants, fine landlords who rent to them and require tenants to register and pay for a rental permit.

Anti-illegal immigration activists hailed Barletta's approach, and he has become a fixture on cable TV and talk radio, advocating his view that illegal immigrants are wrecking the country and that local governments can no longer wait for federal action to do something about it.

Federal courts have split on the question of whether cities and towns may take steps to curb illegal immigration. A federal judge struck down Hazleton's ordinance, but another judge upheld a similar measure in Valley Park, Mo., last week.

Anticipating that Barletta would run for Congress, Kanjorski has sought to portray himself as tough on illegal immigration.

He sent a four-page color mailer to constituents in October headlined "Congressman Paul Kanjorski: Tough on Illegal Immigration." And he recently told an audience in the Poconos that "closing the border is practical."

Kanjorski, who has yet to announce his re-election, had about $1.5 million in his campaign account as of Dec. 31. Barletta starts out his campaign more than $153,000
in debt, but he said he is confident he can raise money quickly.

"I believe there are a lot of people around this country who are looking for this kind of leadership," Barletta said.

Barletta ran against Kanjorski in 2002 - before his rise to prominence - and lost by more than 13 percentage points.

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