Altmire, Murphy tout shared commitment to western Pa.

MONACA -- Wednesday night at Penn State Beaver was one of the few times to see a Republican and Democratic congressman tout the other.

U.S. reps. Tim Murphy (R-Upper St. Clair) and Jason Altmire (D-McCandless) want voters to know it wasn't a one-time event.

The two congressmen Wednesday held the second of two joint town halls, this time in Beaver County, to highlight how they have worked together to help western Pennsylvania, even if that meant crossing party lines. It's an effort from both campaigns to position themselves as centrists ahead of November's election, where being viewed as ideologically extreme isn't beneficial in either district.

"We wanted to do this because you hear so much about Congress and it's low approval ratings ... because the perception is we don't work together," Altmire said. "That's unfortunate because Tim Murphy and I work extremely well together."

Murphy said voters demand bipartisan cooperation.

"I don't think you elected us to fight each other," he said. "People who spend their time throwing slings and arrows at each other, you start to scratch your head and say, 'I thought I left that in third grade.'"

Both brandished their bi-partisan credential during the town hall. They emphasized their similarities, such as their stance against amnesty for illegal immigrants, while tip-toeing around their differences, such as expanding domestic oil drilling. Altmire thinks oil companies should drill on land they already own; Murphy thinks expansion is desirable.

Most of all, they highlighted how they have spurred economic development in western Pennsylvania by working together. They said they have secured millions of dollars to improve the waterways in Beaver County, an issue Altmire said "nobody has worked harder on than Murphy."

Neither discussed campaigns.

"I know it's the first week of July, but we're not going to see any fireworks tonight," Murphy said. "This is not about politics. It's certainly not about campaigning."

Both, however, potentially face tricky re-election tests, especially Altmire. He faces a rematch against Republican Melissa Hart, who he defeated in 2006 by about 4 percentage points.

Murphy figures to have an easier test against Democratic challenger Steve O'Donnell, although he must contend with what most describe as a toxic climate for the GOP. He won in 2006 by 15 percentage points against his Democratic opponent.

The meeting was the second town hall held by the congressmen. On Tuesday, the two held one in Monroeville, Murphy's district.