PA-10

In Chris Carney's latest TV ad he focuses on Chris Hackett's stance against illegal immigration, but yet having hired an illegal to work as his housekeeper. Carney hits Hackett hard even having the ad call Hackett despicable. Recent polls show Democratic Congressman Carney with a solid lead in this Republican district.

The two vulnerable House Democrats from Pennsylvania who voted against the first version of the bailout bill held strong in their opposition Friday, casting no votes on an amended Senate bill that passed the House.

Both U.S. Reps. Chris Carney (D-Dimock) and Jason Altmire (D-D-McCandless) voted against the legislation. Both are facing tough reelection battles in conservative-leaning districts.

Carney faces Republican Chris Hackett in the 10th Congressional District, while Altmire is being challenged by Melissa Hart in the 4th Congressional District.

Republican congressional candidate Chris Hackett told PolitickerPA.com Thursday that he still opposes Congress' $700 billion financial bailout plan even after the U.S. Senate moved to make the bill more attractive to GOP lawmakers.

"The new bailout bill is in some ways worse than the first one," Hackett said in a statement. "They added a bunch of special interest spending to entice more politicians to support it. But the bottom line is this still puts taxpayers at massive risk and doesn't fix the underlying cause of the crisis."

Hackett faces U.S. Rep. Chris Carney (D-Dimok) this fall in a race considered one of the country's most competitive. Carney voted against the bailout bill on Monday.

Hackett's campaign was the first contacted by PolitickerPA.com that definitively said whether or not the candidate supported the new bill. Other campaigns said they needed more time to review the bill, which has gone from a three-page document to one several hundred pages long.

It would appear freshman Congressman Chris Carney would be a prime target for Republicans this year. Carney is in a district that has a large Republican advantage over Democrats and is facing Congressional disapproval ratings at a historical high. Carney also won office because of a sex scandal against Don Sherwood. Yet Carney still looks in good shape for re-election. According to the latest Lycoming College poll Carney leads Chris Hackett 46 percent to 36 with 18 percent undecided. While Republicans will spin this is good news for Hackett as Carney is under 50%, the the spin faces a tough reality. Of the 18% undecided Hackett would need to pick up nearly 85% of the undecided voters to secure a win. Carney continues to duck debates against Hackett and now we may know why.

GOP challenger Chris Hackett said U.S. Rep. Chris Carney's (D-Dimok) vote Monday against a $700 billion Wall Street bailout plan is an aberration on the congressman's voting record.

"I'm glad this Wall St. over Main St. bailout plan failed," Hackett said in a statement. "But let's not be fooled: Chris Carney has voted for numerous corporate welfare handouts, including $25 billion for the auto industry just last week.

"I wish Carney would side with taxpayers when the public spotlight isn't on him and an election is right around the corner," he said.

Carney was one of three Pa. Democrats who voted against the plan despite support from the party's leadership, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). 

Carney and Hackett are engaged in one the country's most competitive races, and a vote on the bailout plan is sure to become a major campaign issue as the election nears. Carney was joined in his opposition by fellow Democratic representative Jason Altmire, who, like Carney, faces a tough re-election test this fall. 

Congressman Bill Shuster backed out of a debate with his challenger Tony Barr on October 12th citing the financial crisis as a reason he could not attend. If today's recovery bill was passed, Shuster may have lost that argument and may have actually had to think about debating his opponent. Shuster got at least a temporary reprieve today from having to put his record on the line in a debate as the first version of the bill fell short.

Shuster, Chris Carney and Allyson Schwartz continue to duck a series of debates against their opponents.

The Club For Growth announced Thursday a $250,000 ad buy against U.S. Rep. Chris Carney (D-Dimok) in the 10th Congressional District, saying the incumbent raises taxes on struggling families and wastes money on frivolous earmarks.

It highlights two "wasteful" earmarks it says Carney voted for -- the Kansas Regional Prison Museum and the Lobster Institute in Maine.

"Pennsylvania families can't afford it," the ad says.

Carney faces Republican Chris Hackett in one of the country's most competitive congressional elections.

To see the ad, click here.

For months we have been writing about how Chris Carney is only agreeing to one debate with his challenger Chris Hackett in PA-10. He is not the only one looking for ways to avoid debates with a challenger. Republican Bill Shuster (PA-9) is backing out of an October 12th debate with Tony Barr. According to reports Shuster says he may need to be dealing with the financial crisis and may be busy. On October 12th?

The campaign for Republican congressional candidate Chris Hackett said it will continue as usual even after John McCain announced Wednesday his campaign will suspend because of the country's financial crisis.

"At this time of economic crisis coming just six weeks before the election, it's critical that voters hear from the candidates about where they would take the country, so it's all the more important that we continue to get our campaign message across," said Mark Harris, Hackett's campaign manager.

"No suspensions here."

Hackett faces U.S. Rep. Chris Carney (D-Dimock) in a race considered one of the country's most competitive in the state's 10th Congressional District.

WASHINGTON – Two months after announcing its advertising plans for more than 50 districts across the country, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is making public its plans for defending an additional two incumbents in hotly contested races in Pennsylvania.

The DCCC tells PolitickerPA.com it will spend a total of $2.2 million combined this year to defend U.S. Reps. Chris Carney and Paul Kanjorski. Carney, a freshman, is facing a battle against Republican Chris Hackett, a staffing company executive. Kanjorski, a 12 term incumbent, is running against Republican Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta.

The committee has begun airing advertisements in both districts. To date, the DCCC has aired $220,000 worth of advertisements on behalf of Kanjorski and $37,000 in support of Carney. The DCCC went on the air with its first ad in support of Carney over the weekend.