Greenwood Resignation Imminent (Penn. RINO retiring?)

Politicspa.com ^ | 7/19/2004 | Sam Youngman

[HostileTerritory]

Greenwood resignation rumors abound

U.S. Rep. James Greenwood said in a release Monday that he is currently considering another job, stoking rumors that he is poised to resign from office to pursue a position in the private sector.

“From time to time during my twenty four years of public service, I have been approached and offered other types of challenges and opportunities,” Greenwood’s statement read. “Such has been the case in the last few days, and I am currently reviewing one of these opportunities. I will make my decision public in the very near future and will have no other statement until then.”

The offer Greenwood, a Republican representing PA8, is considering has been left to speculation, as his staff has refused to offer any comments or insight beyond the congressman’s statement.

[HostileTerritory]

Any news from the ground? This would be a tough seat to hold by the numbers but we have a good bench in Bucks County. I wonder what's going on. This is late in the game.

[presidentbowen]

Greenwood is a wack job anyway! Who needs his prochoice votes in Congress? The GOP doesn't need him!

[JohnnyZ]

Seems to me that this is a good scenario for us. He has a weak opponent who's locked in for the Democrats. GOP delegates from around the district would select a replacement nominee for the Republicans, who would have a much easier time than if this were an open seat.

Hell, we might even get a conservative!

[Dems_R_Losers]

Please tell me more about this Congressman and the district. I am about to move there from Northern Virginia, escaping the hell that is being a constituent of Jim Moran (D-outer space).

[fatima]

HostileTerritory,Maybe I can find out something tom.Would be great if he left,who would fill his place?

[HateBill]

Greenwood is so liberal he is the only Republican who voted against the Boy Scouts.

My guess is with all the "blackmail" concerning the gay marriage debate, Greenwood may have a "closet problem."

[JohnnyZ]

Please tell me more about this Congressman and the district.

Congressman Greenwood = hard core RINO
Congressional district ?=? suburban soft core RINOish

[HostileTerritory]

To be fair, the vote against the BSA appeared to be a misunderstanding and a mistake.

[fieldmarshaldj]

*ping*

[Torie]

The Pubbies are lucky the Dem nominee is a nebbish. But that might change. He might drop out with the right incentives. I am sure the Dems are talking to him right now. If he does, the Dems in my opinion have a slight edge in this district.

[KQQL]

A good break for rats if they select a new nominee

[AntiGuv]

Just an FYI: he is a she.

[JohnnyZ]

The Pubbies are lucky the Dem nominee is a nebbish. But that might change.

You must be sad. The perfect RINO, your soulmate, is leaving office. What are the odds that (if we get a Republican to replace him) the new guy will be as liberal as Greenwood? That's a high standard to live up to. Will you be content to settle for a 90% RINO?

[ex-snook]

Local paper fingers three possible replacements.
Joe Conti, State Senator
Michael Fitzpatrick, Country Commissioner
Tommy Tomlinson, State Senator

I know Fitzpatrick is pro-life. I don't know about the other two. Mark Schweiker, former Governor, also pro-life, is not interested. Paper states that GOP leadership has know this for some time. What is strange is the late timing so they probably have his replacement in mind. Pro-life? that's the moment of truth.

Greenwood is reported to be joining the Biotechnology Industry Association representing more than 1,000 biotechnology and pharmaseceutical firms.

[JohnnyZ]

Mark Schweiker, former Governor, also pro-life, is not interested.

I always think it's so strange, these people who can win various offices but decide not to run. Then I think about if it were my choice, and the reality of campaigning, and have to live politics every day, and spend so much time dealing with politicians, and lobbyists, and the media!, and God knows what else, and I think perhaps it's not so strange after all.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"Congressman Greenwood = hard core RINO
Congressional district ?=? suburban soft core RINOish"

---

Jim Greenwood is probably the most socially liberal "Republican" in the House. He makes Chris Shays of Connecticut seem like Ronald Reagan.

The 8th CD in Pennsylvania comprises all of Bucks County and tiny slivers of Montgomery County and of NE Philly. Lower Bucks is heavily blue-collar Democrat, socially moderate-to-conservative and economically liberal. Upper Bucks, where most of the voters are, is, for the most part, socially liberal-to-moderate and economically conservative. Overall, the district gave Bush 46.3% in 2000, although Republican performance is traditionally higher.

We will most likely end up with a RINOish candidate who will win handily. I would prefer that we run someone who was more conservative and take our chances against the weak Democrat candidate (although the RATs are trying to convince her to drop out so that they can name someone more prominent), but the decision will probably be made by the RINO establishment. Still, there is very little chance that the Republican candidate will be as liberal as Jim Greenwood, since I don't think there are any other Republicans that stoop that low in the entire state of Pennsylvania.

The fact that we will have to hustle to retain this seat provides further evidence that the PA Republicans dropped the ball on redistricting. They got greedy trying to draw a 13th district in Montoco and NE Philly to elect a Republican, and while Melissa Brown got 47% in 2002 and has a shot at winning this time around, the district only gave Bush 42.2% in 2000, which is even lower than in the old Montco-only 13th CD were Hoeffel couldn't be defeated. And the Republicans made the two suburban districts held by GOP incumbents that needed to be shored up (since Bush got below 50%) even less Republican than before, with Greenwood's district being 0.6% less Republican and Weldon's 7th CD being 0.3% less Republican (Bush got only 47.3% in the redrawn 7th). And because they wanted to give a Republican a chance to win the 13th, they also made the new 6th CD drawn for Jim Gerlach very marginal, with Bush getting 48.6% of the 2000 vote. What they should have done is appended the heavily Democrat townships in Lower Bucks to white parts of Philly and the most liberal townships in southern Montco to create a heavily Democrat district for a white Democrat, and then created two black-majority ditricts in Philly that go into Delco and Montco. That would have given Bush over 50% of the vote in each of Weldon's and Greenwood's CDs, as well as in the new CD for Gerlach. I'd rather have 3 safe GOP seats and 3 safe RAT seats in the Philly area than 2 safe RAT seats, 1 probable RAT seat and 3 swing districts.