Pelosi, Boehner in Campaign Mode as Key Election Night Nears
Some of the most contested primaries, and one special election, are coming up this Tuesday in Arkansas, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. And the tone at both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader John Boehner's weekly press conferences today certainly reflected that with both sounding confident about 2010.
Boehner laid out his strategy to win in 2010 saying that there are 100 seats in play.
"It really begins with regaining the trust of the American people," Boehner said. "They've pretty well decided at this point that the Democrat spending spree here in Washington is hopeless, and so they're giving us a second shot."
Boehner added that if he's "fortunate enough to be the next speaker of the House, we're going to run the House differently than it's being run today. But I think that we've got to continue to earn that support..."
Boehner promised that Republicans would both reduce spending and do everything possible to keep the health care bill from going into effect if Republicans take back the House.
Pelosi admitted that there is certainly an "anti-incumbent" mood among the electorate, but made clear she's not going to just stand back and hand over the gavel to Boehner.
Pelosi said that Democrats will make sure their candidates run good campaigns and have the resources to fight. "I assume nothing, I take nothing for granted" she said. "And, in fact, I enjoy campaign season, as you may have noticed."
Pelosi dismissed any idea that fourteen-term Rep. Alan Mollohan's loss in West Virginia's primary this past Tuesday said anything about Democrats.
"Mr. Mollohan did not lose to a Republican, he lost to a Democrat" Pelosi pointed out. The Speaker argued that each race must be judged separately.
The most watched House race this Tuesday will be the special election in Pennsylvania to fill the late Rep. John Murtha's (D-Pa.) seat. Murtha's former aide, Mark Critz is neck and neck with Republican businessman Tim Burns.
If Burns wins, a Republican will represent the southwestern Pennsylvania district for the first time in thirty-seven years, but both candidates will have to run against each other again this coming November at what would have been the end of Murtha's term.
Pa. Special Election Fight Goes Down to the Wire
