Mark Stephens – 10/23/14

This page was last updated on October 23, 2014.

McClelland deserves chance in Congress; Mark Stephens; Beaver County Times; October 23, 2014.

Mr. Stephens and the BCT failed to mention he is a Democrat councilman of Patton Borough (Cambria County) and “Campaign Coordinator at Erin McClelland for Congress.” The BCT usually mentions this type of affiliation in an editor’s note.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Months after graduating with two degrees from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, I am still struggling to find a job. After attending the debate held at my alma mater, I found it very clear that U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus has little interest and compassion to help those like me find anything local.”

[RWC] You’ll find this letter also appears in the Daily American (Somerset).

If anyone thinks Mr. Stephens made up his mind only “After attending the debate held at [his] alma mater,” I have a bridge to sell them. Look at Mr. Stephens’ LinkedIn profile and you find he’s been involved in Democrat activities since 2004. Oh, there’s one other thing. Mr. Stephens is “Campaign Coordinator at Erin McClelland for Congress.”

Note Mr. Stephens didn’t tell us what made it “very clear that U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus has little interest and compassion to help those like me find anything local.”

Mr. Stephens’ “two degrees from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown?”; they are bachelor degrees in Communication and Political Science. I don’t know the demand for people with these degrees. I’d say most opportunities are in politics-related areas if I had to guess.

“We need to elect Erin McClelland for Congress. She is young, has a passion for what she believes in, and actually cares about the people of our area.”

[RWC] Just as Mr. Stephens didn’t tell us what made it “very clear that U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus has little interest and compassion,” he didn’t tell us how he knows Mrs. McClelland “actually cares about the people of our area.”

“Keith Rothfus’ voting record consists of him voting with his Republican colleagues in Congress 96 percent of the time, being John Boehner’s ‘yes’ man. In Congress he has voted to shut down the government, voted against Hurricane Relief, voted to sue the President, supported the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, and has voted against bills that support women in the work place. Now he is running for re-election putting ads out on television to get sympathy support; advertising he had cancer. Being that I lost someone close to me from cancer, I find it disgusting that he is using an old sickness he survived from to get votes, when he should be explaining why he should be re-elected.”

[RWC] I always get a kick out of the “Bob voted with his Democrat/Republican colleagues 96% of the time” comment. As I’ve written previously, don’t you expect members of the same party to agree on the issues the vast majority of the time? If they don’t, someone is in the wrong party. The descriptions of Rep. Rothfus’ votes are misleading at best.

Here is the video Mr. Stephens finds “disgusting.” When Democrats trotted out sob story after sob story, many of which turned out to be bogus, to garner support for Obamacare, I wonder if Mr. Stephens found that “disgusting.”

“I believe we need to give Erin McClelland a chance to become our congresswoman. If she is elected, and you believe she hasn’t done her job, then like she said herself, vote Rothfus back in.”

[RWC] Surprise, a Democrat activist for at least 10 years believes we need to give the Democrat candidate “a chance to become our congresswoman!”