The Cook Political Report (CPR) on Friday downgraded Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick’s (PA-8) chances to be re-elected in 2014. The non-particson ranking of politicians said the move is tied to the 16-day government shutdown.
Fitzpatrick’ it’s believed is one of the few vulnerable incumbents in the 2014 midterm which has been targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
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CPR said even though Fitzpatrick was one of 20 House Republicans supporting a clean bill, he was also one of 87 who voted to reopen the government and that the national image of the Republican party in a suburban area such as Bucks County will create down challenges in the 2014 election cycle.
On Thursday, Fitzpatrick said the shutdown was an “avoidable crisis” and spoke about his co sponsorship of the Government Shutdown Act saying it could have been a “proactive” approach to ending the cycle of “governing by crisis, ” thus defusing a federal government shutdown.
Fitzpatrick from the beginning of the shutdown said he supported the idea of a clean bill approach to ending the stalemate, but at no point voted against party leadership, Politics PA reported.
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A recent poll by liberal group Move.Org, Politics PA reports, showed Fitzpatrick losing to a “generic Democrat.”
Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick has been attacked often by Democratic Congressional candidates Kevin Strouse and Shaughnessy Naughton.
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Naughton called the congressman a “hypocrite” because of his unwillingness to support and sign a proposed “clean bill” last Sunday.
Strouse, on Thursday, called Fitzpatrick “reckless” adding that the congressman “and his broken Congress need to pass a long-term budget bill that brings security back to our economy and helps create good paying jobs for the middle class
Heading towards election day the attacks on Fitzpatrick are expected to continue, however the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee has taken both democrats to task for being “tourist candidates,” implying neither Strouse or Naughton have roots in Pennsylvania’s Eight Congressional District.
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