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PENNSYLVANIA: DISTRICT 8: FITZPATRICK LOOKS LIKE WINNER IN RACE TO REPLACE [Chris Lilik 10/21 10:33 PM]

When liberal Republican Congressman Jim Greenwood announced his sudden Summer retirement, Bucks County Commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick emerged as the GOP nominee for the suburban Philly seat.

Conservatives are lucky Fitzpatrick was around. His main opponent for the GOP nod, State Senator Joe Conti, had the liberty-loving Commonwealth Foundation's absolute lowest rating in the entire PA legislature.

Calling Fitzpatrick's Democrat competitor Virginia "Ginny" Schrader a Michael Moore liberal is a pretty accurate description. After all, she "invited [supporters] to a screening of Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit
9/11'" to raise money for her candidacy. Schrader opposes the war in Iraq, wants to raise/roll back the Bush
tax cut, and socially she's an Emily's List liberal with hard-line opposition to parental notification laws and partial-birth abortion bans.

This brings us to the Philadelphia media's entire focus of the campaign: abortion.

The SEPA papers have been zeroing in on the life issue, rather than Fitzpatrick's support of the Bush tax cut, the war on terror, medical malpractice reform, and other mainstream conservative issues.

"Bucks County makes up 95% of the district and is 48% Republican to 37% Democratic," writes Fox News. "It is more affluent and Republican in Upper Bucks County, more middle- and working-class and Democratic in the lower portion of the district, which also includes slivers of Philadelphia and Montgomery counties." While the district has a GOP registration advantage, carrying it is easier said than done. In 2000, Gore bestest Bush 51% to 46%.

An early September Anzalone-Liszt Research poll reflects the problems W has in the district, with Fitzpatrick over Schrader 46% to 30% but Kerry leading Bush 48% to 44%.

Despite the Philly media's efforts to demonize Fitzpatrick for being pro-life, look for him to keep the seat in the GOP column. According to a source close to the Fitzpatrick campaign, Fitzpatrick has been internally polling above 50% for quite some time now.