Hi there. Long-time lurker, first-time poster. What's bringing me out of the shadows? A guy I met who's running for Congress in PA's 6th. His name is Manan Trivedi, and he's a practicing primary care doc and an Iraq War veteran from Berks County, PA.
For a long time in the PA-06, which will be an open seat in 2010 as Rep. Gerlach (R) seeks higher office, I think everyone kind of just assumed that Doug Pike had it locked up. He raked in the early endorsements, etc.
But Manan announced his candidacy a week ago, and the more I learn about him, the more impressed I am. (And I must not be the only one -- he's raised nearly $25k on ActBlue in just his first 7 days.)
In the Iraq War, he was the Battalion Surgeon for the 1/5, the Marines battalion that suffered the very first casualty of the 2003 invasion. He was a Devil Doc, forward-deployed, not safely tucked away in the back. He saw war. And one of the reasons he's running for office, he recently said at an event with Bob Roggio (the Democratic nominee for the PA-06 in 2008, who has endorsed Manan), was that he wanted to make sure our government "never takes that decision [to go to war] lightly again."
Talk about a real-world perspective.
After his tour in Iraq, he came back to the States, earned an MPP degree, taught at the US Military's medical school, was an advisor to the Navy Surgeon General on emerging health policy, and even helped then-candidate and now President Obama to develop his health policy.
Back in PA, he's now working a hospital in Reading, getting real-world perspective about what happens when families don't have the insurance to get the care they need. It's no wonder Manan's said he's in favor of a strong public option -- and getting insurance companies out of the doctor-patient relationship for good.
He sees education and energy through the lens of "social justice," which I think is absolutely wonderful and which you never hear anymore, even though it's true and wise. He's for equality everywhere for everyone, he says -- in the workplace, in the home, in marriage, and in admissions. It makes me tingly to just type it.
Manan told a story once that as the child of two immigrants, he learned about the American Dream from his father. His father taught him, Manan said, that they came to America because here, everyone has the opportunity to succeed if they work hard and play by the rules. And that, too, is why he's running for Congress -- to ensure the promise of America endures in practice as much as it lingers in the stories we tell our children.
I've got nothing against Doug Pike. Don't know him. But from my few conversations with Manan Trivedi, I can tell you he's an incredible candidate, full of spirit for the issues, with the grit to fight and work hard to take back this seat, and who is also a smart, sharp, caring, and thoughtful person who will make us all proud in Congress.
So if you're in the PA-06, I hope you'll check out what Manan has to say, and that you'll give him a chance to impress you, too. Hey, it apparently worked for Fred Sheeler.