I first heard of Bryan Lentz in 2006 when he announced his intention to challenge perhaps the worst Republican in southeastern Pennsylvania, State Representative Tom Gannon. It was a grueling, dirty campaign in a strangely-drawn district with a conservative stronghold and a liberal stronghold with few persuadable voters. Lentz defeated the Republican State House Caucus' point man for an anti-gay marriage bill by 4 points. He was the only Democrat to beat a Republican incumbent in Delaware County that year. Since then he has compiled the most progressive record of any politician in Delaware county. He has voted consistently for gun control, environment/green jobs, and children's health insurance bills.
Bryan Lentz is a DFA-endorsed Democrat running in Pennsylvania's Seventh District to replace Joe Sestak. But the man is more than his voting record. After graduating from Georgetown University, he went on to serve as an airborne ranger in Bosnia and in Iraq. He earned a law degree from Temple University and prosecuted criminals in the Philadelphia District Attorney's office.
Now he is a candidate to represent me in a district that includes the white areas of Delaware County (Republican gerrymander), and the wealthy mainline areas of Chester and Montgomery counties. While Delaware County now votes reliably Democratic in presidential races, the local Republican machine still has a stranglehold on local offices. The machine's choice candidate is "prosecutor" Patrick Meehan. Meehan's title may be prosecutor, but he has never actually tried a case himself. He is a figurehead, a career politician who has not faced the voters at the ballot box in 15 years. Meehan, realizing that Lentz is the better candidate, went on the attack immediately. At a press conference in front of the State Capitol, Meehan tried to tie Lentz to the the notorious bonusgate scandal (state legislators gave state employees bonuses for doing illegal political work). But there is a problem with Meehan's innuendo. Lentz came to office AFTER the scandal took place! Watch the Youtube video as Lentz takes the platform after Meehan leaves and sets everyone straight with the obvious truth. Please watch it. It is wonderful political theater:
Meehan makes a fool of himself
I vote for Democrats. But for loud, proud, progressive Democrats like Bryan Lentz, I knock on doors, make phone calls, and donate money. Not only has Lentz taken Meehan he to task, he has confronted the Republican candidate for governor. Attorney General Tom Corbett, and gubernatorial candidate, came to our county to discuss jobs. During a press conference, Tom Corbett insisted that since there are job listings in the newspaper, no one should be unemployed. It’s the typical teabagger nonsense: the unemployed are lazy parasites! Lentz pounced on Corbett and defended the working-class families of Delaware county:
Lentz puts an end to teabagger nonsense
I am a long time DKos reader, and I am Lentz volunteer canvasser. If you live in southeastern Pennsylvania, please take some time and make phone calls or knock on doors for Bryan Lentz. Honestly, I enjoy doing it. Or donate here