Running Against Nancy

Tim Burns is a Republican running in a very Democrat district in Pennsylvania, the district where John Murtha funneled millions of dollars in earmarks and built an airport to nowhere during his lengthy career.  Burns holds a slim 1 point lead in the final pre-election polls and is seeking to make this race a referendum on Nancy Pelosi:

Tim Burns, the Republican candidate for U.S. Representative in Pennsylvania's 12th district, the seat recently vacated by the death of Congressman John Murtha, told the lunch crowd at Kings Restaurant Sunday afternoon that he never intended to get into politics and his candidacy is a referendum on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Obama administration.

"I think we need people from outside the government, people with common sense business principles that can go to Washington and make decisions in the best interest of the country and the district. Not in the best interest of advancing their career," Burns said in a interview with Fox News.

Burns accuses his Democratic opponent Mark Critz of pandering to the administration, saying "Nancy Pelosi is holding fundraisers for him, the Vice President Joe Biden was here and Bill Clinton is coming to the district so this is extremely important because people know that a vote for Mark Critz is a vote for the Pelosi-Obama agenda."

I think this is a good strategy. Pelosi is as far left as they come, farther left than most of her own party. Reminding people that a vote for a Dem is a vote for Nancy Pelosi to continue as Speaker could be very effective in getting even Democrats to think twice about the candidates.

Burns has a good shot at winning this race.  Democrat will likely turn out in big numbers because of the high profile Senate primary between Arlen Specter and Joe Sestak, but Democrat in PA-12 don't seem to be quite as enamored of their party leaders as those in other parts of the state.