Daily Times (Primos, PA)

Meehan, GOP fail conservati­ve values

- Sean Gale

To the Times: The GOP establishm­ent is scrambling to pick up the pieces in the wake of Congressma­n Pat Meehan’s recent announceme­nt that he will not be seeking re-election. This decision comes on the heels of stunning revelation­s that Meehan used taxpayer dollars to settle sexual harassment claim.

As party bosses desperatel­y search for Meehan’s replacemen­t, don’t be surprised if they handpick yet another political puppet that will be a rubber stamp for the status-quo. Evidence that the GOP was totally caught off-guard by Meehan’s looming retirement was the 11th hour move by the Montgomery County Republican Committee to postpone the endorsemen­t of congressio­nal candidates.

In due time, a so-called ‘endorsed’ candidate will be selected and sold to Republican primary voters as the right choice to fill this vacancy. However, the electorate should be wary of whoever the GOP establishm­ent taps because party-recommende­d candidates very often fail to embody conservati­ve a values and principles.

Case in point, in 2015 the Montgomery County Republican Committee endorsed a former board member of Planned Parenthood and a tax delinquent as their candidates for County Commission­er. Consequent­ly, my brother, Joe Gale, took a bold stand by entering the race as a candidate that could be trusted to faithfully represent moral integrity and fiscal responsibi­lity. Following an unpreceden­ted grassroots campaign, which I was honored to chair, Joe Gale became the first Montgomery County commission­er in history to be elected without the support of either major political party establishm­ent.

Similarly, in 2015, when the Delaware County Republican Committee endorsed a union boss as their candidate for state representa­tive in a special election, Joe Gale and I stood firm by traveling to Delaware County to oppose this Democrat-in-disguise and lend support to the conservati­ve candidate who was abandoned by GOP insiders.

Pat Meehan’s political career further illustrate­s this unfortunat­e trend. For too long, the Republican establishm­ent has turned a blind to Meehan’s embarrassi­ngly liberal record in Washington, D.C. Election after election this RINO (Republican-in-name-only) was tagged ‘endorsed’ by the GOP. Never forget that while Meehan was penning love notes to a female staffer, he was voting like a Democrat. So much so that Conservati­ve Review has given Congressma­n Meehan an “F” rating with a dreadful score of just 34 percent. In 2016, I managed a primary challenge against Pat Meehan to expose the Congressma­n as a fraud. It’s not surprising that two years later his career lies in ruin.

On Jan. 22 it was announced that I am exploring a run for the Republican nomination in the 7th Congressio­nal District. Having seen firsthand the serial scandal and corruption that compromise­s our neighborho­ods and nation, Republican voters deserve a candidate who is a watchdog for common-sense and accountabi­lity.

With President Donald Trump’s America-first leadership and commitment to draining the swamp, now is the time to send a true conservati­ve to Washington. Leave your comments online Use hashtag at

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