Tom Manion Happy Hour at Mesquito Grille
Date: Thursday August 7th
Place: Mesquito Grille - 128 West State Street Doylestown , PA
Details: Free Wings and Snacks, and Bar Specials
Admission: $30 Minimum Donation at the Door
RSVP: 215 348 9080 or krista.foy@manionforcongress.com
More Information: 215 348 9080 or krista.foy@manionforcongress.com
Radio Interview with Marvin Ronio
Date: Sunday August 3rd
Time: 5:30pm-6:30pm
Radio Station: 1360 AM
Cocktail Party Fundraiser
Date: Tuesday July 29th
Time: 7:00pm
Place: 104 Julie Lane Doylestown Pa 18901
Details: A Cocktail Party in Support of Tom Manion at the home of Dave and Ryan Borek
Donation: $50 Minimum Donation
RSVP: Ryan Borek at 215 348 9080 or bb2crew@aol.com
More Information: Ryan Borek at 215 348 9080 or bb2crew@aol.com
FOX News Interview of Tom Manion
Retired Marine colonel Tom Manion, who lost his son in the Iraq War, is taking on antiwar liberal Democrat Patrick Murphy in a heated Pennsylvania Congressional race.
Murphy, Manion pump gas plans
Gas prices grabbed the spotlight in Bucks County’s congressional race Tuesday, with Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy and Republican challenger Tom Manion offering starkly different approaches to reducing the country’s dependence on foreign oil and to driving down fuel costs.
In what is likely to be a common theme during their election battle, Murphy and Manion both took to gas stations to pitch their solutions — Manion, at an Upper Makefield Shell station, pushed for an end to the moratorium on offshore drilling, while Murphy, at an independent gas station near his Bristol Township home, advocated a plan to force drilling on the millions of acres of unexplored land already under lease by oil companies.
”We know that the areas that have been denied by Congress are oil-rich areas already, and that is the opportunity we have here — clearly an opportunity we have to lower the prices,” Manion said.
But to appeal to environmentally conscious Bucks County voters, who voted 2-1 last November to spend $87 million to preserve open space, Manion was careful to refer to using more environmentally friendly drilling technologies.
”I think the environment is very, very important for Bucks County, and I couldn’t be a bigger supporter,” Manion said. ”But I think we have a real opportunity in this day and age in ways where we can still watch the environment …”
Murphy, in an interview, said he opposes lifting the moratorium, which has been in effect since 1981 and prohibits most offshore oil exploration.
”I don’t want us drilling off the Jersey Shore or the Florida coast or the California coast,” said Murphy, who supported a measure earlier this year to provide $20 billion in tax incentives for renewable energy development and investment. ”I think that is irresponsible.”
The differing views mirror the partisan debate in Washington, where Republicans and Democrats battled without resolution in June over whether to open the country’s shoreline and other areas — including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska — to exploration.
Democrats, including Murphy, countered GOP efforts to ease the offshore drilling ban by pointing to the 68 million acres under lease by oil companies that has yet to be explored. They pushed legislation to force oil companies to ”use it or lose it.” ”These are pieces of land that the oil companies asked [for],” Murphy said.
The oil industry says that it is unrealistic to suggest that all the land under lease could be drilled at once considering the years it takes to study the leased land and receive permits to begin drilling. ”It is a very complicated process that was purposely obscured during this debate,” said Lee Fuller, vice president of government relations for the Independent Petroleum Association of America.
Any new drilling would have little immediate impact on the price of gas, which averages $4-plus nationwide. Both candidates said they support temporarily lifting the 18-cent federal gasoline tax. Murphy also said he favors allowing small businesses to deduct their fuel expenses.
Manion, who favors opening ANWR to drilling, said simply opening new areas to drilling would lower costs somewhat by increasing future supplies and reducing speculation.
Manion’s proposal also includes incentives and tax credits to speed the development of other energy sources such as nuclear, solar and geothermal, and fast-tracking refinery capacity expansions.
”I don’t think alternative energies are going to be here anytime soon in a big way,” Manion said, ‘’so, for me, it has to be a multi-tiered approach.”
Tuesday’s dueling events were a first in the campaign, which is expected to be one of the more heated in the country. Murphy, a freshman who eked out his victory two years ago, is Congress’ only Iraq war veteran, having served as a U.S. Army captain. He opposes the war.
Manion, a retired Marine colonel and pharmaceutical company executive, favors keeping troops in Iraq for the time being. His son, Travis, was killed in Iraq last year.
202-824-8216
SPLIT OVER SAVINGS
In the face of ever-rising gasoline prices, U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-8th District, and Republican challenger Tom Manion appeared Tuesday at separate gas stations to talk up their energy plans. The candidates have little in common.
Manion supports/Murphy opposes
Lifting the moratorium on drilling offshore and in other protected areas, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
Murphy supports/Manion opposes
Forcing oil companies to drill on 68 million acres of land under lease that have yet to be explored, or lose the right to drill there.
Both support
Suspending the 18-cent federal gas tax.
Recent Visitor Comments