Manion on the street

8th District challenger meets with Newtown, Bensalem residents
By Peter Ciferri; Advance Editor

Republican congressional candidate Tom Manion spent Aug. 27 touring Cornwells Heights and Newtown, hoping to secure a few more supporters as he continues his bid to unseat Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy in Pennsylvania’s 8th District.Manion spent the morning at the Cornwells Heights Train Station in Bensalem Township before meeting with the Newtown Rotary Club for lunch. The Doylestown resident also sat down with

The Advance “It’s a great opportunity to listen and hear what the problems are,” Manion said of his man-on-the-street approach. “It really comes down to the people of the district and the taxpayers, and in an informal setting like this, you really get an opportunity to understand what’s on their mind and that really has to guide what you do.”

Manion, a Marine Corps veteran, said the people he met Wednesday were concerned with high energy prices and were “ready for a change” in Washington D.C.

“It’s the summer months and people are adjusting their vacation schedules because of it, but they’re really concerned about what’s ahead for winter,” he explained, adding that he believes residents are frustrated with Congress’ “inability to begin the debate.”
Advertisement

Manion said his energy plan would call for incentives to people who use alternatives like solar and wind, which he hopes would create a larger market to move forward with the resources.

“We’re not going to get there overnight. So, we’ve got to think about conservation,” Manion told

The Advance. “Also, we need to reach into our current supply we can’t achieve these alternatives overnight and we need a transition strategy. I think increasing [arctic oil] supplies can be the way to do that.”

He explained that the United States has “oil rich areas in the arctic” that he believes should be explored, but at the same time, urged the government to be “equally aggressive” in pursuing alternative energy.

Manion said his business experience - he spent several years as an executive at Johnson & Johnson - gives him the ability to “build solutions and get results” with bipartisan efforts.

“You have to understand the bigger picture and the goal in mind. The goal is not party politics, it’s our country,” he said.

Manion said his background as a Marine makes him “action oriented” and he wouldn’t come to the job with a “60-day or 30-day or 10-day plan,” but would rather take on the challenges immediately facing the 8th District.

The Republican challenger said his chief concern is the struggling economy, but added that there is not one defined plan for solving the problem. Manion hopes he can help “build confidence back in the American people” by working to understand the economic woes.

“It’s about getting together quickly with like-minded people,” he explained. “We need to get things done quickly, and once we get together we can get to work.”

In addition to what he calls “the lowest rated Congress in history,” Manion said people are fed up with the White House leadership; a frustration that led him to support John McCain.

“He’s demonstrated leadership and the proven ability to work with people to get results,” he said.

Additionally, Manion’s impression of the Democratic National Convention has been critical. “I think it’s really much like the platform so far. There’s not a lot of substance to it There’s a lot of talk about what’s wrong, but there doesn’t seem to be much accountability or a specific plan.”

The 8th Congressional District covers all of Bucks County and portions of Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Manion will face-off against Democratic incumbent Patrick Murphy and Independent political activist Tom Lingenfelter in the Nov. 4 election.

The Advance contacted both the Murphy and Lingenfelter campaigns and is currently scheduling interviews with both candidates.

The three have a scheduled debate at the Waterwheel Restaurant, 4424 Old Easton Rd., Doylestown, on Oct. 17 at 8 a.m.