Newt Gingrich: Help Elect the Next Scott Brown

Last week, I was in Latrobe, Pa., for an event in support of Tim Burns, who is the Republican candidate for the May 18 PA-12 special election to fill the seat vacated by the passing of Jack Murtha.

What I learned there makes it clear that this special election is a huge opportunity.

In fact, in Tim Burns I believe we have a chance to win an upset election that will reverberate through the country much like the election of Scott Brown did in January.

I encourage you to visit www.timburnsforcongress.com to donate to his campaign and find other ways you can help.

Here is why I think this race is so important. Speaking to the event attendees and learning more about the dynamics of the race, it became clear how much this election can be seen as a preview for the elections in November.

PA-12 is a Democratic district, but it is also very rural and culturally conservative. While it had overwhelmingly elected Democrat Jack Murtha for decades, it has rapidly turned against the Obama-Pelosi-Reid machine:

• President Obama's favorability ratings are "upside down:" 42% approve to 57% disapprove;
• The Democratic Congress' ratings are worse: 33% approve to 65% disapprove;
• The Democrats' health plan has only 30% approval. 64% disapprove;
• With the coal industry important to western Pennsylvania, the cap and trade energy tax is unpopular as well.
  

Tim Burns is even polling ahead on the issue of earmarks, a remarkable fact considering that Jack Murtha was a vocal defender of using federal tax dollars for projects in his district. Burns has promised to end earmarks and voters are with him 50-42.

The Democratic Trap This November

Tim Burns' opponent, Democrat Mark Critz, a former staff member of Jack Murtha, has been put in a nearly impossible situation.

He cannot support the policies his party is pushing so he has run ads saying he opposes Obamacare, is pro-life, pro-gun and that "that's not liberal." He even (eventually) came out against the left's energy tax, despite working to pass it as a congressional staffer.

However, Critz also has to raise money; and to do so, needs the national Democratic leaders that are pushing the job killing policies his district opposes. So he's taking money from Nancy Pelosi, who hosted an event for Critz in Washington, D.C., and appeared at campaign events with Vice President Joe Biden, who last week came to the district to support Critz.

Imagine trying to position yourself as opposed to Obamacare and a friend of the coal industry while surrounding yourself with anti-coal Democratic leaders who spent the last year ramming Obamacare down our throats.

Critz's challenge is the same all Democrats will face this fall. As they try to distance themselves from the job killing policies of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid machine, they will still need to rely on the fundraising and publicity-generating capacity of the national Democratic leaders responsible for pushing and passing those deeply unpopular policies.

They Can Run, But Will We Let Them Hide?

Tim Burns' opponent hopes he can get away with this sleight of hand, taking the left's money one day to pay for ads claiming he's not one of them the next. It is the same trick hundreds of Democrats will be trying this fall. The only question is whether common sense Americans, who are sick of the radicalism of this administration, are willing to let them get away with it.

Tim Burns is a small businessman who knows what it takes to create jobs and who opposes the job killing policies of the left. He supports an "all of the above" energy plan that would use American energy resources to break our reliance on foreign oil and common sense health reform once Obamacare is repealed. His passion is stopping the out-of-control spending in Washington that will saddle his two children with debt for the rest of their lives.

Polls are showing a tight race but they reveal that Burns' supporters are much more committed to his victory than those of his opponent. Voters who rank their interest in the race between an 8 and 10 (on a 1-10 scale) prefer Burns 49-40.

Where Burns (and many Republicans) will be this fall is at a disadvantage in resources. That's where you can come in.

The PA-12 special election on May 18 has all the characteristics of becoming a nationalized race, much the way Scott Brown's Senate race did in January.

You can help build the energy needed to win another upset victory by donating personally and by spreading the word about the importance of this race using e-mail, facebook, twitter and more.