Meehan jumps feet first into race for 7th District

“I am humbly asking all of you to join me on the journey, a journey that begins here and leads to our nation’s Capitol,” Meehan told the crowd of friends, neighbors and political supporters assembled on the lawn of his Drexel Hill home. “That is where our future will be determined, with or without us. I am promising you today that it will indeed be with us.”

Meehan said after talking to people that he had a sense some residents’ insecurities about the future had grown into frustration and anger over the unprecedented level of federal spending connected to the financial meltdown last year.

“They have told me they feel as if their voice just isn’t being heard in Washington (D.C.), that the representatives they have elected have sold them out to the special interests, that the government now seems to be something that is imposed on them rather than something that is working for them,” he said. “We have an opportunity to be their voice. We have an opportunity to say, ‘Follow us,’ and the journey starts right here at home.”

Meehan also touched on record-high unemployment numbers and a skyrocketing national debt that could linger for generations to come.

“There is nothing worse for the health of individuals, families or our communities than unemployment,” said Meehan, who also was the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania during the George W. Bush administration. “But if we want to put people back to work, we need policies that are pro-growth, not unsustainable jolts of electricity. Continued deficit spending will only stunt economic growth, not enhance it.”

Though there is some political courage in Washington, D.C., said Meehan, there is far more political preservation being engaged in by politicians with seemingly little accountability.

“Many of the challenges confronting us here at home transcend state lines, whether it’s strengthening the economy, keeping down health care costs, or helping small businesses, and the solutions will be determined in Congress,” he said. “It is time our elected officials be made to answer for the decisions they make about our money and about our children’s future. … In our zeal to overcome the problems of today, we cannot extinguish our hope for the future.”

“I think he was right on (with) the idea that we’ve got to get back to what people want,” said state Rep. Tom Killion, R-168, of Middletown, who is also exploring a run for state lieutenant governor.

“We need the people’s voice again instead of special interests and all the inside the beltway stuff, and Pat Meehan is the guy to do it, absolutely,” said Killion. “Given his background as a prosecutor and what he did as a U.S. attorney, he’s the right guy at the right time, and I’m really excited for him and looking forward to working hard to see that he gets elected.”

Springfield Republican Party leader Michael Puppio said Meehan touched on the themes of the day in his remarks, the kinds of things being discussed across kitchen tables and youth club practices.

“Last year, in the discussion and in the urgency of the moment, I think the principles of fiscal responsibility and limited government were downplayed and I think now, as there are some people paying attention to the details of these plans and these proposals, (they) recognize the enormity of the government’s involvement,” said Puppio. “You know, the health care debate is about more than health care. It goes to the heart of how most people view government’s involvement in their lives. I think the analogies that one draws in that debate apply to almost every issue the government has an opportunity to be involved with.”

Delaware County Councilman Andy Lewis, Upper Darby Councilman Ed Truitt and Wally Nunn, a former Delaware County Council chairman, all described Meehan as level-headed with a good moral compass.

“I think we’re all taking a deep breath and wondering if the direction that the country is headed in is a good one, and I think many, if not most of us, are deciding we need a change,” said Nunn, Meehan’s neighbor of about 20 years, who recently moved to Newtown Square.

The other potential GOP candidates have now cleared the field for Meehan, who brings a good deal of name recognition to the table and is generally regarded as the Republicans’ best bet to take back the seat they had held for 20 years before U.S. Rep. Joseph Sestak, D-7, of Edgmont, wrested it from Curt Weldon in 2006.

State Rep. Greg Vitali, D-166, of Haverford, has been mulling a run for the Democrats. State Rep. Bryan Lentz, D-161, of Swarthmore, has said he is definitely in, though he hasn’t yet officially announced.

Lentz said Monday he is continuing to build his campaign organization and looks forward to “a vigorous debate about the issues facing America.”

Nunn predicted this would be the district to watch next year.

“If you think this race isn’t being discussed in the White House, you’re crazy,” he said. “The Democrats and President Obama are not going to want to give up one seat in Congress because it will make accomplishing his agenda more difficult, so they’re going to put a lot of effort and a lot of money and a lot of time into this district, so it will be a contested (race.) But I think we’ll prevail.”