A June 5th story in the Times Leader about GOP hopes to unseat Congressman Chris Carney quotes Mr. Carney as saying that he is a “very conservative Democrat”. In a June 10th story Carney said the attacks on him have been unfair and in some cases, blatantly false. He said he feels the people of the district will see through the rhetoric and re-elect him next year.

No one should make unfair or false attacks on Mr. Carney. The truth is damaging enough.

Carney says he is a “fiscal conservative”.

But Carney voted for the largest tax increase on the middle-class in history and not a single Republican voted for it. (Roll call vote 212 - www.clerk.house.gov)

Carney says he is against “excessive spending” and “working hard to be as transparent as possible”.

But Carney remains silent while the Democrat House leadership circumvents the very rules designed to do just that (as reported by the AP’s Andrew Taylor in USA Today June 4^th). If he were really independent, Carney would challenge the Democrats to follow the House rules and call for an up or down vote on each earmark (pork-barrel project) on its merits. He also voted for $24 billion in pork in the emergency military spending bill – only 2 Republicans voted for that and 14 Democrats voted against it. (Roll call vote 186)

Carney says he is “pro-life”.

But Carney voted with 210 Democrats against the National Right to Life Committee position on the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. (Roll call vote 443). He is entitled to that vote and almost 20% of Republicans voted with him, but it is not a pro-life position.

Carney promised to “take our values to Washington”.

But Carney voted to take away a workers right to privacy (twice) and only one Republican voted for it one of the two times it was considered. (Roll call vote 112 & 113)

Carney says he refuses to “blindly follow any party lead”.

But Carney voted to give fellow Democrat Congressman Murtha a pass (tabled H. RES. 428) when Murtha abused his power and threatened to automatically deny the earmarks of two Republican House members (as reported on www.politico.com). Only one Republican voted with Carney and the Democrat majority to table this ethics charge.

Now let’s look at his overall record.

According to the non-partisan Voter Information Service, Carney’s Party Unity Score is 85%. The “party unity score” is a standard measure of how closely a Congressman votes with his leadership (based on VIS definition) - Pelosi, Hoyer, Clyburn and Emanuel. (from www.vis.org.)

85% of the time, Carney votes with the liberal Democrat leadership.

Carney votes 88% of the time with Democrats in PA.

Carney votes 33% of the time with the Republicans in PA.

The single largest caucus in the House of Representatives, The Republican Study Committee, says it is “organized for the purpose of advancing a conservative social and economic agenda”. Compared to its Chairman, Jeb Henserling and its only Republican member in PA, Joe Pitts, Carney votes only 19% with self-identified conservatives in the House of Representatives.

Chris Carney is neither a conservative nor a Republican. Not by a long shot. He may get a pass from the liberal Democrat leadership on a few high profile votes to make him less offensive to his constituents, but he is not voting the conservative values of this district.

Mr. Carney should vote his conscience, but he is by no means a “very conservative Democrat”. He is a politician in the worst sense of the word – say one thing and do another.