PA 8th District up for grabs as Mike Fitzpatrick enters the race

Louie Armstrong had a great song back in the day that had a phrase that said, "It's so nice to have you back where you belong". Today those words were referring to Mike Fitzpatrick, now a candidate for the 8th congressional district that includes Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.

Today, in Langhorne, Bucks County PA, signs that said exactly those words were there in profusion. A crowd of well over 400 braved the cold to stand, cheer and pay homage to a guy who has beaten the odds -- of cancer, of a political comeback, of a second chance on life. "When you get a second chance in life, you have an obligation not to squander it," Fitzpatrick said to the crowd of people who are fed up with what is going on in Washington. A major theme of his very brief speech was that he didn't expect to be here. That can mean many things, but whatever you take away from its meaning at the end of the day all it means is that Mike Fitzpatrick, a man who has been away from the political scene for a few years, will be more than ready to presumably face Congressman Patrick Murphy in November. There are still candidates in the race, but since Fitzpatrick has announced, one candidate has already dropped out. "I'm going to work as hard for Mike as I was going to on my own campaign," said Rob Mitchell, who until this morning was running for the same congressional seat.

Of course, an announcement like this wouldn't be a political event unless there was a disgruntled constituent. Not to disappoint, there was a guy who made some noise but was drowned out by the crowd chanting, "Run, Mike, Run".

Fitzpatrick said it is not the same country he knew in 2006, and is gravely concerned. He didn't expect to see the runaway growth in our federal government, nor did he expect to see the national debt run so high that we could only call it what it is -- a national emergency.

People came from all over the country, including Washington, DC and Connecticut. Now that is what I call an eclectic mix of people!. And it didn't matter the age, socioeconomic background, religion or political party. Especially of note were the many members of the various tea party groups throughout Bucks County and Philadelphia. As is evident, the conservative tea party groups are going to be incredibly important for Bucks County to win back the seat. http://www.fitzpatrickforcongress.com

Referring to his second chance, Fitzpatrick stated that..."It is rarer still that you get a second chance to make a change. I am committed to starting that change right here in Pennsylvania, in the 8th Congressional District. As your candidate for Congress, I am going to work with local residents to put this country back on the right track, to create jobs, and to build a brighter future for our children and grandchildren."