Chester Co.: Where men are men and the congressmen are nervous
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
That loud sigh of relief you might be hearing is coming from our three local members of Congress — Ryan Costello (R-6), Pat Meehan (R-7) and Lloyd Smucker (R-16) — when it became clearer that the White House wouldn’t force a vote on the revised replacement for the Affordable Care Act this coming week.
While the text of the revised legislation isn’t out,...
Costello, Meehan dodge bullet on health care bill failure
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
In the end — for at least two of Chester County’s members of Congress — the decision to withdraw the American Health Care Act, the Republican’s much touted replacement for the Affordable Care Act (known more commonly as Obamacare) may have ended up as the best of a lot of bad possible outcomes.
Both Ryan Costello (R-6) and Pat Meehan (R-7) said following...
Chesco Congress members feeling heat on health care vote
At last count, Meehan, Costello and Smucker appear to be yes votes
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
The fate of a controversial health care reform bill may end up in the hands of local members of the U.S. Congress — as two of them were seen as being on the fence on the bill but now said to be leaning toward “yes” votes — as the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans scramble...
The AHCA: the perfect bill…to hate
Deeply flawed health-care bill will raise taxes, unemploy local Congress members
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Having read through the new Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act, the — the American Health Care Act — I’m left with just one thought:
I guess we’re going to find out how Lloyd Smucker, Pat Meehan and Ryan Costello fare in the private sector if this mess somehow...
Congress members can’t hide from the voters
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
The phone rang the other night during dinner, it was a phone “town hall” for U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan (R-7) — I happen to live in the 7th — but the timing was lousy and as a practicing journalist, I kind of feel like it is inappropriate as a journalist to participate in such events.
And to be honest — Meehan and his colleagues need to put on their big boy...
A brave new world for local Congress members
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
It is a brave (cough-cough) new world for some of our elected officials — specifically the three gentlemen who hold congressional seats in Chester County and find themselves coming home to districts this week they may not recognize.
Yes — we’ll grant everything is new for U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, who is little more than a month in from joining the world’s...
Democrats play their Trump card and hard
Ads start to go negative, too, shockingly
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Last week, in this space I noted that Democratic candidates would be looking to staple their Republican opponents to GOP presidential nominee Donald J. Trump.
Based on a flurry of TV ads and mailers I’ve seen this week, I had it mostly right, except maybe the implement: Democrats are using a nail gun, and one has to wonder...
Trump puts local candidates in a deplorable situation
No good choice for down ballot GOP candidates
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Um, now what?
If you think the average American doesn’t know what to think about the tapes revealed Friday involving Donald Trump’s comments on women, imagine if you happen to a Republican appearing on the Nov. 8 ballot for Congress or the State Legislature.
I’m not going to address the actual content of the comments...
GOP seems to be laying groundwork for two campaigns
As Trump implodes, Republicans pivoting to save down-ballot races
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
As we suggested last week, the heavy firepower is hitting Chester County now — and is likely to continue right up to the election.
Already this week, we’ve seen Ted Danson in town stumping for Hillary Clinton and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (and former GOP Vice Presidential...
Local Democrats appear to enjoy surprising enthusiasm gap
Flap over Parrish’s finances may prove double-edge sword for GOP
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
With what seemed like a weekend of bad news, followed by the chaos at the start of the Democratic National Convention, if local Democrats seemed a bit down in the dumps, it wouldn’t be surprising.
Instead though — and I witnessed this first-hand at the Kennett Area Democrats office opening...
