Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Tony Phyrillas: GOP signs vandalized

Campaign signs for three Republican candidates were vandalized overnight in Berks County.

Someone spray-painted over the names of U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach and state Rep. Sam Rohrer -- all Republicans -- on campaign signs along a two-mile stretch of Route 422 in Exeter.

Interestingly, campaign signs for Democratic candidates Bob Casey Jr., Lois Murphy and Russ Hummel -- placed right next to the vandalized GOP signs -- were not touched.

Gerlach was the victim of two other sign-related attacks in recent days. An elderly man ripped down dozens of Gerlach signs along Route 100 in Chester County. (The man is facing charges after a passing motorist called police).

Gerlach signs were also removed from a grassy area by the entrance to the Route 422 bypass in Douglassville. (Give the Gerlach camp credit. New Gerlach signs were back on Election Day in this area).

In Delaware County, someone painted a negative comment about U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon on the side of an overpass at a busy highway.

Are Democrats so desperate that they have to resort to vandalism because they're not getting out the vote they expected? Stay tuned.

Lois Murphy in my neighborhood?

Democrat Lois Murphy, challenging incumbent Jim Gerlach in the 6th Congressional District, stopped by the polling site in my hometown today. I can't figure out how she found the place since it's a long way from her swanky Main Line neighborhood that I wrote about in a column called "Lois Murphy is not my neighbor."

I heard that Mrs. Murphy was not too happy with the column or the Gerlach campaign's use of quotes from the column in campaign literature and television commercials attacking Murphy and her liberal supporters. For the record, I have no dealings with the Gerlach campaign.

A colleague at The Mercury was watching TV today and heard a promo from the anchorman about an "altercation" involving Murphy at a polling site. He naturally assumed it was me, but I was nowhere near the polling site when Mrs. Murphy pulled into town.

The incident happened in Murphy's real neighborhood, where an elderly Jim Gerlach supporter stood outside the poll with a campaign sign. The TV cameras showed Murphy's husband pushing the Gerlach supporter aside.

What's with all this aggression on the part of liberals these days?

Tony Phyrillas is a columnist for The Mercury in Pottstown, Pa. E-mail him at tphyrillas@pottsmerc.com

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