Getting rid of Phil English

Rep. Phil English (at right) has been the scourge of my former hometown, Erie, PA, for twelve years now. There's obnoxious, and then there's Rep. Phil English. I once saw him pounce down the throat of a senior citizen at a town hall meeting on social security. I've also had to see first-hand his ruthless campaign tactics and mudslinging over the last few elections...specifically in 2000, when I volunteered for his opponent, Dr. Marc Flitter. The tactics Rep. English's campaign used in that campaign make Lynne Cheney look like Teddy Ruxpin.

So I nearly jumped out of my chair with glee when I saw that Kyle Foust might challenge him for Pennsylvania's 3rd District. Kyle Foust is a great Democrat, and currently chair of Erie's County Council. While he would enter the race a huge underdog in money, he's got name recognition in Pennsylvania's 3rd District, and there are more registered Democrats in the 3rd than Republicans.

Kyle is also pretty charismatic, at least compared to Phil English, who is 320lbs of nasty man. I can't wait to see how this race unfolds. I hope Kyle can withstand Rep. English and his minions. They're going to be ruthless.

For a great website to keep updated on Congressional races throughout the country, check out Swing State Project. I've been meaning to hype this site for a while. It's not updated daily, but three times a week or so they post on the latest updates around the country. There's also a good diary section. Check it out.