Now that Steny Hoyer has been selected as the presumed next Majority Leader, it might be time for a stroll down memory lane. Two years ago Hoyer came to the area to help campaign for Allyson Schwartz, then running for her first term in congress. While here he also made a campaign stop for Josh Shapiro, then running for his first term in the Pennsylvania State House. As noted in the Northeast Times ("Schwartz brings in a heavy hitter," by Tom Waring):
Hoyer also spent time last week boosting the candidacies of suburban Democratic congressional challengers Lois Murphy and Joe Driscoll, and Josh Shapiro, who is running for an Abington-area seat in the state House.
In Jenkintown, he told a police officer that Democrats would better fund beat patrols. And he encouraged the employees of a beauty salon to vote for Schwartz because a Democratic takeover of the House would mean that California Rep. Nancy Pelosi would become the first female speaker in history.
On Hoyer's Democratic Whip website we find this comment:
The circuit
by Staff
May 30, 2004
U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D., Md.), the House Democratic whip, hit Montgomery County on Thursday to stump for the county's Democratic congressional candidates. Among his stops Thursday was a fund-raiser for Josh Shapiro, 30, who is running for Pennsylvania's 153d District House seat against Jon Fox. How did Harrisburg-hopeful Shapiro land Beltway-insider Hoyer? Shapiro was Rep. Joe Hoeffel's chief of staff and knew Hoyer from Capitol Hill. The short answer: Shapiro just picked up the phone and asked.
Shapiro has proof -- a photo of the two together on his campaign website (it's the third photo from the bottom).
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4 comments:
Shapiro also had Joe Lieberman appear on his behalf in '04. I don't think that Lieberman trip was connected to any other campaigns. Those are some serious "gets" for a first time state House candidate. Shapiro has a lot of light under his feet.
Howard Dean make a campaign stop for him. So did, believe it or not, Christy (Christie?) Brinkley, though she might have been part of a group barnstorming through the area.
From what I have seen of him he is certainly bright and talented. I just wish he would stop saying "friends" when he talks to crowds.
I remember Christie Brinkley coming - it was part of a bunch of famous people who traveled around with, among others, Gov Rendell and Sen Connie Williams. CJ's assistant (from the West Wing) was also part of the trip, though I forget her name. I seem to remember Danny Glover also showing up during that "barnstorm."
Why did you bring it up or are you just reminiscing?
Anon,
When Hoyer was selected for Majority Leader, I had a vague memory of him being in the area a few years ago so I looked it up. Campaigning for congressional candidates would not be so unusual, but campaigning for a state house candidate was, so that was what I focused on. Dean's visit was advertised broadly enough that I heard about it and took advantage of the opportunity to hear Dean speak for free. I think he was here other times but my memory is that some of those had price tags outside my reach. Those bargain hunting skills came in handy this campaign season as well, and I found free events featuring Barack Obama, Max Cleland, and Gov. Rendell
Shapiro mc'ed at least two events that I went to this past campaign season and used "friends" at both.
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