By: TRUTH CAUCUS · 07/01/2006 · AIM: crnctruthcaucus · Section: Pennsylvania

HARRIS KEEPS ON, KEEPING ON

By Peter L. DeCoursey
Bureau Chief
Capitolwire

HARRISBURG (June 30) – State House GOP candidate Mark Harris’ is again publicly challenging to his fellow Republicans to oust Speaker John Perzel, R-Philadelphia.

The 21-year-old Republican defeated Perzel-backed Rep. Tom Stevenson, R-Allegheny, in the May 16 primary, despite major spending, attack mail against Harris and other efforts by the House Republican Campaign Committee.

Then Harris, who has yet to graduate from college, told The Philadelphia Inquirer he would never vote for Perzel as Speaker.

Days after that, Harris met with Perzel. Sources said Perzel wooed Harris and asked him where he would get the $400,000 needed to win a tough race against Democratic Matt Smith in the fall, if not from Perzel and the HRCC.

Harris was pressured both to abandon his pledge to vote against Perzel as Speaker if elected, and, failing that, to at least keep quiet about it until elected, sources close to him and to HRCC said.

On May 30, Harris ducked the question about his challenge to Perzel, saying only, “that is a question for after the election, we have to win first.”

But Harris told a conservative group meeting in Harrisburg Thursday that he would continue to campaign against Perzel, and that he would have to win his race without the HRCC.

“We have not received any HRCC money and our understanding is that is unlikely we are to receive any because of the demands in the Southeast by incumbent members,” Harris told Capitolwire Friday, confirming reports of his remarks on Thursday. “I certainly am willing to work with the HRCC, but I have been told they don’t have the money.”

And, Harris added, “I am not going to change my message of reform and fiscal restraint just to get money. My leadership vote is not for sale.”

Requests to Perzel’s office and to HRCC for public comment on Harris’ statements were made just before 1 p.m. After 4 .m., no public response had been made except for Perzel spokeswoman Beth Williams, who directed questions to HRCC.

Asked if he will still talk about de-throning Perzel on the campaign trail, Harris answered, “I certainly do believe it is time for change in leadership, and that is what I am trying to do. We are talking about a 7-percent increase in the budget. It’s time for a change.”

Asked what Perzel had done to deserve losing the Speakership, Harris said, “If you look at recent history, you will see a handful of Republican votes, time after time, cross the aisle to pass the Democratic agenda. That is not why Republican voters gave the party 109 seats in the House, to pass the Democratic agenda.

“I like Rep. Perzel personally, we don’t see eye to eye on the direction of he future of the caucus. This amount of spending in this budget and the last three is absolutely unacceptable.

“They should be requiring real concessions on spending and they’re not. My campaign has always been about fiscal restraint and reform, and Speaker Perzel’s record speaks for itself.”

If flouting Perzel costs Harris one source of donations, it helped him tap another vein of GOP conservative rebel money.

GOP conservative activist Bob Guzzardi, who helped fund several of the campaigns of challengers who knocked off GOP incumbents on May 16, attended the same conservative meeting as Harris Thursday.

Guzzardi wrote in an email, “Mark re-iterated what he has iterated and re-iterated on many occasions public and private: ‘Perzel must go’.”

Guzzardi wrote, “My contribution was explicitly given with the promise that Mark will continue to call for ouster of John Perzel as Speaker of the House.

“As additional, tangible symbol of Mark’s independence, House Republican Campaign Committee will not contribute to Mark’s reelection campaign.

“Mark estimates his campaign will cost $150,000, not the exaggerated and hysterical $400,000 that John Perzel stated, and it is my hope that others will step up and make similar contributions.”

Harris said, “Bob has been a supporter since the primary. He agrees with my message of my campaign.”

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