Lou Barletta - running on anti-illegal immigration - opens nine point lead against Democrat Rep. Paul Kanjorski

From this:
Democratic U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, who is an 11-term incumbent in the congressional district centered on Scranton-Wilkes Barre... is now in serious jeopardy of losing his seat to an anti-immigration upstart.

A new Franklin & Marshall poll shows that Lou Barletta, the Republican mayor of Hazleton, has opened a sizable nine-point lead on Kanjorski, even though the economically depressed district is leaning toward Democrat Barack Obama in a year when few Democrats in Congress are seen as in jeopardy.
(Note, of course, that Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Daily News incorrectly calls his campaign "anti-immigration".)

On a related note, see the other recent loss by Rep. Chris Cannon; that may have been related to immigration although some have claimed that other issues were in play. However, those same people also tried to portray losses by those such as Randy Graf as indicative of immigration being a losing issue when the GOP in effect almost threw that election to his opponent. And, they're doing something similar with Russell Pearce.

Comments

Lonewacko, Have you noticed that in competitive state Senate, House and Governor races where the DNC, Pelosi, Reid, Schummer(DSCC), Arthur Davis(DCCC) have insisted that unlike in 2006 there must be obedient support for "CIR", all first time candidates up against a more immigration Restrictionist Republican are running significantly below expectations. The Democrats predicted they would walk away with the Senate races in CO, MN and ME. In MN and ME, Al Franken and Tom Allen(career Immigration Report Card of F), both staunch Pro-Open Borders "CIR" supporters are badly trailing Norm "f'ng" Coleman and Susan Collins with respective lifetime immigration report cards of C and D+ Franken in spite of receiving mega bucks from Hollywood types is floundering over the immigration issue. Originally Franken back in his Air America day proclaimed 100% support for "CIR'. Allen has a "F-" rating on Immigration Reform from FAIR. In CO Mark Udall(D) is in a tightening race with the staunch restrictionist Schaffer. That in spite of Udall getting huge bump from the Democratic convention in Denver along with loads of Hollywood and Act Blue money. In Oregon, Jeff Merkley(D) the rare Democrat who positioned himself as a pro-worker Immigration centrist is doing better than expected against Gordon Smith who is saddled with a weak immigration report card of a C+. This race is now a dead heat. In Alaska, the Democrats are running a Open Borders Democrat Mark Begich and most likely will not beat the recently indicted and wildly corrupt Ted Stevens. Only in trending blue Northeastern New Hampshire former Governor Jeanne Sheehan running as a moderate on Immigration likely to beat the Restrictionist Sununu. Also in Louisiana incumbent Sen Mary Landreu is likely to beat the party switching John Kennedy who is running as a Restrictionist. But Landreu for over a year now has been repositioning herself as a Restrictionist. Up until recently it looked like Landreu was going to get beat badly. But I am going to make a prediction. Because Obama is a ultra pro-open borders lefty, lots of independents not only will vote against Obama, but will attempt do whatever they can to rid Congress of Pelosi and Reid. So in addition to losing the White House badly, I think my fellow Democrats are going to be shocked about how much the party ran below expectations in the down ticket races. I think Dems will be in deep denial if they can not admit that the party's Open Border stand on immigration was a net vote loser.