Chaka Fattah for Congress

A Republican really never had a shot at Pennsylvania's 2nd district.

The district, one of two representing Philadelphia in Congress, is heavily Democratic. In 2004, Fattah won re-election with 88 percent of the vote - the second-highest margin in the state and the highest for a Democrat.

So, any real challenge must be mounted in the spring primaries, which have long since passed.

Fattah, however, has represented Philadelphia well in Congress. As a six-term congressman, he sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which currently doles out more than $800 billion in discretionary funding.

He hasn't shied away from controversial bills, either. He proposed a 10-year moratorium on all prison executions and authored a bill that would replace personal and corporate taxes with a "transaction tax."

Yet our concerns with Fattah stem more from his recent performance, or lack thereof.

After serving as the main sponsor for seven bills in early 2005, Fattah has languished. In the last 15 months, he has authored only two bills. And both were merely ceremonial.

Sure, incumbents must focus on re-election during their second year, and Fattah is often mentioned as a candidate for mayor in 2007.

But Philadelphia deserves more than a part-time Congressman. If Fattah's mayoral intentions are legitimate, he shouldn't be running for another term.

It would be a disservice to Philadelphia that voters would hopefully remember next November.

So it is with tepid enthusiasm that the DP endorses Chaka Fattah for Congress.

If he does the job, he'll do it well. Let's just hope he's gives it the time it deserves.

The Opposition

If you can call it that.

Fattah's opponent, Republican Michael Gessner, barely seems to exist.

No Web site. No news stories about him.

When calling his campaign office, the voicemail response wasn't much of a surprise: "The person you are trying to reach is unavailable."

Such little effort isn't deserving of anyone's vote.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.