PA's Blue Fifth

McCracken for Congress -- Staying Positive with a Message of Hope and Change

2008-11-03T11:07:00.005-05:00

There really isn't a lot left to say as we head into the final 48 hours of the campaign. First, and most important, Kelly, Amanda and I want to thank everyone who has helped in any way with the campaign. The one thing I will take away from this experience, regardless of the outcome on Tuesday, is the people I've met, the communities I've visited and the stories we've shared.

It has also been encouraging how many people have stepped up over the last 2 weeks to help with donations to the campaign. Once our opponent got desperate and decided to go negative there were many people and organizations who stepped up and sent in late donations. These late donations allowed us to expand our media advertising and create a second TV ad to combat the distortions coming from our opponent's campaign. I think once they realized they offered no ideas or solutions for the 5th district, the only way they could win was to trot out the usual wedge issues and scare the voters into thinking I'm someone that I'm not. Now we know how Barack Obama feels.

I want to close out this campaign on a positive note. Keep encouraging everyone you know to get out and vote on Tuesday. Remind them that while the top of the ballot for President is the race everyone is interested in, the next most important race is the 5th district race. This is our chance to reverse 8 years of bad policy and take our future back. Tuesday will be historical and we can be part of it by sending a Democrat to Congress from the 5th district for the first time in 30 years. Most important to remember – the Democratic message throughout the long campaign has been a positive one stressing HOPE and CHANGE.

Review of the Past Week on the Campaign Trail:

I participated in several additional debates / forums with the other 2 candidates for the 5th district seat this week. There was really nothing new to report as both my opponents stayed on script with the expected answers to the usual questions. After going through this process, I am pleased that we did so many debates across the 5th district. Voters across the district had many opportunities to come out and see the candidates in person and hear where we stand on the issues.

We had a great GOTV rally in Clarion on Saturday with a nice turnout of people from the Clarion area including members of the Clarion University Young Democrats and members from the IUPAT union. I was honored to share the stage with PA House candidate Matt Ellenberger, Clarion County Democratic Chairman Bill Miller and IUPAT National President James Williams.

I had 2 big highlights this week -- Meeting former President Bill Clinton in State College and meeting our next Vice President, Senator Joe Biden at a rally in Williamsport.

Mark meets and receives the endorsement of Bill Clinton

Meeting our next VP Joe Biden in Williamsport

It was an honor to meet both of these great men and it is something I will always remember. I learned that Senator Biden and I have something in common. He also served as a county commissioner in Delaware before he was elected to the United States Senate.

Here is a picture from the rally in Williamsport that appeared in the Lock Haven newspaper.

The gathering in Williamsport

Schedule for Upcoming Week:

Monday -- 7 PM -- DuBois Democratic Committee Meeting

Tuesday -- Election Day

Wednesday & Beyond -- To Be Decided by the Voters in the 5th District.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Working the Final Week to Take Back Our Future

2008-10-27T12:19:00.001-04:00

The campaign schedule has been pretty intense over the last week and will continue to be so until the BIG day on Tuesday, November 4th. I want to congratulate everyone for putting so much effort into this year's election, not just for an individual campaign, but for the entire Democratic ticket. I've seen people in every community throughout the 5th district working to make sure the message is getting out.

I want to remind everyone it is important that we finish strong. Don't take anything for granted, ignore the polls and work like the polls show our candidates 5 points down. Remember, while all indications show Barack Obama will be our next president, if we believe the polls, Al Gore would be concluding his second term or we would be working to re-elect President John Kerry right now.

On a personal note specifically dealing with our campaign for the United State Congress, I want to assure everyone that I am working as hard as I can heading into the final week of the campaign. Back in January when Kelly and I decided we would enter the race we knew that 2008 would be a difficult year for our family. We've missed opportunities to do things as a family but we knew solving the problems besieging our nation required a sacrifice. What is encouraging is watching the work everyone is doing and seeing people giving of their time and donating their personal skills to bring a positive result on November 4th.

For the final week, I ask that everyone keep in mind what the real goal is. The real goal isn't just to win an election, what we are working for in 2008 is to take back our future. I've been stressing to voters the last couple of weeks to realize over the last 8 years poor decisions in Washington have put the future for our children and grandchildren in jeopardy. The one issue more apparent than any other is the outrageous deficit and debt that George W. Bush will leave behind when he moves out of the White House in January.

My Republican opponent constantly says the "Bush tax cuts are our tax cuts" when the real truth is the Bush debt is our debt. The only way we are going to get our future back is by voting for the right people on November 4th who will make the tough decisions to put our country back in order. It all starts with making our federal government fiscally strong so we can invest in our nation and make the lives of all our citizens better. Sacrifice will be necessary, but in the end our country will be better.

A Very Important Endorsement:

I am please to announce that my candidacy has received the endorsement of the Veterans and Military Families for Progress. In the letter informing our campaign of the endorsement the organization stated "Veterans and Military Families for Progress has chosen to endorse your campaign. We do this in recognition of your support of veteran, active duty, guard, reserve, and military family issues. We hope that in some way our endorsement provides you an electoral advantage and ultimately ensures your election to the Pennsylvania Fifth Congressional District seat".

This is a very important endorsement to receive from a prestigious organization that is dedicated to supporting the issues important of the active military and their families along with our veterans. This is an endorsement our campaign can be very proud to receive.

Campaign Commercial:

We are getting our message of fiscal responsibility out to the people of this district. We have a plan to right the ship and move in a new direction that includes balancing the budget, paying down the debt and investing here at home.

We can't afford any more of the "borrow and spend" mentality that has gotten us in this situation. This debt is a national security and issue and we intend to confront it with the experience and even-handedness it requires.

Review of the Past Week on the Campaign Trail:

I participated in 4 more candidate debates this week. We started off Monday evening with a 2 hour debate from Mansfield University in Tioga County that was broadcast live on PCN. Tuesday and Wednesday brought debates in smaller venues with stop in Bellefonte on Tuesday and an event on Wednesday in Lewistown. On Thursday all 3 candidates participated in a live 1 hour debate broadcast live on WPSU-TV.

The one thing I've taken out of all these debates that I've participated in, some just with my Republican opponent and others that also included the Libertarian candidate, is I am on the right side of the issues that affect the majority of the people in the 5th district. When you list off the issues we are regularly asked about in the debates -- Fiscal Responsibility, Health Care Reform, Social Security, Public Education Policy, Energy Policy and the Iraq War, the stances I take which mostly mirrors the rest of the Democratic Party platform are in line with what I am hearing from voters in the 5th district. We won't know until next week if what I'm saying is really resonating with the voters in the 5th district but I feel confident that our message is strong and voters are listening.

Saturday finished the week with a strong day of campaigning. I started out the day at 1 PM in Emporium, Cameron County for the fall Democratic luncheon. I then made a 70 mile dash to Lock Haven to attend a 3 PM GOTV rally headlined by Gov. Ed Rendell. I shared the stage with Rep. Mike Hanna, Obama campaign rep. Jayson Harpster, Clinton County Commissioners Joel Long and Adam Coleman, Lock Haven Mayor Rick Vilello and Clinton County Democratic Chairman Dave Wallace. Then it was on to a 5 PM appearance in Boalsburg at the Centre County Democratic Fall banquet with Gov. Rendell and all the Democratic candidates representing Centre County. The long day ended with a final stop after 7 PM in Lewistown for the Mifflin County Democratic Fall banquet.

Schedule for Upcoming Week:

Monday -- 6 PM -- Meeting with Federal Credit Union Members -- Hampton Inn DuBois

Tuesday -- 8 AM -- Radio Interview WRSC

Tuesday -- 9:30 AM -- Tour of AccuWeather

Tuesday -- 6:30 PM -- Debate in New Bethlehem / Clarion County sponsored by League of Women Voters

Wednesday -- 7 PM -- Penn State Political Science Debate -- West Hall Commons Building -- Main Campus

Thursday -- 8 AM -- Radio Interview -- DuBois

Thursday -- 7 PM -- WPSU Radio Debate

Friday -- 8 AM -- Radio Interview with Jerry Fisher -- State College

Saturday -- Time TBD -- GOTV Rally in Clarion County

Sunday -- Time TBD -- GOTV Rally in State College

FUNDRAISING REMINDER -- Keep talking with people about the 5,000 Friends to Flip the Fifth project. We can win the 5th District Congressional District for the first time in 32 years but we need to be organizing our forces heading into the final weeks. The only way to turn this country around is to send people to Washington who will make the tough decisions. The choice in the 5th district is clear. My opponent regularly states that he supports the fiscal policies of the Bush administration AKA "the Bush tax cuts" and will continue them -- More of the Same. While I continue to stress that we must balance the budget, built a surplus and pay down the debt.

In order to get the message out to voters we will need to advertise which costs money. Please contact your family and friends and urge them to financially support our campaign as we move into the final weeks. Donations can be made online through www.actblue.com or by direct mail to McCracken for Congress, PO Box 332, Clearfield PA 16830.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Come January 2009 -- We Must Remember What The American People Expect

2008-10-20T13:30:00.006-04:00

Earlier this week I received an email from a 5th district voter with very strong pro-life beliefs who would like to vote for me. She told me via email that she is comfortable that I am Catholic and my stance on pro-life issues is similar to that of Sen. Robert Casey. She feels it is very likely Barack Obama will be elected President and the Democratic Party will gain seats Congress. Where her concern lies is what actions a newly inaugurated President Barack Obama and a United States Congress with a strong Democratic majority will take after January of 2009. She is afraid there will be a far left agenda that will attempt to overturn pro-life initiatives put into effect like the ban on partial birth abortions.

In my response back to her, I explained that my agenda when I arrive in Washington will be exactly what I’ve been campaigning on. I want to concentrate on fiscal responsibility, a national energy policy that stresses domestically produced alternative fuels, health care and health insurance reform, saving and strengthening Social Security, rescinding No Child Left Behind and bringing our troops home from Iraq. I also mentioned that I will not stand for Congress losing sight of what the agenda must be -- solving the problems important to the middle class.

There are so many important issues the American people want resolved and, if they give the Democratic Party a mandate with the election of Barack Obama as President and a larger majority in the United States Congress, we must strictly honor the wishes of the people. From Barack Obama on down, we need to realize going in the American people want results and they want the mess left by George W. Bush cleaned up. What they not accept is veering off on a far left agenda that brings issues to the table that have nothing to do with the economy and the problems of the middle class.

For the first time since the so called “Reagan Revolution” in 1980, the country is ready to put their full trust in the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party the voters want to see is one that will concentrate on the problems of the middle class and will reflect the leadership values of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy. To make this happen and to honor the trust the American people will give to the Democratic Party on November 4th, the far left elements must stand down and allow Barack Obama and a moderate Democratic Congress to lead this country. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to turn our country around and there is no margin for error.

Gen. Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama:

Today’s endorsement by Colin Powell of Barack Obama is news that will likely solidify what the outcome will be on November 4th. To have someone of Gen. Powell’s stature come out and endorse Sen. Obama should speak volumes to any of the undecided voters still out there. It should also encourage those to of us who long ago decided that Barack Obama is the leader we need that we made the right choice.

Review of the Past Week on the Campaign Trail:

This week I participated in 3 candidate forum / debates with my opponents. I feel very confident in my performance against my 2 opponents and I am able to show the voters that we are on their side on the important issues like fiscal responsibility, health care reform, saving Social Security, energy policy and the concern for the problems of the middle class.

On Friday evening, Henry Guthrie and I traveled to Forest County to meet with members of the Democratic Party there. Thanks to Sheriff Bob Wolfgang for arranging the meeting. There was a large contingent of Forest County Democrats at the meeting and they are ready to do everything they can to help our campaign and see a big Democratic victory on November 4th.

On Saturday evening, Kelly and I traveled to Ridgway for the Elk County Democratic Committee fall dinner. It was a wonderful event and we got to hear a round of great speeches from Nye Simmons representing the Obama campaign, Don Hilliard running for the State Senate and Rep. Dan Surra running for re-election to the state house. The folks in Elk County are out working hard for the Democratic ticket and I reminded them that Elk County with a solid Democratic registration majority will play a large role in the outcome of the 5th district race.

Schedule for Upcoming Week:

Monday -- 11:30 AM -- Williamsport Rotary

Monday -- 5:00 PM -- McCracken for Congress Pre-Debate Reception - St. James Church Parish Hall -- 30 Wellsboro Street -- Mansfield PA.

Monday -- 7:00 PM -- Tioga County Debate -- Mansfield Univ. Straughn Auditorium

Tuesday -- 3 - 3:45 PM -- Arnold Addison Court in St. College -- with Art Goldschmidt

Tuesday -- 4 - 5 PM Foxdale Retirement Community in St. College -- with Art Goldschmidt

Tuesday -- 7 PM -- Bellefonte Media Outlet Debate

Wednesday -- 6:30 PM -- Mifflin County Farm Bureau Debate -- Indian Valley HS - Lewistown

Thursday -- 7 PM -- WPSU TV Debate -- State College

Friday -- WJAC Debate in Centre County -- Details TBA

Saturday -- 1 PM -- Cameron County Democratic Lunch - Emporium

Saturday -- 5 PM -- Centre County Fall Democratic Banquet -- State College

Sunday -- 12 Noon -- House Party at Marie Sweets in State College

FUNDRAISING REMINDER -- Keep talking with people about the 5,000 Friends to Flip the Fifth project. We can win the 5th District Congressional District for the first time in 32 years but we need to be organizing our forces heading into the final weeks. The only way to turn this country around is to send people to Washington who will make the tough decisions. The choice in the 5th district is clear. My opponent regularly states that he supports the fiscal policies of the Bush administration AKA "the Bush tax cuts" and will continue them -- More of the Same. While I continue to stress that we must balance the budget, built a surplus and pay down the debt.

In order to get the message out to voters we will need to advertise which costs money. Please contact your family and friends and urge them to financially support our campaign as we move into the final weeks. Donations can be made online through www.actblue.com or by direct mail to McCracken for Congress, PO Box 332, Clearfield PA 16830.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Who is Responsible for the Financial Crisis? -- October 12th, 2008

2008-10-13T12:16:00.005-04:00

Not surprisingly, we are seeing on TV and across the nation a strong and sometimes vicious debate erupting about who or what is to blame for the financial meltdown that is impacting not only our domestic markets but world markets as well. This was also a hot subject at the debates and forums held this week for the candidates in the 5th district race.

It is very troubling to see certain people on the national scene attempt to blame this crisis on people who took out mortgages they could not afford. We are also hearing criticism that federal government policies put in place during the 90's to encourage home ownership by low income minorities was a major factor in the crisis.

The problem was not caused by hard working people who were trying to purchase a home. The problem lies with the lending institutions that made bad loans and the people who approved the loans. The lending institutions should have been performing stringent reviews and they had the authority to approve or reject loans and mortgages. Regardless of what the federal government was saying, the lending institutions should have been looking out for their own best interests and when someone applied for a mortgage that was a risk, the lending institution should have rejected the application and advised the person to find a home that was more affordable.

The problem is widespread and I know first hand of people who were rejected by local lending institutions only to find an out of the area lender that approved their mortgage on a property they will struggle to afford. Not only do they have a problem paying the mortgage but the property taxes are also more than they can reasonably afford. There are many cases where good lending institutions will tell someone no but there were others willing to take a gamble and approve risky lending.

The gamble these risky lenders took was two fold. First, the lending institution gambles the borrower can struggle and make the payments, with the second part of the gamble being somewhat unethical. They were betting against the people they were lending money to with the secondary goal being foreclosure on the property. The unethical portion of this is betting that someone would fail, causing families to lose their homes so a corporate interest could gain ownership of real estate. Of course what goes around comes around. The housing bubble burst, values went down and the risky lending institutions were left holding ownership to properties that are now worth less than what was owed on their books.

It is unconscionable that corporate America, Wall Street and certain political and media elements now point the finger of blame at people who just wanted a better life with a nice home. Blame and responsibility lies with those who had the control to approve or reject lending. Over the last 30 years, corporate America, Wall Street and the financial interests have been granted wide ranging powers by our federal government and they decide the direction of our free market economy. REMEMBER -- With power comes responsibility. Now, ask yourself -- who is ultimately responsible for the financial crisis? Is it your neighbor down the street that lost his home or does the blame lie with those who made the risky business decisions?

Another Important Endorsement:

The McCracken for Congress Campaign has received another important endorsement from the 23,000 member United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776. In the letter to our campaign informing us of the endorsement, UFCW Local 1776 President Wendell W. Young IV wrote "Our endorsement recognizes your commitment to policies that will benefit working families".

Review of the Past Week on the Campaign Trail:

It was a busy week with candidate forums in Punxsutawney on Monday, Emporium on Tuesday, DuBois on Thursday and Williamsport on Friday. All of these events were very good with the forum in DuBois on Thursday lasting 1 hour and 45 minutes that was broadcast live of 4 radio stations. The DuBois forum sponsored by the DuBois Chamber along with both the Democratic and Republican county committees offered some unique and challenging subjects for all 3 candidates to address.

Late Friday evening I attended the oPROMa event in State College that was organized by the Penn State College Democrats. In speaking with the Penn State College Democrats, I reminded them to spread the word to their fellow students that this election is their election to change the future. During the last 8 years, George W. Bush and his administration's policies have mortgaged the future of our nation. I concluded my brief speech with the call "During the last 8 years Bush has tried to take your future from you - Go out on November 4th and take your future back".

Saturday was a busy day with events on both ends of the district that were complicated with some personal problems. I woke up on Saturday with a very sore throat and hardly any voice. I was hoping it would get better during the day but it didn't. What a nightmare -- a politician without a voice.

We attended the Flaming Foliage Festival Parade in Renovo early in the afternoon. It was a great parade with the streets jam packed with people.

The Democratic float including State Rep. Mike Hanna, County Chair Dave Wallace, Clinton County Commissioner Adam Coleman, Senator John Wozniak and Clinton County Commissioner Joel Long. Not pictured -- Kelsey Lomanson who drove the Jeep pulling the float.

Mike Hanna and I tossing candy to the crowd.

With supporter Jonah and his mom Linda at the Venango County Dinner. By this time my voice was gone but Jonah assured me he has the 2nd grade votes at his school lined up for me.

Schedule for Upcoming Week:

Tuesday 7 PM -- PSU DuBois -- Meeting with Students for Obama

Wednesday 8:30 AM -- St Marys -- AHUG Breakfast Forum

Wednesday 7 PM -- Centre County League of Women Voters Debate -- State College

Thursday 7 PM -- WPVL Debate -- State College

Friday 7 PM -- Meeting With Forest County Voters and Officials

Saturday 8 AM -- AARP Candidates Breakfast -- DuBois

Saturday -- 6 PM -- Elk County Democratic Fall Banquet -- Ridgway / Royal Inn

FUNDRAISING REMINDER -- Keep talking with people about the 5,000 Friends to Flip the Fifth project. We can win the 5th District Congressional District for the first time in 32 years but we need to be organizing our forces heading into the final weeks. The only way to turn this country around is to send people to Washington who will make the tough decisions. The choice in the 5th district is clear. My opponent regularly states that he supports the fiscal policies of the Bush administration AKA "the Bush tax cuts" and will continue them -- More of the Same. While I continue to stress that we must balance the budget, built a surplus and pay down the debt.

In order to get the message out to voters we will need to advertise which costs money. Please contact your family and friends and urge them to financially support our campaign as we move into the final weeks. Donations can be made online through www.actblue.com or by direct mail to McCracken for Congress, PO Box 332, Clearfield PA 16830.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- United States National Debt Surpasses $10 Trillion

2008-10-07T12:04:00.009-04:00

While everyone was focusing on the fate of the bailout plan this week, the federal government’s debt passed the $10 trillion mark with hardly anyone noticing. Of course, the bailout plan insures that this debt will climb even higher as there is specific language in the bailout plan authorizing the federal government to raise the debt limit and borrow up to $840 billion to fund the bailout.

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U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK

The Outstanding Public Debt as of 05 Oct 2008 at 12:45:21 PM GMT is:

$10,156,891,193,312.09

The estimated population of the United States is 304,852,050
so each citizen's share of this debt is $33,317.19.

The National Debt has continued to increase an average of
$3.08 billion per day since September 28, 2007!

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The working people of the United States should be outraged that the members of Congress passed the bailout bill without addressing a way to fund the cost. It is bordering on criminal that our elected leaders at the federal level continue to allow this debt to grow ignoring the impact it will have on the future security of our nation. I have continued to stress as the main theme of my campaign that we must elect leaders who will make fiscal responsibility a top priority. We must solve this problem now or we will pass it on to our children and grandchildren, leaving this country a weak shell of what it once was.

In a typical campaign year, voters would be looking for the candidates that are spreading the “Happy Days Are Here Again” message. However, in 2008, unless you are living a severe state of denial, you have to realize that tough times are upon us and tough choices must be made. I’ve heard my Republican opponent regularly state “I believe our best days are ahead of us.” The hard facts are people are struggling with higher fuel prices, no health care coverage, higher food prices and higher local taxes because of the failed policies of the last 8 years and the neglect of the problems affecting the middle class. While they’ve worked to reform welfare for individuals, our government is now passing bailout legislation that amounts to corporate welfare.

The real message voters need to hear is the hard truth. This country is a mess and tough decisions must be made to turn the country around. The turn around won’t be a quick and it won’t be easy. But, if voters do their part and make the right choices on November 4th, we can start the process to bring our country back. And, in bringing the country back, the emphasis must be on putting the needs of the working people above the desires of corporate America for profits.

Review of the Past Week on the Campaign Trail:

This past week I was on the road doing interviews with several newspapers from within the 5th district and I also recorded a ½ hour interview that will be broadcast later in October on PCN. There were also candidate forums this week in Clearfield and Bradford where I had the chance to discuss the issues with my opponents. Finally, we finished the week with 2 great events. On Friday in State College Justin Braz and Bill Van Saun arranged an event with some Penn State students so we could talk with them about how important this election is to young voters. State Rep. Scott Conklin also spoke with the young voters.

On Saturday we traveled to Clarion to participate in the Autumn Leaf Festival parade. It was a great event with special guests Franco Harris and his wife Dana on hand representing the Obama campaign. The people in Clarion were chanting “Franco, Franco” throughout the parade route and it was really encouraging to hear the cheers for the Democratic floats and the enthusiasm for Barack Obama. Special thanks go out to Clarion County Democratic Chairman Bill Miller for pulling everything together, State Rep. Matt Ellenberger and the Clarion University Young Dems for their work building 2 great floats.

Franco Harris with Clarion University Young Dems

With State Rep Candidate Matt Ellenberger in front of Democratic Float

Bob Myers from Venango County getting autograph from Franco Harris

Talking with Franco Harris

Schedule for the Upcoming Week:

Tuesday -- Cameron County Debate - 6:00PM

Wednesday -- WJAC Interview - 9:00AM

Thursday -- Debate at State College High School [TENTATIVE] - 10:00AM, PSU-DuBois Debate - 6:30PM

Friday -- Lycoming County Grange Meet the Candidates Forum - 6:00PM, Dinner with the PSU Young Dems - 8:00PM

Saturday -- Renovo Flaming Foliage Parage - 12:00PM, Venango County Democratic Dinner - 7:00PM

FUNDRAISING REMINDER -- Keep talking with people about the 5,000 Friends to Flip the Fifth project. We can win the 5th District Congressional District for the first time in 32 years but we need to be organizing our forces heading into the final weeks. The only way to turn this country around is to send people to Washington who will make the tough decisions. The choice in the 5th district is clear. My opponent regularly states that he supports the fiscal policies of the Bush administration AKA "the Bush tax cuts" and will continue them -- More of the Same. While I continue to stress that we must balance the budget, built a surplus and pay down the debt.

In order to get the message out to voters we will need to advertise which costs money. Please contact your family and friends and urge them to financially support our campaign as we move into the final weeks. Donations can be made online through www.actblue.com or by direct mail to McCracken for Congress, PO Box 332, Clearfield PA 16830.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Who Understands the Problems Facing the 5th District and the Nation -- September 28th, 2008

2008-09-29T12:23:00.002-04:00

Throughout the campaign I've been involved in several candidate forums with my opponents for the open seat in the 5th Congressional District. Additionally, during the final 5 weeks of the campaign there will be several additional opportunities for voters in the 5th district to watch all three candidates debate the important issues facing the district and the nation. The important question voters should consider while watching or listening to these events is which of the three candidates really understands the important problems facing our nation.

There are several issues that clearly define and differentiate where I stand and what I believe in versus my two opponents. I've found that my stances on Health Care Reform, the future of Social Security, understanding the economic problems in the 5th district and, most importantly, fiscal responsibility by the federal government separate me from my two opponents.

Starting with Health Care Reform, my Republican opponent has repeatedly stated "the United States has the best healthcare system in the world" and says "we don't turn people away." But, the sad fact is there are 45.7 million uninsured people in the United States and many more underinsured. He also regularly says that a "tremendous debate needs to occur" and that the way to solve the nation's health care crisis is to "peel away the layers of federal regulations."

In contrast, I understand that too many of our citizens, both here in the 5th district and across the nation, lack access to affordable health care. The statement that "we don't turn people away" is completely false. The fact remains that people who have no health care coverage do get turned away and those who finally get treatment once it is a critical situation that requires a trip to the emergency room are then faced with harassment from the billing department at the hospital or by a collection agency.

On health care reform, my opponents are wrong on several counts -- we don't need a "tremendous debate" we've talked long enough and we need more detailed solutions than just "peeling away the layers of federal regulations." Throughout the campaign, I have proposed as a first step a voluntary national health insurance purchasing pool to provide low cost health care coverage for individuals and small businesses. Once this proves successful, then we can move forward on the real solution which is universal health care for everyone.

On Social Security, the contrast is also clear. On numerous occasions my Republican opponent has touted his strong support for the idea of allowing young people to take part of their Social Security to invest in private accounts. I have stressed that we must work to save and strengthen Social Security for all future generations and any policy that includes private accounts like those proposed by my Republican opponent would only weaken Social Security.

Of even greater concern is the fact that private financial investments fail as we've clearly witnessed in recent weeks. What happens in the future if funds diverted from Social Security to private accounts fail? Will the taxpayers in the future have to bailout millions of individuals who chose to go the private accounts route when their investments fail and they have no retirement to fall back on. The choice must be to save and strengthen Social Security for our children and grandchildren. Policies that would weaken the system while placing the future retirement of millions of our young people at risk is unacceptable and candidates proposing these ideas should be rejected.

Finally, the one issue that I'm asking the voters in the 5th district to really judge the candidates on is the issue of fiscal responsibility in Washington. This is an issue I understand as a citizen, as a former school board member and now as a county commissioner. I will continue to stress that the most important thing we need from Congress is fiscal responsibility with a commitment to balancing the federal budget which currently has a $482 billion deficit, building a solid surplus and, most important, paying down the $9.7 trillion federal government debt. My Republican opponent continues to build his campaign around "extending the Bush tax cuts" while at the same time proposing increases in spending.

As proof of my commitment to supporting fiscal responsibility and my honesty with the voters in comparison to my Republican opponent's mixed signals on fiscal matters go to www.yourcandidatesyourhealth.org and compare both of our responses on increased federal funding for research. Throughout the campaign and in surveys I've been asked to complete, I stress that there is a fiscal crisis in Washington and there is NO MONEY for increased domestic spending until we make the commitment to solving the fiscal crisis. In contrast, my Republican opponent continues to support the failed fiscal policies from the last 8 years and he continues to suggest that federal funding increases are possible in many areas.

In the closing weeks of the campaign, I'm going to stress to voters to use the fiscal crisis as the key issue to decide the 5th district race. The question voters must ask themselves is this: Do you want a person representing you in Congress who understands our biggest problem is the $9.7 trillion debt owed to nations like China and Saudi Arabia OR do you want a person who disregards this threat in favor of extending tax cuts that benefited the most wealthy and affluent citizens? Perhaps more important to consider is this: Will we send people to Congress who will confront and solve this threat now, or will we pass responsibility for this problem on to our children and grandchildren?

More on the Bush bailout plan: I wrote last week of my concern about President Bush's plan to provide a $700 billion bailout to rescue failing financial institutions. Earlier this week I watched President Bush speak to the nation about his plan where he attempted to explain what he was doing and why he wanted to do it. While we heard the what and the why, he failed to offer the most important information the nation needed to hear -- How is he going to pay for it. Sadly, the facts are out in his proposal that the $700 billion bailout will be paid for by increasing the federal debt limit which means the bailout will be funded with more borrowed money AKA fiscally irresponsible policies.
If I was a member of Congress now, I could not support any bailout bill that fails to address funding the bailout and I would strongly and vocally oppose adding this cost to the debt. However, I would be offering solutions on how to raise the funds to pay for the bailout. Specifically I would suggest the following recommendations to raise revenue to fund the bailout:

1. I would call for immediate investigations to identify any corporate executives who were responsible for this financial fiasco and would demand that the bailout bill include language to freeze and seize the assets of those responsible for the mess. The assets of those responsible would then be liquidated to pay restitution to the federal government to help fund the bailout.

2. I would propose 2 funding streams that would expire once the bailout costs are recovered. First, there would be a ½ % stock transfer fee. In order to waive this fee for private citizens who dabble in the stock market, the first $5,000 per year would be exempt from the fee. Second, there would be a ½ % mortgage fee that would be waived from the first $75,000 of the mortgage amount so it would not severely impact first time home buyers.

These two suggestions would raise significant revenue to fund the bailout plan and would also keep the cost from being applied to the federal debt. It would also place responsibility for funding the bailout costs on those who will benefit from the bailout rather than the middle class taxpayers. The most important language that would be included in regards to both the stock transfer fee and the mortgage fee is that they will expire once the crisis is over. This will provide the incentive for leaders in the financial services industry to do everything they can to get us through the financial crisis so the added fees to the federal government will expire as soon as possible.

Schedule for the Upcoming Week:

Monday -- Newspaper Interviews -- The Progress / Clearfield, Clarion, Ridgway and St. Marys, Daily Collegian

Tuesday -- WJAC Interview, Meet the Candidates -- Clearfield Chamber of Commerce at Elks Club

Wednesday -- Meeting with Fayette Resources / DuBois, Interviews with PCN and Lewistown Sentinel, State College Borough Democratic Committee event -- 6 PM Ramada Inn in State College

Thursday -- Newspaper Interviews during the day, Debate in Bradford at Pitt / Bradford Campus 6 PM

Friday -- Event in State College with PSU Students

Saturday -- Clarion Leaf Festival and Parade

FUNDRAISING REMINDER -- Keep talking with people about the 5,000 Friends to Flip the Fifth project. We can win the 5th District Congressional District for the first time in 32 years but we need to be organizing our forces heading into the final weeks. The only way to turn this country around is to send people to Washington who will make the tough decisions. The choice in the 5th district is clear. My opponent regularly states that he supports the fiscal policies of the Bush administration AKA "the Bush tax cuts" and will continue them -- More of the Same. While I continue to stress that we must balance the budget, built a surplus and pay down the debt.

In order to get the message out to voters we will need to advertise which costs money. Please contact your family and friends and urge them to financially support our campaign as we move into the final weeks. Donations can be made online through www.actblue.com or by direct mail to McCracken for Congress, PO Box 332, Clearfield PA 16830.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Before Any Bailouts Are Approved Those Responsible MUST Be Held Accountable. -- September 21st, 2008

2008-09-23T13:18:00.001-04:00

The last few weeks have seen our nation's economic and financial institutions in the most critical condition since the days in 1929 when the stock market crashed and banks failed sending the country into the Great Depression. This morning I came upon an online headline that read "Bush team, Congress negotiate $700 Billion Bailout". At first glance, the general public probably feels that this is welcome news. However, there are many troubling details about this plan by the lame duck Bush administration that the American people need to be aware of. Below are some of the details about the plan found online at http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080921/D93AVJUO0.html.

1. The rescue plan would give Washington broad authority to purchase bad mortgage-related assets from U.S. financial institutions for the next two years. It does not specify which institutions qualify or what, if anything, the government would get in return for the unprecedented infusion.

2. The proposal is a mere three pages long, but it gives sweeping powers to the government to dispense gigantic sums of taxpayer dollars in a program that would be sheltered from court review.

3. Lawmakers digesting the eye-popping cost and searching for specifics voiced concerns that the proposal offers no help for struggling homeowners or safeguards for taxpayers' money.

4. The proposal would raise the statutory limit on the national debt from $10.6 trillion to $11.3 trillion to make room for the massive rescue. -- FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY ALERT!

Perhaps most troubling is there is no mention of placing responsibility for this disaster on anyone, especially the financial geniuses that made millions of dollars in salaries and bonuses overseeing and mismanaging their firms. In fact, there are reports that people involved in the failures of these financial institutions had guaranteed buyout contracts that will pay millions of dollars to them as the go out the door.

Let's be blunt - any bailout plan offered by the federal government should immediately freeze all funds going to those who perpetrated this disaster on our nation. Additionally, any person responsible for this mess should have their assets seized and eventually liquidated with the funds generated going towards financial restitution to help reimburse the federal government for the bailout. Those who were responsible for this mess must be held accountable!

Finally, it is completely unacceptable that the bailout plan includes language that raises the statutory limit on the national debt from $10.6 trillion to $11.3 trillion. There it is, more of the same borrow and spend mentality from the Bush administration and Congress. They will again place the financial cost on our children and grandchildren rather than making the tough decision on how to fund this bailout.

I will go on record that I will not support this type of legislation while I am serving in the United States Congress. It is completely unacceptable that the Bush administration and leaders in Congress are negotiating a bailout that fails to address holding those accountable who are responsible for this mess. Instead, they are going to tack an additional $700 billion on the deficit and debt while those responsible slink off to their compounds in the Hamptons with golden parachute buyouts that will leave them set for life. These are probably the same people who most benefited from the Bush tax cuts.

As a reminder -- here is the Debt Clock which is available on line at http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock

U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK

The Outstanding Public Debt as of 21 Sep 2008 at 03:02:37 PM GMT is:

$ 9 , 6 6 9 , 6 3 3 , 2 3 6 , 9 6 3 . 9 1

The estimated population of the United States is 304,768,519
so each citizen's share of this debt is $31,727.80.

The National Debt has continued to increase an average of
$1.84 billion per day since September 28, 2007!

I believe Barack Obama said it best -- ENOUGH! It is time to start sending people to Congress who will make the tough decisions and hold those people accountable who are tearing our country apart.

Defining a "Cowards Tax Increase"

I've received many positive comments about my statement referencing a "coward's tax increase" I made during a candidate forum in Philipsburg this week. As a school board member and as county commissioner, I've seen many unfunded mandates come down to the local level from both Washington and Harrisburg. A perfect example of a "cowards tax increase" is the No Child Left Behind legislation that was implemented by the Bush administration and the Republican controlled Congress.

While they were granting record tax cuts for the wealthiest 5% of Americans, they were mandating that all public school systems adopt No Child Left Behind without providing adequate funding down to the local level. Washington knew when they mandated No Child Left Behind that it would cost money at the local level. When they knew that it would cost additional money from the taxpayers but they passed responsibility for raising taxes to pay for it down to the local level they are guilty of a "Coward's Tax Increase". It should also be recognized that cutting taxes on the wealthiest 5% while passing the cost for No Child Left Behind to people who pay school property tax is clearly another shifting of tax burden from the wealthy to the middle class that has been a consequence of "trickle down" economics.

Schedule for the Upcoming Week:

Sunday -- Union Township Fire Company Anniversary Celebration and Truck Show -- Rockton P

Monday -- We're Backin' McCracken Golf Outing - Belles Springs Golf Course - Clinton County, Tour of CATA Facilities -- 2 PM, Meeting with Representatives from PA Office of Rural Health -- 3:15 PM

Wednesday -- Jefferson County Democratic Meeting -- 7 PM

Thursday -- Newspaper Interviews during the day, WPSU Radio Debate -- 6:30 PM

Friday -- Event at Bob Sheppard's House -- PA Furnace -- 6 PM

Saturday -- 1890's Festival Parade and Festival -- Tioga County

Sunday -- Fall Festival -- Snow Shoe

FUNDRAISING REMINDER -- Keep talking with people about the 5,000 Friends to Flip the Fifth project. We can win the 5th District Congressional District for the first time in 32 years but we need to be organizing our forces heading into the final weeks. The only way to turn this country around is to send people to Washington who will make the tough decisions. The choice in the 5th district is clear. My opponent regularly states that he supports the fiscal policies of the Bush administration AKA "the Bush tax cuts" and will continue them -- More of the Same. While I continue to stress that we must balance the budget, built a surplus and pay down the debt.

In order to get the message out to voters we will need to advertise which costs money. Please contact your family and friends and urge them to financially support our campaign as we move into the final weeks. Donations can be made online through www.actblue.com or by direct mail to McCracken for Congress, PO Box 332, Clearfield PA 16830.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Turning Around This Country Will Require Tough Choices and Leaders Who Have the Courage to Make Them -- September 14th, 2008

2008-09-15T13:47:00.007-04:00

This past Friday morning in Venango County all 3 candidates for the 5th Congressional District appeared at the Venango County Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Candidate Forum. During this event, the issue of fiscal responsibility, the $482 billion budget deficit and the $9.7 trillion federal debt came up several times. Fiscal responsibility is perhaps the single issue that clearly defines the difference between me and my opponents in this campaign.

Since day one of my candidacy I've stressed that we must bring the federal budget back in balance, return to growing a surplus and make the long term commitment to paying down our debt to foreign countries. My Republican opponent stated again on Friday that he supports extending the Bush tax cuts. Contrary to what he says, I continue to believe the first step to return to fiscal responsibility is to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire. Below is a chart from the Congressional Budget Office that shows the negative impact the Bush tax cuts had on the federal budget along with projections of what will happen when they expire.

Be advised, the chart above was released in January of 08, months before the Bush administration themselves announced a record deficit of $482 billion when they leave office in January of 09. The chart above actually had a more optimistic projection of a deficit of around $220 billion for 08/09.

While John McCain and many Republicans running for Congress continue to support the idea of "trickle down" economics, there is no proof that this type of fiscal policy will succeed, especially with the unstable condition the nation's economy is in. Consider that banks are failing, the housing bubble has burst, the mortgage / foreclosure crisis, the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the American auto industry is seeking federal loan guarantees along with and other economic indicators that show the US economy in turmoil. There are too many problems that require financial intervention from the federal government at a time when our federal government is in it's fiscally weakest condition ever.

I continually point to the fact of how well off the economy was in the late 90's when we were showing fiscal responsibility with a balanced budget, a growing surplus and a decreasing debt load. Then, George W. Bush took office on January 20th, 2001 with a record budget surplus and he, along with the Republican controlled Congress, chose to halt fiscally responsible policy for the quick gratification of a tax cut that mostly benefited the wealthiest 5% of the citizens. Even more problematic was when President Bush made the decision to begin the Iraq war, he failed to adjust his fiscal policies to pay for it.

We must recognize that the fiscal mess, while blame lies directly with George W. Bush and Congress, is our nation's #1 problem and it must be dealt with before we can move forward on solving other domestic problems. In order to fix this problem, it is going to take sacrifice on the part of everyone. Unfortunately, it is the people at the top who benefited the most from the Bush tax cuts that cry out "they want to take away MY TAX CUT". These same people must be reminded that while they benefited from the Bush tax cuts, it is now "our deficit and our debt" regardless of who the politicians were that made the irresponsible decisions to get us in this hole. If we were to assign a moral to the story of the George W. Bush presidency, it would be reasonable to say "The Rich Got Richer, The Poor Got Poorer and the Middle Class Had To Pay For It".

While members of the next Congress will have tough choices to make on how to deal with this fiscal mess, voters will first have to make their own tough choice on November 4th. Before you vote on November 4th ask yourself this - Do you want to solve this problem now or have it grow larger and pass it on to your children and grandchildren? Make no mistake -- The Bill Must Be Paid at some point. Voters need to look at this issue in this context: If you were running a business that was having financial problems and you had the choice to hire a person that identified why your business was failing and how to fix it VERSUS a person who was in denial that the problem exists and fails to recognize what caused the problem -- which person would you hire to solve this problem?

I am the only candidate on the ballot in the 5th Congressional District who recognizes the problem and will commit to making the tough / responsible choices to solve this problem that will ultimately secure a better future for our children and grandchildren. It won't be easy, but we were on the right track in the 90's and we can get back there again.

Here is a link to a story about the 5th District race that is on goerie.com

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008809140378

Highlights From The Past Week:

Last Sunday, Kelly, Amanda and I had a wonderful time attending the Democratic picnics in Clinton and Lycoming Counties. On Tuesday, I invited Art Goldschmidt of State College to travel with me to Tioga County to attend the opening of the Tioga County Obama / Democratic Headquarters. Wednesday we were in St. Marys attending a labor rally for both myself and State Rep. Dan Surra that was organized by various labor unions. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO for providing the Billy Bus for an appearance at the rally in St. Marys. Friday was the aforementioned Venango County Chamber Candidate Forum. In the evening on Friday I attended the 50th Anniversary of the Brady Township Fire Company in Luthersburg, Clearfield County.

Saturday, Henry Guthrie and I spent the day in Warren County attending the opening of the Obama / Democratic Headquarters in Warren and later in the day we attended the Warren County Democratic Committee Steak Dinner. Below are some pictures from the events in Warren County.

Warren County Obama HQ Opening Pictures:

Warren County Democratic Committee Steak Dinner:

Schedule for the Upcoming Week:

Sunday -- Mike Hanna Event in Moshannon PA -- 3 PM

Tuesday -- Visit to Clarion County Democratic HQ -- Meeting with Clarion / Venango County Supporters -- 7 PM

Wednesday -- Moshannon Valley EDC Candidate Breakfast Forum -- 8 PM Philipsburg Country Club, Centre County Realtors Lunch -- State College -- Noon / Elk County Democratic Meeting -- 7 PM

Thursday -- DuBois Chamber of Commerce Legislative Day -- DuBois Country Club -- 5 PM

Friday -- Venango County Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Candidate Forum -- Franklin PA -- 7:30 AM, Brady Township in Clearfield County VFD 50th Anniversary Dinner -- 6 PM

Saturday -- Festival in Johnsonburg -- Elk County / Elk Expo -- Kersey / Sykesville Gun Raffle -- 5:30 PM

Sunday -- Union Twp Fire Co. 50th Annv. Celebration / Truck Show -- Rockton PA

IMPORTANT - Keith Bierly is still signing up people to participate in the "We're Backin McCracken Golf Outing" on Monday September 22nd beginning at 8 AM at the Belles Springs Golf Course - Clinton County. Please contact Keith at keithbierly@yahoo.com.

REMINDER -- Keep talking with people about the 5,000 Friends to Flip the Fifth project. We can win the 5th District Congressional District for the first time in 32 years but we need to be organizing our forces heading into the final weeks. While it's my name that will be on the ballot on November 4th, this victory will be for all the hard working people of the 5th Congressional District.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Calling for a Rural Renewal in the 5th District -- September 7th, 2008

2008-09-08T14:56:00.003-04:00

As we move into the final 2 months in the campaign for the 5th Congressional District, the economic conditions in the 5th district will play a key role in the outcome of this race. The facts are clear that rural north central and northwest Pennsylvania lags behind the rest of the state and nation in economic development and opportunities for our citizens. Recent unemployment statistics released by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry shows that 2 counties in the 5th district, Cameron and Forest, have the 2 highest unemployment rates in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Additionally, 15 of the 17 counties in the 5th district have unemployment rates over 5%, which is unacceptable.

While the unemployment news is bad enough, worse is the most recent median household income figures reported by the US Census Bureau -- 2006 American Communities Survey showing that citizens in the 5th district earn on average almost $12,000 less per year than the rest of the United States. This is an abysmal number and is one of the main reasons that the best and brightest of our young people tend to leave our communities after high school and college graduation. Why would they stay when the cost for food, clothes, gas, utilities and other necessities are the same as the rest of the country while income levels are much less in the 5th district?

What is needed for the 5th district to combat a continuation of the high unemployment rates and lower than average income levels is a commitment to have a "Rural Renewal" in the 5th Congressional District. When I am your congressman, I plan to work on the idea of having a rural renewal for rural north central and northwest Pennsylvania that will bring investment for necessary infrastructure improvements to all our counties and communities. I will work as a direct partner with county commissioners and economic development agencies to determine what upgrades are needed in the various counties and then work with state and federal level officials to secure funding for important projects.

The idea for a "Rural Renewal" will only work if voters in the 5th district realize that turning around the economic fortunes of this district starts with them on November 4th. While the economic indicator numbers referenced above are recent numbers from June of 2008 for the unemployment figures and from 2006 for the median income levels, these are trends that have continued in the 5th district for several decades. These trends have continued over the last 12 years under our current representative in Washington and likely will continue unless the next member of Congress from the 5th District makes a real commitment to changing these trends. My commitment is that I will be the lead partner with our state and county level elected officials along with economic development and business leaders to bring a rural renewal to the 5th district.

The question voters must ask themselves is this: Do you want More of the Same high unemployment and low wages or do you want Something Better in a Rural Renewal for the 5th Congressional District?

Schedule for the Upcoming Week:

Sunday -- Clinton County Picnic at 1 PM / Lycoming County Picnic at 3 PM

Monday -- American Federation Of Government Employees Council Of Prison Locals, Local 3974 -- Bradford PA -- 5 PM

Tuesday -- Tioga County / Mansfield -- Obama / Democratic HQ Opening -- 5 PM

Wednesday -- Surra / McCracken Labor Rally -- St. Marys -- 3 PM

Friday -- Venango County Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Candidate Forum -- Franklin PA -- 7:30 AM, Brady Township in Clearfield County VFD 50th Anniversary Dinner -- 6 PM

Saturday -- Warren County HQ Opening -- 3 PM Warren County Democratic Steak Cookout Picnic -- 5 PM

Sunday -- Mike Hanna Fundraiser -- Moshannon PA -- 3 PM

We look forward to seeing you out there on the campaign trail!

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Jobs and the Economy in the 5th District -- August 31, 2008

2008-09-01T14:39:00.006-04:00

This week, I had the opportunity to participate with my fellow 5th district candidates in a forum sponsored by WPSU TV to discuss job creation and economic conditions in the 5th Congressional District. As we fielded questions on the various issues, I paid close attention to how my views on job creation and retention along with overall economic development strategy differed from my opponents. What I heard from my Republican opponent was numerous statements about "incentives" and "tax credits" to entice businesses to locate or expand in the 5th district.

Talking about issues with WPSU.

When government provides "incentives" they give funding to a business through grants / loans, while "tax credits" grant certain exemptions that allow a business to omit paying some taxes by writing off eligible expenses. Regardless of what form they take, "incentives" spend federal government funds and "tax credits" decrease revenue coming to the federal government. While this may be a reasonable plan when the federal government is fiscally strong with a surplus, it is impractical to suggest at a time when the federal budget has a $482 billion deficit and $9.6 trillion in debt is owed to foreign countries including the likes of China and Saudi Arabia.

Throughout this campaign, I have made the case to the voters in the 5th district the federal government cannot help revive our failing economy, much less deal with other important domestic issues, until the federal budget is balanced, a surplus is growing and the debt to foreign nations is paid down. It is irresponsible when a candidate for federal office proposes creating new "incentives" or offering "tax credits" to corporate America while we have record deficits and debt at the federal level. Sadly, this is more of the same failed fiscal policies we’ve seen during the last 8 years.

The same day as the WPSU forum, the Centre Daily Times printed a story about the recent unemployment rates released by the PA Department of Labor and Industry. Throughout the 5th Congressional District, unemployment and economic conditions are some of the worst in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In fact, the 2 counties with the highest unemployment rates in the state were here in the 5th district with Cameron County at 7.6% and Forest County at 8.4%. Perhaps even more troubling was the fact that 15 of the 17 counties in the 5th district are above 5% unemployment with the only exceptions being Warren County just slightly under at 4.8% and Centre County at 4.2%.

Not only do we have the highest unemployment rates, but the US Census Bureau reports that median family incomes in the 5th district are, on average, almost $12,000 less than the rest of the nation. The US Census Bureau -- 2006 American Community Survey lists the Median Family Income for the 5th Congressional District of Pennsylvania at $46,863 versus the U.S. average of $58,526. Worse yet, while we are averaging significantly less in income than other areas of the country, we are paying the same rising costs for food, gas, energy, automobiles, clothes and other necessities that we need in daily life. During the WPSU forum the issue of young people leaving the 5th district after graduating from high school and college was discussed. It is obvious the difference in income levels plays a huge role in the departure of our young people from rural central Pennsylvania.

Of course, the question still remains, how do we create jobs, lower record unemployment rates and increase income levels in the 5th Congressional District and spur the economy at the national level? The federal government isn’t going to fix this for us because they don’t have the financial resources to do so. The time has come for certain sacrifices to be made by those who have profited in recent years.

We need our business leaders to realize there are no more handouts for them if they are running a profitable business. Too often, businesses on solid financial ground want the government to provide incentives and tax credits before they will expand and create new jobs. We need corporate America to voluntarily reinvest their profits to rebuild our nation’s economy without the expectation of incentives and tax credits.

And to the wealthiest citizens, the time has come to stop complaining if you have to pay a little more in taxes to get us out of the fiscal mess from the last 8 years. To accomplish this, the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans must expire as scheduled in 2011. Once we get the fiscal mess straightened out, then a new set of tax cuts for poor and middle class, roughly 90% of the working population, can be put in place.

At the federal government level, a strong, stable fiscal policy that balances budgets, builds surpluses, pays down the debt and stops borrowing from foreign governments will eventually allow the federal government to get back to supporting economic development and job creation. This can only be accomplished if voters send fiscally responsible people to represent them in Washington. Contrast my message of fiscal responsibility to that of my opponent who continues to voice support for failed fiscal policies that will continue to threaten our national security through higher deficits and more debt to foreign sources.

2008 Continues to be Historic

When I decided to enter the race for the US Congress, I did so with a slight thought in the back of my mind that, in some small way, I might be involved in an election that was historic. Now, with September upon us and just over 2 months until Election Day, it is obvious that history will be made in 2008. We could see the first African American elected President of the United States in Barack Obama, whom I support, or we could see the first woman elected Vice President in Sarah Palin (as part of the McCain ticket, I'm not so excited about that prospect). At the DNC Convention in Denver, the speech by Barack Obama on Thursday was one of the greatest presentations I’ve ever watched. He was flawless in his presentation and he showed the country and the world that he is the strong, articulate leader we need to solve the problems facing our country.

And the announcement on Friday by Senator John McCain that his choice for a running mate was the first term Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin was a gutsy call to say the least. It will be interesting to watch the rest of the campaign and learn more about Governor Palin.

Happy Labor Day and Prayers for the Gulf Coast.

On behalf of the McCracken for Congress campaign, I want to offer a Happy Labor Day to the working people in the 5th district. People in rural Pennsylvania are known for their strong work ethic. All they ask for in return is a fair wage and benefits that will allow them to care for their families and put food on the table.

Finally, we all need to be sending our prayers to the people and communities on the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Gustav moves across the Gulf of Mexico. We never want to see a replay of the destruction and despair that we saw during Hurricane Katrina.

Please help in any way you can to help the residents of the Gulf. You can donate to the Red Cross at this link:

http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Weekly Update -- August 24, 2008

2008-08-25T15:21:00.004-04:00

And the Winning Ticket Is -- Obama / Biden 08:

Barack Obama made an excellent choice with his selection of Delaware Senator Joe Biden to be his running mate. On Saturday I spent the day working at the Democratic booth at the Centre County Grange Fair and throughout the day people were asking if the announcement had been made. Everyone I spoke with expressed positive opinions about the choice. If this is any indication of the type of qualified people Barack Obama will surround himself with as President, we can all rest assured that our country will be headed in a better direction come January of 2009.

The daily trivia question at the Democratic booth was "What Pennsylvania town was Joe Biden's hometown?". I'm usually pretty good at trivia but Kim Bierly had to tell me the answer was Scranton PA.

Another Busy Week In The Books:

We put quite a few miles on the campaign Jeep this week. On Tuesday, we were in attendance to hear Governor Rendell speak at the CBICC luncheon in State College. It was exciting to hear Governor Rendell speak about the alternative fuels projects going on in Clearfield County. He also mentioned that the BioEnergy project is the single biggest economic development project in the history of Clearfield County at over $250 million.

On Wednesday, we traveled west in the morning to visit Venango County for several meetings, then, we headed east to State College to attend the Penn Ag Democratic picnic. Below is a picture from the Penn Ag picnic with L-R Doug Kilgore, Greg Stewart, Rep. Mike Hanna, Mark McCracken, Rep. Scott Conklin and Sec. of Agriculture Dennis Wolf.

On Friday, we attended the opening of the Clinton County Democratic Headquarters. There was a very nice crowd on hand to hear from Sen. John Wozniak, Rep. Mike Hanna, Commissioner Joel Long, Commissioner Adam Coleman and Mayor Rick Vilello.

Sharing the stage with these leaders who represent Clinton County on the state, county and local level gave me the opportunity to speak about how I want to be a close working partner with other elected officials. As a county commissioner this is something I feel has been lacking in the 5th district and is something I will change when I'm elected to Congress.

Saturday at the Centre County Grange Fair was an outstanding day that started off early with the monthly Centre County Democrats breakfast. We got the chance to speak with people from throughout the 5th district that were at the fair. Also, WPSU filmed a walk around the fairgrounds segment with me. We got a lot of great footage that will appear on a program WPSU is doing about campaigning at the fair. The highlight of the walk around segment was meeting with a lady who told me she just turned 91 and has only missed Grange Fair twice in her life.

The week ended at Treasure Lake in DuBois for an Obama supporter's picnic on Sunday afternoon. The folks at the picnic were still excited about the selection of Senator Biden and all Democrats are excited about the convention in Denver.

The Week Ahead:

On Thursday, a representative from the campaign will be attending "Obama Watch Parties" for Obama's big speech at the DNC Convention. We will be making stops in Ridgway, DuBois, and Clearfield. Come for the party and stay for the politics. We will be handing out literature and campaign signs for supporters.

The big event for the week is the WPSU Town Hall Meeting that will be filmed Tuesday at 5:45 at the Grange Fair. It will be aired on WPSU on September 4th and will probably be aired several times before Election Day. If you are at the Grange Fair on Tuesday, plan to stop by and take part in the Town Hall Meeting.

Upcoming Fundraising Event:

Keith Bierly is planning the WE'RE BACKIN' McCRACKEN GOLF CLASSIC to be held on September 22nd beginning at 8 AM at the Belles Springs Golf Course in Clinton County. The tournament will feature LPGA TOUR player Jackie Gallagher-Smith. The entry fee will be $92.00 per player, or, $300.00 for a foursome. Sponsoring a hole will also be $92.00. There will be an ongoing cookout throughout the final nine holes.

A brochure with all the details will follow in early September. The tournament is 4 weeks from tomorrow - Monday - the 22nd. Belles Springs is conveniently located less than one mile off of Interstate 80 at the Lock Haven Exit. Make you plans now to attend. Contact Keith Bierly at keithbierly@yahoo.com for more details and to make your reservation.

Yard Signs Are Now Available:

For the time being, we want to concentrate on getting the signs displayed in yards only. Closer to Election Day we will concentrate on getting signs out in public view. If you would like a sign for your yard, please email the campaign at mccrackenforcongress@verizon.net, call 765-6821 or speak with members of the campaign staff.

We look forward to seeing out on the campaign trail.

Mark B. McCracken

Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Weekly Update -- August 17, 2008

2008-08-18T14:15:00.003-04:00

Campaign Receiving Important Endorsements:

As we move into the fall campaign season, the McCracken for Congress campaign is receiving several important endorsements. Earlier this month we were honored to receive the endorsement from the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO. This is a key endorsement from an organization that is a leader in supporting the rights of the working people, not only in the 5th district, but in Pennsylvania and across the nation.

This week, we were notified by the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education, the political action committee of the National Education Association, of their decision to recommend the election of Mark B. McCracken to the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressional District 05 in Pennsylvania. This endorsement carries a special meaning to me in light of my prior experience as a former member of a public school board. I truly believe if our local public school systems receive the proper support from our federal government, we can have the finest education system in the world. When I speak of support, I'm not only talking adequate financial support, I also believe that elected leaders at the federal, state and local level should be strong vocal advocates for our public schools.

Throughout this campaign, I've stressed the need for a federal education policy that includes adequate funding while letting standards and policies to officials at the state and local levels. As a person with 10 years experience serving on a local school board, I realize that parents, administrators, teachers and local leaders know what is best for their children. Unnecessary mandates from the federal government in Washington only complicate matters.

Updates Coming to McCracken for Congress Webpage:

Later this week we will be unveiling some changes and updates to the McCracken for Congress webpage -- www.mccrackenforcongress.com.

The big change will be with the issues section. As we've traveled throughout the 5th district meeting with people and discussing the issues and problems, we can now better define what the important issues are on the minds of the citizens in the district. From my position as the candidate, I've spent the last 8 months listening and learning from the people that I hope to represent in the United States Congress. While there are many of the issues I was already aware of as a county commissioner, there were issues I had to learn more about from the citizens of the 5th district.

As we move into the next phase of the campaign, I want to give voters a better outline of the issues and problems they have discussed with me and provide them with specific ideas and solutions they can consider before making their decision on November 4th.

Keeping Up a Hectic Pace:

We were very busy again this week traveling throughout the 5th district meeting people and listening to their concerns.

On Monday we spent the evening working in the Democratic booth at the McKean County Fair. Tuesday took us to State College for meetings with campaign supporters. Also on Tuesday, Victor Ordonez represented the campaign at an event near St. Marys with the Elk County Farm Bureau.

Thursday was an important day in Clearfield County featuring a visit by Gov. Ed Rendell who announced several million dollars in funding for important projects in Clearfield County. Funding announcements were made for the expansion of Paris Company in DuBois creating 40 new jobs, expansion of the Clearfield YMCA, a river walk project in Clearfield Borough and the state's investment to rebuild several deficient bridges in Clearfield County.

On Thursday evening the campaign headed to Janesville in southeastern Clearfield County to appear at the annual Bud George Day picnic. It was a great honor be on the speaking program with Gov. Rendell, State Rep. Bud George, Auditor General Jack Wagner, candidate for Attorney General John Morganelli, candidate for Treasurer Rob McCord and fellow congressional candidate from the 9th district Tony Barr.

On Friday, we were in the DuBois area for a fundraiser organized by Henry and Molly Guthrie. We had a nice turnout for the event with special guests State Rep. Scott Conklin and State Rep. Dan Surra on hand.

Kelly and I want to thank Henry and Molly for organizing the event and also thank the people who did the work getting the site ready and cooking the food. We closed out the week on Saturday with a trip to Emporium for a car show and downtown event sponsored by the Emporium Chamber of Commerce. Later, it was on to Smethport for another appearance at the McKean County Fair.

Plans for the Coming Week:

We'll be spending quite a bit of time in Centre County this week.

Tuesday we will be joining members of the Centre County Democratic Committee to attend Gov. Rendell's appearance at the CBICC luncheon. Wednesday we will be traveling to Venango county for several meetings in the morning and then back to Centre County later in the day to attend the Penn Ag Democratic Picnic held in conjunction with Ag Progress Days. Friday we will be in attendance for the opening of the Democratic Campaign Headquarters in Clinton County. Finally, on Saturday, we will start out a busy day at the Centre County Democratic breakfast followed by "Mark McCracken Day" in the Democratic booth at the Grange Fair in Centre Hall.

I look forward to meeting with everyone at the Grange Fair on Saturday.

FINAL THOUGHT -- Momentum is Building:

Right after winning the primary election in April, I made a statement when asked by a reporter "Mr. McCracken, can you actually win this race?" My response was "We can and we will" which I posted on our campaign blog site. I was encouraged on Monday evening when speaking with a gentleman at the McKean County Fair who made reference to my response. He was asking me how the campaign was going and I gave him a very positive report about the progress we are making. What was so encouraging was when he told me -- "Mark, remember what you said on your blog -- We can and we will…? Just keep up the hard work and you can and you will win the seat."

We'll see you on the campaign trail and with your help, we can and we will win this race!

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Weekly Update -- August 10, 2008

2008-08-11T12:20:00.005-04:00

Drill Here, Drill Now -- But What Are The Oil Companies Planning?

Nationally, Drill Here, Drill Now seems to be the only issue where Republicans are gaining any traction with voters during 2008. For those who don’t know, Drill Here, Drill Now started on the website www.americansolutions.com. A couple of mouse clicks on the American Solutions website will take you to a screen with friendly welcome from none other than former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

Based on where this started, skeptics can easily surmise that Drill Here, Drill Now is nothing more than a political ploy to distract voters from real issues of the 2008 election. There are many questions about what the oil companies will do if Drill Here, Drill Now actually brings policy changes in Washington. Do oil companies really want to Drill Here, Drill Now and put more oil on the open market, causing oil prices to go down thus decreasing their record profits? Could the oil companies and the politicians that are friendly with them have other motives in mind beyond providing less expensive gas at the pumps?

Realize this, there is nothing about Drill Here, Drill Now that will mandate oil companies to start drilling to put more oil on the market. In fact, all that President Bush and those supporting Drill Here, Drill Now will do is lift long standing moratoriums that have been placed on offshore drilling and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Once the moratoriums are lifted, oil companies can start acquiring leases that will allow them to drill in areas that have been off limits, but not mandate them to do so. In fact, under our market driven economy, the oil companies can, and likely will, sit on the leases until prices are higher and they can make bigger profits.

People throughout the 5th District have been asking where I stand on Drill Here, Drill Now. My answer is this: I can support drilling domestic oil reserves if it is needed to stabilize the price of oil for consumers in the United States or if conditions around the world would cause a shortage in oil supplies. However, if we are going to make leases available for the oil reserves offshore or in ANWR, the leases must have language to mandate that oil companies actually put the oil on the market for consumers in the United States. I also believe we must address the issue of the 68 million acres oil companies currently have available for domestic drilling but have yet to tap. If we need to Drill Here, Drill Now, then it must be done to benefit the people by providing affordable gas and heating oil not as a way to make larger profits for the oil companies.

However, Drill Here, Drill Now remains a short term solution at best. I still believe the only long term solution is a real national energy policy that will invest in domestically produced alternative fuel solutions.

Sad News Out of Clarion County -- Sealy Closing Strattanville Plant

I was very sorry to read in the Tri-County Sunday that Sealy Corporation has decided to close their plant in Strattanville, Clarion County. The plant, which has been in operation since 1981, will leave 114 workers without jobs when the plant ceases operations in late October. Sadly, this is the hard truth of how the failing national economy can hit close to home. We’ll keep the 114 people affected by the closing of the Sealy plant and their families in our thoughts and prayers.

The Week In Review:

This week we attended fairs in Clinton, Elk, Jefferson (Sykesville), Warren and Venango counties and met with the Sierra Club in State College. We also paid a visit and met with some people at the Centre County HQ on Thursday. Kelly, Amanda and I missed today's Potter / Cameron County Democratic Picnic because the location was changed from the Austin Dam Memorial Park to a location in Coudersport. I had the event on my schedule since May at the original location. We did make a stop in Emporium for lunch.

At the Warren County Fair

At the Venango County 4H Fair

Schedule for the Week:

Monday: McKean County Fair -- 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Wednesday: Emporium / Cameron County -- Attending Hilliard for Senate Event -- 6:00 PM

Thursday: Bud George Day Picnic -- Clearfield County -- 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM

NOTE - Governor Ed Rendell and Auditor General Jack Wagner to attend.

Friday: McCracken for Congress Fundraiser -- DuBois Lions Club Sky Lodge 6 PM

Tickets are available for $20 - Please email mccrackenforcongress@verizon.net.

Saturday: Car Show -- Cameron County early afternoon -- McKean County Fair evening.

Please feel free to share your thoughts with us. We will continue to travel this district and greet as many people as possible.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Weekly Update -- August 3, 2008

2008-08-04T13:00:00.005-04:00

White House Announces Bush Administration to Leave a Record Budget Deficit of $482 Billion.

Since January when we began our campaign for the 5th District seat in the US Congress, I've consistently stressed that my biggest concern is the fiscal mess that has happened in Washington. This week, White House officials admitted the Bush administration would leave office in January 2009 with a record budget deficit sitting on the books of $482 BILLION. This record $482 billion deficit is coupled with a record debt of $9.5 trillion.

On January 20th, 2001, when George W. Bush was sworn in to his first term in office and the Republican Party had control of both houses of Congress, the United States government had a record budget surplus, our economy was in a period of record expansion and the national debt was being paid down. In fact, if the Bush administration would have continued the fiscally responsible polices from the 90's by continuing to grow the surplus and pay down the debt, the federal debt could have been retired by 2013.

It is all fantasy now thanks to the irresponsible fiscal policies of the last 8 years, but, imagine what we could have done in the United States after the debt was paid off in 2013. Our country would have had a surplus of funds that we could have invested in a complete rebuild of our infrastructure to make it ready for the next century, We could have made a real effort at addressing the health care crisis because funds would have been available. We could have invested in updating and upgrading our military and providing for our veterans. We could have had a real investment to fix our public education system. All these possibilities - GONE.

In the 90's, difficult decisions were made and sound fiscal policies were put in place by the federal government. These decisions were made in a bipartisan manner with a Democratic administration in the White House and the Republicans in control of Congress the second half of the decade. Rather than sticking with sound logic in support of a fiscally strong government, Republicans in Congress joined with George W. Bush in the early days of his administration and decided that short term gratification from across the board tax cuts, with the overwhelming majority directed towards the top 2% income levels, was more important than the long term fiscal and financial security of the federal government.

In the 5th District race, voters will have the decision to choose between more of the same fiscal irresponsibility as my opponent continues to voice his strong support for the Bush tax cuts. Or, they can choose something better because I believe we must show the courage and responsibility to clean up this fiscal mess once and for all. It won't be easy in the short run, but, if we make the commitment to stick to strong fiscal policies, we can finally invest in the things we need to in order to make the lives of our citizens better and our country more secure.

Campaign Receives Endorsement from Pennsylvania AFL-CIO:

I am pleased and excited to announce that our campaign has received a letter from the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO endorsing my candidacy. I am truly honored that we have received this important endorsement as it represents support from working men and women, not only in the 5th district, but from throughout Pennsylvania working for our cause.

In announcing the list of endorsed candidates in a press release posted on Yahoo.com, Bill George, President of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO said "These candidates have proven themselves to be the friends and supporters of working families. They understand that workers are struggling in this economy with stagnant wages, soaring prices for health care, gas and food. They advocate and support an agenda that mirrors the priorities of the labor movement. We are confident that they will put this country back on track toward prosperity and opportunity for all not the few.".

The letter from the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO concluded with the positive exclamation "Congratulations on Labor's endorsement! On to Victory!".

Major Fundraising Event for DuBois area / Elk and Jefferson Counties:

Campaign Chairman Henry Guthrie and his wife Molly have finalized plans for a McCracken for Congress fundraising event to be held Friday August 15th at the Lion's Club Sky Lodge in DuBois. This is going to be a fun filled evening with entertainment from the Moore Brother's Band and a Chicken BBQ dinner. We are inviting several local and state level elected officials. Tickets for the event are $20. We are also looking for sponsor level support for the event for a donation of $150 or more. Please contact Henry or Molly at 371-1892 or 577-2398 for ticket information. Also we would greatly appreciate it if you could take 10 or more tickets and sell them.

Recap of the Past Week:

The majority of the past week was spent working close to home at the Clearfield County Fair. The response from people visiting the Democratic booth was tremendous. I was also encouraged by the positive comments and remarks that we received from people interested in the Obama campaign. I have to recognize the people who put in the time and effort to make the booth available for the week. Specific recognition goes to County Chair John Sughrue, Sue Lemmo and Terry Noble for leading the effort over the past months to have the booth. Also, Patrick Yingling was at the booth several nights, County Controller Claudia Read worked for many weeks to schedule people to work the booth and Rodger Baumgardner was on hand every evening to make sure the booth was properly secured at closing time.

Tuesday evening I made a trip to Potter County to spend the evening working with County Chair Norma Nichols in the Democratic booth at the Potter County Fair. It was a very positive visit and I made contact with many voters from Potter, McKean and Tioga counties.

On Friday evening, I traveled to St. Marys for the Elk County Democratic Picnic. Media Advisor Diane Kesner traveled with me to shoot some footage that we will use later in commercials for the campaign. The event had a great turnout with the highlight of the evening coming from a rousing speech given by Rep. Dan Surra who talked about the problems facing our region, state and country. Rep. Surra made it clear that this is a key election in the history of our country and he called on everyone to get involved to elect the candidates who will work to solve the problems. State senate candidate Don Hilliard also gave a tremendous speech addressing the important issues in his race.

On Saturday, Kelly, Amanda and I made a trip to Juniata County to appear in the parade for the Fayette carnival in McAlisterville. While this was a small parade, it was an important event for the campaign. Fayette Township is the only municipality in Juniata County that is part of the 5th District. Juniata County Commissioner Teresa O'Neal has been working with me to make sure our campaign has a presence in Juniata County. Although Juniata County only has a very small portion in the 5th District, it is important to me that we include them on our campaign schedule.

Scheduled Events for the Upcoming Week:

Monday -- Clinton County Fair -- 6 PM

Tuesday -- Meeting with Sierra Club -- State College

Wednesday -- Elk County Fair -- 6 PM

Thursday -- Sykesville Fair -- 6 PM

Friday -- Tentative -- Venango Co. Fair

Saturday -- Multiple Events Subject to Change -- Clinton County Fair Parade / McKean Co. Fair / Warren Co. Fair

Sunday -- Potter / Cameron County Joint Democratic Picnic -- Austin PA

We look forward to taking our positive message to each of the 17 counties in this district.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress – Weekly Update – July 27th, 2008

2008-07-28T14:23:00.011-04:00

A busy week campaigning across the 5th district.

The highlight of the past week was the opening of the Centre County Democratic Campaign Headquarters in State College. Over 200 people were on hand to celebrate the opening that included a round of rousing speeches from candidates and campaign representatives including Greg Stewart and Jay Paterno for the Obama campaign, Auditor General Jack Wagner, State Representative Scott Conklin and candidate for state representative Joanne Tosti-Vasey. I want to thank and congratulate Centre County Democratic Chair Diane Gregg, Greg Stewart, Ben Flatgard and everyone else involved in getting the headquarters up and running. Having a facility like this in downtown State College is going to be a tremendous help to all the candidates and the people who are working on the campaigns.

This week I made a trip to Harrison Valley in Potter County for Tioga / Potter Counties Farm Bureau picnic. I got the chance to field some questions on issues that concern the farming communities in a rural part of the district. Not surprisingly, the subject of natural gas drilling that is going on throughout the district also came up.

The weeks events also included a visit to New Bethlehem for the Clarion County Fair, to Pleasant Gap in Centre County for a parade and to Oil City in Venango County also for a parade. The week concluded with Kelly and I attending Dan Surra's "Night at the Races" annual fundraiser Saturday evening and on Sunday I attended the AFL-CIO regional trap shoot held at the Fox Township Sportsman's Club in Elk County.

The coming week will close out July and we'll be into August with 3 months to go until Election Day.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Weekly Update -- July 20th, 2008

2008-07-21T13:31:00.002-04:00

Reiterating My OPPOSITION to Tolling I-80 as PA Turnpike Commission Reveals Plans to Spend I-80 Toll Money

This week the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission released details of their plans to repair Interstate 80 using the funds generated from tolls paid by users of the highway. It was stated by the Turnpike Commission and their consultants that "An assessment of the interstate showed that more than half its length has not been repaved since it was built some 40 years ago". In press accounts, Barry J. Schoch, identified as Project Manager, also detailed plans to build a "cashless open road tolling system" that will utilize the EZ Pass system to collect a portion of the tolls. Mr. Schoch also described how vehicles not equipped with EZ Pass will have their tolls collected saying "a driver without E-ZPass will have his or her license plate photographed, generating a mailed-out bill for the vehicle owner". He also stated that this non EZ Pass system "is not currently used on any U.S. highway."

As a county commissioner in a county that is on the I-80 corridor I have been, and remain, strongly OPPOSED to the tolling of I-80. The press barrage this past week from the Turnpike Commission only serves to make me more skeptical of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's decision, via legislation known as Act 44, to turn the operation of Interstate 80 over to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

There are many disturbing aspects of this week's announcement. First, the statement that "An assessment of the interstate showed that more than half its length has not been repaved since it was built some 40 years ago", I find ridiculous. Anyone who regularly traveled I-80 over the last 40 years knows that annual maintenance is done to the roadway for at least 9 out of the 12 months each year. I also find it hard to believe that there are portions more than "half it's length" that have not been repaved since I-80 was built. How often do travelers on I-80 deal with lanes being shutdown for months at a time or the infamous "rumble strips" before the abrupt crossovers that lead to miles and miles of 2 way traffic separated by concrete barriers. These stretches of crossovers and 2 way traffic are typically done while the other lane is completely torn up and replaced.

I also find the "cashless open road tolling system" to be a major concern. It sounds to me like the Turnpike Commission is trying to move toward privatizing the collection of tolls. If I were an employee working collecting tolls on the existing Pennsylvania Turnpike, I would be very interested to know what future plans the executives at the Turnpike Commission have for "cashless open road tolling systems". I also have grave concerns about any government entity tracking the movements of our free citizens. Isn't this what they did in the former USSR?

It is clear that Harrisburg still isn't listening to the citizens, businesses and elected leaders from the I-80 corridor. How many times do we have to state "NO TOLLS ON I-80" before they get the message? Rural counties that rely on Interstate 80 as the only route to deliver commerce to and from our counties have designed our economic development and tourism promotion plans, both long and short range, around a toll free I-80. In many situations we are at a disadvantage and this ill conceived plan just adds to our problems.

While I was optimistic that the US Department of Transportation could put a stop to this plan, I found the following quote from an AP story dated June 27th 2008 from US Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters. When questioned about giving approval to tolling I-80, Secretary Peters said "If that's the decision that state leaders make, then I think we should be in a position to support that or allow them to make that decision," Peters said, according to The Patriot-News of Harrisburg. "I do not think the federal government should make that decision."

FEC Second Quarter Reports Filed -- Fundraising Goals Met:

July 15th was the deadline for the FEC Second Quarter Financial reports for all candidates running for federal office. Campaign Treasurer Tim Fannin filed our reports electronically on Monday July 14th and the reports were up for public review late that day. I want to stress the goals the campaign committee set for the second quarter reports were met. As a campaign team, we wanted to make sure that we raised funds that would allow us to conduct all campaign activities necessary over the summer months. That goal was easily achieved and we have been able to purchase all the campaign materials necessary to hand out to voters including campaign badges, lapel stickers, pens, magnetic bumper stickers, balloons and about a ton of candy for the parades. We've also been able to travel all over the district and have had several successful "Meet the Candidate" events. I want to give special recognition to Campaign Chair Henry Guthrie and his wife Molly, fundraising consultant Keith Bierly and Centre County Coordinator Tim Wilson for their hard work and dedication during the second quarter.

While we met our goals and we are able to do the summer events, I need to stress to everyone that the campaign needs your help in raising money for the fall campaign. We have the best message, the best ideas and the best people working on the campaign -- but it will mean nothing if we are unable to run a competitive media campaign in the fall. 2008 is a year of great promise and opportunity, we just have to pull together and get the job done.

Weekly Review:

Tuesday and Wednesday were County Fair Days. On Tuesday evening, Kelly, Amanda and I attended the Jefferson County Fair and Wednesday afternoon we made the long trip to Hughesville for the Lycoming County Fair. Wednesday in Lycoming County was very hot but we spoke with a number of people while working about 4 hours at the Lycoming County Democratic Committee booth.

Our campaign events in Clearfield and Tioga counties this week went very well. Thursday night in Clearfield we had a good turnout for the dinner. I had the chance to speak with the people who turned out and we had some very good feedback about the campaign.

On Friday, Henry Guthrie, Tim Wilson and I traveled to Hills Creek State Park in Tioga County to attend a picnic event organized by Ann Gazda, Sarah Davis, Bonnie Kyofski and Jean Leibatt. Everyone had a great time and I got the chance to speak with group and did a Q & A session were we talked about gas and oil prices, wind power, public education issues and other issues of concern in Tioga County. This was my 7th trip up to Tioga County and I really enjoy seeing the people up there.

Photo from the Tioga County Picnic

NOTE -- We postponed the Sunday reception in Lock Haven, Clinton County until a later date.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Weekly Update -- July 13th, 2008

2008-07-14T16:55:00.003-04:00

DEP Rejects Permit Application for PA Waste / Boggs Township Landfill.

I'm pleased to report the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has rejected the permit application filed by PA Waste LLC to construct a 5,000 ton per day municipal waste landfill in Boggs Township, Clearfield County. As county commissioner, I've been working over the past 4 years, first with Rex Read and Mike Lytle, and now with John Sobel and Joan Robinson McMillen, to oppose the construction of this landfill in Clearfield County.

Elected leaders including State Rep. Camille George, county officials and many township and borough officials also worked to oppose this landfill. However, there are more important people to congratulate for this outcome. Since August of 2004 when it was first announced that the site in Boggs Township was being targeted for the development of a landfill, a group of committed citizens led by Darryl Lashinsky, Paula Norris, Randy Levin, Leo Knepp and others, met faithfully month after month to oppose the landfill.

The announcement on Friday, July 11th that PA Waste's permit application had been rejected was a direct result of citizen involvement and their expectations that government would protect the interests of the citizens over the interests of a corporate entity. While PA Waste still has the right to appeal this decision or submit a new application at a later date, this is, at least for the time being, a small victory for the people of central Pennsylvania.

Some people will question how the Boggs Township landfill is an issue for a congressional campaign. With several communities in the 5th congressional district targeted for landfill development, our next congressman should be interested and involved in these issues. Additionally, I feel our leaders in Washington should be paying more attention interstate commerce laws and try to control the flow of garbage. Not only are states legally sending their environmental problems to other states, but, our nation's fuel supplies are being depleted faster when thousands of trucks per day are moving garbage hundreds of miles to pristine rural areas like central Pennsylvania. This is an issue I've been involved in and I hope voters in the 5th district will consider this when choosing their next congressman.

Cook Report Changes Rating for 5th District Race

Recently, the Cook Political Report changed the race in the 5th District from "Solid Republican" to "Likely Republican". The Cook Report has a 7 position rating scale that runs "Solid Republican", "Likely Republican", "Leans Republican", "Toss Up", "Leans Democratic", "Likely Democratic" and "Solid Democratic". While we're not in a "Toss Up" race yet, this is positive news for our campaign and proves if we continue to work hard and spread our message, voters are listening and giving strong consideration to where we stand on the issues.

As we move forward in the campaign I feel certain we will see additional positive gains in voter support and registration numbers. One area where we can count on solid results is in Centre County. They already have an impressive ground campaign underway, not only for Barack Obama, but for the entire slate of Democratic candidates. We can also be encouraged by the solid support and interest we are receiving in all 17 counties throughout the 5th district. Even more encouraging is that our efforts are getting recognition from a national entity like the Cook Report. Can you feel the momentum building?

Scheduled Events for the Upcoming Week:

Tuesday July 15th -- Jefferson County Fair -- 5 to 9 PM*
* - May make additional appearance at Jefferson County Fair if time allows.

Wednesday July 16th -- Lycoming County Fair -- 4 to 8 PM

Thursday July 17th -- Clearfield
McCracken for Congress Dinner
5:30 to 7:30 PM -- Lawrence Township Fire Company Social Hall -- Mill Road Clearfield
Cost - $20 per person
Event catered by The Country Butcher -- Door Prizes

Thursday July 17th -- Clearfield County Democratic Committee Meeting -- 7 -- 9 PM
IBEW Building, Clearfield, PA

Friday July 18th -- Tioga County
McCracken for Congress Picnic
4-8 pm - Hills Creek State Park, Crabapple Pavilion
Cost - $10.00 per person, $18.00 per couple, $25.00 per Family
Hot Dogs, salads, desserts and water, iced tea and lemonade to be served.
RSVP by July 16th to either Ann Gazda at 570-724-1449 / email gazda@epix.net or Bonne Kyofski at 570-827-3231 / email kyofski@epix.net.

Saturday July 19th -- Curwensville Days Parade -- 6 PM

Sunday July 20th -- Lock Haven -- Clinton County
McCracken for Congress Dinner
3:30 to 5:30 PM -- Sons of Italy Hall -- Downtown Lock Haven
Cost - $20 per person.
After dinner, although not an official part of the campaign event, people are encouraged to take part in the concert held at the riverfront amphitheatre which will feature a performance from a band featuring classic rock. NOTE -- bring lawn chairs in case the stands are filled.

Please contact mccrackenforcongress@verizon.net for additional details on the above events.

Weekly Event Wrap Up:

During this past week we attended the following events:

Monday: DuBois Democratic Committee Meeting

Tuesday: Potter County Democratic Committee Meeting

Thursday: SEIU Interview in Harrisburg, Visit to Lycoming County Democratic / Obama Headquarters in Williamsport, Philipsburg Heritage Days / Democratic Booth

Saturday: Philipsburg Heritage Days Parade, Central PA Festival of the Arts -- State College and a visit to Centre County Democratic Headquarters.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate For Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Weekly Update -- July 6th, 2008

2008-07-07T16:15:00.001-04:00

"Use It or Lose It" legislation fails to reach two-thirds majority.

On June 26th in response to ongoing calls to allow oil drilling off the coast of the United States and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Democratic members of Congress offered "Use It or Lose It" legislation to mandate that oil companies either drill on federal land they have leased or relinquish the right to do so. Currently, oil companies have dormant leases to over 68 million acres in the western United States and Alaska that are available for immediate drilling and exploration that, according to Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md) "contains over 100 billion barrels of oil".

While the vote was 223 for and 195 against, it failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed for passage under shortcut parliamentary rules. For the record, all Democratic members of the Pennsylvania delegation voted for "Use It or Lose It" while all Pennsylvania Republicans voted against with the exception of Rep. John Peterson who did not vote.

One would think with leaders such as President Bush, Senator John McCain and many Republican members of Congress calling for more domestic drilling that oil companies would be rushing to tap the 68 million acres they already have access to. Also, with the overwhelming emphasis placed on the idea of increased domestic drilling, the "Use It or Lose It" bill would have received bipartisan unanimous approval.

It appears the calls for increased drilling offshore and in ANWR are nothing more than an election year maneuver to keep the American people from realizing the failures of the Bush Administration and the former Republican controlled Congress to enact an energy policy. While the Republicans had total control of the White House and both houses of Congress from 2001 to 2007 they did nothing to enact meaningful legislation that could have averted the oil crisis.

Oil prices continue to climb and American citizens are feeling the pinch of higher gas prices. Yet, 68 million acres with over 100 billion barrels of oil remain untapped. When called upon to help the American people, 195 members of Congress failed to help the people they were elected to represent. Voters need to remember this on November 4th when they can decide if they want more of the same or something better.

Campaign Team Welcomes Jennifer Anderson

The McCracken for Congress campaign welcomes Jennifer Anderson of Kersey, Elk County to the campaign team. Jennifer served as Elk County Director of Elections and Voter Registration for many years and is currently working for the Auditor General's office under Jack Wagner. Jennifer is going to handle coordinating the campaign in Elk County along with compiling voter registration data and past election results from throughout the 5th Congressional District. Jennifer will be assigned the dual titles of Elk County Coordinator / Data and Information Director.

Upcoming Events for the Campaign:

The following fundraising events are scheduled:

Thursday July 17th – Clearfield
McCracken for Congress Dinner
5:30 to 7:30 PM – Lawrence Township Fire Company Social Hall – Mill Road Clearfield
Cost - $20 per person
Event catered by The Country Butcher – Door Prizes

Friday July 18th – Tioga County
McCracken for Congress Picnic
4-8 pm - Hills Creek State Park, Crabapple Pavilion
Cost - $10.00 per person, $18.00 per couple, $25.00 per Family
Hot Dogs, salads, desserts and water, iced tea and lemonade to be served.
RSVP – Ann Gazda

Sunday July 20th – Lock Haven – Clinton County
McCracken for Congress Dinner
3:30 to 5:30 PM – Sons of Italy Hall – Downtown Lock Haven
Cost - $20 per person.
After dinner, although not an official part of the campaign event, people are encouraged to take part in the concert held at the riverfront amphitheatre which will feature a performance from a band featuring classic rock. NOTE – bring lawn chairs in case the stands are filled.

Please contact mccrackenforcongress@verizon.net for additional details on the above events.

Weekly Event Wrap Up: It was a busy week for parades with the 4th of July holiday. Kelly, Amanda and I participated in the Osceola Mills parade in the morning on July 4th then it was on to Brockway where we met up with Jefferson County Commissioner Jeff Pisarcik and his family for the annual Brockway parade. Saturday morning I traveled to Lewistown to have breakfast with the Mifflin County Democratic Women's Club and later in the day it was on to Bellefonte where Kelly, Amanda and I joined up with Tim Wilson, Jayson Harpster and a pickup full of Obama supporters for the Bellefonte parade. With these 3 long parades, it is estimated that Amanda and I tossed approximately 150 pounds of candy over the 3 day weekend.

Campaign Events for the upcoming week: This week I'll be attending Democratic meetings in DuBois on Monday evening and Potter County on Tuesday evening. Saturday will be busy with possible visits to Clarion County for the Tri-County Farm Bureau Town and Country Day and to Philipsburg for the Heritage Days Parade.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate For Congress

McCracken for Congress -- A Call for Energy Independence

2008-06-30T14:29:00.001-04:00

As We Celebrate Our Independence, It Is Time for Energy Independence.

On Friday July 4th we will celebrate Independence Day marking 232 years since our founding fathers declared that the United States of America would be an independent nation. Back in 1776, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and others showed courage, leadership and vision by drafting the Declaration of Independence creating a democratic government based on freedom and rights for the common people.

Now, 232 years later, we need to see the same courage, leadership and vision from our elected leaders to declare independence again. In 2008, the independence we need to declare is not from tyrannical leaders and an oppressive government but energy independence from foreign sources that have too much control over a product that is so vital to our nation.

Since oil prices began their sharp, steady rise earlier this year, debate has raged over possible solutions to stabilize oil and energy costs. Many people, including both our current congressman and the person he has endorsed to succeed him, are supporting the idea that we can drill our way out of the oil crisis. Those who are supporting the idea that drilling existing domestic oil reserves is the only solution to this most critical problem are being very short sighted and fail to recognize the huge potential of a domestic alternative energy industry.

The United States of America must lead a renewable and clean energy revolution that will diversify our energy sources while stressing the immediate development of domestically produced renewable fuel sources. We need to have the courage and commitment to put all options on the table and place the interests of our nation above partisan politics, corporate interests and undue influence from the traditional petroleum industry. Specifically, the petroleum industry must not be allowed to dictate our nation’s energy policies from this point forward.

If current leaders make the decision to allow drilling offshore or in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge then it should be mandated that all royalties, taxes and fees generated from the drilling be used strictly for investment in the research of domestically produced alternative fuel technology. If our nation is going to tap what is possibly the last remaining large oil reserves under United States control, then we must use the profits realized to research and secure future energy supplies for our children and grandchildren.

Not only would the strict commitment to an energy independence plan make our nation more secure, it would ignite a domestic economic expansion creating millions of new jobs and keeping billions of dollars here in the United States for further investment.

In order to achieve energy independence our nation must commit in a way it never has before. The only comparison I can think of is the commitment we made back in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy challenged the nation to travel to the moon stating the following: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”.

I would not want to be accused of plagiarizing President Kennedy, but, if you change his words from “We choose to go to the moon” to, “We choose to achieve energy independence” - the rest of words fit. If we accept the challenge and begin moving towards energy independence now, within a decade our nation could again feel the sense of achievement and pride that we felt when we heard Neil Armstrong’s words “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind…”.

Upcoming Events for the Campaign:

The following fundraising events are scheduled:

Thursday July 17th – Clearfield
McCracken for Congress Dinner
5:30 to 7:30 PM – Lawrence Township Fire Company Social Hall – Mill Road Clearfield
Cost - $20 per person
Event catered by The Country Butcher – Door Prizes

Friday July 18th – Tioga County
McCracken for Congress Picnic
4-8 pm - Hills Creek State Park, Crabapple Pavilion
Cost - $10.00 per person, $18.00 per couple, $25.00 per Family
Hot Dogs, salads, desserts and water, iced tea and lemonade to be served.
RSVP – Ann Gazda

Sunday July 20th – Lock Haven – Clinton County
McCracken for Congress Dinner
3:30 to 5:30 PM – Sons of Italy Hall – Downtown Lock Haven
Cost - $20 per person.
After dinner, although not an official part of the campaign event, people are encouraged to take part in the concert held at the riverfront amphitheatre which will feature a performance from a band featuring classic rock. NOTE – bring lawn chairs in case the stands are filled.

Please contact mccrackenforcongress@verizon.net for additional details on the above events.

Campaign Events for the upcoming week: We will be busy this week with several dinners and parades to attend. Kelly, Amanda and I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July holiday (in spite of the high gas prices). Enjoy your time with family and friends because it is precious.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate For Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Weekly Update -- June 22nd 2008

2008-06-24T13:59:00.001-04:00

This past week had important events scheduled every day ending with a very busy weekend. Here is a brief rundown of the highlights of the week:

The first major joint debate between the 2 candidates in the 5th Congressional District was held on Tuesday at the CBICC luncheon. The event was broadcast later that evening on PCN. The feedback I’ve received is that the debate clearly showed the contrast where I stand on the important issues, both regional and national, and where my opponent stands. The important topics addressed included healthcare, the Iraq war and the growing crisis of increasing gas and energy costs.

On Thursday, I attended an open house for the expansion of Murmac Farms outside of Bellefonte. This was a very educational trip for me as I got to see the operation of a modern dairy farm with 1000 cows that are milked daily. Speaking with the owner, he explained to me the trials of running the operation which is a 7 day a week, year round operation. It is a family business with 2 of his 3 sons also living and working on the farm. The farm also employs around 25 people on a full time basis. The most interesting thing I learned was how technology is used on a modern dairy farm. Every cow has a device around their neck that is read as they move through the process of milking. The data is retrieved using wireless technology and fed back into computers which monitor their daily milk output and how much feed they consume.

Friday I traveled to Altoona to attend the annual convention of the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women. I was honored to be one of the featured speakers along with fellow congressional candidates Tony Barr from the 9th district, Kathy Dahlkemper from the 4th district, State Representative Scott Conklin and Auditor General Jack Wagner.

The week ended with campaign chairman Henry Guthrie traveling with me to Wellsboro on Saturday for the Laurel Festival and Parade. The parade was late in starting due to a nasty passing thunderstorm and the parade had to end abruptly when another storm passed through the area. However, it was another enjoyable visit to Tioga County and I got to speak with a good number of people while I attended the festival prior to the parade.

On the way home from Tioga County, we made a side trip to Williamsport to stop in at the headquarters of the Lycoming County Democratic Party. It was inspiring to see 4 young people from the Obama campaign along with a person from the county Democratic Party working at the headquarters on a Saturday evening. It shows how committed people are to positive change in our country.

Finally on Sunday, Kelly, Amanda and I traveled to State College for 2 house parties hosted by Art and Louise Goldschmidt from 3 to 5 and then it was on to Mary Jane Havanec’s house from 5 to 7. Both house parties offered a great opportunity to talk about the issues important to the people in attendance. I was also encouraged by several college students who are Obama supporters that came to Art and Louise’s party. It is great to see their commitment, not only to Senator Obama, but to the entire Democratic slate of candidates.

It was a very busy week for the campaign with many people taking time to be involved. I want to thank all the Centre County Democrats who turned out to support me at the debate on Tuesday. I also want to thank the Democrats in Tioga County that arranged for a booth at the Laurel Festival and finally, thanks to the Goldschmidt’s and the Havanec’s for hosting the house parties on Sunday and for everyone who took the time to come out and meet with me.

Below is information about a fundraising event we will be having in Clearfield on July 17th:

McCracken for Congress Dinner
Thursday, July 17th at 5:30PM
Lawrence Township Fire Company Social Hall
Mill Road - Clearfield

Come out and support the campaign to elect Mark B. McCracken to Congress from the 5th Congressional District. Cost $20 per person - Meal catered by the Country Butcher - Door Prizes - Call for tickets at 765-6821 or 577-3374 or email requests to mccrackenforcongress@verizon.net .

McCracken for Congress -- Weekly Progress Report -- June 15th 2008

2008-06-17T13:54:00.003-04:00

Father's Day -- Our Day to Relax

Today being Father's Day, I'm getting extra special treatment from Amanda. I was treated to breakfast this morning and afterwards, Kelly and Amanda headed to the community pool in Clearfield so I could relax for a couple of hours. For all the fathers, soak up the special treatment today because tomorrow it's back to solving problems.

There are several important events to note from the past week. On Tuesday evening I attended the monthly meeting of the Centre County Democratic Committee. Centre County Chair Dianne Gregg along with Greg Stewart from the Obama campaign hosted a great meeting. The people in attendance are ready to go to work for the entire Democratic ticket and there was much enthusiasm and excitement about what can be accomplished in 2008. Also, voter registration and voting trend numbers are very positive for the Democratic Party in Centre County.

On Friday, Kelly and I were in Bellefonte to take in the atmosphere of the Bellefonte Cruise. Our original plan was to take a classic car and participate in the event, but, when a downpour went through Clearfield around 4 PM, we decided to leave the sports car in the garage. We did get the chance to walk around downtown Bellefonte and talk with people and see some great cars. The only downside was several people commented that participation appeared to be down from prior years. You have to wonder how much the $4 per gallon price of gas affected the turnout.

On Saturday morning, Kelly, Amanda and I were back in Centre County to attend a fundraising breakfast arranged by Keith Bierly. I want to thank the people who signed on to host the event: Elizabeth Goreham, John and Sharon McCarthy, Joe French, Tom and Barbara Thwaites, Bill Cahir and Benson Lichtig It was a tremendous event with attendance from people we had already met during the primary election campaign and many new friends who are joining on to support our campaign. Thanks to everyone who came out and I greatly appreciate all the questions, comments and suggestions that were made to help with the direction of the campaign as we move forward.

Thanks to the Hosts of the State College Breakfast – L-R, Henry Guthrie – Campaign Chairman, Mark McCracken, Hosts Elizabeth Goreham, Sharon and John McCarthy, Barbara and Tom Thwaites, Joe French.

The rest of the day Saturday was busy as we attended a flea market / car show in Bigler at the historic Super 322 Drive-In, spent several hours at DuBois Community Days and eventually ended up in Houtzdale to attend a dinner event.

Events for the Coming Week – June 16th to 22nd:

Tuesday June 17th – State College, the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County will be hosting a luncheon and debate with both candidates for the 5th Congressional District.

Thursday, June 19th from 11 AM to 3 PM, Open house at the recently expanded Murmac Farms in Bellefonte PA. Thursday, June 19th as Clearfield County Commissioner, I will be attending the LMIP hearing held by Pennsylvania DEP for the proposed Chest Township landfill.

Friday, June 20th, Kelly and I are tentatively scheduled to attend the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women's 81st annual convention in Altoona.

Saturday, June 21st, Wellsboro, Tioga County - Laurel Festival from 10 AM and Parade at 2 PM.

Sunday June 22nd, State College attending 2 house parties hosted by Art Goldschmidt at 1173 Oneida Street from 3 to 5 PM and at a second location to be determined later from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.

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Pins, Pens, Stickers and Magnetic Bumper Signs Available: We have McCracken for Congress pins, pens, lapel stickers and magnetic bumper stickers available for anyone who would like them. Please email the campaign with requests for these items.

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Fundraising: We would like to remind everyone that the FEC quarterly report deadline is coming up June 30th. It is important to show that the campaign is making progress raising funds for the fall campaign. Our message is strong but we need to mount a competitive media campaign after Labor Day. Please visit our website www.mccrackenforcongress.com if you would like to donate online via ActBlue.com. We really appreciate the support we are receiving.

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Important Upcoming Event: We will be holding a McCracken for Congress dinner in Clearfield on Thursday July 17th 5:30 PM at the Lawrence Township Fireman's Social Hall on Mill Road in Clearfield. Mark your calendars and plan to attend this event.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Weekly Progress Report -- June 8th 2008

2008-06-09T17:41:00.005-04:00

A Choice - More of the Same or Something Different

On November 4th, voters will have a choice to make, not only in the race for President between Senator John McCain (More of the Same) and Senator Barack Obama (Something Different), but also in each of the contested races for seats in the US Congress.

Voters have to look no further than two recent congressional roll call votes to see a contrast between the Democratic and Republican parties. On May 21st, with solid Democratic support, HR 6049 passed on a 263 for / 160 against vote. HR 6049 provides energy, business and personal tax breaks totaling $55.5 billion to spur the production of non-fossil fuels, promote energy conservation, stimulate business activity and help homeowners and the working poor. In order to offset the costs of HR 6049, the bill tightens accounting rules on multinational corporations and eliminates certain offshore tax shelters and loopholes utilized by some US hedge fund managers. Most important, HR 6049 does not add any additional burden to the national debt.

Most encouraging, HR 6049 will have a positive effect right here in north central Pennsylvania with funding to spur renewable energy sources from crops (including corn based ethanol) and by providing incentives for the production of non-corn based ethanol. Both of these options will support the alternative fuels industry that is coming to north central Pennsylvania creating jobs and investment in the 5th Congressional District. Additional language authorizes tax breaks for investment in coal gasification technology, another process that could bring jobs and investment to revitalize the coal industry in north central Pennsylvania.

Because HR 6049 invests in domestically produced alternative energy and offers great benefits to north central Pennsylvania, I would have voted, along with 16 other members of the Pennsylvania delegation, to support the legislation. The 3 dissenting votes cast from the Pennsylvania delegation came from Republicans John Peterson, Bill Shuster and Joseph Pitts.

The Republicans offered alternative language that removed the tighter accounting rules to eliminate the offshore tax shelters and loopholes and included language that added $50 billion for a temporary fix for the Alternative Minimum Tax. The Republican alternative shifted the entire $55.5 billion cost for HR 6049 plus the $50 billion for the temporary fix of the AMT directly to the national debt. Since a main theme of my campaign is fiscal responsibility and the elimination of the national debt, I would have voted against the alternative language. The Republican alternative failed 201 for / 220 against with all 8 Republican members of the Pennsylvania delegation voting for the Republican alternative language. TRANSLATION: All 8 Republican members of the Pennsylvania delegation voted to add an additional $105.5 billion to the national debt which is closing in on $10 trillion.

Perhaps most disturbing was the following statement made by Rep. Jeb Hensarling R-Texas in opposing HR 6049. “Under the Democrats control of Congress, we have seen prices at the pump go up about $1.50 a gallon. They have tried to sue their way to lower gas prices. Now they are trying to tax their way to lower gas prices. Yet they never think about producing American energy in America.”.

WHAT WAS THAT? The entire purpose of HR 6049 is to spur the production of alternative fuels produced right here in the United States of America, creating jobs, investment and decreasing our dependence on foreign oil. Perhaps it is time for Rep. Hensarling and his cohorts to acknowledge that foreign policy failures by the Bush administration destabilized the Middle East which is THE reason oil is now $140 a barrel and gas is over $4 a gallon.

The votes on HR 6049 and the Republican alternative language that would have increased the national debt by $105.5 billion are prime examples of what voters must consider when they vote in November. Maybe the choice isn’t between More of the Same or Something Different. Perhaps the real choice comes down to More of the Same or Something Better!

Campaign Highlights for the Week:

Friday morning, Campaign Chairman Henry Guthrie and I stopped in Lock Haven to participate in a candidate forum that was sponsored by Hub’s Home Oxygen Supply. The event was broadcast live on the radio with Glenn Thompson joining me to take questions for about an hour. The on site audience consisted of customers and employees of Hub’s Home Oxygen and 10th and 11th grade students from a nearby high school. Questions ranged from I-80 tolling / highway and bridge funding, health care reform, our stance on Second Amendment rights, the war in Iraq and who we support for president.

Mark answers the hard questions.

Later Friday and on Saturday, Henry and I attended the Democratic State Committee meeting in Harrisburg. During our time at the state committee meeting we spoke with several people including former Congressman Joe Hoeffel, Ruth Rudy who ran for the 5th District seat in 1996, PA-16 candidate Bruce Slater and Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll among others.

Mark with Lt. Governor Catherine Baker Knoll.

It was also encouraging to hear strong statements about the Democratic Party unifying behind Senator Barack Obama as our candidate for President. These messages came from Governor Ed Rendell, Senator Bob Casey and State Chairman T. J. Rooney. With our party unified we offer voters Something Better on November 4th.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Progress Report -- June 2nd, 2008

2008-06-02T16:00:00.008-04:00

The upcoming week is going to be a busy week of listening and learning. I have 3 important meetings to attend that will give me the chance to discuss important issues in the north central region.

On Monday June 2nd, I am scheduled to meet with Kirk Johnson to discuss issues surrounding the Allegheny National Forest. Mr. Johnson is the founder of Friends of Allegheny Wilderness and he contacted me several weeks back to request a meeting to discuss the future of the Allegheny National Forest. I have been a supporter of the PA Wilds tourism promotion initiative and I recognize that the Allegheny National Forest is large attraction for tourism in the PA Wilds region. I look forward to speaking with Mr. Johnson and learning more details about the ANF.

On Wednesday, June 4th, I will be meeting at the Clearfield Hospital with members of the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania to discuss the important issue of healthcare. While comprehensive healthcare reform has been discussed for almost 20 years, the federal government has been consistent on only one front – the failure to enact meaningful legislation to solve the problem. The meeting with the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania will be very valuable to learn what their association feels will be necessary to help achieve healthcare reform.

On Friday June 6th and Saturday June 7th I will be in Harrisburg attending the Democratic State Committee Meeting. I look forward to meeting with county chairs, state committee members and other people from the 5th congressional district that will be in attendance at the meeting.

A quick update on events from the past week. Kelly, Amanda and I visited Centre County on Monday to attend the Memorial Day celebration in Boalsburg. While it was a humid day, many people were out enjoying the festivities.

On Wednesday, I traveled to Reynoldsville to attend the monthly meeting of the Jefferson County Democratic Committee.

Mark gives an update on the campaign to the Jefferson Co. Democratic Committee.

DNC Western Field Organizer Brigid Sullivan addressed the Neighorhood Leader Initiative.

On Thursday, I traveled to Wellsboro, Tioga County to attend a fundraiser for PA Senate candidate Don Hilliard and later, the monthly meeting of the Tioga County Democratic Committee.

Tioga County is beautiful in Spring. We'll make it BLUE in November!

Mark with Emily Rizzo of Tioga County and State Senate Candidate Don Hilliard.

Finally, yesterday Kelly and I made a trip to Lock Haven in Clinton County to attend a fundraiser for State Senator John Wozniak. While at Senator Wozniak's event, Kelly and I spent some time speaking with Rick and Marie Vilello. After the event was over, at Rick and Marie's urging, Kelly and I took some time visit the riverfront area and walk along the levee. Throughout the primary campaign I listened to Mayor Rick speak with such pride about his community of Lock Haven. After our visit today, I can see why Rick is so proud and excited about his town.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Remembering Those Who Served -- Memorial Day Weekend 2008

2008-05-26T11:54:00.001-04:00

While Memorial Day weekend is recognized as the unofficial start of the summer season with the first family picnics and backyard barbeques, we must take time to remember the true meaning of the Memorial Day holiday. First and foremost, Memorial Day is to remember and honor those who accepted the call into military service to protect our country. I always take a few moments while visiting local cemeteries on Memorial Day weekend to notice the flags marking the graves of deceased veterans.

This year, at Calvary Cemetery in Clearfield, there is a flag in place for the first time marking the grave of my recently deceased father, a World War II veteran. My father was always proud of being a World War II veteran and the sad fact is the number of World War II vets is dwindling with each passing year. They were called the "Greatest Generation" for their efforts to win the war against two powerful enemies on two different fronts. Then, they came home and became the working force behind a strong economy, the expansion of our national infrastructure and they were the parents of the baby boom generation.

Back in the days following World War II, our nation and our leaders recognized the debt owed to the brave men and women who served during World War II. Our government provided for their return to civilian life with the GI Bill to provide funding for education and financial assistance to purchase homes.

It was encouraging this past Thursday when the US Senate overwhelmingly passed the 21st Century post-9/11 GI Bill that was proposed by Virginia Senator Jim Webb. The post-9/11 GI Bill passed the house the proceeding week and will provide veterans of the War in Iraq and Afghanistan with the opportunity for comprehensive educational benefits when they return home. This was the right thing to do for our service men and woman and I congratulate Senator Webb and his colleagues for taking action on this important legislation.

Blossburg Coal Festival: On Saturday, Kelly, Amanda and I traveled to Tioga County for the annual Blossburg Coal Festival. We took part in the parade through Blossburg on Saturday morning. The plan was for Kelly and Amanda to ride in our vehicle with the "McCracken for Congress" signs on display while I walked tossing candy. When it was time for the parade to start, Amanda announced that she wanted to walk the parade route with me and help toss the candy. I wasn't sure how far her 5 year old legs would take her but I figured if she got tired I would put her in the car. Well, Amanda must have a future in politics because she walked the whole parade route and had a smile on her face the entire time.

After the parade, we stayed at the festival for several hours where I worked at the Tioga County Democratic Party booth while Kelly and Amanda enjoyed the food, games and rides. While was standing at the booth, I spoke with a number of people about many issues of concern in Tioga County.

Not surprisingly, people wanted to talk about the price of gas, the rising price of food and the war in Iraq. I also was asked where I stood on Second Amendment rights and my support for alternative fuels including corn based ethanol. The overwhelming majority of the people I spoke with were in agreement with the opinions and ideas I shared with them. Tioga County is a wonderful place and the people there are very interested in our campaign. I look forward to many more trips to Tioga County during the coming months of the campaign.

In closing, Kelly, Amanda and I wish everyone a safe and fun filled Memorial Day weekend.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate For Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Weekly Progress Report -- May 19, 2008

2008-05-19T14:32:00.005-04:00

May has been a busy month and it is more than half over. I have a few important things to announce this week.

1. CHANGES IN THE CAMPAIGN ORGANIZATION -- We are going to make several important changes to the campaign organization this week. These moves will bring in some new people with important knowledge, experience and expertise to the campaign and will change the roles of some people already involved with the campaign.

Henry Guthrie of DuBois will be moving from the position of Vice Chairman to Chairman of the McCracken for Congress committee. Henry and his wife Molly have been very involved with the campaign since we began in January and I have great confidence in his political knowledge and abilities. I worked closely with Henry in 2007 when we were both candidates for office at the county level.

Victor M. Ordonez will continue in the position of Media & Policy Advisor. Victor brings years of political experience working in campaigns. His prior positions have included working for Rep. Joseph Sestak (PA-07) and helping to get Senator Robert Casey Jr. elected in 2006.

Keith Bierly is coming on board as a campaign advisor. Keith brings a wealth of knowledge to the campaign serving 12 years as a District Justice and 16 years as Centre County Commissioner. Keith will be working on specific areas of the campaign to coordinate the efforts of the entire committee and we're pleased to have him take this official role with the campaign.

Tim Fannin from the accounting firm of Catalano, Case, Catalano and Fannin will be taking over as Treasurer. Running for federal office with all the required FEC and IRS filings takes a great deal knowledge. Tim is a highly experienced accountant in the Clearfield area who has served on many boards and organizations including the Clearfield County Industrial Development Authority and the Clearfield County Economic Development Corporation among others. With the appointment of Tim Fannin as Treasurer we are moving Milt Weisman to the position of Assistant Treasurer where he will remain involved with the campaign.

Recognizing the key role that Centre County plays in the 5th Congressional District, it is important to name someone to the position of Centre County Coordinator. I didn't have to look far to find someone with the credentials I was looking for. Tim Wilson shares a passion for many of the same issues I'm stressing in the race for US Congress. Tim is interested in alternative fuels, environmental issues, fiscal responsibility, health care reform, farmland preservation, support for public education and many of the other issues the McCracken for Congress campaign is all about. An additional benefit of having Tim on our committee is, while he is now living in Centre County, he is originally from Jefferson County and will be able to help the campaign in those areas of the district also.

We've also invited Andrea Smith of Glen Richey to take over the role of Secretary of the committee. Andrea has worked for many years as a legal secretary in the Clearfield area and has supported and assisted me in my past campaigns for school director and county commissioner.

We're excited to have these people on board with the campaign. We also have a number of people from every county in the 5th district offer to work for the campaign. The solid organization we are putting together will help us run strong in every county in the 5th district.

2: CONGRATULATIONS TO TRAVIS CHILDERS -- This past Tuesday Democrat Travis Childers was elected to the US Congress in a special election to fill a vacant seat in the state of Mississippi. This was the third Democratic victory so far in 2008 in special elections. The 3 seats in Mississippi, Louisiana and Illinois (the seat of former Speaker Dennis Hastert) were all considered to be traditional Republican seats and have been captured by Democrats. It will take a great deal of hard work but we can accomplish this same feat here in the 5th Congressional District in November.

3: ARMED FORCES AWARENESS DAY -- On Saturday, I took part in the Armed Forces Awareness Day ceremony in Clearfield. This is the 5th consecutive year that I've participated as a county commissioner in this moving ceremony. It is so important that we take time to recognize the commitment of the men and women who are serving and who have served in our armed forces.

Candidate McCracken addresses the crowd at Armed Forces Day

Take the time to thank veterans like Maj. Miller, who has served two tours in Iraq.

The ceremony in Clearfield is always so special with emotional speeches, patriotic songs by the DuBois American Legion Band and special recognition of the veterans and active servicemen in attendance. This year, there were several very special guests including 2 Gold Star Mothers and a Clearfield County veteran who is a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

4: This coming week, Kelly, Amanda and I will be spending Saturday in Tioga County to attend the Blossburg Coal Festival and participate in the parade. We also will be traveling later in the day to Wellsboro to meet with people who are interested in helping with the campaign. If anyone from Tioga County would like to meet with us in Wellsboro, please email the campaign at mccrackenforcongress@verizon.net.

Mark McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Progress Report -- May 12, 2008

2008-05-12T15:04:00.001-04:00

Unity is the Key in 2008: As I've been meeting with people since the primary election, I can tell that Democratic voters in the 5th district are unifying behind our campaign and identifying with our message. Before the primary election, I felt certain if the Democratic candidates made our campaigns about the important issues and trusted the voters to make their choice on election day, it would be easy for Democrats to unite behind the winner for the general election campaign.

During the time I was out campaigning and seeking support, I spoke with many people who were up front and informed me of their support for either Rick Vilello or Bill Cahir. Early on, I made the decision to spend an equal amount of time with everyone, regardless if they were supporting me, one of my opponents or were still undecided. I even took the time to speak with voters who identified themselves as Republican, Independent or were registered with other parties.

While there were many important strategic decisions I had to make with the direction of the campaign, I feel this was possibly the key that will keep our momentum going throughout the summer. We were able to quickly move on from the primary campaign, unify the Democratic base and be ready for the real challenge – electing a Democrat in the 5th Congressional District on November 4th. I also feel the foundation has been laid to attract those crossover votes we need to win this race.

On the national level, we need to have the same unity behind our nominee for President. Everyone needs to realize the problems facing our country must be solved and we have to elect a leader at the top who can handle the challenge. Our democracy is at a critical point and important decisions must be made starting in January of 2009.

We've seen the last 2 presidential elections produce very controversial outcomes that have weakened our faith in the process and caused other countries to doubt our democratic form of government. In 2000, we watched as ballots in Florida were counted, recounted and eventually uncounted and the only result history will remember is 5-4 from the Supreme Court. Then, in 2004, our party's nominee was "Swift Boated" and we watched as the final outcome from Ohio was only slightly less controversial than the Florida 2000 result.

In 2008, we must not allow the other side to manipulate the process to their advantage. We have to be unified on all levels so we can elect people who will solve the problems facing our country. Waiting another 4 years is not an option.

The Week in Review: This week saw trips on Monday to DuBois for the DuBois City Democratic Committee Meeting and on Tuesday to Coudersport for the Potter County Democratic Committee Meeting. Additionally, I've had several meetings this week with people who will be taking key roles with the campaign as we move forward. Things are going to start getting busy over the last 2 weeks in May with events in State College and Clearfield this week and Tioga County the following week. Then, there will be several important events around Memorial Day and we get real busy in June, July and August with county fairs, parades and a regular diet of corn dogs and funnel cakes.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress -- Progress Report -- May 4th 2008

2008-05-05T16:59:00.000-04:00

As we move the campaign from Democratic primary to general election mode, I am going to make some changes to the weekly progress report. Over the last few months I've used this weekly report give updates on the events we've participated in over the past week. I'll continue to keep you informed on where we're at and what we're doing but I'm going to provide comment on issues of interest to the citizens of the 5th district. We'll also keep you updated on what is going on inside the campaign.

Truckers Converge on Washington - Fuel Prices Are Hurting Everyone: Last week, truckers converged on Washington to protest the high price of diesel fuel and to show members of Congress the negative effects on the transportation industry that is so vital to our nation's economy. In response to the trucker's rally, Congressman John Peterson issued a press release stating the following: “For the past year and four months, the House Democrat leadership has done absolutely nothing to reduce the price at the pump. Their unwillingness to address the energy crisis at it's roots “supply and demand” will only further enhance the economic burden on every man, woman, and child in America. The protest today, by blue collar, working class truckers, further emphasizes how out of touch the Democrat-controlled Congress is with the American people.”.

I have to take issue with Congressman Peterson's statement placing blame on the policies of the Democratic Congress over the past 16 months. In fact, this crisis has been building in the 6 years prior while the Republican Party had total control of the White House and Congress and no meaningful legislation was offered to avert the impending crisis. Additionally, it must be recognized that the instability of the Middle East, brought on by President George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq, is a factor in OPEC's ongoing policy to drive oil prices to record highs.

It should also be noted that President Bush has done little to influence OPEC policies either. I can remember in the 90's when OPEC would begin to drive up the price per barrel of oil, President Bill Clinton would immediately order a release of strategic oil reserves to put more oil on the market which would stabilize oil prices.

Frankly, blame must lie on both sides of the aisle in Washington. Back in the 1970's, our nation received a wake up call but leaders in Washington ignored it for the last 30 plus years. While other nations invested in alternative fuels and worked to decrease their dependence on oil from the Middle East, government leaders in the United States continued to allow the powerful petroleum industry to dictate our energy policies.

Now, we are at a critical point again. Families are struggling to afford gas and heating oil. Truckers are feeling the pinch of higher diesel fuel prices which will be passed on in higher prices to the consumers. Everyone is hurting, except who? Who is making record profits? The same powerful petroleum industry that our government leaders allowed to dictate our energy policy for the last 30 plus years! And, does anyone really believe the solution is to allow the petroleum industry access to traditional oil reserves. No, we need to move away from “Big Oil” controlling our energy policy and move towards renewable and alternative fuel technologies. The wake up call has returned, the alarm clock is ringing and we better not hit the snooze button again.

I've made it clear from the start of this campaign that I'm not running against Congressman Peterson. He has been very helpful and supportive to Clearfield County and our county commissioners have built a very positive relationship with him throughout his service as our congressman. The point I'm making is the oil crisis we are facing is truly a threat to our economy, our national security and our way of life. There is no time for partisan finger pointing. Congressman Peterson is correct in this regard. We need our leaders in Washington to address this issue NOW. Congress needs to forget it is an election year and get to work on plausible solutions in a bipartisan manner because the people they claim to represent are suffering. They can't wait for January 2009, they need help now.

Campaign Organization Changes: Over the next few weeks, we will be announcing some important changes and additions to the McCracken for Congress campaign committee. The changes will put organization in place throughout the 5th Congressional District. We know going forward, the race will be tough and we need to work to earn votes in every county in the district. It will be important to have organized campaign teams in every county to work at the local and county level to spread our message. It will also help to have people we can count on at the local level who know their communities and will help me learn more about the issues important the people they know.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress – Progress Report – April 28, 2008

2008-04-28T12:51:00.002-04:00

The last 4 months have been exciting and rewarding to travel around the 5th district campaigning. I’ve learned a lot about the district, the people and myself in the process. It all came to a climax on Tuesday, April 22nd as the voters in the 5th district went to the polls to select who would be the 2 remaining candidates to continue on to the November 4th general election.

From a personal standpoint, I learned that in politics, the best thing you can do is plan your strategy and stay the course. You have to be honest with the people, explain where you stand on the issues important to the people you want to represent and trust their instincts when they go to the polls.

As Kelly, Amanda and I watched the election returns on Tuesday evening I couldn’t help but wonder if I had done enough to get our message out to the voters in the 5th district. Kelly was nervous and Amanda’s only concern was “Is daddy winning?” At the end of the evening, just after 11:00 PM, both of the area TV stations called the election in our favor. A short time later, both of my opponents called to offer their congratulations and I gave them both thanks for the positive, clean campaigns they both ran.

Waking up on Wednesday, I have to admit I was still overwhelmed by results from the night before. The day found many people calling and stopping in the office to offer congratulations. In the evening, I traveled to Reynoldsville for the monthly meeting of the Jefferson County Democratic Committee. It was fitting that I was making my first appearance as the Democratic nominee for 5th district at the same meeting I attended as my first event as an official candidate back in January.

Of course, the reality is that for everything we accomplished on Tuesday, the real work began on Wednesday morning. It is going to be busy between now and November 4th. I’ll continue to keep everyone updated on how the campaign is going. If you know of any events that we should be attending, please email the campaign and let us know. Also, if you have any ideas to help reach out to the voters please forward them to the campaign.

I’ll conclude with this. Most of the media interviews I had on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning all asked “Can you win this seat in November?” After about the fifth or sixth time I got the question, I finally responded “We can and we will.”

Mark McCracken

Thank You

2008-04-24T12:10:00.003-04:00

"I want to thank all the Democratic voters who came out and voted in the 5th district yesterday. I congratulate Bill Cahir and Rick Vilello for the positive campaigns they ran. As candidates, we ran campaigns that showed respect to each other and to the voters in the 5th district.

I also want to congratulate the winner of the Republican primary Glenn Thompson. Mr. Thompson stayed on course with his message throughout his campaign and I look forward to our competition in the November general election.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who helped with our campaign. There are so many people throughout the 17 counties of the 5th district who were involved in the campaign. What started in January with 12 candidates is now down to 2. There is much work to be done over the next several months. After meeting with people in the 5th district for the last 4 months I am convinced that our campaign's message is strong and we will prevail in November."

Mark B. McCracken
Still - Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress – Progress Report – 4/21/08

2008-04-21T15:08:00.006-04:00

Another Busy Week – Less Than 1 Day To Go!!!

I started out the week on Monday with a trip to State College to meet with the PSU College Democrats. I took the time to give special thanks to the PSU Dems for their hard work getting students registered to vote in this election. It really is encouraging to see how interested young voters throughout the district are about this election. I think our young people realize that they have to get involved and make a difference in this election.

Later in the week on Thursday, I had an afternoon radio interview on WPHB followed in the evening with a trip to Clarion for the Clarion University Young Dems Spring Unity Banquet. The Clarion Young Dems have a very involved and active group. They have had representation at every 5th District candidate event held in Clarion throughout the campaign. It was great to get a final chance to meet with them before Election Day. We also had people in attendance throughout the day at the stops by President Clinton in Brookville, St. Marys and Clearfield.

Friday, I traveled to DuBois to participate in Eyes Wide Open, a traveling exhibit to help educate the public on the real costs of the Iraq war. The exhibit contained several banners that describe the monetary costs of the war and compares what we could do here in the United States with the funds. The most moving part of the exhibit was the 183 pairs of military boots with the names attached of the fallen PA soldiers and civilians who have died in Iraq during the conflict. It was a very moving exhibit and should make our resolve even stronger to end the conflict and bring the troops home as soon as possible.

Remembering our local fallen soldiers.

On Saturday, we attended the annual Blue White Game at Penn State. It was a warm sunny day and it was a lot of fun working the tailgate parties in the parking lot. However, I found 2 things: 1 – The majority of Penn State fans travel in from outside of the 5th district, and 2 – A good number start drinking the hard stuff early in the morning and have no interest in politics once the alcohol takes effect. I do want to thank State Rep. Scott Conklin, the PSU College Dems and the Obama State College Campaign Staff for hosting a great tailgate event. [One note from the blogger: You can see more about the Blue White Game in the CDT article written by Mike Joseph. It can be found here: http://www.centredaily.com/482/story/536348.html, although I'm not sure if I would make a good caddy.]

The week ended today with a trip back over to Happy Valley to work the line waiting to attend Sen. Hillary Clinton’s visit to Penn State. It was an excited group waiting to see Sen. Clinton and their spirits were high in spite of a cold downpour that started around 5:30. I really enjoy the one on one campaigning that we were able to do both Saturday and Sunday.

I’ll close this last report before Election Day with a round of thanks to everyone who has helped with the campaign thus far. We started back in mid-January and what has been accomplished so far is because of everyone who has been involved. I also want to thank and wish the best of luck to all the Democratic candidates who are on the ballot on Tuesday. It’s been a privilege to campaign and attend events with these people.

Finally, I want to give a special thank you to my 2 fellow Democratic candidates in the 5th District race. I truly admire the way Rick, Bill and I have focused on the issues of this campaign, met with the voters and kept our campaigns positive. I’ve told several people over the last week, our party and our eventual nominee in the 5th district will be stronger because of the positive campaigns all 3 of us ran. Regardless of who wins on Tuesday, we are tested and ready to take on the Republican candidate in November. I have a stronger opinion today than I did in January when I started the campaign – a Democrat WILL be elected in the 5th Congressional District in 2008.

One final note: Please tell as many people as you can – Support Mark B. McCracken for Congress - #1 on the Democratic Ballot.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate For Congress

McCracken for Congress – Progress Report – 4/13/08

2008-04-16T10:21:00.007-04:00

6 Counties in 1 Week:

Monday -- Tioga County: I started out the week with a day long visit to Tioga County with the day’s agenda coordinated by Emily Rizzo. Emily took me around to several communities in Tioga County including Wellsboro, which included a visit to the Tioga County Courthouse to meet the elected officials, and to Mansfield where we stopped to meet with the staff at the Obama headquarters. I found Tioga County to be one of the most scenic counties, not only in the 5th district, but in the entire state. The day ended with a candidate forum that was attended by 10 of the 12 candidates (the 2 missing candidates had people stand in for them) for the 5th district seat. For the first time at one of these multi-candidate events, I drew the 12th position so I had to sit and wait as every other candidate did their 10 minute presentations. Here is what the Elmira Star Gazette wrote about my presentation:

"After sitting silent for two hours, Democrat Mark McCracken, a Clearfield County commissioner, finally got his turn to speak. He said the nation's $9.4 trillion debt was tragic and that his priority would be getting the federal budget back in order. "We're in a deeper hole than we have ever been in before," he said. "This is a threat to our national security. Foreign interests could pull the rug out from under us at any time."

"Congress also needs to address energy costs and supplies...We missed a wake-up call in the '70s," he said. "We really need to get an energy plan in place. We need to be looking at alternate energy sources. This is our second wake-up call. We'd better take it."

Tuesday -- Clarion County: Tuesday evening, Kelly and I made the trip to Clarion County for the Spring Democratic Banquet. Like Democrats all over the region, the folks in Clarion are excited about our party’s prospects for 2008.

Speaking to the Democratic crowd in Clarion

Wednesday -- Elk and Mifflin Counties: Wednesday morning brought a trip to St.Marys for a candidate forum in front of members of the Allegheny Hardwoods Utilization Group AHUG. The members of AHUG quizzed 11 of the 12 candidates on where we stood in regards to the lumber and timber business that is so important to the economy in north central Pennsylvania.

Wednesday evening brought a trip to Lewistown to appear at a candidate forum sponsored by the Mifflin County Farm Bureau. It was decided that the 3 Democratic candidates would have our own portion of the forum since the Republican candidates would be arriving later due to party event also being held in Lewistown.

Thursday -- Clearfield County: The DuBois Democratic Committee sponsored a forum for the 3 Democratic candidates at the Penn State DuBois Campus. PCN was on hand to record the forum which they will run several times over the next few days. I have to congratulate the people who put the event together. It was a unique format which included the standard Q & A, followed by a 1 on 1 session with a moderator, then questions from the audience and ended with 5 minute closing statements from each candidate. The format was different from any event we’ve participated in thus far and was a good challenge for me personally and I think for the other 2 candidates as well.

Talking with citizens throughout the 5th District is important!

Friday -- Centre County: Friday evening Kelly and I traveled to the Tussey Mountain Lodge to attend the Centre County Democrats Spring Banquet. This event turned into a celebration of the extraordinary gains in voter registration the Democratic party has made in central Pennsylvania. Centre County led the way with the excitement for Sen. Obama’s candidacy leading to a huge wave of young people registering Democratic. But, the excitement doesn’t end in Centre County as my home county of Clearfield and Rick Vilello’s home county of Clinton also turned “BLUE”! Hmmm, with everything going the Democratic way, maybe a Democrat can win the 5th district after all.

Saturday -- Clearfield County: I spent the day working on behalf of the Obama campaign doing some door to door canvassing at the invitation of Jody Grumblatt. Jody has been putting her heart and soul into campaigning on behalf of Sen. Obama. She was even out on the Clearfield Courthouse Plaza on a cold day a few weeks back registering voters.

Sunday -- Clearfield County: Kelly, Amanda and I went to the DuBois Democratic Committee spaghetti dinner. Many campaigns were on hand for this well attended annual event. Auditor General Jack Wagner was the main speaker with Jay Paterno on hand to speak for the Obama campaign. Rick Vilello and I each spoke to the crowd to make our case for votes on April 22nd.

We had an amazing turnout in Clearfield County - yet another BLUE county!

Maybe the Wrong McCracken in on the Ballot: Kelly had a very lucky week. She won 4 tickets to a Pirate baseball game at the Clarion County Dinner and really cleaned up at the spaghetti dinner in DuBois winning 2 gift baskets. Amanda was really excited with the one gift basket that had a porcelain doll that she really liked.

...and a doll for Amanda.

We’re heading into the last full week of the primary campaign and there are a lot of miles left to travel. Please be sure to remind your family and friends to vote on April 22nd. Of course, a mention to vote for the 5th district candidate listed in the #1 position on the ballot would be appreciated.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken for Congress – Progress Report - April 7, 2008

2008-04-07T14:51:00.006-04:00

IF IT’S TUESDAY, THIS MUST BE BELLEFONTE:

The headline says it all as it was a very busy and sometimes hectic week. I started out the week Sunday and Monday in Harrisburg where I was attending the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania spring conference. I really wish I could have been in State College to see Senator Barack Obama’s historic visit to Penn State but, I had already scheduled to attend the CCAP conference several weeks ago. I’ve heard from people who attended and they were all still buzzing late in the week from the rally.

I left Harrisburg Monday afternoon to attend the Lycoming County Democratic Dinner in Williamsport on Monday evening. Lycoming County Chair Jessie Bloom put together a fantastic event that was so well attended they filled up 2 rooms with Democrats who are excited about 2008.

Meeting fellow Democrats in Lycoming County

Lycoming County is split between the 5th and the 10th congressional districts. As I was working the rooms, I shook hands with one gentleman who apologized and said “sorry, you just wasted a handshake, I’m from the 10th district”. I countered back to him, “No, it wasn’t wasted, if I met a Democrat who is going to be working to get Democrats elected in 2008 that was good enough for me”. All the candidates in attendance got the chance to speak and Auditor General Jack Wagner was the keynote speaker for the evening.

Tuesday brought 2 events in Centre County with an afternoon forum for the 5th District Democratic candidates at the Foxdale Retirement Community in State College. Art Goldschmidt moderated the event and the residents asked many important questions.

Meeting and answering the tough questions at Foxdale.

Then it was on to Bellefonte for a candidate’s forum with the 3 Democratic candidates taking center stage from 6:30 to 7:30 with the Republicans getting their chance from 8:00 to 9:30.

Wednesday brought an early morning trip to Clarion for legislative breakfast sponsored by the Clarion Chamber of Commerce. This event had 16 candidates, 5 for the PA House seat being vacated by Rep. Fred McIllhatten and 11 of the 12 candidates for the 5th District seat. Wednesday evening had us back in Centre County for the League of Women Voters debate. Again, the Democratic candidates went first from 7:00 to 8:00 with the Republican candidates following. Is it wrong to think the Republican candidates had viewers tuning out in favor of American Idol both nights?

Also on Wednesday, we released the news that both the IBEW Local #5 and the Ironworkers Local #772 have endorsed my candidacy. It is important to me that we get endorsements from organizations that represent the hard working people of the 5th Congressional District.

You can read the endorsement letters here!

Thursday we had the Jefferson County Democratic spring banquet in Reynoldsville followed by a candidate forum for the Democratic candidates at the IBEW building in Clearfield.

Friday brought an important visitor to Clearfield County as US Senator Richard Durbin, the Assistant Majority Leader (also known as the Majority Whip), stopped in Clearfield and DuBois to support the Obama for President campaign. It really is an exciting time for Democrats in central Pennsylvania as we are getting real attention from the presidential campaigns for the first time in my lifetime.

Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) visited Clearfield to talk about the Obama campaign.

The longest day of the week was Saturday. I was up a 5:15 AM to drive to Warren for a Democratic breakfast at 9:00 AM. I found my theme that communities in the 5th district share many similarities took a new twist on Saturday morning. The Clearfield County Courthouse sets at the corner of Second and Market streets and, believe it or not, the building where the Warren County breakfast was held was on the corner of Second and Market streets. I pointed this coincidence out and the crowd got a chuckle from my observation. I shared the microphone with 3 of the candidates running for the 3rd congressional district along with fellow 5th district candidate Rick Vilello. We also heard from Jeff Eggleston for the Obama campaign and Congressman Marion Berry for the Clinton campaign.

Then it was on to Clarion for a League of Women Voters debate at Clarion University at 2 PM. Rick Vilello and I shared the stage with 7 of the 9 Republican candidates for a joint debate. Rick and I did the Democratic party proud as we addressed the issues important to the hard working people of the district. The event concluded with a brief verbal skirmish between 2 of the Republican candidates during the closing statements. I was very pleased when the Clarion County Democratic Chairman and several people in the audience came up and congratulated both of the Democratic candidates for our performances.

Saturday ended in Ridgway with the Elk County Democratic Spring Banquet. Kelly joined me in Ridgway to hear 2 keynote speakers, Congressman Marion Berry representing the Clinton campaign and Jay Paterno representing the Obama campaign. And, I can’t forget to mention that Victor Ordonez represented the campaign in Mifflin County for their spring dinner on Saturday evening. A big thank you to Victor for making the trip to Lewistown. It would have been impossible to do the debate in Clarion and also make it to Lewistown.

It was a long day to end a long week but I feel our campaign made great progress over the last 7 days. The only downside to this is the reality that campaigning in such a large district is taking a toll on the family life. Kelly and I knew what we were getting into back in January but it is difficult now that we are in the middle of the campaign. April 22nd is coming fast and it will be nice once the outcome is known. Either we will be campaigning through November or life will settle back down.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCRACKEN RECEIVES MAJOR LABOR ENDORSEMENTS

2008-04-02T11:34:00.002-04:00

Mark B. McCracken, Democratic candidate for United States House of Representatives in the 5^th Congressional District of Pennsylvania is proud to announce that he has received the endorsements from the 2,760 plus members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union #5 and the 263 member International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers Local Union #772.

In receiving the endorsement of these important labor organizations, Mr. McCracken stated “I am honored to have my candidacy endorsed by two organizations that represent the working people of Pennsylvania. I know firsthand the struggles our working class face and I plan on being a strong voice in Washington for the people who work hard everyday, but lack the representation at the federal level they deserve.”

During McCracken’s tenure as a Clearfield County Commissioner, he has worked to establish a working relationship with representatives of organized labor within Clearfield County to keep them advised on economic development projects. In endorsing McCracken’s candidacy, Michael Dunleavy, Business Manager for IBEW Local #5 wrote “I am convinced that your viewpoints and stance on issues that concern not only organized labor, but the well-being of all working Pennsylvanians are sound. Your inclusion of labor as part of the process of economic development and job creation is commendable. To us, your background and professional experience makes your candidacy a sound investment.”

These labor endorsements offer a significant boost to the candidacy of Mark B. McCracken to be the next congressman for the 5^th congressional district. The endorsements by the IBEW and the Iron Workers offer positive proof of the pro-active and involved leader that Mark B. McCracken is as a county commissioner which is the same effort he will put forth as a member of Congress.

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If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Mr. Mark B. McCracken, please email either mkamccracken@verizon.net or the Media & Policy Advisor at vmo1701@gmail.com.

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You can read the endorsement letters here!

McCracken for Congress - Progress Report - March 31, 2008

2008-03-31T11:37:00.004-04:00

It's been a very busy week for the campaign with many highlights:

Monday March 24: I attended the Voices of Central PA dinner in State College. It was a very nice event and I got the chance to speak with the truly progressive minded people who support Voices. The questions were tough but fair and I really enjoyed the Indian food on the buffet at the India Pavilion restaurant where the event was held. The food was a little on the spicy side but was very good.

Tuesday March 25: I spent the late afternoon and evening getting signs out to people. You always get the chance to speak with your supporters while delivering signs and the feedback was good. I did get home in time to catch American Idol with Kelly and Amanda. Not as important as the Obama / Clinton race but Kelly, Amanda and I seem to be pulling for David Cook and Brooke White.

Wednesday March 26: All 12 candidates were on hand for the candidate forum sponsored by the DuBois Chamber of Commerce. Getting the chance to hear the other 11 candidates, I feel very confident of the message our campaign is spreading. We recognize the problems of 2008 and we are offering solutions for 2008 and beyond.

Candidates meet in Clearfield.

Sadly, many of the other candidates keep offering solutions from the 1980's. Perhaps most troublesome from several of the candidates are calls for the return to and expansion of the use of fossil fuels. I will continue to stress throughout this campaign as long as I am part of it that we MUST invest in cleaner, domestically produced alternative fuels. It will help our economy and our national security.

Thursday March 27: First, I was interviewed on C-Net, the local cable channel in State College. The interview will run in the State College cable market several times before the April 22nd election. Then, at the invite of Raymond Snyder, I traveled to Lewistown for the appearance of former President Bill Clinton. Prior to the public being admitted to the Lewistown High School gymnasium, I had the opportunity to walk the line waiting to get into the event. I shook hands with approximately 1,500 people who were waiting to get in. Perhaps the most interesting story was about halfway through the line I met a lady and her young son. He asked for my autograph, the first time this ever happened. As I was signing, I saw the young boy reach over and tug his mothers coat and ask "Is that President Clinton?".

We did have to wait quite awhile in the gym as President Clinton was behind schedule. When he did arrive after 6:30 he didn't disappoint. He gave a rousing speech that lasted approximately 50 minutes and he actually made mention of ethanol as a viable alternative fuel source and even said that ethanol from cellulose material is the way to go in the future. Then, as he left the stage, he worked his way around the barrier between the stage and the crowd and I was able to shake his hand. I was 3 rows back but I reached up over the 2 rows ahead of me and got the handshake.

Friday March 28: I attended the opening of the Obama campaign office in DuBois. I am so encouraged that a presidential campaign has opened an office in Clearfield County. This is proof that rural Pennsylvania is going to have our say in this election. I met several people at the opening and they are truly committed to making a difference in 2008.

Saturday March 29: I hosted a visit to the Clearfield area by John Cordisco candidate for State Treasurer. I first met John last August at Rep. Bud George's picnic and I was very impressed with him. One thing that made me interested in him was that he also started his political career by serving on a school board. I invited John and his staff person to join me at Denny's Pub, famous as the home of the biggest hamburger in the world.

Lunch with State Treasurer candidate John Cordisco

He had a nice interview with Jane Elling from our local newspaper and then we all enjoyed one of Denny's famous burgers. Not the big one, just one of the regular sized burgers available on the menu. John was very interested in the alternative fuels industry that we've brought to Clearfield County and north central Pennsylvania. We also talked about state funding and investment issues and his vision to be an active and involved state treasurer. He is a great candidate and I feel he will make an excellent treasurer for Pennsylvania.

Sunday March 30: Although I was not able to personally attend due to a Commissioners' Conference, our campaign attended the Obama Rally for Change Event on the campus of Pennsylvania State University. We had a chance to talk with a lot of young eager minds ready for change in Washington. Although the gates opened at 11:30am, it was brought to our attention that students and interested citizens started lining up at 5:30am and even earlier. This is the kind of dedication we need from our young people and from the citizens of the 5th District. Although the lines were long and the wind brisk, the message of change kept the spectators lively. In our seating location, we were honored to meet up with the great candidate for the 171st State House seat Tim Wilson. Many state officials were also there including Senator Casey and State Rep. Dan Surra. We thanked them for the warm welcome and for great seating location! We were also informed that this rally was the largest in the history of Penn State and we were honored to attend.

It's been a busy week and every day between now and April 22nd has something on the schedule. Please keep spreading the word about the campaign and let us know what you are hearing.

Also, we expect to release some important campaign news on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

McCracken Offers Real Solutions for Veterans in the 5th District

2008-03-23T18:09:00.002-04:00

This week I had the chance to participate in a candidate forum on veteran’s issues held in Franklin, Venango County. The forum offered a great opportunity to address several issues important to veterans in the 5th district. Several weeks ago I spoke with Ed Scurry, one of the veterans who set up the forum, and he mentioned to me the frustration that veterans in the north central region feel in trying to get regular attention from the current congressman.

Understanding their frustration, one of the ideas I offered during the forum is that I will employ a person on my district staff in the position of Veteran’s Liaison. The top priorities of the Veteran’s Liaison will be to meet on a regular basis with veterans and veterans groups on issues important to them on the local, regional and national levels. Additionally, I will utilize this person to keep me informed and up to date on all issues important to veterans. Perhaps the most important part of my idea, and a promise I will keep, is the person I hire as the Veterans Liaison will be a veteran from the 5th district.

I also continue to press my idea that the federal Veteran’s Administration should have the ability to subcontract with local health care providers so elderly and disabled veterans can get health care services closer to home. I’ve told the story several times during the campaign of Clearfield County veterans who have to travel to Pittsburgh to get cardiac care when we have a state of the art cardiac facility at the DuBois Regional Medical Center.

Another issue of great importance to veterans in the 5th district and across the nation is the issue of concurrent receipt. It is my firm belief that a veteran’s pension payment and military disability compensation should be kept separated – one should not have an affect on the other. A veteran has earned their pension and it should not have an amount deducted if they also receive disability compensation. Additionally, if a veteran has served their country and suffered a service related disability, our nation owes them their disability compensation. In Congress, I will support veterans receiving their full military pension and, for any disabled veterans, they should also receive their disability compensation in addition to their pension.

As a nation, we owe a tremendous debt to our veterans. My recently deceased father was a proud veteran of World War II and my father-in-law served in Vietnam. Also, as county commissioner, I work closely with our county VA Director to make sure he has the funding to adequately serve veterans in Clearfield County. It’s a sad day when we hear the stories coming out of Congress that they fail to adequately fund services for our nation’s veterans.

Mark B. McCracken attends historic groundbreaking of Pennsylvania's FIRST ethanol plant.

2008-03-15T17:22:00.014-04:00

5th District Congressional Candidate McCracken Takes Part in Historic Groundbreaking.

Clearfield County Commissioner and 5th District Congressional Candidate Mark B. McCracken was invited by officials of BioEnergy LLC to take part in the official groundbreaking ceremony held on Thursday March 13th for the Bionol Clearfield Biorefinery.

Clearfield County Commissioner and 5^th District Congressional Candidate Mark McCracken thanks Governor Rendell for his efforts to bring the Bionol Clearfield Bio-refinery to Clearfield County. The project is investing $275 million into the north central region.

Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell was on hand to proclaim Clearfield County as the "Alternative Energy Capitol" of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. During his comments, Governor Rendell gave praise to State Representative Camille George (D-74) for his leadership and determination to bring the project to Clearfield County. Governor Rendell also recognized Clearfield County Commissioners McCracken, McMillen and Sobel along with former commissioner Rex Read for their "vision and leadership to help bring this multi-million dollar facility to their county". Governor Rendell concluded his remarks stating "We’re not only going to make this facility one of the energy capitals of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but I hope of America as well."

Taking part in the official groundbreaking for the Bionol Clearfield Bio-refinery front L-R: Kim Bierly – Field Representative for Senator Bob Casey, Joan Robinson McMillen and Mark B. McCracken – Clearfield County Commissioners, Steve Gatto – Chairman / CEO of BioEnergy International, Bob Dinneen – President, Renewable Fuels Association and State Representative Camille George. In the rear, just over Commissioner McCracken’s right shoulder, is former Clearfield County Commissioner Rex Read who also played a key role in bringing the project to Clearfield County.

Representative George then took to the podium and said the ethanol plant groundbreaking represented a day of promise and belief. He stated "I’m not just impressed with the dollars spent, the jobs it will provide and the gallons of fuel to be produced," he said. "So many years ago, no one would have believed in this project. I would like to introduce the naysayers to Clearfield County – the can-do county. We’re worth believing in and will do you proud."

Stephen J. Gatto, chairman and chief executive officer of BioEnergy International LLC, spoke of the cooperation and collaboration that went into the project stating "We’ve collaborated on the ushering in of a new industrial revolution." Mr. Gatto, at one point in his comments stated "I thank the Clearfield County Commissioners for their cooperation and determination to make this project happen in their county".

Pictured above is a flex-fuel vehicle driven to the Bionol Clearfield groundbreaking by Bob Dinneen, President of the Renewable Fuels Association. The vehicle is powered by E-85 ethanol that Mr. Dinneen purchased Thursday morning at a cost $2.85 per gallon, over .50 cents less than the current cost of $3.39 for regular gas in central Pennsylvania. This is proof that we can break the grip of OPEC and do it a cost effective way.

Following the ceremony, Commissioner McCracken commented to the press, "This project will give Clearfield County and the entire region a chance to claim a new industrial identity. During most of the 20th century we were known for coal and brickyards but now we begin a bright future as the home of domestically produced alternative fuels".

Facility Background Information – Provided by Corinne Young, Director of Government Affairs for BioEnergy.

The ethanol plant, which has received approximately $22 million in state funding and private funding of $248 million, is currently in the first phase of construction. "Phase 1 includes the site work leveling and re-grading," Young said. She said construction workers are on location six days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

According to Young, the facility’s construction will get underway in April and consists of two plants. The first facility will be a corn-based ethanol plant, while the second will serve as a pilot, cellulose based plant. "It’s going to be a $275 million dollar investment for the corn-based plant alone. The pilot, cellulose plant will require additional funding," Young said.

"It will have the capabilities to produce more than 100 million gallons each year," she said of the corn-based ethanol plant.

Young said both plants are expected to be completed and in operation in 2010. She said the plants will combine to hire about 70 full-time employees, while talks of a third, potential plant would result in 30 to 40 additional jobs.

Ms. Young concluded "We’re proud to be in partnership with the community. We’re hoping to make Clearfield County the destination for renewable energy."

McCracken for Congress – Progress Report – 3/10/2008

2008-03-10T17:00:00.005-04:00

It is encouraging to know that the word about our campaign is getting around. This week I was at an event and was approached by a gentleman who told me he was registered Republican. He said he had visited our campaign website and wanted to speak with me about my stance on the issues. He explained that he is thoroughly disgusted with the political process in Washington and specifically is fed up with the partisan politics that cause almost constant gridlock.

He posed the question to me "Mr. McCracken, how can you promise me that you won't become part of the partisan politics in Washington?" I told him that I could promise him that I would not become part of partisan politics problem and I can offer proof that I know how to work in a bipartisan manner and have success doing so.

During my 10 years on the Clearfield School Board, I had to learn how to work with at least 4 other board members in order to get things done. Frankly, I enjoyed the chance to debate the important issues with the 8 other board members, sharing my positions and listening to the points that the other board members made. I always kept open the possibility of compromise as long as problems could be solved and we were doing what was right for the students, staff, parents and taxpayers.

More recently, I was given a new test of my bipartisan abilities. In November of 2007, I was re-elected as county commissioner finishing first in total votes. However, my fellow Democratic commissioner finished 4th and was not re-elected. I was faced with 2 newly elected Republican commissioners coming into office. Several people asked me, would I help them or would I take on the traditional minority commissioner role and move to the backseat.

My decision was to do all I could do to help the 2 new commissioners come in and learn the job of county commissioner. So many positive things are happening in Clearfield County and I want the Clearfield County Commissioners as a group to be successful and the positive progress for the county to continue. We are into our third month together and we haven't missed a beat. I'm helping them with any questions they have about the duties of our office and we are working together as a team for Clearfield County with no partisan politics in sight. If I get the opportunity to represent the 5th district in Washington, I will make the same commitment to work in a bipartisan manner to solve the problems facing our country.

After finishing my discussion with the Republican gentleman I feel pretty confident that I may have my first crossover vote for the November election.

MEDIA COVERAGE:
The Centre Daily Times is doing a fantastic job covering the 5th district race. Every Tuesday they will be running the answer to 1 of 8 questions they posed to all 12 candidates. Last Tuesday the question was "What would you do as a congressman to help provide for job-creating economic development in the 5th congressional district? What are the key elements of your manufacturing policy?"

My response was: "I will do as congressman what I've had success with as a county commissioner, which is, work in cooperation with elected officials at all levels, community leaders and private business interests to bring economic development to the region. Elected officials and economic development entities must use every available means to bring new business the region and help existing businesses survive and expand. This would include offering incentives from the local, state and federal levels.

On manufacturing policies, I believe we must get back to manufacturing more products here in the United States. Our economy worked best when products were "Made in the USA". Our existing jobs base is essentially service oriented at one end of the scale and high paid executives at the other leaving nothing in the middle. We need to get back to a strong middle class making a decent living wage with adequate benefits."

Finally, I'm attaching a picture of Kelly and Amanda wearing their McCracken for Congress sweatshirts that we got today. They look great and people will know who we are and what we're doing when they see us out in public.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate For Congress

McCracken for Congress – Progress Report – 3/6/2008

2008-03-07T00:38:00.007-05:00

This week, I came across the saying "Before you try to tell someone how much you know, show them how much you care." I think that sums up what every political candidate should do when trying to connect with voters.

Early last week, I spoke with a family in DuBois about my campaign and what they felt was the biggest problem they are facing. Without hesitation, the mother said "Mark, the rising cost of gas and heating oil is making it tough on my family." Another person told me when we talked about the stimulus checks that Washington will be sending out "I hope I get mine soon, I need another tank of oil to get through the cold months."

When you hear these two stories, do you think Washington cares and understands? Members of Congress touted when the stimulus package was passed "we're giving back money to the people so they can go out and buy something." The reality is that many people will use the funds to pay off existing debt or buy basic necessities. And, if everyone in Washington would be honest, the stimulus package was the incumbent members of Congress sending you a check in an election year so you’ll remember them in November.

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL:
I am encouraged to hear from people that they are concerned about the issues I'm talking about. People are telling me they are tired of the federal government spending beyond its means and running up debt that our children and grandchildren will have to pay for. Regardless of political affiliation, citizens in the 5th district want fiscal responsibility. I am also hearing that people want a congressman who knows north central Pennsylvania and will deal with the problems of the region.

$350,000 SPENT IN 29 DAYS!!!!
The Centre Daily Times reported today that one of the Republican candidates has spent $350,000 in just 29 days of the campaign. That amounts to $12,068.96 dollars per day. Let's put this into perspective, a person working at the current federal minimum wage of $5.85 per hour x 40 hours a week x 52 weeks in a year = $12,168 before taxes. Is this the type of person you want for your next congressman?

ENDORSEMENTS:
Our campaign was proud to announce the following endorsements during this past week: Keith Bierly former 4 term Centre County Commissioner, Mike Savage Rush Township Supervisor (Centre County), Jeff Pisarcik current second term Jefferson County Commissioner and Raymond Snyder former Mifflin County Commissioner.

FUNDRAISING:
The McCracken for Congress committee is planning a fundraising dinner in DuBois on Wednesday, March 19th. If you are interested in attending and have not received an invitation, provide your mailing address via email to mccrackenforcongress@verizon.net. Also, please tell your friends about our campaign and encourage them to visit our web page http://www.mccrackenforcongress.com where they can find a link to contribute to the campaign online via ActBlue.

QUESTIONS:
We welcome all questions from the progressive blogosphere. We feel we are in tune with the expectations of what kind of Congressman we need. Mark has the experience and desire to answer questions from 5th District residents and interested parties.

A FINAL WORD OF THANKS:
I want to thank everyone who sent along condolences on the passing of my father Blair McCracken. He was a lifelong, working man's Democrat who fought for his country in World War II and was always a big part of my political campaigns. When I spoke with him in January and asked his advice about running for Congress, he paused for a few seconds, pointed his finger at me and said "whatever you do, if you get to Washington, don’t let them change you." That was the last advice he gave me and I won’t forget it.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate For Congress

Tim Wilson Fundraiser

2008-03-02T16:29:00.008-05:00

I wanted to take the time quickly to thank Tim Wilson for inviting me to his fundraiser. Tim is an outstanding young man and will make a first-rate addition to the state legislature. From his service in the Navy to his work building computer systems for our protection, Tim Wilson means to bring common-sense to Harrisburg.

I've found that Tim Wilson and I share similar interests in the area of alternative energy. I'm encouraged that Tim wants to work in Harrisburg supporting policies to bring more alternative energy projects to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the north central region. I wish Tim good luck in his campaign

Unfortunately I was not able to make it personally to the event. I was notified yesterday afternoon that my father was extremely ill. He passed away at approximately 4 p.m. on March 1st, 2008. Our family was at his side and he passed peacefully.

Thankfully, I was able to have a presence at the Tim Wilson event. Victor Ordóñez was able to speak on my behalf and represented our campaign well. He stated my policy positions, my background and achievements, and what we can do to turn this district BLUE!

It's important that we gather together like-minded Democrats and Republicans who are tired of the irresponsible fiscal and foreign policies and concentrate on moving forward together.

With everyone's help, we can make this a BLUE district!

We should be out campaigning but Mother Nature isn't cooperating

2008-03-01T14:29:00.005-05:00

Meeting with the people to discuss the future of the 5th District is easy. Shoveling 6 more inches of newly-fallen snow is NOT.

It seems that whenever there is about to be a political campaign event in the region, we get a heavy snow the day before.

Just keeping the driveway clear is a monumental undertaking. Take a look!

Amanda and I out in the snow.

Even with the snow, my daughter Amanda found ways to keep herself amused. She was eager to not only support me while I cleared the driveway, but to keep the rest of the snow at bay.

Amanda playing in the snow while daddy works.

Do I get a vote to override Punxsutawney Phil? I think it's time to take into consideration that it's March now. No more snow.

Meeting with the Jefferson County Democratic Committee

2008-02-28T01:22:00.011-05:00

Tonight, Mark B. McCracken addressed the Jefferson County Democratic Committee in Reynoldsville.

The meeting was brought to order by Mr. Lou Inzana - Jefferson County Chair. Other board officials in attendance were Ms. Linda Bodnar - Treasurer and Donald Hilliard - former county commissioner.

Mark addressed a major issue facing the 5th District: fiscal responsibility. He specifically spoke about the upcoming stimulus plan.

While it may seem that the government is handing out free money, most Americans will use this money to pay down debt, not go on massive shopping sprees. Just where is this money coming from? How will it affect the massive debt the government is carrying? Simply printing money isn't the solution. It will only deepen the hole.

This issue is directly attached to our Middle East strategy, or lack thereof. We have now spent 3/4 of a TRILLION dollars on this war ($750,000,000,000). Yet we still find ways to give tax breaks to the rich and subsidies to the oil industry. People of the 5th District end up paying $100+ per barrel in oil and over $3.00 at the pump to give money to a business enjoying record profits. Families in the district will face exorbitant costs for heating oil this winter and the foreseeable future. Do we penalize our families as well with this stimulus? Facts are this stimulus will do nothing to solve the long-term issues facing the 5th District.

Had enough?

Mark also directly addressed the growing alternatives to oil, including the brand new construction of an Ethanol plant in Clearfield County. This plant will provide a boost to the local industrial base and provide hundreds of jobs. What was done in Clearfield County can happen in all areas of the district.

Mark wants to bring his message to the people of the 5th District. He has the grassroots experience knocking on doors and addressing his constituents' needs. He more than welcomes the opportunity to discuss the issues from a committee style speech or in a one-on-one sit-down conversation.

Join the growing movement to turn this district BLUE!

Welcome to the Blog for Mark B. McCracken for Congress

2008-02-26T19:47:00.001-05:00

We hope to add some interesting material so supporters can keep up to date with the campaign. Look for press releases, appearances, images, and notes on the campaign.

If you have something to add, please contact us. We look forward to your comments.