Pocono News Section

Barletta running for congress

Barletta running for congress - Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 6:14PM EST

Thursday, Feb 7, 2008 @06:14pm EST

Will the second time be the charm?

Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta hopes the second time around will result in a seat in congress.

Barletta is running for the 11th district congressional seat.

Right now he's the only republican to do so.

In his announcement, Barletta didn't mince words talking about longtime incumbent congressman Paul Kanjorski.

Barletta says Kanjorski is soft on the issue he plans to base his campaign around: illegal immigration.

The Hazleton mayor says it's time to change the course in Washington on this issue, starting with this congressional race.

The announcement was heard loud and clear here at Lou Barletta's campaign headquarters in Hazleton.

Barletta told a packed house, "I am running to represent the people of the 11th congressional district of Pennsylvania.”

People living in Hazleton say it's an announcement that's been expected for a while.

Eugene O'donnell of Hazleton says, "So far I think he's doing a good job in Hazleton.”

O'donnell has followed Barletta since he took the mayors office in 2000.

He says, "I do think he's doing a good job with this illegal immigration. I wish him the best of luck."

The 11th congressional district covers parts of 5 counties, but it's here in Hazleton where people like O'donnell are familiar with Barletta's agenda.

He'll run a campaign based around his tough stance on illegal immigration.

Some like Tony Moronta think it's too aggressive.

He says, "The way that he's taking it is too serious."

In 2006, Barletta and Hazleton city council passed the illegal immigration relief act.

It would have fined employers and landlords for hiring or renting to illegal immigrants.

A federal judge reversed the act, but Barletta says he'll push for tougher illegal immigration laws if elected to congress.

Moronta says Barletta will have to change his course to win his vote.

He says, "Sure I could, if he changes some of his ways of thinking, i don't mind."

But it's unlikely Bareltta will change his course during his campaign.

He says, “It's time for a change. It's time for a leader with real courage, real vision, and the ability to tackle problems before they become a crisis."

Other hispanics in Hazleton agree with Barletta's illegal immigration agenda, and say they'll vote for him election day.

Jose Melo of Hazleton says, "He won't say he don’t want hispanic people here, only say, he don't people who don't come in and have no papers, right? So if you have the paper, fine."

Congressman Kanjorski says he welcomes Barletta's campaign.

He says it will provide a platform for debate on issues important to people in the 11th district.

If no one challenges Barletta in a republican primary, he'll move straight to the November election ticket, most likely against Kanjorski.