I know it’s not unusual for people with famous last names to try and take advantage of their parents’ notoriety, but there are some disturbing political developments in Pennsylvania this year where people are running for Congress who really shouldn’t be.
As Aaron at naw and Arnold P. California at Demagogue have noted that Scott Paterno, who’s only qualification is being the son of Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, is running for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 17th CD. Alas, poor Scott, who wasn’t even registered to vote until recently, doesn’t exactly embody Congress-like qualities.
Scott Paterno has been charged three times with driving an unregistered vehicle and with nearly a half-dozen other violations in the last six years, fueling criticism that the congressional candidate is irresponsible and acts as though he’s above the law.
The charges were all summary violations punishable by fines, and Paterno pleaded guilty to all the charges.
Better yet, Paterno has literally accused President Clinton of murdering political critics (comparing him unfavorably to Charles Manson). Paterno has also bragged on multiple occasions of his penchant for excessive drinking.
Maybe he wants to be in Congress because he can’t otherwise find gainful employment. Voters should support him, though, because…well, his dad has been a successful football coach.
Paterno is in a six-way primary race in the 17th district, so we’ll hopefully see his brief political career come to a crashing halt fairly soon. Even worse, however, are the developments in Pennsylvania’s 9th CD.
Former Rep. Bud Shuster (R) represented the district for almost 30 years before retiring in 2001, allowing — you guessed it — his son Bill to take over. Bill didn’t have any skills or experience, of course, but his last name was Shuster, so it wasn’t much of a contest.
This year, much to my amusement, Shuster is facing a primary challenge from a young man named Michael DelGrosso, who’s argued that Shuster came to hold office merely by trading on his well-known last name. What are DelGrosso’s qualifications? Well, his parents are well known in central Pennsylvania for producing spaghetti sauce and owning a local amusement park.
And, as DelGrosso likes to remind voters at every possible opportunity, he served in the Navy. He never saw combat or went overseas because chronic “headaches” limited his service, but he should be in Congress because, well, you might recognize his last name.
In other words, the race for Congress in this district features two unqualified candidates who are both asking for votes based on nothing but their parents’ accomplishments.
If for no other reason, I’ll be watching for the results of next week’s primary between these two towering political giants. And I’ll be weeping for democracy.