Scaringi Looks To Take On Casey In 2012
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Marc Scaringi is hardly a household name, at least not yet.
But he is already lining up support to take on one of the best known political names in Pennsylvania – Sen. Bob Casey Jr.
Scaringi is an unabashed Tea Party conservative who calls himself a citizen, not a career politician.
He hopes the Tea Party's success of 2010 will help him defeat Casey in 2012. Scaringi is a Republican with Pittsburgh roots.
"I grew up in Murrysville, right across the Allegheny County border in Westmoreland County and went through the Franklin Regional public schools and so I always consider myself a Pittsburgh boy," Scaringi told KDKA political editor Jon Delano in a sit-down interview.
Scaringi, a 40-year-old Harrisburg attorney, says he will defeat Sen. Casey next year.
"He has been AWOL. He has not led. He is not here working hard in Pennsylvania to get Pennsylvanians working again, to get our economy rejuvenated and growing again," he says.
Scaringi, once an aide to former Sen. Rick Santorum and later Attorney General Mike Fisher, says he left politics 10 years ago to build a law firm with his wife.
"I have 15 employees, and I've got to make payroll every two weeks, and I know how difficult it is to run a small business."
An economic conservative, Scaringi says he's returning to politics because of the inspiration of the Tea Party movement.
"This election is about we the people, we citizens, taking power back from the big government career politicians who have brought our country to the edge of financial ruin."
As a social conservative, he opposes abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest.
"There should not be any exceptions to the wrongful taking of the innocent life of an unborn baby."
Scaringi says Casey, among the first to endorse candidate Obama, has embraced the President's policies in Washington.
"I want to stop them from taking our country down this very dangerous path," he said.
Scaringi acknowledges that he may not be the Republican Party's establishment candidate.
Also, he's just as critical of President Bush as he is of President Obama for running up the deficit.
But he believes if grassroots Tea Party groups get behind his candidacy, he will win the GOP nomination next spring and defeat Sen. Casey in 2012.
Uncut Interview:
RELATED LINKS:
Marc Scaringi's Website
Sen. Bob Casey's Website
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