Bill Clinton has jumped into an incumbent-vs.-incumbent House battle in Pennsylvania, endorsing Rep. Mark Critz against fellow Democrat Rep. Jason Altmire.
And the former president’s decision has set off a wave of intrigue among political watchers as to why he should jump into the Pittsburgh area fight where redistricting means the two have to face off against each other.
ABC News suggests Clinton’s decision was because Altmire was one of just 25 Democrats to support a balanced budget Constitutional amendment.
“The last time the House approved a balanced-budget amendment was in 1995, as the GOP-controlled, Newt-Gingrich-led House maneuvered against Clinton in a budget battle that eventually saw the federal government shut down, and which defined the early part of Clinton’s time in office,” ABC reports.
But PoliticsPA has a different take, pointing out that Altmire failed to endorse Clinton’s wife Hillary during the 2008 presidential primary, while Critz worked for Clinton ally, the late Rep. Jack Murtha.
Critz and Altmire will face-off in a primary for Pennsylvania’s newly-configured 12th District – which includes around two-thirds of Altmire’s old seat – on April 24.
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