State Rep. Thomas Stish asked his constituents to return him to office for a fourth term. The governor and other Democratic Party leaders campaigned for him and gave him money. His re-election this month by a narrow margin kept the House in Democratic hands.
But then, six days later, Stish switched to the Republican Party, giving the GOP control of the House for the first time in 12 years. That has some Democrats in an uproar."It's the talk of the town," said JoAnn Bellinghausen, a hairdresser in Hazleton. "Really, people here needed something to talk about, and they got it."
While the move set no precedent - Stish was at least the fifth lawmaker in the past eight years to change parties - it drew the ire of local and state Democrats. Party leaders say he should quit and run in a Republican primary.
"If he runs again, he might win dog catcher. Maybe." said Frank Fay, the Democratic party chairman in Stish's district.
Critics have been waving placards, cursing Stish's name, calling him a Judas and an embarrassment. Rep. H. William DeWeese, who's losing his job as House speaker because of the turnaround, fumed that Stish has "spit upon democracy and his constituents." Voters even filed a lawsuit against him.
Stish, who says he switched parties because he had always been ideologically closer to state Republicans, has missed most of the fuss. He's on an extended vacation and his home phone has been disconnected for the time being.
Some of Stish's supporters complain that the attacks have everything to do with partisanship and nothing to do with how Stish represents his district.
Some guys, says Hazleton Diner owner Neil Carrelli, would "vote for (Charles) Manson if he was on their side of the ticket."
"Everybody knows that in politics, you wheel and you deal," said another supporter, Jim Capparell.
"The voters aren't against him. The politicians are against him."
Rosie Carrelli, who co-owns the diner with her husband, said Stish's appeal lies in his familiarity. He taught school before becoming a legislator; his father, Wesley, was a doctor.
"Tom Stish's father delivered me - I know who he is and where he came from," she said, adding that his opponent, Susan Parrick, was unfamiliar to many voters.
Parrick, however, was familiar enough that she lost to Stish by only 689 votes.
Stish considered switching parties about a year ago; DeWeese said he reconsidered after Casey intervened. Fay said he wonders what promises - or threats - were made to get Stish finally to switch.