Taking the High Road

While I usually refrain from engaging anonymous commenter’s on blogs, some previous comments have put forth some outright untruths about me and my candidacy, so I feel that I must set the record straight.

I have never been what you would call a politician but rather a community advocate.  For almost 20 years I have used my law degree to protect the rights of working people and their families.  As a young man I registered as a Republican because that was what my parents were and that was all I knew.  However my engagement in politics was minimal until I was approached to run for Mayor of Avalon as a Republican in 1993.  I ran and won and served as Mayor for 12 years.  During that time my loyalty was not to either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, but to the citizens of Avalon.  Many of my former constituents, Democrats, have come out and publicly supported my Democratic candidacy for Judge.

The candidates I have supported in the past I have supported because their positions and ideals matched what I expected and hoped for in public service.  I did not support them for their party affiliation.  However, as it happens, with one exception they were all Democrats.  State Committee members have received documentation of my contributions and long term support for Democratic Candidates.  I began to think about party affiliation as I watched George W. Bush and the Republican Party destroy our country in the name of Republicans.  I finally changed my affiliation to match my ideology so that I may vote for Barack Obama in the Pennsylvania primary.  Barack Obama embodies the level of integrity, compassion, intelligence, and competence we need for the country.

In January of this year I was approached by colleagues who believe that my experience, integrity, and knowledge of the Commonwealth Court made me an ideal candidate for this office and urged me to run which is how I got in this race.  I did not switch parties to run for this office and indeed did not even envision running for it until approached.

Far from being a Republican operative as suggested I have, in fact, been more of a RINO (Republican In Name Only) for most of my adult life.

Another unfounded and untrue accusation is that I am Anti-Woman and Anti-Choice.  In fact I have always been pro-choice and I consider Roe v. Wade settled law.  I have been a huge supporter of Women’s rights including the new Lilly Ledbetter law (or the Fair Pay Act).  For almost 20 years I have protected worker’s rights including fair pay for women.  Women who have been fired because of pregnancy, unequal pay, or on the job injuries come to me to make sure their rights are upheld.  And I fight with the passion of one who believes what I am doing is not only on the right side of the law but on the side of truth.  My entire career has been has been spent defending working people, their families, and their children.  These issues are also women’s issues.

As for my endorsement by the State Democratic Party I believe they saw in me what my colleagues in the Allegheny County Bar saw in me when they rated me “Highly Recommended”.  Dan “Exhibits pre-eminence in the law by way of outstanding legal ability and a wide range of experience, either in a specialized field of law or a more varied practice, and has a reputation in the legal community as standing at the top of his/her profession”.  I invite anyone who has questions about my qualifications, my experience, my ideologies or my commitment to working families to look at my website www.bricmontforjudge.com or my campaign directly.  I am proud to be running as a member of the Democratic Party and look forward to engaging in an open and candid discussion of our qualifications with all of the other candidates in this race.

Signed,

Daniel K. Bricmont