Inquirer endorses Meehan over Lentz

The Philadelphia Inquirer has endorsed Republican Pat Meehan over Democrat Bryan Lentz in the race for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District.

From the newspaper's endorsement editorial:

The heated contest for an open congressional seat in Delaware County could turn on an ethical controversy involving the Democratic nominee, who condoned helping a third-party candidate regarded as a spoiler.

Two-term Democratic state Rep. Bryan Lentz says he sees no harm in his volunteers' gathering thousands of petition signatures for a third-party challenger, Jim Schneller, who is far from being congressional material.

Lentz's dismissive explanation - "politics is politics" - for helping to get Schneller on the ballot is a jarring admission and character flaw for a former Philadelphia prosecutor.

If the matchup comes down to credibility and integrity, though, voters have an attractive alternative: Former U.S. Attorney PATRICK MEEHAN, who earns The Inquirer's endorsement.

The straitlaced Meehan, 55, was a solid district attorney in Delaware County. But it was his anticorruption probes as federal prosecutor for eight years - including nearly two dozen pay-to-play cases in Philadelphia, and developing the winning case against former State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo - that serve as his most important achievement.

Meehan may be to the right of Lentz in this campaign, but he has a record as a moderate Republican. Voters should give him the chance to follow those sound instincts in Washington.

Read more endorsements at the newspaper's website.