Hartke won’t run for Congress in 2010

The 2010 race for Virginia’s Seventh District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives just got smaller.

Culpeper Democrat Anita Hartke, who ran in 2008 against incumbent Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Richmond, said Wednesday that she would not run again next year, as previously planned, because she is caring for her critically ill mother, Martha.

In the 2008 race against Cantor, Hartke, a local real estate agent and chairwoman of the Culpeper County Democratic Committee, earned 37 percent of the vote — the most of any opponent of the five-term congressman.

Cantor was appointed minority whip of the U.S. House last year and is considered a national figure of the GOP. He consistently wins the vote in Republican-leaning Culpeper County, though it should be noted that town of Culpeper residents selected Sen. Barack Obama over Sen. John McCain in last year’s presidential election.

Hartke’s decision to not be a candidate in the 2010 congressional race came the day after Richmond-area Democrat Charlie Diradour launched his campaign against Cantor. She spoke to Diradour Tuesday, expressing support for his candidacy.

Hartkes and health care
Hartke also took the opportunity to voice support for President Obama’s health care plan.

“The legacy of caring is not one to set aside,” she said. “Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath — first to do no harm. Lawyers are to uphold justice and politicians are to represent the people.”

Hartke said she and her mother, though ailing, would continue to work in support of Obama’s health care reform. She said it is Congress’ “moral obligation” to support legislation that protects citizens’ access to affordable health care.

Martha Hartke is the 89-year-old widow of U.S. Sen. Vance Hartke, an anti-war Democrat from Indiana who served in Congress 1958 to 1977. She recently had a fourth heart operation.

But as recently as last month, Martha Hartke remained active on Capitol Hill, supporting numerous causes championed by her husband like education, peace and affordable health care.

Last month, Mrs. Hartke met with First Lady Michelle Obama and presented her with the pen President Lyndon Johnson used to sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Sen. Vance Hartke was at his side.

Anita Hartke said Johnson gave the pen to her father after signing the groundbreaking legislation. She said President Obama acknowledged the gift from her mother in an effusive thank you letter.

“The pen is in its rightful home place — the White House — coming full circle for our citizens,” Anita said, encouraging citizens to support Obama as a “patriotic duty.”

“Eric Cantor is not supporting our president,” she said.

Diradour and tweets
Candidate Diradour is a small businessman and longtime Democratic strategist. He erupted onto the election scene earlier this week, announcing his candidacy for Congress and accusing Cantor of sending Twitter messages during Obama’s recent speech before Congress.

Diradour went on to call Cantor “pampered, out of touch and politically rude.”

But according to Cantor’s staff, the whip was not “tweeting” but taking notes on his Blackberry. Diradour’s Twitter claim was eventually debunked as it was proven that the electronic posts put up during Obama’s speech were actually by Cantor’s staff and not Cantor.

The same day Diradour acknowledged that he doesn’t live in the 7th District, which is not required. The district stretches from the west end of Richmond through Orange, Madison, Culpeper and as far north as Rappahannock County.

Diradour, who has since retracted his Twitter accusation, said he lives 10 blocks outside of the 7th District.

Cantor’s camp was quick to pounce on his misstatement.

“It is amazing that someone who thinks he wants to represent the good people of the 7th District would begin his campaign with an outrageous lie and fabrication,” strategist Ray Allen Jr. told the Richmond Times-Dispatch.