Carney touts credentials as sportsmen's candidate

FACTORYVILLE – With shotguns blasting in the background, the
Factoryville Sportsmen's Club was an unlikely site for a political
rally, particularly when almost everyone there sported a hunting vest
and a bright orange hat.

The slogan on the hats – Sportsmen for Carney – indicated the event's
purpose, however, and U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-Dimock Township, took
full advantage of the opportunity to tout his credentials for being
the sportsmen's candidate in his congressional race against Republican
Chris Hackett.

Before detailing his childhood affinity with hunting pheasants and
ducks in Iowa, Carney shot three rounds of skeet. For the uninitiated,
skeet is a shooting sport to hone field-bird hunting skills. Shooters
attempt to hit orange clay disks called "birds" that are thrown by two
machines. The machines, one high and one low, are in houses at
opposing sides of a half circle and throw toward each other. Shooters
move to stations along the half circle, shooting birds from each house
at each station for a total of 25 shots.

Carney, who says he shoots often, most recently about six weeks ago,
was in his element, hitting 17, 19 and 19 birds in his three rounds.
His 13-year-old son, Seth, shot skeet for the first time, hitting 12
and 7 birds in two rounds.

Carney, who left early to make a speech celebrating native son and
baseball legend Christy Mathewson, said the event was a chance "to
have some fun, to relax and to enjoy the company of sportsmen. … Doing
something well is relaxing. You get to clear your mind and focus on
your target."

He said shooting, like mowing the lawn or any other activity that has
a definitive ending, was a break from legislating because, "in the job
of a congressman, if you're doing it right, you're never done."

Carney didn't comment on whether the event helped him connect with his
generally conservative, right-swinging constituency. He called the
idea of shooting as a political issue "sort of alien to me," saying
"you have to separate the demagoguery of Democrats and guns."

A member of a Democratic sporting team, Carney said Democrats don't
have to be anti-gun rights to retain their values. "I think we need to
get Mr. Obama out shooting," he said.

His willingness to separate such issues might be paying off. He said
he's received calls of support from Republicans in his 10th District,
guys like Tom O'Neil.

O'Neil, who had been an ardent detractor of Carney and a supporter of
Dan Meuser during the Republican primary, recently switched sides to
Carney after Hackett won the nomination.

"I would just like to have a ceremony where he's crucified," O'Neil
said of Hackett.

He said he's "come to greatly admire" Carney.

He says he now looks at the overall picture and has seen that Carney
has "gone against his party on some issues that would have hurt
Northeastern Pennsylvania."

Not everyone shooting had a political interest, however. Jordan and
Jared Nicholoff, 15 and 13 years old, respectively, were simply there
to shoot with their grandfather.

That was fine for Carney, who said it was important to involve the
youth to "keep the heritage of sportsmen alive."

That was the point for Jordan, who said he met Carney, but really
didn't follow politics.

"He seemed like a nice guy," the 15-year-old said.

Rory Sweeney, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 970-7418.