Pennsylvania tea-party activists, GOP, and Democrats distance themselves from Jim Schneller

For about a day, Jim Schneller of Wayne basked in the glow of having gathered 7,900 signatures to get his name on the ballot as an independent, tea-party-minded candidate for Congress.

But almost as soon as he filed the papers in Harrisburg, Republicans called his signature-gathering efforts a sham orchestrated by Democrats, tea-party activists implored him to quit the race, and Democrats largely pretended not to know him.

Schneller, 54, whose conservative views could draw votes from GOP nominee Patrick Meehan, said he did not know whether Democrats had conspired to get him on the ballot. Democratic activists, including at least one campaign worker for party nominee Bryan Lentz, gathered some 4,800 of the signatures on Schneller's petitions, according to a count by Meehan's campaign.

On one hand, Schneller said he was thankful for the help. On the other, he chafed at the thought that Democrats might be using him to hurt Meehan's chances. The Seventh District race to replace U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak is one of the most closely watched in the nation.

"I'm just disappointed that either party would engage in or give the go-ahead for any type of machinations of that sort," Schneller said. "One way or another, this could backfire on them."

Lentz, an Iraq war veteran and two-term state representative who is typically responsive to media inquiries, has been noticeably quiet about the Schneller petitions. He declined Wednesday to answer The Inquirer's questions about his supporters' apparent role in helping Schneller get on the ballot, instead referring a reporter to his campaign manager.

The campaign manager, Kevin McTigue, said, "Any questions about Jim Schneller should be directed to Jim Schneller."

David Landau, who leads the Democratic Party in Delaware County, the historically Republican-leaning heart of the Seventh Congressional District, said his committee "did not authorize, approve, organize, or assist in the effort to get Mr. Schneller on the ballot."

Among the Democrats who circulated petitions for Schneller was Colleen Guiney, whom Lentz earlier this year saluted as "the hardest worker on my campaign." McTigue confirmed on Wednesday that Guiney, who heads the Swarthmore Democrats, "absolutely does" still work with Lentz's campaign.

Guiney - who, according the Meehan campaign's count, gathered 503 signatures for Schneller - did not return calls for comment on Wednesday.