Tim Holloway, Republican challenger to Johnstown Democrat Rep. John Murtha, likes to cut a path of his own when talking about President Clinton's troubles and what Congress should do about them.

On one hand, Holloway condemns Murtha for calling on Americans to support Clinton. On the other, he condemns House Republican leaders for dragging out the scandal for what he believes should be purely partisan political purposes.

And he dismisses as meaningless polls that show most Americans support Clinton in the current crisis. He compares the use - overuse he says - of polls in government to mob rule.

"The first obligation (of a Congressman) is to do your duty, not to take a poll," Holloway said after a rally sponsored by Westmoreland County's Reform Party.

He said procedure, not popularity, should reign.

"President Clinton should get his day in court like anyone else. His court consists of 100 senators and the chief justice of the Supreme Court," he said.

Holloway said it wasn't necessary for Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's report to Congress or Clinton's grand jury testimony to be made public.

"We know what he did, let's get on with it," he said.

About 50 people turned out to hear Holloway and independent gubernatorial candidate Peg Luksik of Johnstown speak at Courthouse Square in Greensburg. The local manifestation of the third party founded by Ross Perot in 1992 endorsed both candidates.

Before the 4 p.m. rally, Luksik attended the Latrobe Steel Retirees Luncheon. This morning she's expected to visit the Corning Plant in Belle Vernon.

Holloway said if he were elected he wouldn't support Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich for another term, saying Gingrich failed to "walk the walk" of conservatives who put him there.

Luksik, running against Republican incumbent Gov. Tom Ridge and Democrat state Rep. Ivan Itkin, said she's often asked about the crisis in Washington.

"Most people just want it to end," she said.

In remarks to the crowd, both candidates focused on what they call issues of governmental intrusion on education, business and the environment.

Luksik called for an end to federally-mandated education programs, which she believes are just new versions of Outcomes Based Education. If elected as governor, Luksik said she would allow those federal contracts to lapse and would end funding. Holloway, however, said funding should be maintained, but Congress should allow school districts flexibility in spending it.

Luksik said the key state issue in this region is the efforts to build stadiums for the Pirates and Steelers in the face of last year's failed referendum effort.

"It's wrong ... just wrong," she said.

Luksik made an analogy between what she perceives as voter resentment over their referendum vote being ignored to questions she's raised about Ridge's claim of success in economic development.

"Southwestern Pennsylvania and Philadelphia are at the bottom of the list for economic development. What does that do for the rest of the state?"

She said tax breaks for corporations only bargain away fiscal advantages for the state while giving businesses a reason to leave the state when the taxes finally kick in.

Holloway took a more global view - worrying about the United Nations imposing its will on Americans. He called for American labor to start organizing workers in Mexico and Asia to bring them up to American levels, rather than Americans down to their level.