Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous’ Category

PA GOP News Brief 9.3.10

1. Philadelphia Daily News: Sestak Clarifies Controversial “Earmark” Timeline

2. Pittsburgh Tribune-Reivew: Onorato: Make gas drillers pay, not taxpayers

3. Delaware County Times: Meehan offers his plan for creating jobs

4. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: National unemployment rate up to 9.6 percent

5. The Hill: GOP seizes on expiring tax cuts as unemployment ticks up

1. Philadelphia Daily News: Sestak Clarifies Controversial “Earmark” Timeline

U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak reached out to PhillyClout this afternoon to clarify his explanation from earlier this week about a $350,000 federal spending “earmark” that has been seized on by his Republican opponent in the race for the U.S. Senate, former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey.  Sestak told us Monday that he had no idea the constituent who requested the earmark in February in the name of the non-profit Thomas Paine Foundation of Media was also linked to a for-profit corporation, New Way Energy LLC in Aston.

Turns out that’s not exactly correct.  Sestak just released a letter that he sent to the U.S. Department of Energy on April 12 that clearly connects the non-profit organization to the for-profit company. Sestak also released the initial application for the funding, to pay for construction of a prototype for a vertical axis wind turbine, which has a less definitive connection between the non-profit and for-profit.

2. Pittsburgh Tribune-Reivew: Onorato: Make gas drillers pay, not taxpayers

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett wants taxpayers, not gas drillers, to pay for environmental protection along the Marcellus shale formation, Democratic nominee Dan Onorato charged Wednesday.

…

“Corbett believes (the Marcellus shale) must be developed responsibly and with strong environmental stewardship,” said Kevin Harley, Corbett’s campaign spokesman. “The difference is Onorato and Gov. (Ed) Rendell believe the answer is more taxes and spending.”

Corbett contends the economy will grow as businesses, including gas drilling, expand, Harley said.

3. Delaware County Times: Meehan offers his plan for creating jobs

Pat Meehan, the Republican candidate for the 7th Congressional District, discussed his plans to create jobs and improve the economy during a speech before the Upper Darby-Lansdowne Rotary Club Wednesday.

Meehan said his job-creation plan includes a tax incentive to any small business that hires a first and second employee. He said there is a need to provide incentives to angel investors, such as a capital-gains tax break, so they will commit money to a business in its early startup stages.

4. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: National unemployment rate up to 9.6 percent

The nation’s unemployment rate ticked up slightly in August to 9.6 percent, an increase of just one-tenth of a percentage point over the July rate, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday morning.

There were 14.9 million jobless workers in the country last month, up slightly from July as employers reported cutting another 54,000 non-farm jobs. Much of the job loss was directly attributable to the ending of the work on the U.S. Census. The federal government’s payroll fell in July by 114,000. That loss was only partially made up for by the private sector, which added 67,000 jobs.

Long-term unemployment fell during the month. The number of unemployed people who were out of work more than six months dropped to 6.2 million, a decline of nearly 300,000 people. They now make up 42 percent of the unemployed population.

5. The Hill: GOP seizes on expiring tax cuts as unemployment ticks up

Top Republicans urged Congress to extend all of the expiring Bush tax cuts as the August jobs report showed mixed results.

Numbers from the Labor Department released Friday indicated that unemployment ticked up to 9.6 percent but that private sector added 67,000 new jobs, even though the economy lost 54,000 overall.

House GOP Leader John Boehner (Ohio) and GOP Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) both released statements criticizing Democrats economic policies for failing to create enough jobs. But they also said that allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire at the end of the year will hinder the economic recovery.

“The nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, Congress’s official tax scorekeeper, estimates that the tax hike endorsed by President Obama and his economic team will raise taxes on 50 percent of the small business income in America,” Boehner said. “We will not solve our fiscal challenges until we cut spending and have real economic growth – and we won’t have real economic growth if we keep raising taxes on small businesses.”

PA GOP News Brief 9.1.10

1. PA GOP: Sestak Tries, Fails To Use Common Sense

2.    Delaware County Times: Guest Column: Sestak tax would see rates rocket

3.    The Mercury: GOP candidate: Reduce spending, extend tax cuts, repeal Obamacare

4.    Rasmussen Reports: Election 2010: Pennsylvania Senate

5.    The Washington Times: Editorial: Democrats party while nation suffers

1. PA GOP: Sestak Tries, Fails To Use Common Sense

Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement regarding U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Joe Sestak’s continued refusal to take responsibility for his latest earmark scandal.

“How many times must the people of Pennsylvania be subjected to another scandal involving Joe Sestak, and how many times must we be forced to watch him refuse to take responsibility for his actions?,” Gleason said. “No matter how often he tries to avoid the countless questions regarding his actions, it was Joe Sestak who requested an unethical $350,000 earmark so that a group dedicated to promoting the ideals of a Founding Father could supposedly build a wind turbine.

“Joe Sestak’s office said he did ‘due diligence’ when his office decided to pursue this unethical earmark. Knowing what we know about the Thomas Paine Foundation, does it sound like an organization that is active in the field of turbine construction? Did Joe Sestak miss the fact that the Thomas Paine Foundation hadn’t filed with the IRS in the past six years, or did he just not care?

“Once again, the voters of Pennsylvania are left to draw their own conclusions regarding this shady situation. It’s time for Joe Sestak to learn that leaders stand up and take responsibility for their actions.”

2.Delaware County Times: Guest Column: Sestak tax would see rates rocket

Common sense says that if you impose a massive tax on a product, that product will be more expensive. And if that product is essential to a particular sector of our economy, then we will witness job losses in that sector. In fact, if I told you that taxing a particular industry would create jobs in that industry, you would probably laugh out loud.

Last spring, Congressman Sestak co-sponsored and voted for a cap-and-trade bill that would impose a massive tax on energy … This is a non-controversial concept. And a host of independent studies and bipartisan elected officials across Pennsylvania understand it — but not Congressman Sestak.

2. The Mercury: GOP candidate: Reduce spending, extend tax cuts, repeal Obamacare

Congressional candidate Dee Adcock says the best way to strengthen the nation’s economy is to pull the plug on the remaining money in the “stimulus” package approved last year.

For the sake of cost certainty, Adcock also said Congress should act to extend the current tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year, even for Americans making more than $250,000 annually.

4. Rasmussen Reports: Election 2010: Pennsylvania Senate

Republican Pat Toomey continues to hold a modest lead over his Democratic Challenger, Joe Sestak, in the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state finds Toomey earning 45% of the vote, while Sestak earns 39% support. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate, and 11% are not sure.

5. The Washington Times: Editorial: Democrats party while nation suffers

It’s striking how little empathy Democrats seem to have for the economic troubles facing ordinary Americans. While unemployment and underemployment rates remain sky-high, economic growth falters. During the last quarter of 2009, gross domestic product grew 1.4 percent, but that figure fell to 0.9 percent in the first quarter of this year and just 0.4 percent in the second. “Now the fun stuff starts!” Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. said in a bubbly interview with Time magazine last week regarding the administration’s stimulus plan. “This is a chance to do something big, man!”

The team at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. has more interest in redecorating the Oval Office than in feeling your pain. In fact, it is downright excited to take advantage of the economic downturn to push the stuff that otherwise could never be done.

st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }

PA GOP News Brief 8.31.10

1. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Rep. Sestak Bashed Over $350,000 Energy Earmark Request

2. New Corbett TV Ad: ‘Predictable’

3. Hotline On Call: NRCC Names 6 New Young Guns

4. Politico: Tidal Wave? 10-Point Poll Edge For GOP

5. Scranton Times-Tribune: Joblessness Up Again, 10.4 In Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton Metro Area

1. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Rep. Sestak Bashed Over $350,000 Energy Earmark Request

Republicans criticized U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak yesterday for requesting an earmark they say would have sent $350,000 to a company, in violation of House rules.

The House in March banned giving earmarks to for-profit companies. Sestak, a Delaware County Democrat running for U.S. Senate, sponsored a $350,000 request for the nonproft Thomas Paine Foundation for research into a new kind of wind turbine.

The foundation’s 2004 IRS filing says nothing about energy research, but its president, Drew Devitt, last year started New Way Energy, a for-profit company to develop turbines and energy-related equipment…

“It’s hardly the group you would expect to be in line for a $350,000 energy earmark,” said state Republican Party Chairman Rob Gleason.

2. New Corbett TV Ad: ‘Predictable’

When I announced my pledge that as Governor I would oppose all new tax increases, the response from the politicians was quite predictable.

Ed Rendell said I should have my head examined.

Dan Onorato called any promise to not raise taxes a gimmick.

3. Hotline On Call: NRCC Names 6 New Young Guns

This fifth round of “Young Guns,” provided to Hotline On Call, is primarily composed of candidates who emerged from recent primaries and represents some of the GOP’s top pickup opportunities this fall.

The candidates are state Rep. Sandy Adams (R) in FL-24, surgeon Dan Benishek (R) in MI-01, ret. Army Col. Chris Gibson (R) in NY-20, auto dealer Mike Kelly (R) in PA-03, funeral homes owner Steve Southerland in FL-02 (R) and ex-state Sen. Daniel Webster (R) in FL-08.

4. Politico: Tidal Wave? 10-Point Poll Edge For GOP

Democrats thought things couldn’t get much worse on the electoral front — and then they went home to campaign.

A new Gallup poll released Monday shows Republicans with a record 10-point edge over Democrats on the “generic ballot” test — the question of whether voters prefer a Democratic or Republican congressional candidate. It’s the largest GOP polling edge at this stage in the 68 years of the generic ballot poll.

5. Scranton Times-Tribune: Joblessness Up Again, 10.4 In Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton Metro Area

Joblessness in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton metro area continued its disappointing march upward in July, increasing two-tenths of a percentage point to a seasonally adjusted 10.4 percent – nearly an 18-year high and the highest unemployment rate among the state’s 14 metro areas.

The state Department of Labor and Industry reported today that declines in employment outpaced declines in the labor force – those able and willing to work. The imbalance pushed the jobless rate to its highest level since September 1992.

PA GOP News Brief – 8.27.10

1. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Political poll shows Toomey, Corbett ahead

2. Erie Times-News: Toomey campaigns in Erie, Crawford counties

3. Centre Daily Times: GOP candidates stump at Grange Fair

4. The Hill: New ad slams Sestak’s votes on the economy

5. Scranton Times-Tribune: Kanjorski’s projects don’t always pan out

1. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Political poll shows Toomey, Corbett ahead

A new poll shows Republican Pat Toomey ahead of Democrat Joe Sestak in their U.S. Senate race.

The Franklin & Marshall College poll shows Mr. Toomey with the support of 40 percent of likely voters to Mr. Sestak’s 31 percent. About a quarter remain undecided with about 9 weeks left until the Nov. 2 general election.

Mr. Toomey and Mr. Sestak are vying for the seat currently held by Arlen Specter, who was knocked off by Mr. Sestak in the primary.

2. Erie Times-News: Toomey campaigns in Erie, Crawford counties

U.S. Senate candidate Pat Toomey brought his RV tour of Pennsylvania communities to a mostly friendly audience in Erie but encountered a few speed bumps.

Toomey, the GOP candidate in one of the most closely watched Senate races in the nation, spoke Thursday morning to about 50 people at the Manufacturer & Business Association.

Toomey, a former Lehigh County congressman, told the group that he wants to create job growth and restore what he called balance and fiscal sanity to Washington, D.C.

Toomey, who is running against Democrat Joe Sestak, made Erie and the Crawford County Fair two stops on the final day of his 23-county, four-day “more jobs, less government” recreational-vehicle tour.

3. Centre Daily Times: GOP candidates stump at Grange Fair

Fairgoers saw a lot of Republican red Thursday while the Centre County Democratic Committee’s booth, two tents away, stood empty.

Pennsylvania lieutenant governor candidate Jim Cawley joked about the absence of his opponent, Rep. Scott Conklin, who is also seeking reelection to the state’s 77th House District.

“Maybe he can’t figure out which sign he has to put up: the lieutenant governor sign or the state representative sign,” Cawley said as he waited for U.S. Senate candidate Pat Toomey’s bus to arrive.

The Centre County Republican Committee tent buzzed with activity as Toomey dropped in for about 30 minutes and got a quick tour of the grounds with Joyce Haas, the Republican who’s running against Conklin for the 77th district seat.

4. The Hill: New ad slams Sestak’s votes on the economy

The Club for Growth on Friday announced a new ad that criticizes Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Penn.) for supporting mortgage and energy reform, and the stimulus bill, saying the votes were too liberal and too expensive for Pennsylvania voters.

“We can’t afford Joe Sestak’s liberal schemes,” the ad states.

The ad is the group’s first against Sestak as he and Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) vie for the seat currently held by Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Penn.).

5. Scranton Times-Tribune: Kanjorski’s projects don’t always pan out

As unemployment remains high and polls show voters nervous about the economy, U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, facing re-election, is doing everything he can to focus on bringing jobs to the area.

Last week, Mr. Kanjorski casually dropped word that a hybrid automobile manufacturer is considering Northeast Pennsylvania for a national headquarters and factory that could eventually employ 4,000 people.

“They came to us,” Mr. Kanjorski said.

On Thursday, Mr. Kanjorski took officials of the U.S. Department of State and the General Services Administration on a tour of Earth Conservancy land because they are looking for a place to build a center to train about 10,000 people a year in diplomatic security. If built here, it could mean 1,000 jobs, Mr. Kanjorski said.

The common thread to the two developments is this: Mr. Kanjorski is getting attention as he runs for election, but neither is guaranteed.

PA GOP News Brief 8.23.10

1. Allentown Morning Call: So Far, Sestak Back On His Heels

2. Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Republican Candidate Visits Area Airport

3. Sunbury Daily Item: Corbett Praises Valley Firm

4. Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Republican Candidate Takes Tour Of Jersey Shore Steel

5. Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: GOP Ahead In Area Congress Tilts

1. Allentown Morning Call: So Far, Sestak Back On His Heels

More than midway through the political calendar, Sestak seems endlessly on the defensive. It’s partly of his own doing, but largely because Toomey, with a sharper message and flush finances, has been the aggressor.

So far, Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate battle has been fought on Toomey’s terms.

2. Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Republican Candidate Visits Area Airport

“Our campaign is in a great position,” he said, adding that the Democratic administration and Congress is “making it easier” to win.

“This is a dangerous agenda,” Toomey said of the Democrats’ continuous spending. “It is staggering in scope, breadth and the departure of everything that made this country great.”

Of his Democratic opponent, Joe Sestak, Toomey said that “the contrast between what we stand for couldn’t be more clear.”

“I would never support the job-killing agenda these guys are pushing on us,” he said. “Joe Sestak is for all of it. In fact, he doesn’t think it goes far enough.”

Toomey was speaking of the multi-billion dollar stimulus package recently pushed through by the Obama administration.

3. Sunbury Daily Item: Corbett Praises Valley Firm

State government must reduce taxes and become fiscally responsible to help keep businesses like L/B Water Service in Selinsgrove thriving, says Tom Corbett, state attorney general and Republican gubernatorial candidate.

During a tour Friday, Corbett praised the Selinsgrove company for its business practices, including buying many products manufactured in Pennsylvania.

4. Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Republican Candidate Takes Tour Of Jersey Shore Steel

Corbett called for fiscal discipline, limited government and free enterprise.

“A tax increase does not help the economy,” he said.

The Rendell Administration has brought the state increased debt, higher taxes and a budget that in eight years rose from $22 billion to $28 billion, Corbett noted.

He said as attorney general he’s done more to clean up corruption in state government than any one else who’s held the office.

If elected governor, he’ll seek to reduce the state’s corporate net income tax to 6.9 percent and phase out the death tax. The corporate net tax stands at 9.99 percent.

5. Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: GOP Ahead In Area Congress Tilts

In the 11th District, polling of 400 likely voters shows U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, with a 96-93 percent lead over Barletta in name recognition. The slim difference may be because Barletta has run for the seat two times previously.

But poll results show Barletta receiving 52 percent of the vote, compared to just 41 percent for Kanjorski, a 13-term congressman. Seven percent were undecided. Sixty-three percent said it’s time for someone else to represent the district, while 31 percent said Kanjorski deserves re-election.

PA GOP News Brief 8.19.10

1. Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Toomey op-ed: Tax On Energy Would Only Hike Costs, Hurt Taxpayers

2. NRSC: Web video: “Extreme” featuring the PA-SEN Race

3. pa2010.com: Toomey: Economy Would Have ‘Bounced Back’ Better Without Stimulus

4. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Polls Show Corbett With Big Lead in Governor’s Race

5. Delaware County Daily Times: GOP Targets Election in 7^th District as a Big One (with video)

6. Wall Street Journal: Rove: Deconstructing Harry

1. Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Toomey op-ed: Tax On Energy Would Only Hike Costs, Hurt Taxpayers

We can and must support common-sense policies that protect our environment; but that goal can be achieved without abandoning 70,000 or more Pennsylvania jobs and imposing higher gas and electricity prices on all Pennsylvanians.

A focus on renewable energy, conservation, low-carbon energy such as natural gas, nuclear energy and cleaner-coal technology are all part of the solution. But as unemployment hovers above 9 percent, protecting our hardworking families must be our first priority.

2. NRSC: Web video: “Extreme” featuring the PA-SEN Race

As Politico’s “Morning Score” notes today:

BUZZING ON TWITTER: A new NRSC ad has Republicans atwitter on Twitter. Titled ‘Extreme,’ the slickly produced web spot slams Democratic messaging about the GOP being a party of extremists by pointing to poll results in various Senate races and popular support for various Republican positions.

3. pa2010.com: Toomey: Economy Would Have ‘Bounced Back’ Better Without Stimulus

Pat Toomey says that not only did the 2009 economic stimulus package not work, but it probably made things worse.

The GOP Senate nominee said Wednesday that the economy would “probably have bounced back much more strongly” without the stimulus, “because borrowing and spending doesn’t get you to prosperity.”

“We were promised that unemployment wouldn’t reach eight percent, it went over 10 percent,” Toomey said on Fox29.

4. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Polls Show Corbett With Big Lead in Governor’s Race

Susquehanna Polling & Research shows Mr. Corbett leading 43 to 33 percent over Mr. Onorato, with support that is “wide and deep” across the state. The GOP candidate is benefitting — and Mr. Onorato is hurting — from extraordinarily poor approval ratings for Democratic incumbent Ed Rendell, as well as worries statewide about the economy.

“Simply put, this animosity is not a Republican or Democrat thing. Rather, its very foundation is more driven by a lousy economic climate, a sentiment shared by most that our state is on the wrong track, and eight years of bad Rendell publicity piled high from continued late budgets, high taxes and record state spending,” said a release from Harrisburg-based Susquehanna.

5. Delaware County Daily Times: GOP Targets Election in 7^th District as a Big One (with video)

The National Republican Congressional Committee recently announced that it has plans to reserve television advertisement time in 41 districts, including the local 7th Congressional District.

“I’m very grateful for their support,” said Republican candidate Pat Meehan in an interview Wednesday following his stop at the Sterling Health Care and Rehab Center in Media. “I appreciate the competitive environment and I appreciate the additional support.”

6. Wall Street Journal: Rove: Deconstructing Harry

Democrats are in a terrible bind. Having pursued policies that have made our fiscal situation unsustainable, they are now reverting to old habits, trying to raise taxes to pay for their profligacy.

Mr. Reid is drawing attention to some of his party’s very worst impressions. Already facing the prospect of huge election losses in November, many Democratic candidates may find themselves victims of their majority leader’s extraordinarily bad judgment if he follows through on his decision to schedule a tax debate next month.

PA GOP News Brief 8.11.10

1. PA GOP: Dan Onorato Attempts To Exploit The Tea Party

2. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Onorato allies aid Tea Party candidacy

3. Wayne Independent: Corbett rallies GOP party

4. The Daily Local News: Gerlach questions Trivedi’s resume

5. The Scranton Times Tribune: Barletta hits Kanjorski for not endorsing Paterno medal bid

6. The Washington Times: Democratic decline

1. PA GOP: Dan Onorato Attempts To Exploit The Tea Party

Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement regarding the allegations that Dan Onorato supporters and Democrat operatives circulated petitions for John Krupa, a candidate claiming to be the Tea Party nominee for Governor.

“It’s obvious that Dan Onorato is willing to resort to dishonest tactics in a desperate attempt to improve his chances to win elections this fall,” Gleason said. “The allegations made against the Onorato campaign and the Democratic Party, as they pertain to their involvement with John Krupa’s nominating papers, are extremely troubling.

“Dan Onorato and the Democratic Party need to answer some questions immediately with regard to his involvement with John Krupa’s campaign.  How involved was Dan Onorato in this attempt to hijack the Tea Party, a desperate attempt to help his faltering campaign? Who came up with the idea of deploying Onorato loyalists to gather petitions on behalf of John Krupa, and who was making the key decisions during that process?

2. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Onorato allies aid Tea Party candidacy

Members of unions that endorsed Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, as well as one of his campaign workers, helped get Tea Party candidate John Krupa onto Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial ballot for November’s election, state records show.

Krupa, 59, of Clinton County filed petitions Aug. 2 with more than 24,000 signatures to get his name on the ballot. Among those who gathered signatures are officers of building trades unions, whose statewide organization unanimously endorsed Onorato on June 9 — including several officers from a Pittsburgh union hall where Onorato announced his candidacy and celebrated his primary victory.

Another Krupa petition circulator, Heather Damron of Lehigh County, was paid $1,000 by Onorato’s campaign for his petition drive four months earlier.

3. Wayne Independent: Corbett rallies GOP party

Republican gubernatorial candidate and state Attorney General Tom Corbett spoke to a group of supporters Friday afternoon, emphasizing the importance of getting Republicans out to vote in the upcoming mid-term election.

Corbett, who is hoping to replace Gov. Edward G. Rendell, told supporters that the upcoming November general election will “change the course of Pennsylvania. This election is about our grandchildren growing up in a Pennsylvania we grew up in,” he said.

4. The Daily Local News: Gerlach questions Trivedi’s resume

The campaign of U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, a Republican from West Pikeland, has called into question the resume of his opponent in the race for the 6th District.

Gerlach spokesman Mark Campbell said in a recent interview Trivedi does not work at the hospital but has used his employment there as “the entire underpinning of his campaign.”

5. The Scranton Times Tribune: Barletta hits Kanjorski for not endorsing Paterno medal bid

Congressman would rather focus on jobs.

Penn State’s beloved 83-year-old football coach Joe Paterno landed smack in the middle of one of Pennsylvania’s most bitter Congressional races on Tuesday, adding a football twist to an already heated political contest.

Waging his third attempt to unseat U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, Republican Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta questioned why Mr. Kanjorski refused to sign a letter endorsing Mr. Paterno for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A bipartisan group of 17 Pennsylvania congressman and one Virginia congressman nominated Mr. Paterno for America’s highest civilian honor, saying his record on and off the field merit presidential recognition.

“It’s extremely hard to comprehend why Kanjorski did not sign this nomination letter for JoePa,” Mr. Barletta’s spokesman, Shawn Kelly, said in a news release. “Even the most die-hard fans of other teams recognize Joe Paterno’s place in the history of college sports. By failing to sign this letter, Kanjorski shows once again how out of touch he is.”

6. The Washington Times: Democratic decline

Polls show the public knows Democratic policies have hurt the country. Having no defense, Democrats have ramped up efforts to blame George W. Bush for today’s troubles, going so far as to distribute “Blame Bush” pocket cards with talking points attacking the former president. American voters are too smart to fall for the blame game.

Voter focus this year should be on Congress. This is because the economy started to go haywire once Democrats took over Capitol Hill. The rule has held for 20 years. The economy sputtered under Democratic Congresses in the early 1990s until Republicans won majorities in 1994. A stock-market rally began that very day, and the boom lasted with only one interruption (following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks) all the way into early 2007.

In 2007, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid took control of the House and Senate respectively and accelerated a spending spree begun on a smaller scale under President Bush. Democrats pushed heavier regulations, more debt and a weaker dollar – and investor confidence evaporated. Panic started building in August 2007. Eventually, the whole economy tanked.

PA GOP News Brief – 8.6.10

1. PA GOP: Joe Sestak Breaks Out The Flip-Flops

2. The Philadelphia Inquirer: Onorato sidesteps question on DRPA chairman’s future

3. The Philadelphia Inquirer: Congressional candidate Lentz spurns petition issue

4. Bucks County Courier Times: Ex-interns aid third-party bid

5. The Washington Times: Democrats: Voters are dumb

1. PA GOP: Joe Sestak Breaks Out The Flip-Flops

Republican Party of Pennsylvania Spokesman Mike Barley released the following statement regarding U.S. Senate Democrat candidate Joe Sestak’s continued refusal to call on Congressman Charlie Rangel to resign despite being charged with 13 ethics violations by the House Ethics Committee.

“It’s amazing what a difference four years in Washington, D.C. can make,” Barley said. “Four years ago, Joe Sestak was sharply critical of his opponent for not calling for the resignation of a fellow Congressman who had engaged in unethical behavior, claiming that it was a decision based on ‘political ambition.’  Yet why does Joe Sestak continue to protect one of his Democratic leaders now, even after the House Ethics Committee charged him with 13 counts of unethical behavior?”

“Joe Sestak’s may not have Charlie Rangel’s ‘dirty money’ in his campaign coffers anymore, but why is he still refusing to call for this Democratic Party leader to resign?”

2. The Philadelphia Inquirer: Onorato sidesteps question on DRPA chairman’s future

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato sidestepped a question today about whether he would replace his longtime good friend John Estey as chairman of the Delaware River Port Authority should he be elected governor this November.

Onorato, speaking at a news conference in West Philadelphia, said that he endorsed a series of reforms proposed for the authority by Gov. Rendell and Gov. Christie.

Estey, appointed by Rendell as a chairman of the authority, is one of the leading figures in Onorato’s campaign for governor. The two men have known each other since law school at the University of Pittsburgh.

Asked if he would replace Estey, he said “It’s not about individuals right now . . . I am not elected now. I am not going to talk about personnel.”

Read More: Fox 29: Gubanatorial Candidates Weigh In On DRPA

Republican Tom Corbett was not in our area today.  A campaign spokesperson was quick to respond saying Corbett generally supports the reform measures now being talked about, and that, “Estey will be replaced by a competent manager who will not politicize the DRPA.”

3. The Philadelphia Inquirer: Congressional candidate Lentz spurns petition issue

Democratic congressional candidate Bryan Lentz answered questions Thursday night from 30 people who gathered in a sweltering American Legion Hall in Clifton Heights, Delaware County, to talk about the country’s economic woes.

But the state representative from Swarthmore refused to say whether his campaign helped gather signatures to put a third-party candidate, Jim Schneller, on the ballot in the Seventh District.

“I think my answer is a fair one: that Schneller took [the petitions] to Harrisburg and filed them and I think it’s fair for him to answer questions about the petitions,” Lentz said. “That whole process was Jim Schneller’s ballot and Jim Schneller should answer the questions.”

4. Bucks County Courier Times: Ex-interns aid third-party bid

Two former interns for Congressman Patrick Murphy, now working for the state Democratic Party, have turned in nominating petitions to get a third-party candidate on the ballot.

The interns – Brian Caplan of Northampton and Jessica Milinichik of Bristol Township – submitted 148 signatures on the notarized papers for Tom Lingenfelter, a Doylestown historian.

The addition of Lingenfelter to the 8th District ballot is significant as his presence in a rematch between Murphy, a Democrat, and former Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, a Republican, could tilt the outcome. Back in 2006, Murphy upset Fitzpatrick by a mere 1,518 votes.

In 2008, Lingenfelter accrued 5,543 votes, 1.6 percent of the total, in Murphy’s victory over Tom Manion.

The conventional wisdom is Lingenfelter will pull votes from Fitzpatrick. Tim Persico, Murphy’s finance director, said the interns recently left the Murphy campaign.

5. The Washington Times: Democrats: Voters are dumb

Missouri’s overwhelming rejection of Obamacare made it clear Americans will resist the federal government’s power grab, but Democrats aren’t getting the message. Despite being a middle-of-the-road swing state, an overwhelming 71 percent of Missourians voted against federal mandates over their personal health care choices. Ignoring the clarity of this protest, top Democrats maintain that the problem lies with American voters, who aren’t smart enough to know what’s good for them.

On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, chimed, “It’s very obvious that people have a lack of understanding of our health care reform bill.” Facing a revolt in her own home state, Sen. Claire McCaskill, Missouri Democrat, agreed it’s largely just a misunderstanding. “I know that there is a lot of work that we need to do on not just the provisions of the law,” she said, “but most importantly [to] make sure that everyone knows what is in the law.”

st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }

PA GOP News Brief – 8.4.10

1. The Morning Call: Dent visits Gulf Coast

2. The Pubilus Foundation: Onorato Reveals Plan to Illegally Extort Jobs from Marcellus Drillers

3. Redstate: Corbett steady as Toomey and Sestak joust

4. The Hill: GOP could dominate state redistricting

5. The Washington Times: Our sputtering economic engine

1. The Morning Call: Dent visits Gulf Coast

After nearly two days spent in the Gulf Coast to survey the region’s post- oil spill conditions, U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent said Tuesday he’s returning even more convinced that a moratorium on offshore drilling needs to be lifted.

Dent, a high-ranking Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, visited with Homeland Security and Coast Guard officials as well as local government and business leaders. The latter, Dent said, are worried about their economy in the aftermath of April’s BP oil rig explosion that has pumped up to 184.3 million gallons of oil into the Gulf, according to federal estimates.

“They do not want this environmental disaster to become an economic catastrophe,” the Lehigh Valley congressman said in a phone interview. “People down here are very anxious and panicked. You get a real, palpable sense down here.”

2. The Pubilus Foundation: Onorato Reveals Plan to Illegally Extort Jobs from Marcellus Drillers

In a stunning development in the debate over Marcellus Shale exploration, Allegheny County Executive and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato suggested “he’d pressure natural gas drilling companies to hire Pennsylvania residents by threatening to withhold state drilling permits,” Scott Detrow of State House Sound Bites reported.

Elaborating on this strategy, Onorato said, “I think all governors apply pressure on every industry. The whole idea of being governor is you try to bring jobs and improve the economy of your state. We have a golden opportunity here, with the Marcellus Shale find. But we get one chance to get it right.”

Onorato’s approach to the handling of drilling permits is, simply put, a plan to extort jobs from natural gas drilling companies and his explanation of the Governor’s role in the economy reveals that he would, apparently, approach all businesses in this way if he is given the chance to do so. This approach is also, importantly, not legal and Governor Ed Rendell pointed this out when he said, “It’s not what we do. And you might be able to do that, but you’d probably have to change some regulations or get some legislation.”

3. Redstate: Corbett steady as Toomey and Sestak joust

While the Pennsylvania Senate race has lived up to my expectations of volatility (Rasmussen has swing from Pat Toomey +8 to Joe Sestak +4 back to Toomey +6 most recently), the race for Governor has been pretty boring.

No matter how many times this race gets polled, Republican Tom Corbett defies the recent partisan trend of Pennsylvania and consistently leads Democrat Dan Onorato, most recently by 11.

4. The Hill: GOP could dominate state redistricting

Republicans could hold complete control over the redistricting process in several key states after the 2010 elections.

If the party’s gubernatorial candidates were to emerge with wins in Texas, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan — all states where Republicans either lead or are tied in recent polls — and the GOP holds or wins control of legislative chambers in those same states, Republicans could monopolize the post-2010 redraw.

“If Republicans do really well on Election Day, they could swing a lot more seats that they would have control over,” said analyst Kimball Brace, who heads Election Data Services, a bipartisan firm that specializes in the census and redistricting. “A shift of 10 to 15 [state legislative] chambers is enough to swing [the process] dramatically toward the Republicans.”

5. The Washington Times: Our sputtering economic engine

As the nation’s economic engine continues to sputter, Americans are wondering when the administration’s promised “recovery summer” is going to start. From a peak annual growth rate of 5 percent last autumn, the measure of gross domestic product slid to 3.7 percent in the first quarter of 2010 and was down to 2.4 percent by the end of June. With 561 days as president under his belt, Barack Obama no longer has the luxury of passing blame for the situation to his predecessor, George W. Bush.

That’s a troubling thought for congressional Democrats who, in just three months, face midterm elections at the hands of a public dissatisfied with the state of affairs. According to an Angus Reid survey released last week, 86 percent of Americans rated the economic conditions as “poor” or “very poor,” while a mere 11 percent found the conditions to be “good” or “very good.” The positive responses are down from 15 percent in April. As if that weren’t bad enough, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner told ABC’s “Good Morning America” yesterday that things are likely to grow worse in the short term. Mr. Geithner predicted that unemployment would rise, which is an obvious consequence of the lack of growth in the private sector.