In the Weekly Republican Address, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell discusses the flawed health care bill passed by Democrats and why it should be repealed and replaced.
McConnell says, "In one of the most divisive legislative debates in modern history, Democrats decided to go the partisan route and blatantly ignore the will of the people. Americans opposed this legislation, and, now theyre clamoring to see it repealed and replaced. Democratic Leaders and White House officials may be celebrating their victory this week, but most of the rest of the country is not. Most people arent interested in celebrating a bill that makes their lives more complicated, takes more out of their paychecks and puts decisions theyre used to making themselves into the hands of federal bureaucrats."
John Boehner, the next Speaker of the House after Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are bounced out in November, promises to repeal Obamacare when Republicans take back control of the House.
If Republicans take control of the House this fall, Minority Leader John Boehner said Sunday he'd work to repeal the health care bill that's heading to final congressional votes.
"If this bill passes, we will have an effort to repeal the bill, and we'll do it the same way that we approached health care on a step by step basis," the Ohio congressman said in an advanced transcript of NBC's "Meet the Press." I'd have a bill on the floor the first thing out, to eliminate the Medicare cuts, eliminate the tax increases, eliminate the mandate that every American has to buy health insurance and the employer mandate that's going to cover jobs."
Pia Varma is running for Congress. She has no political experience and she's fine with that.
In fact, that's the appeal of her campaign. We've seen what the "professional politicians" have done with this country. Why not give regular person a chance?
Pia Varma is a Republican running in Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District. The seat has been held by Democrat Bob Brady since 1998.
Varma ran a full page ad in The Philadelphia Inquirer this week with a simple message: Hate Philly Politics?
If the answer is yes, you should vote for Varma. If you like the job Congress is doing, keep political insiders like Brady in office.
There really are two Americas, but the divide is not between rich and poor, black and white, Democrat and Republican.
The gap is between the growing governing elite and the working class paying taxes to support the permanent political class.
From a thought-provoking column by Dr. Mark W. Hendrickson, adjunct faculty member, economist, and contributing scholar with The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College:
The truly revolutionary American idea of government as the servant of the people may be fading away. Many of today’s so-called “civil servants” are a protected, privileged class. While Middle America struggles through a difficult recession, a lot of government employees have lived on the gravy train.
Here are some facts to buttress that assertion:
Since the recession began in 2008, a period during which approximately eight million private-sector workers lost their jobs and millions more saw their income decline, the number of federal employees is increasing at a 7 percent per-year rate and their income is holding up quite nicely. According to the Cato Institute, the average federal worker’s pay and benefits now approximates $120,000 per year, or roughly double the compensation of the average private-sector employee. Factor out the lavish government fringe benefits and look at salary only, and the civil servant is still far ahead: $71,197 vs. $49,935.
During this recession, the percentage of federal employees earning annual base salaries above $100,000 increased from 14 to 19 percent. The number of Defense Department employees being paid more than $150,000 per year increased from 1,868 to 10,100. Before, the Department of Transportation had one employee with a salary above $170,000, but now has 1,690.
Read the full column by The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College Web site.
Rep. Parker Griffith (R-AL): "In the next 10 days, Democrats in Washington will try and jam through a massive government takeover of health care. It would raise taxes, slash Medicare benefits and destroy American jobs. It would put federal bureaucrats in charge of medical decisions that should be made by patients and doctors. And it must be stopped."
Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement regarding President Obama's latest push for a government takeover of the nation's health care system:
"Today, the American people learned that, when it comes to reforming our health care system, President Obama and Washington Democrats are more concerned about 'getting it done' than getting it done right," Gleason said. "Despite nearly a year of failed attempts to push their government-run health care experiment through Congress, Democrats refuse to stop and listen to Americans who have legitimate and substantive concerns about this cornerstone of an extremely liberal agenda.
"Over the past year, Democrats have employed closed-door meetings, late night votes and even taxpayer-funded bribes in an attempt to pass government-run health care, but to no avail. Now, President Obama is leading the charge of this last-ditch effort to pass legislation that will raise taxes, kill jobs and drive a government-sized wedge between patients and their doctors.
"President Obama may be saying that 'now is the time to make a decision,' but continues to ignore the fact that the American people have been soundly rejecting the Democrats' government-run health care plan for nearly year."
Taxpayer group issues report card on Congressional spending
Although more lawmakers joined the ranks of "Taxpayers' Friends" for their voting records in 2009, the vast legion of "Big Spenders" who opted to grow government remained overwhelmingly large, according to the National Taxpayers Union's 31st annual Rating of Congress.
The unique scorecard utilizes every roll call vote affecting fiscal policy – 333 House and 227 Senate votes taken last year.
Here's how Pennsylvania members of Congress did on the newest ranking issued by the National Taxpayers Union. (Can't help noticing all the "F" grades next to Democrats.)
U.S. Senate Bob Casey Jr. - F Arlen Specter - D
U.S. House Jason Altmire - D Bob Brady - F Chris Carney - D Kathy Dahlkemper - F Charlie Dent - C+ Mike Doyle - F Chakah Fattah - F Jim Gerlach - C+ Tim Holden - F Paul Kanjorski - F Pat Murphy - F Tim Murphy - C John Murtha - DECEASED Joe Pitts - B+ Todd Platts - C+ Alyson Schwartz - F Joe Sestak - F Bud Shuster - B Glenn Thompson - B
Is Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele a closet Democrat? He sure is spending a lot of money.
From POLITICO:
Republican National Chairman Michael Steele is spending twice as much as his recent predecessors on private planes and paying more for limousines, catering and flowers – expenses that are infuriating the party's major donors who say Republicans need every penny they can get for the fight to win back Congress.
Most recently, donors grumbled when Steele hired renowned chef Wolfgang Puck's local crew to cater the RNC's Christmas party inside the trendy Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue, and then moved its annual winter meeting from Washington to Hawaii.
For some major GOP donors, both decisions were symbolic of the kind of wasteful spending habits they claim has become endemic to his tenure at the RNC. When Ken Mehlman served as the committee chairman during the critical 2006 midterm elections, the holiday party was held in a headquarters conference room and Chic-fil-A was the caterer.
A POLITICO analysis of expenses found that compared with 2005, the last comparable year preceding a midterm election, the committee’s payments for charter flights doubled; the number of sedan contractors tripled, and meal expenses jumped from $306,000 to $599,000.
Dave Maloney and Dave Molony running for PA House seats
I received this amusing press release from the David M. Maloney for Berks 130th Campaign attempting to clear up some potential confusion about a candidate with a similar name running in a separate Legislative district.
Both are Republicans but Dave Maloney is seeking the nomination for the 130th District in eastern Berks County while Dave Molony is seeking the 133rd State House seat in Lehigh County and Northampton counties.
Here's the release:
Just when you thought all politicians were the same; one difference between Pennsylvania State Representative candidates in the 130th and the 133rd Districts could be ... vowels.
Dave Maloney of Pike Township and Dave Molony of Catasaqua, are running for State Representative in two different districts here in Eastern Pennsylvania.
"I met Dave at the House Republican Campaign Committee meeting last month. It will probably be some confusion when we both get to Harrisburg, but I've got a lot more hair than Dave," said Dave Maloney, Boyertown High School alum and former Oley Valley School Board member who is the 130th District candidate.
"We don't really think that the people in Berks and in Lehigh Valley will get confused. But I will say that we do expect to get right to work when we get elected in November and are sworn into the House of Representatives in Harrisburg in January of 2011," said Dave Molony, running for the 133rd.
Dave Maloney said he see the economy and jobs as the issues at the top of the list of concerns for people. "I have never seen business this slow, people hurting so badly. Harrisburg has to knock down all the barriers to letting companies do business and hire for new jobs." He added that he "supports all efforts to eliminate property taxes in Pennsylvania and bring real accountability to public schools."
"Governor Rendell's budget increase is over two billion dollars. At the same time more people are buying less and paying less income taxes because they are laid off or working part time. How does the governor expect to spend more money when the state has less to spend and a set of huge increases coming down the road from pensions and other promises Rendell made? We need the determination to make hard choices and say no to expanding government programs and spending. It is not possible to tax people into prosperity," Maloney said.
In the photo above, that's Dave Maloney on the left, Dave Molony on the right.
For more on Maloney's bid to replace incumbent state Rep. David Kessler, check out this article or visit Maloney's campaign Web site.
Molony is seeking to replace incumbent Democratic state Rep. Joseph F. Brennan. For more information on Molony, check out this article or visit his campaign Web site.
With a new poll in hand showing incumbent Congressman Jim Gerlach holding a commanding lead over GOP primary challenger Steve Welch, the Gerlach campaign is urging Welch to drop out of the race.
A poll released by the Gerlach for Congress campaign shows a 61-point lead over Welch, with the four-term Republican Congressman leading in a head-to-head match up by a 71% to 6% margin.
With Gerlach securing party support and holding a monetary advantage, the only purpose Welch can serve by staying in the race is to help a potential Democratic opponent in the fall, the Gerlach camp argues.
From the Gerlach for Congress campaign:
"Republican voters in southeast Pennsylvania know Jim very well and they have already reached the conclusion that he is doing a good job in Congress and should be returned to Washington for another term," said Chris Wilson, the campaign's pollster. "With solid numbers like these, Jim is a virtual lock to win the Republican primary. Any primary challenge to Jim Gerlach at this point would only serve Nancy Pelosi and Democrats in Washington."
Among the data, Wilson Research Strategies found that Gerlach's Republican support is strongest among the most conservative voters, making it nearly impossible to challenge him "from the right." Additionally, Republican primary voters who disapprove of Congress (87%) do not blame Jim Gerlach for the problems in Washington, since 86% of those voters approve of Gerlach's job performance in Congress. Therefore, this is not an anti-incumbent electorate.
"Even among those voters who have heard of Steve Welch, Gerlach is leading 67-15%," added Wilson.
Since Jim Gerlach's decision to seek re-election January 8th, a number of national publications have written that Pennsylvania's 6th District seat is now more likely to stay in Republican hands, with one commentator stating that Gerlach "saved that seat for Republicans ... I think they would have lost it otherwise." Still, Democrats are ecstatic after learning of Welch's decision to challenge Gerlach in the primary. The National Journal said it forces Republicans into a "potentially costly, and damaging, primary" that could be "damaging to the GOP hopes of holding the seat." Pa2010.com wrote the news of his primary challenge was "a lift for Democrats."
Despite having to start virtually from scratch after winding down his federal campaign account last year in anticipation of a campaign for Governor, Gerlach announced at the end of January that he had secured more than half a million dollars in financial commitments in just three weeks for his primary election campaign, a number that has grown each day.
PA GOP Endorsements for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Senate
The Republican Party of Pennsylvania has voted to endorse Pat Toomey for United States Senate, Tom Corbett for Pennsylvania Governor and Jim Cawley for Lieutenant Governor.
From a PA GOP release:
"At such a critical juncture in the history of our Commonwealth and our country, it's important that our Party puts forth highly qualified candidates who will promote and implement the Republican principles of limited government and personal responsibility within our government," Gleason said. "We are excited to have found these highly qualified candidates in United States Senate candidate Pat Toomey, gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett and lieutenant governor candidate Jim Cawley."
"As a former small business owner, Pat Toomey has an innate understanding of the problems facing our nation's financial system. During his time in Congress and later in the private sector, Pat Toomey became a champion of the type of common-sense, free-market solutions that will create jobs, grow our economy and protect our freedoms. Pat Toomey is exactly the type of strong independent voice that we need in Washington today.
"Attorney General Tom Corbett's name has become synonymous with government reform in Pennsylvania. Tom has spent a lifetime fighting to protect the citizens of this Commonwealth from public corruption and criminal predators, and I am excited to support his bid to take that watchdog mentality to the Governor's mansion.
"Jim Cawley, Bucks County Commissioner, has established a solid record as an innovator who has worked to save taxpayers millions of dollars. Jim's experience will add a great deal to our Party's ticket this year."
"With a strong and energized grassroots network, we are excited to get to work electing Tom Corbett for Governor, Jim Cawley for Lieutenant Governor, and Pat Toomey for the United States Senate."
The mere mention of Barack Obama helps Republicans get elected these days. Will the Dems hide Obama in a secret underground location until after the November 2010 election?
How screwed up is the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania's Democratic State Committee met in Lancaster Saturday to endorse an 80-year-old man who served as a Republican in the U.S. Senate for the past 30 years as its 2010 Senate nominee.
Arlen Specter, a Republican since 1965, persuaded enough Democratic Party officials that he is their best option for 2010. All that stands in the way is Congressman Joe Sestak and angry voters who are tired of incumbents.
The party also could not reach a consensus on an endorsement for governor. The only thing the delegates were sure of was they did not want perennial loser Joe Hoeffel, who is running on a pro-abortion, pro same-sex marriage platform. Hoeffel was eliminated on the first ballot.
But the delegates could not decide between liberal Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and moderate Auditor General Jack Wagner. Neither man received the necessary two-thirds vote for the endorsement.
Wagner finished first in the balloting, but could not garner enough support for the endorsement. Onorato, who has raised the most money and wants to continue the failed Ed Rendell policies, finished second and attracted only half as many endorsement votes as Wagner.
A Republican retread and a candidate who couldn't earn his own party's endorsement will lead the Democratic slate in 2010. Can you say "Republican sweep"?
Look for Pat Toomey to be the next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and Tom Corbett to be the next governor.
Due to inclement weather, and for the safety of the candidates, audience and volunteers, the Pennsylvania Conservative Council, is canceling the District 6 Debate scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, at Great Valley High School. The debate will be rescheduled at a future date to be announced.
Here's something scary. Before being sworn in to the U.S. Senate today, Scott Brown had more political experience as a Massachusetts legislator than Barack Obama did as a state lawmaker in Illinois before he entered the U.S. Senate in 2005. (Obama served three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004.)
Brown served six years in the state House and six years in the state Senate in Massachusetts before pulling off the "Massachusetts Miracle" by winning Ted Kennedy's old Senate seat.
I think this makes Scott Brown more qualified to be president.
Tom Caltagirone has spent the past 34 years in the Pennsylvania Legislature.
The Reading Democratic is planning to run for an 18th term in the state House in 2010.
If you like the way Harrisburg is run, then by all means, keep sending Caltagirone back to the Legislature. If you're tired of high taxes, uncontrolled spending and all the corruption, then stop returning the same people to Harrisburg.
Let's get real. If somebody hasn't done the job in 34 years, why should voters give them another two years?
Politicians are like diapers. They're full of doo doo and need to be changed frequently.
The same Democratic Party strategists who downplay the GOP's chances of picking up 10 more seats in the Senate are the same ones who said the Dems would always keep Ted Kennedy's seat in Massachusetts.
From POLITICO:
Republicans suddenly have a conceivable path to winning back the Senate in November, after locking in top-flight candidates overnight in Illinois and Indiana.
A 10-seat pickup for the GOP — once regarded as an impossibility even by the party’s own strategists — remains very much a long shot. It would still require a win in every competitive race, something that happens only in wave elections like 1994 and 2008.
But only 14 months after the GOP was routed up and down the ballot on the night of Barack Obama’s election, the new political environment makes significant Senate gains likely. And within the past 24 hours, a Republican recapture of the Senate is at least within the realm of speculation.
With all the usual disclaimers attached — do not engage in political odds-making while taking medication or operating heavy machinery — here's why a Republican takeover is at least possible.
Weekly GOP Address: Sen. Susan Collins on National Security Policy
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee discusses the Obama administration's failures in dealing with the Christmas Day bomber.
Sen. Collins expresses her incredulity that the bomber was interrogated for only 50 minutes before getting his Miranda rights.
Sen. Collins says, "The Obama administration appears to have a blind spot when it comes to the War on Terrorism. ... Theres no other way to explain the irresponsible, indeed dangerous, decision on Abdulmutallab's interrogation. There's no other way to explain the inconceivable treatment of him as if he were a common criminal. This charade must stop. Foreign terrorists are enemy combatants and they must be treated as such. The safety of the American people depends on it."
State Rep. Paul I. Clymer, a Republican who has represented the 145th state House District since 1980, will run for re-election despite announcing recently that he plans to retire.
From the Lansdale Reporter:
At age 72, Clymer said he remains in good health.
He is humbled by the support he's received, both from the public and from party leaders who asked him to run again, Clymer said.
"The people are moving this forward. It's something that I did not initiate," he said. "This is a mandate from my community."
The 145th District includes East Rockhill, West Rockhill, Perkasie, Sellersville, Haycock, Milford, Quakertown, Richland, Richlandtown, Springfield and Trumbauersville.
This is one less seat the Republicans have to worry about in their quest to recapture the majority in the state House.
Democrats hold a 104-99 majority in the 203-seat House but with the anti-Obama, anti-Rendell, anti-incumbent mood of the electorate, expect the GOP to win back control of the House this November.
The latest Franklin & Marshall College Poll has the answers ... and the news is bleak for Barack Obama and the Democrats.
Among the poll highlights:
1) Pennsylvanians continue to express pessimism about the economy. Four in ten (40% compared to 36% in October) say they are financially worse off this year than last, and only a quarter (27%) expects their personal finances to be better off a year from now.
2) Among registered Democrats, Senator Specter leads Joe Sestak (30% to 13%) in the primary race for U.S. Senate, although 50 percent remain undecided. In possible general election match-ups, Pat Toomey leads both Specter (45% to 31%) and Sestak (41% to 19%) among likely voters. Registered Pennsylvanians cite health care (29%) and the economy (24%) as the most important issues in their vote for U.S. Senate.
3) Nearly three in four (72%) Pennsylvania Democrats remain undecided about the primary race for governor. Tom Corbett leads Sam Rohrer (23% to 5%) among Republicans for the gubernatorial nomination, but seven in ten (69%) remain undecided about their preference. Registered Pennsylvanians cite the economy (26%) and taxes (13%) as the most important issues in their vote for governor.
4) Favorability ratings for President Obama have changed slightly since October. His unfavorable rating increased by 5 percentage points, and he is now viewed favorably and unfavorably by equal proportions (44%) of registered Pennsylvanians. Senator Specter's favorability rating has risen slightly to 35 percent (compared to 28% in October), and his unfavorable rating stands at 43 percent (compared to 46% in October).
5) President Obama's job approval in Pennsylvania is the lowest of his presidency, with only 38 percent (compared to 40% in October) saying he is doing an excellent or good job. Senator Specter's job approval has risen slightly to 34 percent (compared to 29% in October), and about three in ten (29%) respondents say he deserves re-election (up from 23% in October). Those who say Specter does not deserve re-election cite his length of service (25%) and party switch (21%) as the main reasons.
6) Pennsylvanians continue to express dissatisfaction with the direction of the state, albeit less so than in October. 53 percent now say the state is off on the wrong track (compared to 60% in October), while 39 percent say the state is headed in the right direction (compared to 32% in October). Nearly eight in ten (78%) registered Pennsylvanians feel state government needs reform, and a similar number (72%) would favor a constitutional convention to review the state's constitution.
7) The job approval rating of the state legislature remains very low with only 16 percent of registered Pennsylvanians indicating it’s doing an excellent or good job, while 74 percent indicate it's doing only a fair or poor job. These figures have changed little since October.
U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts, R-PA 16, released the following statement on the election of Republican Scott Brown to fill the remaining three years left in the term of Sen. Ted Kennedy:
"This is a strong signal that Congress has its priorities wrong. The American people want us to focus on job creation but instead the Administration and Congress has been spending all its energy trying to push through an expensive and extremely unpopular healthcare bill and massive spending bills that are bankrupting our country. The only new jobs created by the health care bill would be for government bureaucrats. I think Scott Brown will be a great Senator and I know his first priority will be getting the people of our nation and his state working again."
The Wall Street Journal believes Barack Obama can salvage what's left of his failed presidency by listening to the American people instead of the "Democratic delusionists" who have been advising him over the past year.
Tuesday's stunning victory by Republican Scott Brown, which the newspaper calls a "historic election rebuke," was a clear signal that the majority of Americans want Obama to rethink most of his policies, especially government-run health care.
From the editorial:
Yesterday's vote wasn't a repudiation of Mr. Obama's Presidency, or at least it needn't be. The President remains more popular than his policies, and voters want him to succeed. But they are also telling him he needs to steer a more moderate, less partisan course, returning to the pragmatism and comity that shaped his political rise but have vanished in his first, squandered year.
Pat Toomey, who is seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, issued a statement Tuesday night saying the victory by the GOP's Scott Brown in Massachusetts is a repudiation of the Obamacare bill being negotiated in secret by Congressional Democrats.
From Toomey's statement:
Tonight, voters in Massachusetts made their voices heard. In one of the most Democratic states in the country, voters elected Republican Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate in a demonstration of their opposition to one-Party Democratic rule in Washington and the nearly $1 trillion health care monstrosity the Democrats are trying to ram through Congress.
Voters want health care reform but they are fed up with the bill being pushed by President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Leader Harry Reid. That 2,000-page bill includes $500 billion in new taxes, a catalogue of Washington mandates and takeovers, a parade of sweetheart deals for individual politicians and special interests, and nothing to bring down premiums for average American families.
Now the one-Party-rule Democrats are talking about circumventing the normal congressional process, either by having the House accept the Senate version of the bill, or stalling Scott Brown’s swearing in. Yet even Democratic leaders like former Vermont Governor and Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean admit that Harry Reid's Senate bill does not move the country forward. Dean recently called the Senate bill, "a bigger bailout for the insurance industry than AIG." (ABC News, 12/16/09)
"Everyone can agree that we need real health care reform in this country," U.S. Senate candidate Pat Toomey said, "but it is clear that Americans all across the country are rejecting the Democrats' sweetheart deals, tax hikes, and massive spending. It is time to start over and begin the process of working on bipartisan, commonsense health care reform that brings real competition to the health insurance market and lowers the cost of care."
Toomey says it's time to start over and enact health care reforms that bring down medical costs without growing government.
Last November, Toomey wrote an op-ed urging bipartisan health care reform. He proposed commonsense solutions like eliminating the unfair discrimination against individually purchased health insurance in our tax code, allowing people to buy insurance across state lines, implementing reasonable tort reform, and allowing small businesses and organizations to band together and form health associations.
"I urge the Democrats to put aside their partisan determination to ram a $1 trillion bill through Congress that a majority of Americans oppose," Toomey added. "Now, is the time to implement reforms that will truly help people afford health care, without breaking the bank in Washington."
If Barack Obama didn't get the message from Virginia and New Jersey voters in November, he got it tonight in Massachusetts.
Who says there's no such thing as a recall election?
Voters in Massachusetts, the most Democratic state in the country, changed their mind about Barack Obama today by electing a Republican to the U.S. Senate seat held by the Kennedys for a half-century.
Stick a fork in Obamacare. It's done. Say goodbye to Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have retreated to a secret underground location.
Voters took the Democrats to the woodshed for a good old-fashioned whooping over uncontrolled spending and a health-care bill most Americans don't want or need.
We may be witnessing the biggest political upset since Truman defeated Dewey.
With 60 percent of the vote in, Republican Scott Brown is ahead of his heavily-favored Democratic opponent, Martha Coakley, in a special election to fill the remainder of Sen. Ted Kenney's unexpired term
The Massachusetts Senate seat has been held by the Kennedys since the early 1950s.
With 60 percent of precincts reporting, Brown has 53 percent of the vote to 46 percent for Coakley.
The Associated Press calls the race "a referendum on President Barack Obama's sweeping health care overhaul and his first year in office."
From the wire service:
A loss — or even a narrow victory — by the once-favored Coakley for the seat that the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy held for nearly half a century in this Democratic stronghold could signal big political problems for the president's party this November when House, Senate and gubernatorial candidates are on the ballot nationwide.
More immediately at stake was a critical 60th vote for the Democrats' supermajority, which is needed to save their health care legislation and the rest of Obama's agenda. The Democrats can't afford to lose a seat because a 41st Republican in the 100-member Senate could allow the Republicans to use procedural maneuvers to block votes on legislation.
The election transformed reliably Democratic Massachusetts into a battleground state. One day shy of the first anniversary of Obama's swearing-in, it played out amid a backdrop of animosity and resentment from voters over persistently high unemployment, industry bailouts, exploding federal budget deficits and partisan wrangling over health care.
A timely and thought-provoking column posted at HumanEvents.com by Frances Rice, chairwoman of the National Black Republican Association, on how the Democratic Party has taken advantage of blacks for decades.
From Rice's op-ed:
Democrats have been running our inner-cities for the past 30 to 40 years, and blacks are still complaining about the same problems. More than $7 trillion dollars have been spent on poverty programs since Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty with little, if any, impact on poverty. Diabolically, every election cycle, Democrats blame Republicans for the deplorable conditions in the inner-cities, then incite blacks to cast a protest vote against Republicans.
In order to break the Democrats' stranglehold on the black vote and free black Americans from the Democrat Party's economic plantation, we must shed the light of truth on the Democrats. We must demonstrate that the Democrat Party policies of socialism and dependency on government handouts offer the pathway to poverty, while Republican Party principles of hard work, personal responsibility, getting a good education and ownership of homes and small businesses offer the pathway to prosperity.
The future of Obamacare and the entire Obama Administration could hinge on the results of Tuesday's special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat from Massachusetts, says House GOP Leader John Boehner.
From POLITICO:
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) predicted “the end of the Obama agenda” if health care reform does not pass — and he says Massachusetts can help usher in this demise by supporting Republican Scott Brown.
"If this health care reform bill doesn't pass, it is the end of the Obama agenda," Boehner told conservative radio host Laura Ingraham on Monday morning. "It's pretty clear that they're going to use every trick imaginable ... to shove this down the throats of the American people."
Boehner, who has contributed to Brown’s campaign, said he is hopeful for a victory Tuesday in the traditional Democratic stronghold but wary that congressional leadership will push the health care bill regardless of the electoral results.
On the eve of the special election, Boehner called Brown a "great candidate with a real chance to win," yet the minority leader was in lockstep with his party's message when he framed the election as more of a repudiation of the Democrats than a statement on the candidate himself.
"I have no doubt that the people of Massachusetts are looking at this race as a way to send Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama a message to stop this spending," Boehner said. "We can continue to put pressure on them, exploit those differences and bring this bill down.
"This is not about political points," Boehner continued. "Our members are adamantly opposed to the government taking over control of our health system."
Citizens Against Government Waste (the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government) has released its list of nominees for 2009 Porker of the Year.
The six finalists were chosen by CAGW staff from among 12 worthy Porkers of the Month for 2009, and voters are free to pick anyone else they believe deserves this dubious achievement award.
"Porker of the Month" and "Porker of the Year" are dubious honors given to lawmakers, government officials, and political candidates who have shown a blatant disregard for the interests of taxpayers, according to CAGW.
The candidates are:
-- Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) - Named July's Porker, Rep. Carnahan was caught on videotape by a vigilant citizen blogger at a town hall meeting held in St. Louis where he grossly misrepresented the costs associated with the controversial healthcare reforms bills under consideration in Congress.
-- Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) - Named August's Porker, Rep. Abercrombie ranked first in earmarks in the House in fiscal year (FY) 2009 with 44 projects worth $256.8 million; he routinely abuses an already-stretched Pentagon budget to reward favored contractors and supports funding a wasteful and unnecessary alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter.
-- House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) - Named March's Porker, Chairman Frank had expressed outrage over reports that insurance giant and TARP recipient AIG had distributed millions in bonuses to its executives. The Chairman has made ample contributions to the nation's current economic meltdown, spending years defending the activities of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and once telling The New York Times that the companies were not facing "any kind of financial crisis."
-- Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) - Named October's Porker, the four-term Texas senator claims to be a fiscal conservative, but requested 149 projects worth $1.6 billion for authorization and appropriations bills for fiscal year 2010, exemplifying the tiresome hypocrisy of some members of Congress who claim the badge of fiscal conservatism while continuing to abscond with billions of dollars in pork.
-- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood - Named January's Porker, the then newly-minted Transportation Secretary and long-time porker in the House was about to preside over the distribution of tens of billions of tax dollars for transportation projects in the stimulus package passed in February, 2009.
-- Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) - Named June's Porker, Rep. Waters provoked a tussle with House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) over her intention to obtain an earmark for the Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center, a facility within the Los Angeles school system, reminding taxpayers that members of Congress still have not banned the practice naming projects after themselves.
State Rep. Curt Schroder will not seek the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District now that incumbent U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach has announced he will seek re-election to a fifth term.
No surprise here. Schroder entered the race after Gerlach announced he will run for governor instead of defending his Congressional seat. With Gerlach back in the picture, Schroder will not force a primary fight.
This is a critical year for both state and federal elections. Republicans must take back control of the state House in Harrisburg and the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., to reverse the failed policies of Ed Rendell and Barack Obama. Party unity is crucial.
Republicans have to rally behind Gerlach and Schroder could be a strong voice for reform in Harrisburg if Republicans regain majority control of the state House.
'We are a nation at war, and we should act like it'
Rep. Pete King (R-NY) delivers the Weekly Republican Address, focusing on the war on terrorism and the Obama Administration's anemic response to growing threats by Islamic fanatics. Rep. King:
"We are a nation at war, and we should act like it. We need to pull together, remain vigilant, and send a clear signal both to our friends and our enemies that this government will stop at nothing to protect our homeland. That's how America sets an example for the world."
America's third-largest political party has compiled a list of the 10 biggest blunders of Barack Obama's first year in office.
From the Libertarian Party, which also asks readers to note similarities to the Bush administration:
Top 10 disasters of the 2009 Obama administration (in no particular order):
1. Cash for Clunkers 2. War escalation in Afghanistan 3. Giant government health care expansion bill 4. Post office loses money hand over fist 5. Stimulus package 6. Expansion of "state secrets" doctrine 7. Big increase in unemployment 8. "Bailout" Geithner as Treasury Secretary 9. Skyrocketing federal spending 10. Huge federal deficits
Top 10 disasters of the 2001-2008 Bush administration:
1. Cash for Car Companies 2. War in Iraq 3. Giant Medicare expansion bill 4. Post office loses money hand over fist 5. Stimulus "rebate" checks 6. PATRIOT Act 7. Big increase in unemployment 8. "Bailout" Paulson as Treasury Secretary 9. Skyrocketing federal spending 10. Huge federal deficits
Wes Benedict, Libertarian Party executive director, commented, "Republicans and Democrats keep expanding government and creating more and more problems. We're encouraging as many Libertarians as possible to run for Congress in 2010. In Texas, the state with the earliest filing deadline, Libertarians have already filed for 31 of 32 Congressional seats."
For more information about the Libertarian Party, visit its Web site, http://www.lp.org/
A day after he announced he was dropping out of the race for Pennsylvania governor, Republican Congressman Jim Gerlach says he will seek re-election to Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District seat, which Gerlach has held since 2003.
From a press release issued Friday afternoon by the Jim Gerlach for Congress Committee:
"Less than 24 hours ago, I announced that I was ending my campaign to become Pennsylvania's next governor and would continue working hard each day serving the public. Almost immediately, hundreds of concerned constituents and long-time supporters made phone calls and sent e-mails urging me to consider running for Congress again and offering to help in any way they could to keep me in this seat. I am extremely humbled by the response and grateful for the outpouring of kindness and encouragement. The overwhelming response let me know that the best way to continue serving the public is by protecting taxpayers and fighting for our families. And it has reinforced the decision I have made - after exhaustive deliberation with my extremely supportive wife, Karen and our children -- to seek another term representing the great people of the 6th Congressional District.
"Seeking re-election to the 6th Congressional District rather than running for governor will change my position on the ballot. However, my principles remain the same. I am committed to helping families keep more of their hard-earned paychecks, giving small businesses the freedom they need to create jobs and remain competitive and making sure the government lives within its means and works for the people.
"These are the same principles that guided me as a state lawmaker working with Gov. Tom Ridge to trim waste from the Pennsylvania budget and to pass historic Welfare reform legislation, which empowered millions of Pennsylvanians to cash paychecks rather than collect welfare checks. These are the same principles that guided me as a member of Congress to support tax cuts that have saved the average Pennsylvania family more than $2,000 per year and helped make prescription drugs more affordable for our seniors. And these are the same principles that guided me in 2009 when I stood up to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and voted against the largest spending increase in our history, a misguided cap-and-trade bill that jeopardizes thousands of Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs and a health care scheme that would give the federal government unprecedented control over the daily lives of consumers, doctors and employers. I am energized, and will continue to be the best public servant I can be.
"I truly believe that I represent the best chance for Republicans to not only hold this seat, but play a major role in regaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives. I have held this seat in the face of fiercely competitive elections in which opponents and liberal interest groups have spent millions against me in the worst political environments for Republicans in a generation. This year, taxpayers certainly have a lot on the line if Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are allowed to pursue their agenda of higher taxes and infinitely expanding government and wasteful spending. I am determined to make sure that does not happen and look forward to the campaign ahead and continued support of the voters."
Reform activist Russ Diamond running for PA Lieutenant Governor
The man who led the fight to overturn the infamous Pay Raise in 2005 and helped launch a reform movement that shook up the Pennsylvania Legislature in 2006 has announced he is running for Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor in 2010.
Russ Diamond is running on a platform of calling for a for a Constitutional convention, elimination of the property tax elimination, and state sovereignty.
Diamond, 46, of Annville, previously launched unsuccessful campaigns for Pennsylvania Governor and the state Legislature. A former Libertarian Party candidate for state and national office, Diamond, is seeking the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania.
From his campaign announcement:
"Pennsylvania needs a strong advocate for reform in the executive branch," Diamond said. "It's easy to talk about reform but there's really only one way to get it - a constitutional convention. But if we want to hold a convention, we need a specific plan to make it happen. I am the only statewide candidate with a legitimate, workable plan in hand."
In 2007, Diamond authored legislation calling for a citizens' constitutional convention and submitted it to the Senate State Government Committee. It was introduced as SB1290 and HB2723 in 2008. The bill was re-introduced with bipartisan support during the current legislative session as SB340 and HB1929.
In response to a recent study published by the Commonwealth Foundation, Common Cause/Pennsylvania, DemocracyRisingPA, and the League of Women Voters, Diamond has improved the plan and is asking the co-sponsors of SB340 and HB1929 to amend them accordingly or introduce it as a new bill.
"This is the only way to attack the roots of corruption, fraud, and budget debacles which have plagued Pennsylvania of late. We need to rebuild the Commonwealth's institutions of government and restore the faith of the people in them," he added.
On eliminating property taxes, Diamond favors a permanent constitutional prohibition that sets a future deadline and gives the legislature ample time to debate the revenue replacement mechanism.
"Some problems are too complex to tackle in one fell swoop," he said. "In order to be as effective as possible, we must separate the question of property tax elimination from the revenue replacement method. If we agreed today to prohibit property taxes as of June 30, 2015, there would be plenty of time for the legislature to weigh competing options for how to best replace this archaic system that drives citizens from their homes and imposes an intolerable burden on taxpayers and local government."
Diamond's focus on defending Pennsylvania from federal intrusion is centered on the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution.
"The 10th Amendment draws a distinct line between state and federal authority, but we also need to consider the practical ramifications of federal intrusion," Diamond said. "For instance, if we weighed the burden of federal regulations on Pennsylvania's public education system against the percentage of education funding Washington provides, would it really be worth it? Every state department and agency receiving federal funds should be tasked with publicizing the two sides of this equation."
John Hawkins loves to make lists and he's usually right on the money.
His latest: A list of "The Top 10 Conservatives of 2009" -- you know, the people the mainstream media ignores. (I was little disappointed I didn't make the list, John). The list will surprise you.
From his column:
Let's face it: if you're conservative, you're not going to get your proper due from the mainstream media for your accomplishments. Case in point: Barbara Walters named Michelle Obama the most fascinating person of 2009. Really? Based on what? Her big arms? Her terrible fashion sense? The fact that she's married to the worst President in American history?
I mean, you could understand if Walters named Michelle's husband the most fascinating person of 2009. He is at least the President and it is fascinating to wonder if there's anything going on in his head beyond clichés about hope and "must read teleprompter" repeated over and over.
Of course, Barack Obama was Barbara Walters' most fascinating person of 2008. Wonder who'll be next in 2010? Joe or Jill Biden? In any case, just in case no one else does it, I want to give a little credit where credit is due to some of the conservatives who made a real difference in 2009.
Below is Hawkins list and check out the full column at Townhall.com to find out why they made the Top 10.
10) Andrew Breitbart 9) Marco Rubio 8) Rush Limbaugh 7) Jim DeMint 6) Carrie Prejean 5) Dick Cheney 4) Sarah Palin 3) Glenn Beck 2) James O'Keefe & Hannah Giles 1) The Tea Party Movement
The new blockbuster film "2012" depicts the end of the world in three years, but that scenario could come about in 2010 for the Democratic Party, which is poised to lose big in the midterm Congressional elections, crippling its far-left agenda and making Barack Obama a lame duck with two more years left in his term.
From Rasmussen Reports:
Republican candidates have extended their lead over Democrats to seven points, their biggest lead since early September, in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% would vote for their district's Republican congressional candidate while 37% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent.
Support for the Republican party held steady from last week, while support for Democrats dropped slightly. Republicans have held the lead for over four months now. Democrats currently have majority control of both the House and Senate.
Voters not affiliated with either party continue to heavily favor Republicans, 44% to 20%.
Frustrated 'reformer' will give up PA House seat in 2010
State Rep. Barbara McIlvaine Smith was swept into office in 2006 on a wave of reform talk after the pay-raise debacle of 2005.
Three years in Harrisburg has convinced McIlvaine Smith that reforming Harrisburg is a lost cause. She's bailing out, announcing this week that she will not seek re-election next year to her 156th House District seat.
McIlvaine Smith, a Democrat, told The West Chester Daily Local News she can no longer be part of a legislative body that is dysfunctional and unwilling to institute meaningful reform.
"The system is such that it's not set up to accomplish anything or to resolve issues," she told the newspaper. "The way it's set up, the leadership in all four caucuses has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo."
McIlvaine Smith blamed both Republican and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate for blocking meaningful reform.
"When I was elected, I got to Harrisburg with 50 reformers," she told the newspaper. "But the leaders pulled them in."
The 156th District had been held by Republicans from its creation in 1969 until 2006. McIlvaine Smith was a surprise winner when Republican Elinor Z. Taylor retired after holding the seat from 1971 to 2006.
Republicans should be able to win back the seat in 2010 if Chester County GOP Chairman Joseph "Skip" Brion gets his act together. Some inside the Chesco Republican Party blame Brion for picking the wrong candidate to run against McIlvaine Smith in 2006 and 2008 and then failing to support the candidate. Maybe this time, Brion can get it right.
Read the full story by reporter Dan Kristie at the link below:
If the midterm Congressional elections were held today, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid would be out of a job, with significant loses predicted for the Democratic Party.
Republican candidates maintain a six-point advantage over Democrats in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot published at Rasmussen Reports, which shows that 44% would vote for their district's Republican congressional candidate while 38% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent.
What could cost Democrats control of Congress is independent voters, who are expressing widespread disapproval of the way Democrats are running Congress.
Voters not affiliated with either party continue to heavily favor Republicans, 41% to 24%, the Rasmussen survey found.
The Fringe Media (formerly known as the Mainstream Media) has launched an all-out assault on Sarah Palin as she begins her book tour to promote "Going Rogue."
The book goes on sale Tuesday, but liberal book critics and left-wing pundits have already savaged the book, which is destined to become one of the biggest sellers of the year.
Despite the constant negative commentary about Palin in the Fringe Media, a new poll says most Americans share Palin's values.
From Rasmussen Reports:
Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Republican voters say former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin shares the values of most GOP voters throughout the nation.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 21% of Republican voters disagree and think the 2008 vice presidential candidate does not share their values. Twenty percent (20%) are undecided.
By contrast, 74% of Republicans say their party’s representatives in Congress have lost touch with GOP voters nationwide over the past several years. Only 18% of Republican voters believe their elected officials have done a good job representing the base.
The findings in these two surveys highlight the political debate within the Republican Party. Party leaders worry that Palin is pushing the GOP too far to the right to win general elections by aligning herself with Tea Party voters frustrated with both parties in Washington and the big government policies they have produced.
Still, just 18% of Republicans - and 26% of voters nationwide - see Palin as a divisive force within the GOP. A plurality believes Palin is representative of a new direction for the Republican Party. That view is held by 57% of Republicans and 41% of all voters. A plurality of Democrats aren't sure what to think of Palin's role within the opposing party.
Just posted on the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Web site:
HARRISBURG - As part of an ongoing public corruption investigation into the Pennsylvania Legislature, agents from the Attorney General's Public Corruption Unit today filed criminal charges against Representative John Perzel and former Republican Representative Brett Feese. Also charged are eight current or former aides to Perzel and Feese.
Attorney General Tom Corbett said the charges are part of an ongoing grand jury investigation into the misuse of public resources and employees for campaign purposes in the Pennsylvania Legislature.
Corbett said the grand jury issued a 188 page presentment recommending that he file criminal charges against the defendants.
Among those charged, in addition to Perzel and Feese, are Perzel's former Chief of Staff, Brian Preski; his current Chief of Staff, Paul Towhey; Perzel's brother-in-law and former House employee, Samual "Buzz" Stokes; Perzel legislative aide John Zimmerman; Perzel campaign aide Don McClintock; Feese aides Jill Seaman and Elmer Bowman; and former House Republican Information Technology Deputy Director Eric Ruth.
The defendants are each charged with numerous theft, criminal conspiracy and conflict of interest charges. Additionally, Perzel, Preski, Feese, Seaman, Towhey and Zimmerman are each charged with obstruction of justice.
Corbett said that in the first phase of the investigation his agents charged 12 defendants in July of 2008. Trials are scheduled for December and January 2010.
10 Republicans, including John Perzel, charged in corruption probe
The other shoe has dropped.
Ten Republicans connected to the Pennsylvania Legislature, including former Speaker of the House John Perzel, have been charged in a wide-ranging corruption case, Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett announced today.
A grand jury found that Perzel was the architect of an illegal scheme in which more than $10 million in taxpayer money was spent to help win political campaigns, according to The Associated Press.
Also charged in the ongoing grand jury probe were Perzel's former chief of staff, Brian Preski, and former House GOP counsel Brett Feese, the news service reports.
The charges come 16 months after 12 Democrats were charged in what became known as the Bonusgate case.
Just four years ago, Perzel was arguably the most powerful politician in Pennsylvania, with more influence than Gov. Ed Rendell. But the pay raise fiasco of 2005 and Republican loses in the House (which Perzel had a hand in) cost Perzel his post as Speaker. Now he is facing criminal charges and a lengthy jail sentence if found guilty.
Perzel, who has represented parts of Philadelphia in Legislature since 1979, was Republican Whip in 1993-94; Majority Leader from 1995 to 2003; and Speaker from April 15, 2003, to the end of 2006, when a half-dozen Republicans joined with Democrats to deny him another term as Speaker.
Sam Rohrer to announce run for governor on Nov. 17
State Rep. Sam Rohrer is expected to announce his candidacy for Pennsylvania governor at a Town Hall Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Spring Township Fire Company in West Lawn, Berks County.
Rohrer sent the following e-mail today to potential supporters:
Over the past few weeks Ruth Ann and I, and our entire family have been weighing the decision to seek the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania Governor. We've approached it understanding the risk, but knowing fully the incredible need for leadership in our state and nation.
There have been few other moments in my lifetime when the collective call of duty has been greater, and the responsibility to act so urgent. More than winning elections for political parties or discovering a way for Republicans to reach a legislative majority, the 2010 campaign must be waged to give voice for the ideas and principles that matter most.
I want to personally invite you to a special Townhall on Tuesday, November 17 at the Spring Township Fire Department, 2301 Monroe Avenue in West Lawn, PA. I'm organizing this forum to announce the decision on the race for governor, and begin a statewide conversation about the challenges and real opportunities facing Pennsylvania.
We can change the direction of our state, but it will take all of us – "We the People!"
Rohrer, who has represented the 128th House District in southern Berks County since 1993, is best known for leading the fight to eliminate school property taxes in Pennsylvania. He has also taken the lead in the state's rights movement.
If Rohrer decides to enter the 2010 Republican Primary, he will face a crowded field that already includes Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett and Congressman Jim Gerlach, R-6th Dist.
Rohrer announced the Town Hall Meeting at http://samrohrer.org/, which will probably turn into his campaign Web site after Nov. 17.
Six of the seven Republican candidates for Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas won Tuesday.
The only Democrat elected to the bench was Lois Murphy. If the name sounds familiar, Murphy ran twice against U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach in Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District, which includes Montgomery County.
Murphy lost both times, but she and the Democratic Party spend more than $6 million on those campaigns. For that kind of money, Murphy bought herself name recognition and a job in the Montgomery County Courthouse. Not exactly the halls of Congress, but it's a living.
Common Pleas Court judges earn $161,850 a year and serve 10-year terms, after which they can seek retention until a mandatory retirement age of 70. The current salary for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $168,000 per year, with annual COLA increases.
While Murphy is relatively young, she's stuck in a courtroom for the next 10 years, effectively ending her future in politics.
Talk about bad timing. Murphy committed to running for a county judge seat before Congressman Gerlach announced he would not seek another term. Murphy could have won the 6th Congressional District seat next year.
The Montgomery County Republican Committee couldn't resist taking a shot at Murphy in this statement released Thursday:
We fielded a very talented team of experienced public servants in the Court of Common Pleas race. In the campaign, we talked about the candidates, their backgrounds and their commitment to Montgomery County.
Tuesday, it was the voters turn. They spoke loudly and clearly. They rejected partisan cries and today, we are celebrating the election of 6 members of our Judicial Team to the Court of Common Pleas.
Carolyn Tornette Carluccio, Garrett D. Page, Wendy Demchick-Alloy, Kelly Wall, Gary S. Silow and Patricia Coonahan captured 10-year terms on the bench.
This victory was the result of a complete team effort. We had a terrific ticket that worked very hard. We had tremendous support from our Committee and hundreds of volunteers. We had a sound strategy and executed it well.
"Tuesday night was a hell of a night for Republicans in Montgomery County," MCRC Chairman Robert Kerns said. "Congratulations to our entire team."
Were it not for a Democratic candidate benefiting from spending $6 million in two unsuccessful Congressional campaigns, it may have been a clean sweep for the Republican ticket.
Republicans also did very well in local races across the county, with significant victories in North Wales, Lansdale, Hatfield and Abington, to name a few.
Thank you to our volunteers, supporters, candidates, and committee people. We couldn't have done it without you. And we can't do it again in the future without you.
Commenting on Tuesday's repudiation of the Obama presidency, Republican Pennsylvania Senate candidate Pat Toomey said the election results show voters oppose the extreme big-government policies of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.
From Toomey's statement:
"Last night, election results around the country and in Pennsylvania demonstrate that the tide is turning against big-government, big-spending policies. In Pennsylvania, six out of seven Republican judicial candidates were victorious in their statewide bids.
Congratulations to all of our great Republican candidates who won yesterday in Pennsylvania That tells us there is real energy in our state party, which will only continue to grow into next year."
Toomey said he was pleased with the results from neighboring New Jersey, where Republican Chris Christie upset the Obama-backed candidate, liberal Gov. Jon Corzine, and also applauded the outcome in Virginia, where the GOP candidate won the governor's race by a large margin.
“For nearly a year, the one-party monopoly in Washington has been pushing extreme policies on the American people, including government-run health care, unprecedented spending increases, and record deficit and debt levels," Toomey said. "Yesterday, voters made their voices heard. It's time we stopped the parade of bailouts, government takeovers, and record-breaking spending, and replaced it with commonsense reforms that do not bankrupt our country.”
Republican Joan Orie Melvin wins seat on PA Supreme Court
Republican Joan Orie Melvin won a hotly-contested seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Tuesday, giving Republicans a 4-3 majority on the court.
Melvin defeated Democrat Jack Panella in the most expensive judicial race in Pennsylvania's history. Panella raised more than $2.5 million, largely from trial lawyers and organized labor, according to The Associated Press.
With 98 percent of the state's precincts reporting, Melvin had 910,270 votes or 53 percent to Democrat Jack Panella's 806,157 votes or 47 percent, the wire service reported.
Panella was widely criticized for running a negative campaign, resorting to personal attacks on Melvin.
Melvin's victory, which restores a one-seat majority that the GOP lost in 2007, continued a good night for Republicans, who have won the governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey.
Four Republican candidates for four open Pennsylvania Superior Court seats and two Republican candidates for two open Commonwealth Court seats were also leading their respective races at midnight, although final results were not in yet.
In blow to Obama, Democrats lose NJ, VA governor races
In a stunning upset, Republican Chris Christie defeated Democrat Barack Obama ... I mean Jon Corzine ... to win the New Jersey governor's race Tuesday.
Despite spending $23 million dollars and having Barack Obama campaign for him three times, Corzine, the free-spending liberal and Obama doormat, was tossed out by New Jersey voters in a a clear repudiation of the Obama agenda.
Christie's victory in heavily Democratic New Jersey should send shock waves through the Democratic Party establishment. Earlier in the evening, Republican Bob McDonnell won the Virginia governor's race in another litmus test of Obama's failed presidency.
Look for Democrats in Congress to bail out of Obama's big government, big deficit socialist agenda overnight.
Obama himself told New Jersey voters that the Christie-Corzine election was a referendum on his 10 months as president.
Corzine ran a nasty campaign of personal attacks, including making fun of Christie's weight.
The 300-pound Christie told supporters at a victory rally Tuesday night "we are going to pick Trenton up and turn it upside down."
With 75 percent of precincts reporting by 10:30 p.m., Christie had 50 percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Corzine. Independent Chris Daggett had about 5 percent of the vote.
(Update: With 97 percent of precincts reporting at midnight, Christie had 49 percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Corzine. Daggett finished with 5 percent.)
One year after the election of Barack Obama, voters could send a strong message they don't like the direction the country is headed by sweeping Republicans into office in the governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey and the special election in New York for a House seat.
Richard Viguerie: Tea Party Activists Are the New GOP
From Richard A. Viguerie, chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, on the withdrawal of GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava from the special election in New York's 23rd congressional district:
"Doug Hoffman and NY-23 is an earthquake in American politics, and is the first of many challenges to establishment Republicans that we will see for the 2010 elections and beyond. The stupid decision by Republican leaders to pour $900,000 into the NY-23rd race against a conservative has unleashed a fury that will lead to new GOP leadership.
"Conservatives anger at Washington-establishment Republicans will cost the national committees tens of millions of dollars as conservative money will start flowing directly to the Tea Parties and their candidates."
Another major Pennsylvania newspaper is backing Joan Orie Melvin for Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Tuesday's General Election.
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
What we do care about is legal acumen, temperament and moxie. And on all three counts, Judge Orie Melvin of Marshall, a Republican and a state Superior Court judge since 1997, is the best choice for the state's highest court.
Six months ago today, Arlen Specter left the Republican Party because polling data showed that he could not win against Pat Toomey. Today, the polls show Pennsylvanians of all political stripes are rejecting his rampant political opportunism and complete lack of principle.
This morning Team Toomey released the video above to commemorate Sen. Specter's six month anniversary as a Democrat.
A good column by Brad Bumsted of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about how so-called conservative western Pennsylvania Democrats in the state House let down their constituents by supporting the deficit budget pushed by Gov. Ed Rendell and legislative leaders.
Instead of sticking with House Republicans to oppose the 2009-10 budget and higher taxes, the "Blue Dogs" turned into lap dogs, Bumsted writes.
From Bumsted's column:
On the final tax vote, only two Blue Dogs -- Rep. Joseph Petrarca, D-Vandergrift, and Rep. John Pallone, D-New Kensington -- barked. They were the only Democrats to vote against it.
Most of the Blue Dog Democrats showed in the end they were team players.
They could have rocked the Capitol on Aug. 3 but chose to take an obvious victory.
From their perspective, getting their leaders to declare that the income tax was dead was significant and it truly ended that debate.
It was a pivotal day in the historic budget battle. Some Democrats might think about it again next year when Republicans are campaigning against them, citing their votes for the "$1 billion state tax increase."
Newspapers back Jane Orie Melvin for PA Supreme Court
The biggest race on the Nov. 3 ballot is to fill a vacancy on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which is now split 3-3 among Democrats and Republicans.
The candidates are reform candidate Jane Orie Melvin, a Republican, and Jack Panella, the Democratic Party machine candidate, who is running attack ads against Orie Melvin instead of giving voters a reason to support him.
Three of the state's leading newspapers (and among the most liberal newspapers at that) are urging voters to support Orie Melvin.
Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason congratulated Supreme Court candidate Judge Joan Orie Melvin on receiving the endorsement of The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Patriot News on Sunday.
From a Republican Party of Pennsylvania press release:
"Judge Joan Orie Melvin is an incredibly impressive candidate and I am pleased to read that The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Patriot News all agreed," Gleason said. "In their endorsement, The Philadelphia Inquirer noted Judge Joan Orie Melvin's 'outsider's viewpoint' and credited her call to create an independently appointed agency to monitor corrupt judges. Clearly, with the story of the Luzerne County judicial scandal still dominating headlines, Pennsylvania voters are looking to elect a Supreme Court justice that will seek to root out corruption, not stand idly by while it takes place."
"The Philadelphia Inquirer's endorsement also criticizes Democrat candidate Jack Panella for his 'special interest campaign war chest' which has come through sizable donations from trial lawyers and big labor groups. We agree that the donations he has received raise serious questions about whether or not Jack Panella, if elected, will be beholden to these special interest groups who have donated so generously to his campaign."
"Judge Joan Orie Melvin's strong work ethic, distinguished record and judicial temperament make her the only choice for Supreme Court on November 3rd, and I am overjoyed that so many Pennsylvanians, including three of our state’s largest newspapers from the western, eastern and central Pennsylvania, are voicing their support for her campaign."
The Philadelphia Inquirer endorsement of Judge Joan Orie Melvin for Supreme Court reads:
Of the two appellate judges vying for Supreme Court, Joan Orie Melvin of Pittsburgh edges out Jack A. Panella, her Easton colleague on the state Superior Court. Melvin, 53, earned the state bar's highest rating and was cited for being "genial and fair- minded" with a "solid record of performance" on the bench over a 24-year period. ("Editorial: Best judicial choices," The Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/25/09)
Click here to read the text of The Philadelphia Inquirer’s full endorsement.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette endorsement of Judge Joan Orie Melvin for Supreme Court reads:
The other consideration is one dear to our core principles. If Judge Panella wins this race, the court will be down to six men and one woman (Justice Debra McCloskey Todd). The other female justice, Jane Cutler Greenspan, agreed not to seek a full 10-year term after Chief Justice Ralph Cappy retired last year.
Advantage, Judge Melvin, who would strike a small but important blow for gender balance by keeping the number of female justices at two.
The Post-Gazette endorses Judge Joan Orie Melvin for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. ("Supreme Court: In a duel of two top jurists, it's Judge Melvin," The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Click here to read the text of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s full endorsement.
The Patriot News endorsement of Judge Joan Orie Melvin for Supreme Court reads:
But on Nov. 3, voters can choose only one, and after meeting with the candidates and reviewing their records, our choice is Judge Joan Orie Melvin.
She has experience at all levels of the judiciary, having served as a judge in the municipal courts in Pittsburgh, Court of Common Pleas in Allegheny County and has been on the Superior Court since 1997. ("Pennsylvania Supreme Court judge: Our choice is Orie Melvin," The Patriot News, 10/25/09)
Click here to read the text of The Patriot News' full endorsement.
For more information about Orie Melvin, visit her campaign Web site, www.judgeoriemelvin.com
Tony Phyrillas is the city editor and political columnist for The Mercury, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning daily newspaper in Pottstown, Pa. Phyrillas has won several national and state awards for his columns. Phyrillas has been featured on National Public Radio (NPR) and in The New York Times and is a frequent commentator on radio and television programs. He co-hosted "Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas & Mike Pincus" on WPAZ 1370 AM.
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