Trenton — New Jersey Libertarian Senate candidate Jason Scheurer blasted the lawsuit brought on by the Pennsylvania Republicans as a cowardly act to keep Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr off the ballot in Pennsylvania. We know they do not want to debate, but when they do everything in their power to remove a competitor from the ballot, denying hundreds of thousands of voters the opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choice, we must question their integrity and wonder what they are afraid of.

“I am calling on both John McCain and Republican Senate candidate, Dick Zimmer to denounce the lawsuit, and publicly announce that they find the acts by the Pennsylvania Republicans reprehensible. I would hope both Mr. McCain and Mr. Zimmer believe that all voters have a right to vote for the candidate of their choice.” said Scheurer.

“I find it ironic that once a public official is elected they somehow become an “expert” on economic, social and foreign policy issues, and yet our current state of affairs would dictate just the opposite. It is no wonder both old parties are afraid to debate and engage in an open discussion on these topics. I urge anyone looking for fresh and innovative ideas to join both Bob Barr and Jason Scheurer this Thursday night at Luciano’s Italian Restaurant at 1579 Main Street in Rahway New Jersey” added Lou Jasikoff, spokesman for the Jason Scheurer campaign.

Scheurer concluded, “I am calling on both Frank Lautenberg and Dick Zimmer to participate in a series of debates so the good people of New Jersey really know who they are voting for this year, and what is at stake. Their refusal can only be attributed to their lack of ideas and confidence to speaking on the issues.”
For more information, please see http://www.jasonforsenate2008.com

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The 2008 Republican National Convention today announced the themes and preliminary lineup of speakers for the program of events that will run Sept. 1-4. The convention’s overall theme, "Country First," reflects John McCain’s remarkable record of leadership and service to America.

Each day of proceedings will center on a touchstone theme that has defined John McCain’s life and will be central to his vision for leading our nation forward as president.

"Our convention will showcase a cross-section of leaders who will highlight John McCain’s long commitment to putting our country first -- before self-interest or politics," said McCain 2008 Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker. "The speakers will address John McCain’s unmatched record of service and sacrifice for America, and his vision for moving our nation forward to keep us safe and get our economy back on track."

The roster of speakers announced today includes John McCain, Mrs. Cindy McCain, 10 current and former Republican governors, five current and former U.S. Senators and two well-respected businesswomen. Their remarks will echo the themes that have been selected for each of the convention’s four days: service, reform, prosperity and peace.

"We are excited to announce this slate of speakers, each of whom shares John McCain’s love of country and commitment to serving a cause greater than one’s own self-interest. Their remarks will be a testament to Senator McCain’s unparalleled record of service and sacrifice for America and his readiness to lead as commander in chief and move America forward," said Maria Cino, president and CEO of the 2008 Republican National Convention.

The program of events is as follows:Monday, Sept. 1 Service "Love of country, my friends, is another way of saying love of your fellow countryman."--Sen. John McCain John McCain’s commitment to his fellow Americans, a commitment forged in service to his country, is one of the defining hallmarks of his life. Monday’s events will highlight John McCain’s record of service and sacrifice and reflect his commitment to serving a cause greater than one’s own self-interest. Speakers will include:

U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (Conn.)
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Calif.)
Vice President Richard B. Cheney
First Lady Laura Bush
President George W. Bush

Tuesday, Sept. 2
Reform "If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you are disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and correct them."--Sen. John McCain John McCain’s life is a testament to the fundamental truth that every American can be a force for change.

A restless reformer who has dedicated his career to taking on special interests and the status quo, John McCain will deliver the right kind of change and reform to meet the great challenges of our time.

On Tuesday, the convention program will underscore his vision of a government that is transparent, principled and worthy of the American people it serves.

Speakers will include:
Former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (Ark.)
Former Gov. Tom Ridge (Pa.)
Gov. Sarah Palin (Alaska)
Gov. Jon Huntsman (Utah)
Rosario Marin, California Secretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency and former Treasurer of the United States
Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.)
Gov. Linda Lingle (Hawaii)
Former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (Md.)

Wednesday, Sept. 3

Prosperity "America’s best days are still to come."--Sen. John McCain

The American story is one of perseverance. Even in the face of tough times, the ingenuity and spirit of the American people has ushered in a new era of prosperity.

Wednesday’s program will focus on John McCain’s plans to get our economy back on track and continue our long tradition of meeting the challenges we face and using our prosperity to help others. The day will conclude with an address by the vice presidential nominee.Speakers will include:

U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.)
Meg Whitman, National Co-Chair for McCain 2008 and former President and CEO of eBay
Carly Fiorina, Victory ‘08 Chairman for the Republican National Committee and former Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co.
Former Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.)
Mrs. Cindy McCain
Gov. Bobby Jindal (La.)
Republican Party’s Vice Presidential Nominee

Thursday, Sept. 4

Peace "Our next president will have a mandate to build an enduring global peace on the foundations of freedom, security, opportunity, prosperity, and hope."--Sen. John McCain John McCain understands the challenges that America faces in the world and the sacrifice necessary to defend our freedom in a way that few others can fathom.

Thursday’s events will reflect his vision of an America in pursuit of peace and seen as a beacon of goodwill and hope throughout the world. The evening will close with John McCain accepting the Republican Party’s nomination for the Presidency of the United States.Speakers will include:

Gov. Tim Pawlenty (Minn.)
Gov. Charlie Crist (Fla.)
U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.)
U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez (Fla.)
John McCain

In the coming days, the 2008 Republican National Convention will announce additional speakers and program details. About the Republican National ConventionThe 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event.

For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook , MySpace , Twitter , YouTube and LinkedIn .

By John Whitesides

Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a sharp turnaround, Republican John McCain has opened a 5-point lead on Democrat Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential race and is seen as a stronger manager of the economy, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

McCain leads Obama among likely U.S. voters by 46 percent to 41 percent, wiping out Obama's solid 7-point advantage in July and taking his first lead in the monthly Reuters/Zogby poll.
The reversal follows a month of attacks by McCain, who has questioned Obama's experience, criticized his opposition to most new offshore oil drilling and mocked his overseas trip.

The poll was taken Thursday through Saturday as Obama wrapped up a weeklong vacation in Hawaii that ceded the political spotlight to McCain, who seized on Russia's invasion of Georgia to emphasize his foreign policy views.

"There is no doubt the campaign to discredit Obama is paying off for McCain right now," pollster John Zogby said. "This is a significant ebb for Obama."

McCain now has a 9-point edge, 49 percent to 40 percent, over Obama on the critical question of who would be the best manager of the economy -- an issue nearly half of voters said was their top concern in the November 4 presidential election.

That margin reversed Obama's 4-point edge last month on the economy over McCain, an Arizona senator and former Vietnam prisoner of war who has admitted a lack of economic expertise and shows far greater interest in foreign and military policy.

McCain has been on the offensive against Obama during the last month over energy concerns, with polls showing strong majorities supporting his call for an expansion of offshore oil drilling as gasoline prices hover near $4 a gallon.

Obama had opposed new offshore drilling, but said recently he would support a limited expansion as part of a comprehensive energy program.

That was one of several recent policy shifts for Obama, as he positions himself for the general election battle. But Zogby said the changes could be taking a toll on Obama's support, particularly among Democrats and self-described liberals.

"That hairline difference between nuance and what appears to be flip-flopping is hurting him with liberal voters," Zogby said.

Obama's support among Democrats fell 9 percentage points this month to 74 percent, while McCain has the backing of 81 percent of Republicans. Support for Obama, an Illinois senator, fell 12 percentage points among liberals, with 10 percent of liberals still undecided compared to 9 percent of conservatives.

OBAMA NEEDS TO WORK ON BASE
"Conservatives were supposed to be the bigger problem for McCain," Zogby said. "Obama still has work to do on his base. At this point McCain seems to be doing a better job with his."
The dip in support for Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, cut across demographic and ideological lines. He slipped among Catholics, born-again Christians, women, independents and younger voters. He retained the support of more than 90 percent of black voters.

"There were no wild swings, there isn't one group that is radically different than last month or even two months ago. It was just a steady decline for Obama across the board," Zogby said.
Obama's support among voters between the ages of 18 and 29, which had been one of his strengths, slipped 12 percentage points to 52 percent. McCain, who will turn 72 next week, was winning 40 percent of younger voters.

"Those are not the numbers Obama needs to win," Zogby said about Americans under 30. The 47-year-old is counting on a strong turnout among young voters, a key bloc of support during his primary battle with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

It made little difference when independent candidate Ralph Nader and Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr, who are both trying to add their names to state ballots.

McCain still held a 5-point edge over Obama, 44 percent to 39 percent, when all four names were included. Barr earned 3 percent and Nader 2 percent.

Most national polls have given Obama a narrow lead over McCain throughout the summer. In the Reuters/Zogby poll, Obama had a 5-point lead in June, shortly after he clinched the Democratic nomination, and an 8-point lead on McCain in May.

The telephone poll of 1,089 likely voters had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
The poll was taken as both candidates head into their nominating conventions and the announcements of their choices of vice presidential picks. The Democratic convention begins on Monday in Denver, with the Republican convention opening the next Monday, September 1, in St. Paul, Minnesota.

DUBOIS – State Rep. Dan Surra and members of the House Majority Policy Committee kicked off a series of public hearings in DuBois Tuesday on a plan to extend health insurance to hundreds of thousands of uninsured adults in Pennsylvania.

The hearing focused on a proposal known as Pennsylvania Access to Basic Care, or PA ABC, that was drafted by House Democrats and passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year. The Senate has not yet acted on it.

Surra, who hosted today's meeting, said PA ABC would extend affordable health-insurance coverage, through the private insurance market, to more than 270,000 uninsured adults in Pennsylvania, many of whom are working but cannot get coverage through their employer or cannot access coverage because of a pre-existing condition. This would include immediate coverage for 80,000 Pennsylvania adults who are on the waiting list for the state’s current subsidized insurance program, adultBasic.

"There are more than 8,000 uninsured adults in Elk and Clearfield counties – many of them working full time and supporting families," said Surra, who represents residents in both counties in the General Assembly. "These people face the constant threat of financial disaster if they get sick, need an operation or develop a serious illness.

"Beyond that, all of us have to pay more for health care when the uninsured are forced into emergency rooms for routine care, or when people with diabetes or other long-term illnesses forego treatment and medication because they cannot afford it. When they eventually have no choice but to go to the hospital, the care they need then is much more expensive than managing their disease or illness early on."

State Rep. Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne, chairman of the House Majority Policy Committee, said holding public hearings across the state in communities like DuBois are vital to obtaining information and feedback from everyday citizens, as well as highlighting the need for the Senate to take action on the PA ABC proposal.

"We heard from local organizations and constituents who echoed the sentiment that health-care reform is necessary and critical to working Pennsylvanians," Eachus said. "It’s been nearly six months since House Democrats led the fight to improve access to health insurance for working families and employers by passing PA ABC. And in the meantime hundreds of thousands of people are still without insurance coverage. This plan would provide commonsense, affordable, preventative care to working people all over the state – saving lives and saving money for all Pennsylvanians."

Other components of the PA ABC plan would make $42 million in state grants available to small businesses that already provide coverage to their employees, and assist doctors by continuing to help them pay their medical malpractice insurance premiums for another 10 years.

"We can't lower health-care costs for businesses and individuals while we still have hundreds of thousands of people who are forced to use the emergency room as the family physician or wait until the health problem they do have is an emergency before they seek care," Surra said.

Testifying during today's hearing were: State Deputy Insurance Commissioner George
Hoover; Secretary of Health Calvin Johnson; Past President of the Pa. Medical Society Dr. Mark
Piasio; Free Medical Clinic of DuBois founder and board member Sister Rita Kartavich; and St.
Mary's constituent Crystal Karenchak.

More information about PA ABC is available online at http://www.pahouse.com/ or at Surra's legislative Web site, www.pahouse.com/Surra .

The countdown to the Republican National Convention has officially begun! In just a few days, John McCain supporters from across the nation will gather in Minneapolis-St. Paulto nominate Senator McCain for President of the United States.

We need to make sure New Jersey is represented loud and clear and we need your help!We invite you to our ongoing Countdown to the Convention festivities here at Headquarters. For the next week, this will be your chance to get your support ON PAPER and ON TELEVISION!

Our delegates are eager to show New Jersey's truly diverse spirit, and we need your help creating colorful and enthusiastic signs for both the whole Convention and the whole country to see!

Please RSVP to sfila@mccain08hq.com if you are able to attend our festivities at any point between today and August 25th. Bring your creativity along with your neighbors and friends andthis will be a great way to show your McCain pride as well as connect with other McCain supporters.

We all look forward to working with you!

Stephanie Fila
Regional Volunteer Coordinator
Phone: 732.479.4780http://www.johnmccain.com/

Mercer County Freeholder Candidate Cindy Randazzo responded to Mercer County Democrat Chair Rich McClellan's comments on County's lease renewal with the Trenton Thunder and give away of naming rights.

Randazzo asked, "Instead of hearing from the party boss, the tax payers deserve an explanation from their elected officials. Can Freeholders Lucy Walter or Dan Benson explain why they agreed to give away an asset worth millions? Can they explain after just raising taxes for Mercer's families they approved a new lease that will deprive the taxpayers of revenue for tax relief? Can they tell us why they gave the Thunder a sweetheart deal without letting the public know about it? Can Freeholder Candidate John Cimino tell the taxpayers what he would have done?"

"The Thunder aren't about to leave. There is no emergency. The lease we had wasn't up for five years. We got $2.7 million for the naming rights to the arena. Can Lucy Walter and Dan Benson let us know why they gave away millions in tax relief for nothing?

"Now, I am a huge fan of the Trenton Thunder and I commend them for obtaining such an incredible deal. Anyone with business sense would be crazy not to take it. My concern is with the Freeholder board and their lack of due diligence. I know this is a good deal for the Trenton Thunder, but was it a good deal for Mercer County? Maybe Freeholders Lucy Walter and Dan Benson should explain."

Randazzo went on to ask, "How many more good deals like this can Mercer County afford?"

"Rich McClellan is not elected to any office in Mercer County. He should not be responding on County business. The people who make the decisions should be the ones responding.

"Rich McClellan's response is a perfect example of why we need a change in Mercer County. Elected officials should be accountable to the taxpayers. Every citizen has the right to open and honest government."

WASHINGTON (AP) - Solid margins among women, minorities and young voters have powered Barack Obama to a 6-percentage-point lead over John McCain in the presidential race, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Tuesday.

Obama is ahead of his Republican rival 47 percent to 41 percent among registered voters, the poll showed. The survey was taken after the Democratic senator had returned from a trip to Middle Eastern and European capitals, and during a week that saw the two camps clash over which one had brought race into a campaign in which an Obama victory would make him the first African-American president.

McCain, the senator from Arizona, is leading by 10 points among whites and is even with Obama among men, groups with whom Republicans traditionally do well in national elections. He has a 17-point lead with white men and was running strongly among married men, rural residents and white evangelicals.

Obama leads by 13 points among women, by 30 points among voters up to age 34, and by 55 points among blacks, Hispanics and other minorities, the poll shows. He is also doing strongly with unmarried men, moderates and city dwellers, and has a 12-point lead among those saying they definitely plan to vote.

The two men were evenly dividing Catholics and suburban residents, swing groups the parties contest in every election.

Obama's modest lead is consistent with other polls taken in recent weeks. Besides the accusations over how each side would use race in the campaign, the AP-Ipsos survey came as the two candidates vied over how best to ease energy prices and spur the weak economy, and as McCain released an ad likening Obama's celebrity to that of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.
Independent Ralph Nader and Libertarian Bob Barr both won support from fewer than 5 percent of those surveyed. When people were asked who they would support if Nader and Barr were not on the ballot, Obama's lead over McCain was virtually unchanged.

The poll showed a huge Democratic advantage when voters ponder which party they would like to see control Congress next year. Democrats were favored over Republicans 53 percent to 35 percent, underscoring the mountainous disadvantage McCain and other GOP candidates are facing in the Nov. 4 voting.

The poll illustrated other ways damage has been inflicted on the Republican brand name as well.
Just 18 percent think the country is moving in the right direction, and only 31 percent approve of the job Republican President George W. Bush is doing. Both readings are a bit better than the record lows in the AP-Ipsos poll that both measures scored in mid-July.

Congressional approval was at 19 percent, just above last month's all-time AP-Ipsos low. Because Congress is almost always widely disliked as an institution and its members come from both parties, that reading is usually a murky measure of whether the majority party — Democrats this year — is in trouble.

The poll was conducted July 31-Aug. 4 and involved telephone interviews with 1,002 adults, for whom the margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Included were interviews with 833 registered voters, for whom the error margin was plus or minus 3.4 points.

AP Director of Surveys Trevor Tompson contributed to this report.