
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Friday, February 03, 2012
Kane is Able to back McCain
PoliticsPA: Kane’s husband helps to run his family’s business, Kane Trucking in Scranton. He loaned $1.75 million to his wife’s campaign, reports PhillyClout, and contributed $500,000. The former Lackawanna County assistant District Attorney currently has $2,009,911 on hand.
Murphy, meanwhile, did it the old fashioned way. He raised around $1.4 million in 2011 and begins 2012 with $1,043,016 on hand. He boasts over 2,500 individual donors.
Patrick Murphy and Kathleen Kane have both released internal polls that the campaigns are spinning but both show Murphy in the lead.
Murphy picked up support from Philadelphia politico's after Dan McCaffery dropped out.
In interesting twist the comment threads on PoliticsPA say that that Kane went the PUMA route after Hillary Clinton lost the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama in 2008 and supported John McCain for President.
Local Clinton backers, McCain adviser meet
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Laureen Cummings for Congress

Speaking of Blogfest we will gathering at Rooney's Irish Pub on March 30th for what many people say is their favorite political event. You can RSVP at our Facebook Event page.
Mark Harris for Delegate
Republican Convention.

Mark J. Harris, A resident of Snyder County and in the 10th Congressional District, has announced his intention to seek the position of delegate to the Republican National Convention. 2012 promises to be a historic year in Republican politics. Mark said, “Some political pundits say the possibility exists that if no one candidate wins a majority of delegates, a vote to determine the nominee may come to the floor of the national convention. This is the year we Republicans need a consistent conservative to represent the voters of the 10th Congressional
district.” Mark has been a constant advocate for the protection of life, sanctity of marriage and the family, for second amendment freedoms and for smaller, less intrusive and transparent government
Mark is a small business owner residing in Snyder County, PA. Mark has held various positions within the Republican Party; serving as county chairman and as a coordinator on numerous campaigns. Most recently he has served as Agricultural Coalition Regional Advisor to Elect Tom Corbett Governor.
For more information visit his website at http://www.friendstoelectharris.com/
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Phil Scollo for Congress
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SCOLLO FOR CONGRESS
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Phil Scollo, 56, a resident of Dingman Township, Pike County, announces his intention to seek the Democratic Party nomination to run for Congress in the 10th District. The decision comes on the heels of last week’s Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that quashed proposed redistricting and, with it, Mr. Scollo’s plan to run for the Pennsylvania Assembly, in the 139th District, against a heretofore unchallenged incumbent. “Opportunity often follows disappointment in life”, Mr. Scollo observed. “In these unprecedented times, the residents of the 10th Congressional District certainly deserve a choice.”
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Mr. Scollo, a native New Yorker, moved to the Milord area, with wife, Karen and two of his three children in 1998. A summa cum laude graduate of St. John’s University, he holds a B.S. in Government and Politics. A former insurance industry executive and currently a management consultant, Mr. Scollo believes his business experience and problem solving skills will transfer neatly to public service. Before the April Primary, he vows to visit every county of Pennsylvania’s largest Congressional District, meet with the residents and listen to truly understand their concerns.
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“With the Pennsylvania economy in shambles and so many hurting, I promise to work singularly and tirelessly, and without concern for the divisive partisanship that has rendered government impotent in the eyes of most people,” Mr. Scollo exclaimed.
Romney cleans up in Florida

Newt Gingrich said he is in it to the end but that could change tomorrow. He also brought up President Obama's singing and blew the food stamp dog whistle again. Mitt Romney read a speech off a teleprompter saying the President is an appeaser and apologist in foreign policy. Tell that to the terrorists that have been blown up by a drone attack or got a bullet in the head like Osama Bin Laden. Rick Santorum mentioned his ill daughter then paid tribute to his opponents and the way they make their money. Ron Paul is coming across as the happy warrior of this contest.
David Decoteau, candidate for Delegate in the New 11th Congressional District.
I’m a registered Republican, and I’m ashamed of the GOP
Since Pennsylvania makes me choose a party in order to participate in our electoral system, I chose Republican because in the old, and classic definition of the word; I’m a conservative. Conservative used to mean you wanted sound money. Conservative used to mean balanced budgets and spending within our means. Conservative used to mean you didn’t care what people did in their bedrooms; because it is none of your damn business. Conservative used to mean pro-small business. Conservative used to mean a foreign policy of non-interventionism. In other words, “Trade with all and entangling alliances with none” as our Founders intended....If you are a Republican (like me) that thinks the GOP is out of touch with the people; send me to Tampa Bay to tell them for you. I’ll tell them to get back to the traditional Conservative platform. I’ll pay my own way. No tax payer expense will be incurred.
Lou Barletta wants more LIHEAP money
In his response to President Obama's State of the Union address he decried that "Since the president took office, a record number of Americans are receiving food stamps."
Barletta brags that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved the buyouts of residential properties in Plymouth Township, Shickshinny and Benton Township. He proudly announced that local fire companies are recipients of DOH grants. He took credit for $40 million in highway repair funds to fix our roads that were damaged by the summer hurricanes. He announced that the Delaware Water Gap will get 1/2 mil to study traffic. Farmers will get help according to this Barletta press release.
If the Balanced Budget Amendment was passed none of these projects would have happened.
He did get a post office renamed and announced that the Shickshinny Post Office should reopen within 60 days.
Food stamps are bad but warm in the winter is good. Cold and hungry is bad. Warm and hungry is OK.
Rep. Barletta calls on President Obama to increase LIHEAP funding
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, PA-11, again called on President Obama to increase or at least continue at the current level the funding for home heating assistance for veterans and seniors through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
“Many veterans who might be eligible for LIHEAP don’t know they can take advantage of the program, but they absolutely can. We need to help our veterans and seniors stay warm in the winter. We can’t let them slip through the cracks. We need to fund LIHEAP,” Rep. Barletta said. “Many in Northeastern Pennsylvania struggle to pay for their heat. They have to make the difficult choice between paying for food and keeping warm, and that just isn’t acceptable. More and more Americans are hurting, so it’s incredibly important that President Obama keep LIHEAP funded at current levels, if not increase that funding.”
A January 26 letter coauthored by Rep. Barletta and Rep. Edward Markey (D, MA-7) calls on the president to request at least $4.7 billion for LIHEAP in Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13). More than 100 House members – Republicans and Democrats – signed the letter.
Because of the efforts of Rep. Barletta and others in Congress, LIHEAP funding this fiscal year topped $3.4 billion – almost $1 billion more than President Obama had requested for FY12. Of that, almost $210 million is allocated for the Pennsylvania program. [Source: Campaign for Home Energy Assistance]
LIHEAP helps low-income families pay their heating bills through a cash grant sent directly to the utility company or as a crisis grant for households in immediate danger of being without heat.
The number of households with at least one military veteran receiving LIHEAP assistance swelled from 700,000 in FY 2008 to 1.78 million in FY 2011. This is an increase of over 150 percent during the past four years, according to a survey by the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association (NEADA). The bulk of energy aid recipients who served in the military are over 60. Almost half are disabled. Of the veterans who received help, 12 percent served in Iraq and Afghanistan; about seven percent are on active duty.
LIHEAP provided vital heating assistance to 8.9 million households in 2011 – an increase of 54 percent since 2008.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
PA Attorney General race news
Murphy is a King's College Wilkes-Barre grad and friend of the blog who keeps racking up endorsements. The latest is from Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter:
“We need a tough Attorney General who is smart on crime, who understands that consumers need to be protected, that seniors need to be protected, that all of us need the protection of a strong, independent Attorney General. He has been a great champion for this city, this region, and of course, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Mayor Nutter. “His military career and his service to the nation as a military officer and as a lawyer in the military again demonstrate his true commitment to public service. What I really like about Patrick, my friend, is that he will defend our rights while at the same time make sure we are all safe.”
Add this to the list. A bunch of Allegheny County politicos and labor leaders signed on and my 2nd favorite member of Congress Allyson Schwatrz, who should run for the Senate, backed him earlier.
The Luzerne County Democratic Party endorsed him .
The list of pols local and otherwise that is on his side
Murphy for PA Endorsements
Elected Officials
Ed Rendell, Pennsylvania Governor
Tim Holden, U.S. Rep.
Allyson Schwartz,
U.S. RepRon Klink, Former U.S. Rep.
Paul Kanjorski, Former U.S. Rep.
Harris Wofford, Former U.S. Senator
Dan Onorato, Former Allegheny County Executive
Seth Williams, Philadelphia District Attorney
John Hanger, Former Secretary of PA Department of Environmental Protection
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Dwight Evans, State Rep.
Mike Carroll, State. Rep.
Phillys Mundy, State Rep.
Eddie Day Pashinski, State Rep.
Jennifer Mann, State Rep.
TJ Rooney, Former Chair, PA Dems
Chair
Kathy Kane, Luzerne County
Issue Advocacy Groups
The Human Rights Campaign
VoteVets
Saturday, January 28, 2012
PA 17th Congressional District update

Friday, January 27, 2012
Chris Carney is not running
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Committee Chairman Rick Thomas said "We haven't heard if Carney is going to run again," Thomas said of former Democratic Rep. Chris Carney, who lost his seat in Congress to Marino in 2010. It's been widely reported that Carney planned to challenge Marino in the next election, but Thomas said there's been no news of late."If no one decides to declare at this point, it's possible we won't have a challenger on the ballot."
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There was also speculation that Carney might run in the 11thCD. He teased that he would run again but wouldn't answer the telephone calls of reporters or bloggers. There is a Draft Chris Carney Facebook page that is now dead and the Act Blue account has been deleted.
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Chris Carney landed a job with a defense contractor in Virginia and the redistricting probably put his old district out of reach. I posted in September that he was unlikley to run. Too bad, I'll take a blue dog in a Republican district over a tea bagger any day.
Kevin Haggerty for State Represenative
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HAGGERTY ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY IN THE 112TH

Dunmore, Pa. -- Kevin Haggerty is pleased to officially announce his candidacy for Pennsylvania's 112th legislative district.
"I believe this district needs somebody who represents their values and so I'm asking for the support of the voters of the 112th," said Haggerty. "The blue collar, hard-working families need a voice. They've been ignored by Harrisburg for too long."
Haggerty's previous experience running for state representative, along with his continued outreach to its residents, lends him insight into the needs and wants of the people of the district, he argued. "People prioritize education, they want to see legislators working to bring in new jobs, and they want to make sure their representatives are accessible and accountable. I hear that message loud and clear."
Kevin has a deep respect for public education. He knows that without adequate investment in education, our future is in jeopardy. As the state has failed to properly fund out schools, local property taxes have risen, teachers and programs have been cut, and students are being shortchanged. Coming from a family who attended public school from K-12, Kevin has a great interest in the public school system and would never vote for cuts to education. Instead, he will work to restore funding to our schools to give our kids the education they deserve and need to compete in the 21st century. Haggerty's opponent, current Representative Ken Smith, voted with Republicans to take vital funds away from education on HB 1330 and has been a supporter of charter expansion.
As a Former Member of the Board of Directors for Penn's Northeast and NEPA Alliance, Kevin has the background and experience needed to create and strengthen regional businesses. Supporting the growth of small business is essential to creating a healthy tax base in our communities. Kevin wants to strengthen programs that invest in family-owned businesses and go after employers who don't pay their fair share or allow unsafe working conditions. Representative Smith has not, in his nearly 6 years as a legislator, co-sponored any pro-union legislation, nor even written or introduced major legislation in the General Assembly. Kevin will be an active legislator who doesn't stay on the sidelines. Additionally, Mr. Smith has never adequately addressed the issues of his failure to pay taxes, his failure repay a government-backed loan, and his failure to pay into Social Security and Unemployment for his workers during the time he owned Smith's Restaurant. Kevin believes our representatives need to be held to a high standard: one of integrity and credibility.
As this is a Democratic Primary, it should be noted that Mr. Smith voted with Republicans to gerrymander the state during the Congressional Redistricting process. Kevin is vehemently opposed to disenfranchising Democrats, particularly since they have a roughly 1.8 million voter registration advantage over Republicans. Mr. Smith guaranteed Republican dominance at the expense of those whose interests he should be guarding.
Kevin hasn't stopped being an active participant in his community and his district. Reaching out to community members through local events and door-to-door, Kevin has made sure to be there to listen to the concerns of residents. That won't stop if elected. "It would be my priviledge to serve as a voice for the citizens of the 112th," Haggerty said. "I'll work tirelessly to be the representative the 112th deserves."
Kevin is a Dunmore resident along with his wife, Jennifer Griglock Haggerty, and his son, Kevin Joseph. Kevin graduated from Villanova University and is a former US Marine.
Visit TalkToKevin.com for more information
Thursday, January 26, 2012
PA Supreme Court throws out reapportionment
Wow. This is a surprise given that there are 4 Republicans and 3 Democrats on the court. Chief Justice Ronald Castille sided with the Democrats that the plan for the state legislature chopped up too many towns just to advantage the Republicans.
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Justice Joan Orie Melvin predictably thought that was OK. In a 2009 appearance in Wilkes-Barre she gave a speech that was inappropriately long for a warm up act, Melvin basically said "elect me so Republicans make of the majority of the PA Supreme Court, and we can rig the 2010 reapportionment for the Republicans." She later had a campiagn ad with a Soviet-era hammer-and-sickle inside the "O" in Obama's last name. Now she is the target of a criminal investigation.
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Calls grow for Supreme Court Justice Melvin to resign
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Right now it looks like the old maps wil be used in the upcoming election but that could change once the Supreme Court opinion is released.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Aaron Kaufer for State Representative

(Lto R) Bill James, Aaron Kaufer, Rick Arnold, Tim Mullen, Bill Goldsworthy, John Cordara
Phyllis Mundy has been the State Reprensenative of the 120th District since 1991. She will be hard to beat.
Luzerne County Council to hire a manager
I have been getting beat up in the comments and other blogs for my backing of the new form of government. It's a school board, it won't work, etc. The new charter is not perfect but then what is? I preferred the previous charter with an elected county executive and a mix of distict and at-large elections for the council. That plan was shot down when Skrep and Vondy said "trust us." That worked out well.
This new form of government was passed as a reaction to the Juvie Brothers scandal for sure. The thing I like about it was elimination of most of the row offices that were power centers with no oversight. How many of them went to jail? There is no Democratic or Republican way to perform an autopsy (Coronor) or to register a will. And What the hell is a Prothonotary?
If they hire Lawton and he doesn't back out before February 21st the Yonk has some advice. A couple of my favs
Don’t take it personally if people don’t like you because you’re an outsider. People from Scranton have the same problem.
If someone says you’re a cousin….don’t believe them
Abe’s Hot Dogs, South Main, the original. Don’t settle.
There are two Steve Urbans on the County Council, one has hair, the other doesn’t. Both may seem like the same person so you’ll need to tell them apart.

