Dem Beats Gleason’s Choice To Keep Murtha Seat

Mark Critz, the aide to the late Congressman John Murtha, won a special election Tuesday to fill the remainder of his term which ends Jan. 3.

Critz, a Democrat, easily beat Republican Tim Burns, who state GOP Chairman Rob Gleason had tapped over Bill Russell, the retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who ran against Murtha in 2008.

Critz got 53 percent of the vote to Burns’ 45 percent with Libertarian Demo Agoris getting the rest.

There will be a rematch in November for a fresh term since Burns beat Russell in the GOP congressional primary race while Critz defeated two novice primary challengers.

In other races extreme liberal Congressman Joe Sestak ended turncoat Arlen Specter’s career beating the party-endorsed incumbent in the Democrat U.S. Senate primary. He will face Republican Pat Toomey this fall who easily beat activist Peg Luksik.

Attorney General Tom Corbett won the Republican gubernatorial primary over tenacious Sam Rohrer, the representative for the 128th District in the State House. His likely opponent in the general election will be Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato who won the four-man Democrat race.

What might complicate the race a bit is Robert Allen Mansfield , a sergeant in the National Guard with service in Iraq, who has announced that he will run as a independent candidate. Mansfield is an African-American conservative from Philadelphia who had been a Republican and who has a fascinating life story. 

In the Democrat lieutenant governor race,  it appears rather shockingly that Scott Conklin who represents the 77th District in the State House has beaten endorsed candidate Jonathan Saidel, the former Philadelphia city controller, and Doris Smith-Ribner, a retired Commonwealth Court judge.

In the GOP lieutenant governor race, the winner of a field of nine is very unshockingly  Bucks County Commissioner Jim Cawley, who was strongly pushed by Tom Corbett.

Double Voting In Murtha Land

UPDATE: According to the Pennsylvania Independent, there were 178 double ballots distributed, of which 120 went to Republicans, 55 went to Democrats and three went to independents.

Upon realizing her mistake, Amber Lilley, a Democrat and the judge of elections at the North Union Township Fourth Precinct, contacted Fayette County Election Bureau Director Larry Blosser who directed her to secure the cast ballots and re-set theelectronic voting machines.

The ballots will be held and the election board will hold a meeting to decide what to do with them.

In a precinct in which the late John Murtha won with 62 percent of the vote two years ago, 175 people were given two votes to cast this morning in the special election between Republican Tim Burns and Democrat Mark Critz, who had been Murtha’s aide, to fill the remaining seven months of Murtha’s term in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District.

The precinct judge of elections at North Union 4 in Fayette County says she mistakenly thought she was required to give separate ballots for the primary and general elections.

Murtha beat Republican Bill Russell with 58 percent of the vote in 2008.

There have also been reports about Critz illegally campaigning inside polling places in Cambria County.

It’s Primary Day In Pa

It’s primary election day in Pa. with the polls opening at 7 in the morning and closing at 8 p.m., and what will be decided is who the major party candidates are for the general election on Nov. 2.
Returns can be found here .
There will also be a special election to determine who will represent Pennsylvania’s 12th District in Congress for the remainder of the term left vacant by John Murtha’s Feb. 9 death. The term will end Jan. 3, 2011.
Senate Races
The race getting the most attention is the Democratic U.S. Senate primary fight between incumbent and party-endorsed party-switcher Arlen Specter and Congressman Joe Sestak of the 7th District who is not seeking re-election to his congressional seat. Polls show it to be neck and neck.
Seeking the GOP U.S. Senate nomination are businessman and former Congressman Pat Toomey and activist Peg Luksik. Toomey is the strong favorite.
12th Congressional District
The special election has Republican businessman Tim Burns facing off against Democrat Mark Critz , who was Murtha’s aide and touts himself as a knowledgeable Washington insider.
There is also a primary race, however, and it is in the realm of possibility that the winner of the special election will not be on the November ballot. The GOP race is between Burns and William Russell who was the Republican candidate for the seat in 2008.
Critz has an easier path with his opponents being novices Ryan Bucchianeri and Ronald Mackell Jr.
Other Congressional Primary Contests
3rd District
Incumbent Kathy Dahlkemper has a Democratic primary challenger in Mel Marin. Republicans seeking to take on the winner in November are Clayton Grabb, Martha Moore, Steven Fisher, Mike Kelly, Ed Franz, and Paul Huber.
4th District
Keith Rothfus and former U.S. attorney Mary Beth Buchanan battle to be the GOP nominee vs. incumbent Dem Jason Altmire.
6th District
Manan  Trivedi and Doug Pike are striving to be the Democrat nominee while GOP incumbent Jim Gerlach faces a challenge from Patrick Henry Sellers. 
8th District
Republicans seeking to take on Democrat incumbent Patrick Murphy are Michael Fitzpatrick, Gloria Carlineo, James Jones and Ira Hoffman.
10th District
Republicans Malcolm Derk, David Madeira and Thomas Marino are fighting to be the nominee against vulnerable Democrat incumbent Christopher Paul Carney.
11th District
Democrat incumbent Paul E. Kanjorski faces a primary challenge from Corey O’Brien. Winner takes on Republican Lou Barletta in November.
13th District
Republicans seeking the nomination to take on Democrat incumbent Allyson Schwartz in November are Brian P. Haughton, Joshua Quinter and Carson Dee Adcock.
15th District
Republican incumbent Charles Dent faces a primary challenge from Mat Benol. Winner faces Democrat John B. Callahan in November.
17th District
Democrat incumbent Tim Holden faces a primary challenge from Sheila Dow-Ford. Seeking the GOP nomination are Dave Argall, Allen Griffith, Josh First and Frank Ryan.
19th District
Republican incumbent Todd Platts faces a primary challenge from Michael Smeltzer. Winner faces Democrat Ryan Sanders in November.
Governor Races
In the GOP governor’s race, party-endorsed Attorney General Tom Corbett is facing  challenge from State Rep. Sam Rohrer and it appears to have him surprisingly worried .
The Democrat who want the gubernatorial nomination are Dan Onorato, the Allegheny Countyexecutive; State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, who represents the 8th District which includes large parts of southwest Philadelphia andsoutheast Delaware County,  Jack Wagner, the state auditor general; and Joe Hoeffel, a Montgomery County commissioner.
Lt. Gov Races
With regard to the lieutenant governor slot, nine Republicans are seeking it. They are:
Chet Beiler — former Lancaster County GOP chairman
Steve Johnson– York County businessman
Russ Diamond,founder of PaCleanSweep
BillyMcCue, a businessman
JohnKennedy, a former state representative
Jim Cawley, a Bucks County Commissioner who calls himself a “fiscal conservative” and is being pushed by Corbett.
Jean Craige Pepper, who once ran for state treasurer and whose platform seems to be that she’s the only girl in the game.
Stephen Urban, a Luzerne County Commissioner
Daryl Metcalfe, the state representative for the 12th District who just submitted a bill based on Arizona’s illegal immigration law.
The Democrats running for lieutenant governor are party-endorsed Jonathan Sadel, a former Philadelphia city controller;  DorisSmith-Ribner, a retired Commonwealth Courth judge; and Scott A. Conklin, the state rep for the 77th District.
State Senate Races
While there are no contested Republican State Senate primaries, there are several on the Democrat ticket which are:
4th Senatorial District
W. Lamont Thomas
Leanna Washington (incumbent)
6th Senatorial District

(seat held by Republican Tommy Tomlinson)
John Jordan
Bryan Allen
8th Senatorial District
Anthony Hardy Williams (incumbent who is also running for lieutenant governor)
Carmen Hopson
14th Senatorial District
(Seat being vacated by Democrat Raphael Musto)
John T. Yudichak
Tom Leighton
22nd Senatorial District
(Seat being vacated by Democrat Robert J. Mellow who is retiring to enjoy a $313,000 annual pension )
Joseph J. Corcoran
Charles J. Volpe
Jim Wansacz
John Blake
Christopher Doherty
Christopher Phillips
32nd Senatorial District
Ronald Gallo
Richard Kasunic (incumbent)
Other races
To see the contest primaries in the 203 State House districts visit here .
To see the races for State Democrat Committee visit here
To see the races for State Republican Committee visit here .

Dems Against Local Government

Dems Against Local Government — In their holy quest to make all Pennsylvania like Philadelphia, a group of Democrats in the State House, happily assisted by a pair of tamed Republicans have introduced a bill to amend the state constitution and make the county the basic unit of government in the state.

The bill, HB 2431, would give counties jurisdiction over personnel, law enforcement, land use, sanitation, and health and safety.

The bill would also prohibit any county, municipality or incorporated district to become a stockholder in any company, association or corporation, or to obtain or appropriate money for, or to loan its credit to, any corporation, association, institution or individual.

The bill was introduced April 20 by Thomas Caltagirone, with fellow Democrat co-sponsors Peter Daley, Jaret Gibbons, Ted Harhai, Patrick Harkins, Tim Mahoney, Barbara McIlvaine Smith, Joseph Preston Jr. , and Rosita Youngblood .

The Republican sponsors are Jim Marshall of the 14th District  and RoseMarie Swanger of the 102nd District.

 

Dems Against Local Government

Why The GOP Attacks On Rohrer?

Conventional wisdom holds that party-endorsed Tom Corbett , who is Pennsylvania’s attorney general, is a sure bet as the GOP’s gubernatorial candidate but with a handful of days left till the May 18 primary the establishment has launched a massive strike on lone opponent state Rep Sam Rohrer who represents the 128th District and is GOP chairman of the House Finance Committee.

The attack came in a mass mailer highlighting Rohrer’s vote for the controversial 2005 pay raise which caused numerous legislators to deservedly lose their jobs, and is likely the most embarrassing thing on Rohrer’s record.

Given time and resources — which he lacks — Rohrer would likely dodge this bullet as he has in his House races since he is may be the least greedy politician in the Commonwealth.

He and his wife, Ruth Ann, declared $83,650 in 2008, most of which was his $71,112 legislative salary, which showed him to be by far the poorest of those seeking the governor’s office. They also showed he gave $16,187 to charity that year, which was by far the most of the candidates.

In his unflagging underdog campaign, Rohrer’s constant theme has been the financial crisis facing the state and how it was possible to fix it.

Non-Diet Soda Pop From Food Stamps

Non-Diet Soda Pop From Food Stamps — Congressman Collin Peterson, a moderate Democrat who represents the 7th District of Minnesota, wants to prohibit the 39 million monthly users of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)– which the federal Food Stamp Program has been called since Oct. 1, 2008 — from using their electronic benefits transfer card from buying soft drinks with sugar .

The average American who reads that will say “Food Stamp recipients can buy Pepsi with my money?”

And the answer is of course, you silly person. Not only Pepsi and Coke and Gatorade but cocktail mixes, artificial sweetener, warm bread from the bakery, hoagies from the deli and stuffed olives from the salad bar.

Peterson suggestion is motivated more by concern about America’s poor being too fat — what a country as Yakov Smirnoff might say — than a desire to encourage them to find jobs, but I’ll walk this path with him.

And if he really wants to help the poor stay healthy I’ll  prod him to quicken his pace. How about we restrict purchases via SNAP to milk, butter, eggs, cooking oils, fresh fruit and veggies, bulk grains and beans, and locally produced honey. Note, I’m saying fresh fruit and veggies not canned or frozen. This will help keep them from getting into a rut.

I’m including honey because deep down inside I’m a bit of a bleeding heart and I feel that this will give the SNAP participants a chance to play-pretend they are on the Food Network’s Chopped show.

And why do I have this strange feeling that most SNAP participants have access to cable television?

I’m leaving off meat because I’m hoping to get PETA to sign on.

SNAP cost taxpayers about $58 billion per year.

Non-Diet Soda Pop From Food Stamps

Female Circumcision In USA

Female Circumcision In USA — The American Academy of Pediatrics has endorsed a form of female circumcision to appease our new Islamic population.

I see their point since what they are advocating accepting is a symbolic nick rather than full removal as done in their motherlands, and if it alleviates suffering that would otherwise inevitably happen, it’s probably the right thing to do.

The righter thing to do though is just keep those who think this act is somehow a good thing from coming here.

Female Circumcision In USA

Do More Now Listen To Limbaugh Than Watch Network News?

Viewership for the week of May 3 was a combined 19,410,000 for the ABC, CBS and NBC network newscasts according to the trade site MediaBistro.Com

This puts them behind radio talk show giant Rush Limbaugh who has 20 million plus weekly listeners according to Wikipedia citing the trade publication Talkers Magazine.

The breakdown is: 7,430,000 viewers for Brian Williams at NBC Nightly News; 7 million for ABC World News With Diane Sawyer; and 4,980,000 for Katie Couric at CBS Evening News.

Newsbusters.org did a little research and found that that is a combined loss of 1.67 million viewers from the week of May 4, 2009.

And 70 percent of the viewers of network news is over the age of 54.

The good news for the nets is they still beat Sean Hannity who has 16 million radio listeners and 1.9 million viewers of his Fox News Channel show.

OTOH, Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin and Dave Ramsey, who are tied for 6th place among radio talk show hosts with about 6.25 million weekly listeners, handily spank Katie Couric.

Now, there is a bit of apples vs. oranges in making these comparisons since radio audience is determined by Arbitron and is based on unduplicated listeners, while the TV networks use Nielsen Media Research which reports an average of nightly viewership over the week with obviously most of the same people watching  each night.

A year ago, however, the answer as to who touches more would not be debated.

 

Do More Now Listen To Limbaugh Than Watch Network News?

Do More Now Listen To Limbaugh Than Watch Network News?

Do Philly Police ID Those They Detain?

Philadelphia City Council, May 6, passed a non-binding resolution asking Mayor Michael Nutter to divest any business from Arizona and  to encourage area business to reconsider conventions there.

The resolution is non-binding and the vote was 14-3. It was introduced  by Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez and was in response to Arizona SB 1070 which neither Ms. Sanchez nor the 13 other council members who voted for the resolution apparently bothered to read

As pointed out by Philadelphia Daily News columnist extraordinaire Stu Bykofsky, the Philly resolution claims that the Arizona law “gives local police broad, unprecedented power to detain individuals
based on the vague grounds of suspicion that they are undocumented.”

Well, it doesn’t. It says that that police must check on a person’s immigration status — a driver’s license would suffice, btw, — during a “lawful contact”, which, btw, is being changed in HB 2162 to the even more restrictive “stop,
detain or arrest” standard. Aren’t Philadelphia Police expected to ascertain the identify of people they “stop, detain or arrest?”

As a service to Philadelphia City Council the text to SB 1070 can be found here and the text to HB 2162 can be found here.

And it appears State Rep. Daryl
Metcalfe (R-12) was very wise in binding the law enforcement authorities to check immigration status in the bill modeled on the Arizona law that he just introduced in Harrisburg.

 

Do Philly Police ID Those They Detain?

 

Do Philly Police ID Those They Detain?

Victory Cleaners To Reopen

The Victory Cleaners at Brookside and Springfield roads, Springfield, should reopen in a couple of weeks according to a woman at the sister store on nearby Saxer Avenue.

The landmark store near the Springfield Road trolley station was damaged in a fire Sunday afternoon.

Customer clothes will be taken from the fire damaged store for cleaning at Saxer Avenue and will be able to be claimed when the Springfield Road store opens, according to the woman.