Hafer Off The Ballot

Former state Treasurer Barbara Hafer has removed herself from the Democratic primary ballot to replace the late John Murtha as congressman for the 12th District of Pennsylvania, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The state Democratic Party’s Executive Committee  picked 
Mark Critz, who had been Murtha’s district director, as its candidate in a special election to fill out the rest of Murtha’s term.

There will be a primary election to determine the party candidates for the general election race for a new two-year term . Still preparing to battle Critz in it are Cambria County Controller Ed Cernic Jr., Air Force veteran Ron Mackell Jr. of Johnstown and Navy veteran Ryan Bucchianeri.

Republicans will choose, tomorrow, either  Johnstown
businessman Tim Burns, Army veteran William Russell, or  Bill Choby as their nominee for the special election.,

Rendell Praises Dubya


Gov. Ed Rendell speaking on the Sean Hannity show about five minutes ago  — IOW about 6:10 p.m., March 10 — praised President George W. Bush for being courageous and correct.

Rendell, who chaired the Democratic National Committee during the 2000 election,  said Bush and the Republicans heroically went against popular opinion in instituting the surge in Iraq and the policy was a resounding success.

And while speaking of the Republicans, the Governor said “we have to be a big tent”.

Yo Eddie, what’s up with this?

Turnpike Chief Reportedly Charged By Feds

It’s being tweeted that former Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Chairman Mitchell Rubin has just been charged by feds with obstruction of justice stemming from the Vince Fumo investigation.

The Commission was ordered by federal investigators to retain documents last November.

Update—Rubin, 57, of Philadelphia has been charged with obstructing the grand jury investigation of ex-State former State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.

Rubin is accused of withholding information relating to a Senate contract that Fumo arranged to award to a company Rubin co-owned, according to Acting United States Attorney Virginia Gibson.

Turnpike Chief Reportedly Charged By Feds

Turnpike Chief Reportedly Charged By Feds

1 In 6 Americans Have Genital Herpes

The U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention  (CDC) reported, yesterday, March 9, that about 16 percent of Americans between the ages of 14 and 49 have genital herpes which is incurable.

The CDC said about 21 percent of women were infected with genital herpes or herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) compared to about 11.5 percent of men.

It said about 39 percent of blacks were infected —  including 48 percent of black women — and about 12 percent of whites.

Genital herpes can cause recurrent and painful
genital sores and greatly increases the likelihood of acquiring
and transmitting the AIDS virus.

Specter, Sestak Now Face A Conservative Dem

Democrats will have a third choice for senator in the Pennsylvania primary, May 18.

Joseph Vodvarka of Allegheny County appears to have acquired the necessary 2,000 signatures to get on the ballot to battle incumbent Arlen Specter and 7th District Congressman Joe Sestak.

Vodarka describes himself as a manufacturer and small business owner. He describes himself as a conservative Democrat. He is against ObamaCare and has been an NRA member for 36 years.

Vodarka will have nowhere near the resources as the other candidates and Specter, the party’s endorsed candidate, is already the heavy favorite. Still he’s the lone candidate not from the Philadelphia area and western Pennsylvanians are known for their reluctance to vote for Philadelphians.

Welcome Skyler Jane Lawrence

The newest addition to the Lawrence family is Skyler Jane who came via c-section a few hours ago at an Orlando, Fla. hospital. She weighed in at 7 pounds 10 ounces.

Congratulations Robert and Jennifer.

Kyley will make an excellent baby-sitter.

Turn The Light Off For ObamaCare, Inky Covers Tea-partyers


Turn the lights off for ObamaCare. If you don’t you may as well turn them off for the Democratic Party.

Today’s Philadelphia Inquirer reported that “Tea-party activists who oppose the legislation outnumbered supporters, with about 200 sign-wielding, slogan-shouting tea partyers attending a morning news conference before Obama arrived” regarding President Obama’s socialism sales pitch at  Arcadia (nee Beaver College) University, yesterday. The story, which ran on page B-1, included a large color photo of the tea-party protesters.

When the Inky stops covering for the left, the game is over.

Granted, they ran a puff-piece beneath it about how Obama’s supporters came out in force, but the treatment in totality was far from the Pavlovian salivating that  the paper gave us in its coverage of the Young Man from Wherever in the Summer of ’08.

Arcadia, btw, did not allow protesters on campus.

Arlen Specter Is Writing A Book

Sen. Arlen Specter (S for Specterite -Pa) is reportedly writing a book regarding his experiences in switching from the Republican Party to the Democrat Party.

Dems Pick Critz In Murtha Replacement Race

The state Democratic Party’s Executive Committee, today, picked 
Mark Critz as the party’s candidate to replace the late John Murtha to represent Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District.

Critz had been Murtha’s district director. Also, seeking the nomination were former state Treasurer Barbara Hafer, Cambria County Controller Ed Cemic Jr. and former Naval Officer Ryan Bucchianeri.

The election will be  May 18, the day of the state primary.  The Republican nominee will be selected Thursday and be either Tim Burns or Bill Russell who opposed Murtha in 2008.

The winner will serve out the rest of Murtha’s term. An election will be held in November for a new term and there will also be a primary election May 18 to pick the candidates for the November race.

Bucchianeri and Ms. Hafer  say they will be primary candidates.

PoliticsPA.Com says the finally tally of the Executive Committee was Critz, 30; Hafer, 18; and Bucchianeri, 1.

Altmire May Switch To Yes On ObamaCare

Congressman Jason Altmire (D-Pa4) said in an interview on Fox News Sunday that he may vote in favor of the Obama Health-Care socialization bill.

Altmire was one of 39 Democrats to vote against the House version of the bill in November.

Sen John Cornyn (R-Texas) notes that once the House Dems vote for the Senate bill there is neither a guarantee nor a need for the reconciliation process should the President sign it into law.