The First Read — July 21, 2009

Every Monday-Thursday morning, pa2010.com compiles the most important political news of the day, from newspapers to the blogosphere and back. Enjoy this edition.

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THE RUMOR MILL: Fire alarms, Schwartz for Governor and McCaffery for Congress?
Asked is she would ever run for Governor, Congresswoman Schwartz was cautious. Dan McCaffery was slightly less cautious when it came to the possibility of running for Congress in her district. Read More

More firmly now, Wagner says he’s running for governor
After carefully avoiding making his candidacy a definite for months, state Auditor General Jack Wagner appears to finally be dropping the act. He’s running for Governor. Read More

Rendell: Onorato is ‘probably our next governor’
In the midst of once again discouraging Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7) from his all-but-certain run against Senator Arlen Specter, Governor Ed Rendell on Monday let a not-so-small political prediction slip: He thinks Dan Onorato will be the Keystone State’s next governor. Read More

THE PRESS ROOM: Sestak’s media strategy goes local
Pennsylvania, meet Joe Sestak. Really, you don’t have much of a choice. If you live in any of the Keystone State’s 67 counties and even glance at a local newspaper, the Delaware County Congressman’s name and face are bound to catch your eye. If they haven’t already. Read More

Scarnati tells Rendell to pay state workers
Enough already, Lieutenant Governor Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, says, it’s time for Governor Ed Rendell to stop using state workers as pawns and to start paying them.”It is clear that the governor does not recognize that Pennsylvania families live paycheck to paycheck or he would follow the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and refrain from using payless paydays as a budgetary scare tactic,” Scarnati said. Read More

Rendell accuses Senate of stalling on jobless benefits
HARRISBURG — Governor Ed Rendell Monday called it a “disgrace” that the Senate has yet to approve legislation authorizing an additional seven weeks of help for nearly 18,000 people whose unemployment benefits expired Saturday. Read More

Toomey video hits Specter on party-switch, public healthcare flip-flop and more
Signaling that he still considers Senator Arlen Specter to be his eventual general election opponent, Republican Pat Toomey’s campaign on Monday released a video chock-full of juxtapositions that show Specter changing his mind on party affilation, healthcare reform and more. Read More
Also on pa2010.com: Specter reiterates attendance attack on Sestak, this time by video

Yet another GOPer floated for Lieutenant Governor
As if there weren’t enough Republicans on the list of potential Lieutenant Governor candidates, there’s one more name to add: Jim Cawley. Read More

Mellow’s ex-wife files for more alimony
Diane Mellow, the ex-wife of State Sen. Robert J. Mellow, is asking a court to increase her alimony in the aftermath of a recent ethics controversy involving the top Democratic senator’s use of state money. Read More

Arlen Specter takes hard line on Joe Sestak
Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) spent his first two months as a Democrat quietly introducing himself to his new party colleagues. Now that he’s made some headway, the former Republican has come out guns blazing against one of them — Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), the two-term congressman who refuses to concede the Democratic Senate nomination. Read More

Have a great day!