Hatch reportedly warming to Toomey

A leading Republican Senator who once said there wasn’t anybody “in the world who believes” Pat Toomey could win a general election for Senate is now set to host a fundraiser for the GOP candidate.

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) will host a fundraising lunch for Toomey Nov. 17, Roll Call reports, yet another indication that a Republican leadership once deeply skeptical of Toomey’s electability is increasingly behind him.

After Senator Arlen Specter switched parties in…

Sestak Tells Specter to Stop Blocking Dawn Johnsen

By SESTAK FOR SENATE

MEDIA, PA- Today, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, Congressman Joe Sestak called on Senator Arlen Specter to stop supporting a threatened Republican filibuster that for nine months has blocked confirmation of President Obama’s choice, Professor Dawn Johnsen, to lead the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), which provides authoritative legal advice to the President and Executive Branch.

“As the administration deals with crucial legal issues from interrogating and prosecuting terrorists to closing the…

Personal day

Because of a death in the family, I’ll be taking today and most of tomorrow off.

Thanks for understanding.

Fixing Pennsylvania’s broken budget process

Now that the dust from the contentious budget debate has settled, I’ve reviewed what was passed and found that, after more than 100 days of delay due to partisan fighting, Harrisburg gave us a budget that makes significant cuts to crucial programs that Pennsylvania families count on, especially in an economy where so many people are hurting.

From cuts to economic development programs, to cuts in social services and cuts in library funding, the current…

The First Read — October 29, 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.

Sign up for The First Read. And for all the latest news, log on to pa2010.com, your destination for Pennsylvania’s big 2010 elections.

Specter’s numbers continue to dip; still leads Sestak and Toomey
Senator Arlen Specter’s standing with voters is still falling ahead of next year’s reelection fight, with a historical low…

Republicans lose on registration but win on issues

Very interesting

Energy price fluctation and economic development in Onorato’s Allegheny County

With the expiration of electricity rate caps quickly approaching, it is interesting to look at the debates that energy pricing have sparked in the past. The cost of energy is intimately tied to Pennsylvania’s economy in ways that are not immediately visible, as highlighted by a 2006 presentation to the Public Utilities Commission by Dan Onorato, a current Democratic gubernatorial candidate. The presentation urged the Public Utilities Commission to find a solution to an energy…

From the horse’s mouth: The In-Specter chats with Arlen

CLARIFICATION APPENDED (See bottom)

On Tuesday, I was one of four bloggers to participate in a conference call with Senator Arlen Specter that was open ended and on the record. It was an exciting opportunity to have a real give-and-take, intimate conversation with the Senator, and we were able to cover quite a bit of ground. Because I want my readers to really have a chance to “inspect” the Senator and make their own judgment,…

NRCC, Congressional Quarterly Recognize Strength of Pat Meehan’s Candidacy

By PAT MEEHAN FOR CONGRESS

DREXEL HILL, PA – Pat Meehan, the Republican candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, continued to build momentum for his campaign this week with strong recognition from the National Republican Campaign Committee and the widely respected Congressional Quarterly magazine.

Just six weeks after Meehan announced his candidacy, the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) named him yesterday to its “Young Guns” program, an organized effort to identify and support…

Specter’s numbers continue to dip; still leads Sestak and Toomey

Senator Arlen Specter’s standing with voters is still falling ahead of next year’s reelection fight, with a historical low of only 23 percent of voters saying he deserves another term, according to a new poll.

The Franklin & Marshall College survey released Wednesday morning showed Specter’s approval rating at its lowest since Franklin & Marshall began asking the question in 1991, yet another piece of evidence that the longtime incumbent’s party switch has hurt him…