‘Casino’ Marino Bets on Voters Forgetting His Controversial Past

By THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

Only one election cycle removed from declaring he doesn’t “have the patience to be a congressman,” former US Attorney Tom “Casino” Marino has had a change of heart and is now running for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 10th District.  But with his longstanding ties to businessman Louis DeNaples, the same ties which played a role in ultimately leading to his resignation as a US Attorney, it’s clear that voters in…

What a difference a week makes

The Left is in disarray following a week in which Republicans pulled political stunners in two of the three elected branches of the federal government.

First came the special election of Scott Brown to the Senate seat held by Ted Kennedy since 1962, the year he won a special election to fill the seat vacated by his brother when he assumed the presidency. Politicos across the nation were stunned as an insurgent Republican state Senator…

Toomey holding big lead with likely voters

Former Congressman Pat Toomey is emerging as the early odds-on-favorite to win this year’s Senate election, leading both his potential Democratic opponents among a group of likely voters dominated by energized conservatives and lacking enthusiastic Democrats.

A growing body of recent polling data has shown Toomey beating both incumbent Senator Arlen Specter and Democratic challenger Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7), and a Franklin & Marshall College survey released Wednesday added to the evidence. In the poll…

Specter leads Sestak by 17; half undecided

Senator Arlen Specter holds a 17-point lead over Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7) in this year’s Democratic primary, but the longtime incumbent’s approval ratings continue to dip, indicating a difficult path to reelection even if he beats Sestak in May, according to a new poll.

The Franklin & Marshall College survey released Wednesday showed Specter winning 30 percent of the vote, compared to 13 percent for Sestak. A full 50 percent of voters are still undecided.…

Corbett leads guv primary, but vast majority undecided

Attorney General Tom Corbett holds a comfortable edge in the Republican primary for governor, but most voters are still undecided less than four months before primary day, according to a new poll.

The Franklin & Marshall College survey released Wednesday showed Corbett—widely considered the party’s presumptive nominee—garnering 23 percent of the vote, compared to only 5 percent for state Representative Sam Rohrer (R-Berks). Almost 70 percent of voters are undecided in the race.

The depth…

The government-run health care disaster

As we already know, Scott Brown’s decisive victory in Massachusetts will have major implications in political races all across the nation. Republicans won a high turnout special election in one of the bluest states in the nation for a number of reasons. First of all, we had a great candidate who ran a very smart campaign. Scott Brown fed off of the public’s discontent with the business as usual Democratic political machine in Massachusetts and…

Onorato leads a wide open primary

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato is leading the Democratic primary for governor, but almost three-quarters of voters remain undecided, according to a new poll.

The Franklin & Marshall College survey released Wednesday showed Onorato winning 10 percent of the vote, more than twice the support enjoyed by any other candidate in the race. But 72 percent of voters said they didn’t know who they would back come primary day. The poll of 443 registered Democrats…

Holden gets a primary opponent

Congressman Tim Holden (D-17) is now being challenged on both flanks.

Sheila Dow-Ford, a public policy advocate, says she’ll soon declare he candidacy in the Democratic primary against Holden, who she says needs to be challenged on his “credentials as a Democrat.”

“I’ve thought long and hard about this,” Dow-Ford

Hoeffel kicks off campaign, saying he ‘stands with all the women of this state’

PHILADELPHIA—Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel formally kicked off his gubernatorial campaign Tuesday, playing up his socially liberal stances during appearances in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg before an evening rally here.

After being joined by several state lawmakers in Harrisburg, Hoeffel basked in an impassioned plea to support him from longtime abortion rights activist Kate Michelman. Warning against other Democrats who “claim” to be pro-choice, Michelman said that “Joe is the only one who’s been with us…

Dinniman endorses Specter

State Senator Andrew Dinniman (D-Chester) endorsed Senator Arlen Specter’s reelection bid on Tuesday, giving the longtime incumbent the support of Chester County’s most powerful Democrat.

“It is my privilege to endorse Senator Specter,” Dinniman said in a campaign statement. “His knowledge and experience make him best suited to continue representing the citizens of Chester and Montgomery counties, and of Pennsylvania.

“And having the Senator at the top of the Democratic ticket this fall puts us…