LEFTOVERS: Another guv poll, Murtha’s PAC, a Hoyer roundup

The attention Wednesday was on the Quinnipiac poll that showed—once again—a wide open Democratic primary for governor. But there was another survey of the governor’s race, this one by Public Policy Polling. Echoing other polls, it found Republican Tom Corbett topping each of his potential Democratic rivals. Jack Wagner and Dan Onorato fared the best against Corbett in the survey, with each facing a 13-point deficit.

Meanwhile, political activity continues for the late John Murtha’s campaign committee. Even though Murtha passed away earlier this year, Politico reports that his political action committee is still winding down business, in part by donating to his longtime aide Mark Critz, who’s running for Murtha’s western Pennsylvania seat. The committee, Majority PAC, gave Critz’s campaign $10,000.

And we never got around to telling you what went on when House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer swung through the state on Tuesday. First, he chatted with Bethlehem Mayor and congressional hopeful John Callahan in Bethlehem about the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibilities Act in Allentown. “SAFRA achieves significant savings for taxpayers by ending over $61 billion in unnecessary government subsidies to Wall Street banks that service student loans,” Callahan said in a statement later. “Over $40 billion of the money saved is reinvested in Pell Grants for college students so they can get the education and training that is absolutely necessary to compete for the 21st century jobs. But just as important this bill also uses $10 billion of that savings to continue to pay down the deficit to help get our financial house back in order. ”

Later, he joined 7th District congressional candidate Bryan Lentz during a news conference hyping Lentz’s legislation to establish “Keystone Green Zones” for clean energy businesses. “Bryan has shown tremendous leadership on the critical issues of job creation, promoting clean technology and ending our dependence on foreign oil,” Hoyer said in a statement. “Bryan learned leadership as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne and this legislation is just one example of how he effectively translates that experience in to great policy ideas. Bryan has not only come up with a powerful job-creating proposal but he has already identified the way to pay for it and that is an essential element of any successful legislation. We need more innovative and fiscally responsible leaders like Bryan in Washington.”

The campaign of Lentz’s Republican opponent Pat Meehan took the opportunity to paint Lentz as tied to the Democratic leadership in Washington.

“Today’s campaign visit by Nancy Pelosi’s top lieutenant Steny Hoyer has reconfirmed what has already been known for some time, that Bryan Lentz has been welcomed with open arms into the inner circle of the House Democratic leadership in Congress,” Meehan campaign manager Bryan Kendro said in a statement.

See a video clip of Hoyer’s appearance with Lentz below, courtesy of the Lentz campaign.