Rothfus ad pokes fun at Buchanan’s ‘shut up’ moment

In case anyone forgot that former U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan pKeith Rothfus, an attorney who turned some heads by a href="http://www.pa2010.com/2010/04/rothfus-outraises-buchanan-in-4th-district-altmire-has-almost-1-2m/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2F2010%2F04%2Frothfus-outraises-buchanan-in-4th-district-altmire-has-almost-1-2m%2F','besting+Buchanan+in+fundraising+last+quarter')" target="_blank"besting Buchanan in fundraising last quarter/a, uses the 45-second spot to say that “we need representatives who listen to us,” juxtaposing that with Buchanan’s less-than-memorable media moment./p
pemEarly Returns 2.0/em a href="http://earlyreturns.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=380:shut-up-a-let-me-talk&catid=53:post-gazette-staff&Itemid=34" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://earlyreturns.sites.post-gazette.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fearlyreturns.sites.post-gazette.com%2Findex.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26amp%3Bview%3Darticle%26amp%3Bid%3D380%3Ashut-up-a-let-me-talk%26amp%3Bcatid%3D53%3Apost-gazette-staff%26amp%3BItemid%3D34','reports')" target="_blank">reports that the Rothfus campaign plans to run the ad on TV in the district at some point before the May 18 primary.

Marino gets boost from Scarnati in the 10th

A top elected Republican in state government endorsed former U.S. Attorney Tom Marino for Congress on Tuesday, saying the 10th District hopeful “has put child molesters, rapists, murderers, drug dealers, and organized crime figures behind bars.”

State Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, who also serves as Lieutenant Governor, said Marino was the best candidate in the field to take on incumbent Congressman Chris Carney (D-10). Snyder County Commissioner Malcolm Derk and Luzerne County chiropractor…

Government watchdogs, unions join in calling for Corbett’s resignation

The chorus of calls for Attorney General Tom Corbett to resign his office reached a new volume Tuesday, when good-government groups, labor unions and liberal activists came together to demand that the Republican gubernatorial front-runner quit his day job if he’s going to seek the state’s highest office.

Their resignation demand, delivered during a news conference at the Capitol in Harrisburg, came as Democrats have continued to look for any and every opportunity to paint…

Holden and Dow-Ford to debate Wednesday

The Democratic candidates in the 17th Congressional District are set to square off in the first debate this week.

Congressman Tim Holden (D-17) and education policy advocate Sheila Dow-Ford will share a stage Wednesday evening at Kutztown University. The 7 p.m. event is being sponsored by the Kutztown University College Democrats and the Kutztown Area Democratic Club.

Holden is the overwhelming favorite to win renomination on May 18, but he nonetheless spearheaded a legal challenge…

Burns up in dead-heat special election in the 12th

Republican Tim Burns holds a narrow, almost statistically insignificant lead over Democrat Mark Critz in the looming special election in the 12th Congressional District, according to a new poll.

The Public Policy Polling survey released Tuesday showed Burns topping Critz by three points, 44 percent to 41 percent, a lead just outside the margin of error. A month before voters pick a successor to the late John Murtha, Burns is faring well thanks to support…

Vodvarka mulling write-in campaing for primary

Just one week after being knocked off the ballot, Democrat Joe Vodvarka is considering a write-in campaign for the Senate primary that’s only one month away.

Vodvarka, who owns a spring manufacturing business, last week Full Story

Corbett still leads Dems, as Onorato gains ground

Attorney General Tom Corbett still holds a comfortable edge over his potential Democratic rivals for governor, and Democrat Dan Onorato appears to be slowly but surely pulling ahead of his primary opponents, according to a new poll.

pIn the poll, Corbett leads Wagner by 21 points, 48 percent to 27 percent. And Corbett holds a 20-point edge over Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel, 49 percent to 29 percent. State Senator Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia), the only candidate besides Onorato who is airing TV ads, was not included in the poll./p
pRasmussen’s was the third recent poll that seemed to show Onorato enjoying increased name recognition from a statewide adverting blitz that began a few weeks ago. A a href="http://www.pa2010.com/2010/04/gop-poll-shows-onorato-building-a-lead/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fgop-poll-shows-onorato-building-a-lead%2F','Susquehanna+Polling+%26amp%3B+Research+survey+last+week+showed+the+Allegheny+County+Executive+surging+to+32+percent+of+the+primary+vote')" target="_blank"Susquehanna Polling & Research survey last week showed the Allegheny County Executive surging to 32 percent of the primary vote/a, and a href="http://www.pa2010.com/2010/04/corbett-leads-dem-contenders-by-double-digits/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fcorbett-leads-dem-contenders-by-double-digits%2F','a+Quinnipiac+University+poll+two+weeks+ago+showed+Onorato%22s+name+recognition+on+the+rise.')" target="_blank">a Quinnipiac University poll two weeks ago showed Onorato’s name recognition on the rise. Rasmussen showed Corbett topping Onorato by a two-to-one margin in February. In the latest survey, fewer Democrats are unsure about their impression of Onorato…

Specter takes ‘NoShowJoe’ to TV (Updated)

The Senate race ad wars, Arlen Specter has gone on the attack first.

After blanketing the state with positive ads over the last week, Senator Arlen Specter’s campaign was up on the airwaves Tuesday morning with a 30-second spot that takes primary opponent Joe Sestak to task for his large number of missed votes last year. The ad aired repeatedly during the morning news cycle in Philadelphia, and sources and news reports indicated that it…

For Republicans, a ‘baggage’ argument in the 10th

When Republican Tom Marino pNow with that primary just a month away,…

Sestak airing first TV ad Tuesday (Updated)

After weeks of anticipation, Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7) is set to run his first television ad.

Sestak’s campaign will hit the airwaves Tuesday during the morning news cycle, according to someone familiar with the ad buy. This person described the initial airtime purchase as large, and said the statewide push would begin with a 60-second spot that starts the ad blitz with a positive tone.

Down in the polls, Sestak has exactly four weeks to…