For Dent, a primary light on paid media (Updated)

Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) isn’t expecting much of a fight from primary opponent Mat Benol—at least if his campaign’s paid media efforts are any indication.

When GOP voters go to the polls Tuesday, Dent’s campaign won’t have purchased a dime of of TV or radio time, according to campaign manager Shawn Millan. His campaign will have sent two pieces of direct mail. And a robo-call featuring Republican Pat Toomey, Dent’s predecessor who is running for…

Casey heading out west

Senator Bob Casey is making a two-day campaign swing in western Pennsylvania for the Democratic Party’s two top priorities on May 18: fellow Senator Arlen Specter and 12 District special election nominee Mark Critz.

Casey will appear at a campaign rally with Specter Sunday night in Pitcairn, in Allegheny County. He also cut a radio ad for the Republican-turned-Democrat, in one of Casey’s most direct assists to Specter.

Muhlenberg Tracking Poll: Specter up 1, Onorato up 24

Every day from now until the May 18 primary, pa2010.com will publish the results of the Muhlenberg College tracking poll on the statewide Democratic primaries. To follow our posts on these surveys, click on

LEFTOVERS: Rendell lauds Williams, MoveOn backs Sestak, Lasher for Kelly

His efforts to publicly stay neutral aside, everyone assumes that Gov. Ed Rendell has a horse in the Democratic primary to succeed him, and that that person is Dan Onorato. So heads were turned Friday when Rendell had such effusive praise for Onorato’s chief rival, Anthony Williams. After Williams and Senator Arlen Specter were formally endorsed by the Philadelphia Black Clergy, Rendell, Full Story

Callahan, other Lehigh Valley Dems back Onorato

ALLENTOWN— Democrat Dan Onorato picked up a slew of Lehigh Valley endorsements Friday night, bringing three more mayors onto his team as continues to rack up support in the closing days before the gubernatorial primary.

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, the White House recruit running in the 15h Congressional District, joined Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski and Eason Mayor Salvatore Panto in endorsing Onorato, the Allegheny County Executive, during a campaign rally here.

“We need leaders in…

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Latest Williams ad targets Onorato’s drink tax

Democrat Anthony Williams’ campaign is continuing its efforts to drag down front-runner Dan Onorato’s support, with a new TV that harps on the infamous drink tax Onorato enacted in Allegheny County.

The 30-second spot is the campaign’s third time going directly after Onorato on the airwaves. At least according to public polls, the campaign has thus far been stymied in its attempt to increase Onorato’s unfavorability ratings.

The latest ad,

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Buchanan strikes back at Rothfus, but errs on the facts

PITTSBURGH—After being on the defensive for weeks, Republican Mary Beth Buchanan tried to go on offense Friday by claiming her primary opponent was a registered Democrat for 13 years. But the effort was quickly struck back when it became clear that the information distributed by the former U.S. Attorney’s campaign about Keith Rothfus was unsubstantiated.

The latest slip-up for what has been a campaign struggling to control the political message came during a morning news…

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Network pulls an ad in the 12th, and Dems push back

The Fox network affiliate in Pittsburgh reportedly stopped airing a Democratic campaign ad with claims that has been called misleading Friday, stoking glee from Republicans and outrage from Democrats—and keeping a heated policy debate about the so-called fair tax very much alive.

WPGH-TV reportedly took down the ad by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which harped on 12th District Republican hopeful Tim Burns’ support for the fair tax—a position he has more recently disavowed. Full Story

FITZPATRICK CAUGHT ON TAPE WITH QUESTIONABLE EXPLANATION FOR HIS PAST SUPPORT OF CARD CHECK

By CARLINEO FOR CONGRESS

(Doylestown, PA)

Gloria Carlineo issued the following statement in connection with a newly released Mike Fitzpatrick video discussing his co-sponsorship of the Employee Free Choice Act (Card Check) in 2005:

“In yet another text book example of deflection, my opponent is seen explaining his reasoning for co-sponsoring Card Check in a new video posted online.  I’m not sure what’s worse – his support for Card Check or his reasoning behind it.”…

Guv race is a snapshot of education reform’s crossover appeal

Pennsylvania could be just a few days away from a gubernatorial election in which education—and the state’s children—can’t lose.

As Keystone State primary voters prepare to go to the polls on Tuesday, I marvel that the state of education reform has changed so dramatically—at least in Pennsylvania—from just a decade ago. With charter schools, school choice programs, teacher quality reforms, and improving all public schools, Pennsylvania is an epicenter for bipartisan education reform, and the…