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LEFTOVERS: Sestak & earmarks, Casey does SEPA, Marino on tape

Democrat Joe Sestak found himself under new scrutiny on that pesky subject of earmarks Monday, after The Morning Call reported that money Sestak earmarked for a non-profit foundation could instead end up benefiting a for-profit wind energy company.

At issue is $350,000 requested for the Thomas Paine Foundation, money to develop a new prototype, offshore wind turbine. The money was never actually appropriated, but long story short, the head of the nonprofit head who requested the money also runs New Way Energy LLC, which is developing the same type of turbines. New House rules prohibit earmarks from going to for-profit companies. And after Sestak’s opponent got some favorable ink when it raised hay over Sestak’s earmarking policy earlier this summer, Republicans were once again quick to pounce Monday. GOP Senate nominee Pat Toomey’s campaign was on offense, and the state party held a conference call for reporters.

“It’s bad enough that Joe Sestak repeatedly wastes Pennsylvanians’ tax dollars on outrageous earmarks like a Mule and Packers Museum in California,” Toomey campaign spokeswoman Nachama Soloveichik said. “It got worse when Sestak trotted out a phony ethics pledge against taking campaign contributions from people he funneled earmarks to, only to flunk his own ethics test. Now, Sestak is violating House rules by using a non-profit as cover for doling out tax dollars to his pet project. Joe Sestak and the Washington wasteful earmark game are so out of control that you can’t make this stuff up.”

Sestak’s campaign said the two-term congressman’s office had done its due diligence in scrutinizing the earmark request, and argued that nonprofit organizations headed by executives of for-profit companies should not be exuded from receiving earmarks.

“The fact is Joe Sestak has led the way to transparency and earmark reform,” spokeswoman April Mellody told PoliticsPA. “If we’re going to talk about earmark reform, then quite frankly Congressman Toomey should stop hiding his own earmark requests.”

Meanwhile, Senator Bob Casey rolled through southeast Pennsylvania Monday to stump for two of his party’s congressional candidates. First, Casey joined Democrat Bryan Lentz at a small business roundtable in Brookhaven. Lentz is running against Republican Pat Meehan in the 7th Congressional District. “Small businesses are the engines of our economy and job growth,” Casey said in a statement later. “Representative Lentz understands the imperative to listen to and then advocate for small businesses.”

A few hours later, Casey was in Ardmore, headlining the Montgomery County office opening for Manan Trivedi, the party’s candidate against Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6). “Manan Trivedi will bring unique qualities to Washington,” Casey said. “As a doctor and a veteran, his experience will be helpful to Pennsylvania and the nation as the health care law is implemented and as we work to protect our troops and keep our promises to our veterans.”

And it seems like the impolitic comments from Republican Tom Marino just keep on coming. After basically saying his generation has to skip cashing in on that whole Social Security thing, Marino, the GOP hopeful in the 10th District, apparently shouted down some voters and asked if they were on welfare. The video embedded below, apparently from a Democratic tracker, clearly could lack some important context. But at least at first glance, it doesn’t look good.

Check it out.

August 30, 2010 at 7:23 pm

--Dan Hirschhorn

Tags: Bob Casey, Bryan Lentz, Joe Sestak, Manan Trivedi, PA-10, PA-6, PA-7, Pat Toomey, Tom Marino

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