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Report: Onorato allies helped Tea Party candidate gather signatures

Report: Onorato allies helped Tea Party candidate gather signatures

It appears that John Krupa, the self-identified Tea Party candidate for governor, got on the ballot thanks in part to some help from allies of Democratic nominee Dan Onorato.

The Tribune-Review reports that members of labor unions supporting Onorato and at least one campaign staffer circulated nominating petitions for Krupa, whose ballot spot is already being challenged by the state GOP. Union workers wouldn’t talk to the newspaper about Krupa’s petition drive.

The news of Democratic help for Krupa follows similar stories in the 7th and 8th Congressional Districts.

“The Onorato campaign has thousands of volunteers, hundreds of whom helped him gather signatures to get on the ballot for the Democratic Primary,” Onorato campaign spokesman told The Tribune-Review. “So, it should be no surprise to see petition gatherers or signers in common with other candidates.”

But Kevin Harley, a spokesman for Republican rival Tom Corbett’s campaign, said the revelation calls into question Onorato’s reform credentials.

“Real reform requires real honesty,” Harley said. “You have what appears to be people who don’t support Krupa’s political philosophy, but instead are Democratic operatives working to support Dan Onorato.”

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August 10, 2010 at 8:39 am

--pa2010.com Staff

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  1. STEELBLITZ1

    Aug 10th, 2010

    I would say the real insecurity lies in the fact that Tom Corbett and Joes Sestak are booting candidates off the ballot. It is wrong and gives both a black eye.

  2. mike4

    Aug 10th, 2010

    I never understood tea party candidates. Would they rather have democrats in office?

  3. PADemocraticVoter

    Aug 10th, 2010

    Corbett and Sestak are nothing but big bullies. What are they afraid of — DEMOCRACY???

  4. Mahaffey

    Aug 10th, 2010

    Saying Corbett is afraid of democracy is a laugh riot considering that Dan Onorato is propping up a fake candidate to pervert the process.

  5. Bryan C

    Aug 10th, 2010

    Just as long as Corbett isn’t afraid of a republic, that’s okay. I’m afraid of a democracy sometimes too. Especially with people like yourself around.

  6. Mario

    Aug 10th, 2010

    This just shows Onorato is scared.

  7. Peggy Lucas

    Aug 11th, 2010

    So this was in the Tribune-Review? Guess who owns the Tribune? Richard Mellon Scaif – the number one family values advocate in Pennsylvania. How many times has he been married? Didn’t he start the process to have Bill Clinton impeached? I would not believe anything that is printed in his newspaper. He belongs in the same category as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.

  8. ha

    Aug 11th, 2010

    Here’s the thing. The Tea Party is not putting up candidates. If this guy is touting himself as a Tea Party candidate, he’s using the name without any understanding of the Tea Party. So it would appear he isn’t part of the group, just using the name.

  9. blind

    Aug 11th, 2010

    The term “Tea Party Candidate” is a gimmick. That movement was hijacked by the neo-cons a long time ago. Does anybody actually believe that Pat Toomey really cares about small government? He never talks about the corrupt wasteful pointless wars we are fighting and our bloated foreign policy. At least Sestak isn’t lying about the fact that he wants more big fraudulent wasteful government.

    These guys are all slaves to their party masters: their loyalty lies with the party, NOT the Constitution. Wake up people.

    I’m VERY scared of democracy because it’s nothing more than mob rule. Our founding fathers were frightened of democracy too, that’s why they established a Constitutional Republic instead.

  10. Joe Murphy

    Aug 11th, 2010

    John Krupa was nominated by the Constitution Party, so he is NOT a fake candidate. Why are so many people opposed to more choices in the fall. I am sick of the Democrat and Republican show. I want to see the constitution restored. Lets start with a fair and equal election process as per the Pa constitution call for. You know, the one that all of these Harrisburg politicians swore an oath to obey and uphold. Good luck to all of the candidates!!

  11. Jim Devlin

    Aug 14th, 2010

    If he was nominated by the Constitution Party, then let him say he’s the Constitution Party candidate. Whether he’s working to draw votes from Corbett or not, no one in the Tea Party groups in his area knows who he is. You can’t just come on the scene and proclaim you’re the X candidate when X doesn’t know who you are, and not expect some questions. Go ahead, run as the Constitution Party guy. Not under false pretenses.

  12. Joe Murphy

    Aug 14th, 2010

    Jim,

    He was asked by a tea party group(at least thats what they told us)to run under that lable. They knew we were going to be short the signatures to get him on as a constitution party candidate. He will not draw votes from anyone, he will earn every vote on his own. Corbett and Onorato do not own our votes. If he is not on the ballot I will not be voting for gov. this election or I will vote Libertarian. Asking questions about him is fine but many are portraying him as a “friend” of the Onorato campaign. He is a former Clinton county Republican chairman, with no ties to the left. There are several tea party groups and they all do not agree on everything, but Mr. Krupas stance on the issues follow very closly with what all tea party groups are saying. Who cares who helps get him on the ballot.If you remember the Republicans helped Green party nominee Carl Romanelli get signatures to get on the ballot. how is this that different.

  13. JoAnn Weiss

    Oct 30th, 2010

    I’m interested to know how many times Pat Toomey has been married.

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