Government shutdown: more on the PA connection

April 8, 2011 at 11:33 am

In an era of contentious political squabbles and increased unknowns in FrackingLand (aka Pennsylvania), it’s good to know that members of the Keystone Congressional delegation can put policy over partisanship. It’s perhaps disturbing to know that they can put it over thoughtfulness as well.

Breaking ranks is one thing. Breaking ranks to pDown in D.C., the case boils down to basic science – climate change believers vs. its skeptics – and whether the EPA should attempt to regulate greenhouse emissions. It’s an easy guess which corner the Republican majority calls home. Apparently, so do 19 House Democrats, including three Pennsylvanians./p
pema rel="attachment wp-att-9881" href="http://www.pa2012.com/2011/04/government-shutdown-more-on-the-pa-connection/altmire_jason-pa-4/" onclick="return TrackClick('http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2012.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fgovernment-shutdown-more-on-the-pa-connection%2Faltmire_jason-pa-4%2F','altmire_jason+PA+4')"img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-9881" title="altmire_jason PA 4" src="http://www.pa2012.com/wp-content/themes/whiteboardmedia/images_layout/altmire_jason-PA-4-150x150.jpg" alt="altmire jason PA 4 150x150 Government shutdown: more on the PA connection" width="55" height="55" //aThe Hill/em reported Thursday evening that U.S. Reps. Jason Altmire, Mark Critz and Tim Holden a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/154717-overnight-energy" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://thehill.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fblogs%2Fe2-wire%2F677-e2-wire%2F154717-overnight-energy','joined+with+their+GOP+colleagues')">joined with their GOP colleagues to strip funding from the EPA. Countering this action is the stance of the Democrat-controlled Senate, highlighting one …

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Voter ID – zombie legislation that refuses to die

March 30, 2011 at 5:05 pm

For a party whose central tenet is supposed to revolve around individual rights and responsibilities, Republican strategists and policymakers seem to enjoy repression and restriction of said rights to stake out wins as of late.

Swing voters should feel cheated right about now. On the national and state level, they spoke loudly last fall, voting Republican in hopes of change, for jobs to be created, so things could get moving.

Instead, they got loud proclamations …

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Nuclear yes, but not without academic fireguards

March 21, 2011 at 1:24 pm

In the Keystone State, nuclear has moved ahead steadily, despite the 1970s threat that was the Three Mile Island fiasco. Without reported loss of life or irreparable damage to its neighboring community, costly houses and a mall with pricey (though discounted) wares sprouted and now stand in its shadow.
Three Mile Island has gone from iconic to nearly innocuous.

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Philadelphia’s mayoral race: An Estrogen Infusion?

March 8, 2011 at 4:23 am

There are a lot of things that could cripple pHer name recognition is shaky, even in her native South Philly, where up until about a week ago, she had been gathering petition signatures for a seat on City Council. A district seat. And an at-large seat. As a Democrat./p
pNow that she’s a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/city/20110303_Mayoral_hopeful___Time_for_a_woman_.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.philly.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fphilly%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fcity%2F20110303_Mayoral_hopeful___Time_for_a_woman_.html','cut+a+deal+with+the+city%E2%80%99s+anemic+GOP+leadership')"cut a deal with the city’s anemic GOP leadership/a, there’s a forthcoming “R” behind her name – in a town where Dems outnumber Republicans 6-1. And let’s be clear, the record of success among party-switchers here is blotchy./p
pArlen Specter, the most famed Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-Democrat, swapped affiliations when politically expedient but barely shifted his outlook. In the end, he overstayed his welcome and voters gave him the boot./p
pSam Katz, too, has been alternately a Democrat and a Republican – and 0-3 in his quest for the second floor office at Billy Penn’s home at Broad and Market streets./p
pState Rep. Vanessa Brown a href="http://www.seventy.org/Downloads/Election_Returns_&_Data/2004_General/Official_04%20Phila_County_%20Results_for_%20State_House%20_and%20_Senate.pdf" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.seventy.org']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seventy.org%2FDownloads%2FElection_Returns_%26amp%3B_Data%2F2004_General%2FOfficial_04%2520Phila_County_%2520Results_for_%2520State_House%2520_and%2520_Senate.pdf','slid+into+the+GOP+camp+for+a+hot+second')">slid into the GOP camp for a hot second when she challenged Tommy Blackwell for the seat she now holds, but wound up winning as a Democrat. And her West Philadelphia district is a whole lot smaller – and more forgiving.

Loyalty still counts for something here and jumping ship – in this case, pulling up stakes from Democratic City Committee, where Brown has been a …

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