Lentz & Meehan agree on Israel—not much else

HAVERTOWN—It was a relatively tame display of two candidates expressing their solidarity with and support for Israel and its its security. But as the focus shifted to economic policy, the debate between Democrat Bryan Lentz and Pat Meehan turned heated.

By the time the hour was up Tuesday night, the two 7th District rivals had laid out starkly contrasting visions. And with Lentz aggressively looking to keep Meehan on the defensive for much of the …

September 22, 2010 at 6:00 am | Comments (12)

Marino on defense in first ad

Underfunded and under fire, Republican Tom Marino is up with his first TV ad of the campaign, using a 30-second spot to push back against the recent hits he’s taken from incumbent Democrat Chris Carney.

Marino’s first 30-second spot, which began airing Tuesday, only alludes to pThe ad says Carney is “lying” about Marino, before calling Marino a “man of honor” and highlighting his background as the son of a firefighter and, later, a career prosecutor./p
pThe ad does not say how Carney is lying; a href="http://www.pa2010.com/2010/09/ad-watch-carneys-clean-hit/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fad-watch-carneys-clean-hit%2F','pa2010.com+found+Carney%22s+ad+on+the+subject+to+warrant+a+fact-checking+score+of+Squeaky+Clean')" target="_blank"empa2010.com/em found Carney’s ad on the subject to warrant a fact-checking score of Squeaky Clean/a./p
pMarino faces a start cash deficit against Carney in the northeast Pennsylvania district. Carney has already been on the air for more than a month./p
pSee the ad below. It will be fact-checked later as part of a href="http://www.pa2010.com/2010/09/a-note-on-covering-ads/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fa-note-on-covering-ads%2F','pa2010.com%22s+AD+WATCH+feature')" target="_blank">pa2010.com‘s AD WATCH feature.

September 21, 2010 at 2:12 pm | Comments (15)

AD WATCH: Health care hits and misses from conservative groups

In four recent TV ads targeting Pennsylvania Democrats, a pair of conservative groups have said the newly-enacted health care law makes massive Medicate cuts, raises taxes and risks seniors losing their doctors.

The health care overhaul’s effect on Medicare is a hotly debated subject infused with tension. After examining the facts, we find these four ads from the 60 Plus Association and Americans for Job Security to be only HALF-TRUE. A separate Americans for …

September 21, 2010 at 12:03 pm | Comments (3)

Rothfus takes to TV with fiscal message

Six weeks before Election Day, Republican Keith Rothfus has taken his campaign against Congressman Jason Altmire (D-4) to the airwaves.

Rothfus’ first TV ad started airing Tuesday. A candidate who has turned heads with his fundraising ability after knocking off former U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan in the primary, he’s on the air earlier than Altmire was when he unseated Republican Melissa Hart in 2006. Altmire still enjoys a strong financial advantage, and has already …

September 21, 2010 at 10:52 am | Comments (9)

Kelly teams up with NRCC for ad buy

National Republicans have made their first coordinated ad buy with a candidate in Pennsylvania.

The National Republican Congressional Committee and 3rd District candidate Mike Kelly started airing a 30-second spot Monday, a part-positive, part-negative ad, as the Butler car dealer seeks to unseat incumbent Democrat Kathy Dahlkemper.

The ad takes the familiar GOP tack of tying Dahlkemper to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and faults her for supporting the economic stimulus package last year. It bills …

September 21, 2010 at 8:45 am | Comments (1)

Christie calls Meehan a ‘man of character’—campaign breaks $2M mark

SPRINGFIELD—One of the rising stars of the Republican Party came here to stump for congressional candidate Pat Meehan Monday night, as the 7th District candidate said a big infusion of cash had put his campaign over the $2-million mark for the cycle.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Meehan’s colleague when both were U.S. Attorneys, headlined a fundraiser at Springfield Country Club here, calling Meehan “a man of strong character and strong will.” Very much in …

September 21, 2010 at 7:30 am | Comments (8)

With boss under fire, Marino aide hedges on DOJ letter’s existence

In April, Republican congressional candidate Tom Marino told a talk-show radio host that he had permission from the Department of Justice to give a reference for a businessman’s gaming application, even as his U.S. Attorney’s office was investigating the same businessman. His campaign manager said a letter documenting that authorization would be released.

Then, months of silence followed, even as the radio host and Marino’s opponent pressured the 10th District candidate to release the letter. …

September 20, 2010 at 1:57 pm | Comments (7)

Dent ad questions Callahan’s budget-balancing

The latest ad from Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) calls into question Democratic challenger John Callahan’s professed reputation as a mayor who consistently balances the local budget in Bethlehem.

Dent’s 30-second spot, which started airing Monday, cites a recent audit that found the city facing a deficit.

Flashing pictures of President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the ad closes: “Callahan: Big spending, big deficits, financial disaster. Sound familiar?”

See the ad below. It will be …

September 20, 2010 at 12:59 pm | Comments (1)

AD WATCH: Carney’s clean hit

Congressman Chris Carney (D-10) used a recent TV ad to pThe 30-second spot is nothing if not harsh. But after carefully reviewing the facts, we find it to be worthy of our highest score, strongSQUEAKY CLEAN/strong. It is the first ad to be awarded this score./p
pa href="http://www.pa2010.com/2010/09/a-note-on-covering-ads/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fa-note-on-covering-ads%2F','%5BClick+here+to+read+more+about+our+AD+WATCH+fact-checking+series+and+the+different+scores.%5D')" target="_blank"[Click here to read more about our AD WATCH fact-checking series and the different scores.]/a/p
pThe ad, embedded at bottom opens with a narrator asking simply, and ominously:/p
p style="padding-left: 30px;"emWhat’s Tom Marino hiding?/em/p
pThe ad goes on to note that while U.S. Attorney, Marino provided a reference for Louis DeNaples’ gaming reference even his office was investigating the wealthy businessman (it does not mention DeNaples by name, but rather refers to him only as a “convicted felon”). The ad continues:/p
p style="padding-left: 30px;"emMarino says he was authorized to give the felon a reference, and has a letter to prove it. But, he refuses to release the letter. Why give a convicted felon a personal reference unless you wanted to work for him? In fact, Marino did—for a quarter-million dollars a year./em/p
pMarino’s campaign has called the ad “misleading.” But it has not provided any specifics as to how the ad is misleading, and the facts are difficult to dispute. Marino, who now acknowledges a long-standing relationship with DeNaples, does not deny giving DeNaples the reference for his gaming application. He told a radio talk-show host in April that he had authorization, and his campaign manager, speaking for Marino, said a letter documenting that would be released./p
pThe ad hit the airwaves before a href="http://www.pa2010.com/2010/09/marino-says-he-cant-release-doj-letter-as-report-indicates-it-doesnt-exist/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fmarino-says-he-cant-release-doj-letter-as-report-indicates-it-doesnt-exist%2F','Marino+said+last+week+he+didn%22t+have+authorization+to+release+the+letter%E2%80%94and+before+an+Associated+Press+report+indicated+it+may+not+exist.')" target="_blank">Marino said last week he didn’t have authorization to release the letter—and before an Associated Press report indicated it may not exist.

And Marino has not denied making just cents shy of $250,000 as a private attorney for DeNaples, a sum documented in his financial disclosures. Only Marino himself knows if he provided the reference specifically to get work later. But Carney’s campaign is not …

September 20, 2010 at 12:45 pm | Comments (8)

AD WATCH: Lentz fibs on pay raise, tax cuts

The first two TV ads from Democrat Bryan Lentz seem like standard political fare: …

September 20, 2010 at 10:43 am | Comments (0)