Top 10 political bets for 2010

By ERIC EPSTEIN

Forget the other predictions. Here’s how it will all go down.

10. Bill DeWeese will be indicted before table games are legislated.

9. Tom Knox will officially change his name to Vince Fumo.

8. Gov. Ed Rendell will appoint Patrick Meehan to the Turnpike Commission.

22/04/09 at 1:59 pm | Comments (1)

How we Democrats can keep on winning

By JOE HOEFFEL

The 2010 elections will be a major challenge for the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania—to see whether we can build on the progressive and successful legacy of Gov. Ed Rendell by keeping the Governor’s office and whether we can send another Democrat to the U.S. Senate to support the Obama administration’s agenda of economic recovery and support for hardworking Pennsylvanians.

Pennsylvania Democrats need to step up and support the principles of our party …

22/04/09 at 12:15 pm | Comments (2)

Specter’s Santorum Syndrome

By TOM FERRICK

Is Arlen Specter suffering from the Rick Santorum Syndrome?

That’s my name for the malady that inflicts an incumbent whose negatives are so deep and fixed among voters that he cannot convince them to support him—no matter how much time, money and effort he puts into changing their minds.

Naturally, it’s named in honor of the former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania—that irrepressible conservative, Rick Santorum. By the time his re-election rolled around …

21/04/09 at 12:23 pm | Comments (3)

Laying the building blocks in 2009 for GOP victory in 2010

Pennsylvania Republicans have many reasons to be optimistic heading into the 2010 U.S. Senate and Gubernatorial elections. With a series of important victories in 2008 and 2009, a strong field of qualified candidates and an electorate tired of the Democrats’ wasteful spending policies in both Washington and Harrisburg, Republicans stand ready to achieve great success in the 2010 election cycle.

Our party will be entering the 2010 election cycle with the momentum of key victories …

21/04/09 at 12:12 pm | Comments (0)

A budget that’s more than numbers

When I was sworn in as a member of Congress in 2005, I reached out to secure a committee position on the House Budget Committee. I did so because I understand then, as I do today, that budgets are of critical importance. The federal budget is not abstract numbers on pages – it is a reflection of our priorities and values, and of the America we want to leave for our children and grandchildren.

19/04/09 at 6:48 pm | Comments (0)

The Taxman Cometh

Among the sneakiest things the government has done was institute a withholding tax system, and make some taxes “employer taxes”.

The withholding system makes taxes invisible to most citizens. When one asks a taxpayer how much they will pay this year, the most common answer is a smiling declaration of how big a refund is coming. Most of us have no idea how much we actually paid in taxes – even though it is written on our pay stubs. And most taxpayers also have no understanding of the fact that if they ARE getting a refund, it is because they gave the government an interest-free loan in the amount of that refund.

19/04/09 at 6:47 pm | Comments (1)

The Specter Myth

“He can win a General Election.”

“Independents and Democrats love him.”

“No other Republican can win the General Election.”

These are the common arguments advanced by Republican Party officials and political pundits alike when defending Arlen Specter just before his imminent primary rematch with former Congressman Pat Toomey.

With this battle royale about commence many pundits and GOP activists are concerned that if Arlen Specter were to lose in a primary, Republicans could lose the Senate seat. They cite electability as the main reason for not dumping Arlen in the primary in favor of a more principled candidate. However, what they don’t realize is that Arlen Specter’s general election numbers are at an all time low. In fact, he is 15 points lower than Rick Santorum was at this point leading up to his 2006 drubbing.

19/04/09 at 6:45 pm | Comments (0)

Another Tax Day, Another $265 billion

Another tax day is behind us, and most Americans are probably happy to see it gone. This gives us a good opportunity to reflect on our nation’s tax policy and evaluate where we are and where we are heading. Unfortunately, this year’s assessment carries little in the way of good news.

19/04/09 at 6:43 pm | Comments (0)