LEFTOVERS: More Marino trouble, Biden to PSU, Crossroads hits Sestak (again)

Republican Tom Marino just can’t stay out of the headlines—and not in a good way.

Already under fire for full story

September 23, 2010 at 3:46 pm | Comments (6)

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 full story

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 Job…

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

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)

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…

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

Labor’s mailers target Toomey, House hopefuls

The next round of organized labor’s big direct-mail campaign is zeroing in on Republican Senate candidate Pat Toomey and five GOP House candidates.

The AFL-CIO mailers, obtained by pa2010.com ahead of their formal release Monday morning, are part of pThe direct-mailers, part of a campaign that includes more than 2 million mail pieces that will hit homes across the country, hew to the familiar Democratic attack lines this cycle. The mailer targeting Toomey says he “profited while working families struggled.” The pieces targeting 8th District Republican Mike Fitzpatrick and 10th District Republican Tom Marino depict an elderly union couple saying: “We worked hard. We did everything we were supposed to do. Now Mike Fitzpatrick wants to change the rules.”/p
pOther mailers targeting Mike Kelly in the 3rd District, Pat Toomey in the 7th District and Tim Burns in the 12th District accuse the GOP nominees of pledging to protect tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. The attack refers to the Americans for Tax Reform pledge that a plethora of candidates have signed. It doesn’t actually pledge those candidates to protect such tax breaks as a rule, but the conservative group has said that some measures which would end the tax breaks would also violate the pledge./p
pa href="http://www.pa2010.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/PA-SEN-Toomey-neg-2-FINAL.pdf" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F09%2FPA-SEN-Toomey-neg-2-FINAL.pdf','Click+here+to+see+the+mailer+targeting+Toomey.')" target="_blank"Click here to see the mailer targeting Toomey./a/p
pa href="http://www.pa2010.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/AFL1039_PA031.pdf" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F09%2FAFL1039_PA031.pdf','Click+here+to+see+the+mailer+targeting+Kelly.')" target="_blank">Click here to see the mailer targeting Kelly.

pa href="http://www.pa2010.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/AFL1084_PA081.pdf" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F09%2FAFL1084_PA081.pdf','Click+here+to+see+the+mailer+targeting+Fitzpatrick.')" target="_blank"Click here to see the mailer targeting Fitzpatrick./a/p
pa href="http://www.pa2010.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/AFL1084_PA101.pdf" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F09%2FAFL1084_PA101.pdf','Click+here+to+see+the+mailer+targeting+Carney.')" target="_blank">Click here to see the mailer targeting Carney.

full story

September 20, 2010 at 9:09 am | Comments (0)

LEFTOVERS: Obama endorsements, a new tack on Toomey, Carney news galore

In reporting on p“And with so much still left to be done, and too many families struggling to get by, we need to keep America moving forward—which means I need you to support Manan Trivedi for Congress,” Obama wrote about the 6th District candidate…

September 17, 2010 at 6:16 pm | Comments (3)

Marino says he can’t release DOJ letter, as report indicates it doesn’t exist

Tom Marino’s story just got a lot harder to sell.

After being pressured for weeks by reporters, a radio host and his opponent, the former U.S. Attorney who’s running for Congress said Friday that he isn’t authorized to release a Department of Justice letter in which he claims he was given permission to serve as a reference for a businessman’s gaming application—even as his office was investigating the same businessman. But less than two hours…

September 17, 2010 at 5:52 pm | Comments (31)

Report: NRCC could spend more than $500K on Marino

With Republican Tom Marino struggling to raise money, it looks like he’ll be getting some significant help from his friends in Washington.

The National Republican Congressional Committee might spend $595,000 in the 10th District for TV buys running through October.

Nothing has hit the airwaves yet. But the spending decisions,

September 17, 2010 at 10:30 am | Comments (1)

Marino camp wants some Palin love

Republican Tom Marino is hoping Sarah Palin will find the time to boost his congressional campaign.

Marino’s spokesman said the campaign is in talks with the former Alaska governor’s political action committee. Palin has made some waves this election cycle with a series of endorsements in Republican primaries. Marino already won his three-way primary, and faces Congressman Chris Carney (D-10) in November.

“We have had talks with Palin about coming to the area, but nothing…

September 16, 2010 at 9:18 am | Comments (3)