Callahan says he would have opposed the bailouts (Updated)

Democratic congressional hopeful John Callahan is adamant that he would have voted against both financial bailouts that came before Congress in 2008—both the $700-billion measure that didn’t pass and the $850-billion bill that did.

“I want to be very clear about where I stand on both of those bailouts,” Callahan, the Bethlehem mayor, said in a recent interview with pa2010.com. “If I had to vote on either version of the bailout, I would have opposed…

June 14, 2010 at 9:45 am | Comments (2)

Callahan: Dent ‘in the pocket’ of Wall Street (Updated)

Democrat John Callahan’s campaign continues to bash Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) as a tool of Wall Street, using a new Web ad to rehash votes in considers Dent’s payback for tens of thousands in campaign contributions from the financial sector.

The 60-second Web ad, titled “A Dent in your pocket” and sent to the campaign’s list of more than 45,000 registered voters in the 15th District, is only the latest of

June 9, 2010 at 5:13 pm | Comments (3)

Dent robo-call blames Callahan for lost bond savings

Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) continues to go directly after Democratic challenger John Callahan’s legacy as Bethlehem mayor, using a new robo-call to resurrect a six-year-old bond refinancing on which the city lost more than $1.5 million worth of potential savings.

The issue is incredibly complex, and in the robo-call, Dent’s campaign seeks to blame Callahan for the lost savings, and for allegedly steering work to a preferred financial firm. But Dent’s campaign attack omits key…

June 9, 2010 at 5:03 pm | Comments (3)

LEFTOVERS: Obama & Sestak, Halliburton & Toomey, generals in Pa., Romney endorsements

There was apparently some intrigue on Wednesday when Joe Sestak wasn’t one of the elected officials who joined pSestak was on the other end of the state, but there were early conflicting accounts as to whether…

June 2, 2010 at 11:22 pm | Comments (3)

Dent calls ‘hypocrisy’ on Callahan over financial reform

Congressman Charlie Dent’s (R-15) campaign on Tuesday responded to a series of attacks from Democratic challenger John Callahan, calling out the Bethlehem mayor for criticizing Dent’s vote in favor of the 2008 financial bailout even though Callahan says he also would have supported the unpopular measure.

Citing a pa2010.com interview with Callahan’s campaign manager, Dent’s campaign said Callahan was trying to have it both ways.

“While Callahan has been engaged in confusing political double-speak, Congressman…

June 1, 2010 at 4:11 pm | Comments (1)

Robo-call hits Callahan over city lawsuit settlement

Telephones in the Lehigh Valley will soon be ringing with a robo-call from Congressman Charlie Dent’s campaign, one that looks to remind voters about a legal settlement that Bethlehem is still paying out because of Democratic challenger and Mayor John Callahan.

The call set to hit the 15th Congressional District Thursday resurrects the case of John Hirko Jr., a suspected drug dealer whose family sued Bethlehem after he was killed by police in a 1997…

May 27, 2010 at 5:25 pm | Comments (4)

In the 15th, tying Dent to Wall Street is the strategy

CLARIFICATION APPENDED (See bottom)

Democrat John Callahan’s campaign is mounting an aggressive effort to portray Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) as a patron of Wall Street interests, doggedly criticizing the incumbent for the campaign cash he gets from the financial sector and for his opposition to regulatory reforms. The strategy was well under way even before last week’s primary yielded the expected general election matchup between Dent and Callahan, the Bethlehem mayor and White House recruit.…

May 27, 2010 at 11:30 am | Comments (3)

Coleman group airs ad boosting Dent, Gerlach

Months ahead of competitive general election contests, Congressmen Jim Gerlach (R-6) and Charlie Dent (R-15) are already getting some help.

American Action Network, a conservative policy group, recently began airing a TV ad that bills the two incumbents as lawmakers who “understand what businesses need.”

The size of the ad buy remains unclear; since the spot doesn’t directly advocate the election or defeat of a political candidate, the group was not required to immediately disclose…

May 25, 2010 at 4:01 pm | Comments (6)

Callahan targets Dent on bailout votes

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan’s race against Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) doesn’t officially start until after Tuesday’s primary. But Callahan is laying the groundwork, and his campaign released its first Web ad of the campaign this week, hammering Dent for voting against the 2008 financial bailout bill only to change his vote when the measure was “loaded with pork projects.”

“Some fiscal conservative Dent turned out to be,” the 60-second ad says, underscoring Callahan’s efforts to…

May 16, 2010 at 5:00 pm | Comments (0)

For Dent, a primary light on paid media (Updated)

Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) isn’t expecting much of a fight from primary opponent Mat Benol—at least if his campaign’s paid media efforts are any indication.

When GOP voters go to the polls Tuesday, Dent’s campaign won’t have purchased a dime of of TV or radio time, according to campaign manager Shawn Millan. His campaign will have sent two pieces of direct mail. And a robo-call featuring Republican Pat Toomey, Dent’s predecessor who is running for…

May 15, 2010 at 5:16 pm | Comments (1)