Murphy outraises Fitzpatrick, has about $1.3 in the bank

Former congressman Mike Fitzpatrick put up some impressive fundraising numbers in the first quarter of this year, but current Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8) raised more.

Murphy raked in about $586,000 from January through March, according to a campaign insider. His quarterly campaign finance report had not yet been published online early Thursday afternoon, but the campaign insider said Murphy has now raised more than $2 million for the cycle, and finished the period with about…

April 15, 2010 at 1:28 pm | Comments (19)

PelosiCare accountability tour continues

Last month, members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation followed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lead and voted to pass a 2,309 page government-run, taxpayer-funded health care bill that will raise costs, kill jobs and drive a government-sized wedge between patients and their doctors.

Over the last few weeks, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania has been working hard to make sure voters know which Democratic members of Congress voted for this atrocious bill. We have also been inviting…

April 12, 2010 at 1:27 pm | Comments (7)

Fitzpatrick says he’s raised half-a-million

Republican Mike Fitzpatrick said Friday that he raised about $510,000 in the two months since launching his bid to retake the 8th District House seat he lost in 2006, an impressive fundraising pace that could help cement his status as one of the country’s most formidable congressional challengers.

Campaign finance reports won’t be filed until next week, but Fitzpatrick’s campaign claimed that 96 percent of the money had come from individual donors, while 97 percent…

April 9, 2010 at 2:49 pm | Comments (20)

O’Brien hits Kanjorski over reported appropriations vote

When Pennsylvania’s delegation of congressional Democrats met last week to vote on who would replace the late John Murtha on the powerful Appropriations Committee, they did so by secret ballot. But lawmakers often know which votes they do—or don’t—have lined up, and multiple news reports have indicated that Congressman Paul Kankjorski (D-11) cast the deciding vote for Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8).

That means he was voting against Congressman Chris Carney (D-10), with whom Kanjorski shares…

March 28, 2010 at 1:36 pm | Comments (14)

Murphy also report threats

Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8) says he’s also on the receiving end of threats in the wake of his recent vote for health care reform legislation.

The Inquirer

March 28, 2010 at 1:23 pm | Comments (13)

Report: Murphy likely heading to appropriations

Congressman Patrick Murphy’s profile looks like it’s about to get bigger.

PoliticsPA

March 25, 2010 at 8:55 pm | Comments (29)

Jones blasts Carlineo for ballot challenge

Republican James Jones is lashing out at 8th District primary opponent Gloria Carlineo for her campaign’s challenge of his nominating petitions, calling it a “waste of time and resources.”

Carlineo’s campaign coordinator Kelly Unger filed the challenge to keep Jones off the ballot earlier this week. Jones is one of several Republicans seeking the party’s nod to take on Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8).

Jones also called hypocrisy on Carlineo, a local party committeewoman who has…

March 19, 2010 at 10:36 am | Comments (33)

Two from Pa. heading ‘Red to Blue’

Two House Democrats from the Keystone State are helping to head up the party’s campaign efforts at capturing Republican-held seats.

Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8) and Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-13) were among four co-chairs of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program announced Monday. In addition to aiding challengers, the program also assists in open-seat races.

Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-Md.) and Congressman Bruce Braley (D-Ia.) are also co-chairing the program.

“The DCCC is focused…

March 8, 2010 at 1:20 pm | Comments (4)

The brewing battle in the 8th (Updated)

CORRECTION APPENDED (See bottom)

TV journalist Larry Kane said this week that the race in the 8th District will be “one of the greatest congressional congressional races in the nation”—and that it will end with a

February 24, 2010 at 12:27 pm | Comments (16)

LEFTOVERS: NEPA unions for Specter, Sestak bests him on environement, Carlineo in ‘Young Guns’

A few items slipped by us earlier in the week.

A couple unions of teachers and firefighters in northeast Pennsylvania endorsed Senator Arlen Specter’s reelection bid. The incumbent’s been picking up a bunch of labor endorsements recently, and the latest came from unions representing almost 2,000 workers. “Senator Specter has a long and outstanding history of supporting firefighters, labor, and working families in out state and nation,” Dave Gervasi, president of the Northeast Pennsylvania Professional…

February 23, 2010 at 5:11 pm | Comments (3)