Conservative group targets Dahlkemper, Kanjorski on health care

A conservative-leaning advocacy group for seniors is going after congressional incumbents Kathy Dahlkemper and Paul Kanjorski as part of a new TV campaign targeting Democratic lawmakers who supported the newly enacted health care law.

The group, the 60 Plus Association, is running similar 30-second spots in close to a dozen congressional districts throughout the country. In Pennsylvania, voters in Dahlkemper’s 3rd District and Kanjorski’s 11th District will see the ads. Together, they are two of…

September 9, 2010 at 8:23 am | Comments (2)

Barletta on local unemployment rate: Not my fault

Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) has tried to make Hazleton’s unemployment rate a defining factor of his race against Republican Lou Barletta, the city’s mayor. Barletta says Kanjorski is pinning the blame on the wrong donkey.

“People are struggling all over the country,” Barletta full story

September 7, 2010 at 9:15 am | Comments (0)

Latest Kanjorski ad talks Social Security

A new TV ad from Congressman Paul Kanjorski’s (D-11) campaign picks up a familiar Democratic strategy of painting Republicans as enemies of Social Security.

The 30-second spot, which Kanjorski’s campaign said would begin airing on TV Tuesday, notes the recent anniversary of the entitlement program’s inception, and hearkens back to former President George W. Bush’s drive to privatize parts of the program.

“Social Security is celebrating its 75th Birthday,” the ad says. “Republicans want it…

September 7, 2010 at 8:55 am | Comments (1)

Kanjorski supports ending tax cuts for wealthy

Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) says it’s time to repeal those tax cuts for wealthy Americans.

Appearing at a seniors’ center in Scranton Thursday, Kanjorski said the tax cuts enacted during the Bush administration should be kept in place for the middle class. But repealing the cuts for upper-income earners, he said, is needed to reduce the growing federal deficit. Most economists and nonpartisan budget scorers blame the tax cuts for a large bulk of the…

September 3, 2010 at 9:23 am | Comments (0)

Scranton Dem endorses Barletta

Republican Lou Barletta has gotten some cross-party support for his congressional bid—albeit from someone who used to be in the GOP himself.

Scranton City Councilman Pat Rogan endorsed Barletta’s campaign against Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) Thursday, calling the Hazleton mayor “the best person to represent the people of Scranton.” Rogan ran unsuccessful council campaigns as a Republican before being elected as a Democrat last year, and is now the chamber’s vice president.

“This isn’t the…

September 2, 2010 at 7:13 am | Comments (6)

Kanjorski’s first ad hits Barletta as ‘failed mayor’

Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) has taken his reelection bid to local TV screens in northeast Pennsylvania, using his campaign’s first 30-second spot to pointedly attack Republican challenger Lou Barletta’s legacy as mayor of Hazleton.

Kanjorski’s started airing the ad late last week, and his campaign said media buys of both cable and broadcast would continue through Election Day. Reflecting the bitter rivalry between the two candidates and the reality that Kanjorski faces a daunting anti-incumbent,…

August 30, 2010 at 1:49 pm | Comments (6)

LEFTOVERS: Corbett hits back, CQ on Kanjo cash, endorsements & jobs in the 6th

The nonstop tax attacks from Democrat Dan Onorato must finally be getting under gubernatorial rival Tom Corbett’s skin, because his campaign, which ordinarily pAfter Onorato spent a second consecutive day a href="http://www.pa2010.com/2010/08/onorato-sees-a-flip-flop-in-corbetts-tax-pledge/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fonorato-sees-a-flip-flop-in-corbetts-tax-pledge%2F','hitting+Corbett+on+the+subject+of+taxes')" target="_blank"hitting Corbett on the subject of taxes/a, Corbett’s campaign e-mailed reporters a list Wednesday of all…

August 25, 2010 at 9:12 pm | Comments (0)

GOP pollsters see challengers leading in four Pa. races

Republican pollsters looking at four competitive House districts in Pennsylvania say the GOP challengers in those races are holding leads over Democratic incumbents—and sometimes big leads that come in spite of low name recognition for the Republicans.

Whit Ayres’ polling firm conducted the surveys on behalf of American Action Forum—part of the conservative group American Action Network led by former Senator Norm Coleman, among others. The results were first

August 17, 2010 at 8:15 am | Comments (7)

LEFTOVERS: Vets in the 10th, JoePa in the 11th, Tea Party (again) on the 7th

It was a day for veterans to speak out in the 10th Congressional District Tuesday.

First, incumbent Democrat Chris Carney rolled out his military-guy-supporters to speak out against Republican opponent Tom Marino. You might remember that full story

August 10, 2010 at 11:55 pm | Comments (5)

Barletta camp says he started it all on immigration

A day after a judge struck down key components of Arizona’s controversial immigration law, Republican Lou Barletta was claiming credit for sparking a “national movement” of local and state governments taking immigration enforcement into their own hands.

In a new campaign Web video, the 11th District congressional hopeful hearkened back to the tough immigration ordinance he enacted as mayor of Hazleton in 2006. A federal judge later struck down that law.

July 29, 2010 at 7:10 pm | Comments (5)