LEFTOVERS: Rendell on Obama, Gerlach gives to NRCC, vulnerable seats

President Obama is about to go on “The View”—but Gov. Ed Rendell thinks that’s not such a good idea because the president should only do “serious shows.”

“I think the president should be accessible, should answer questions that aren’t pre-screened, but I think there should be a little bit of dignity to the presidency,” Rendell said on MSNBC‘s “Morning Joe.”

We’re assuming Rendell’s rule doesn’t apply to governors, considering that the former Philadelphia mayor is…

July 27, 2010 at 3:44 pm | Comments (7)

DCCC ad buys include four Pa. incumbents

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s first major slate of ad buys for November will help boost four Pennsylvania incumbents.

Politico

July 23, 2010 at 12:45 pm | Comments (10)

Kanjorski tries to make the race all about Hazleton

With his opponent doing everything he can to make the race a referendum on incumbency and Washington, Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) is trying to turn the focus local, taking some hard swipes at Republican Lou Barletta’s stewardship of Hazleton.

The local focus, in campaign e-mail missives to reporters framing Barletta as a failed mayor, mirror efforts by Democratic incumbents across the country to localize races that Republicans prefer to play on national issues. Whether Kanjorski’s…

July 21, 2010 at 10:21 am | Comments (24)

Barletta gets $85K from Giuliani appearance

Add another $85,000 to Republican Lou Barletta’s campaign coffers.

The Times Leader, quoting a campaign spokesman, pa href="http://www.pa2010.com/2010/07/barletta-outraises-kanjorski-who-still-has-cash-edge/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fbarletta-outraises-kanjorski-who-still-has-cash-edge%2F','Barletta+bested+incumbent+Congressman+Paul+Kanjorski%22s+second-quarter+fundraising+haul')" target="_blank"Barletta bested incumbent Congressman Paul Kanjorski’s second-quarter fundraising haul/a, but still faces a financial disadvantage in the race, his third attempt at unseating the Democrat in eight years./p
pThe race is currently No. 2 on the empa2010.com/em a href="http://www.pa2010.com/congressional-power-rankings/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.pa2010.com']);return TrackClick("http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pa2010.com%2Fcongressional-power-rankings%2F','Congressional+Power+Rankings')" target="_blank">Congressional Power Rankings.

July 21, 2010 at 7:30 am | Comments (2)

Barletta outraises Kanjorski, who still has cash edge

Republican Lou Barletta faces a significant financial disadvantage in his race against Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11). But at least for one cycle, the Hazleton mayor can boast being a better fundraiser.

Barletta raised almost $212,000 in May and June, according to

July 16, 2010 at 12:22 pm | Comments (3)

Kanjorski has over $1M on hand

With a re-rematch looming, Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) can now boast more than $1 million in the bank.

Kanjorski raised about $175,000 over the last two months, and finished June with a bank balance of just over $1 million, according to newly filed

July 15, 2010 at 4:18 pm | Comments (0)

Internal Barletta poll has him up big

An internal poll commissioned by Republican Lou Barletta’s campaign has the Hazleton mayor holding a big lead in his third run for Congress.

A poll memo describing the survey,

July 15, 2010 at 12:33 pm | Comments (1)

Barletta hitting the airwaves Wednesday

Lou Barletta is set to take his third campaign against Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11) to TV.

Barletta, the Republican mayor of Hazleton, will begin airing his first TV ad of the cycle on Wednesday, his campaign said. The 30-second spot highlights Barletta’s tenure as mayor. And while it doesn’t mention Kanjorski by name, the incumbent’s face flashes across the screen as a narrator asks: “Do we want more negative political attacks, or a proven leader…

July 13, 2010 at 12:17 pm | Comments (1)

Barletta claims $500K raised, ahead of ’08 pace

Republican Lou Barletta says he’s ahead of where he was last time around in the fundraising game.

Barletta’s 11th District congressional campaign said Monday that it has raised more than half-a-million dollars since entering the race late last year. More details will be disclosed in campaign finance reports filed later this week. But the campaign said it was on the right track to beat incumbent Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-11), after falling short against him in…

July 12, 2010 at 3:52 pm | Comments (2)

POST-HIATUS RECAP: Corbett’s gaffe, a Dem petition pile on, action in the 11th

A surprising amount of news happened while we were taking a little breather last week. So before we move forward, it seemed prudent to offer up a little recap.

The story of last week had to be Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett’s comments that Pennsylvanians are purposefully staying jobless to collect unemployment benefits. The attorney general made the claim during a radio interview Friday, during which he said: “People don’t want to come back to…

July 12, 2010 at 12:25 pm | Comments (4)