Free Republic

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett has announced that 10 Republicans connected to the Pennsylvania Legislature, including former Speaker of the House John Perzel, have been charged in scheme masterminded by Perzel to funnel $10 million in tax dollars to political campaigns.

New Jersey Governer-elect Chris Christie will headline a Dec. 2 fundraiser for congressional candidate Pat Meehan who is seeking to swing the Pennsylvania 7th seat now held by Joe Sestak back to the GOP. With Sestak running for senate, the front-runner to represent the Dems in the race is State Rep. Bryan Lentz (D-161) albeit it State Rep. Greg Vitali (D-166), environmental lawyer Gail Conner, and political consultant Teresa Touey have also expressed interest in the seat.

Not only was Congressman Joe "Grandma Doesn't Need That Pacemaker, And We Don't Like Children Anyhow" Sestak (D-7Pa.) among the 220 votes last night for socializing American medicine, he was also among the 194 opposing the Stupak Amendment that would have kept the public tax-supported plan from covering abortions. Approval of the Stupak Amendment was required for the socialism to proceed. I guess we know where Joe's priorities lie -- socialism is good but abortion is better.

Only hours after Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6) announced that he would run for Governor, state Representative Curt Schroder (R-Chester) declared his candidacy to replace Gerlach in the 6th District. Schroder had long said he would vie for Gerlach’s seat if the four-term Congressman stepped aside in favor of a gubernatorial run, and after filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission weeks ago, his announcement was mostly a formality. But as Democrats continue to coalesce around Doug Pike, the contours of the race are becoming increasingly clear. “I have decided to enter this race to ensure that the values that built...

Sen. John Cornyn’s Facebook friends aren’t in a very friendly mood. The Texas Republican’s page on the popular social networking website has been filled with comments like this one from a Florida real estate broker: “As soon as I read of your endorsement of Charlie Crist, I sent in a donation to the Marco Rubio campaign.” A new Facebook group has since cropped up challenging members to give “not one penny” to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), of which Cornyn is chairman. The online group’s description says: “First they supported Chafee. Then they supported Specter. Now they support Crist.”...

During the 1980 Conservative Republican revolution, President Reagan introduced a "big tent" philosophy into the Republican party, however this big tent revolved around a set group of Conservative principles which could not be ignored. These principles included fiscal conservatism, limited government, strong national defense, and family values became the set principles of the Republican party. In reality, Reagan wanted all that agreed with a set number of principles first, then strayed on other issues later. Over the past 4 years, the party corrupted by 5 terms in power began spending like liberals, expanding government, and even at times voting anti-family...

1,050 people signed the PETITION to EXPEL SPECTER from the GOP. The petition was first posted on February 13, 2009. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/expel-specter.html

When I reported on the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference (PLC) in Harrisburg last month, one of the things that was most startling was the number of elected officials who were critical of Sen. Arlen Specter (R.-Penn) and supportive of conservative primary challenger Pat Toomey. Numerous state representatives and senators from the Keystone State among the record crowd of 600-plus attendees freely volunteered to me that they would support the insurgent former Rep. Toomey over the 79-year-old Specter, who has held the Senate seat since 1980. It is easy to get conservative activists to condemn a moderate or liberal Republican incumbent in...

I have beaten up Senator Specter pretty well on this site and I do still want the GOP to expel him, but I must give him credit when it is due. Yesterday, the Senator sent the following email stating that he will oppose card check, a bill that would deny workers the right to a secret ballot on unionization votes: Dear Pennsylvania Constituent, After giving exhaustive consideration to the Employee Free Choice legislation, I have decided to oppose the bill for reasons specified in my Senate floor statement which is contained below or you may read here and watch here....

"Benedict Arlen" Specter defended his betrayals of conservative principles in an editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday. In his editorial, 'Rising above Partisanship,'Specter referred to the Stimulus Bill, TARP, and future legislation with this quote from President John Kennedy: "Sometimes party loyalty asks too much." Specter's full editorial can be seen at:http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20090310_Rising_above_partisanship.html?viewAll=Y&text=#comments Petition to Expel Specter from GOP: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/expel-specter.html

Last night, Senator Specter once again betrayed his GOP constituents by voting in favor of the omnibus spending bill. The bill gave Specter $25 million in earmarks. If you believe that it is time for him to go, sign the PETITION TO EXPEL SPECTER from the GOP at: gopetition.com/petitions/expel-specter/sign.html Senator Specter has voted against the republican position more than 600 times since 2000.

United States Representative Jim Gerlach tells 69 News he is considering a run for governor of Pennsylvania. Gerlach says he's been approached by members of the Republican Party about entering the race. He says he'll make up his mind about whether to run in the upcoming weeks. The next election for governor is in 2010. Gerlach was recently elected to a fourth term in Congress, representing parts of Berks, Chester, Lehigh, and Montgomery counties. Gerlach has also served in the Pennsylvania House and Senate. Attorney General Tom Corbett and former U.S. attorney in Philadelphia Patrick Meehan have also been mentioned...

Bob with his pen in hand, goes on a one-man assault on those that allowed the Republicans to “Fall So Far From Grace”. Maybe it is something we all need to do!

It is no secret that Obama and Ayers have a longstanding relationship. Obama tries to downplay it as "sitting on Boards together". WELL -- That's the problem. WHat is the Woods foundation, and what do they do? For one, they profess to seek progressive education (which led to nothing but lower scores in south chicago). HERE is something to consider when wondering -- WHAT THE HECK ARE AYERS AND OBAMA UP TO ANYWAY? http://obamacensors.sitebooth.com/ProgressiveEd.html

Senator Barack Obama spoke at the intersection of South 52nd St. and Locust St. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was one of four stops in he made in Pennsylvania that day. BHO's intro is 'Must-See-TV' for those of us with a bit of trepidation about this election.

Who are these people in this photograph? The picture was taken at Saturday at Philadelphia's Park Hyatt Hotel. Others who saw the foursome verify the authenticity of this photograph to ABC News' Imtiyaz Delawala, who is traveling with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Why would these four think this is acceptable discourse? Why would they think wearing these shirts would accomplish anything other than win votes for the McCain-Palin ticket? Vile.

Former Pennsylvania Rep. Melissa Hart lost her 2006 race to Democrat Jason Altmire by four points, a margin close enough for Hart to give the race a second shot. A new poll conducted for the Republican's campaign shows the rematch will be just as close. The survey, conducted 8/17-18 by Public Opinion Strategies for Hart's campaign and the National Republican Congressional Committee, surveyed 400 likely voters for a margin of error of +/- 4.9%. Altmire and Hart were tester. General Election Matchup Altmire.........49 Hart............44 Generic Dem.....40 Generic GOPer...37 McCain..........52 Obama...........39 Pennsylvania turned out to be one of the better states...

A prominent Philadelphia attorney and Hillary Clinton supporter filed suit this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee. The action seeks an injunction preventing the senator from continuing his candidacy and a court order enjoining the DNC from nominating him next week, all on grounds that Sen. Obama is constitutionally ineligible to run for and hold the office of President of the United States. Phillip Berg, the filing attorney, is a former gubernatorial and senatorial candidate, former chair of the Democratic Party in Montgomery (PA)...

Barack Obama leads John McCain by five percentage points in Pennsylvania for the second month in a row. Both candidates have lost some support from a month ago, with the Democrat now favored by 45% while his Republican opponent earns the vote from 40%. When “leaners” are included, Obama’s lead is down to just three points, 48% to 45%. A month ago, Obama led by six when leaners were included. The data in Pennsylvania reflects patterns seen elsewhere in recent polling. McCain has more support from Republicans than Obama does from Democrats, and McCain also wins more crossover votes from...

Readers may recall that I'm a bit down on the prospect of John McCain finding a running mate who will do him more good than harm. However, one person who might fit this description is John Kasich. He was a popular nine-term Congressman from Ohio, a state Republicans desperately need to carry. And he's originally from western Pennsylvania, another key area. Kasich seems to possess a blue collar appeal that his party desperately needs. To be sure, he was never a Senator or a Governor, but he held a leadership position in the House, serving as Chairman of the Budget...

The Dems have their final trainwreck prior to the Pennsylvania primary and it promises to be a show. The National Constitution Center is a beautiful building and it's nice to see Philly in the spotlight. 8:03: Obama's special interest rhetoric grates on me as he's taking money from just about everyone. Oil companies come to mind first. 8:04: Clinton speaking now and talking about the Constitution and going right to the liberal playbook: government is not doing enough for people. We've come a far way from "not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for...

Dear JJ, I want to personally thank you for all you've done to support our campaign. Your continuing commitment over the past months to the values we share means so much to me. With the Pennsylvania primary approaching on April 22 and important states following soon after, I need your involvement now more than ever. The stakes couldn't be higher, as you well know. If we want to end the war in Iraq, restore America's reputation in the world, rebuild the middle class, reform our government, and provide affordable health care for all, we need to work together. The Republicans...

Rep. Patrick J. Murphy (D-Pa.) has been one of the most high-profile freshman members of Congress in his first term. As one of Barack Obama’s most visible supporters in Pennsylvania, he routinely appears as a surrogate to tout Obama’s candidacy. And because he is the only Iraq war veteran serving in Congress, Democrats have turned to Murphy as someone with the credibility to speak out against the war. But while Murphy has emerged as a rising star in Democratic circles, Republicans have quietly recruited a candidate with an equally compelling story who is now on pace to raise the amount...

"And [these small towns] fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not..." Obama reportedly continued. "It's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." -Senator Barack Obama April 2008, San Francisco If you go to the most expensive private school in Hawaii and then move on to Columbia University and Harvard Law School, you may not understand...

A wheelchair manufacturing company owned by congressional candidate Dan Meuser and his family paid a $23,000 fine in 1997 for employing illegal immigrants. Mr. Meuser, president of Exeter-based Pride Mobility Products, acknowledged the fine in an interview and said the complaint by what was then the Immigration and Naturalization Service was prompted by the company’s hiring of three illegal immigrants. The workers presented the company 13 years ago, then known as Pride Health Care Inc., with false identification that included fake Social Security numbers. Fighting illegal immigration has been a linchpin of Mr. Meuser’s campaign. In a television ad aired...

In 2006, Chris Carney, a liberal college professor, took the seat. This year, we at RedState hope to take it back with Chris Hackett. Mr. Hackett, a CPA, is both a fiscal and social conservative. He is pro-life and anti-earmarks. His opponent, Chris Carney, has been spending federal dollars on earmarks claiming they bring the bacon home to the tenth. The problem is, Carney can't explain how his vote for fruit fly research in France brings jobs home. Chris Hackett, on the other hand, can deftly explain how growth in Washington kills jobs in the 10th. The 10th Congressional District...

Pennsylvania Republican Melissa A. Hart, who in 2006 lost the House seat she had held for three terms, now has a clear path to a rematch with freshman Democratic Rep. Jason Altmire in the Pittsburgh-area 4th Congressional District. Ron Francis, a former councilman in Allegheny County, is withdrawing from competition with Hart in the April 22 Republican primary, according to a statement from Francis that was circulated on Thursday by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). The committee is the political arm of the Republican minority in the U.S. House, and will provide support to Hart in her effort to...

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - When former House Speaker Newt Gingrich decided in late September he would not run for president this year, Bob Walker went looking for another Republican he could support. He found Fred Thompson. "I'm interested in somebody who is seriously considering the issues not just as a political gimmick, but has real, long-term ideas in mind for fixing some very large problems we face immediately and down the road," Walker says. "I came to the conclusion that Fred Thompson was the guy in the race who had that kind of serious attitude," says Walker, a Lititz resident...

Over the weekend, voters in Don Sherwood’s congressional district began receiving “A personal note from Carol Sherwood” in which the congressman’s wife decries the political commercials that refer to her husband’s affair. The six-paragraph typed note signed by Carol Sherwood – her first public comment on her husband’s affair – accuses Democratic challenger Chris Carney of using “negative campaigning” and “a personal attack” in political ads centered on her husband’s affair with a younger woman who claimed the congressman abused her. “The negative ads approved by Chris Carney seem to be needlessly cruel. Private humiliation is one thing to endure,...

>Don Sherwood-R 30,867 Kathy Scott-R 23,826 >Chris Carney-D 22,338

Diana Irey will be a guest on the Quinn & Rose morning drive-time radio show, Wednesday May 3rd.The show airs from 6am-9am EST on Clear Channel 104.7FM and around the world on satellite xm channel 165. Diana will be on during the 8am-8:30am segment.Info on the station is available at warroom.com

Dear Fellow American, As I travel across my home state of Pennsylvania and the nation, I hear conservative after conservative voice the same complaint... ..."our leaders are increasingly betraying our values, our principles and beliefs." Well, I can't speak for other conservative leaders. But I'm not afraid to stand up and let everyone know exactly where I stand on the issues... I make it clear that I strongly believe that: You deserve to keep more of your hard-earned money and we need to make tax relief permanent Parents know what's best for their children and their children's education -- not...

President Bush did not actually invite the Taliban to visit Texas. He merely voiced his approval, in reference to the invitation, his buddies in Unocal set forth to the Taliban. No other clarifications are necessary, for the truth cannot be improved upon. I’ve listened closely to all the responses, and in doing so, I‘ve become confused about what a “Conservative”, actually is. It has always been my impression that conservatives believe in hard work, character, integrity, and above all, self-reliance. Many times I’ve heard tales of conservatives that started from nothing, and using sheer determination and will, maybe some inherent...

President Bush did not actually invite the Taliban to visit Texas. He merely voiced his approval, in reference to the invitation, his buddies in Unocal set forth to the Taliban. No other clarifications are necessary, for the truth cannot be improved upon. I’ve listened closely to all the responses, and in doing so, I‘ve become confused about what a “Conservative”, actually is. It has always been my impression that conservatives believe in hard work, character, integrity, and above all, self-reliance. Many times I’ve heard tales of conservatives that started from nothing, and using sheer determination and will, maybe some inherent...

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO BE A PART OF PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY! ON APRIL 24TH, 7:00PM, AT THE HOLIDAY INN, GREENTREE PITTSBURGH, PA Click here for directions: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hd/pitgt THE PENNSYLVANIA REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY, "The Republican Wing of the Republican Party" WILL OFFICIALLY KICKOFF ITS REORGANIZATION WITH FORMER CONGRESSMAN PAT TOOMEY, PRESIDENT, CLUB FOR GROWTH AS KEYNOTE SPEAKER. NATIONAL FEDERATION OF REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLIES PRESIDENT RICHARD ENGLE WILL BE THERE AND PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE NATIONAL SCENE. http://www.gopwing.com PA RA PRESIDENT ANDY DLINN WILL DETAIL STATEWIDE PLANS TO RECRUIT CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES AND EXPLAIN THE CRITERIA FOR ENDORSING QUALIFIED CANDIDATES. THIS EVENT PROMISES TO...

I sold some items to a customer of my eBay store this week, and today a packaged arrived from him in the mail with a cover letter and several letters to Senator Rick Santorum, Chief Deputy Attorney General Frank Fina, Arlen Specter, Vincent Fumo, Attorney General Tom Corbett or Pennsylvania. The cover letter speaks of how he was wrongly incarcerated for a crime and how he compares his incarceration with serving time in a domestic war, and how after March 16, 2006 he will stop paying taxes and that he challenges the government to come after him. On the face...

MICHELMAN FOR SENATE? [Kathryn Jean Lopez] Will Kate Michelman get into the Pennsylvania Senate race? From the Legal Times (sub. only): Already frustrated with the Democratic Party for putting forward an anti-abortion candidate to run against Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, Kate Michelman, former president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, says she has been asked by a number of women's groups and Democratic donors to jump into the hotly contested U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania as an independent. The final straw? When Santorum's Democratic challenger, Bob Casey, endorsed the nomination of Samuel Alito Jr. to the U.S. Supreme Court. 'After Casey announced...

Marrone Considering Congressional Run PoliticsPA has learned that Republican Christian Marrone is considering a run for the GOP nomination in the 13th Congressional District. Marrone, who previously served under Montgomery District Attorney Bruce Castor, now works in Washington as a Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense. He briefly considered a run for congress in 2004. Marrone would be forced to resign his job before announcing his candidacy. With deep ties in the district to both Republicans and Democrats, Marrone would be a threat to current frontrunner Raj Bhakta.

Swann endorses Matthews By: MARGARET GIBBONS, Times Herald Staff 12/22/2005 COURTHOUSE - Republican gubernatorial hopeful Lynn Swann is throwing his support behind the lieutenant governor candidacy of Montgomery County Commissioners Chairman James R. Matthews. In a letter sent this week to county GOP Chairman Ken Davis, Swann acknowledged his support for Matthews was twofold - that they were both on the same page philosophically and that Matthews' presence on the November election ballot would balance the GOP ticket. "Jim will also bring strength to the ticket in one of the most important battleground areas," said Swann in the letter. "I...

You guys should check this group out. I met one of their members out in Ohio working with a congressional candidate. They knew what they were doing and I was impressed but i didn't realize that Alex had his own team until yesterday. I looked at their website its got some really solid ideas in terms of strategy. Check it out: http://www.vandenberg-strategies.com

Andrew L. Warren, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation district administrator and former longtime Republican Bucks County commissioner who recently switched to the Democratic Party, said he's considering a run for Republican Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick's 8th District seat in 2006.

In addition to Hafer, George Matta, the Allegheny County clerk of courts, said he hopes to make a decision soon on whether to enter the race.

Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak, a former pro football player, is considering a run at the Democratic nomination for U.S. Rep. Don Sherwood's seat.

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Sources: Casey Announcement on Senate Race Imminent; Will Challenge Santorum PoliticsPA is the first to report that State Treasurer Bobby Casey Jr. has decided to challenge Senator Rick Santorum. Casey is long considered the most formidable challenger to our junior Senator, and promises to be among the most highly-watched and costly races of the 2006 campaign cycle. Later this week, the Democratic leaders from the United States Senate will be in Philadelphia. Sources also tell PoliticsPA that former Treasurer Barbara Hafer is also likely run. EMILY's List, the pro-choice women's PAC has pledged to support Hafer over Casey in the...

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Decision 2004: American Jews must make our voices heard American Jews, who value Israel's security, have an important stake in this election. Senator John Kerry has been endorsed by Arafat, and hundreds of Muslim leaders, including the Protocol spouting form PM of Malaysia, Mohammed Mahathir. Senator Kerry's vision is increased reliance on the UN and European Union, both of which are anti-Israel. He has made it clear that he would support former President Carter, James Baker, or someone similar to pressure Israel on the Palestinians. President Bush, while imperfect on Israel, has supported the right of Israel to define the...

While there are many conservative men and women challengers running for the Senate, House, and state-wide offices in New York, it is likely that few, if any will win. Despite my many qualms with the Bush administrations moderate and liberal policies, I see the presidential race as the most important race in this region. While there is no way that Bush could carry NY State, PA and NJ are close races. The RNC and Bush-Cheney re-election campaigns are doing a fair job of mobilizing New Yorkers to come to PA and, to a lesser degree, NJ. However, these efforts are...

Every republican should by Fahrenhype 9/11. Then they should have a party watching first MOOREs movie and then the rebuttal. This is the best way to get liberals to see Fahrenhype, because you will tell them that you will watch Fahrenheit 9/11 if they do so. None of them want to admit that they won't listen to both sides of the story. So they will come. (I suggest also copying Stolen Honor onto a cd or dvd to show afterwards). I am doing this at work in California and I have got a lot of people together to watch them...