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Conservatives Complicate Ridge Choice As Veep By BRETT LIEBERMANWASHINGTON — He was on the short list in 2000, but passed over because of opposition from social conservatives. Will 2008 be Tom Ridge's year? Or is he destined to be left behind again? Political insiders close to John McCain say the presumptive Republican presidential nominee would really like to pick Ridge, his close friend, national co-chair of his campaign and a fellow former Vietnam veteran, to be his vice-presidential running mate. Analysts and party insiders believe that Ridge would almost certainly guarantee a victory in Pennsylvania, which is viewed as a...

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. -- Supporters of John McCain here acknowledge that Democrat Barack Obama wins attention with his speaking style and charisma, but they say those qualities can't match the Republican candidate's stellar background. Some of those attending McCain's town-hall-style meeting Wednesday said the Arizona senator's biggest asset is his own life -- a military family, a quarter-century in Congress and the five-and-a-half years spent as an oft-tortured prisoner of war in Vietnam. "Anyone who can withstand what he did in Vietnam can certainly take the pressure of the presidency," said Joan Hendon, 67, a businesswoman from Lake Ariel, Pa. And...

The Man Who Could Topple Jack Murtha Michelle Malkin Wednesday, July 23, 2008 A jaw-dropping political miracle may be on the horizon. No, I'm not talking about the second coming of the Obamessiah. I'm talking about the long-deserved comeuppance of troop-smearing, pork-feasting, scandal-tainted Democratic Rep. Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania. The 18-term congressman's challenger, staunch conservative Republican newcomer William Russell, raised nearly $670,000 in the second fundraising quarter. Earmark king Murtha scraped together a measly $119,000. Russell's underdog campaign bested Murtha without the perks of incumbency, national name recognition, big PAC donations or mainstream media support. Even more amazing: The 45-year-old...

A JAW-dropping political miracle may be on the horizon. No, I'm not talking about the second coming of the Obamessiah. I'm talking about the long-deserved comeuppance of troop-smearing, pork-feasting, scandal-tainted Democratic Rep. Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania. The 18-term congressman's challenger, staunch conservative Republican newcomer William Russell, raised nearly $670,000 in the second quarter. Earmark king Murtha scraped together a measly $119,000. Russell's underdog campaign bested Murtha without the perks of incumbency, national name recognition, big PAC donations or mainstream media support. Even more amazing: The challenger, a Desert Storm veteran and Army reservist who survived the 9/11 Pentagon attack, wasn't...

A jaw-dropping political miracle may be on the horizon. No, I’m not talking about the second coming of the Obamessiah. I’m talking about the long-deserved comeuppance of troop-smearing, pork-feasting, scandal-tainted Democratic Rep. Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania. The 18-term congressman’s challenger, staunch conservative Republican newcomer William Russell, raised nearly $670,000 in the second fundraising quarter. Earmark king Murtha scraped together a measly $119,000. Russell’s underdog campaign bested Murtha without the perks of incumbency, national name recognition, big PAC donations or mainstream media support. Even more amazing: The 45-year-old Russell, a Desert Storm veteran, former Army lieutenant colonel and Army reservist who...

The Sen. John McCain campaign launched a new Web video titled "Obama Love" that takes a swipe at the perceived media bias towards Barack Obama. According to the campaign e-mail, the video "highlights the media's love affair with Barack Obama -- or as MSNBC's Chris Matthews says, that thrill going up my leg." Played to the tune of Frankie Valli's "Can't take my eyes off of you" -- one of Valli's most popular songs. Perhaps, it will turn out to be a hit for McCain as well.

Tonight ABC aired their interview with Sen. Barack Obama with correspondent Terry Moran conducting; here is a clip of the segment that ran on ABC's World News Tonight: Moran: If you had to do it over again, knowing what you know now, would you support the surge? Obama: No. Because, keep in mind that -- Moran: You wouldn't?

Sunday JULY 20, 2008 Murtha outraised in most recent quarter By MICHELLE GANASSI Daily American Staff Writer In April, William Russell's name didn't even appear on the ballot because of a challenge to signatures on his nominating petition. Three months later, Russell has outraised Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, by $511,000 in the most recent fundraising quarter. The quarter ended on June 30. While the veteran congressmen still has more than $1.6 million in the bank compared to $918,000 for the Army lieutenant colonel, the money is a much needed boost for the political newcomer's campaign. “The average American is saying...

HARRISBURG - The tentacles of the Bonusgate scandal have spread to past presidential politics. Buried deep in the grand jury report, released last week, that led to the indictment of 12 people are details of what is described as a "massive" effort by House Democrats to oust the independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader from the ballot in 2004. * * * In light of the grand jury revelations of political work conducted with taxpayers' money, the candidates and reform advocates want a federal investigation into the ballot challenges, which they now think were the result of the criminal conspiracy that...

It's the top story in Pennsylvania. Twelve Democrat state leaders facing corruption charges in a massive scandal dubbed "Bonusgate." If it were twelve Republican state leaders, I guarantee you would have heard all about it by now. Via the Philly Daily News: A SORDID TANGLE of corruption, cash and sex rocked the Statehouse yesterday in a political scandal that left one current and one former legislator and 10 current and former staff members facing criminal charges. Among the accusations leveled by two state grand juries: Former top legislative staffer Mike Manzo got his lover, a twenty-something former rural beauty queen,...

If there's one person in the NBC news stable who combines solid political analysis with a commitment to fairness, it could be political director Chuck Todd. Proof thereof comes from no less a certified conservative source than Tom DeLay. Appearing on this evening's Hardball just after Todd had offered his breakdown of the electoral map, DeLay allowed that he "can't dispute" any of Todd's analysis, prompting Chris Matthews to exclaim "that's a development for us here: objective truth for you!" So what was that Todd analysis that DeLay didn't dispute? There was much to it, but for present purposes let's...

Drawing the sharpest distinctions yet between himself and the man he hopes to replace, Sen. John McCain said Tuesday his presidency would focus on climate change issues, reducing federal spending, closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center and eliminating torture by the U.S. government. In a meeting with the Tribune-Review's editorial board, McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, said "spending got out of control" under the Bush administration. He blamed Congress for pushing spending and the administration for failing to halt it.

WASHINGTON — Politically speaking, Susan Speakman is a different kind of evangelical. Mrs. Speakman, 59, a pastor and educator at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Bridgeville, Pa., an activist evangelical church southwest of Pittsburgh, backs Senator Barack Obama in the presidential race. Along with her 23-year-old son, Stephen, she supports Mr. Obama because of his stands on the Iraq war and matters of social justice. The two of them plan to spread the word in their community and beyond. “What caught my attention early on was his comment that we don’t want red states and blue states, but we want to...

Sen. Barack Obama did patriotism yesterday, today it is faith and by the end of the day both speeches will have been done in back-to-back states that swing: Missouri and Ohio. The Obama campaign said the Illinois senator plans to go to Zanesville, located in eastern Ohio, to visit a church program that provides food and clothing assistance to those in need.

By all accounts, Barack Obama should win this election. He and his brand control the image, the message and, to a large extent, the media of this election cycle. Yes, the media. He has enough money to buy ads every day from now to election day, glossy magazines cannot wait to put his image on their covers, Hollywood types are so smitten that they wear his image on their clothing and YouTube is bursting at the seams with homages to him. It is definitely his to win -- or to lose. It all hinges on two things: likability and character.

Sen. Barack Obama began a panel discussion at Carnegie Mellon University this morning with a bunch of really smart panelists from MIT, General Motors, AOL and the SEIU. Today marks Obama's first visit to the Steel City since April 21, the eve of the Pennsylvania primary; Obama won the city of Pittsburgh proper in the spring primary, but not the state.

Who knew that newbie Democrat congressman Jason Altmire (4th District) and Republican congressman Tim Murphy (18th District) would ever "town hall" together? The reason there are no answers is because there were none to be found. Today Murphy and Altmire sent out a news release announcing that they would host two joint town hall meetings together:

Go to http://my.barackobama.com/uniteforchange and enter zip code 18702 (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, a city of 50,000 or so that is almost entirely blue collar DEMOCRATIC in terms of its politics). The map shows Unite for Change events within 50 miles. Unite for Change events in Wilkes-Barre: ZERO Unite for Change events in Scranton (90,000 people): ONE In other words, the Obama campaign could not find one single person in DEMOCRATIC Wilkes-Barre who would associate his or her name with this phony smile on top of an empty suit. In nearby Scranton, which also is blue collar Democrat, only one person was willing...

Last Friday, Newsweek released a poll that had Sen. Barack Obama up 15 points over Sen. John McCain. Today, the LA Times along with Bloomberg released their poll showing Obama up, you guessed it, 15 points over the presumptive Republican nominee. The LA Times/Bloomberg polling data shows in a four-way race that Obama is over McCain 48 percent to 33 percent with independent candidates Bob Barr and Ralph Nader holding a combination of 7 percentage points and the rest are undecided. In a two-way race, Obama's lead narrows only slightly to 12 percentage points. University of Virginia political science professor...

Obama ends swing state tour in the 'Burgh Pittsburgh Tribune-Review By Salena Zito Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama will conclude his three week swing-state-road trip in Pittsburgh Thursday by holding an "America's competitiveness in the global economy" summit at Carnegie Mellon University. An "A" list of attendees will participate in the summit, some of these brainiacs include: Richard Wagoner, chairman of General Motors, AOL founder Steve case, MIT president Susan Hockfield and Andy Stern president of SEIU, whose union committed to dropping over $85 million to be parsed out in states like Pennsylvania for the November election. While...

Move-On.org is taking a firm stand on a campaign promise that Barack Obama made that said he would filibuster any wiretapping bill that had retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that let the feds listen in on. MoveOn says in the letter “We need him to honor that promise.” The posting urges supporters to tell Obama how they feel by calling his presidential campaign to let him know that “you’re counting on him to keep his word.” Last Friday Obama announced his support for the intelligence surveillance law that is highly unpopular with most left activists; the money, momentum and votes...

Shades of Dukakis, Obama up 15 THE PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW BY: Salena Zito In May of 1988 after all of the Democratic primaries ended presumptive nominee Michael Dukakis enjoyed a 54 to 38 percent lead over then Ronald Reagan wing man George H.W. Bush. H.W. went on to win in that November handily This evening a new Newsweek poll shows Obama having a giant lead, from 51 percent to 36 percent, over McCain among registered voters across the country. Obama got his bounce, Dukakis style.

Hey, swing state Florida, I will not offshore drill The Sen. Barack Obama press machine issued this statement that Obama will deliver at his media avail this afternoon, in which he pledges (where have we heard that word before?) to keep the federal moratorium against offshore drilling in place: "When I am president, I will keep the moratorium in place and prevent oil companies from drilling off Florida's coasts," the statement reads. "That's how we can protect our coasts and still make the investments that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and bring down gas prices for good."

Bill and Jill Bill Burton, communications director extraordinaire for the Obama campaign reached out and touched someone today on the McCain campaign: his counterpart, Jill Hazelbaker. Here is the content of the email he sent out to reporters before the McCain conference call: “Jill – hope you’re well. We’d like to add our campaign counsel, Bob Bauer to your conference call with Trevor Potter so that we can arbitrate some of the disagreements that the two of them have over the meeting they recently had. If you can please shoot me the dial-in, Bob is available to join for the...

Governor Ed Rendell was just asked by John Scott if he would take the VP spot if offered. He said no he would not make a good choice. This is that old "Clinton loyaltly" that Strickland is also abiding by. The Democrat Party is NOT united. Rendell doesn't want to be asked by Obama to be the VP. Rendell continued on that he doesn't have foreign policy experience. And was about to say more on why he wasn't qualified. But John Scott cut him off because of a commercial break.

Congressman Altmire hearts McCain PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW By Salena Zito Rep. Jason Altmire, whose congressional district went overwhelmingly for Sen. Hillary Clinton in the six-week primary that was Pennsylvania, kind of likes Republican presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain’s proposal to invest in nuclear energy and clean coal. Here is the statement that he released today on McCain’s proposal to construct 45 nuclear reactors by 2030 and spend $2 billion a year in federal funding on clean coal. “I have always been a strong supporter of nuclear energy and clean coal technology, and I welcome Senator McCain’s announcement today that he is...

WASHINGTON (AFP) - For the first time, White House hopeful Barack Obama leads his Republican rival John McCain in three of the biggest battlegrounds of November's election, according to a new poll Wednesday. The surveys by Quinnipiac University also found independent voters are opposed to defeated primary contender Hillary Clinton running as Obama's running mate on the Democratic ticket. Another poll out Wednesday by Zogby had Obama leading McCain by 47 percent to 42 nationally, with a 22-point lead among all-important independents. The Quinnipiac polls had Obama besting McCain 52-40 percent in Pennsylvania, 48-42 percent in Ohio, and 47-43 in...

Obama gets his bounce Posted June 18, 2008 8 :57 AM The Quinnipiac University poll released this morning shows Sen. Barack Obama ahead of Sen. John McCain in three critical battleground states: Pennsylvania -- Obama 52 percent, McCain 40 percent Ohio -- Obama 48 percent, McCain 42 percent Florida -- Obama 47 percent, McCain 43 percent These numbers finally give Obama the bounce that he and his team were looking for since Sen. Hillary Clinton left the race. Historically, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania have been "must win" states for the competing candidates in the general election -- the poll today...

WAYNE - June 14, 2008 (WPVI) -- The presidential campaign came to Delaware County this Saturday. Likely Democratic nominee Barack Obama held a Town Hall meeting in Radnor. The Illinois Senator paid a visit to an area that will be critical in who takes Pennsylvania in the fall. The town hall style gathering, held at Radnor Middle School was largely a question and answer forum. Obama, and the questions for him, focused largely on the economy and the high cost of gas. He blasted the presumptive Republican nominee John McCain for proposing summer gas tax holiday, saying, "(McCain) isn't offering...

Hillary Clinton's mention of RFK's assassination was the final nail in the coffin of her candidacy. Along similar lines, can you imagine the howls of MSM outrage if John McCain were to suggest that he might "bring a gun" to his campaign against Barack Obama? Yet Obama has made just such a statement. Expect the liberal media to . . . yawn. Said the Dem candidate at a Philly fundraiser on Friday night, anticipating Republican attacks: "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun."

Barack Obama is warning supporters that the general election fight between him and John McCain may get ugly, but the Illinois senator is vowing not to back down. "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun," Obama said at a fundraiser in Philadelphia Friday, according to pool reports. "We don't have a choice but to win," Obama said, joking that he has heard "folks in Philly like a good brawl. I've seen Eagles games." Obama again said that the GOP will make try to make him look "scary" to voters. Obama pledging to swing back at...

WAYNE, Pa. (AP) -- Democrat Barack Obama told voters Saturday he would push an aggressive economic agenda as president: cutting taxes for the middle class, raising taxes on the wealthy, pouring money into "green energy" and requiring employers to set up retirement saving plans for their workers. Campaigning in Pennsylvania, a key battleground in the fall campaign, Obama said he would take a much more hands-on approach than would Republican John McCain. He again criticized McCain's proposal for a temporary halt in the federal gasoline tax. It would "actually do real harm," Obama said, by reducing revenue for road and...

He [Obama] warned that the general election campaign could get ugly. “They’re going to try to scare people. They’re going to try to say that ‘that Obama is a scary guy,’” he said. A donor yelled out a deep accented “Don’t give in!” “I won’t but that sounded pretty scary. You’re a tough guy,” Obama said. “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” Obama said. “Because from what I understand folks in Philly like a good brawl. I’ve seen Eagles fans.”

Fox News reports  that Rep. John Peterson (R-PA) has introduced an amendment to s spending bill that would free up offshore drilling more than 50 miles off our coast, enabling American companies to drill in waters already being exploited by the Chinese, among others. "For 27 years, Congress has deliberately locked up vast offshore oil and natural gas reserves," Peterson said, according to USA Today. "With the price at the pump increasing daily - with no end in sight - and the cost of natural gas trading at record levels, Congress needs to unlock these reserves." Most oil production and...

WASHINGTON — A House subcommittee has rejected a Republican-led effort to open up more U.S. coastal waters to oil exploration. Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., spearheaded the effort. His proposal would open up U.S. waters between 50 and 200 miles off shore for drilling. The first 50 miles off shore would be left alone.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain is scheduled to give what his campaign is calling a major policy address Wednesday in Philadelphia. Details of the visit are sketchy. The campaign would not confirm a time or talk about the subject matter of the speech, which is set to take place at the National Constitution Center. It's also unclear if the event will be open to the public. The visit is fresh evidence of the emphasis McCain's campaign is putting on Pennsylvania, traditionally a general election battleground. McCain is slated to return to the state June 30 for a fundraiser and...

Ridge for VP? The Benefits 1. Pennsylvania. For once, conventional wisdom is right. In Pennsylvania, where perhaps a few thousand votes could mean the difference between 0 and 25 electoral votes, Ridge’s brand is well-regarded among the voters, especially women voters, that Sen. McCain absolutely needs to keep from turning overwhelmingly to Sen. Barack Obama. Think about dispatching Ridge to the Philadelphia suburbs where he’d go toe-to-toe with Gov. Ed Rendell. I know you are worried about the Philly suburbs, and you know that Ridge will help you there more than just about any candidate. 4. He will not make...

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Pennsylvania finds Barack Obama attracting 45% of the vote while John McCain earns 43%. See video. A month ago, immediately following the Keystone State’s hard-fought Democratic Presidential Primary, McCain had a one-point edge over Obama. Two weeks before the Primary, Obama had an eight-point edge over the Republican hopeful.

The House that Rahm built Tribune-Review By Salena Zito Just before the 2006 midterm elections, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rep. Rahm Emmanuel was asked why he chose such moderate candidates for the House races -- breaking rank with liberal bloggers who were demanding liberal candidates. "Because we want to win," Emmanuel said, promptly ending the interview. Win he did, big time, taking out four Republicans in Pennsylvania alone, making the Keystone State's delegation the House that Rahm built. While the country was distracted by the Democratic presidential nomination battle between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama, the Democrats...

Rev. Wright withdraws from two appearances next week in Philadelphia By David O’Reilly Inquirer Staff Writer Fatigued by the national media attention he received as Sen. Barack Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. has withdrawn from two appearances scheduled here for next week. Wright, who grew up in Philadelphia and preaches here often, was scheduled to lead a revival at St. Thomas African-Episcopal Church in Overbrook Farms on May 28 and 29, and to preach at Canaan Baptist Church on June 1 as part of that congregation's 100th anniversary celebration. The Rev. Martini Shaw, rector of St. Thomas,...

Commentary by Daniel T. Zanoza, Executive Director, RFFM.org Houston, we have a problem! Or perhaps I should say, Republicans have a problem. Even though GOP crybabies--including Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity--now seem to be rallying around the candidacy of Sen. John McCain, the message has yet to filter down to the Party's base. Though McCain is the GOP's presumptive presidential nominee, in Pennsylvania Rep. Ron Paul finished second with over 15% of the Republican votes cast. Gov. Mike Huckabee snatched up nearly 12% of those who voted on the GOP's side of the ballot. Both men tallied a...

That's the ticket. by Fred Barnes 05/07/2008 The NOTION THAT BARACK Obama should pick Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate is crazy. She passes the first test of a veep selection: she's a plausible president. But she fails the second. She doesn't qualify as a partner on the Democratic ticket (and possibly in the White House) that Obama would be comfortable with--far from it. But there is someone who does meet these two requirements, plus a third one and maybe a fourth. That person is Democratic Governor Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania. Yes, Rendell was the leading supporter of...

The NOTION THAT BARACK Obama should pick Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate is crazy. She passes the first test of a veep selection: she's a plausible president. But she fails the second. She doesn't qualify as a partner on the Democratic ticket (and possibly in the White House) that Obama would be comfortable with--far from it. But there is someone who does meet these two requirements, plus a third one and maybe a fourth. That person is Democratic Governor Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania. Yes, Rendell was the leading supporter of Clinton when she trounced Obama in the...

In the past few weeks, Barack Obama has learned the political perils of condescension. His Philadelphia speech on race was filled with it. --snip-- Obama's response, I believe, provided a justification for Wright's media campaign to describe black liberation theology. Wright may be a camera-seeking egotist. He is certainly a showman, enjoying his moment. But his main argument seems to be: "No, Barack, I actually hold these theological convictions. You may need to attack me for political reasons. But don't you dare dismiss me as a batty uncle." It is a tribute to the power of the Christian message that...

What a difference two weeks of intense campaigning can make. The final two weeks of campaigning in the Pennsylvania Primary may not have changed the outcome of the Democratic race, but it helped John McCain in the Keystone State. Two weeks ago, in Pennsylvania, Hillary Clinton enjoyed a nine-point lead over McCain and Barack Obama had an eight-point edge over the Republican hopeful. Now, however, Clinton’s lead is down to five points and Obama trails McCain by a point. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Pennsylvania finds McCain with a statistically insignificant 44% to 43% advantage over Obama. Clinton...

Murtha rival wins GOP nod as write-in By SANDRA K. REABUCK The Tribune-Democrat EBENSBURG— U.S. Rep. John Murtha will have a Republican challenger on the November ballot after all. William Russell of Johnstown received enough votes in Cambria County alone to win the GOP nomination for the 12th Congressional District, an official tally shows. There’s no indication that Murtha, a Johnstown Democrat, got enough GOP write-ins in the sprawling district to top what Russell received here. In Cambria’s official tabulation, Russell’s write-ins totaled 1,489 under various spellings of his name, including 1,256 with the correct spelling. Cambria wrapped up its...

The possibility of the host of MSNBC's "Hardball" Christopher Matthews, running against Senator Specter of Pennsylvania, a Republican, for Mr. Specter's senate seat in Pennsylvania is intensifying. Although Mr. Matthews said to Bill Maher of HBO that he's "not getting involved in it" when asked about whether he would seek the position in 2010, it is odd to employ his television program in a way that would make him a favorable candidate to run for senator of Pennsylvania as a Democrat. Mr. Matthews, who is from the Philadelphia area, broadcasted his show from Philadelphia during the week of the Pennsylvania...

Near the end of Sunday's Meet the Press, NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell boldly stated that racism has been a "real factor" in the Obama vote on the ground in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

After all is said and done, the April 22nd Pennsylvania Primary didn’t tell us anything we already didn’t know. On the Democratic side, voters are still splintered by age and income; and on the Republican side, the conservatives still have not embraced McCain. Yes, there was a Republican primary in Pennsylvania. And its results don’t bode well for the Grand Old Party. Clinton won Pennsylvania’s beauty pageant by a 214,000 margin, or 54.6% to Obama’s 45.4% a 9.2 point spread. And yes, Clinton won the "bitter, small town" vote, i.e., senior citizens, Roman Catholics, Irish, Polish, high school degrees, blue...

Last week's Pennsylvania primary demonstrated that Barack Obama is not unbeatable. This might sound a strange way to put it. Hasn't it always been true that Obama is beatable? Well, consider an alternate reality in which Obama had won Pennsylvania. His people certainly thought long and deeply about this alternate reality--why else spend a staggering $12 million on one state's primary? Hillary Clinton would have dropped out. Obama would have shown that he can win white working-class votes in a big, diverse, populous state. Way back after the Iowa caucuses, he playfully observed that everywhere he goes becomes Obama country....