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RIDGE SPECTER A STATISTICAL DEAD HEAT; TOOMEY TRAILS (Harrisburg) Former Governor Tom Ridge and US Senator Arlen Specter are neck-and-neck across Pennsylvania in an election poll conducted for a state business group. Conservative former Congressman Pat Toomey, while potentially viable, trails Specter in most regions of the state. PEG PAC, Pennsylvania’s oldest pro-business political action committee and the affiliated PAC of the Pennsylvania Business Council (PBC), today announced the results of a statewide poll that tested whether a well known conservative Republican or a well known right-of-center Republican can best challenge incumbent US Senator Arlen Specter who recently joined the...

It seems like every political pundit inside and outside of Pennsylvania is heralding former PA Governor Tom Ridge as the Republican Party’s savior in the PA Senate Race. But no one is really looking at his record and asking if Ridge can possibly win a primary against Pat Toomey. There are no credible primary polls yet, but there is plenty of reason to think that the primary will not be a walk in the park for Ridge. First, it is worth noting that Toomey nearly beat Specter last time around -- and despite the help Ridge would receive from Republican...

Former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge (R) is seriously considering a 2010 bid for the Senate seat held by Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter and will make his decision in the next two weeks, according to several sources familiar with his thinking. Ridge is perhaps the state's most decorated Republican, having held a House seat for more than a decade, spent eight years as governor and served as the first secretary of homeland security under President George W. Bush. He was also mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick for Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) in 2008. If he ran, he would almost certainly...

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Sen. Arlen Specter boosted his 2010 re-election prospects by switching to the Democratic Party, but may be vulnerable if the GOP can persuade former Gov. Tom Ridge to run, according to a poll released Monday. The survey by Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University showed Specter, as a Democrat, with a large lead — 53 percent to 33 percent — over former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey, a Republican. But the poll also found Specter, 79, and Ridge, the former governor and former national homeland security secretary, virtually tied. Ridge, who now runs a Washington-based consulting firm, has not commented publicly...

The chattering in Harrisburg, Pa. and increasingly in Washington, D.C. is this: Pat Toomey will not be able to win the PA senate seat being held by Arlen Specter, now that the race will be held in a general election and not in the Pa. GOP primary. As such, the name of Pennsylvania's former governor Tom Ridge has popped to the surface as the one candidate that can beat Arlen Specter. Think again. Pat Toomey versus Arlen Specter would be the classic Conservative vs. Liberal type of campaign that the GOP, now in the minority, needs to take in order...

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge is seriously considering a run for the Senate for the GOP nomination against Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), according to Roll Call: Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge is considering running for the Republican Senate nomination in his home state, according to a senior Republican aide with knowledge of the situation. National and Keystone State Republicans have been publicly and privately urging Ridge to consider a Senate bid since Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) announced earlier this week that he was switching parties and would run for re-election as a Democrat in 2010. Specter said he switched parties...

ON FOX News, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) just floated former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge as a possible candidate to run for the Pennsylvania Senate in Arlen Specter’s place. And Graham isn't the only Republican to entertain the prospect of Ridge jumping back in the political arena.

Last Monday began the PBS Series, "WE SHALL REMAIN" with their first Episode "After The Mayflower". The ones that will get my attention begin next week, Monday April 20th, 2009, and especially the April 27th "Trail of Tears" episode which will feature "The Ridge", the Cherokee leader and his clan who I wrote about in "Jesus Wept" An American Story. It will be VERY interesting to see how PBS deals with this situation or if they will be overtaken with the usual political correctness and historical rumor. My story is taken from documented records as well as family letters saved...

This is really incredible. H-S Precision is sells hunting and tactical rifles. Here is a scan from the back cover of their Catalog. Note who did the write-up (circled in yellow):For the three of you who don't know who Lon Horiuchi is, he's the FBI sniper of Ruby Ridge infamy who murdered Vicki Weaver in cold blood while she was holding her baby. I'm not sure what H-S was thinking when they decided to hire this despicable thug as a spokesperson, but they are in dire need of remedial correction for this deplorable business decision. No gun decent gun owner/buyer...

HARRISBURG -- Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge said today that John McCain can't become president without carrying Pennsylvania and that the race would be different if McCain had chosen him as his running mate. "I think the dynamics would be different in Pennsylvania," Ridge said when asked if he should have been chosen to run as vice president over Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. "I think we'd be foolish not to admit it publicly." read more at : http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/mostread/s_595030.html

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge said today that John McCain can't become president without carrying Pennsylvania and that the race would be different if McCain had chosen him as his running mate. "I think the dynamics would be different in Pennsylvania," Ridge said when asked if he should have been chosen to run as vice president over Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. "I think we'd be foolish not to admit it publicly." Ridge, the campaign's national co-chairman, said McCain "had several good choices and I was one of them." He nonetheless defended the Palin selection, calling it a "typical, bold McCain-like...

I'll start: ~~~~ "Could it be Cantor? posted at 1:00 pm on August 28, 2008 by Ed Morrissey The Fayetteville Observer reads a few tea leaves in the veepstakes and suggests that Eric Cantor may become the dark-horse finalist for John McCain’s running-mate. Cantor has not yet appeared on the convention schedule, which would seem strange for such a dynamic member of the House GOP’s leadership. He also represents a Virginia district, which could prove crucial to holding the state for the Republicans in November: Rep. Robin Hayes is predicting that Sen. John McCain will pick Rep. Eric Cantor of...

John McCain is poised to announce his vice-presidential running mate, hoping to steal the thunder of his rival Barack Obama, whom Republicans are mocking as an 'emperor' speaking on Thursday night at an 'Obamopolis'. The Republican candidate was due to appear with his vice-presidential pick at a rally in Dayton, Ohio on Friday morning, his 72nd birthday. But Republican officials intimated that a name might even be leaked just before Mr Obama accepts the Democratic nomination before some 80,000 people at Denver's Invesco stadium on Thursday. Senior aides to Mr McCain said that three people were on his shortlist -...

With the Minnesota governor in Denver to continue his role as a GOP surrogate during the Democratic convention here, reporters were bent on determining where he stands -- or rather where he'll be standing tomorrow morning. Pawlenty, a much talked-about vice presidential prospect, said that he is "scheduled to be and plans to be" doing a weekly scheduled radio show from the Minnesota State Fair tomorrow morning at 9:00 am. He told reporters that he will be leaving Denver this afternoon, bound for his home state. The interest in Pawlenty's whereabouts comes amidst news that McCain will debut his vice...

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is in the Mile High City making stops on behalf of his friend and Republican presidential candidate John McCain. But most of the questions from the media involved what he's heard from Senator John McCain on whether he'll be joining the Republican ticket. The speculation reached a fevered pitch Thursday afternoon when Pawlenty cancelled all of his afternoon appearances in Denver, including an interview with KARE's sister station KUSA which had been slated for 4pm. Not Ready talking points He appeared at a news conference called by "Citizens for McCain" at a TV studio in an...

Norah McDonnell reports this morning that she has learned from the McCain campaign sources that John McCain's final 2 he was choosing between are Tom Ridge and Tim Pawlenty. She said that was all she was willing to reveal and that the phone call will be made later this morning.

DENVER: When most people think of Joe Biden, they think Senate longevity, confidence, a liberal with a free-wheeling impulse to give you his never-to-be-humble opinion. What they don't think of is a man who could have a great impact in Pennsylvania. The question becomes: Can he make his impact as broad as Hillary Clinton -- another Scranton native -- did in the Pennsylvania primaries? Hillary glowed in Pennsylvania. She made Pennsylvania her second home and it stuck with voters. John Kerry, married to the Heinz ketchup heiress Teresa, did the same thing in his runup to the 2004 election. He...

DENVER -- While all eyes are on Sen. Barack Obama and his freshly minted running mate Sen. Joe Biden -- one week from today (the day after Sen. John McCain announces his running mate), Gov. Tom Ridge will introduce McCain along with unsaid running mate on a southwestern Pennsylvania stage. According to a Republican official, Ridge will be introducing McCain in Washington County next Saturday, which probably means Ridge is out, Mitt Romney remains the favorite, and Team McCain is planning to fight it out with Obama-Biden in the Keystone State. Many analysts and strategists are keeping a keen eye...

Hmmm. You know how everyone's been talking about how Republican presidential nominee-to-be Sen. John McCain was gonna name his vice presidential running mate at a big rally in Dayton, Ohio on Aug. 29, the day after Barack Obama's acceptance speech to 70,000 of his closest friends in that Denver stadium?That still seems likely. But now comes word that McCain advance people have approached a minor league baseball stadium in southwestern Pennsylvania about hosting a rally for the Arizona senator the day after the Ohio rally. That would be the Saturday of Labor Day weekend before the GOP convention opens in...

If John McCain picks a pro-abortion running mate, he’s likely to lose. If he picks a pro-abortion Catholic as his running mate, he will definitely lose. Right now McCain is skating on the thinnest of ice. At best, the election is tied. In many polls, he is 4-5 points down. He has yet to crack 45 percent in any national poll and is behind in key states. At worst, he is facing a blowout. Now is not the time to pussyfoot around with a guy like Tom Ridge. The calculation is clear. McCain figures Ridge could deliver the key state...