Free Republic

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - The harder U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum campaigns, the more voters dislike him, a new Franklin & Marshall College poll suggests. The two-term Republican has fallen farther behind Democrat Bob Casey Jr. in the race for U.S. Senate as voters grow more concerned about the war in Iraq and less comfortable with his often combative style. “There’s been a huge shift away from a fairly tight race to a demonstrable — if not insurmountable — lead for Casey,” said G. Terry Madonna, the director of Franklin & Marshall College’s Center for Politics and Public Affairs. Casey has...

SLATINGTON, Pa. - Even a cinder-block fire hall, a sparse crowd, and bad lighting can't diminish Lynn Swann's star power. When he enters the Vigilant Fire Company, looking football-fit at 54 and wearing a suit and tie, the few dozen audience members pop out of their fold-up chairs to cheer him. Swann flashes a megawatt smile, grabs a stool at the front of the room, and tells them why he left a comfortable life as a celebrity broadcaster to run for governor of Pennsylvania. "If I didn't think we needed a change, I'd be content to stay at home, do...

If you believe the polls and the political insiders, millions of Pennsylvania voters will go to the polls Nov. 7 to re-elect Gov. Ed Rendell. This will mean another four years of rising taxes, runaway state spending and a declining standard of living for Pennsylvanians. Ask yourself if you’re better off today than you were four years ago when Rendell took office. If you’re still considering voting for Rendell, consider the following reasons why Rendell does not deserve re-election: 1) Rendell signed the scandalous July 2005 pay raise bill into law and praised it as "good legislation." That breach of...

After several days of criticism over his insulting and offensive remarks about what "unbelievable brightness and cheer," gambling brings to the, "very gray lives," of seniors, Ed Rendell yesterday sought to, uh, "clarify," his views on the positive role of gambling in their lives. "Congratulations on your clarification, Governor," said Swann Communications Director Leonardo Alcivar. "Pennsylvanians are now comforted by your belief that seniors losing $30 dollars a day is just fine." "The past two weeks of front page headlines on the Governor's abuse of the state plane, and now on his disgraceful views about the lives of our seniors,...

Compare and Contrast: Swann vs. Rendell on the 2nd Amendment Friday, October 13, 2006 For years, Ed Rendell has been a liberal anti-gun politician from Philadelphia, but at the third and final gubernatorial debate, he outdid himself. He basically told gun owners that if he gets a second term, they can expect an all out assualt on their right to bear arms. Just look at what Ed Rendell said: "And for an ordinary citizen, one gun a month means the ordinary citiizen can buy 12 a year. How is that a possible intrusion on the rights of ordinary citizens? We...

The firewall strategy Posted by Brett Lieberman /The Patriot-News October 13, 2006 08:11 Pennsyltucky Politics Index Print | Email National Republicans remain hopeful that Rick Santorum can turn the election around, but they're not opening their checkbooks to help him out. Instead, they're focusing on a firewall strategy to save more competitive seats in Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee and some would say Virginia. The Washington Post writes about the broader GOP fallback strategy, which includes pulling airtime reserved in areas that favor Democrats in order to protect vulnerable Republicans. Democrats say its a clear sign the GOP has written Santorum off,...

This evening, Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann will take on Ed Rendell in the first of two televised gubernatorial debates. If you live in Pittsburgh, you can watch the debate LIVE at 7:00 p.m. on KDKA-TV CBS Channel 2. If you live outside of the KDKA viewing area, you can watch the replay of the debate on PCN at either 9:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m. To find out what channel PCN is on in your area, click here.

Today, Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann highlighted the urgent need to end pay raise politics in Pennsylvania during his statewide tour to Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Scranton, Erie, Johnstown, and Pittsburgh. “The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Ed Rendell’s midnight pay raise is just another example of what is wrong with Harrisburg,” said Swann. “The politics of pay raises and backroom deals are getting in the way of delivering results for hard working Pennsylvanians. This Governor squandered his bully pulpit by doing more to raise the pay of Harrisburg insiders than providing tax relief for the rest of us,” Swann continued....

13. If the election for Governor was held today, and the choice was between Ed Rendell, the Democrat, Lynn Swann, the Republican, and Russ Diamond, the Independent, whom would you vote for? Ed Rendell 55% Lynn Swann 37% Russ Diamond 2% Undecided 6% 16. If the election for United States Senate were held today, and the choice was between Robert Casey, Jr., the Democrat,or Rick Santorum, the Republican, whom would you vote for? (Romanelli excluded.) Robert Casey, Jr. 50% Rick Santorum 40% Undecided 10%

You're invited to attend the first town hall meeting for the Lynn Swann Campaign. Come out to hear Lynn's ideas for a better Pennsylvania, and have the opportunity to ask him questions. Friends and family welcome!! What: Lynn Swann Town Hall Meeting When: Tuesday, September 26th 7 p.m. Where: McKeesport YWCA 410 Ninth Street McKeesport, PA 15132 RSVP: 412-325-8888 or rsvp@swannforgovernor.com We hope that you can come out and make this event a success!

Vote_Sen. If the election for Pennsylvania's U.S. Senator was being held today and the candidates were Bob Casey, Jr., the Democrat, and Rick Santorum, the Republican, and Carl Romanelli, the Green Party candidate would you vote for... 45% Bob Casey, Jr. 38% Rick Santorum 5% Carl Romanelli 12% Don't Know Vote_Gov. If the election for Pennsylvania governor was being held today and the candidates were Ed Rendell, the Democrat, Lynn Swann, the Republican, who would you vote for? 52% Ed Rendell 34% Lynn Swann 14% Don't Know RegPARTY. Are you currently registered as a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, or...

HARRISBURG - In a decision that is renewing public anger, the state Supreme Court yesterday ruled that the legislature violated the state constitution by allowing lawmakers to take midterm pay raises last year. But the court stopped short of requiring House and Senate members who accepted the extra money to reimburse the state, ruling that they "acted in good faith" that the law was constitutional. Separately, the court reinstated the raises for 1,000 members of the state judiciary - including its own - that ended when the legislature repealed the pay hikes amid an outpouring of public outrage in November....

So I open up my email this morning to find this real winner of a spam from "Rendell for Governor." I have redacted the identifying links but under the "priority" question each keyword is a link with a tracking code in it to identify you. I have no idea where my email was purchased from as I have been using an identifying address everytime I give out an email address for a few years. This was apparently harvested before I started doing that. I also wonder if Pennsylvania's ANTI-SPAM law also includes political emails... Probably not but it is worth...

PITTSBURGH—In his new book, A New Direction: My Plan for a Better Pennsylvania, Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann outlined his plan to increase job creation across Pennsylvania and stop Ed Rendell’s Harrisburg from hindering economic growth. The current administration’s burdensome business taxes cost Pennsylvania over 33,000 new jobs in 2004 alone. And in the Northeastern part of the state, manufacturing jobs dropped approximately 40 percent in Lackawanna County since 2000, 29 percent in the city of Scranton, and 15 percent in Luzerne County, according to newly released 2005 census data. The Swann/Matthews plan for job creation includes: · Returning the...

WASHINGTON -- Democrat Bob Casey maintained a slight lead over Republican Sen. Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania, but more voters say they have a poor opinion of the challenger, according to an independent poll released Thursday. In a three-way contest, the new Keystone Poll found Casey leading Santorum 44 percent to 39 percent among registered voters. Green Party candidate Carl Romanelli had 4 percent. Thirteen percent were undecided in the poll, which was conducted by Franklin & Marshall College between Aug. 16-21. In May, before Romanelli entered the race, the same pollster had Casey with a six-point lead over Santorum, the...

Pa. races could set table for 2008 By Salena Zito TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, July 9, 2006 Welcome to Pennsylvania, known as "The Cradle of America" because the Founders drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. Fast-forward 230 years and it is about to become another national cradle - a political one -- for the 2006 midterm elections.

Swann asks Rendell to switch jobs By Michael Miller LEADER TIMES Friday, July 7, 2006 Lynn Swann wants to trade jobs with Gov. Ed Rendell. Swann, who worked for ABC sports for 28 years, told a crowd of supporters in Kittanning yesterday that he's looking to become the next governor, and that the governor can become a full-time broadcaster. Rendell has a side gig as a commentator for a cable network covering the Philadelphia Eagles. "Come November, vote for me for governor, and make him the broadcaster full-time," Swann said. The Republican candidate for governor spoke to a small crowd...

Does race really matter in American politics? And if so, to whom? For some time there has been a disconnect between the party that wins most of the black votes (the Democrats) and the party that promotes black individuals into powerful positions (the Republicans). Who are the most influential African Americans today? Clarence Thomas and Condoleeza Rice are the first names that spring to mind. Of course, that is partly because there is currently a Republican administration. But, in eight years, did Bill Clinton make cabinet appointments of the stature of Rice or Colin Powell? Where are the next generation...

Bush may help Swann raise funds By David M. Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Tuesday, June 20, 2006 Lynn Swann is down in the polls, but his bid to unseat Gov. Ed Rendell is getting a boost from national GOP groups and a prospective presidential visit.

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - When it comes to opinion polls and raising money in the race for governor, Republican Lynn Swann is suffering a pretty decisive shellacking at the hands of Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell. And now the White House wants to turn the tide. President Bush has agreed to appear with the Republican NFL Hall of Famer at an Aug. 16 fundraising reception in Lancaster County, a Swann campaign official told the New Era. “It is confirmed that we are going to get the president,” Joel Mack, the regional political director for Swann and running mate Jim Matthews, told...

Lynn Swann is widely known as a former Pittsburgh Steeler superstar, an impressive motivational speaker, and a popular network sports commentator. It's a persona he clearly revels in. But now a gubernatorial aspirant, Swann may be poised to become even better known as the "former next governor" of Pennsylvania. It's an unflattering sobriquet he is unlikely to relish nearly as much. How Swann has gone from cause celebre to looming lost cause is the question de jure in Pennsylvania politics His descent has been swift. Only months ago, anointed as the nominee of the Republican Party, Swann, seemed ready to...

In fundraising, Rendell piles it on as Swann plays catch-up By David M. Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, June 16, 2006 Lynn Swann was fleet on the gridiron, but the former Steelers star is eating Gov. Ed Rendell's dust in the dash to raise campaign cash.

Same old Pa GOP: Issue the tomahawks Tuesday, June 6, 2006 What is it that the Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania and powerful state legislative GOPers don't understand about being Republicans or conservatives? Just about everything.

Ridge urges GOP to unite behind Swann By Mike Wereschagin TRIBUNE-REVIEW Wednesday, May 31, 2006 Former Gov. Tom Ridge urged Republicans to put aside their misgivings about Lynn Swann and unite behind him in his bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell.

A sliver of hope for the Swann campaign? By Salena Zito TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, May 28, 2006 The opposing team is befuddled. The media are bored. The electorate is disengaged. And the campaign team? Bush (with a small "b") league.

Swann alleges Rendell camp thwarts would-be donors By The Associated Press Friday, May 26, 2006 PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Republican gubernatorial hopeful Lynn Swann said Friday that some of his supporters are not contributing to his campaign because people in the Rendell administration or the governor's campaign have indicated it could jeopardize their state contracts or grants. "His party machinery is out there putting the squeeze on people, saying 'don't contribute to Swann's campaign,"' Swann told The Associated Press in his first extended interview with a Pennsylvania news organization.

Ridge to join Swann's campaign By David M. Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann hopes to get a boost by adding former Gov. Tom Ridge, a heavy hitter in Pennsylvania politics, to his campaign team.

Hope springs eternal when black Republicans seek higher office, yet often the first question that hits them is what are they doing in the GOP. This election year, a man named Steele in Maryland and a former football star named Swann in Pennsylvania are among a small but determined number of black candidates trying to win one for the Republicans despite the Democratic Party's near lock on the black vote. Republican Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, a former seminarian with a law degree from Georgetown University, is seeking the open Senate seat in November. He is looking to translate one accomplishment...

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Nearly 22,000 Pennsylvania Republicans who voted for Lynn Swann as the GOP nominee for governor withheld their support from U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum in Tuesday's primary. Both candidates were unopposed. Mr. Swann, the former Steelers star, received 574,276 votes, while Mr. Santorum, who is seeking a third term in the Senate, drew 552,559, according to unofficial totals compiled by the Pennsylvania Department of State that were 99 percent complete today. In the Nov. 7 general election, Mr. Swann will face Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell while Santorum is running against state Treasurer Bob Casey. Less than six months...

Analysis: GOP results bode poorly for November vote Republicans' anger could drag down Santorum, Swann Thursday, May 18, 2006 By James O'Toole and Tom Barnes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Incumbents of both parties were targeted by state pay raise opponents in the months leading to Tuesday's primary, but the day's victims were disproportionately Republican. Champions and casualties of that upheaval agreed that it would have consequences in November in and beyond the legislative races. In particular, several experts suggested, the evidence of disaffection among core Republican voters presents challenges for U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum and gubernatorial nominee Lynn Swann in promoting the...

Yesterday was the first election for which I was old enought to cast a ballot. I was the fifth voter of the morning at my rural polling place and proudly voted for Lynn Swann for the GOP nomination for Governor. Thanks to the unfunded mandate of the Help America Vote Act everyone had to get used to the touch screen Sequoia machines. I noticed that these machines have been programmed to make "undervoting" extremely cumbersome. You have to hit "confirm" two time, rather than the normal one time, if you have deliberately decided not to dilute your vote by spreading...

'Earthquake in Pennsylvania' By Brad Bumsted and Debra Erdley TRIBUNE-REVIEW Wednesday, May 17, 2006 Angry taxpayers on Tuesday tossed out the two Republican Senate leaders who helped engineer last year's legislative pay raise, an issue that apparently cost 13 House members their jobs, too.

Rendell widens lead over Swann Friday, May 12, 2006 By Tom Barnes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette HARRISBURG -- Things keep getting better for Gov. Ed Rendell. Three different polls in the past two weeks have put him up over Republican challenger Lynn Swann by 1 percentage point, 8 points and 14 points. But today, according to a new poll, the incumbent Democrat is ahead by a whopping 22 points -- 55 percent to 33 percent for Mr. Swann. That's according to a poll from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. The poll was taken of 1,487 registered Pennsylvania voters from May 2 to 8,...

Gov. Ed Rendell has gained ground on Republican challenger Lynn Swann, according to a poll released Thursday, three months after the same researcher found the football legend nipping at the governor's heels. The statewide poll also found Democrat Bob Casey's lead over incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (news, bio, voting record) had shrunk from double digits in February to 6 percentage points. Rendell led Swann 49 percent to 35 percent in the latest Keystone Poll, conducted by the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster. The telephone survey of 578 registered voters had an error...

Santorum closes gap, Rendell widens lead By Brad Bumsted and David M. Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, May 4, 2006 HARRISBURG -- Aided by a $1-million-plus TV advertising blitz, Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell has opened a 14-point lead in his re-election campaign against Republican challenger Lynn Swann, according to the latest Pittsburgh Tribune-Review/WTAE-Channel 4 Keystone poll. The statewide poll of 578 registered voters released today also showed U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Penn Hills, has pulled within six points of his likely Democratic challenger, state Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr., of Scranton.

Seemingly unrelated events, aren't By Eric Heyl TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, April 30, 2006 Can it be done? Can a seemingly random collection of items be seamlessly woven together into a column that informs and enlightens you? Let's give it a try. Let's somehow link Gov. Ed Rendell, the Pirates, the Penguins, former President Bill Clinton, political grandstander Jesse Jackson, the Democratic National Committee, the nation's largest cable TV provider and speculation on why the governor is intervening in what should be a private business transaction.

April 29, 2006--The Pennsylvania Governor's race remains very close, but the possible entry of an independent challenger has the potential to shake things up in the Keystone State. Republican Lynn Swann, the former football star, now leads Governor Ed Rendell (D), 44% to 41%. That's the mirror image of last month's result (see crosstabs). All four of polls on this race conducted in 2006 have found the candidates within three points of each other. Swann has ranged from 41% of the vote to 45% in the four polls, Rendell from 41% to 46%. However, Russ Diamond has said he will...

Third and Long Lynn Swann's substance-free campaign. by Salena Zito Pittsburgh LYNN SWANN, Republican candidate for governor of Pennsylvania, walked into the room and instantly owned it. He was among five hundred or so guests attending a March fundraiser for Senator Rick Santorum with George W. Bush as the headliner. But it was Swann who was the man of the moment, rubbing elbows with Pittsburgh's elite in the tony suburban neighborhood of Sewickley, where he happens to live.

Rendell says he signed pay raise to 'kiss a little butt' By Brad Bumsted STATE CAPITOL REPORTER Thursday, April 27, 2006 HARRISBURG -- Gov. Ed Rendell told a group of Bucks County business people he signed last year's pay raise to "kiss a little butt" with the Legislature and ensure continued enactment of his own agenda. That's a "jaw-dropping statement" that says it all about the governor and the "danger of another four years" with the Philadelphia Democrat in office, said Lenny Alcivar, spokesman for Republican Lynn Swann, Rendell's opponent.

Swann & Jubelirer Tuesday, April 25, 2006 Just when it looked as if Lynn Swann's gubernatorial campaign was getting on track, the candidate appears to have taken a steady, deliberate aim at his foot and pulled the trigger with conviction.

Gov. Ed Rendell took a campaign swing through the Slate Belt on Sunday afternoon, days after visiting the Lehigh Valley. Rendell spoke before about 80 people at a Women's Democratic Club luncheon in Bangor, less than two weeks after Republican candidate Lynn Swann, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, stopped in the borough to talk about tort reform and economic development. He was swarmed by Steelers fans seeking autographs. Rendell outlined several ''things we've accomplished'' since taking office. He blamed fellow Democrats for letting Republicans do a ''masterful job in manipulating the issues,'' particularly gay marriage and abortion.

Swann's hour of crisis By Salena Zito TRIBUNE-REVIEW Here stands a man on the precipice of pulling off the Cinderella political story of the year. Yet, because he is woefully unprepared, he stands at risk of falling flat on his face. And no one will remember who ran his campaign. All that will be remembered is that he lost, that he looked unprepared, that he couldn't raise money. Swann's name will carry the folly of this campaign. Is that what he wants his legacy to be? Is that what the Republican Party had in mind? Swann himself needs to have...

Swann's hour of crisis By Salena Zito TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, April 16, 2006 What's the biggest problem with Lynn Swann's campaign for governor? It is not his awkward grasp of the issues. Nor is it his anemic fundraising. It isn't that he's never sought public office before, nor is he handicapped because he's black. Lynn Swann's big trouble? He is handled by amateurs.

ALTOONA, Pa., April 11 — In what was already proving a surprisingly tight contest, the race for governor of Pennsylvania has grown more complicated with the entry of an independent candidate who helped spearhead a grass-roots insurgency last year against the state legislature. The development is the latest twist in a campaign where the Democratic incumbent, Edward G. Rendell, once considered a shoo-in for re-election, has been polling neck and neck with his Republican challenger, the former football star Lynn Swann, a political newcomer. The latest arrival in the race is Russ Diamond, a businessman who last July founded PACleanSweep,...

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Gov. Ed Rendell led his Republican challenger, Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Lynn Swann, in a statewide poll released Wednesday and held a particularly lopsided lead among black voters.

Rendell's bulging war chest swamps Swann By David M. Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Wednesday, April 5, 2006 Rendell's report showed the Democratic incumbent with about $15.5 million, compared with $1.5 million in Swann's war chest.

Dateline: 29 March 2006 If Democrats have their way, the New York Times assures us, the 2006 elections will be the revenge of the Mommy Party. Certainly the Democrats are running high profile women candidates in a series of winnable Congressional seats. It may help them take control of the House. 1992 is generally considered “the year of the woman” in American politics, though I suspect it would have been eclipsed by 2000, if 2000 were not, instead, remembered as the year the Supreme Court had to settle the election. In 2000 the three largest states – California, Texas and...

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann on Friday told a group of conservative activists that he intends to impose strict limits on state spending and school property tax increases if elected. Swann told the annual conference of the Pennsylvania Leadership Council that he wants to make government more responsible with taxpayers' money, citing spending areas such as education and government operations. In 25 minutes of speaking and answering questions, Swann also sought to characterize how he would lead the state if elected in November. When asked how he might help revive the state's struggling cities, Swann said, "It's...

HARRISBURG -- Republican challenger Lynn Swann held a slight lead over incumbent Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell in a statewide poll released today, with a third of registered voters indicating they were open to voting for either man. Thirty-five percent of those surveyed in the IssuesPA/Pew Poll said they were likely to vote for Swann, the retired Pittsburgh Steelers star and former college football television analyst. Twenty-nine percent said they would probably support Rendell, and 34 percent were considered up for grabs.

Rendell's glad Swann doesn't get cable By Eric Heyl TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, March 31, 2006 Excerpts from Gov. Ed Rendell's diary: March 29, 2006 Dear Diary, Whew! Dodged a bullet today. My buddies over at Comcast, where I work part-time during the fall as a football commentator, announced they are capping raises this year for their top executives at $12 million. I got word of that and I started sweating like a, I don't know, like a sweating governor or something.