Pennsylvania Ave.

With Sestak on way out, door opens for some

With U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak seemingly bent on leaving his suburban Philadelphia seat for a challenge of Sen. Arlen Specter, candidates to replace Sestak are beginning to emerge.

The Inquirer summed up the frenzy in a story today -- noting the possible candidates looming on the horizon. Among them: former U.S. attorney Pat Meehan, who some state Republicans are trying to steer away from the gubernatorial contest and toward a run for Sestak's seat.

Now comes news that at least one Republican has emerged. Steven Welch, an area businessman, puts out this statement moments ago...

Promising a new style of campaigning that will focus on voter engagement and utilize cutting-edge technologies, Steven Welch today announced his candidacy for the 7th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

“It is time for accountability and bold approaches to tackle the tough decisions we currently face, not pushing them off for the next generation to solve,” said Welch. “Joe Sestak and the leadership in Congress think the solution to all of our problems is to spend more. I believe the Republican principles of empowering individuals and personal freedom are what can revive our economy and ensure that the United States remains the beacon of hope to the world.”

Steven announced his candidacy on his website, www.WELCHforPA.com, and through Facebook, Twitter and other social networking tools, providing a glimpse of the new approach to campaigning that he plans to bring to the race.

“Like many residents of the 7th District I watched with outrage as our Congress voted for bailout after bailout, sometimes not even understanding what they were voting for and often bailing out the same companies that they received large political contributions from,” added Welch. “We need people in Congress with a proven record of creating good jobs with good benefits, balancing a budget and meeting a bottom line. We don’t need rubber stamps that vote with Nancy Pelosi 97% of the time.”

Steven Welch is the former founder & CEO of the Mitos Group, a leader in biotechnology solutions. Steven is also the co-founder of DreamIt Ventures, a unique venture firm that helps technology start-ups get off the ground. Over the past two years DreamIt has funded over 20 small businesses and helped nearly 100 entrepreneurs.

In 2008 Steve was selected as a member of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 40 under 40, as well as being named its Entrepreneur of the Year. Most recently Steven was awarded the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship to build bridges internationally in small business communities to drive job creation and economic development. Steven and his wife, Nicole, live in Phoenixville with their daughter, and are expecting their second child this summer.

To learn more about Steven and to watch the announcement of his candidacy visit www.WELCHforPA.com.

Sestak: 67 counties in a year? Ha!

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter trudges across the great state of Pennsylvania every year, traveling to all 67 counties. And he's never shy about telling people. After all, it ain't easy.

Well, prospective opponent Rep. Joe Sestak is looking to one-up the 79-year-old senator, embarking on a tour that his staff says will take him across all 67 counties in ... wait for it ... three weeks.

Everyone's heard the stories about Sestak's work ethic -- apparently on par with Specter's -- but even that goal is pushing it. That's three counties a day, without a break. And all the while, Sestak is still making non-announcement announcements about his candidacy.

If there's an underlying message from team Sestak here, it is one to behold. The 57-year-old former Navy vice admiral is going to be a force to be reckoned with in this Senate campaign, if for no other reason than the guy is absolutely tireless.

In many ways, he's a perfect match for Specter, who has made a career out of outlasting his opponents, adapting to the political winds and working constantly. Heck, he still drags himself out of bed in the wee hours of most mornings to hit a tiny ball against a wall.

Look out Pennsylvania. If you thought last year's presidential race was interesting, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Murphy takes lead on "don't ask, don't tell" repeal

The congressional effort to reverse the controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays and lesbians in the military has landed on the desk of U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, an Iraq war veteran and Bronze Star recipient who Democrats are hoping will give the legislation newfound momentum in the House.

The Bucks County Democrat takes over as the lead sponsor of the bill from former Rep. Ellen Tauscher, a California Democrat who retired Friday to take a position in the Obama administration. The shift comes as gay rights advocates press President Barack Obama to make good on a promise to repeal the 16-year-old rule banning the open service of gays and lesbians in the military even as the administration points to Congress to reverse the law.

“It is vital to our national security,” Murphy said in his first interview since taking over the lead on the so-called Military Readiness Enhancement Act. “We have troops that are fighting in two wars … and we need every qualified able-bodied individual who is able to serve.”

The legislation, which has 150 co-sponsors in the House, would repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which Congress approved in Sept. 1993, and bar the military from discriminating on the basis of a service member’s sexual orientation.

In Murphy, 35, Democratic leadership in the House has an aggressive two-term lawmaker who in 2006 was the first Iraq war veteran elected to Congress. A former prosecutor and West Point professor, Murphy was a captain in the Army’s 82nd Airborne division.

He said he anticipates a drawn-out battle to rally enough support to bring the bill to the floor. The legislation, first introduced in 2005, has never made it out of committee.

“This is going to take months and months, but change is going to happen,” he said.

The legislation’s prospects are similarly uncertain in the U.S. Senate, where Sen. Edward Kennedy, who is suffering from a brain tumor, is expected to take the lead.

Opponents of changing the policy are readying their own fight, arguing that gays’ open service would hurt the country’s national security.

“Our national security depends on the men and women of the military,” Elaine Donnelly, president of Center for Military Readiness, testified before Congress last year. “For our own sake as well as theirs, the United States armed forces must be constructed on foundations that are sound.”

Public opinion appears to side with changing the policy. A Gallup poll in May found that 69 percent of Americans favor allowing gays and lesbians to openly serve in the military. A quarter of respondents — 26 percent — were opposed.

The Obama administration, though, has been cautious in its approach on the issue, perhaps wary of President Clinton’s experience in 1993. Clinton stumbled through his first year in office in part because of the emphasis he placed on trying to allow gays to serve openly in the military.

A May report by the University of California at Santa Barbara asserted the president has the power to stop the military from discharging service members for their sexual orientation. But the White House has balked at the suggestion, and said it is focusing on a “legislative vehicle” to deal with the issue.

At an event Monday at the White House, Obama said his office is working with the Pentagon and members of Congress on how to end the rule.

“Someday, I’m confident, we’ll look back at this transition and ask why it generated such angst, but as commander-in-chief, in a time of war, I do have responsibility to see that this change is administered in a practical way,” he said. “That’s why I’ve asked the secretary of defense and the joint chiefs of staff to develop a plan for how to thoroughly implement a repeal.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said this week he wants to make the law dealing with gays in the military “more humane” until Congress is able to act. Among the ideas under consideration, he said, is the military might not have to expel someone whose sexual orientation was revealed by a third party out of vindictiveness or suspect motives, the Associated Press reported.

GOP hits Callahan on his ***ing rejection

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan has turned down running for Congress before -- and now the GOP is trying to turn that against him.

Rahm Emanuel, then head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, called Callahan in 2005 to inquire about a run. And in vintage Emanuelese, he was more than straightforward. "Are you tired of being ****ing mayor yet?" Emanuel asked, as outlined in Naftali Bendavid's 2007 book, "The Thumpin'." Callahan turned it around on Emanuel. "It’s better than being a ****ing congressman," he said.

The National Republican Congressional Committee chimed in with this today:

“With Lehigh Valley facing such tough times, how can middle-class families entrust John Callahan with representing them in Congress when he holds such disdain for the job in the first place?” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “After now caving to the powers that be in Washington, Pennsylvania voters are getting a glimpse of what the future holds if John Callahan is elected to Congress.”

Torsella backs Specter

One-time Democratic Senate candidate came out for Sen. Arlen Specter today.

Here's his full statement...

I am announcing today my support for and endorsement of Arlen Specter for re-election to the United States Senate.

I have known and worked with Senator Specter for nearly two decades, first when I worked for Mayor Rendell and later at the Constitution Center.

Senator Specter has been a hard working, effective and honest fighter for Pennsylvania in the United States Senate.

I know we share many of the same values, and with his decision to become a Democrat, I believe and hope that the Democratic voters of Pennsylvania will renominate him for another term of service.

In my own case, I decided to withdraw from the race following Senator Specter’s decision because, among other reasons, a primary challenge to Senator Specter as an incumbent Democrat would inevitably weaken our party’s chance in the general election in November 2010. And with the pressing issues of health care reform, economic recovery, education, the environment, and our national security at stake, I decided that now isn’t the time for the politics of personal ambition, but for the principle of putting Pennsylvania’s and the nation’s interests first.

In my campaign I spoke often of the need for new ideas and a new approach in Washington. In the weeks since I ended my candidacy, I have spoken at great length with Senator Specter and watched his work in Washington to advance the President’s agenda for change. I have become convinced that years of service do not preclude the ability to promote change; in fact, under the right circumstances, they enhance it. My conversations have convinced me that Arlen Specter will work hard to do just that on the issues most important to me and families across Pennsylvania

I am also proud that my party practices an inclusive brand of politics. We agree on core values but we are tolerant, as we should be, of differences and respectful of independent thinkers. By welcoming Senator Specter, we show that strength.

The bottom line is that Arlen Specter is smart, independent and gets the job done. He is one of the great assets of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

I unreservedly endorse Arlen Specter. He deserves to keep his job and Pennsylvanians need to keep him working for all of us.

--Joe Torsella

Casey on climate bill: Very strong effort

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey stopped short of endorsing the climate bill that passed the House on Friday, but said the measure was a "very strong effort at reaching consensus on a lot of difficult issues."

"I thought it was a significant vote in the history of environmental and energy and really both from the vantage point of energy issues, environmental issues and economic issues it was a significant vote," he said. "I was glad that the House was able to wrestle with … some of the regional differences in that bill. As a Pennsylvanian, I want to make sure we take into consideration some of our unique circumstances in our state and part of the region, where we are concerned about the job impact and also concerned about a pathway for coal with carbon capture sequestration."

With the 219-212 vote Friday, the climate bill now moves to the Senate, where energy companies, environmentalists and the many other interested parties will have a smaller group of lawmakers to lobby. Casey, who has been a strong backer of much of President Obama's agenda, represents an important state in the climate bill's battle.

It's a state where only eight of its 19 members supported the House measure Friday, with four Democrats and all seven Republicans opposing the bill.

Specter, meanwhile, has said he favors a cap-and-trade provision and wants a climate bill by the end of the year.

Gerlach opposes cap-and-trade bill

U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach opposed the cap-and-trade bill endorsed by the House today, a move that could forecast the suburban Philadelphia lawmaker's decision on whether to run for reelection next year.

Gerlach, R-6th District, joined all but eight Republicans in opposing the measure. It came after intense lobbying from both sides, aware that Gerlach is among the most liberal Republicans on environmental issues. Only eight other Republican members had received a better lifetime rating (Gerlach's is 59 percent) by the League of Conservation Voters through last year.

“While the bill included some positive provisions to develop alternative and renewable energy our country needs, I voted against this bill because of the devastating effect it will have on working families and the people who create jobs in my district and across Pennsylvania,” Gerlach said in a statement.

The measure put Gerlach in a particularly tough spot in part because of his indecision about whether to run in the GOP primary for governor next year or seek reelection in an environmentally conscious district.

Supporting the bill would have provided ample fodder for his GOP opponents in a gubernatorial primary. But by opposing it, he may leave himself more vulnerable in a district that has proven as tough to win as any in the country.

All seven Pennsylvania Republicans opposed the measure, while only eight of the 12 Democrats supported it. Democratic U.S. Reps. Tim Holden, Jason Altmire, Chris Carney and Kathy Dahlkemper voted no.

PA Health Care: Stuck in the infirmary?

In its effort to promote health care reform, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued a series of state health care profiles.

"The reports are a clear demonstration there are problems with health care in every state," said Kathleen Sebelius in a conference call with reporters.

Sebelius said the administration remains committed to a health care reform plan that includes a so-called public option, a government-run health care insurance plan like Medicare that would compete with private plans to expand coverage.

Both Senate and House plans currently include a provision that makes obtaining insurance mandatory, she said.

Responding to a question about why Democrats don't simply take advantage of their majorities in Congress and ram the health care plan through, Sebelius said that's probably not possible in the Senate, anyway.

“I’m still hopeful Republicans will be engaged and involved as they are right now in the Senate Finance Committee," Sebelius said. "I hope we will have some House Republicans who may become a part of this solution.”

Some of those Pennsylvania stats:

7.9 million get health insurance through their jobs, with average family coverage premiums of $13,646.
Family premiums are up 103 percent since 2000.
10 percent are uninsured.
Highmark and Independence Blue Cross makes up 71 percent of the health insurance market, limiting competition.

Miscellaneous health tidbit: 37 percent of men over 50 have never had a colonoscopy. For all the details click HERE.

Gerlach to tip hand with energy bill?

U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach could give a clear indication of his political intentions with today's vote on a cap-and-trade bill that is highly unpopular with the GOP electorate.

The suburban Philadelphia lawmaker, who gets high marks for his voting record on environmental issues, has been on the fence over whether to back the energy bill. But with Gerlach considering a run for the GOP nomination in next year's governor's race in Pennsylvania, his vote today comes with added pressure. What he decides could ultimately forecast whether he'll run for reelection in the House or for governor next year.

Why?

Because if Gerlachwants to run for governor, he'd be hard-pressed to support the energy bill and be one of perhaps a handful of GOP members to back the bill. If he wants to return to the House, he could get beat up by an environmentally conscious electorate in the 6th District.

So watch closely today.

Club for Growth to press Specter donors

This from Politico's Josh Kraushaar...

The anti-tax Club for Growth is preparing a campaign designed to drain cash from party-switching Sen. Arlen Specter's (D-Pa.) campaign coffers, and is awaiting approval from the Federal Election Commission to follow through with their plan.

The group's political action committee wants to contact donors who have recently given money to Specter's reelection campaign and let them know they can request a refund of their money. After he switched parties, Specter promised he would return campaign contributions to those who requested it.

"Senator Specter agreed to return the contributions he received before switching parties, and we want to help him make good on that commitment," Club President Chris Chocola said. "It's easy to request a refund with a preprinted letter and envelope, and I expect a lot of people will want their money back."

The Club for Growth would cull the donor information from the FEC database, and then would send out mailers or make phone calls to the donors informing them of their opportunity to recoup their money.

The only sticking point is that the FEC has a restriction against those using its published material to solicit contributions. In its request for an FEC advisory opinion, the Club argues that its communication is "in conformance with both the statute and regulation" because it won't actually be soliciting money from donors-but rather urging donors to demand a refund.

Sestak gets all clear from wife on Senate run

This morning came news that U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak had gotten the go-ahead from his father on a Senate run ("absolutely, why not?" he says his father told him, Plum Line reported). Now comes word from Sestak that he's gotten the all-clear from his wife.

"My wife is fully supportive of it," Sestak said in an interview today, shortly after he addressed a crowd of union activists at a Capitol Hill brewery.

But, he said, he's still in the process of talking about a 2010 run with his daughter. Sestak, for those out of the loop, has been slow-walking his official announcement that he'll challenge U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary next year.

He said his daughter has "got to know that I'm going to have an 11-and-a-half month deployment throughout the Keystone State."

"She understands that I'm about to leave her," he said. "Her last day of school was yesterday. We're finishing up our discussions and she'll be there."

Asked about the poll released today that showed Specter in poor standing among Pennsylvanians, Sestak responded: "They just want a choice. They don't want to be dictated by Washington D.C."

Asked whether they'll have a choice in the end, Sestak responded, "Oh yeah."

That's about as definitive as it gets.

Specter backs public option on health care

Sen. Arlen Specter told a boisterous crowd of union activists today that he backs a public health insurance option as part of the health care overhaul Congress is debating.

"I know you are very interested in the public component and I think Senator Schumer has the right idea about having a public component," Specter said at a rally held at the Capitol City Brewery near Union Station.

The shift -- Specter opposed a public option only months ago -- comes as Specter faces a potential primary opponent next spring in U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak and as a new poll shows his favorability rating at a 17-year low.

Here are all of his remarks, as provided by his staff...

I compliment you on your tenacity and your determination and your passion. I agree with you that health care is a right.

I am sorry to be a little late but President Obama scheduled a meeting at the White House on immigration and it ran a little long. But I’m glad to see you here, and I’m glad to have the opportunity to speak to you.

We are working hard on health care reform legislation. President Obama has established a summit and invited me to attend. And I do believe that there will be health care legislation. I know you are very interested in the public component and I think Senator Schumer has the right idea about having a public component which has a level playing field with the private sector, but the public component can be included.

I started life as a Democrat. My family was a typical American family, immigrant parents, tough times during the Depression, FDR Democrats - I was a JFK Democrat. I tried in the Senate for years to have a moderate wing and when President Obama was elected and wanted to bring in the stimulus package, and came and talked to the Senators and laid it on the line about the United States facing possibly a 1929-type depression. I voted for the stimulus package - provided a key vote to get it passed. For Pennsylvania, it means 143,000 jobs, it means $16 billion, it means the continuation of Medicaid and Medicare, and SCHIP – health care for children.   It was the right thing to do.

I have had a voting record over the years more in line with Democrats than Republicans. I voted for a woman’s right to choose. I took the lead with Senator Harkin on increasing funding for the National Institutes of Health from $12 to 30 billion. I voted 22 times for Davis-Bacon, 20 times for extending unemployment compensation, cosponsored legislation for the minimum wage.

There were a lot of Democrats who had been urging me to change my registration. I rode the train for three decades with then-Senator Biden from Washington to Wilmington, and I went on to Philadelphia. You know how repetitious Joe Biden can be. And Ed Rendell has urged me for years to become a Democrat. You may not know that I gave Ed Rendell his first job out of law school. He was a law student at Villanova, I was District Attorney; he wanted to become an Assistant D.A. so he could become famous and get to be governor and there you are. He wanted me to become a Democrat. And after I voted for the stimulus package I found more Republicans who wanted me to be a Democrat than Democrats who wanted me to become a Democrat. So I went with the flow and we feel very comfortable. I don’t have to look over my right shoulder anymore.

I came in with Eileen Connolly who’s holding my coat - and my wallet. The Employee Free Choice Act was mentioned, and we’re working hard to find the answer which will get early union certification and we’ll get the first contract.

But today I know your focus is on health care. I have to now to the Senate chamber. We’re about to vote on Dean Koh where the filibuster was defeated. He’s a very strong Obama nominee to be legal counsel to the Department of State.

But I thank you for coming to Washington, and I thank you for putting up with this heat and waiting and I thank you for your passion and your presence here and your rally and your enthusiasm has a big effect on what goes on three blocks away on the Congress of the United States and you will get health care this year.

Cunningham drops gov bid

From the Morning Call's Darryl Isherwood...

Lehigh County executive Don Cunningham said today will not run for governor in 2010.

Citing family commitments and time constraints, Cunningham said he plans to run for a final term as county executive this fall. He was an undeclared gubenatorial candidate.

"Neither the time nor the circumstances are right for me at this time to take that effort to the higher level that is required to ultimately succeed," he said in a statement. "In fairness to those who support me, encourage me and give of their time and treasure, I have moved up the timetable of my final decision."

Cunningham, 43, said he is not endorsing another candidate and has no wish to run for lieutenant governor.

Here's Cunningham's release...

I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate for governor of Pennsylvania in 2010.
For the last 18 months I have explored the idea of being a candidate. I’ve travelled to many parts of the state, visited with leaders in the business, labor and political communities. I’ve attended many events, both public and private, and have raised financial support toward that effort. I’ve met hundreds and hundreds of wonderful people all of whom have been very gracious and warm to me.
Today, however, I conclude that effort. Neither the time nor the circumstances are right for me at this time to take that effort to the higher level that is required to ultimately succeed. In fairness to those who support me, encourage me and give of their time and treasure, I have moved up the timetable of my final decision.
In modern politics, the successful pursuit of higher office demands a complete and consuming devotion of time and energy often at the expense of all current commitments and responsibilities, both personal and professional.
I am very fortunate to hold a position that I enjoy and find rewarding in my community. The people of Lehigh County made a commitment to me and I have a responsibility to them. This year I seek a second and final term as their county executive. These are particularly challenging times for all local and county governments and I’ve decided it’s not the time to have an “absentee” county executive.
I am also blessed to have three teenage children, the youngest of which is 13 years old. This summer I often found myself at Little League baseball games when my political staff wanted me on the road or making fundraising calls. But, I’ve learned, there are some things you don’t get back. And, I’m fortunate that despite being teenagers, they still seem to want dad around.
I am 43-years-old. I’ve been blessed to serve as a city councilman and a two-term mayor of Bethlehem, the president of the Pennsylvania League of Cities, a state cabinet secretary and now one of just four elected county executives in Pennsylvania. I hope to be re-elected to that position this November.
I will miss the opportunity to actually engage in a discussion with regular Pennsylvanians regarding the vision, values and future that we want for our state. This is a very critical time for our nation and our state. The challenges we face are greater than any that I’ve seen in my lifetime.
I exit this race seeking no deals from nor pledging support to any other candidate. I am not seeking the position of lieutenant governor.
The timetable of politics is earlier and earlier. Now is the time for anyone that wants to run for governor to go “live on the road” and, frankly, to focus almost exclusively on raising money. We have come to know that money is the only real prerequisite for the media, the punditry and the insider community to assess candidates. Personal wealth and/or access to wealthy donors are more important than a textbook full of ideas in the insider world. Those are simply the ground rules of the game.
My current responsibilities and commitments here in the Lehigh Valley, both personal and professional, require me to be here more than “out there.” Someday, that may change.
But, for now, I can only thank all those that I met, that I spoke to, that offered me support and encouragement and showed me and taught me more about all the cities, towns and regions of Pennsylvania. While I regret being unable to proceed, I am personally richer for my experience of exploration.

Senators list Lehigh Valley plums in 2010 budget

Senators Arlen Specter and Robert P. Casey Jr. have started listing some of the federal funding plums that could be dropped on Pennsylvania if they allowed to remain in the 2010 federal budget.

There are a handful in the Lehigh Valley. They could be reasons to root for budget passage, if you've got a particular fondness for one of them. Maybe you like bog turtles, or nano materials for example?

Here they are:

$500,000 for Lehigh County for technology infrastructure for the Lehigh Valley Regional Crime Center, which would be a cross-jurisdictional effort involving over 50 local law enforcement agencies in Lehigh and Northampton Counties, as well as benefit agencies in Berks County.

$250,000 for Lehigh University for research and development of nanomaterials. This will support the continued development of innovative nanomaterials and devices for NASA space flight applications.

$1,000,000 for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to acquire land within the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Monroe and Northampton Counties. Cherry Valley is a stream valley at the base of the Kittatinny Ridge and was designated a National Wildlife Refuge in December 2008. The requested funding will be used to acquire land including habitat along Cherry Creek critical to the endangered bog turtle, the headwaters of Cherry Creek, and forest land along Kittatinny Ridge.

Specter: With Souter out, bring cameras to court

Sen. Arlen Specter said he'll ask Supreme Court justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor about her opinion of a televised Supreme Court when she comes up for confirmation next month.

In a floor speech this morning, Specter said the most outspoken opponent of a televised Supreme Court, David Souter, will soon be leaving the bench, giving proponents of cameras in the court newfound optimism.

"Perhaps it would be a good time for the court to reconsider," Specter said.

C-SPAN has unfettered access to the House and Senate, but the proceedings inside the nearby Supreme Court have always been without cameras. Souter, who is retiring in the fall, had said that the Supreme Court would be televised "over my dead body."

Specter, a five-term Pennsylvanian said he'll reintroduce legislation to force the court's hand. "I intend to pursue it," he said.

But first, he said he'll write Sotomayor asking for her thoughts on the issue.

Specter's poll numbers plummet

U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak's chances of getting into the Senate race likely just went from the "only an act of God" will keep him out phase to the "even God wants him to run" phase.

The Franklin & Marshall poll out today brings a slate of good news to anyone challenging U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter in 2010.

Perhaps the most ominous sign for the five-term senator is that less than a third -- 31 percent -- of Pennsylvanians give him a favorable rating, his worst score since Franklin & Marshall began tracking Specter's favorability rating in 1992.

But the bad news didn't end there.

A majority -- 55 percent -- said Specter is doing a fair or poor job in the Senate. Barely a quarter -- 28 percent -- said he deserves reelection.

Perhaps the lone bright spot, if it can be characterized that way, is that Specter leads Sestak, a Philadelphia area Democrat, in a head-to-head matchup, 33 percent to 13 percent. But it is hard for Specter to even view that positively, considering Specter is widely known in the state and Sestak is still unfamiliar to most Pennsylvanians. In other words, conventional wisdom says that Specter's number won't climb much, but Sestak's might. Almost half of Pennsylvanians said they are not yet sure how they'll vote.

Casey makes it three straight over Specter

A pitchers duel it wasn’t, despite Sen. Arlen Specter brief stint on the mound. Nonetheless, the annual softball game between the offices of Specter and his Democratic colleague Bob Casey proved dramatic until the end Tuesday night, ending in a 19-16 win for Casey’s crew, who called themselves Scrantonicity.

It was the third straight win for Casey’s team since he was elected to the Senate in 2006.
Specter’s team had contemplated a new name this year — to Switch Hitters — in light of the five-term senator’s party change earlier this year, but settled on something far less controversial: Pennsylmania.

Among the game’s high points: a popup that Casey hit off Specter that rather dramatically fell into the glove of Specter spokeswoman Kate Kelly. That, of course, and Casey spokeswoman Stephanie Zarecky's zucchini bread.

Biden pitches Callahan on run for Congress

Among the Democratic heavyweights who have been in touch with John Callahan in recent days is Vice President Joe Biden, who spoke with the Bethlehem mayor last week and pledged the administration's support if Callahan decides to run for Congress.

Callahan said he connected with Biden on the phone at the end of last week, while Callahan was on vacation. He said the vice president told him that "he thinks it's a great opportunity and they'd [the administration] be supportive."

Callahan, who has been wooed by Democrats for years in their efforts to unseat U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, said he's as close to taking the plunge as he's ever been. With a wife and three kids, he said he's balancing the prospect of being away from his family and working in the U.S. House at a "critical period of time in our country's history."

The decision, which he said he needs to make "relatively quickly," would come down to, "can I do more at the federal level for cities like Bethlehem and Allentown and Easton."

"The challenges we face in the Valley are systemic and statewide," he said.

The call from Biden came only days after Callahan met with Gov. Ed Rendell, who was no doubt influential in getting the vice president to make the pitch.

Still, Callahan said he is "at the same crossroads" he has been at in years past when considering whether to run for the seat.

Patrick Murphy's wife expecting

The young gun of the Pennsylvania delegation -- Patrick Murphy -- came to Congress with an infant daughter two-and-half years ago. He'll soon be adding a son to the mix.

Murphy's wife, Jennifer is pregnant with the couple's second child. And a name's already been picked out: Jack Martin Murphy. He should be here in November.

Now comes the key decision in the Murphy household: whether to shoot for more.

Congrats from Pennsylvania Avenue to the Murphy family.

Gerlach: Senate run off the table

U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach has put a fork in any plans to run for U.S. Senate, saying today that he would decide next month whether to pursue reelection in the House or a bid for governor in 2010.

"That is pretty much off the table," Gerlach, in an interview, said of the idea of a Senate run, which has lingered as a possibility since U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter switched to the Democratic Party in late April.

Asked if he would definitely run either for the House or governor of Pennsylvania, Gerlach responded: "I think that would be safe to say."

The news -- while not a shock -- comes as a relief for Pat Toomey, who is now left alone as a top-tier candidate in the race for the GOP nomination for Senate. And while a segment of the party is still wary of Toomey's candidacy and whether he can win a general election, Gerlach's absence from the race gives them little choice but to rally around the former Lehigh Valley lawmaker.

Now comes the more anticipated choice from Gerlach -- whether he'll abandon a seat he's held since 2003 to pursue what many political observers perceive to be a long-shot bid for governor. Many in the GOP have rallied around the candidacy of Pennsylvania attorney general Tom Corbett.

Still, the official line from the state GOP is that Gerlach is welcome to do what he pleases.

"It's up to him," said state party chairman Robert Gleason Jr. "This is America, you make your own decision."

Gleason and others in the GOP have been frank with Gerlach about one thing though -- they would prefer he run for reelection in the 6th District, where he has won hard-fought victories in each of his four election races.

"I told him I was hopeful that he would run for reelection," Gleason said of a meeting he had with Gerlach earlier this year.

Gerlach, meanwhile, said he's not leaning in either direction, but plans to make a decision next month.

Callahan takes another look at run for Congress

Democrats have tried -- and failed -- for years to persuade Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan to run for Congress. But there are signs he might be persuadable this year.

Callahan, who in March said he wasn't interested and has twice before turned down a run, has approached party leaders in Pennsylvania in recent weeks to broach the idea of challenging U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent next year.

It's a prospect that, despite Callahan's flirtation with a bid in the past, has the party abuzz about its chances of picking up another congressional seat in the state.

''He is seriously contemplating a bid,'' said state Democratic Committee Executive Eirector Mary Isenhour.

Judging the seriousness of Callahan's interest in the 15th District seat has been a guessing game among Democrats ever since Dent was elected in 2004 to represent the Lehigh Valley on Capitol Hill. And some of his closest political allies aren't convinced he'll make the leap.

Still, there are indications that Callahan is at least as serious as he was the last election cycle, when he met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Washington about the prospect of a run.

Together with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Callahan recently commissioned a poll in the district to survey voters' opinions about him and other candidates and what messages might work in a campaign against Dent. Also, he recently met with party leaders, including Gov. Ed Rendell, to discuss a 2010 bid.

Callahan, facing re-election as mayor this year, didn't return a call for comment.

Democrats haven't held the Lehigh Valley seat since Paul McHale's three straight wins in the 1990s. But seldom has a candidate won more than 60 percent of the vote in the district. And Dent is among only a handful of Republicans nationwide who represent districts that were won by John Kerry in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008.

For those reasons, the party has long viewed the seat as a pickup opportunity -- with the right candidate.

Callahan, president of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities, is viewed as a proven winner with connections statewide. He has long been considered as an up-and-coming political talent in the state.

Without Callahan in the race, Democrats would face another election cycle without a top-tier candidate to challenge Dent.

Party leaders say they'll find someone to make a run -- as they did in Charles Dertinger in 2006 and Sam Bennett in 2008 -- but can't name a single other elected official who is contemplating a bid.

Lehigh County Democratic Chairman Rick Daugherty might be the party's fall-back candidate. Daugherty, executive director of the nonprofit Lehigh County Senior Citizens Center, said he'll run if the party can't find someone else.

''It's just an idea,'' said Daugherty, a Lehigh Valley native who lives in Lowhill Township. ''I'm really looking at this in terms [of] if we do not have a strong, credible candidate emerge. I think we need to have a good, strong alternate voice to the positions that Charlie Dent is taking.''

Dent, meanwhile, has a significant head start on whoever emerges as the Democratic challenger. Campaign manager Shawn Millan said Dent had $335,000 in his campaign account as of Monday, a week shy of the three-month reporting deadline.

Daugherty and other Democrats say they want to have someone committed to running by the end of the summer so they can begin to close the gap on Dent's fundraising advantage. But because Callahan is widely considered to be the party's best hope to win the seat in 2010, it is giving him wide latitude to make a decision.

Callahan, it appears, is taking his time.

''It helps at this stage of your career to do a little flirting, to play hard to get,'' said political scientist Christopher Borick at Muhlenberg College in Allentown. ''It is not a bad strategy to be courted.''

OFA Staff in Pennsylvania Quadruples

After several months with zero paid Organizing for America staffers, Pennsylvania is now awash in Democratic political operatives.

OFA, the successor to the Obama for America campaign apparatus now operated by the Democratic National Committee, announced today that it now has four paid staff working out of its Philadelphia office.

Joining the previously announced State Director Elizabeth Lucas are:

David Discoll-Knight, Field Director: A native of Spokane, Wash. Like Lucas, he worked for Democrat John Edwards in the Iowa Democratic primaries, and then a list of other candidates.

Michael Shapiro, Deputy Field Director: An attorney with Philadelphia roots, Shapiro volunteered for the Obama campaign in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Theresa Marley, Regional Field Director: A mother of three, Marley worked for Obama in Philadelphia as a volunteer and eventually office manager and field organizer.

All four should be plenty busy as OFA ramps up to promote Obama's health care plan. Organizing for America has launched a new health care horror stories website that is searchable by location. There are literally dozens of snippets from people identifying themselves as from Allentown:Health Care Stories.

Lawmakers pitch earmarks for highway bill

From a story in today's Morning Call...

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent has asked Congress for $6 million to help renovate part of Route 22 as part of a massive highway bill up for renewal this year.

That earmark is among more than two dozen spending requests Dent, R-15th District, has submitted to the Transportation Committee for funding over the next six years. The list also includes 14 bridge repair projects in the Lehigh Valley area, as well as money for hybrid-powered buses and a hydrogen-fueled shuttle bus project.

What gets the final go-ahead is far from decided. With so many big items on the congressional calendar, the Obama administration this week said it will propose an 18-month extension to the current highway bill, due to expire Oct. 1. But the transportation panel's top lawmakers, in unveiling a six-year, $500 billion package on Thursday, said they want to pass a reauthorization bill this year.

''In this time of severe economic recession, the effects of any slowed investment could offset much of the benefits of the increased transportation investment provided under the [stimulus bill],'' House Transportation Chairman James Oberstar of Minnesota and others wrote in a 17-page blueprint.

The proposal, formally called the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2009, sets aside $337 billion for highways, $100 billion for public transportation and $50 billion for high-speed rail.

Whether the bill comes up this year or next, the earmark requests put forward by Dent and other area lawmakers illustrate the road, bridge and transit priorities they've pinpointed in the region.

Dent's list includes $63 million worth of projects, a relatively modest sum compared with other area lawmakers.

U.S. Reps. Paul Kanjorski, D-11th District, and Jim Gerlach, R-6th District, both asked for $216 million in transportation projects. Among the big-ticket items on Gerlach's list is $90 million to reconstruct and widen Route 202 near Malvern, Chester County. Kanjorski put in for $90 million for the proposed Lackawanna Cutoff, which would extend rail service from New York City to Scranton.

U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, D-17th District, included $135 million worth of projects. U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-13th District, has asked for $52 million, while Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-8th District, submitted a list totaling $21 million. Projects are listed on their congressional Web sites.

Gerlach stressed it is too early to read into the figures and that the numbers could change. His staff said the figures included the entirety of a project's cost in each request, but they are likely to approve only a portion of that total in each case.

''By all accounts, this process is going to take months, and it will be a while before we have more realistic funding numbers for these projects requested by local transportation planners,'' Gerlach said.

This is the first time that lawmakers have made their requests public, part of an effort by the House to make more transparent how earmarks are handed out. Critics have long panned the process as too secretive and inefficient and argued that spending requests should go through a competitive bidding system through the federal government to avoid arbitrary decisions by congressional leaders.

Dent and others have argued that the process needs to be fixed, but as long as it is in place, he is going to fight for the needs of the district.

''If there are no earmarks in the bill, I can live with that just fine,'' said Dent, a member of the Transportation Committee. ''As long as the dollars are available, I am going to take advantage of that for our community.''

In most cases, the federal money would only be a start. The Route 22 project, which would rebuild on- and off-ramps between 15th Street and Airport Road, is slated to cost $11.2 million, according to Dent. His request would barely cover half of that tab.

Dent has also asked for $6 million to help pay for the $36.5 million American Parkway project in Allentown and $1.5 million to help build a new, $6.2 million access road to St. Luke's Hospital-Fountain Hill.

The $3.4 million that Dent has requested for the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority would go toward buying hybrid-powered transit buses to replace some in the 78-bus fleet.

Sestak: Specter's a "flight risk"

U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak unveiled a line of attack against his future opponent today that he'll likely hit on repeatedly over the next several months, calling Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter a "flight risk" in an e-mail to donors.

From The Fix blog...

Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak (D) ramped up the rhetoric against Arlen Specter in an e-mail fundraising solicitation sent to donors today, calling the Democratic Senator a "flight risk" due to his party switch earlier this year.

"I believe that Pennsylvania deserves a real Democrat in its Senate seat, someone who always has and always will stand up for the values we believe in," wrote Sestak. "Not someone who might be with us just this year or next year for their own political survivability."

Sestak goes on to compare his near-certain challenge to Specter in next year's Democratic primary to President Barack Obama's race against then Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) in last year's presidential race. "As President Obama's election demonstrated, it is time for a new generation of leaders to come forward and to assume the the mantle of responsibility, and accountability," write Sestak.

Gerlach leaves GOP guessing

Toying with potential runs for office is an age-old game in Washington, but some Pennsylvanians are taking it to a whole new level. Key among them is U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, whose decision to run for Senate is now in what seems like its 10th iteration, the "only an act of God" will keep him from running phase.

U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach's choice to run for Senate or Governor has been equally slow coming. And while a run for Senate seems unlikely, few seem to have any idea whether he might jump into the gubernatorial contest.

Politico explored the indecision in a story today.

Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Jim Gerlach’s indecision over his 2010 plans is causing heartburn for Republican leaders in Washington and suburban Philadelphia who worry that his extended timetable for announcing his next move is jeopardizing the GOP’s ability to hold his competitive House seat.

While potential Republican candidates remain in a state of suspended animation while Gerlach considers whether to run for reelection or launch a statewide bid for governor or Senate — a waiting game now in its sixth month — Democrats have already commenced with a vigorous effort to pry the seat out of GOP hands.

Report: Sestak staffs up

U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak is staffing up for his Senate run, the Plum Line reports...

In yet another sign that Joe Sestak is dead serious about taking on Arlen Specter in the 2010 Pennsylvania Dem primary, Sestak has started building a campaign staff for a Senate race, according to a Democrat with direct knowledge of the conversations.

Sestak has interviewed a number of people who would work for his statewide communications operation and online outreach effort, and has talked to candidates for his field operation, the Democrat says.

Meanwhile, three chief media consultants on Sestak’s 2006 and 2008 House races — J.J. Balaban, Doc Sweitzer, and Neil Oxman of the Philadelphia-based firm The Campaign Group — have signaled to Sestak that they’ll work for him if and when he enters the Senate primary.

“My colleagues and I were very pleased to help Joe defeat a longtime Republican in 2006, and we’d be happy to do so again in 2010,” Balaban told me, in a puckish reference to Specter.

Hmmm, this won’t sit well with the Dem establishment, given its uniform backing of Specter. Looks like this race really could happen. What an amazing contest it would be.

With Detroit ailing, Sestak looked to Japan

Last October, as the American auto industry neared collapse and pleaded for government help, U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak bought $8,500 worth of stock in Honda and Toyota.

Sestak's investment in the Japanese carmakers, his only direct investment in the auto industry, helped diversify a portfolio that includes more than 40 different stocks and is valued at between about $759,000 and $2.3 million, according to newly filed financial disclosure reports. [These figures are updated]

Despite the purchase of Honda and Toyota stock, his net worth took a hit during 2008. A year earlier, he had reported assets worth between about $1.1 million and $2.8 million.

UPDATE: Sestak spokesman Jonathon Dworkin said Sestak bought a combined $8,500 worth of stock in Toyota and Honda "on the basis of routine financial assessment, while ensuring that these companies were not the subject of pending votes or congressional action."

Lawmakers only are required to specify a range in value for their investments, so it is difficult to know exactly how much they are worth.

Sestak, it should be noted, supported House efforts to bail out American automakers.

The same month Sestak invested in Honda and Toyota, he bought between $1,000 and $15,000 worth of stock in Bank of America. That proved to be the worst of the three investments. Bank of America was trading at about $24 per share at the end of October and is at about $13 today.

Only Honda has gone up since October, trading at about $28 today, up from $25 in late October. Toyota has remained steady at about $76, where it was in late October.

Sestak's disclosure comes as he considers a challenge of five-term U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter. The Republican-turned-Democrat disclosed assets worth between about $1.5 million and $5.9 million in 2008.

The change in the senator's net worth (between $2.8 million and $11.8 million in 2007) is deceiving because he didn't declare a home he and his wife own in New Jersey that they no longer rent and is worth between $1 million and $5 million. Senators are only required to disclose rental properties.

Both Sestak and Specter took in $800-plus in fees for appearances on "Real Time with Bill Maher." Sestak also collected $1,000 for a July speech to the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations.

Toomey nets $1 million in 60 days

Pat Toomey’s U.S. Senate campaign announced today that it has raised more than $1 million in the two months since Toomey declared his candidacy.

The announcement comes a month before the former Lehigh Valley congressman is required to make his first fundraising disclosure to the Federal Election Commission and highlights Toomey’s efforts to consolidate support within the GOP ahead of next year’s primary.

With Sen. Arlen Specter’s defection to the Democratic Party in April, Toomey is without a top-tier challenger for the nomination and he hopes to keep it that way.

Toomey’s campaign said the $1 million came from more than 11,000 contributors. It also said it had hired former Specter finance director Louisa Boyd to fill its top fundraising position.

Toomey’s 60-day haul, while impressive, still leaves him far behind his potential competitors. As of late March, Specter had $6.7 million in his campaign account. U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, who is considering a run for the Democratic nomination, had $3.3 million.

Specter: I'm Not Expecting to be Annointed

Sen. Arlen Specter said Monday that he will never be a Republican again.

Asked outside a get-to-know-you meeting with Lehigh Valley Democratic politicians if he would be a Democrat for life, Specter answered in the affirmative.

Pennsylvania Ave: "You're a Democrat for good?"

Specter: "That's it."

Inside the meeting, Specter told a banquet table full of Lehigh Valley Democrats at the Lehigh Valley Airport Sheraton, that he never expected to be coronated the party's next senator.

And, it's looking increasingly likely that Delaware County Democratic Sen. Joe Sestak will make sure that doesn't happen by mounting a primary challenge.

So, Specter said, while it's nice to have the support of folks like Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Gov. Ed Rendell and state party chairman T.J. Rooney he really wants to get down in the trenches with lower level Democratic operatives like the ones sitting around a table Monday.

They're the folks who have been on the other side of the poltical trenches from Specter for years, and know him mostly as "the guy we're going to unseat." They sat listening attentively over a lunch of deli wraps.

"T.J. and the governor have arranged a whole series of conference calls, [to reach out to the party's ground troops]" Specter said.

Among the small audience of about 30 at the Sheraton: Northampton County Democratic Party Chairman Joe Long, Lehigh County party chair Rick Dougherty, Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, Rooney, Northampton County Executive John Stoffa and Lehigh Valley Labor Council president Greg Potter.

Specter got thank-yous from some officials for switching parties and backing the stimulus bill. He also got some prodding, from people like Long, about the Employee Free Choice Act, a overhaul of unionizing rules.

The legislation, known as card check, would make it easier for unions to organize workers. Most businesses hate it. Specter said he's working on a compromise with other Senators.

"Take a look at what we will produce, I think you will be satisfied," said Specter.

Callahan told Specter he has been busy defending him from Democrats' criticism that his party switch was motivated by self-interest. "He's all about Arlen," Callahan said some Democrats tell him.

Specter said to tell those voters that if that were true, he would have taken the easy way out on Obama's stimulus and voted against it, since it basically deep-sixed any chance he had of running as Republican for re-election.

He also pointed out that he has cast critical votes on education funding and health care that went against Republican orthodoxy.

Specter to Dems: I'm one of you, I promise

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, in his first formal speech before the Pennsylvania Democratic Party since leaving the GOP six weeks ago, pledged to “carry the Democratic banner high” if he's reelected next year.

“I promise I will make you proud and keep you proud of me,” he said.

The speech came at the end of a two-day meeting of the party here, where Specter found himself recounting his time as a member of the Democratic Party during his childhood and early adulthood.

He called the politics and policies of President Franklin Roosevelt a “beacon of light in the Specter home” when he was growing up as the son of immigrant parents. He said he was “coming back to the party where I started as an FDR and JFK Democrat.”

The crowd of several hundred greeted him warmly, interrupting him at times with sustained applause. But afterward, some said they’d wait to see how he votes in the months to come.

“Most of the people in that room — while welcoming — are waiting to see what he does,” said Mary Ann Weaver, a committee member from Lawrence County.”

Specter, after having slipped up in some of his early statements as a Democrat, said he considered the speech very important and chose to speak from a teleprompter for the first time in years. “I wanted to express myself with precision,” he told the crowd packed inside a Westin Convention Center conference room.

“I've often been more popular among Democrats than among Republicans,” Specter said. “And if I've been popular with Democrats, it's because I've stood for what you've stood for.”

He added: “We share the same core beliefs.”

One top Democratic value this year, though, has proven a sticking point in Specter’s party switch. Specter voiced opposition to a union organizing bill that is the labor movement’s top priority in Congress. He’s found himself backtracking in recent weeks.

Confronted by members of the AFL-CIO at a rally outside of the Democratic meeting, Specter said “you’ll be satisfied with my vote on this issue.”

Can Sestak inch any closer to a run?

Apparently yes. U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak is telling Democratic committee members in Pittsburgh this weekend that "only an act of God" will keep him out of the U.S. Senate race. That's after Sestak said last week that he "intends" to run, but the final decision rests with his wife and daughter.

This from pa2010.com...

Short of divine intervention, Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7) is running for Senate.

“It would take an act of God for me to not get in now,” Sestak told a Democratic State Committeeman Saturday morning within earshot of reporters.

Hearing his quote read back to him, Sestak cringed.

“That sounds blasphemous,” he said, not denying that he said it—and has said it before.

Specter to labor: You'll like how I'll vote

Sen. Arlen Specter, addressing a crowd of union activists outside of the Democratic Committee meeting in Pittsburgh on Saturday, urged them to look at the breadth of his job-producing past and votes alongside labor when considering who they'll back for Senate in 2010.

But with the crowd of a couple hundred solely focused on the Employee Free Choice Act, Specter pleaded with some more hostile activists that they'll be happy with his vote on the union organizing bill.

"I understand," Specter said after one member of the crowd shouted "You want my vote, I want your vote."

"I believe you'll be satisfied with my vote on this issue," Specter said.

Specter's appeal came during a break in his first in-person outreach to the statewide Democratic Party since he jumped from the Republican ship in late April.

He wasn't shy in trying to take credit for the $787 billion stimulus bill that Congress passed earlier this year with support from only three Republicans, including Specter. Specter said he was "largely responsible" for the measure and that it would "bring thousands of jobs to people in Pennsylvania and across America."

That all takes a back seat to the Employee Free Choice Act -- or "card check" -- for union activists, and with aspects of the original measure apparently dead, Specter may have a tough time winning over some in the labor movement, regardless of what he does on any future bill.

Specter, in an interview afterward, said he does not "see how we can have elections without the secret ballot," referring to a key provision in the original legislation.

"I expect some people to be insistent on the bill as it is currently written, but I think also that many people understand that legislation is the art of accommodation and compromise," he said.

U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, Specter's potential challenger in the Senate contest, also addressed the crowd and was greeted warmly. He has pledged to support the Employee Free Choice Act.

Specter tacks back on Sotomayor

A day before formally meeting his new state party in Pittsburgh, Sen. Arlen Specter tacked back to middle ground on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, telling reporters that he would reserve judgment until her hearings. This after Specter praised the nomination the day President Obama unveiled Sotomayor.

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) is refusing to commit himself to supporting Sonia Sotomayor until the conclusion of her Judiciary Committee hearings.

“I’m going to reserve judgment until we follow the constitutional process. I’m not going to get into anything beyond that,” Specter told reporters after a one-hour meeting with Sotomayor in his Capitol hideaway.

Obama 2.0 gets PA field director

Organizing for America, the grassroots organization connected to the Democratic National Committee that took over for Obama's presidential campaign apparatus, has named a state director for Pennsylvania.

Elizabeth Lucas, who directed Obama's Tampa, Fla. get-out-the-vote effort in the presidential election will provide assistance and guidance to the neighborhood-based campaign organizations that helped put Obama over the top and continue to work to support Obama initiatives.

Lucas has also worked as deputy campaign manager for the John Carney for Governor campaign in Delaware and as Iowa Regional Director for Democrat John Edwards presidential bid in 2008.

Local volunteers have been busy with charitable drives and local political activism, but have said their organizing efforts would benefit from the support of a paid staffer to help with coordination. In the final months of the presidential race, the Obama campaign had dozens of paid staff in Pennsylvania.

Two local Organizing for America groups in Easton and Bethlehem are among several that have scheduled events in the Lehigh Valley this weekend to kick-off a summer-long effort to support the Obama administration's healthcare plans.

Arlen to meet with Sonya Sotomayor

Sen. Arlen Specter will meet his evening with Federal Judge Sonya Sotomayor, President Barack Obama's nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.

As a Judiciary Committee member, Specter has always been a big player in the nomination and confirmation of Supreme Court Justices. Who can forget his grilling of Anita Hill during Clarence Thomas' nomination hearings?

This will be his first bite at the confirmation apple as a Democrat, and his office has set up a pre-meeting photo-op.

It will be interesting to see what he says about Obama's choice after meeting her. Specter has already "applauded" her selection, saying she will bring needed diversity to the court.

Pat Toomey, who is angling for the Republican nomination for Specter's Senate seat in 2010, has responded by accusing Specter of playing politics in the past with Supreme Court nominees, and suggesting Sotomayor deserves a fair hearing.

A side note

I'll apologize in advance for the infrequent postings this week, as you're faithful blogger is on jury duty. Back as soon as we're able.

Hoeffel backs Sestak in Senate race

Montgomery County executive Joe Hoeffel, who lost to Sen. Arlen Specter in the 2004 Senate race, told the Delaware County Daily Times that he'd back Joe Sestak in a primary between the two.

“If Joe Sestak runs in the primary, I will support him,” former U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel told newspaper in a story that ran Wednesday. “I admire him very much and think he will be a strong candidate for whatever he runs for, including reelection.”

Interesting -- and no doubt welcome news -- for Sestak, who could benefit from Hoeffel's take on running a statewide campaign. Sestak, though, won't want to stick too closely to Hoeffel's strategy. The former U.S. lawmaker lost to Specter by double-digits in the general election.

(Hat tip: Politico)

In Sestak's note, a look at a fundraising giant

U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak's revelation this week that he intends to run for U.S. Senate should put a scare into any potential opponent of the suburban Philadelphian. Not because of what he disclosed. Rather, how he did it.

Sestak's hand-written notes to financial backers didn't go exclusively to high-rollers. No, Sestak sent out letters to a huge swath of his donor list. These weren't just the folks who fork over the maximum contribution, they were the retired teachers from Chester County and housewives from DelCo who hand out a couple hundred, if that, during an election cycle.

What it reveals is what anyone who has followed Sestak's campaign coffers knows: the guy is one heck of a fundraiser. As I read the letter that Talking Points Memo posted on Wednesday -- one that two Sestak contributors, randomly called from his FEC donor list, repeated to me verbatim -- I had a hard time imagining how long it took to blast all of those letters out. It wasn't exactly a one-sentence note.

But it also revealed something else. As much as Sestak says he has yet to make up his mind, the hundreds of donors who were told by the lawmaker himself -- in a handwritten letter -- that he "intends" to run for Senate are going to be none too pleased if they end up being duped by Sestak. In other words, it's almost impossible to imagine that he'll change his mind now.

Meehan: I'm Still Running For Governor.

Republican Pat Meehan's Campaign ...
... is spending its Thursday night tamping down an online report that the former U.S. Attorney is mulling a run for U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak's 7th CD seat now that Sestak has announced that he's jumping into the 2010 U.S. Senate primary against new Democrat Arlen Specter.

"Nothing has changed with Pat. His focus is still on the governor's office," Meehan spokeswoman Virginia Davis told us earlier tonight. "He continues to build an exploratory committee for governor. He has certainly gotten many calls from party leaders about considering other offices. But his focus is on building an exploratory committee for governor."

Citing an anonymous Republican source, political new kid PA2010 reported earlier tonight that Meehan was considering switching gears to a Congressional bid.

“He’s talked with high-ranking Republican officials and is strongly considering a potential run,” the source told the Web site. “He’s definitely interested and I know there’s a lot of peopole who would like to see him do it.”

Asked explicitly whether her boss was considering a bid for Sestak's seat, Davis said, "No."

(Cross-posted to Capitol Ideas)

Toomey gains on Specter in poll

Republican Pat Toomey has cut Sen. Arlen Specter's lead in half, now trailing the Republican-turned-Democrat by just 9 points in a race that wouldn't be decided for another year, if it even happens.

The Quinnipiac University poll shows Specter winning 46 percent of the vote if the election were held today, to Toomey's 37 percent. Specter's camp won't be happy with these numbers given that the five-term senator is known across the state while Toomey still remains little known to the state's voters.

Democrats will no doubt be discussing the idea that U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak fares better than Toomey in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup in the poll -- 37 percent to 35 percent. Three-quarters of voters haven't heard enough about Sestak to form an opinion, an even larger percentage than those who don't know Toomey (61%).

In a Democratic primary between Specter and Sestak -- which is looking increasingly likely -- Specter leads Sestak by nearly 30 percentage points (50 to 21).