Campaign '12
By John Guerriero, Kevin Flowers Erie Times-News staff bloggers
John Guerriero and Kevin Flowers have joined forces for Campaign '12, a blog about the 2012 elections highlighted by the race for the White House. But there's much more. You'll find posts about the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania, the Congressional race in northwestern Pennsylvania's 3rd District and other contests and notes of interest. Check it out and you'll be a lot more informed before voting in the April 24 primary and the Nov. 6 election.   Read more about this blog.
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Posted: May 14th, 2012

Want a road map to the White House?

You might want to check out the Manufacturer & Business Association’s “Eggs ‘n’ Issues” briefing Wednesday at 8 a.m. It will be held at the association’s conference center, 2171 W. 38th St.

David Kozak, professor of public policy and director of Leadership Erie at Gannon University, will speak at the event.

David Kozak/File photo

The political analyst will speak on the topic: “Road to the White House: Where We’re At, How We Got Here and Where We’re Going.” Besides the 2012 elections, he will discuss the “shifting sands” of American politics.

To register, contact Ann Miaczynski at 833-3200 or 800-815-2660. The cost is $30 for members; $60 for nonmembers.

– John Guerriero

Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted: May 14th, 2012

Can’t get enough of former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter?

Former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter/File photo

Well, then, you should set your DVRs to the Pennsylvania Cable Network, which is airing a 15-hour, five-part series: “Arlen Specter: An Oral History.” The series starts tonight at 7 p.m., with a new episode airing nightly through Friday at that same time.

Repeats will air at 9 a.m., Tuesday through Friday, and Saturday at 2 p.m.

The series is a compilation of one year’s worth of candid one-on-one interviews with Specter on topics such as the JFK assassination, the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas hearings and the professional difficulties Specter encountered due to his Jewish faith, according to PCN.

Check PCN’s website  for your cable company’s channel listing.

– John Guerriero

 

 

Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted: May 10th, 2012

A special guest blog post from city government reporter Erica Erwin:

Democrat Joe Sinnott will run for a third and final four-year term as Erie’s mayor.

Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott/File photo

Sinnott, whose current term runs through the end of 2013, said he wants to run for a third term because he has not yet accomplished everything he planned when he took the top job at Erie City Hall.
Specifically, Sinnott said he wants to continue working with the Pennsylvania League of Cities & Municipalities’ Core Communities in Crisis Task Force, a group of elected officials working to address financial and other issues facing municipalities across the state.

He said he also wants to continue to be involved in the redevelopment of the former GAF Materials Corp. site on Erie’s bayfront and ongoing revitalization efforts in the city’s midtown.
“I said that I would stay on until I felt the work I wanted to accomplish was done,” Sinnott said.
Sinnott said he is not aware of any challengers he might face in the 2013 municipal election.

Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted: May 8th, 2012

Interest rates on federally subsidized student loans could double July 1 unless Congress takes action to keep them at 3.4 percent.

And with Senate Republicans today blocking a bill aimed at keeping them low, the Barack Obama campaign in Pennsylvania went on the offensive.

Both parties say they want an extension of the low student rates, but the GOP balks at the way the Democratic bill would pay for it. It would force high-earning stockholders in some privately owned corporations and professional practices to pay higher Medicare and Social Security payroll taxes, according to the Associated Press.

During a conference call today with reporters from the Erie Times-News and other media outlets, Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord, a Democrat; state Rep. Tony Payton, of Philadelphia County, D-179th Dist.; and Kathryn Badillo, a Millersville University of Pennsylvania graduating senior, talked about the prospect of the higher rates.

McCord said the clock is ticking for more than 7 million undergraduates, including nearly 400,000 in Pennsylvania.

McCord said that keeping college affordable is a critical part of Obama’s blueprint for the economy.

Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney has said that he, too, supports a push to keep the interest rates low.

But McCord claims Romney has contradicted himself, saying he supports a budget that would double the loan rates and then saying he opposes the idea.

Payton said he still has about $11,000 in debt from his college loans, while Badillo said she will graduate with about $25,000 in loans.

“Having this debt just waiting for me after graduation is a little concerning,” she said.

If there’s any good news here, it’s that interest rates would increase only on new loans.

Obama needs to recapture the youth vote, and this is an issue that could get college students involved. But expect both Obama and Romney to push the issue.

– John Guerriero

Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted: May 8th, 2012

The Republican National Committee has issued its response to a new video touting President Barack Obama’s accomplishments during his first term in office.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement on Monday:

“For someone whose campaign slogan is ‘forward,’ President Obama spends a lot of time looking backward and blaming others for the state of the American economy. While Obama may want you to forget he’s been president for the past three and a half years, the fact that his policies have wreaked havoc on the middle class from high unemployment, high energy and higher education costs won’t be forgotten. America deserves better than Obama’s brand of hype and blame.”

Feel free to share your thoughts, as always…

–Kevin Flowers

Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted: May 7th, 2012

The National Women’s Political Caucus has endorsed Democrat Missa Eaton for Congress in the 3rd District.

The NWPC says on its website that it is a multipartisan, grassroots group with chapters in 38 states. The NWPC says it was the first, and remains the only, multipartisan membership organization that supports pro-choice women candidates for elected and appointed office.

Missa Eaton/contributed

Eaton said in a statement that she is “thrilled” to be endorsed by the caucus.

“Our friends and neighbors deserve real representation in Washington from someone who understands and simply gets it.  We need solutions now, not partisan posturing,” Eaton said.

Citing statistics from the Center for American Women and Politics, a news release from Eaton said that this year, the U.S. House of Representatives has 73 congresswomen, making up 16.8% of the chamber. Yet the 2010 Census shows that women make up 50.8% of the U.S. population.

Donna Lent, the group’s vice president of political planning, said in a statement that Eaton is “committed to giving a voice to those who are underrepresented in politics. We need more women like Missa to engage in the fight.”

Eaton, of Sharon, is an assistant psychology professor at Penn State Shenango.

In the Nov. 6 election, she will face U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, of Butler, R-3rd Dist., who is seeking a second term. Also expected to be on the ballot are Independents Stacey Gray and Steven Porter.

– John Guerriero

Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted: May 2nd, 2012

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, of Butler, R-3rd Dist., has received an endorsement from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Congressman Mike Kelly

“At no other time in our nation’s history has it been more critical that members of Congress provide leadership that protects and advances the interests of the business community,” Tom Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement released by the Kelly campaign.

“We believe that your re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives will… help create more jobs and get our country back on track,” he said.

Kelly will face Democrat Missa Eaton, and Independents Stacey Gray and Steven Porter in the Nov. 6 election.

– John Guerriero

Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted: May 2nd, 2012

Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly’s re-election bid has been endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
From Kelly’s campaign:

Congressman Mike Kelly


BUTLER—Congressman Mike Kelly announced today that the world’s largest federation of businesses has endorsed his candidacy for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
“At no other time in our nation’s history has it been more critical that Members of Congress provide leadership that protects and advances the interests of the business community,” said Tom Donohue, President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “We believe that your re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives will… help create more jobs and get our country back on track.”
As a successful small business owner, Mike Kelly has four decades worth of real life experience working in the private sector. As a local employer, Kelly understands the pressures our job creators face to help those working at businesses reach their dreams and goals. After experiencing the wayward policies of Washington firsthand at his business, Kelly was motivated to change the course of Congress by running for office himself.
“I decided to run for Congress to stop the federal government from stifling the American spirit of entrepreneurship,” said Kelly. “The mandate that voters gave the Republican majority this session has allowed us to focus our full attention on passing job growth policies and reducing the national debt. The House has taken important steps towards improving the regulatory climate for job creators; enacted cuts to rein in wasteful spending; and voted to reduce the federal deficit.”
Kelly voiced frustration with the Obama Administration’s opposition to several critical pieces of legislation, such as the Jobs and Energy Permitting Act, that would not only create family sustaining jobs but reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources of energy.
“Our nation’s security and economic viability are far too important to fall victim to partisan gamesmanship and political decision-making,” concluded Kelly. “I remain committed to pursuing these and other policies that will improve America’s stature as a world leader and ensure it stays that way for generations to come.”

Kelly, from Butler, is seeking a second two-year term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He faces Democrat Missa Eaton and two Independents, Stacey Gray and Steven Porter, in the November 6 election.

–Kevin Flowers

Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted: May 1st, 2012

Obama for America unveiled a new, seven-minute video Monday entitled “Forward.”
According to a release from the campaign, the video’s aim is to highlight President Barack Obama’s accomplishments during his first term.

Check out the video by clicking this link.

President Barack Obama. File photo/ Associated Press.

And as always, feel free to share your thoughts.
–Kevin Flowers

Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted: April 27th, 2012

The mentions include Gov. Tom Corbett, Tim Holden and the Tea Party. Check itg out here.
Have a great weekend everyone.
–Kevin Flowers.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett. Photo by CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE

Posted in: Uncategorized

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