•An article Thursday about Tom Corbett for Governor campaign literature displayed at an official Attorney General’s office booth originally misstated the location where a photo of that table was taken. It was taken at the Bradford County Fair in Troy, not the Troy County Fair in Bradford (there is no Troy County in Pennsylvania).

•An edition of The First Read on Tuesday incorrectly identified Bill DeWeese as a former state Representative. He is still in office and seeking reelection.

•An article on June 13 about staffing changes to Democrat Bryan Lentz’s campaign originally misspelled the surname of his new campaign press aide. He is Bob Finkelstein, not Finklestein.

Campaign materials for Republican Tom Corbett’s gubernatorial campaign were displayed at a booth set up by the attorney general’s government office at a recent county fair in Troy, pa2010.com has learned.

A photo provided by a Democratic operative not affiliated with Corbett’s opponent shows campaign buttons and literature on a table, and an official banner for the Office of the Attorney General hangs off the table. Though the photo lacks context, pa2010.com has confirmed that it was taken during the Bradford County Fair in Troy (click here to see a larger version of the photo). At that fair, the attorney general’s office had set up a consumer protection booth.

Any mingling of politics and official business, however remote, is a delicate subject for Corbett, who has made his name prosecuting legislative corruption in Harrisburg through the so-called Bonusgate investigation. In that scandal, government employees were convicted, and others still stand accused, of doing campaign work on the taxpayer’s dime.

Nils Frederiksen, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office, said the materials were placed on the table before staff from the office arrived. They were immediately removed when noticed, he said. He was unsure who placed the campaign literature on the table.

“Our staff has always been instructed that they represent the office of the attorney general, and not any campaign,” Frederiksen said. “I can tell you very clearly that as soon as any non-office materials are discovered by our staff, they are immediately removed.

“Our office doesn’t have any campaign material, so there’s no way our office would be able to place campaign materials at an attorney general’s office booth,” Frederiksen added. “So I can’t tell you how they got there. The only material that our office takes to county fairs is official attorney general’s office.”

The photo was also obtained by Democrat Dan Onorato’s campaign. Moments before this story was published, the campaign sent an e-mail to supporters asking “What’s wrong with this picture?”

Correction: This article originally misstated the location where the photo was taken. It was taken at the Bradford County Fair in Troy, not the Troy County Fair in Bradford (there is no Troy County in Pennsylvania).

The page displays presents under a tree. Click on each one, and Toomey’s campaign offers up an example of what it considers wasteful spending, from bailouts to “pork” projects. It’s all very cute. But let’s see this idea adapted for Hanukkah in August. First campaign to incorporate a Menorah into its messaging this summer wins.

Meanwhile, the special election is over, but the big guns are still pitching in for newly-elected Congressman Mark Critz (D-12). Roll Call reports that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is stumping for moderate Democrats throughout August, Critz among them. The pro-life, pro-gun Democrat faces a rematch against Republican Tim Burns in November.

And hey, it takes time for the unemployment rate to creep back down. That’s what Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (D-3) was saying Wednesday, when her office noted that six of the seven counties in her northwest Pennsylvania district saw unemployment drop slightly in June (the other county’s rate didn’t change). Her argument encapsulates the challenge Democrats face in the messaging war, as they try to convince voters that things are getting better, even if it doesn’t always seem that way. The biggest change was in Erie County, where the unemployment rate dropped from 10 percent to 9.7 percent.

“The needle is moving in the right direction—however slowly, unemployment is decreasing in western Pennsylvania,” Dahlkemper said in a statement. “We still have a lot of work to do. It took nearly a decade of bad economic policy to put us into this recession; it’s going to take some time to get us out. But these new employment figures show us that we are on the path to recovery.”

The statement from his campaign, coming as emotions on the immigration issue are running high, appeared to be Trivedi’s first play for moderate and even conservative voters since he won the 6th District primary in May. In doing so, he inserted himself into what seems to be an acrimonious conflict between the company in question and local unionized construction workers.

Saying he was responding to “recent discussions with members of the Building Trades community,” Trivedi floated allegations that the Malvern-based company Forcine Concrete & Construction is using undocumented workers at a project site in Abington. Those allegations were first floated officially by Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-13), who has asked immigration authorities to investigate. The Abington project is in Schwartz’s district, while the company itself is based in the 6th District represented by incumbent Republican Jim Gerlach.

“If the allegations about this company are true, then a great disservice has been done to our community,” Trivedi said. “Companies that employ undocumented workers and guide them on how to operate outside the law are only encouraging more immigrants to pursue jobs in our country illegally. And with so many in our community already looking for job opportunities just like these, it is outrageous that any company would skirt the law by hiring undocumented workers.

“In any instance where there are questions regarding a company’s hiring practices,” he added, “it’s imperative that the company be investigated thoroughly by the proper authorities.”

In an interview, Forcine spokesman Greg Matusky adamantly denied the allegations.

“Forcine doesn’t hire illegal workers, under any circumstances,” he said. “Every one of these workers is legal to work in this country.”

The source of the conflict is Forcine’s project at Rydal Park in Abington, where the company and a subcontractor are not relying on unionized workers. But the only evidence available Wednesday was a YouTube video of workers at the project being questioned about their immigration status. The video, which had been viewed more than 23,000 times as of Wednesday and is embedded at bottom, seems to lack significant context, its origin is unclear and it cannot be independently assessed without further information.

Matusky said the video was misleading, and claimed it was produced by disaffected union members.

“All of the workers that are pictured in that video have been verified and reverified that they are legal and have the proper documentation to work in the United States,” Matusky said. “These are legal workers who are portrayed in this video, harassed by union workers.”

Forcine, he added, “goes to great lengths to verify the legal status of their workers.” He said the company had already filed a unfair labor practices complaint against the local carpenters’ union, The Metropolitan Regional Council of Philadelphia & Vicinity.

An official at the union could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday. Schwartz’s office confirmed that the congresswoman called for an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which also could not be immediately reached.

Later in the day, the Trivedi campaign clarified that it was not making allegations itself, but merely emphasizing that all allegations of improper hiring practices should be investigated by the appropriate authorities.

“A safe work environment is essential for all American workplaces,” Trivedi said in his statement. “As a doctor, I cannot tolerate companies jeopardizing their workers’ safety because they’re trying to hide their own illegal activity.”

Forcine took particular exception with the Trivedi campaign’s assertion that Forcine provides “exactly the type of jobs that should be going to one of the many skilled and trained American workers currently unemployed.” Matusky noted that discriminating against legal workers because of their citizenship violates labor laws. Matusky said that Trivedi, himself the son of Indian immigrants, is “espousing a policy which is in direct violation of federal labor law.”

Gerlach’s campaign, for its part, shrugged off Trivedi’s comments. The race is currently No. 4 on the pa2010.com Congressional Power Rankings.

“Trivedi has stated publicly he favors amnesty for 15-17 illegal immigrants,” Gerlach spokesman Mark Campbell said in a statement. “He supports the far-left fringe position on the amnesty issue. … Jim Gerlach has voted in favor of holding businesses accountable who knowingly hire illegals. … Trivedi favors amnesty, which would make all these workers legal, so what’s his point? Simply put, none. Trivedi’s just a hypocrite.”

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“They’re not attacking us because we’re free or we wear blue jeans or we listen to rock music,” Jake Towne said. “They’re attacking us because we’ve been over there. We’ve had troops in Saudi Arabia for many years before that. We were engaged with Iraq, we’ve had an embargo, we’ve been bombing their airspace literally for about 20 years now.”

Towne’s comments came during a somewhat contentious 14-minute interview on WAEB with Bobby Gunther Walsh, a conservative talker prominent in the Lehigh Valley. Towne is hardly alone in his analysis, as more than a few foreign policy experts have noted, among other things, America’s support for the militants during the Soviet war in Afghanistan, some of the same people who came to form Al-Qaeda. Regardless of any merit to Towne’s comments, they seem likely to turn off the kind of conservative voters he is hoping to peel away from incumbent Republican Charlie Dent.

A libertarian-leaning candidate who calls himself a “strict Constitutionalist,” the foreign policy section of Towne’s issues Web site is replete with positions that could anger conservatives, including calling the Iraq War “unconstitutional and illegal.”

Reached by pa2010.com Wednesday afternoon, Towne said that “all I’m trying to do is point out that there are reasons why these things occur. American’s history in Afghanistan and Pakistan needs to be understood. … There’s no one thing we did [to cause 9/11], but we have to be very honest when we look at foreign policy and the American government.”

The radio interview came at a time when he is taking up more media oxygen in the race than some expected, mostly because Dent’s campaign has said it doesn’t want the independent participating in debates between Dent and Democratic challenger John Callahan.

During the interview, Towne was also grilled about the fact that a band scheduled to perform at a campaign event this week, Poker Face, has been condemned by the Anti-Defamation League for anti-Semitic lyrics. Dent’s campaign has pushed the issue in recent days. Towne reiterated that he didn’t know of everything the band has said and doesn’t agree with them, but did not back away from having it perform on his behalf. Walsh was particularly dogged in pushing Towne on the matter, noting that a member of the band once referred to the Holocaust as a “Holohoax.”

“I do find a lot of their comments objectionable and over the top,” Towne said. “But, again, the claims against them, I don’t believe their anti-Semitic.”

Walsh jumped in: “You know what? I don’t beleive you’ve done your homework. And I do believe, quite honestly, that it’s over for you if you don’t do something. And it may already be too late.

Later, Towne and Poker Face issued a joint statement, reported by The Morning Call, announcing that the band would not perform at his campaign event. A local Tea Party group had already criticized Towne for inviting the band.

“In order to avoid distraction from Charlie Dent’s gross incompetence and performance as the people’s employee and undemocratic whining to avoid debating independent Jake Towne,” the statement said, “Poker Face and Towne for Congress have jointly decided to cancel Poker Face’s performance at this Friday’s Freedom Concert.”

Click here to listen to the full interview, courtesy of WAEB.

Editor’s note: The full radio interview above was compiled from smaller audio clips provided by WAEB. Though it may sound like there are skips or edit points at certain parts of the audio file, nothing was done to change the order, substance or context of the radio interview. Also, this story was updated shortly after publication to reflect Towne’s comments to pa2010.com.

Check it out.

“I think the president should be accessible, should answer questions that aren’t pre-screened, but I think there should be a little bit of dignity to the presidency,” Rendell said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

We’re assuming Rendell’s rule doesn’t apply to governors, considering that the former Philadelphia mayor is a longtime fixture on “Eagles Postgame Live.” Rendell was in favor of Obama going on “Morning Joe.” Check out a video clip of his remarks at bottom.

Meanwhile, Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-6) is giving big bucks to the National Republican Congressional Committee. Gerlach has given $100,000 so far this cycle, the latest cash coming in the form of a $44,000 contribution made during an NRCC fundraiser on Tuesday. Politico first reported news of the contribution, which took us by surprise considering that Gerlach represents a Democratic-leaning district in the Philly suburbs and is facing another stiff challenge, this time from Reading doctor Manan Trivedi. We were doubly surprised in light of Gerlach’s relatively modest cash-on-hand advantage.

Mark Campbell, Gerlach’s longtime political adviser, told us the same thing he told Politico: that the contribution was made partly because an internal campaign poll found Gerlach holding a big lead over Trivedi, 54 percent to 29 percent. “We are never overconfident, and we always run like we are 10 points down,” he said. “But it’s safe to say Jim Gerlach’s views represent the values of the taxpayers of the 6th District.”

We don’t necessarily doubt the results of the poll—Trivedi has done barely an iota of paid media. But it’s worth noting that just earlier this week, friend-of-the-site Alex Isenstadt reported that Gerlach is among a number of “endangered incumbents” being boosted in fundraising call sessions by party leaders. And Gerlach could effectively get that money back if the NRCC ends up doing independent ad buys on his behalf. Trivedi spokeswoman Lindsay Fritchman pointed this out in pushing her own narrative. “This transfer pretty much demonstrates how much trouble [Gerlach] is in,” she told Politico. “He’s handing them the money because he knows that’s the only way he can beat Manan.”

The race is currently No. 4 on our Congressional Power Rankings.

And speaking of House seats that are in play, the National Journal has identified two Keystone State districts as being among the 40 seats most likely to switch parties this fall. One is the open seat in the 7th District, where Democrat Bryan Lentz and Republican Pat Meehan are vying in the state’s most competitive House race. The other is the 11th District, where incumbent Democrat Paul Kanjorski is trying to fend off yet another challenge from Republican Lou Barletta.

Jim Schneller, the Tea Party candidate who is running as an independent, said this week that he has collected enough signatures to get on the ballot. Pennsylvania election law makes it very difficult to gain ballot access as an independent or third-party candidate. Schneller needs about 4,200 signatures, equal to two percent of the total votes that incumbent Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7) received in 2008. With the Aug. 2 deadline to file nominating petitions looming, Schneller says he’s gathered about 5,200 signatures.

“I’m building a lot of momentum,” Schneller told pa2010.com. “We think we’ve got a sufficient buffer to overcome any feasible challenge. The quality of our petitions is way above par.”

Whether Schneller will ultimately see his name on the general election ballot remains to be seen. Political operatives typically prefer to gather twice the number of signatures required to head off a ballot challenge, and in such a competitive race, a challenge is not unlikely. The race has already been full of petition-related conflict, with the Democratic candidate bringing ballot challenges against both his primary opponents and the sole Republican candidate.

Schneller said “we will fight” any challenge.

“We have the real McCoy,” Schneller said. “We haven’t done any kind of fudging and we’ve put together a set of about 125 petitions that show registered voters in the proper district.”

Schneller has raised about $8,000 to date, and finished June with about $7,000 in the bank, according to campaign finance data. He would seem to have little realistic chance of prevailing in November, with far less money, name recognition or political organization than both Democrat Bryan Lentz and Republican Pat Meehan. But in the state’s most competitive House race, he could play a key spoiler role, drawing conservative votes away from Meehan, who is still seen by most political insiders as the favorite.

But Schneller doesn’t see himself as a spoiler.

“There’s a great groundswell for some real change,” he said. “We know that victory is within our sights.”

Toomey said Monday that if he were in the Senate, he would vote against Elena Kagan. Writing in a Post-Gazette op-ed, Toomey said that while Sotomayor had judicial experience and “provided ample evidence of impartiality,” Kagan “offers no comparable reassurances.”

“Ms. Kagan unquestionably has a keen intellect and strong legal knowledge, and has earned the respect of many colleagues in the legal profession,” Toomey wrote. “But while we should not use ideological litmus tests to reject a Supreme Court nominee, nor should intellectual capacity be the sole qualification.”

Meanwhile, Democrat Dan Onorato is taking some exception to gubernatorial rival Tom Corbett’s constant refrain that Onorato is running a negative campaign—”attacking, attacking, attacking,” as Corbett said recently. So Onorato’s campaign on Monday sent reporters a “backgrounder” on his “positive campaign message.” In the e-mail, Onorato’s campaign noted more than two dozen tonally-positive events that Onorato has held since the May primary. The campaign puts these events in a different category from the recent slate of appearances in which he’s repeatedly bashed Corbett’s much-talked-about unemployment gaffe. “Onorato has traveled the state since the primary to reach out to Pennsylvania voters and speak about his experience and positive vision for Pennsylvania’s future,” the campaign said.

And two Democratic congressional candidates in the southeast are still staffing up ahead of November. Reading doctor Manan Trivedi’s 6th District campaign has hired a field director and a press secretary. Andy Zabel, who did field work for both of John Edwards’ presidential campaigns, is heading Trivedi’s ground game. Lindsay Fritchman, who was on Joe Sestak’s press team for the Senate primary, is the campaign’s new spokeswoman. And state Representative Bryan Lentz’s 7th District campaign has hired a new political director in Sean Coit. Until now, Coit worked for our friends over at PoliticsPA. He steps into the slot left open by Kevin McTigue, who recently became Lentz’s campaign manager.

Burns’ Web site currently links to a post by Dawn Rager, a corporate communications specialist and conservative blogger from outside Johnstown. In the post, written in late May shortly after Burns lost the special election to Democrat Mark Critz, Rager laments that 12th District voters seemed to discount Burns as “not one of us” because he is such a wealthy businessman. “We have become a nation who regularly puts down and condemns those who work hard (from the ground up) to get where they are today,” Rager wrote.

But it is her contention near the end of the post—and the campaign’s decision to highlight it—that has drawn some criticism. In the post, Rager seems to imply the residents of the western Pennsylvania district aren’t hard-working. “I DO AGREE that ‘Tim isn’t one of us’ from the standpoint [that] he’s a very hardworking individual with courage and a fire in his heart which MANY OF US, unfortunately, LACK,” Rager wrote.

Mark Pasquerilla, the wealthy Crown American CEO and registered Republican who made waves by backing Critz, took out an ad in Sunday’s Tribune Democrat to vent his anger.

“Mr. Burns,” Pasquerilla writes in the ad, “please stop disrespecting the hard working people of this district.”

Burns campaign spokesman Kent Gates said the blog post made “some valid points,” but that Burns doesn’t share Rager’s expressed sentiment about district residents.

“Tim Burns obviously has high respect for the work ethic and the spirit of western Pennsylvanians,” Gates said. “This is just another misleading, deceitful attack by someone connected to the Critz campaign. I don’t think anybody who knows Tim Burns believes the lies that Mark Pasquerilla has spread.”

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also seized the opportunity to take a dig at Burns. The general election rematch between Critz and Burns is currently No. 8 on the pa2010.com Congressional Power Rankings. Rager could not immediately be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

“We already knew that Tim Burns was out of touch with western Pennsylvania,” DCCC spokesman Shripal Shah said, “we just never expected him to brag about it on his own Web site.”