Onorato hits lawmakers over grand jury report

Democrat Dan Onorato on Tuesday lobbed pointed criticism at state lawmakers for their less-then-urgent reactions to a grand jury report that highlighted a need for legislative reform.

Onorato, the party’s gubernatorial nominee, spoke during a late-morning news conference at the Capitol in Harrisburg, before he was set to join running mate Scott Conklin and continue talking up his reform plans in State College later in the day.

“It is simply outrageous that even in the…

June 1, 2010 at 12:49 pm | Comments (6)

Onorato welcomes running mate

More than a week after he won the Democratic nomination for governor, Dan Onorato now has a running mate. And he’s welcoming state Representative Scott Conklin with open arms.

“Scott Conklin became a state Representative because he was disgusted with the Harrisburg culture after the infamous legislative pay grab,” Onorato said in a statement Wednesday. “Just as I took on an entrenched incumbent to become County Executive, Scott earned his seat by demanding reform and…

May 26, 2010 at 7:21 pm | Comments (14)

Saidel concedes, will request no recount

Just hours after signaling that he wanted a recount in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor, Jonathan Saidel on Wednesday conceded defeat, saying in a statement that he would ask the Secretary of State not to proceed with a recount.

Saidel is trailing state Representative Scott Conklin (D-Centre) by less than 4,000 votes, a margin of less than one-half percent of the vote, slim enough to mandate an automatic recount unless…

May 26, 2010 at 4:08 pm | Comments (19)

Recount seems likely in Lt. Gov. race

It’s been more than a week since primary voters went to the polls—but it looks like Democrats will have to wait a little longer to know who won their nomination for Lieutenant Governor.

The Pennsylvania Department of State said Tuesday that returns from counties across the state had been submitted and tallied, and the most recent count still shows state Representative Scott Conklin (D-Centre) holding a slim lead over former Philadelphia City Controller Jonathan Saidel.…

May 26, 2010 at 10:04 am | Comments (3)

Corbett withdraws Twitter subpoena

Facing a raft of criticism from Democrats and civil liberties advocates, Attorney General Tom Corbett has withdrawn his subpoena seeking information about two Twitter users who post fiercely critical missives about him on the micro-blogging service.

The Post-Gazette

May 21, 2010 at 5:35 pm | Comments (22)

Corbett starts with early lead, poll says

Republican Tom Corbett is starting his general election contest with Democrat Dan Onorato sporting a comfortable double-digit advantage, according to a new poll.

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May 21, 2010 at 2:06 pm | Comments (7)

Critics assail Corbett’s Twitter subpoena, as ACLU gets involved

The criticism over Attorney General Tom Corbett’s decision to subpoena Twitter for information about two online critics quickly escalated to a fever pitch Thursday, with Corbett’s Democratic opponent in the gubernatorial race chiming in and the American Civil Liberties Union saying it would represent the two anonymous Tweeters.

Barely a day after news of the subpoena first broke, the atmosphere seemed very much a repeat of Corbett’s decision to join in a lawsuit trying to…

May 21, 2010 at 12:02 pm | Comments (1)

Conklin: Imminent victory ‘proves that your vote really does matter’

Scott Conklin was on the verge of an incredible upset win in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor on Wednesday, holding onto a lead that was just large enough to avoid the need for an automatic recount.

Conklin, a state Representative from Centre County, was widely seen as the underdog against former Philadelphia City Controller Jonathan Saidel, who had exponentially more campaign cash, as well as overwhelming support from party and labor leaders. But as…

May 19, 2010 at 7:50 pm | Comments (22)

Corbett reportedly issues subpoena over critical blog

Tom Corbett wants to know who’s behind reported by the Web site Tech Crunch. The subpoena seeks “any and all subscriber information” for two Twitter accounts connected to the blog.

Corbett easily won his party’s gubernatorial primary on Tuesday.

Anthony Williams, civil rights populist?

PHILADELPHIA—Insofar as the Democratic gubernatorial candidates were pigeonholed over the course of the campaign, state Senator Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia) overwhelmingly became known as the guy who supported school choice. And understandably so: His campaign was funded almost entirely be three suburban investors who back public vouchers for private schools.

But as he delivered a concession speech at Temple University Tuesday night, Williams sought to portray himself as something more: a civil rights leader.

To an…

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May 19, 2010 at 2:42 pm | Comments (6)