LEFTOVERS: Fundraising pleas, NRCC lifts Fitzpatrick, Biden/Pelosi details

It was the last day of the FEC fundraising quarter on Wednesday, which meant the typical batch of last-minute pleas from candidates seeking cash.

The morning started with an e-mail from Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-13) on behalf of Manan Trivedi, the Democratic candidate in the 6th District. Schwartz had backed Trivedi’s opponent Doug Pike in the May primary, but now she was going to bat for Trivedi. “This district has been a challenge over these…

June 30, 2010 at 5:29 pm | Comments (7)

LEFTOVERS: Specter likes Kagan, Schwartz likes Specter, disability advocates like Hoeffel

Arlen Specter seems to be laying the ground work for a vote in favor of Elena Kagan’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. The blogosphere got into a tizzy when Kagan was nominated, given the fact that Specter voted against her confirmation as Solicitor General. He quickly noted that those are two different jobs, and now the reports out of his meeting with Kagan on Thursday are all positive. The Associated Press…

May 13, 2010 at 9:11 pm | Comments (27)

Chicago tactics from the Dems

Last week my pa2010.com colleague Beth Hegedus reported on efforts to strike the names of one or more Republican opponents to Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-13) from the primary ballot. The Philadelphia Daily News has since reported on the successful effort, apparently involving a politically connected Democratic lawyer, to strike a challenger to Congressman Bob Brady (D-1) from the ballot as well.

Why would two Democrats, with a…

March 24, 2010 at 6:39 pm | Comments (12)

What’s going on in the 13th?

All three Republican candidates in the 13th Congressional District—Josh Quinter, Brian Haughton and Dee Adcock—have found their nominating petitions subjected to legal challenge.

And interestingly, all three challenges come from the same three people, according to public records: Sharon Boddy and Charles Gramlich of Abington Township, along with former Bryn Athyn Mayor Hyland Johns.

I realize that nominating petitions are challenged all the time, but here’s the skinny: If you check back in the Congressional…

March 19, 2010 at 9:53 am | Comments (11)

Two from Pa. heading ‘Red to Blue’

Two House Democrats from the Keystone State are helping to head up the party’s campaign efforts at capturing Republican-held seats.

Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8) and Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-13) were among four co-chairs of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program announced Monday. In addition to aiding challengers, the program also assists in open-seat races.

Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-Md.) and Congressman Bruce Braley (D-Ia.) are also co-chairing the program.

“The DCCC is focused…

March 8, 2010 at 1:20 pm | Comments (4)

The ‘Matthews effect,’ the 13th District and the decline of the MontCo GOP

The Montgomery County GOP has endorsed Dee Adcock of Abington for Congress in the 13th Congressional District over the somewhat better-funded Damion Dachowski and several other candidates. Dachowski, who led on the first ballot, conceded the race likely leaving Adcock to face incumbent Democrat Allyson Schwartz, a heavy favorite, in the fall.

Early comments on the vote have emphasized the so-called Matthews Effect,…

February 12, 2010 at 2:10 pm | Comments (3)

4 fun facts from the 4th quarter

About a week after fourth-quarter FEC reports hit the Web, here are some interesting items that caught our attention.

1. Spending on one’s own campaign is all the rage, and why not? Surely no one believes in a candidate as much as the candidate himself. Be they in-kind expenditures, direct donations or campaign loans, House candidates in Pennsylvania kicked more than $700,000 into their own races in late 2009, according to campaign finance data. There’s…

February 9, 2010 at 10:56 am | Comments (6)

Voting against the champs

As if the World Series bets by elected officials weren’t enough, the House last week, naturally, took up a formal resolution congratulating the New York Yankees for their win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

But not every Philly-area lawmaker was willing to give props to the Bronx Bombers.

Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-13), who’s district includes northeast Philadelphia, voted against the resolution. A spokeswoman told The Hill that Schwartz…

November 7, 2009 at 6:25 pm | Comments (2)

CAMPAIGN FINANCE LEFTOVERS: Dahlkemper, Murphy, Schwartz & Thompson

In the hustle and bustle of covering third quarter campaign finance reports, we missed a handful of them.

So here’s a quick rundown of the fundraising hauls reported by incumbents from both parties.

Freshman Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper raised about $180,000, finishing the quarter with almost $544,000 in cash on hand. Her campaign still has more than $50,000 in debt, most from loans made by the candidate.

Sophomore Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8)…

October 18, 2009 at 1:01 am | Comments (3)

Sestak, Schwartz try to shift blame on health care

Interesting comments yesterday from Joe Sestak and Allyson Schwartz on health care. Sestak says it would be “hard” for him to vote for a bill without a public option. Schwartz complained that Republicans “have not been very constructive” about moving the debate forward.

Actually, the Republicans have been quite consistent in their position, which is that the way to control health care costs is to control health…

August 19, 2009 at 11:39 am | Comments (10)