Where the ‘nay’ votes on health care are heading

Only two Pennsylvania Democrats voted against health care reform legislation the first time around. And only one of those two still might change his mind for Round Two.

Congressmen Jason Altmire (D-4) and Tim Holden (D-17) both opposed a reform bill that passed the House late last year.

Altmire said on Fox News last weekend that he’s keeping an “open mind” for if and when the legislation comes back around for a second vote. But…

March 12, 2010 at 6:50 pm | Comments (10)

Anti-abortion group warns Altmire, Kanjorski on health care vote

One of the country’s leading anti-abortion groups is sending a warning shot to House Democrats that if they vote health care reform  legislation that loosens restrictions on federal funding for abortion, they should be ready to lose their jobs.

And they’re bringing polling data to prove it.

The Susan B. Anthony List, founded to advance the role of pro-life women in politics, rolled our their survey late last week, a poll that included data on…

March 8, 2010 at 1:33 pm | Comments (5)

LEFTOVERS: More Rangel money, Rendell on Corbett’s head, the Dem holdouts on health care

A busy weekend in western Pennsylvania sure makes it hard keep up.

Charles Rangel may have resigned his House Ways & Means chairmanship, but that doesn’t mean Democrats are free of Republican attacks about him. Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (D-3) appears to be the favored target as of late, because unlike many other Democrats, she hasn’t given back or donated campaign contribution from Rangel or his affiliated political action committees. One of her potential GOP opponents,…

March 7, 2010 at 11:56 pm | Comments (1)

Altmire no conservative, party leaders say

What does it mean that Congressman Jason Altmire (D-4) is labeling himself as right-of-center in the wake of a National Journal study that found the sophomore Democrat’s 2009 voting record to be more conservative than that of 53.5 percent of his House colleagues?

Not much.

At least, that’s one Allegheny County party chairmen on both sides of the aisle say in a rare agreement. And while a small portion of the electorate…

March 4, 2010 at 9:53 am | Comments (7)

Altmire touts conservative credentials

Congressman Jason Altmire (D-4) last week was hyping an independent study that describes his voting record as right-of-center, underscoring that the sophomore Democrat seems to have escaped a serious primary challenge and can begin looking to his right flank.

In an e-mail Friday, Altmire’s office highlighted a study by the National Journal, which found his voting record to be more conservative than that of 53.5 percent of his House colleagues. The study…

February 28, 2010 at 3:58 pm | Comments (6)

Buchanan clashes with radio host over Wecht case, tells him to ’shut up’

Former U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan on Thursday got into a heated discussion with a Pittsburgh radio host about her handling of the high-profile prosecution of pathologist Cyril Wecht, at one point seeming to threaten the host with a defamation suit.

The on-air confrontation came after KDKA 1020’s Marty Griffin had interviewed Wecht, who Buchanan prosecuted for allegedly misusing his office of county coroner for private gain. Those charges were eventually dropped, and political insiders…

February 19, 2010 at 6:00 am | Comments (9)

Buchanan makes it official (Updated)

After months of anticipation, former U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan formally entered the race for Congress in the 4th District Wednesday, saying she is “concerned about the miss-placed priorities in Washington and our broken system of government.”

Buchanan’s candidacy sets up a likely general election matchup with sophomore Congressman Jason Altmire (D-4), though Buchanan will first have to get past attorney Keith Rothfus in the May primary. Though she’s been laying the groundwork…

February 17, 2010 at 5:20 pm | Comments (4)

Wecht trial could be a political headache for Buchanan

In January 2006, then-U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan charged former Allegheny County Croner Cyril Wecht with 84 counts of fraud and theft, alleging that he used his public office for private gain. The legal saga lasted more than three years, during which Wecht’s lawyers claimed the charges were politically motivated, and much of the prosecution’s evidence was eventually thrown out due to faulty search warrants. The case ended in a mistrial after the…

February 8, 2010 at 2:15 pm | Comments (3)

Waiting for Mary Beth Buchanan

By almost every account, she’s in the race and ready to run. Some had said an announcement was imminent.

So where is former U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan?

Apparently, taking her time before getting into a 4th Congressional District race where she will immediately be the Republican front-runner to take on sophomore Democrat Jason Altmire. One party leader who spoke with her a few days ago said Buchanan will finally take…

February 2, 2010 at 3:00 pm | Comments (2)

Altmire has almost $1M

Congressman Jason Altmire (D-4) has raised more than $1.2 million in campaign cash since winning a second term in 2008, and has spent lightly, leaving him with almost $980,000 in cash on hand at the end of 2009, according to campaign finance data.

Altmire’s campaign committee brought in about $342,000 during the least three months of last year, putting him ahead of the pace he set last cycle.

With it seeming full story

January 29, 2010 at 7:15 pm | Comments (0)