Callahan: Bad year for incumbents, not Dems

It’s conventional wisdom that Democrat John Callahan would have had a much better shot at unseating Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) had he run during one of his party’s wave years in 2006 or 2008.

But Callahan says he’s not worried about running against the political tide.

“I don’t know that it’s a bad year for Democrats, I think it’s a bad year for incumbents,” Callahan said in a video interview with…

September 2, 2010 at 12:15 pm | Comments (1)

EXCLUSIVE: Callahan hitting the airwaves

Democrat John Callahan has made this election season’s first TV advertising buy in the 15th Congressional District, and will be on the air in the Lehigh Valley as early as Thursday morning, a Democratic insider told pa2010.com.

Callahan, the Bethlehem mayor and White House recruit, has been a fundraising star for the Democratic Party as he seeks to unseat Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15). He has kept the money race against the incumbent close, allowing him…

September 1, 2010 at 4:50 pm | Comments (2)

Callahan talks jobs

Bethlehem mayor and Democratic congressional hopeful John Callahan rolled out his jobs agenda this week, a five-point plan that tracks closely with ideas circulated by some of the moderates in his party.

Callahan’s jobs plan, unveiled at a news conference in Bethlehem and during an interview with pa2010.com, centers on eliminating tax incentives for companies to outsource jobs overseas; enacting small business tax cuts; increasing financial aid for higher education; cutting “wasteful” spending; and streamlining…

September 1, 2010 at 3:35 pm | Comments (0)

Callahan talks education, boasts teachers’ support

ALLENTOWN— Joined by 40 teachers representing area school districts, Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan unveiled his education plan and accepted the endorsement of a major teachers’ union Wednesday, as his congressional campaign continued to hit incumbent Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) for his votes in Washington.

“[Callahan] is proof of what a good public school education and a good early education program like Head Start can do for a kid that comes from a less than ideal…

August 27, 2010 at 7:00 am | Comments (1)

Dent targets Callahan on Bethlehem debt, taxes

ALLENTOWN—Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) laced into his Democratic opponent’s mayoral record Wednesday, looking to draw attention to a budget deficit down the road in Bethlehem.

Holding court with reporters in front of his campaign headquarters here, Dent launched his most direct, sustained attack to date against Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, the White House recruit challenging him in the Lehigh Valley district. Over the course of 35 minutes, he excoriated Callahan for what he called mismanagement…

August 26, 2010 at 9:00 am | Comments (2)

Callahan changes finance directors

Democratic congressional candidate John Callahan quietly parted ways with longtime finance director Leora Rothenberg earlier this month, making a major staff change less than 100 days before the election.

Callahan campaign manager Justin Schall cited “undisclosed personnel matters” for the change, but declined to go into specifics. Callahan has been a fundraising success story for the Democrats, with the White House recruit in the 15th Congressional District staying neck-and-neck with incumbent Republican Charlie Dent in…

August 23, 2010 at 1:21 pm | Comments (1)

LEFTOVERS: A Senate poll, Onorato’s cash, small biz for Fitz, CQ on Dent

The public polls say Republican Pat Toomey is up by nine points in the Senate race. Democrats say “not so fast.”

A Democratic operative somewhere must have been peeved by all the coverage these polls get, because MSNBC got its hands on an internal poll. The results? Toomey’s leading Joe Sestak by two points, 46 percent to 44 percent. We weren’t able to get our hands on…

August 19, 2010 at 9:20 pm | Comments (21)

LEFTOVERS: RJC on Sestak, Onorato on corruption, labor for Callahan

Democrat Joe Sestak continues to take hits on the Israel issue.

The Republican Jewish Coalition unveiled the latest anti-Sestak ad this week. It revives a common complaint Sestak has faced from conservatives: that during the most recent war in Gaza, Sestak signed onto a letter calling for more humanitarian aid. But it seems to go a little far in implying that Sestak wasn’t on Israel’s “side”—the letter in question made the signers support for Israel…

August 17, 2010 at 11:10 pm | Comments (8)

Dent takes a casino message to the streets

BETHLEHEM—Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) is trying to tie his opponent to a sometimes-unpopular gaming industry, arguing that he’s failed to deliver property tax reform that was supposed to come with casinos.

Dent, in a new campaign billboard here pictured above, depicts Callahan’s face in a slot machine. It asks the Bethlehem mayor:  “We got the casino, now where’s our property tax cut Mayor Callahan?”

Local property tax relief was a key selling point when state…

August 11, 2010 at 4:02 pm | Comments (2)

Callahan nets $150K from Clinton fundraiser

In addition to stumping for Joe Sestak in Scranton Tuesday, former President Bill Clinton’s fundraising stop in the Lehigh Valley brought in a quick $150,000 for 15th Congressional District hopeful John Callahan.

The event attracted just over 500 donors, 400 of whom contributed less than $150, Callahan campaign manager Justin Schall said. Clinton later headed to Philadelphia to raise cash for gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato.

Although Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) has…

August 10, 2010 at 11:19 pm | Comments (2)