Lentz gave to Santorum in 2000

For almost a year, Democrat Bryan Lentz and his supporters have worked to equate his Republican opponent with former Senator Rick Santorum, the conservative who got washed out of office by the Democratic wave in 2006. Pat Meehan, Lentz’s rival in the 7th Congressional District, was a campaign manager for Santorum, and counts the former senator as a close supporter.

But Lentz, a two-term state Representative, was briefly a Santorum supporter himself—at least financially.

Lentz…

September 1, 2010 at 3:33 pm | Comments (8)

Santorum backs Marino in the 10th

Former Senator Rick Santorum endorsed Republican Tom Marino for Congress on Thursday, saying the former U.S. Attorney “shares the common-sense values of the hard working people of northeastern Pennsylvania.”

Marino is one of three candidates vying for the GOP nomination in the 10th Congressional District, along with Snyder County Commissioner Malcolm Derk and Luzerne County chiropractor David Madeira. Party leadership has allowed the primary to play out mostly unfettered, and much of the high-level GOP…

May 6, 2010 at 10:46 am | Comments (9)

EXCLUSIVE: New Sestak ad features Specter with Bush, Palin (Updated)

It’s the campaign ad everyone knew was coming—and it was only a matter of time.

The latest TV spot by Democrat Joe Sestak’s Senate campaign highlights former President George W. Bush’s support for Senator Arlen Specter during the 2004 campaign, as well Specter’s support for vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in 2008. It also twice plays a clip of Specter saying that “my change in party will enable me to be reelected.”

The 30-second spot…

May 6, 2010 at 1:43 am | Comments (37)

LEFTOVERS: Mayors for Onorato, an old PA-12 poll, Argall’s cash, a Specter-Santorum ad

Several western Pennsylvania mayors endorsed Democrat Dan Onorato for governor Tuesday, each lending their support from one local government executive to another. Those backing the Allegheny County Executive in the four-way primary included New Kensington Mayor Thomas Guzzo.

“Dan Onorato is the leader Pennsylvania needs,” Guzzo said in a statement. “He knows firsthand how to run an efficient government including the crucial responsibility of ensuring public safety.”

The others mayors supporting Onorato Tuesday were Arnold’s…

April 13, 2010 at 7:19 pm | Comments (7)

Sestak’s not buying Specter’s denial

PHILADELPHIA—Senator Arlen Specter has denied that he promised unconditional support for George W. Bush’s Supreme Court nominees in exchange for political backing from Rick Santorum in 2004—but Specter’s primary opponent Joe Sestak isn’t buying it.

Sestak pounced over the weekend after Rick Santorum made the claim, and although Sestak didn’t mention the latest controversy during his debate with Republican Pat Toomey here Sunday night, he was quick…

April 12, 2010 at 7:27 am | Comments (21)

Santorum comment ignites a clash in Senate race

Former Senator Rick Santorum has been putting out feelers for a possible presidential run, but it was something he said about ex-colleague Arlen Specter that made a splash over the weekend.

Appearing at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans, Santorum offered up a mea culpa for endorsing Specter in his tough 2004 race—and said he did so because Specter promised to back whoever President George W. Bush nominated to the Supreme Court.

“The…

April 11, 2010 at 2:44 pm | Comments (18)

2012 Watch: Santorum stumping, an opponent for Casey

In politics, it’s never too  early to start thinking about the future. And so, former Senator Rick Santorum has been on the 2012 presidential circuit, with appearances in Iowa, New Hampshire and, of course, the Conservative Political Action Conference last weekend.

“Against the advice of my wife,” Santorum said during his address to the conference Saturday, “I endorsed Arlen Specter.”

He responded to the boos with a folksy “My sentiments exactly!”…

February 22, 2010 at 9:15 am | Comments (8)

Report: Santorum also backing Corbett

Former Senator Rick Santorum is throwing his support behind state Attorney General Tom Corbett’s gubernatorial bid, giving the early GOP front-runner the backing of one of the state’s most prominent conservatives.

In a letter obtained and published Tuesday by GrassrootsPA, Santorum asks friends “for your help to elect my good friend, Tom Corbett, the next Governor of Pennsylvania.

“With public confidence in our Democratic Governor Ed Rendell and legislature near historic…

November 17, 2009 at 2:30 pm | Comments (2)

Rick Santorum for President?

Rick Santorum for President.

One more time… Did I hear you right? What?

Rick Santorum for President.

Look, Rick Santorum wasn’t a horrible Senator. He did do his part bringing back money to the state and was our state’s voice in the majority party at the time. However, I don’t think he understands what he is saying.

The fact is, Rick Santorum doesn’t like Obama and will go after him. But, that is far different…

September 21, 2009 at 8:31 pm | Comments (3)

Smerconish, Specter and Santorum, oh my!

My pa2010.com colleague Laura Vecsey has written, somewhat critically, about Rick Santorum’s comments on his former colleague Arlen Specter’s reelection campaign.  Other commenters have praised Specter’s moderate credentials in an increasingly polarized country.

The problem is that Specter, his new pal Michael Smerconish and folks like them are not “moderates” in any meaningful sense of the term. A moderate is someone who takes principled centrist positions, not someone who jumps around…

September 18, 2009 at 1:15 pm | Comments (16)