Introducing the pa2010.com Webcast

Hello to all you political junkies out there, and welcome to the first ever pa2010.com Webcast!

It’s here that we’ll be joined from time to time by newsmakers, opinion leaders and political insiders of every stripe to discuss the issues surrounding the big 2010 elections. Below is part one of our first episode. Log-on throughout the week to see the rest.

In our first episode, hosted by pa2010.com editor Dan Hirschhorn, we were joined, from…

February 22, 2010 at 10:30 am | Comments (2)

Schroder’s still got support in ChesCo

State Representative Curt Schroder (R-Chester) was no longer running for Congress when the Chester County GOP met to make an endorsement in the race on Saturday. But his presence in the race was still very much felt.

About five weeks after he dropped out of the 6th District race in the wake of incumbent Jim Gerlach’s surprise decision to see reelection, Schroder still netted about a quarter of the endorsements votes…

February 21, 2010 at 7:04 pm | Comments (13)

Welch withdraws from 6th District race (Updated)

KENNETT SQUARE—Republican Steven Welch abruptly dropped out of the race for Congress in the 6th District Saturday morning, allowing the GOP to avoid an expensive primary fight and dimming Democratic hopes of winning the suburban Philadelphia district.

Welch made his sudden announcement as Chester County Republicans opened their nominating convention at a banquet hall here. Having asked to address the audience of almost 400 local committee members, Welch lauded what he called the “completely open”…

February 20, 2010 at 7:05 pm | Comments (24)

LEFTOVERS: No MTP debate, Welch the author, Carlineo chimes in

Joe Sestak kept the heat on Arlen Specter Friday for agreeing to only one more televised debate between now and primary day, with the latest ammunition coming from a report that Specter had turned down a chance to debate in his primary challenger on Meet the Press.

“Arlen Specter’s sense of entitlement is typical of a 30-year Washington insider,” campaign spokesman Jonathon Dworkins said in a statement. “His refusal to defend…

February 19, 2010 at 5:10 pm | Comments (12)

ChesCo GOP chair rallying support for Gerlach

The leader of the Chester County GOP voiced strong support for Congressman Jim Gerlach’s (R-6) reelection bid on Thursday and sought to unify the party behind the incumbent two days before it makes a formal endorsement on Saturday.

“Jim Gerlach has served Chester County with distinction throughout his career,” chairman Skip Brion said in a statement. “As our congressman since 2002, Jim has proven his commitment to the families, taxpayers and seniors in the 6th…

February 18, 2010 at 5:00 pm | Comments (3)

Gerlach internal poll boasts massive lead (Updated)

Congressman Jim Gerlach’s (R-6) campaign on Tuesday released an internal poll showing the incumbent with a huge, 65-point lead over primary challenger Steven Welch, in its latest attempt to paint Welch’s candidacy as a futile effort that would only hurt the GOP.

A poll memo from the Republican polling firm Wilson Research Strategies said that, if the primary were held today, 71 percent of primary voters would back Gerlach, compared to 6 percent for Welch…

February 16, 2010 at 1:34 pm | Comments (32)

Catching up with Steven Welch’s new address

I’m ashamed to admit that I appear be pretty much the last reporter in the state to realize that… drumroll… Steven Welch has moved!

Recent articles in both The Inquirer and The Daily News pointed out Welch’s decision to move a couple miles down the road, from Phoenixville to Charleston Township. For some reason, those little details slipped by me until earlier this month.

You may remember…

February 15, 2010 at 4:24 pm | Comments (7)

Time to revisit term limits

In the classic prison movie The Shawshank Redemption, the character played by Morgan Freeman cautiously defends his friend, Brooks, after he has acted out irrationally. Realizing that his friend has become institutionalized, Freeman notes “The man has been in here 50 years… this is all he knows.” Freeman goes on to say while most of us hate big institutions at first, “then you get used to them, enough time passes you get so that you…

February 10, 2010 at 8:01 am | Comments (24)

Welch and Sellers talk economy, Iran

PHILADELPHIA—Republican 6th District candidates Steven Welch and Patrick Sellers courted conservative activists here Tuesday evening, airing their positions on labor laws, cap-and-trade legislation and the threat posed by Iran.

The two spoke during a candidates’ forum hosted by a coalition of Tea Party groups in the state. Incumbent Jim Gerlach was not present at the event across the street from City Hall. A prepared statement read on his behalf cited unspecified commitments in Washington.

Taking…

February 9, 2010 at 8:49 pm | Comments (2)

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)