Sestak’s 6 keys to victory

It’s now official. Joe Sestak is going to run against Arlen Specter—and he must be serious about it because he’s going on The Colbert Report to talk about his decision.

As I wrote in an earlier piece, Sestak has the potential to be a superb candidate and can beat Specter in the Democratic Senate primary. Clearly, though, it isn’t a lock. For all his vulnerabilities, most political…

August 4, 2009 at 12:28 pm | Comments (6)

Take the pa2010.com political knowledge test

Being a reader of pa2010.com must mean that you are something of an expert in Pennsylvania politics, right? Well, here’s an opportunity to prove it. What follows is a devilishly hard quiz that will test your knowledge of state politics.

Get out your pencils and begin

1. Who was the last Republican candidate for President to win Pennsylvania?
(a) George W. Bush
(b) Ronald Reagan
(c) George H. W. Bush

2. Arlen Specter…

May 18, 2009 at 6:00 am | Comments (0)

Specter and the Republican death wish

In all the blather last week about Arlen Specter’s defection to the Democrats, one comment brought me up short. In wishing good riddance to Specter, Michael Steele, chair of the Republican National Committee, cited the senator’s “left-wing voting record.”

If Arlen Specter is a left-winger, then I am a prima ballerina. Arlen Specter is no Leon Trotsky. He is now and has always been what is called a moderate.

While that word may have been…

May 4, 2009 at 8:33 am | Comments (4)

Tom Ferrick is writing for us!

OK, so I have to gush here for just a second.

Tom Ferrick is one of my idols. The longtime reporter and columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer has a nose for news and an intellect that, frankly, puts other political reporters to shame, including yours truly.

I’m too young to really remember him as a reporter, but for years his columns were the highlight of The Inquirer for me. I remember reading some columns he wrote about the size of local government that left me thinking: “Gee, how come nobody else talks about this?”

In other words, he’s the man. And now he’s writing for pa2010.com! I’m proud to say we just published his first column—which is of course excellent—and there will be more in the months to come.

Please join me in thanking Tom for his contribution to pa2010.com. You can leave the fawning and hyperventilating to me if you’re not comfortable with that.

April 21, 2009 at 12:36 pm | Comments (1)