And they’re off.
With Labor Day in the rear-view mirror, kids heading back to school and the hint of a chill in the air, it can mean only one thing.
It’s political season.
Election day is exactly eight weeks from today.
In this region, we will be voting on a new governor, a new U.S. Senator, a congressman and members of the state House of Representatives.
If it strikes you that the politicians ignored the traditional “off season” of the summer, you’d get no argument from me.
Candidates have been out there pressing the flesh all summer.
In Delaware County, two races immediately jump to the front of the pack.
Democrat Joe Sestak, who ignored the experts as well as the leaders of his own party to challenge longtime Sen. Arlen Specter (and newly minted
Democrat) for his party’s nomination, shocked the world with a big win.
Sestak has not stopped running since. His campaign has been dogged with a couple of ancillary issues, whether he was offered a job by the Obama Administration to get out of the race against Specter, and last week a $350,000 earmark for a non-profit that actually had direct ties to a for-profit firm that likely would have done much of the work.
Don’t look for either of those two issues to go away anytime soon.
Republican Pat Toomey was especially critical of the “earmark” issue.
With Sestak trailing in the polls, he’s wasting no time bringing in the party’s biggest weapon. President Obama will come to the region for a Sestak fundraiser on Sept. 20. This is interesting for a couple of reasons.
First, the relationship between the two men has been a bit strained now for months. Remember, Sestak was a member of the Clinton Administration and was an early backer of Hillary Clinton, even after she fell behind Obama. Then there is the matter of the challenge to Specter, in which Sestak clearly ignored the wishes of Obama and other party leaders.
After Sestak’s primary win, he was noticeable by his absence at an Obama event in Pittsburgh.
Now they will unite in an effort to hold onto the U.S. Senate seat.
Meanwhile, one of the hottest congressional races in the nation is being waged for the seat that Sestak is giving up.
Democratic State Rep. Bryan Lentz and Republican Pat Meehan have been throwing haymakers at each other almost from day one.
First Meehan had problems with his nominating petitions. Then it turns out some Lentz supporters were key in getting third-party candidate Jim Schneller on the ballot. Now Schneller is pushing a legal challenge to get Meehan booted from the ballot.
Don’t hold your breath on that one.
And don’t hold your breath waiting for these races to cool off with the fall weather. Instead they’re headed for the front burner.
Fifty—six days and counting. Buckle your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
With Labor Day in the rear-view mirror, kids heading back to school and the hint of a chill in the air, it can mean only one thing.
It’s political season.
Election day is exactly eight weeks from today.
In this region, we will be voting on a new governor, a new U.S. Senator, a congressman and members of the state House of Representatives.
If it strikes you that the politicians ignored the traditional “off season” of the summer, you’d get no argument from me.
Candidates have been out there pressing the flesh all summer.
In Delaware County, two races immediately jump to the front of the pack.
Democrat Joe Sestak, who ignored the experts as well as the leaders of his own party to challenge longtime Sen. Arlen Specter (and newly minted
Democrat) for his party’s nomination, shocked the world with a big win.
Sestak has not stopped running since. His campaign has been dogged with a couple of ancillary issues, whether he was offered a job by the Obama Administration to get out of the race against Specter, and last week a $350,000 earmark for a non-profit that actually had direct ties to a for-profit firm that likely would have done much of the work.
Don’t look for either of those two issues to go away anytime soon.
Republican Pat Toomey was especially critical of the “earmark” issue.
With Sestak trailing in the polls, he’s wasting no time bringing in the party’s biggest weapon. President Obama will come to the region for a Sestak fundraiser on Sept. 20. This is interesting for a couple of reasons.
First, the relationship between the two men has been a bit strained now for months. Remember, Sestak was a member of the Clinton Administration and was an early backer of Hillary Clinton, even after she fell behind Obama. Then there is the matter of the challenge to Specter, in which Sestak clearly ignored the wishes of Obama and other party leaders.
After Sestak’s primary win, he was noticeable by his absence at an Obama event in Pittsburgh.
Now they will unite in an effort to hold onto the U.S. Senate seat.
Meanwhile, one of the hottest congressional races in the nation is being waged for the seat that Sestak is giving up.
Democratic State Rep. Bryan Lentz and Republican Pat Meehan have been throwing haymakers at each other almost from day one.
First Meehan had problems with his nominating petitions. Then it turns out some Lentz supporters were key in getting third-party candidate Jim Schneller on the ballot. Now Schneller is pushing a legal challenge to get Meehan booted from the ballot.
Don’t hold your breath on that one.
And don’t hold your breath waiting for these races to cool off with the fall weather. Instead they’re headed for the front burner.
Fifty—six days and counting. Buckle your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
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