I am supporting Pennacchio in the Pennsylvania Senate Primary

[bleedingheart]

Every day I become more disgusted with the republicans ...now it is at a point where I don't know how much lower will they go...and I am also dissatisfied with many Democrats who won't stand up and fight because they are afraid they may poll poorly. I know I am not alone. We watch as Feingold doesn't get overwhelming support all the while men like Liebermen are kissing Bush's ass.

Proof that I am not alone are the overwhelming grass roots efforts to unseat Liebermen....and here in Pennsylvania we have the same thing...happening but it is in a primary. Bob Casey is the "favored" choice by the old guard...he is a politically conservative Democrat who is against abortion, for the war and would have voted for Alito and...did I mention he doesn't support universal health coverage....he is the supposed "safe" choice to beat a conservative pRick Santorum... However this is not the first time we have tried to run a conservative democrat agains pRick...nope it is not. We ran an ultra conservative Ron Klink last time...a fellow with a safe congressional seat that he gave up and it was picked up by Melissa Hart...so that he could run against Santorum...and he lost.

The last time a Democratic Senate Candidate won an election in PA was 1962...and I can tell you that the entire time...they were running rather conservative Democrats...and where did it get them....In fact on a state level we run them and between the conservative Democrats and the Conservative Republicans...we have a state legislature that is full of greed and corruption...

As a committee woman I am tired of having candidates foisted upon me that are just too conservative for mine and my area's liking...so I succeeded in getting an open primary in my county so that I could support a candidate I can feel proud of...and that candidate is Chuck Pennacchio... he is against the war, for universal healthcare coverage, and supports women's reproductive rights among many other things...and he is not taking special interest money which astounds the local politicians who are so addicted to it...

he also has something else...charisma and an energy that energizes the crowds he speaks to...in fact I have run into strangers who had the luck to see Chuck debate Casey and the other fellow Sandals...and all of them have said..."why is casey our pick???" it astounds people...

I ask fellow DUers to check out Chuck... at www.chuck2006.com and if you like him...send an email to a friend here in PA...and let them know that in the Primary we have a choice...and then the day after our primary...they can line up with whoever the masses have voted to run against tricky ricky...

[acmejack]

1. I was beat up by a couple of your fellow Pennsylvanians

for talking about the alternative choice of Pennacchio. I was admittedly incorrect about the open primaries and claimed they were endorsements, but they immediately jumped me loudly and publicly as a LIAR and worse. Any way they are obviously in love with Casey, backwards policies and all, oh did I mention they seemed enamored with the DLC, too?

[bleedingheart]

2. that does not suprise me...a lot of the casey supporters are DLCers

who want a conservative dem that they can control..

I am only hoping that in a low turnout primary that we can possibly drive enough progressives and those individuals who have had it with "business as usual" to the polls to unseat casey and put in Pennacchio...

[wisteria]

6. I am for Casey, and I don't consider myself a DLCer. n/t

[Freddie Stubbs]

34. Casey is the opposite of a DLCer

the DLC tends to favor fiscal conservatism and social liberalism. Casey is a fiscal liberal and a social conservative.

[femmocrat]

3. I am also supporting Pennacchio....

and have been talking him up to others. I will vote for Casey in the general election, however, as anyone is better than Santorum!!

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. A Democratic Senate Candidate won an election in PA in 1991

http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000665

[bleedingheart]

7. that was an appointment and a special election...

technically Heinz had won the election but was killed so Wofford was appointed and then won a special election which typically doesn't draw the voters like a general election....Wofford then lost that seat to Santorum who pilloried Wofford about living in DC...and not in PA...

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. How do you technically win an election when your name isn't on the ballot

and you've been dead for seven months? Wofford won the election.

[wisteria]

5. I'll stick with Casey.

Personally, I like a lot of Pennacchio's positions, but Casey has name recognition and is a comfortable choice to beat Santorum. I have lived in both ends of the state and I can tell you, in the Western part, Pennacchio will be a tough sell, especially among the elderly people.They are the ones that vote in larger numbers. You can not compare Klink's run to Casey's, things have changed. A lot more people are looking for a change from Santorun, who they consider "strange". A few Republican family members are even planning to vote for Casey, because he isn't too far to the left. I would actually like to see Pennacchio run for Specter's seat in a few years. A win there will balance things out nicely in the state and in Washington for Dem's.

[bleedingheart]

8. the problem is that the party hierarchy doesn't want men like Pennacchio

they support men like Casey who have a name and money but not much else.
And as for the elderly here in Western PA where I live...my retired neighbors are very keen on Pennacchio.

[wisteria]

17. Well, the Casey's family has been around for some time and he is

known to be a fair and honest man. Good to hear your neighbors are so open minded. Did they hear about Pennacchio from you or did they do some research on their own?

And, to answer your other question, I wasn't aware of any debates. When did they take place? Any possibility of a repeat before the primary?
I wouldn't doubt that Casey lacks punch in the debate department. Hopefully, he will be working on this deficit before he debates Santorum.

[bleedingheart]

22. if you go to Chuck's website the debates are there for download

www.chuck2006.com

[LetsGoMurphys]

19. Casey isn't a rich man

comfortable but certainly far from rich. Santorum isn't particularly wealthy either. That is comparing him to some senators.

"Applying a state-calculated ratio that takes into account annual sales of properties to come up with a fair market value, the Caseys’ home has a fair market value of $107,526."

Here is a Scranton Times article on their financial standing.
<http://thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16549145&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=415898&rfi=6>

[bleedingheart]

21. I never implied he was rich but he has the corporate money backing him

and that is where the money comes in..the same money that will guide his votes in the US senate...

[Freddie Stubbs]

25. Corporations and unions are prohibited by law from contributing

to the campaigns of candidates for federal office.

[bleedingheart]

26. But executives in large corporations can donate to campaigns and

they do...are you going to tell me they don't?

When I make large donations to candidates I must list my company and what industry it is in...so that they can tally where that money came from...

Are you going to deny this fact?


If enough big wigs in the healthcare industry decide to give Casey a boat load of cash he will know from where that money came...by the companies they list when they register their donation...

[bleedingheart]

10. by the way did you see the debates ????

do you think Casey will be able to handle a debate with Santorum? I don't.
In fact it is funny that the Democratic debate is held on PCN where only the political junkies will watch it...however...the big debate with Santorum will be broadcast more widely because I am sure that slick ricky will pummel Casey...he will route him by painting him to be the same as Santorum on issues and then ask voters while they will give up a tenured seat for a guy who has the same positions on issues.

[Mandate My Ass]

9. Me too! Casey sucks. Won't debate anybody. Why so shy if

he's the shoo in candidate? He only speaks at fundraisers to people who've donated to his campaign. Santorum's poll #s are in the toilet and Chuck could beat him.

I'm tired of holding my nose. I didn't like his dad and I don't like him so name recognition is just a bogus reason to vote for a DINO.

Elect Chuck. :hi:

[bleedingheart]

11. Casey did debate Pennacchio and Sandals...but he did poorly ..

in fact at one point during the first debate Casey actually clapped for Pennacchio after Chuck was finished speaking ...my husband and I just laughed at that one...

The debates can be watched at www.chuck2006.com

:hi:

[Mandate My Ass]

12. Ooops, thanks!

Why didn't I hear of this? Gotta watch this. I've heard Chuck speak on several occasions and he is a fantastic speaker. It doesn't surprise me Casey looked bad compared with Chuck.

Thanks for the link. :-)

[bleedingheart]

13. the reason you didn't hear about it is because the media doesn't want us

to know we have a CHOICE...of course not...that would destabilize the "good ole boys" network...they wanna pick our candidates and then ram their custom made policies for their corporate sponsors down our throats...

[Freddie Stubbs]

15. He certainly has debated some nobodies

He has debated Sandals and Pennachio twice. Casey's opponents are going to get Kuciniched in the primary.

[Mandate My Ass]

16. Yeah. I've heard it all before.

Lots of people are fired up by Pennacchio. Especially when they find out what Casey really stands for, the status quo. Time will tell.

[Freddie Stubbs]

18. 15 days to go

I have yet to see any evidence of "Lots of people" people being fired up by Pennachio. His campaign hasn't raised a significant amount nor has it drawn many notable endorsements.

[bleedingheart]

23. and those nobodies kicked casey's butt in the debate...

if casey wins the primary santorum will run his race showing how much casey and he agree and it will disgust the average democratic voter who is tired of the same old conservative bullshit.

[Freddie Stubbs]

24. Debates often don't win elections

Just Al Gore and John Kerry.

[bleedingheart]

27. and look at the mess our nation is in today because people don't

seem to pay attention to those debates...

[Freddie Stubbs]

32. A lot of people watched the presidential debates

You're assuming that everyone who saw the debates drew the same conclusions from then that you did.

[bleedingheart]

29. my favorite part of the first debate was when Casey clapped for Pennacchio

[Freddie Stubbs]

33. Bob Casey is running a primary campaign on his own merits, not

on tearing down other Democrats.

[LetsGoMurphys]

20. I wouldn't be so fast to throw myself

out there if i were up that many points either. Clearly Santorum is doing the campaigning for Bobby Casey himself.

[WI_DEM]

28. Harris Woffard won a special election for the Senate in 1991

after Heinz died, but he was defeated in 1994 in the GOP landslide.

But that is fine support who you want in the primary and hopefully whoever wins the primary will be the strongest candidate.

[meow2u3]

30. Think about it....Pennachio doesn't have a prayer outside the Philly area

Pennachio is a Philly liberal, not a Pennsylvania paleoliberal like Casey. In PA, paleoliberals (economic progressives, social conservatives) have more of a chance to gain office statewide. This is a reality to which ideology should not blind us (I am one of those paleoliberal Casey Dems myself).

Besides, the Sanitorium camp will have a field day. With a name that sounds like Pinnochio, we won't have a prayer in the general elections if he beats Casey. Santorum won because he defeated a guy named Klink; we can't afford to make the same mistake putting up people with funny names.

What's in a name? Quite a bit!

[WinkyDink]

31. Second that opinion. Ricky would "accidentally" say "Pinocchio".

A million times.
And on TV.
Sorry, Chuck.

[insane_cratic_gal]

36. the only reason Kerry carried PA is Philly

Bush picked up most of the hicky areas of PA.

Pittsburgh helped contribute to Kerry winning the state, but it wasn't one by the outer areas

[insane_cratic_gal]

35. I'm supporting Pennacchio too

But here in Butler, his name isn't well known. I've told every Dem neighbor I have who he is and pointed out Casey's stance on Choice.

Quite honestly I'm not going to compromise something important to me such as choice, given the climate of this country and the disintegrating rights of such a private issue.

You want to elect a Democrat give me one that carries the whole party line, not one you force me to compromise my daughters future to.

It's okay with me for Casey to not agree with Choice on principle, but when it comes to voting do you know how he will vote on the issue?

Until he can assure me he'll vote for a woman's right to privacy, I can't in good conscience give him my vote.

Chuck is getting my vote in the primaries, and anyone else I can convince to as well.