Posted on 10/31/2008 9:46:52 PM PDT by Chet 99
Rendell: Forget the polls, it's gonna be close in state
Governor stops at ESU while on bus tour for Obama
By Dan Berrett
Pocono Record Writer
November 01, 2008 6:00 AM
EAST STROUDSBURG — Gov. Ed Rendell urged supporters of Sen. Barack Obama on Friday to get out the vote in the last 100 hours of the presidential campaign because the race for Pennsylvania is closer than polls suggest.
"This is not a 10-, 12- or 14-point election for Barack Obama," the Democratic governor said Friday afternoon in the lobby of East Stroudsburg University's new Science and Technology Center. "A lot can happen in that last weekend."
While most polls show the Democrat Obama leading his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain, by 7 to 14 points in the state, a recent NBC/Mason-Dixon poll forecast a mere 4-point difference.
"The enthusiasm gap has narrowed," he said. "We have to get our share of the undecided voters."
Rendell blistered McCain and his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, for what he called the hypocrisy of their campaign.
"They've run the most deplorable, despicable campaign I've seen in 31 years," Rendell said. He noted that in the 14 elections in which he's run, he always kept some empathy for the other side, knowing how bruising such contests can be.
"I'm competitive, but I've never been spiteful," Rendell said. "This time, ladies and gentlemen, I want to crush them."
Rendell said one reason the race was tightening was that Republican attacks — that Obama is a socialist, wants to redistribute wealth and will raise taxes — were starting to stick.
"He's got a great tax-cut plan," Rendell said, noting that two-income families earning less than $250,000 would be eligible for tax relief, as would individuals earning under $200,000.
Addressing a crowd of college students, staff, faculty and community members, Rendell lauded Obama's proposal to provide a $5,000 tuition tax break. Such a break could pay for almost a full year's tuition — $5,300 — at one of the state's universities of higher education, such as ESU.
He attacked the notion that Obama's oft-cited remark that he wanted to "spread the wealth" was somehow radical, noting that Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican president who McCain cites as a hero, introduced the graduated income tax, under which wealthier people pay a larger share of taxes.
And he said Palin told The New Yorker over the summer that Alaskans collectively own the state's natural resources. "So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs," she said.
"I assume Sarah hit her head somewhere and has short-term memory loss," Rendell said.
He also said he and his wife, Judge Marjorie Rendell, earned about $350,000 last year, a rarefied enough income bracket to qualify for tax cuts under President Bush.
"It hasn't changed our lives one iota," Rendell said, adding that he would rather pay higher taxes so that people could have health care. "This is all about economic fairness."
Rendell called "silly" the criticisms that Obama was a socialist. He remarked that Republicans in the past derided federal programs such as Social Security and Medicare for being socialist.
Speaking of Medicare, Rendell said premiums would increase and benefits decrease under a McCain administration, which should give senior citizens a reason to pause.
"Tell them the governor says they have to have rocks in their head if they vote for anyone other than Barack Obama," Rendell said.
Rendell is on a weeklong, statewide bus tour in support of Obama.
He was joined on this leg of the tour by Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-11, who is locked in a fierce re-election battle against Lou Barletta, mayor of Hazleton. Recent polls show Barletta leading.
While feisty during most of his remarks, Kanjorski occasionally sounded resigned, saying he hoped he would be in Washington to help Obama pursue his agenda.
"I've been there a long time, and I can't get hurt either way," Kanjorski said.
Rendell also stumped for candidates for state offices. He lauded Rep. John Siptroth, D-189, who is running against John Sivick, and urged voters to pull the lever for P.J. Symons, who is running for the 29th Senate District, which is the seat James Rhoades held.
Rhoades died in a car accident in Gilbert two weeks ago and his name remains on the ballot.
Rendell is doing his “job”.
The Democrats speak out of an insipid echo chamber. Since the 1950s, Every 4 years they rant on incessently about how we want to get rid of Social Security. LOL. Trying to scare seniors.
Intresting that McCain’s surge is among 20 to 30 year olds. according to the Fox Poll. And he continues to do quite well among 30 to 50 year olds. Sarah Palin is a huge factor im sure. But the generation that the left educated and told to toe their line might just save the United States of America.
“cheap nephew”
In a recent tax year, he and the Mrs. made $249,000— gave to charity $1050. Pathetic doesn’t quite sum it up. But it doesn’t surprise me, he wants to donate YOUR MONEY!!
Hear,hear.
So this is typical Fast Eddie speak?
And it wasn't graduated, it was a flat tax starting at 5,000 bucks and up and people were told they would only ever tax the rich(5,000 per year being extremely good money back then).Typical politician BS and look where it got us. The Roosevelt that put in the graduated tax was the SOB of a socialist FDR, and he gave us SS also.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Four days before the election, Fast Eddie Rendell is on the news talking about reducing state expenditures. It’s about time,
My husband noticed an “odd” trend in our business checking account today....we own a car dealership in PA and send in the sales tax right along with the title fee and registration. The “big” checks (over $1000) are getting cashed right away while the smaller ones for a hundred bucks or so hang out there for weeks. It’s like The State is scrambling for money in full throttle.
Rendell... Is he the guy who sounds like he’s been smoking two packs of bareback Camels for thirty years?
I think it was 1 percent, and they said it would never go higher. The income tax was introduced under Wilson, a Dem, around 1915, if I remember correctly. The graduated rate, I don’t know, but FDR would be a logical culprit. He definitely had one, and his top rate was 70 percent, where it stayed until Reagan. No wonder those idiots couldn’t end the depression.
The more Rendell and Obama try to refute the socialist label, the more it will stick.
Wow...he really took his case to the people (rolling eyes)
Better to have rocks in the head than rocks in the crack pipe.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
The “Huge Democrat new Registration advantage” that pollsters are basing Party ID’s running everywhere from +6 to +16 (!!) isn’t materializing, ESPECIALLY in “Operation Chaos” states like Pennsylvannia.
And it has some Dems beginning to panic.
I’m not sure we can really win this thing, but I’m going down to work the phones in the morning!
Another scumbag Democrat insulting much of the electorate..... Murtha calls them racists and rednecks, Fast Eddie says they have "rocks in their head"
>Rendell said one reason the race was tightening was that Republican attacks — that Obama is a socialist, wants to redistribute wealth and will raise taxes — were starting to stick.<
I’m afraid I don’t see anything inaccurate there.
See now?
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