Posted on 03/03/2005 5:35:15 AM PST by Born Conservative
With Democratic State Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr. on the verge of announcing he will run for the U.S. Senate next year, fellow Democrat and former Treasurer Barbara Hafer surprised his camp Wednesday by beating him to the punch and entering the race.
"We're in it," Mrs. Hafer, 61, of Allegheny County, told The Associated Press. "I'm getting a campaign up and running."
Earlier in the day, two sources close to Mr. Casey told The Tribune he was close to announcing a run for the Democratic Senate nomination and a fall contest against U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, the presumptive Republican candidate now in his second term. The sources said an announcement could come as early as today, but an official in the Casey camp declined to confirm his intent to run.
Efforts to reach Mr. Casey, 44, of Scranton, for comment were unsuccessful. Sources had previously said he was conditioning his entry into the race partly on having no Democratic opposition.
By the evening, Mrs. Hafer had left no doubt about her intentions, stunning the Casey camp sources who said they believed she would not run.
"I honestly don't know what it does to our decision," one source said, echoing another.
The race, which has attracted national attention, would pit the winner of the Democratic primary election against Mr. Santorum of Penn Hills.
Mr. Casey and Mrs. Hafer differ most notably on abortion rights. She's pro-choice while he and Mr. Santorum oppose abortion.
Mrs. Hafer, 61, said Emily's List -- a Washington-based group that helps elect Democratic women who support abortion rights -- has sent two staffers to help her assess the race and begin organizing.
Mrs. Hafer, who served eight years as state auditor general and eight more as treasurer, was a longtime Republican who endorsed Democrat Ed Rendell for governor in 2002 and switched parties in December 2003.
Mr. Casey had previously shrugged off suggestions to run for Congress and the Senate, preferring to concentrate on becoming governor someday. But he impressed national Democrats looking for a challenger to Mr. Santorum with his credentials as a moderate and his 3.3-million vote total in winning the treasurer's job in November. It was a record for a statewide candidate.
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, the new chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, have relentlessly courted him. The committee backs Democratic Senate candidates across the country.
Mr. Casey was especially interested in running if the committee was ready to pony up major financial support and assure an opponent-free primary election, sources said.
The campaign would be Mr. Casey's fourth in seven years, but his first for federal office. He was elected treasurer in November after eight years as state auditor general. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2002.
Before meeting with the senators, Mr. Casey set up a committee that could raise money for exploratory steps. He also commissioned a poll whose results were consistent with the later findings of an independent poll, one source said.
The independent Quinnipiac poll, which surveyed 1,250 Pennsylvania voters between Feb. 10-14, found Mr. Casey had the support of 46 percent of the voters compared to 41 percent for Mr. Santorum. The same poll had Mr. Santorum with more support than Mrs. Hafer -- 47 to 39 percent. Mrs. Hafer said her own poll shows she could compete against Mr. Santorum.
State Rep. T.J. Rooney, the state Democratic chairman who was considering running himself, told the Associated Press he won't.
When asked last week during an appearance in Scranton, Mr. Santorum said he was unconcerned about his opposition.
"Whomever his opponent is, he looks forward to a spirited debate to discuss issues important to Pennsylvanians, such as saving and strengthening Social Security for future generations and promoting economic growth and job creation for hard-working Pennsylvanians," Mr. Santorum's press secretary, Christine Shott, said Wednesday.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS contributed to this report.
I believe Pennsylvania Democrats also nominated Lynn Yeakel in 1992, whose sole platform was bashing Arlen Specter for questioning Anita Hill. I wouldn't put it past them to nominate a pro-abort woman over the pro-life Casey.
He's all over the local newscasts here in PA. I think he's trying to send a signal that despite his illness and treatments, he can be an active and effective Senator. I don't think there's any chance that he would resign and allow Rendell to appoint a Democrat to fill his seat. Like Strom Thurmond, even if they have to prop him up in a chair, he's not going anywhere.
Your prognosis may prove out, considering Santorum will be running in an off year and it will harder getting Democrats to get out and vote. The conservative T folks in PA who are staunchly pro-life should come out in big numbers for Santorum, but Casey might skim some of those votes off the top because he, too, is pro-life.
Since Casey, Sr. was treated so poorly by his party's elite, that party has gotten even more left-wing. Casey, Sr. would hardly recognize his own party, if he were still alive.
They're probably going to have to prop him up in a chair because I'm sure that he's determined to hang on long enough to influence the Supreme Court nomination to replace Rehnquist.
Casey is definitely the bigger threat to Santorum. Even though he doesn't have the charisma of his father, the Casey name still carries a ton of good will in PA. Many Pennsylvanians are essentially one issue voters, and abortion is the one issue. Many of those dems that hold their noses and vote pro-life republican would much rather vote pro-life democrat. A pro-life democrat with a strong family legacy is golden in PA. Gonna be tough for Rick.
....hold their noses and vote pro-life republican would much rather vote pro-life democrat. A pro-life democrat with a strong family legacy is golden in PA. Gonna be tough for Rick.....
exactly right.
Casey enters U.S. Senate race; Hafer withdraws
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1356076/posts
12:50 pm – 3/4/2005
Hafer is the most unlikeable person in PA politics. Santorum would beat Hafer easily. Casey could win with an excellent organization that would keep him out of the limelight. Basically, his campaign has to be "Liked my dad? I have the same name."
A lot of pro-life Democrats in western PA.
Don't be so sure. Emily's List has scads of money and Jr. lost handily to Fast Eddie Rendell. Hafer stands a very good choice at being nominated. I hope she wins. She'll be the first person to lose statewide office having been nominated by both parties.
I don't believe Jr. is pro-life. He may say so officially, but he lets people believe he is because his father was a genuine pro-lifer.
That was quick.
"Liked my dad? I have the same name."
and the same unibrow - it is a family heirloom....
You may be right. I don't know. I have family who know one of Casey's other boys - Matt and his wife and I've heard they're good pro-life Catholics.
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