Posted on 05/16/2006 9:31:29 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
PHILADELPIA -- Political veteran Bob Casey, the heavy favorite, easily won the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania on Tuesday to challenge conservative Republican Sen. Rick Santorum in the fall.
Pennsylvania voters also decided whether to punish state lawmakers for giving themselves a big pay raise in the middle of the night last year. Under public pressure, the legislators repealed the increases.
In Oregon, Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski faced two rivals for the nomination for another term. An Iraq war veteran sought the Democratic nomination for Congress in Pennsylvania, while another Iraq veteran was defeated in a congressional primary in Kentucky.
The 46-year-old Casey, son of the late Gov. Robert P. Casey, now serves as Pennsylvania treasurer. He was courted by national Democratic Party leaders to take on Santorum, the Senate's No. 3 Republican and a close ally of President Bush. The race could cost a combined $50 million.
Santorum was unopposed in the GOP primary.
Casey cruised past two political newcomers in the Democratic primary, Philadelphia pension lawyer Alan Sandals and Philadelphia college professor Chuck Pennacchio.
With 13 percent of precincts reporting, Casey had 59,278 votes, or 82 percent, compared with 8,024, or 11 percent, for Sandals, and 4,823, or 7 percent, for Pennacchio.
Some Democratic voters said they were more interested in picking a candidate who could defeat Santorum than in sending a message to Casey that some of his positions, like his opposition to abortion, are too conservative.
"I'm too old at this point in my life for symbolic victories," said Philadelphian David Hyman, 52.
Lynn Swann, a former Pittsburgh Steeler making his debut in Pennsylvania politics, was unopposed for the Republican nomination for governor. The former NFL star will face Gov. Ed Rendell, who had no opposition on the Democratic side.
Sixty-one incumbents in the 253-member Pennsylvania legislature faced primary challenges Tuesday, the most since 1980, including legislative leaders from both parties. Most of the challengers were recruited by PACleanSweep, a group organized at the height of the pay raise furor.
Two Pennsylvania congressmen also faced primary challenges, including Republican Rep. Don Sherwood, who acknowledged a five-year extramarital affair after his mistress accused him of choking her at his Capitol Hill apartment. Sherwood's opponent, Kathy Scott, is a former guidance counselor who has seized on the scandal.
Iraq War veteran Patrick Murphy faced a former county commissioner in a Democratic primary for the right to take on freshman Republican Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick in a swing district in the Philadelphia suburbs.
In Kentucky, Iraq War veteran Andrew Horne failed in his bid to take on Republican Rep. Anne Northup in a Louisville-area House district. The Democratic primary was won by political columnist John Yarmuth.
In a neighboring district, state Rep. Mike Weaver, a retired Army colonel, easily defeated a little-known fellow Democrat and advanced to face Republican Rep. Ron Lewis in November.
In Oregon's gubernatorial primary, Kulongoski was expected to overcome challenges by former state Treasurer Jim Hill and Peter Sorenson, a county politician.
Three major contenders competed for the Republican nomination for governor: former Oregon GOP chairman Kevin Mannix, Portland lawyer Ron Saxton and state Sen. Jason Atkinson.
Arlen would have been history!
Now he can't hide anymore .. and will actually have to speak more to the public
He'll be toast
He lost because he didn't do enough foot work.
Sounds like Sandals was a loafer.
I heard his acceptance speech tonight and it was the first time I'd heard him talk.
The man can't put a coherent sentence together.
Been drinking with Teddy...?
Why run a Dem against another Dem?
Actually, the best thing about the Senate race for Santorum is that Casey is his opponent. He's a horrible campaigner, an even worse debater, makes John Kerry look positively boisterous and animated. That said, Santorum has his work cut out for him. Philadelphia will turn out big against him. Many still have Kerry/Edwards posters in their windows and they haven't gotten over 2004. They're literally salivating at the chance to send him packing. Add to that the turnout in favor of Rendell for Governor, it probably translates into a 300,000 vote deficit he'll have to overcome in the rest of the state which is decidedly more Republican.
your post 5 is wrong.
PA went for Kerry and Gore.
Santorum is much more vulnerable than Specter and that is why casey wanted to go against santorum instead of Specter
This is probably a bad sign for Santorum, but a good sign for America. When the rats have to push a marginally pro-life candidate that means PA is moving to the right.
Pa has always been pro-life. Casey's dad used to be Gov.
You have the Unionized Catholics: socially conservative, fiscally liberal.
It would be interesting if Casey pro-life views hold good in a party overwhelmingly obsessed with pro-abortion views like the Democrats. The Dem leadership would probably sideline casey if he wins, I hope that the Penn value voters are not fooled by the Dems pandering.
What is Casey Jr position on illegal alien amnesty?
I suppose because the Dems would never run a pro-life candidate unless they absolutely had to.
Just my guess.
"When the rats have to push a marginally pro-life candidate that means PA is moving to the right."
I hope like the dickens you're right. I'm thinking they might be going with Casey because he has a doggone good chance of beating Santorum (leading by 10% in last poll I read). I guess the ol' hags from NOW and other baby killers are willing to have a "somewhat" pro-life Senator just to help the Dim-o-rats get control of the full Senate.
dang so much for the media hype about casey being 'too conservative'...
It is encouraging to read some of the comments about Casey on this thread, about him not being a good debator, etc....anything that will help Santorum is a good thing.
It's nice to see we agree on this issue, but Hong Kong Expat pointed out that PA has a tradition of pro-life catholics Republican or rat, and he is correct. I may be over estimating the importance of Casey's primary win.
The good news is that the polls are meaningless. Right now they are polling adults...soon they will be over-sampling registered rats...and much closer to the elections they will be over-sampling registered rats. The questions will remain as biased and leading in favor of rats but the results will show a stunning upsurge for Santorum in the coming months.
As the lying national polls continue to show a decline of Dubya's job approval, even from Bushbots like me, Casey will need to moderate his pro-life stance to justify his rat credentials. Casey is screwed.
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