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Corbett Says Ramaley Verdict Won’t Matter Attorney General Tom Corbett says he’s disappointed former Democratic State Rep. Sean Ramaley was acquitted by a Dauphin County jury. But he argues the verdict won’t have any effect on his corruption investigation’s other cases. At a Pennsylvania Society event in midtown Manhattan, Corbett said he believed his legal team had the evidence to win the case. “We do not bring cases if we don’t think that there’s a conviction there,” he says. “That wouldn’t be fair.”
Josephs Would Ban AGs From Guv Race The House State Government Committee held a public hearing on a proposal to require Pennsylvania's Attorney
General to wait four years after leaving office before seeking election as Governor. The proposal (HB 2083), authored by the committee’s chairman, State Rep. Babette Josephs, would address concerns that an Attorney General could use the authority of the office to advance political goals and a Gubernatorial campaign while still in office. Josephs said she held State Committee hearings to identify how other States deal with this potential conflict of interest. In Virginia, although State law does not require it, Attorneys General have voluntarily resigned to avoid the appearance of a conflict, a tradition that dates back to the 1980s. Other States have more formal and stringent requirements in law. Should Josephs’s measure be passed, it would amend the State Constitution similarly to a prohibition that already prevents the State Treasurer from running for State Auditor General within four years of leaving office. Josephs said the prohibition exists to keep the Auditor General from being placed in the inappropriate position of having to audit Treasury accounts from when he or she served as Treasurer. The four-year gap eliminates the potential conflict. "As we move through consideration of my bill, I hope we will receive input from former Attorneys General and the current AG and others with expertise on the subject," said Josephs. "I’m disappointed the present AG, Tom Corbett, failed to accept my invitation to appear before the committee. Mr. Corbett, who is a candidate for Governor, has come under fire for conflict of interest and some have even suggested he resign vol-
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untarily. I thought testimony from him would be particularly valuable.” To take effect, Josephs' bill would have to pass the General Assembly in two successive legislative sessions and be approved by voters in a statewide referendum.
State GOP Optimistic About 2010 Races Will the pendulum that swings back and forth every years for this State’s Gubernatorial office continue to make a change in the party that rules after an eight-year span? Republicans have been in the minority in the House since 2006, but political history and state and national polling results give them hope of recapturing the Speaker’s gavel and potentially a chance to control redistricting. They feel strongly this is their time to get back the Governor’s office. ”I’m convinced that we have a strong opportunity of taking back the majority,” said State Rep. Mike Turzai, the Republican whip, about House control. He cites a handful of House seat targets that could reverse the Democrats’ slim 103-99 advantage. Chuck Ardo, a spokesman for the state Democratic Party, acknowledged some of the Party’s House members face tough races, but he argued that is true on both sides of the aisle. “I think it’s going to be a tough year for all incumbents,” he said. “I think there are going to be some traditionally safe seats that are far more competitive than people would expect.”
solidarity on Election Day may be facing a disruption as the May primary approaches. Former US Attorney Pat Meehan has been seen as having a lock on the nomination to have a go at the 7th Dist. seat being vacated by Congressman Joe Sestak. With a strong track record in public service and also in paying his dues with Party organizations, few doubted he would be unchallenged. Now, though, comes TV news anchor Dawn Stensland,
who is widely reputed to be eyeing a run for the Republican nomination. If she does, she will be competing with strong name recognition – but little Party recognition. Some reports hold Meehan’s lowkey demeanor did not fire up some components of the GOP base. It is hard to see, however, how a woman with zero political experience can do better, unless someone writes her script and places it on the teleprompter.
Best Wishes for a Happy and Safe Hanukkah! Parkwood Shopping Center 12361 Academy Road, Phila., PA 19154, 215-281-2539 8016 Bustleton Avenue Philadelphia PA 19152 215-695-1020 Open Mon. - Fri. 9:00 AM - 5 PM
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Will Stensland Stir DelCo’s GOP Pot? The ordinarily sedate parade of like-minded Republicans in Delaware Co. toward
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Wagner Picks Up State Business PAC
litical-action committee of the Pennsylvania Business Council, has announced its endorsement of Democrat Jack Wagner for his party nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania. "There are eight intelligent and talented individuals vying to be the next chief executive of the Commonwealth," said Pennsylvania Business Council President David W. Patti. "Each brings unique traits and qualifications to the election. However, based on the assessment of the 30-plus Board members of PEG PAC, Jack Wagner is the best candidate among the Democrats." Amid the crowded Democratic pack, PEG PAC was impressed by Wagner's performance in his current office of Auditor General, his commitment to making Pennsylvania more competitive, and his experience as a member of the Pittsburgh City Council and Pennsylvania Senate.
The South Philadelphia Public Record • December 17, 2009
(Cont. From Page 4) (35%). However, just 6% have no opinion of Specter. Fifteen percent have a very favorable view of Toomey, while 9% regard him very unfavorably. For Sestak, very favorables total 11%, and very unfavorables stand at 12%. These numbers are little changed from October. Sestak needs to know Specter has had a lot of campaign wars from which to draw his reelection strategies. A taste of them came out this past week when Specter’s campaign charged Sestak’s selef-portrayal as a “True Democrat” was a farce. After more than two months of remaining largely silent while Sestak attacked him at every turn, the remarks amounted to Specter’s first retaliation. He stated, “Congressman Sestak is a flagrant hypocrite in challenging my being a real Democrat when he did not register as a Democrat until 2006, just in time to run for Congress. His lame excuse for avoiding party affiliation, because he was in military service, is undercut by his documented disinterest in the political process.” Sestak’s retort was he voted by absentee ballot while serving overseas, as an independent. He said, “Like Colin Powell (who was also registered as an Independent while he served), I believe military officers should be nonpartisan.” Specter easily wins the “true Democrat” application since he was a Democrat in Philadelphia decades ago until he switched to run as a Republican for the City’s District Attorney office. Sestak’s chances of getting the Democratic State Committee when it meets Feb. 10 is seen as nonexistent to slim, with Specter already welcomed heartily into the Democrat fold by President Barack Obama and Gov. Ed Rendell.
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Toomey Looks Formidable Vs. All Contenders