Although he’s never been one for handouts, former Sen. Rick Santorum has been reaching out to his supporters for help in paying off his roughly $1 million debt from campaigning for the Republican Presidential Nomination by asking for $10 donations.

Following a lengthy grand jury investigation, today Judge Joan Orie Melvin becomes the third Orie sister accused (one already having been convicted) of campaign-related felonies.

Some boneheaded mistakes earn two Republicans a spot, but three other GOPers get Ups. Plus, a win for good government. Here are this week’s Ups & Downs!

President Obama is coming to Philadelphia June 12th to raise money and speak with graduating seniors from a city high school. The RNC responds by calling out the President on his economic policies for young Americans.

Good morning politicos, here’s the Buzz. PA Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin will be charged today for violations of campaign law. Jeremiah Wright makes a comeback. And Joe Biden makes a surprise visit to PA.

Update: she will be charged. Pa. Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin could by looking at an indictment by the end of the month. She’d be charged with using taxpayer resources for campaigning, the same as her sister Senator Jane Orie who was convicted earlier this year.

PA’s Democratic candidates for the U.S. House accused Republican incumbents of waging war on women after the GOP-led House approved a version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that removed certain provisions from the Senate’s version of the law.

In all likelihood State Rep. Scott Perry is 8 months away from being Congressman Scott Perry. But the GOP’s national congressional campaign arm isn’t taking chances; they added him to their candidate-boosting program Thursday.

A fair attack, or race-baiting? John McCain muzzled conservatives’ use of Jeremiah Wright, President Obama’s controversial former pastor, for fear that it would increase racial tensions. But in an era of super PACs and decentralized message control, Mitt Romney’s preference might not matter.

During the 2012 election cycle Democrats are positioning themselves as the “defenders of the middle class,” and Sen. Bob Casey Jr. is honing that message by attacking the top .001 percent of income earners, including Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

Good morning politicos, here’s the Buzz. The Senate continued its 1100 day-plus streak of no budgets yesterday, progressives continue their battle against ALEC, and Karl Rove’s Super PAC is up with an ad in PA.