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3/15 Morning Buzz

It’s election day! (sort of).

Voters in Berks County head to the polls today to choose a replacement for the late state Senator Mike O’Pake. Will Democrats turn the page on 2010, or will Republicans continue their statewide streak? We will soon find out. In the mean time, check out this run down of the parties’ efforts to mobilize for e-day.

Have Harrisburg Republicans backed away from Medaglia? PoliticsPA discovered that the Republican candidate in today’s election quietly pulled his TV ads over the past week, suggesting a lack of funding. Some voters haven’t seen Medaglia on TV since Wednesday. “There’s no way this is good news for him,” says one consultant.

Senator Casey has a new opponent. Scranton Tea Party founder Laureen Cummings, a nurse and small businesswoman has announced that she will challenge the Senator in 2012. Check out our story, with video of Cummings at a Tea Party rally in 2010. You will be impressed with the degree to which she sounds like Sarah Palin.

Finally, if you’re unsure how to characterize your political opponents, here’s a friendly tip: avoid words like “Nazi.” A top DCNR official compared ‘Gasland’ filmmaker Josh Fox to Nazi propagandeer Joseph Goebbels. Fox’s father and grandparents, it turns out, were holocaust survivors.

This official has been with DCNR for years, but that didn’t stop State Rep. and Montco Commissioner candidate Josh Shaprio from leading the outrage against Governor Corbett. It’s a good issue to generate some press, especially for someone who’s rumored to be looking at a run for governor in 2014. Even moreso, it’s a healthy reminder to our bureaucratic friends: even on your best day, you are one dumb comment away from being fired.

PoliticsPA Reports

Election Day: Berks County
We take a look at the efforts to mobilize for the last 12 hours of this special election, and talk about what each party has at stake in the outcome.

Medaglia Goes Dark
Larry Medaglia’s campaign has backed out of the four largest local television markets and will not be airing television ads in the final day of the campaign, PoliticsPA has learned. Consultants on both sides of the aisle are reading the writing on the wall.

Palin-esque Scranton Tea Party Leader Declares Against Casey in 2012 (With Video)
Laureen Cummings, head of the Scranton Tea Party, has declared her intention to challenge U.S. Senator Bob Casey in 2012, and she sounds an awful lot like Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann.

DCNR Official Compares Gasland’s Josh Fox to Nazi Propagandeer Joseph Goebbels
While ‘civility in discourse’ is a complex and nuanced goal, a few areas of universal agreement have emerged in recent months. One such point of consensus is this: don’t compare your political opponents to Nazis.

Headlines
Reading Eagle: Senate race donations reveal bases of support
Patriot News: Pa. Department of Revenue stepping up efforts to collect use taxes for purchases from out-of-state retailers
Patriot News: Pa. Department of Revenue’s Acting Secretary Dan Meuser says $103 million computer modernization will pay for itself in short order
AP: Group sues Pennsylvania after it allowed AdultBasic health care plan to end
Patriot News:  Pennsylvania State Universities’ faculty and coaches union rally opposition to Gov. Tom Corbett’s higher education budget cuts
Sun-Gazette: PennDOT readjusts work schedule  amid loss of federal funds
Centre Daily Times: Pa. sued after it allowed health care plan to end
AP: Corbett eyes school, teacher performance yardstick
Pennsylvania Avenue: Gingrich wants to make presidential announcement in Philadelphia
Daily Local News: School stung by state cutbacks
Inquirer: City teacher’s union flexes muscle at rally
Inquirer: DROP challenge seeks to bar Tasco from running again
The Dallas Post: Boback wants ‘spoofing’ stopped
The Sentinel: Pa. revenue chief vows ‘use tax’ crackdown
WBRE/WYOU: Local nuclear plants learn lessons from Japanese disaster
The Times Tribune: Lackawanna county democrats endorse Wansacz, Jeffers, over incumbent commissioner O’Brien
Lehigh Valley Live: Pennsylvania senators to hold public hearing in Allentown about natural gas pipeline safety
Post-Gazette: School budgets crashing without stimulus
Post-Gazette: Lawmakers to fight Medicare bidding procedure
Tribune-Review: More schools likely to fall short of state standards
WFMZ: Volunteers make last push in special election
Inquirer: Budget battle begins for Corbett – and the GOP isn’t necessarily in his corner
Daily Times: DelCo Dems have mix of new and experienced candidates for county council
Courier Times: Bristol Borough Council approves new public works building
Inquirer: Corbett wants to grade schools, pay teachers on merit basis
Inquirer: The (political) education of Sen. Pat Toomey

Opinions
Reading Eagle Editorial: Voters should pick best candidate to carry on O’Pake legacy (no endorsement)
Citizens’ Voice: Weak evidence in liquor sales debate
Citizens’ Voice: Congress sinks Navy’s ban
Main Line MediaNews: If a budget is a moral document, what does it say about our values as a nation?
Centre Daily Times:  Our View: Corbett’s proposed budget cuts to Penn State funding would hit hard
Tri County Courier Express: Yes, state ought to repeal sprinkers-in-new-homes requirement
Standard Speaker: Why no checks on state stores?
The Mercury: Sunshine Week is reminder to protect Right-To-Know law
The Mercury: Driving laws will never replace parental responsibility
Times Tribune: Pass bills to fight fraud
Lehigh Valley Live: Obama administration should resist calls to tap the strategic oil reserve

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    • Yes. It's a national security risk. (60%)
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    Total Voters: 30

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