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PA Dems Seek to Preempt Corbett Re-Election Message

Jim Burn
PA Dems Chair Jim Burn

The Pennsylvania Democratic party is ramping up its efforts against Governor Corbett with a “Promises Made, Promises Broken” campaign, party Chairman Jim Burn announced Tuesday.

It’s an effort to preempt the Governor’s re-election messaging.

“We know the governor is holding out hope that somehow Pennsylvanians will not recognize this record of broken promises,” Burn said in a conference call Tuesday. “It’s no mistake that he’s the most vulnerable incumbent governor in the United States. Pennsylvanians are paying attention and they don’t like what they see.”

The party will utilize web videos, ads and press events to attack Corbett from every angle. The initial focus will be on job creation; the first web video was released yesterday.

The Governor’s campaign manager Mike Barley placed the blame on Democrats for slowing the Governor’s agenda.

“I can only imagine how much further ahead our state would be if the Democrats actually worked with the Governor and the Republican legislature to help make our state more job-friendly, rather than working against him and the Pennsylvanians we’re still working to help,” he said.

“Unfortunately, the Democratic Party and their candidates are busy spending their time passing resolutions calling for an end to the natural gas industry, backing the Obama administration’s war on coal and supporting the failed tax-and-spend policies of the past.”

The advertising push appears to correlate with a fundraising push; Burn said the size of the campaign will depend on the success of its fundraising efforts.

With a crowded field of candidates for Governor, the state party has a simple mission: keep Corbett under pressure before, during and after the Democratic primary turns nasty.

“Negative campaigning is certainly a concern,” Burn said. “We don’t want to see what the Republicans did in 2012 by cannibalizing themselves in the primary. We couldn’t thank Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich enough for the things they said about Mitt Romney.”

The candidates in the race now were the ones party voters would choose from – including, Burn said, state treasurer Rob McCord whose candidacy is inevitable.

The party has no other big candidate waiting in the wings.

“There’s no secret* candidate jumping out from behind the curtain. Not that I’m aware of,” Burn said.

*In a previous version PoliticsPA misquoted Burn as having said “super.” The Pa. Republicans remark below was based on the “super” remark, which was also misquoted in another publication.

Pa. Republicans seized on the remark as an admission that the Dems’ field is week.

“Burn admitted what most people are already talking about: Democrats have only fielded a line-up of backbenchers,” Valerie Caras, the Pennsylvania Republicans Communications Director said in a statement. “For the record, Chairman Burn, we agree that your field is less than lackluster.”

The Dems’ bet, that Corbett would have pursued a campaign along the lines of “promises made, promises kept” likely was a good one. Corbett has repeatedly emphasized his fidelity to campaign pledges. Even former Gov. Ed Rendell acknowledged last year – in a soundbite that may resurface in Corbett campaign literature: “He’s doing exactly what he told you he would do. You may disagree with it, but don’t consider him a wuss. Consider him to be a politician who’s had the courage to say something and stick to it.”

Keegan Gibson contributed to this report.

17 Responses

  1. Marie, not to prolong this but I bought my last gun at the gun shown in York in December of 2012. They did a background check on me.
    As far as the voter I.D. law. One comment stated how much of a hardship it would be for people to get the I.D. I fit into the category for having a hardship, in fact my VA I.D. would not suffice on election day, which it should, so I got my State I.D.
    I think all voters should show an I.D. to vote. Not because i want my party to win, but because i am a Disabled Veteran and want to make sure my sacrifice and my families sacrifice to help me out the last 19 years isn’t in vain. If my party loses, it loses, it happens, everything is cyclical in politics.

  2. Blurred: Again, the issue isn’t whether you had a problem getting there ( and I am glad you were able to do so ), but why should it be a law at all? Just because you believe it to be not difficult, not a big deal, etc…doesn’t make it a common sense or pragmatic manner for establishing policy or law.

    Law/Policymaking for the sake of making law/policy is only going to result in poorly conceived laws and policies, regardless of which side of the aisle you sit!

  3. Marie, I have always used an I.D. when purchasing a gun, plus they always do a background check on me. Not sure where you are buying your guns?
    My initial point is that as a Disabled Veteran who cannot drive, I made it to the DMV and got my I.D. so i could vote. It wasn’t a difficult or hard process. It should be a requirement regardless if there is lots of fraud or not. My DMV is 20 minutes away by car with no public transportation available. People who live in the cities have access to public trnasportation and can get to a DMV.

  4. Why have voter ID when you don’t need ID to purchase a gun? Do voters kill people or do guns? When I voted in May, they ask for my ID, I told them when gun owners need ID and background checks I would show them my I – they all agreed with me and they are all Republicans!

  5. Blurred Conservative-
    Make no mistake:

    1) There is no widespread voter impersonation fraud. (The GOP has never been able to find even a single case, let alone widespread abuse)

    2) What fraud that does exist, occurs either through:
    a) absentee ballots filled out for registered voter who doesn’t vote
    b) election officials at the polls allowing extra voting or misusing machines
    c) county election officials intently entering incorrect tallies.

    VoterID will have ZERO effect on these types of fraud.

    The TRUE AND ONLY PURPOSE of the VoterID is to suppress the votes of blacks in Philly and Pittsburgh, young people and senior citizens. Three groups that favor Democrats at the polls.

  6. Blurred: I had trouble following your logic on Voter ID and thought David provided a rather well articulated (rather than “weak”) synopsis of many of the problems with it. You’ve only argued that you were able to get an I.D. – this is your measure for good policy making? You’ve essentially said, “If I can do it, anyone can”…?

    I understand David’s position, however, it’s one that shouldn’t have to be made either – there simply isn’t any evidence that suggests that Voter I.D’s are necessary. Individual voter fraud is rarely if ever even alledged, let alone prosecuted. Why? It rarely if ever happens. There are far more time-honored methods of stealing elections than finding thousands and thousands to commit individual acts of voter fraud to change an election.

    If anyone has any evidence to the contrary, I am happy to read it ( preferably from a legitimate and perhaps even peer-reviewed source)!

  7. Brothers and Sisters: We need a March on Harrisburg! African Americans have a right to engage in the political process. Feel the extreme urgency of NOW! Renee Amore, please join us! We cannot let Martin’s die!

  8. “The Governor’s campaign manager Mike Barley placed the blame on Democrats for slowing the Governor’s agenda.”

    hmmm…Governor Corbett started pushing his agenda in January 2011: State House since January 2011-Republican control. State Senate since January 2011-Republican control. Supreme Court since January 2011-Republican control. All levers of government are in his party’s control. Democrat votes are not needed to pass any of his agenda. The logical conclusion is the Corbett Agenda sucks sooooo much that even his own party faithful won’t support it.

    Maybe One Term Tom should get a new press flack for his campaign because this Barley guy’s arguments suck just like Corbett’s Agenda!

  9. David, I had to arrange to go to DMV, get a ride and wait in line as well as leave work early that day. It wasn’t that hard of a process. I filled out my form, waiting in line, got my picture taken and left with my I.D. This arugment is a weak one for not having the law. The DMV was 20 minutes from where I live, so it wasn’t convenient but I made it happen. I have no problem showing my I.D. to vote, it should be required.

  10. Two Republican leaders, one publically elected; have explained on video what the purpose of Voter ID law is and how it will work, ’nuff said. Mike Barley needs to come up for air with “Rs” controling the House, Senate and Governor office. They couldn’t get it done in the eight years before Rendell and history so far, is repeating itself.

  11. Blurred Conservative-
    Are you an widow women who was born out of state and having difficulty obtaining a birth certificate in your maiden name for to vote under your married name?

    How much should you be forced to spend to travel to DMV (maybe more than once) to obtain a photo ID, and how many hours should you have to wait in line? If you work, how much should you be forced to lose in wages to take off to go to DMV?

    There are only 71 DMV offices in the state, and many are already crowded. There are several hundred thousand registered voters and the system is not capable of processing them, especially if workers can make it only on Saturdays. Also, you can’t make appointments in advance and some offices have reduced hours on Saturday. There are only 4 offices in all of Philadelphia, even though 1/8 of the voters in the state live in Philly. Philly residents are the least likely to have drivers licences due to available public transportation (and lack of parking). So, getting these people who don’t drive to the DMV to get an unnecessary photo ID to exercise their right to vote is an unfair burden.

    There is NO legitimate reason why a county-issued non-photo vote registration card mailed to a voter would not be sufficient ID. No one would be going around to mail boxes stealing voter registration card to show up at a polling place on election day to impersonate someone.

  12. So the Republicans have the Senate, the House, and the Governor’s mansion for the entirety of Corbett’s term.

    And somehow it is the Democrats fault that Corbett sucks?

  13. I think Corbett has worked hard to keep the promises he made to his big donors with political payoffs at the expense of the PA taxpayers.

    Corbett’s fought hard to prevent drillers from paying their fare share or paying to protect the environment.

  14. Not sure how the voter I.D. law prohibits people from voting? I am a disabled American Verteran who supports the bill and got my I.D. I will also arrange for a ride to the polls. Not really that hard people.

  15. If anyone listens to our previous Governor, shame on you! Who has the majority in the House and Senate? What party wants to shut down women’s health care? What party wants to privative the LCB and Lottery and I save the best for last – What party wants to pass a voter ID law that will make it harder for people to vote? Enough said!

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