Promotions, polls and the President. See who made this week’s list!
Joe Sestak. The second shoe has finally dropped and Joe Sestak at last has a credible primary challenge. While the famously indefatigable retired Admiral is likely not afraid, Katie McGinty has a much better chance at victory (and bigger backers) than Ed Pawlowski ever did. Furthermore, while the ex-Congressman improved his fundraising totals somewhat, he is still facing a $6 million cash on hand gap compared to Sen. Toomey. It’s quite the Catch-22. If Sestak had raised more money, he might have been able to win over wary Democrats. Yet that same hesitancy makes it harder to raise cash. Regardless, it’s a good thing Sestak envisions himself a fighter because he will face one or two serious bouts in the next year and a half.
Mary Isenhour. The long-time Democratic strategist got a huge promotion this week, as she’ll be taking over for Katie McGinty as Governor Wolf’s Chief of Staff. Isenhour was previously Wolf’s Secretary of Legislative Affairs and is considered one of the top political operatives in the commonwealth. She’ll be facing the challenge of her life, however, with a budget standoff heading into its fourth week with no end in sight. Isenhour must steer the Wolf Administration to brighter shores in the months ahead.
Jim Burn. Speaking of shoes dropping, Jim Burn’s long battle to remain Chairman of the PA Democratic Party also finally ended this week. Burn sent out a two and a half minute YouTube video to committee members stating that he will step down on Sept. 12th. Tom Wolf tried to remove him a year ago, but Burn resisted and the then-candidate created FreshStartPA instead. It’s unclear what the soon to be former Chairman will do next.
Joe Denham. You probably haven’t heard of Joe Denham (yet), but it was a great week for him. He is running against Mike Parrish for the PA-6 Democratic nomination to take on freshman Congressman Ryan Costello. While it will be an uphill battle for the West Whiteland Township Supervisor, an internal poll done for his campaign shows a prosperous avenue. Parrish donated money to Republicans for years, including McCain, Corbett and Romney, and has yet to prove he can overcome that baggage with Democratic voters. Either way, we may very well have another competitive congressional primary on our hands.
Bill Peduto and Rich Fitzgerald. Getting to ride with the President. Enough said.
Speaking of which, the tweet of the week also goes to Mayor Peduto.
Surprisingly there was no traffic or construction on the Parkway West this morning… pic.twitter.com/sGofsfFxgQ
— bill peduto (@billpeduto) July 21, 2015
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Denny bonevita — no loser like a sore loser —
Well, of course you don’t see thousands rallying against Wolf. The union puppets who “rallied” against Corbett were about as spontaneous as Hillary’s speeches. If the “ralliers” had to take a day off work without pay to “rally,” there wouldn’t have been more than a handful. How many non-union people participated in those “rallies,” also known as “staged media events”?
Scoop315: but he’s NOT a weak candidate. To the contrary. What he is not is popular with the folks he defeated 5 years ago in the Specter fight. Some of those folks will never forgive him and take joy in spreading gossip. Too bad, the voters spoke loud and clear and they will again in 2016.
I repeat: what can McGinty run on? Rejected for Governor. Disastrous leadership of Fresh Start for the House and Senate candidates. Rejected for chair of the PA Dems. Quit the Wolf administration 7 months into the job. Hell, she makes Sarah Palin seem more committed.
Why does almost every poster to this site (Aaron et al) assume that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee. Have you all forgotten how she was viewed as the certain nominee at this point in 2007. I wonder how that worked out for her. Are you looking at the polls which see her numbers declining month after month at an accelerating rate? I don’t know if the Democratic machine will ever allow Bernie Sanders to win the nomination despite his growing poll numbers and impressive fund-raising, but at this rate others are likely to be emboldened to enter the race. I suspect Hillary Clinton will blow it just as she did in 2007, and I further predict that if she does not blow it she will lose in November because many progressive voters like me will vote Green or write in Bernie Sanders rather than vote for her.
Some folks sure are confident – I don’t see thousands of people rallying outside the capitol, decrying Gov. Wolf’s agenda like they did after Gov. Corbett’s education cuts. Did you guys really think budget negotiations were going to go smoothly in the first year where one side drew their own “mandate” and thinks the general public cares about the deadline? The sky is falling! Let’s see where we are in a year or two before we start calling an election that’s the better part of four years out. Talk about a lifetime.
What’s good for Sestak getting recognition for being a weak candidate?
The idea that any press is good press doesn’t apply in real life.
You forgot to include Kathleen Kane in Ups and Downs, Smiles and Frowns
Toomey will run away with it regardless. Wolf is finished. The only question remaining is whether or not hillary clinton can carry the state in 2016. And at this point, that’s a big fat maybe.
What I have read next year national elections will be about national security. The debates on national security between Sestak and McGinty will go Sestak’s way because Sestak knows it like the back of his hand. McGinty has no clue about foreign issues. This will make the different in the election.
I can’t help but SMH over your down arrows for Sestak and Burn. All this coverage is terrific news for Sestak as it increases his name recognition each time he’s mentioned. Additionally, every article reveals what a hard worker he is. Every article also now must mention all of McGinty’s accomplishments (sic). That will not bode well for her.
As to the Burn situation… this is going to be an interesting 6 weeks. See you in Gettysburg!
Do you folks slant the news for your political friends? Only a few in Dem establishment think McGinty is a credible candidate. McGinty has no real accomplishment and has been, is and will be a loser because McGinty represents the worst in the Democratic Party. It’s less about Sestak than defeating the Dem bosses who make
PA one of the most politically corrupt states
In our Nation.