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7/31 Ups & Downs

Indictments, money and cheesesteaks. See who made this week’s list!

Down ArrowChaka Fattah. There’s no debate, Congressman Chaka Fattah definitely had the worst week. Twenty-nine indictments were leveled at him on Wednesday, including racketeering, bribery and money laundering. Nevertheless Fattah remains defiant, maintaining his innocence and asserting that he will continue to serve in Congress (some Democrats could still decide to take him on in a primary). Furthermore, his wife Renee Chenault-Fattah was dragged into this as well and his son was already dealing with a tax trial of his own. Although he isn’t letting on, it is difficult to imagine what is going through Chaka Fattah’s head at this time.

Up ArrowTed Cruz. It wasn’t just the congressional candidates that had to submit second quarter FEC reports. The presidential hopefuls had to file theirs as well. Thanks to a fantastic interactive map from the National Journal, we were able to chart PA donations to the GOP presidential candidates. When all the results were tallied, the Texas Senator came in first by a wide margin, raking in $188,154 from the Keystone State. Altogether Cruz took in a $100,000 more than his nearest competitors Marco Rubio and Rick Santorum. Don’t feel bad for them, though, at least that didn’t finish with $0 like George Pataki.

Down ArrowSteve Santarsiero. Losing the second quarter fundraising battle to his opponent Shaughnessy Naughton must have been a tough blow for the State Rep. Finding out the DCCC is trying to get you out of the race because of it, though, had to feel much worse. On Monday, we reported that the DCCC has been unimpressed by Santarsiero’s performance so far and wants him to drop out in order to avoid a costly Democratic primary. The 8th district remains their top PA target and the Dems want to take the seat next year when Congressman Fitzpatrick is retiring and a presidential electorate will turn out. For now, the State Rep. is undaunted and determined to prove his doubters wrong.

Up ArrowPat’s and Geno’s. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker got caught up in the famous Philly cheesesteak rivalry on Tuesday when he visited both Pat’s and Geno’s. The DNC cheekily accused him of failing to take a stand in favor of either establishment. While the photo op didn’t go great for Walker, it gave both restaurants tons of free publicity.

 

 

Down ArrowTom Wolf. Another week without a budget. Yet, State House Speaker Mike Turzai is still considering a vote on overriding Gov. Wolf’s veto of the GOP’s original proposal. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto sent out some friendly fire yesterday when he criticized the Governor’s pension plan. Wolf couldn’t have been happy to see a progressive like Peduto endorsing the Republicans’ alternative. Finally, our readers rejected his choice for the next Democratic Party Chair, Marcel Groen. We’re now a month into this budget standoff. While Wolf is not necessarily losing, he definitely isn’t winning right now either.

This edition of tweet of the week was an easy call. Welcome to the City of Brotherly Love Governor!

7 Responses

  1. Turzai should get a down arrow, seeing he’s threatening a veto override he can’t produce. And Scott Walker is showing what a truly unlivable guy looks like, cutting in line and getting in front without earning it.

  2. There once was a troll from Australia
    Who felt that his clothes were a failure
    So he went on the net
    To the “The Troll Shop” (you bet!)
    Where he found all the best troll regalia.

  3. Can we get National Journal to do an interactive map to chart where donations to judicial campaigns come from, both geographically and by law firm name.

  4. Don’t know why the Rs are fighting wolf’s budget…we voted for higher taxes….
    we want higher taxes on everything….salary, food…right on…

  5. Do those union thugs really have nothing better to do than follow Walker around with signs like that? And then the left will tell you that conservatives are stupid and uncivilized.

  6. The DCCC responded to your reporting on the Santarsiero rumor you were sold by the Naughton campaign, and said there was nothing to it–so why do you stand by a story that can’t be verified by multiple sources? If something this were actually true and verifiable it would have been reported in a real newspaper.

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