Last week, Ed Rendell apparently decided to endorse Rick Santorum again.
"As if contradicting Democratic Senate candidate Bob Casey Jr. once weren't enough, Rendell air-kissed Santorum again in an Inquirer interview last week. "How could I be tearing a new rear end for someone who worked effectively to get flood relief for Pennsylvania?""
Of course Santorum is running with this one, even putting up an ad in Philadelphia touting the former Mayor's words. That should go over very well with all the liberals in Southeastern PA who hate Santorum more than a line at Starbucks. Hopefully they will stay home on election day or vote for the Green Party candidate.
UPDATE: The article also had interesting analysis from the chairman of Specter's 2004 re-election campaign.
"When it gets into a battle of who to believe on what Santorum has or hasn't done, on one side you are going to have Casey, and on the other Arlen Specter and Rendell vouching for him," Nicholas said. "It adds great leverage to Santorum's campaign in the Southeast."
That is a very good point. Casey now has to campaign against the words of the two most popular politicians in Southeastern Pennsylvania in modern times. Thanks Ed.
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2006 Senate Race
Comments (3)
I never figured out just wh... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Adjoran | August 7, 2006 2:43 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I never figured out just what caused Santorum's high negatives over the last year or so. His negatives are higher than Casey's numbers, so there was something else . . .
Now I think a significant portion of his negative ratings are from conservatives who resent his endorsement and help for Specter in 2004. For most of those, their anger won't extend to seeing Casey in the Senate.
Santorum is an established and influential Senator of the majority party. He delivers plenty of pork to PA - perhaps not a positive thing to conservatives, but the rest of the voters understand a freshman Senator of the minority party couldn't bring home so much.
The GOP has some seats in doubt: Chaffee is endangered, Burns keeps shooting himself in the foot. I expect Talent, DeWine, and Santorum to win in the end, though. We have a decent shot at picking up NJ, MN, WA, and MI.
In January, I predicted GOP results as House -3, Senate +1. In May, I revised the projection to House -6, Senate even. I still haven't seen anything to convince me to revise it further.
1. Posted by Adjoran | August 7, 2006 2:43 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 7, 2006 02:43
2. Posted by Chris Ford | August 7, 2006 6:58 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Adjoran - I never figured out just what caused Santorum's high negatives over the last year or so. His negatives are higher than Casey's numbers, so there was something else . . .
Now I think a significant portion of his negative ratings are from conservatives who resent his endorsement and help for Specter in 2004. ...
Santorum is an established and influential Senator of the majority party. He delivers plenty of pork to PA...."
Santorum is in trouble not because he isn't conservative enough in the moderate state of Pennsylvania, but because he is too conservative and perceived to be a tool of the Religious Right. He suffered greatly for his Terri Schiavo zealotry, backing all Bush pork without question, Opus Dei...being perceived by independents and liberals (incorrectly IMHO, as a reactionary, blind faith, ideologue).
2. Posted by Chris Ford | August 7, 2006 6:58 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 7, 2006 18:58
3. Posted by Carolyn King | August 12, 2006 4:30 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Did Rendell actually endorse Rick Santorum??????
3. Posted by Carolyn King | August 12, 2006 4:30 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 12, 2006 16:30