Let’s see Ron Klein try to top this:
UPDATE: Another hero, USMCR Maj. Charles Lollar.
Category: Congress
PA-10: Greetings From Williamsport
Traveling with Pete Da Tech Guy is not just a job, it’s an adventure. We left the home of William Jacobson in Ithaca, N.Y., about 3:30 p.m. and arrived in Williamsport about 6:30. We had called and left messages on the phone number listed on Tom Marino’s Web site, but got no return calls, and the Web site also doesn’t list an office address for the campaign.
So when we got to Williamsport, we had no idea where the headquarters would be. We drove down Third Street through town, turned a couple of corners, then went the other way on Fourth Street, looking for the headquarters. Then we drove past a Sons of Italy lodge. “Hey, Marino’s Italian. I bet they’ll know where the campaign headquarters is.” Pete goes inside, comes out 10 minutes later and says, “Marino’s sister was there. She gave me directions.” I’m sure Sicilian hand gestures were involved.
Pennsylvania’s 10th District is the first stop on this tour that’s actually rated “leans Republican,” and the most recent poll shows Republican Tom Marino leading 44-38 over Democrat Chris Carney. Currently, five Democrat-held seats in this state — PA-3, PA-5, PA-8, PA-10 and PA-11 — are rated “lean Republican” by Real Clear Politics, so if the Big Red Wave hits on Nov. 2, Pennsylvania will be Ground Zero.
Gallup’s “generic ballot” poll currently shows Republicans with a 17-point lead among likely voters:
If that number holds for the next two weeks, we’re talking about a historic wipeout for the Democrats — Republican gains of 60+ seats. But let’s not take anything for granted.
UPDATE: Jim Geraghty analyzes 118 districts and concludes:
Roughly 100 seats are in play under the broader definition, and it’s hard to see Republicans winning fewer than 40 of them. The ceiling depends on how angry the country is on November 2, but it is pretty darn high . . . 60? 70? 80?
Tom Marino’s campaign manager just arrived here at the Lycoming County Victory Center.
UPDATE II: Marino’s communication director, Jason Fitzgerald, just gave us a briefing on the PA-10 campaign. In June, this campaign was pronounced “DOA” because they only raised about $10,000 in the second quarter (April-June). But in the third quarter (July-September), Marino outraised Carney and, when polls showed the Republican leading, suddenly the campaign took off.
There are only two full-time staffers on this campaign, which relies heavily on grassroots volunteers. One of those volunteers, Hughey Woodring, just got interviewed by Pete Da Tech Guy.
Hughey is the gray-haired guy on the left, and Jason’s the young guy on the right. Pete’s the guy with the camera, of course.
UPDATE III: “Get out and volunteer and get the word out!”
Ann Marie Buerkle Answers Dishonest Attack Ads From Democrat Dan Maffei
Reporting the latest NY-25 news at The American Spectator:
Republican congressional candidate Ann Marie Buerkle today rebutted attack ads from Democrat incumbent Rep. Dan Maffei that accused Buerkle of being delinquent on property taxes.
“I’ve spent the past several weeks suffering from the negative ads of my opponent,” Buerkle said at a press conference in front of a small shopping center she owns in the Syracuse suburbe of Camillus. “[Maffei] has made these allegations that I am delinquent in my taxes, instead of stating the truth, which is that we have a payment plan for the tenants who are in this plaza.”
Buerkle has explained that she has a “triple-net lease agreement with her tenants whereby they are responsible for the property taxes.” When her tenants fell behind on their taxes in January 2010, she “was faced with the choice of evicting them or covering their taxes. She contacted the County and worked out a formal signed and notarized payment plan with them. Monthly installment payments are made to the County.” . . .
Read the whole thing. Here’s video:
Here’s my interview with Andre, who rents salon space from Ann Marie Burkle:
A few photos:
A patriotic Buerkle supporter.
Buerkle greets supporters.
A post-press conference interview. Note the young man at the right — he’s the video “tracker” from the DCCC.
‘Scared,’ Mr. President?
“Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now, and facts and science and argument do not seem to be winning the day all the time, is because we’re hard-wired not to always think clearly when we’re scared. And the country is scared.”
— President Barack Obama
DeWITT, N.Y. — So Obama’s agenda is no long “Hope and Change.” Now it’s “Facts and Science,” and if you disagree, it’s because you’re “hard-wired” for irrationality. Insulting condescension from leaders may be why so many people are mad as hell. My latest American Spectator column:
“I work 75 hours a week at this place,” said the owner-operator of a convenience store on State Route 41 in Cortland County. “All I ever get are bills coming in, where they’re raising the taxes on this and raising the taxes on that.”
The silver-haired small business owner’s diatribe had begun when I put a copy of the Syracuse Post-Standard on the counter and he asked, “Reading about all our political prostitutes?”
Obviously I was from out of town and he had apparently spotted me as a reporter, so I asked him what his feelings were about the upcoming election. “I’m not voting for any incumbents — all the challengers, that’s who I’m voting for,” he said. . . .
Please read the whole thing. That little store — near beautiful Lake Skaneateles — was Da Tech Guy’s favorite stop of the trip. A few more photos:
Ann Marie Buerkle meets with supporters at the Grange in Clyde.
A Carl Paladino yard sign.
Our host here in New York, the Lonely Conservative, who says she’s “not taking anything for granted” in this election.
Pete and I are about to get back on the road. There’s a Buerkle press conference near Syracuse to cover, and then we’re on our way to Pennsylvania, land of the bitter clingers. Hit the tip jar!
‘A Road Man for the Lords of Karma’
DeWITT, N.Y. — I’m blogging tonight from the home of The Lonely Conservative and her lucky husband, Dave. We just left a meet-and-greet with Ann Marie Buerkle in the village of Clyde.
While I had planned to be on the road to Pennsylvania already, but Buerkle’s having a Monday morning press conference near Syracuse, and I figured I needed to stay for that. I’ve got a deadline tonight for The American Spectator and there was no time to check into a hotel, so Mr. and Mrs. Lonely Conservative declared that Pete Da Tech Guy and I should enjoy their hospitality.
There are three key congressional races in this part of New York, and all of these candidates need your help:
- NY-22 — GEORGE PHILLIPS
- NY-24 — RICHARD HANNA
- NY-25 — ANN MARIE BUERKLE
I’ve got photos and video and notes and stuff, but deadline is looming, so I’ll try to update after midnight. The title quote is courtesy of Bob Belvedere at the Camp of the Saints.
Karma’s gonna come down heavy here Nov. 2. Do all you can.
UPDATE: Professor William Jacobson wonders how long the MSM will ignore Rep. Maurice Hinchey’s assault on a reporter. Speaking of assaults . . .
The shape of the 22nd District is an assault on common sense. Matt Hudson, campaign manager for Hinchey’s Republican opponent George Phillips, with the map of the 22nd District, which stretches nearly 200 miles, from Ithaca on the west to Poughkeepsie on the east. Hudson is pointing to Broome County, which is Phillips’s stronghold of support.
The sign in front of Phillips HQ in Endicott. The slogan — “Had Enough?” — pretty much sums up the attitude of 22nd District residents fed up with 18-year incumbent Hinchey.
UPDATE II: “Man on the street” interview in NY-25:
NY-25 Prediction: Ann Marie Buerkle Will Score Landslide Victory Over Dan Maffei
HANCOCK, N.Y. — Pete Da Tech Guy and I were driving up Highway 17 toward Binghamton when we got the call from the Lonely Conservative, informing us that Ann Marie Buerkle’s victory is now a near-certainty. However, that’s not the headline in the Syracuse Post Standard:
Dan Maffei leads Anne Marie Buerkle
by 12 points in new poll
Why is this poll such a certain indicator of a Buerkle victory Nov. 2? Because the poll was conducted by Sienna College.
On Sept. 23 — the day before the New York primary — a Sienna poll showed Rick Lazio was leading Carl Paladino by a 57%-24% margin. The very next day, Paladino stomped Lazio 62%-38%. (SEE CORRECTION BELOW)
So the Sienna poll had a margin of error of . . . oh, somewhere in the neighborhood of umpteen gazillion. You could better predict an election by drawing numbers out of a hat.
Less than two weeks ago, a GOP-commissioned poll showed a dead heat in the 25th District, and if Sienna says Maffei’s leading, that can only mean Maffei’s going to be squished flat on Election Day.
Go give Buerkle $20. Pete and I just ate at McDonald’s and now we’re ready to get back on the road again.
UPDATE: The Lonely Conservative notes some suspicious anomalies in the Sienna poll. We have no demographic breakdown of the sample, and the same poll shows Mario Cuomo leading Paladino by 34 points in this district, which was represented by Republicans until 2008.
UPDATE II: Just realized I completely misread the Sienna poll of Sept. 23. But the point about Sienna’s inaccuracy is only slightly weaker. In August, Sienna had shown Lazio leading Paladino by 13 points — 37 points off the September result, where Paladino won by 24 points.
At Bielat HQ, Ready for the Road Trip
NEWTON, Mass. — Here at Sean Bielat campaign headquarters on a Saturday afternoon, Ace of Spades and several of his readers are running the phone banks: “Hey, my name’s Ace. Would you like Sean Bielat to build you a robot?”
The big news today is that Sean Bielat is the top fundraiser in Massachusetts:
In a sign that he has caught the attention of Republicans in Massachusetts and beyond, GOP congressional hopeful Sean Bielat outraised every congressional candidate in the state in the latest reporting period — including his opponent, longtime US Representative Barney Frank — according to newly released campaign finance filings in most races.
Buoyed by repeated appearances on national television and conservative talk radio, Bielat, of Brookline, raised $379,000 between Aug. 25 and the end of September, exceeding the $317,000 raised by Frank, a 15-term incumbent, Federal Election Commission records show. . . .
Which goes to show the power of conservative New Media. It wasn’t the GOP Establishment or “secret foreign donors” who turned the Bielat campaign into a nationwide crusade. It was bloggers and their readers who struck the spark, and the excitement is now a wildfire.
Now it’s time to spread the fire. Pete Da Tech Guy and I are leaving this evening for a road trip across New York state and Pennsylvania down to Maryland. We’ll be stopping along the way to cover several congressional campaigns. Pete’s still about $250 short of his fundraising goal for the trip, so please go hit Da Tip Jar.
Pete was just downtown for President Obama’s rally with Deval Patrick, and I just got word that the streets of downtown Newton have been blocked off by police, which means Obama is coming here.
UPDATE: Obama is having a private fundraiser at the West Newton home of Ralph de la Torre. Da Tech Guy tells me Obama drew about 8,000 in downtown Boston, which is substantially less than the average crowd for Sarah Palin.
UPDATE II: There was a rally for Sean Bielat with Howie Carr today in Foxboro:
UPDATE III: OK, I’ve mapped out the first day of our trip. We’ll be in NY-22 Sunday morning for a pancake breakfast with George Phillips, then swing by Phillips HQ near Binghamton before making a trip up to the vicinity of Syracuse for an evening event with NY-25 candidate Ann Marie Buerkle. After that, we’ll hit the road three hours south to Pennsylvania.
Now we’re about to hit the road. Pete insists we must stop by his house in Fitchburg to enjoy some traditional Sicilian cuisine. Good-bye from Boston. If you can’t hit Pete’s tip-jar, feel free to hit mine.
UPDATE IV: Last update from Boston, where Obama spoke today:
“The reason I came today isn’t just because Deval has been there for me as a friend, but because he continues to inspire me as a leader at a time when too many folks bow to the politics of the moment,” Obama said at a campaign rally for Patrick in Boston. “He represents the politics of conscience and conviction in an age of too much cynicism.”
Obama admitted that he’s sometimes on his Blackberry backstage when he attends events for candidates, but “when Deval speaks, I listen.”
Obviously, Deval has been telling Obama to destroy the American Dream — and Obama listened!
Pelosi: Raising Money for Democrats More Important Than Her Voters
Explaining why she has refused to debate her Republican challenger, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that raising money for Democratic candidates “across the country” is a higher priority for her.
A video posted at Republican John Dennis’s Web site, shows Pelosi being asked, “”Would you be open to debating your Republican opponent John Dennis in San Francisco?”
Pelso reponds: “Let me tell you what my priorities are. My priorities are to elect a Democratic Congress. In order to do that, it is essential for me – time is money for me. [Traveling] around this country, to amass the resources to put my candidates on TV. Whether I get a bigger majority or not in my district is not the point.”
Dennis first requested a debate with Pelosi a month ago, and recorded a humorous video about her refusal to debate: