Although he’s never been a fan of handouts, former Sen. Rick Santorum has been reaching out to his supporters for help in paying off his roughly $1 million debt from campaigning for the Republican Presidential Nomination.

He’s asking people to donate $10.

Santorum, who suspended his campaign in April, will announce his future plans once the debt is paid, according to a Bloomberg report.

He has fared better than some other former candidates, though.

The Huffington Post reported that Newt Gingrich’s campaign debt was at $4.3 million by the end of March, and only down to $3.8 million at the beginning of this month.

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is carrying $5.5 million in debt, but around $4 million of that is from loans he made himself to the campaign.

Michele Bachmann still owes a little over $1 million, but is focusing her time and fundraising energy on a reelection bid for her 6th district Minnesota seat. Her campaign reported that she has already raised $550,000 for the House race.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry was one of the better fundraisers in this election cycle, and the New York Times characterized his debt as “negligible.” Perry has also suggested he might make another presidential run in 2016.

Like Perry, businessman Herman Cain has done OK. Cain continues to hold rallies and raise money, and he was less than $500,000 in the red as of last month.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who dropped out of the race last August, has already paid off his debt.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul recently announced that, while he was not suspending or ending his campaign, he was not going to continue spending money to win delegates.

Reducing the national debt has been central to Paul’s campaign, and staying in the black personally would be consistent with his political message. Paul has less than $3 million on hand.

First Jane, then Janine. Now it’s Joan’s turn.

According to reports by the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin will be charged today, making her the third Orie sister to be accused of campaign-related crimes.

She faces nine criminal counts, including four felonies.

There are three counts of theft of services, two counts conspiracy and two counts of official oppression. She also faces one count each of solicitation to tamper with or fabricate evidence and misapplication of entrusted property.

Melvin’s sister, state Sen. Jane Orie (R-McCandless) was convicted in March on 14 charges that she misused her staff by having them do campaign work, as well as knowingly submitting forged documents as evidence that caused a mistrial the first time she went to court.

The other sister, Janine Orie, a former Melvin aide, was charged in December with directing both of her sisters’ staff to do political work benefitting the judge. She awaits trial in August.

Melvin was first elected to the court in 2009, and she becomes the first sitting Supreme Court Justice in nearly 20 years to be charged with a crime.

Judge Rolf Larsen was charged in 1993 with illegally obtaining prescription drugs.

With a possible conviction on the horizon, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the judge’s lawyer William I. Arbuckle III submitted a letter to Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille, informing him that she is “voluntarily recusing herself from all judicial duties pending resolution of the criminal charges.”

Arbuckle was adamant that Melvin is not resigning, despite ongoing calls by some citizen activist groups (some of which began asking for her resignation as early as January) that she should.

This is partly due to the grand jury investigation against her, but also because her vote in a 4-3 GOP-leaning Supreme Court could have been the deciding one in hearings on the proposed legislative redistricting maps.

Her sister’s district would have been affected by the map’s approval.

Melvin’s loss to the bench now evens the judicial playing field for Democrats, 3-3.

Some boneheaded mistakes earn two Republicans a spot, but three other GOPers get Ups. Plus, a win for good government. Here are this week’s Ups & Downs!

Joan Orie Melvin. Two years ago, the Orie family was on top of the political world. Now with Senator Jane convicted, Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin is next. She’ll face 9 charges today, including 4 felonies, related to illegal campaign activity. Word is the case against her is as strong or stronger than that against her sister Jane. It’s not looking good.
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Independent Fiscal Office. For years when crafting budgets, the legislature had to acquiesce to whatever revenue figures the Governor provided. Democrats often over-estimated revenue, Republicans underestimated. But no longer. As Capitolwire noted this week, those days are gone thanks to the IFO. It’s a win for transparency and sanity.
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Joe Pitts. Seldom has an administrative error caused as many headaches as the Congressman’s did this week. Responding to a constituent letter about Israel and Palestine, Pitts’ office responded saying that Yasser Arafat and Ariel Sharon need to come back to the negotiating table. There’s just one problem. Arafat has been dead since 2004 and Sharon in a coma since 2006. The story grew legs and went national. It’s the type of clerical mistake that terrifies every DC staffer.

Pat Meehan & Mike Fitzpatrick. The consensus from pollsters is that in SEPA, being associated with the “Tea Party” is a liability. So what better gift could the Club for Growth have bestowed upon these two potentially vulnerable freshman Republican congressmen than a press release alleging that they aren’t “Tea Party” enough? We contend, none (other than a high-dollar IE).
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Pat Toomey. The Senator’s budget failed this week, but outperformed all others offered. It’s the second year in a row that happened. And it’s a nice bragging point, to be able to say your budget beat President Obama’s (42 votes for Toomey, 0 for Obama).
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Tweet of the week: Rep. Gordon Denlinger (R-Lancaster).

Heading to capitol tomorrow to discuss privatization of PA state-owned wine & spirits stores. It’s never 5 o’clock in the Leader’s office.

— Gordon Denlinger (@RepGordon) May 14, 2012

President Obama is coming to Philadelphia on June 12th for a fundraiser at the Franklin Institute. The Franklin Institute helps run a high school in Philadelphia, the Science Leadership Academy. The school moved its graduation to June 12th because the graduating seniors will meet with President Obama before their graduation ceremony.

The story was first reported yesterday by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Republican National Committee released a statement on the visit:

“With young Americans suffering disproportionately in the Obama economy, another speech with students is not going to make up for the broken promises President Obama made to students and young voters in 2008. Students know the truth — after three years of Obama’s empty rhetoric, President Obama hasn’t delivered the jobs or the college affordability he said he would.”

President Obama and his administration have been frequent visitors to Pa., including Vice-President Biden’s surprise stop yesterday in Washington, Pa. during a planned campaign swing in Ohio.

Good morning politicos, here’s the Buzz. PA Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin will be charged today for violations of campaign law. Jeremiah Wright makes a comeback. And Joe Biden makes a surprise visit to PA.

Don’t forget to check back later for the Ups & Downs!

PA Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin to be Charged Today: She’ll be charged with using taxpayer resources for campaigning, the same as her sister Senator Jane Orie who was convicted earlier this year.

PAGOP Says No Wright Attacks in 2012: A fair attack, or race-baiting? John McCain muzzled conservatives’ use of Jeremiah Wright, President Obama’s controversial former pastor, for fear that it would increase racial tensions. But in an era of super PACs and decentralized message control, Mitt Romney’s preference might not matter. The PAGOP, however, will follow Romney’s lead.

Dems Attack as GOP Passes Trimmed Down Violence Against Women Act: Pa’s Democratic candidates for the U.S. House accused Republican incumbents of waging war on women after the GOP-led House approved a version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that removed certain provisions from the Senate’s version of the law.

NRCC Names Perry a Young Gun: In all likelihood State Rep. Scott Perry is 8 months away from being Congressman Scott Perry. But the GOP’s national congressional campaign arm isn’t taking chances; they added him to their candidate-boosting program Thursday.

Sen. Bob Casey Jr. Targets Facebook Co-Founder in New Bill: During the 2012 election cycle Democrats are positioning themselves as the “defenders of the middle class,” and Sen. Bob Casey Jr. is honing that message by attacking the top .001 percent of income earners, including Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

Biden Visits Washington, Pa: Vice President Joe Biden made an impromptu campaign stop,  unannounced, at Hogfather’s BBQ in Washington after visiting Ohio.

Legislative Election Updates

HD-104: Chris Deitz is the Democrat facing Rep. Sue Helm (R-Dauphin). From his campaign: “Chris Dietz has been endorsed by Progressive Majority, www.progressivemajority.org, joining a small group of only 20 candidates from across the United States. Chris is running to advocate for quality education, government reform, and to foster job creation in the 104th House District and across the Commonwealth.”

National
Washington Post: Pa. Leans Blue In The Electoral Map; Romney Needs A Blue Leaning State Like Pa. To Reduce His Margin For Error
Politico: When It Comes To Natural Gas, Obama Cannot Win
Politico: Obama Campaign: Crossroads Ad Campaign Running in Pa. Is ‘Dishonest’
NY Times: Postal Service To Close 48 Centers This Summer Including 11 In Pa.

Statewide
Capitol Ideas: Five Biggest Shale Interests Spent $1.3 Million During Impact Fee Debate, Records Show
Capitol Ideas – Ex-Gov. Ed Rendell: Don’t stall innovative transportation networks
State Impact: Pennsylvania doctors worry over fracking ‘Gag Rule’ (as part of Act 13)
State Impact: “Fracking’s methane trail: a detective story”
State Impact: Environmental protestors complete Philadelphia-to-Pittsburgh walk
State Impact: “In Ohio, ‘Fracking’ boom a delicate issue for Obama”
State Impact: More state land to be leased for drilling
Towanda Daily Review: Game Com­mis­sion is tak­ing bids to lease land in Tioga County to gas drillers
Bloomberg: Texas billionaire, nat­ural gas promoter T. Boone Pick­ens dumps Chesa­peake stocks, con­tin­ues to praise CEO Aubrey McClendon
PA Independent: Proposed budget cuts neuter internal watchdogs
PA Independent: Some 4.5 million residents file taxes electronically
PA Independent: PA school districts have tripled savings in 15 years
Capitolwire: Some won, lost in primary contribution gambits
Capitolwire: Senate will defend college restorations, distressed school funding in budget negotiations
Daily Times: Corbett to public school districts: Use reserves to avoid cuts
Wall Street Journal: School-Test Backlash Grows

Philadelphia
AP: Romney: Obama focused on ‘character assassination’
Philadelphia Weekly: Pennsylvania Legislators Fight United Nations Effort to Strip Parental Rights
WHYY Newsworks: Concentrated job-training program in Lancaster may be a model for all of PA
Philly Tribune: Sen. Casey introduces witness protection bill

Pittsburgh
Early Returns: Casey goes after Facebook co-founder
Capitol Ideas House Rez sponsored by Rep. Maher would make May “beef month” in PA

Opinions
Post-Gazette Op-ed: Some Catholics show their faith in Obama
Tribune Review Editorial: Pa.’s public pensions: Runaway gravy Train
Politico Op-Ed, Ed Rendell: Don’t Stall Innovative Transportation Networks
Adrian Shanker, Philly Gay News: Has Sen. Casey evolved?
Daily Times: Editorial: Corbett boxes himself in with no-tax stance

Blogs
Commonwealth Foundation: Chart: School District Fund Balances Nearly Tripled in 14 Years
Lehigh Valley Independent: Getting It Wrong: What Will the Jaindl Sprawl in Lower Mac Cost Taxpayers?
Lehigh Valley Independent: Why Pat Meehan Voted Against the House GOP’s Violence Against Women Act
Lu-Lac Political Letter: The LuLac Edition #2057, May 17th, 2012
The Pennsylvania Progressive: Eliminating the ‘99%’ Can Lead to a Better Message for Social Justice
The Pennsylvania Progressive: News and Notes May 17, 2012
Above Average Jane: No Candidate for America Elects
Above Average Jane: Two New PA Judges
Keystone Politics: Tell Tom Corbett That His Budget Sucks
Keystone Politics: Why are PA cities taxing car sharing at sin tax levels?
Keystone Politics: Lehigh Valley Biz Leaders Call on Corbett to Stop Dithering on Transpo Funding
Keystone Politics: Statement From CREDO SuperPAC’s “Women Against Fitzpatrick” Committee
Keystone Politics: Real Juvenile Justice Reform Must be Part of Corrections Reform
Keystone Politics: We Need a Progressive ALEC
Keystone Politics: Make Penn Pay up for Philly Schools
John Hanger: Stunning Fact: 247,000 Water and Sewer Main Breaks Discharge Billions of Gallons of Raw Sewage Each Year
John Hanger: $913 Million Construction Overrun Hits Georgia New Nukes : How Much Gas, Wind, Solar Capacity Would That Buy?
John Hanger: Massive Data Show Warming is Speeding up Flowering and Leafing
John Hanger: Pittsburgh Business Times Gives an Energy Leadership Award to Me
Lehigh Valley Ramblings: Lehigh County GOP Goes After Muslim Vote
Lehigh Valley Ramblings: How the Hell Can Dent Stand Congress?

Update: Orie Melvin will be charged, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin is expected to be charged Friday as a result of a grand jury investigation looking into improper campaign activity, according to a source familiar with the investigation.

The grand jury, which expires at the end of this month, met for more than five hours today.

Pa. Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin could be looking at an indictment by the end of the month, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports. She’s been under the microscope for years and would be charged with using taxpayer resources for campaigning. The accusation would follow a sprawling investigation against her sister, Senator Jane Orie, that yielded convictions earlier this year.

Reports the Trib:

An Allegheny County grand jury investigating state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin will hear testimony this morning as a deadline on recommending charges nears.

The grand jury’s two-year term expires by the end of the month, increasing the likelihood that District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.’s office would decide on charges, legal experts say. A previous grand jury recommended charges against two of Melvin’s sisters — former Melvin aide Janine Orie and Republican state Sen. Jane Orie of McCandless — for using state staff for political work.

…

University of Pittsburgh law professor John Burkoff believes Melvin will be charged because of evidence prosecutors aired.

“Based on everything contained in the presentment relating to her sister, Janine, it’s surprising she hasn’t been indicted already,” he said.

Former Melvin law clerk Lisa Sasinoski testified in December at a preliminary hearing against Janine Orie that she did political work on state time, including working the polls on Election Day and writing speeches. A grand jury report against Orie mentioned Melvin’s name more than her sister’s and painted a picture of a judicial office immersed in partisan politics for almost two decades.

Orie Melvin, of Pittsburgh, was a PA Superior Court Judge from 1998 until her election to her current post in 2009.

PA’s Democratic candidates for the U.S. House accused Republican incumbents of waging war on women after the GOP-led House approved a version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that removed certain provisions from the Senate’s version of the law.

All but two PA Republicans voted along party lines on the legislation.

Originally passed in 1994, the act has received bipartisan support throughout its history, and has been reauthorized twice since. Although Democrats and Republicans support reauthorization, recent debate erupted over the scope of the law’s protections.

In April, the Democrat-controlled Senate approved their version of the act that included the protection of Native Americans, undocumented immigrants and lesbian, gay and transsexual individuals as well as those already included under the law in the case of domestic abuse.

Upon receiving the Senate’s version, members of the House rejected its reauthorization 222-205, and proposed their own.

Critics of this version say the language in it doesn’t provide protection for LGBT victims of domestic abuse.

In light of the criticisms by Democrats, Republicans have emphasized their support of the act, saying they have actively worked to reauthorize the bill, and their approval of the House version indicates this.

For many Democrats on the campaign trail, the House version presents another opportunity to attack Republican incumbents for being weak on women’s rights.

In the race for PA-6, Democratic nominee Manan Trivedi said incumbent Rep. Jim Gerlach’s  (R-Chester) vote has shown that he doesn’t support victims of domestic violence.

“Women’s issues continue to be used as a political football for Jim Gerlach and this Republican Congress,” said Trivedi.

“If there were ever a time to stand up against your party and do the right thing, it should be to protect these women during the most traumatic experience of their lives.”

Gerlach shrugged off Trivedi’s  accusations, saying that both plans dedicated $660 million toward fighting domestic violence in the country.

“The only war being waged is a political war made up by desperate Democrat candidates who simply take talking points from the Democratic Campaign Committee, slap them on their own press release, and send them out,” Gerlach said.

Similarly, in the race for PA-18, Democratic nominee Larry Maggi accused incumbent Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Allegheny)of caving in to “partisan politics” by voting against the reauthorization of the Senate’s bill.

Susan Mosychuk, Murphy’s chief of staff, said in an email that Maggi’s campaign “got their facts wrong” during their attacks by failing to see the rationale behind the changes made in the House’s version of the act.

“This bill tightens confidentiality protections and combats fraud by undocumented immigrants,” Mosychuk said. “Tim has dedicated his life to helping families in crisis, victims of violence, and abused children.”

Rep. Joe Pitts’ challenger, Aryanna Strader, similarly criticized the Chester County Republican.

Democratic Super PACs, which have largely fallen behind their Republican counterparts in terms of fundraising, have begun using the reauthorization debate as a rallying cry for key bundlers.

Credo Super PAC, a political action group based in San Francisco, denounced Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) through their “Women Against Fitzpatrick” Committee, calling Fitzpatrick “a leader in the Republican war on women.”

Mike Eagle, district director for Credo’s “Take Down Fitzpatrick” Campaign, said in an email that Fitzpatrick and the Tea Party have threatened to remove a law that has helped victims of domestic abuse for over a decade.

“They’ve taken a law that, for over a decade, has helped protect vulnerable women and children, and turned it into a weapon in their war on women by removing domestic abuse protections for millions of women across the country,” Eagle said.

Faith Bender, Fitzpatrick’s campaign spokesperson, said in an email that Fitzpatrick’s vote to reauthorize the act shows his support for women.

“Voting yes on the Violence Against Women Act sent a clear signal that protecting women is a priority, and affirms his belief that both the House and Senate must move quickly to reconcile differences in language to ensure the critical programs in VAWA are funded,” Bender said.

Although voting on the issue mainly followed party lines, Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-Delaware) and Rep. Todd Platts (R-York) joined 23 other Republicans nationally to vote down the issue. Meehan said his point of contention with the House’s proposal resided in its inability to address domestic violence on college campuses.

The Senate proposal required that colleges issue reports on incidents of date rape, domestic violence and stalking, and then put policy in place to prevent these crimes. The House removed these provisions from their final proposal.

Meehan said his time in law enforcement exposed him to the issue of violence against women on college campuses, influencing his vote.

“From my years as a district attorney who prosecuted abusers, I know firsthand how important it is to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act,” Meehan said. “But this bill missed a critical opportunity to strengthen protections for women on campus.”

Platt’s campaign didn’t release a statement offering rationalization behind the representative’s vote, but it is consistent with his moderate voting record on LGBT issues.

In all likelihood State Rep. Scott Perry is 8 months away from being Congressman Scott Perry. But the GOP’s national congressional campaign arm isn’t taking chances; they added him to their candidate-boosting program Thursday.

“These Young Gun Vanguard candidates will play an imperative role in our goal to keep Nancy Pelosi from reclaiming the Speaker’s gavel,” said National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX). “Middle-class families are tired of President Obama’s out-of-touch agenda that is assaulting the free-enterprise system, and these five candidates will fight tirelessly to offer fiscally sound solutions to get our economy back on track.”

The Vanguard program provides a framework for the NRCC to assist candidates running in Republican-leaning open seats as they head into the fall. Typically the assistance comes in the form of fundraising, as well as polling and other logistical boosts.

Perry won a 7-way GOP primary to replace Rep. Todd Platts by a surprisingly wide margin: he took over 50 percent of the total vote. He thanked the NRCC in a statement.

“I am proud that we were able to secure a decisive victory in the Primary contest,” he said.”Support from individuals and groups like the NRCC is critical in helping me communicate my message that smaller government, less debt and lower taxes is the recipe we need to get our fiscal house in order and spur economic growth.”

The lawmaker will face engineer Harry Perkinson, also of York County. The Democrat’s campaign said Perry’s recognition from the NRCC was expected.

“No surprise here.  Scott Perry is tailor made for the Young Guns program,” said a campaign spokesman. “He would be ready from day one to vote to support the out of touch Republican agenda which hurts working people, women and fails to rebuild our middle class. Mr. Perry will support Boehner, Ryan and Cantor, not the people of the 4th District.”

The newly drawn 4th district (formerly the 19th) grew slightly more Democratic during redistricting, but it’s still considered a safe Republican seat. It contains all of Adams and York counties, part of Cumberland County, and most of the City of Harrisburg.

Perry joins fellow Pennsylvania “Young Gun,” Allegheny County attorney Keith Rothfus, who is challenging Rep. Mark Critz.

A fair attack, or race-baiting? John McCain muzzled conservatives’ use of Jeremiah Wright, President Obama’s controversial former pastor, for fear that it would increase racial tensions. But in an era of super PACs and decentralized message control, Mitt Romney’s preference might not matter.

The New York Times reported today that conservative billionaire Joe Ricketts may spend over $10 million to bankroll an attack on Obama – crafted by McCain advisers in 2008 but never used – that highlight some of Wright’s most inflammatory comments.

As the PA Democratic Party noted in an email to reporters, it would be similar to a tactic employed by the PAGOP’s federal committee in 2008, in this video:

Update: PAGOP Executive Director Mike Barley said the state party would follow Romney’s lead. Indeed, the party removed the above ad from its YouTube page on Thursday.

“We will be following the lead of our nominee and will be focusing on bigger issues like President Obama’s failed economic record,” he said. “After four years of record debt, unemployment, out-of-control spending and $4 a gallon gas, there are plenty of more important aspects of the President’s failed record we will be highlighting.”

Romney has already repudiated the tactic. He told TownHall:

“I repudiate the effort by that PAC to promote an ad strategy of the nature they’ve described.  I would like to see this campaign focus on the economy, on getting people back to work, on seeing rising incomes and growing prosperity — particularly for those in the middle class of America.  And I think what we’ve seen so far from the Obama campaign is a campaign of character assassination.  I hope that isn’t the course of this campaign. So in regards to that PAC, I repudiate what they’re thinking about … It’s interesting that we’re talking about some Republican PAC that wants to go after the president [on Wright]; I hope people also are looking at what he’sdoing, and saying ‘why is he running an attack campaign?  Why isn’t he talking about his record?’”

Though he has no way to prevent Ricketts or any wealthy donor from making it an issue. His campaign is prohibited from coordinating with Super PACs.

Obama’s campaign manager Jim Messina repudiated Romney’s repudiation, calling it tepid.

It, “reflects how far the party has drifted in four short years since John McCain rejected these very tactics,” Messina said. “Once again, Governor Romney has fallen short of the standard that John McCain set, reacting tepidly in a moment that required moral leadership in standing up to the very extreme wing of his own party.”

As Politico notes, Obama 2008 CM David Plouffe believed that the Wright issue, and “nearly derailed Obama’s 2008 White House bid.”

“I felt like the wheels could spin off our whole venture,” David Plouffe wrote in his book chronicling the race.

During the 2012 election cycle Democrats are positioning themselves as the “defenders of the middle class,” and Sen. Bob Casey Jr. is honing that message by attacking the top .001 percent of income earners, including Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

Along with NY Sen. Chuck Schumer, Casey is introducing a bill that would prevent U.S. citizens from renouncing their citizenship in order to avoid taxes.

The legislation was sparked by Eduardo Saverin, a co-founder of Facebook, who renounced his U.S. citizenship in September to avoid paying $67 million in taxes he would owe when Facebook goes public.

In a press release Senator Casey’s office mentioned Saverin by name when describing the bill.

“(Senators Casey and Schumer are to) unveil a comprehensive plan to respond to Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin’s scheme to renounce his U.S. citizenship in order to dodge taxes on profits he is expected to collect when the social-networking company goes public.”

Saverin changed citizenship because Singapore, his new country of residence, does not have a capital gains tax.

In Singapore, Saverin has a reputation for living a lavish lifestyle, running up tens of thousands of dollars in bar tabs and partying with supermodels.

In addition to forcing ex-U.S. citizens to pay taxes, Casey’s law would prevent expatriates from reentering the U.S. if they renounce their citizenship.

The legislation has found some detractors. Dan Mitchell from the CATO institute likened the legislation to the “exit tax” imposed by German Nazis and Soviet Communists on departing Jews. And Timothy Burns, a tax lawyer in Hong Kong, warns that it will discourage international business owners from applying for dual citizenship.

Good morning politicos, here’s the Buzz. The Senate continued its 1100 day-plus streak of no budgets yesterday, progressives continue their battle against ALEC, and Karl Rove’s Super PAC is up with an ad in PA.

Once Again, Toomey Budget Fails (But Outperforms All Others): A plan to balance the federal budget proposed by Sen. Pat Toomey was voted down by the Senate 42 to 57 on Wednesday, but still garnered more votes than any other proposal.

In PA: The Battle Against ALEC Rages On: After receiving criticism over using public funding for payments toward ALEC, members of the Pennsylvania legislature have severed their ties to the group after Keystone Progress, a liberal activists group, made the practice known after a Right-To-Know request led to the discovery of documents that showed taxpayer dollars may be going to this organization.

Is PA a Swing State? Pennsylvania has voted decidedly Democratic in the last three presidential elections, but neither candidate takes an Obama victory for granted in 2012. Stu Rothenberg asks, is PA really in play?

Crossroads GPS Hits Back with PA Ad (Watch Video): Crossroads GPS, the conservative Super PAC founded by Karl Rove, is launching a nearly half a million dollar ad buy in Pennsylvania. Their television spot that hammers President Obama over broken promises, and comes as Mitt Romney endures a blistering ad assault here.

Legislative Election Updates

HD-131: Union workers held a rally Wednesday to demand that Republican “Rep. Justin Simmons stop his attack on working families and support prevailing wage.”

National
Politico: Obama Brings Hoagies From Philly Native To Congressional Leadership
Roll Call: At White House, Hoagies Win Praise Even As Debt Crisis Looms
Five Thirty Eight: Sen. Casey Is Safe; Dems Odds of Retaining Control Of Chamber Are A Toss-up
Washington Post: Gerlach Is Headed On Bipartisan House Delegation To Asia
Fox Philadelphia: Congress Considers Threats From Airport Employees

Statewide
Capitol Ideas: Pennsylvania governor, lawmakers report gifts, travel
Capitol Ideas: Lehigh Valley Business Leaders: Pay now or pay more later for road and bridge repairs
Sound Bites: Legislators want to grant tax-exempt status to lessen burden on cities lacking taxable property
Sound Bites: State police counting cadets — before they hatch?
PA Independent: EPA rules Dimock water safe; contamination not caused by gas drilling
PA Independent: Former Pa. school nears sale after three years
PA Independent: Congressman Pitts’ campaign contributions advance out-of-touch image
State Impact: Study: Pennsylvania’s Regulations “Have Been Effective”
State Impact: WAMU’s nationally-syndicated Diane Rehm Show focused on Marcellus Shale nat­ural gas drilling
State Impact: Governor Corbett Says Doctors’ Concerns Over Act 13 May Be “Moot”
State Impact: Pa. DEP Secretary Krancer’s top 5 EPA-bashing letters
State Impact: “Medical Records Could Yield Answers On Fracking : NPR”
State Impact: Drill Bits: Well Safety Violations, Bad Roads, and Wind Farms Axed
Capitolwire: Advocates, Dems want to restore child care funding cuts in Senate budget
Capitolwire: Senate will defend college restorations, distressed school funding in budget negotiations

Philadelphia
AP: Bush says he backs Romney
AP: Role unlikely for George W. Bush in Romney Bid
AP: Biden attacks Romney tenure as venture capitalist
AP: Focus of primary races shifts to top state races
Inquirer: GOP SuperPAC strikes with $25 million ad buy
Inquirer: Obama to meet with Center High School’s seniors
PhillyNow: Community action groups shutdown center city, protest Gov. Corbett
Fox Philadelphia: Romney hits Obama on debt, Campaigns in Fla.
WHYY Newsworks: Presidential campaign ad wars open up in Pennsylvania
WHYY Newsworks: Some Pa. lawmakers get heat for membership in ALEC

Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette: Biden rips Romney’s business background in Youngstown
Post-Gazette: DeWeese chief of staff sentenced to up to 4 years
Early Returns: Biden on attack in Youngstown
Early Returns: Biden vs. Bain
Early Returns: GOP SuperPAC targets Obama in Pa
Fox Philadelphia: Bill Would Push Pa. Turnpike Speed Limit To 70 MPH

Opinions
Washington Post Editorial: Obama’s Bain Ad Buy Was Cheap But Effective
Inquirer Editorial: Health care losing to politics
Inquirer Editorial: Barking up wrong tree on ‘fracking’ for gas
Inquirer Op-ed: Medicare cheaters are soaking the taxpayers
Inquirer Op-ed: The President tests a stalwart
Inquirer Op-ed: An immigration crackdown killed-by conservatives
Daily News Editorial: College debt a ticking time bomb-or two, or three
Daily News Op-ed: Does the Free Library even know what century it’s in?

Blogs
Keystone State Education Coalition: Privatizing Public Education in Philadelphia?
Commonwealth Foundation: Who Should Need the Government’s Permission to Work?
Lehigh Valley Independent: Will Lower Mac Put Taxpayers on the Hook for Costly Jaindl Sewer Buildout?
Lehigh Valley Independent: Ben Franklin Tech Development Partners Gets $5M From the Feds
2 Political Junkies: A Birther Update
Lu-Lac Political Letter: The LuLac Edition #2056, May 16th, 2012
The Pennsylvania Progressive: Pennsylvania Hunger Games Diet: Cash for Corporations, Cuts for Kids
Above Average Jane: Pitts Sees Dead People
Keystone Politics: Here Comes Another Fake Debt Crisis
Keystone Politics: Bill Green Offers Worst Idea Ever as Alternative to AVI Assessment
Keystone Politics: Tavern Licensing Reform Must Be a Part of Alcohol Reform
Keystone Politics: Is the State Booze Monopoly the Best Way to Reduce Alcohol-Related Harms?
Keystone Politics: Hail Marty Moss-Coane!
John Hanger: Heating Degree Days Hit Record Low, Hammering Gas Price and Electricity Demand
John Hanger: Drilling Hysteria Lessens: Susquehanna River Off 10 Most Endangered Rivers List
John Hanger: Solar Exceeds 1,000 Megawatts in PJM: Lancaster County, PA Red Hot Solar Spot

For the second year in row, a budget proposal drafted by Sen. Pat Toomey, was shut down by the Senate. The proposal, which was designed to balance the federal budget within the next eight years through a combination of tax reforms and spending cuts, was voted down along party lines, 42 for 57 against.

All 5 budget proposals voted on in the Senate Wednesday were rejected.

Toomey expressed his appreciation for the votes he received from fellow republicans saying, “I am grateful to have the support of my Senate Republican colleagues for my budget proposal. Their support for balancing the budget in eight years and solving our debt crisis now is heartening, and I will continue fighting for fiscal responsibility here in Washington.”

He also responded to the unanimous rejection of his proposal by the Democrats. “At the same time, I am disappointed that my colleagues on the other side refuse even to debate our fiscal crisis, let alone introduce a fiscal blueprint for solving our country’s problems. Instead of lobbing political attacks at the ideas I and my Republican colleagues have put forward, it is incumbent upon the majority party to put forward ideas of its own. Anything less is a flagrant abdication of its governing responsibility.”

Democrats were joined in their opposition by four Republicans: Sens. Scott Brown and Dean Heller who are both facing tough campaigns, and Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine.

Toomey’s budget proposal for FY2013 mirrored his proposal for FY2012, and consequently it received the exact same number of votes (read about FY2012 proposal here). An important area where it differed, however, was its approach to entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid. This year’s budget proposal called for “means testing” as a way to cut down on Medicare spending. Means testing would have required senior citizens who make more than $85,000 annually to pay higher premiums for their healthcare, and those who make more than $150,000 to pay their premiums without the help of taxpayer money. In addition, Toomey’s proposal would have allowed for seniors, beginning in 2023, to choose between Medicare and private plans.

Last year Toomey shied away from budget cuts to Medicare, a move which elicited some criticism from the right but which wasn’t enough to secure even a single democratic vote when the proposal reached the Senate floor.

Additional provisions in the FY2013 proposal would have shifted Medicaid to a state block grant program and frozen spending for five years. The proposal also called for a repeal of the Democrat’s health care law. These two provisions alone would have saved the nation an estimated $2.7 trillion.

One of the most drastic parts of Toomey’s plan, which was also part of his proposed plan for last year, was the call for non-defense discretionary spending to revert to 2006 levels and then be frozen for the next seven years. The proposal would have also cut funding for welfare and assumed a complete withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan by 2015.

In combination with aggressive spending cuts, the second part of Toomey’s plan involved the reformation of taxes. His proposal called for the cutting of individual income tax rates by one-fifth, effectively dropping the top rate from 35 percent to 28 percent. Opponents to the reform argued that this would shift an unproportional part of the financial burden from  millionaires and billionaires to low- and middle-class America.

Toomey’s budget proposal may be a good indicator of what conservative voters and tea partiers want from a republican presidential candidate, as Toomey was elected to the Senate with support from the Tea Party Movement and  now holds the important position of Chair of the Senate Steering Committee.

The Senate voted down a total of five proposals on Wednesday, three of which were drafted by GOP senators including Toomey, Mike Lee (Utah), and Rand Paul (Ky.). One of the other two proposals was the House GOP budget drafted by Rep. Paul Ryan—a proposal similar to the one composed by Toomey though less aggressive. The Senate also voted on a version of President Obama’s FY2013 budget.

Republicans crowed over the Senate’s unanimous disapproval – 99 to 0 – of President Obama’s budget. It was the second year in a row for that, too.

“The president’s budget had zero credibility, and now it has zero votes.  After racking up more than $5 trillion in debt, even Senate Democrats don’t take President Obama’s budget proposal seriously anymore,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.

At the end of April, the New York Times and Common Cause ran a story regarding the internal operation of ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. Their angle was to explore the challenge that was levied to the group’s tax-exempt status which ALEC is defending.

ALEC has come under scrutiny after they pushed several proposals that were viewed as controversial. First, they pushed the “stand your ground” law, known in Pennsylvania as the “castle doctrine” which was enacted in 2011. A similar law was enacted in Florida and is being used in the defense of George Zimmerman against Trayvon Martin. Second, ALEC pushed the voter ID legislation which has also been seen as controversial.

Recently, ALEC announced it would be reorganizing in the wake of the opposition that the “stand your ground” legislation brought to the organization.

In the time since the New York Times story ran, a group of Pennsylvania progressives exposed the funneling of taxpayer money toward the policy-writing group, American Legislative Exchange Council in the Pennsylvania state legislature, 14 lawmakers have decided to sever their ties with the group.

Keystone Progress, a liberal activist group based in Harrisburg, say that members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate spent a combined $310,817.39 since 2000 in support of ALEC. Included in the spending was food and trips to different cities in the country.

ProgressVA did a similar review of the state legislature in Richmond, Virginia.

The group says at least 51 legislators in Pennsylvania remain members of ALEC, with exact figure being unknown because ALEC doesn’t release membership information.

According to their website, ALEC “works to advance the fundamental principles of free-market enterprise, limited government, and federalism at the state level.” The organization advances their cause by partnering with legislators, members of the private sector and the general public.

An example of an ALEC-proposed bill can be found in Matthew Baker’s (R-Tioga) H.B. 42, a proposal that challenged the Affordable Healthcare Act by prohibiting the government from penalizing individuals, employers or health care providers for participating in a healthcare system of their choosing.

Critics of ALEC say the group disproportionately supports legislation that furthers the interests of corporations. David Ward, a media representative from Keystone Progress, said ALEC has pushed an “extreme” policy agenda that marginalizes the consumer.

“ALEC pushes a lot of extreme laws, and members of congress use that exact same language to pass a lot of bills,” Ward said. “We stand on the side of the everyday person; the everyday consumer.”

Ward said the investigation of legislative spending toward ALEC began when Keystone Progress requested spending reports and correspondence reports between legislators and ALEC through Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law. The group compiled a list of the top five legislators who distributed public funding toward ALEC.

At the top of the list was Sen. John Pippy (R-Allegheny, Washington), who Keystone Progress allege spent $12,901.70 of taxpayer funding toward ALEC. Pippy said the claims were “completely incorrect,” and his only association with ALEC ended in 2006.

He added that he worked with the group after his return from active duty in 2001 while working with the Department of Homeland Security.

“The state was reimbursing my travel expenses for some of the meetings I was going to in [Washington] D.C.,” Pippy said. “The money didn’t go to ALEC; it went to pay for the different conferences I was attending.”

Keystone Progress has also released a petition calling for the public denouncement of ALEC by the 60 Democratic legislators who have yet to do so. The petition placed added emphasis on Rep. Joseph Petrarca (D-Westmoreland, Armstrong) and Rep. W. Curtis Thomas (D-Philadelphia), whom Keystone Progress say remain members of ALEC.

Rep. Petrarca denied any involvement with ALEC, saying in an email that he “has no ties and has never been a member of ALEC.”

ALEC’s national organization denied any wrongdoing, and insisted that ideology fuels Keystone Progress’s attacks. Kaitlyn Buss, communications director for ALEC, said in an email that attacks against the group threaten to undermine productive discourse on policy.

“These attacks are coming from extreme liberal front groups who are trying to suppress the open exchange of idea and debate on public policy when it does not align with their big-government ideology,” Buss said. “ALEC legislators will continue to provide free-market solutions to the problems they face in their states.”

Pennsylvania has voted decidedly Democratic in the last three presidential elections, but neither candidate takes an Obama victory for granted in 2012. Stu Rothenberg asks, is PA really in play?

Rothenberg notes that in 2000, 2004, and 2008, Pennsylvania voted democratically by margins higher than the national average.

[In 2000] then-Vice President Al Gore (D) beat George W. Bush (R) in the popular vote by one-half of 1 percent — Pennsylvania went for the Democrat by more than 4 points. . . . And in 2008, Pennsylvania performed about as it had in the two previous elections. While Barack Obama (D) won nationally by just more than 7 points, he carried the Keystone State by a little more than 10 points.

Now, however, Republicans have gained a stronghold in the state Legislature, the governorship, and the House delegation, and control one Senate seat.

Pennsylvania’s largely older white and white working-class population is also very inviting to Republicans. Minorities make up only one fifth of the state population.

“Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) won both whites and voters 65 and older in 2008, according to the national exit poll, and the president is likely to be weaker in those two demographic groups again,” wrote Rothenberg, noting that Obama seems to hold even weaker appeal to the white working-class than he did in 2008. He added:

These voters don’t have an automatic cultural connection to Obama (or to presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney), and the president’s recent announcement supporting same-sex marriage isn’t likely to be a plus with them. Jobs, of course, remain a big issue with these voters, and whatever hope they had that Obama would turn the economy around has almost certainly evaporated.

Rothenberg allowed that Romney clicks better than Obama with the “upscale suburbs” of Philly.

The Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota also sees potential for PA to swing, as Tim McNulty of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes:

This week it called Pennsylvania one of the ‘Battleground States of the Century,’ noting that (along with Missouri and Wisconsin) lead the nation in competitive presidential contests, with results decided in the single digits in 16 of 26 cycles since 1908.

At the moment, a survey by Quinnipiac University shows Obama with the upper hand: the incumbent president has 47 percent of the vote and has 8 points over Romney. But the battle for Keystone State is far from decided.

Crossroads GPS, the conservative Super PAC founded by Karl Rove, is launching a nearly half a million dollar ad buy in Pennsylvania. Their television spot that hammers President Obama over broken promises, and comes as Mitt Romney endures a blistering ad assault here.

The 60-second spot comprises four vignettes of the President making a pledge or promise, rebutted by an announcer.

“Today, I’m pledging to cut the deficit we inherited by half by the end of my first term in office,” Obama said during a speech in February 2009.

“Broken. Because he hasn’t even come close,” the ad’s announcer responds. “We need solutions, not just promises.”

The group said in a press release that it will spend $487,000 in PA on network TV as part of a $25 million total buy also in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, and Virginia. The spot will run from May 17 to 31.

Update: The Democratic National Committee responded to the ad, saying it distorted Obama’s record and distracted from Mitt Romney’s.

“Karl Rove’s most recent deceptive ad can’t hide the reality that, unlike Mitt Romney, President Obama has proposed a plan to reduce our deficit by $4 trillion over the next decade while creating an economy built to last through investments in education, infrastructure, and research,” the release said. “Nor can it hide that, as promised, the President has cut taxes for every working American and cut taxes for small business 18 times, bringing federal taxes for middle class households near historic lows.”

The move comes as Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney faces a bevy of negative ads in PA. The Obama campaign is airing this 2-minute negative spot Wednesday only, while the pro-Obama Super PAC Priorities USA Action broadcasts a similarly hard-hitting 30-second spot for at least a week. Both commercials attack Romney over his past as a venture capitalist.

The Obama camp is running this positive ad in full rotation.

“President Obama made commitments on core issues to the American people, and this ad holds him to account,” said Steven Law, president of Crossroads GPS. “Our country faces serious economic and fiscal problems which require practical solutions and not just promises.  If we don’t hold Washington politicians accountable, we won’t fix these problems that are holding our country back.”

The ad urges also directs viewers to a new Crossroads GPS issues website: www.newmajorityagenda.org.

Good morning politicos, here’s the Buzz. A progressive group seeks to toughen up Obama on the banks, presidential campaign ads keep flying in PA, and Rep. Joe Pitts has an interesting day in the press.

Poll: PA Voters Disapprove Obama Housing & Mortgage Handling: President Obama has housing issues, according to a poll released by the progressive group Campaign for a Fair Settlement. 48 percent disapprove of his handling of the housing and mortgage crisis while 38 percent approve.

Rep. Pitts Calls Arafat, Sharon to Come Back to the Table: Rep. Joe Pitts recently replied to a constituent’s letter with a rather interesting position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Yasser Arafat and Ariel Sharon need to come back to the negotiating table. Arafat has been dead since 2004 and Sharon in a coma since 2006.

Meehan & Fitzpatrick Not Tea Partiers, Says Club For Growth: Just how “Tea Party” are Reps. Pat Meehan and Mike Fitzpatrick? Not very, according to the Club for Growth. The conservative group released a scorecard of freshman Republicans, and found the SEPA congressmen in the bottom 5.

Reader Poll: Would the Supreme Court Uphold the Latest Redistricting Map? With the map ready to go before the Supreme Court, PoliticsPA would like to ask its readers in our latest poll whether the Supreme Court is likely to accept or reject the LRC’s latest proposal.

Toomey “Very Unlikely” to be Romney’s Running Mate: It seems that Pat Toomey won’t be the Republican VP candidate. PoliticsPA readers scooped this story a long time ago, though.

Murphy Endorses Former Rival Kane: Three weeks after Kathleen Kane defeated Patrick Murphy in the Attorney General primary, the former Congressman is calling for Democrats to reunite after the “family fight” and support Kane.

Pro-Obama Super PAC Also on Air in PA (Watch Video): The hits just keep coming for Mitt Romney in Pennsylvania. A day after the Obama campaign rolled out two ads – one positive and one negative – a Super PAC is aiming another blow at the Republican. Meanwhile details emerged that significantly mitigate the impact of Obama’s ad.

National
Roll Call: Is Pennsylvania In Play In November? Maybe.
USA Today: Pa. Among The Most Competitive Swing States Over The Last Century According To New Analysis
Pennsylvania Ave.: Obama Super PAC On Air In Pennsylvania With More Romney Attacks
National Journal: Senate May Vote On Toomey Budget Proposal Among Others This Week
AP: Govt adopts landmark strategy to fight Alzheimer’s
AP: Paul: Campaign, but not battle, ends
Philly Tribune: New generation challenges some Blacks in Congress

Statewide
Capitol Ideas: Legal memo could hold the key to ex-Sen. Mellow’s Pension
PA Independent: Districts consider advertising in school buses to bring in revenue
State Impact: House Democrats File Brief In Act 13 Impact Fee Suit
State Impact: Citing “Mounting Turmoil,” S&P Downgrades Chesapeake’s Credit Rating
State Impact: “For Oil Workers, Deadliest Danger Is Driving”
State Impact: Mike Krancer (Pa. DEP Secretary) and the EPA: It’s complicated
Post-Gazette: Chesapeake to slow land acquisition, focus on oil and gas-liquids drilling in Marcellus and Utica shales
Post-Gazette: Humphrey resigns post over honor to Corbett
Patriot-News: Pennsylvanians can expect heated negotiations over proposed state budget
Patriot-News: Early learning costs are worth it
AP: Ex-Rep. DeWeese begins prison term for corruption
PhillyNow: Bill Would Allow Online Voter Registration
Philly Clout: Could the next mayor be named Blondie?
PhillyNow: DC Court Doesn’t Block PA Dems’ Access to Ralph Nader’s Bank Accounts

Philadelphia
Philadelphia Daily: Blondie! From hoofer to mayor?
Inquirer: District vows to preserve resources for bilingual education
Newsworks: Is the Nutter tax plan a windfall for businesses?
CityPaper: Philly plans a friendly reception for Corbett, eviscerator of education and social services

Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette: Home care providers decry proposed state cuts
Early Returns: Is Pa really a swing state?
Early Returns: AG race: Ds say kumbaya; Gov seeks money for Freed
Early Returns: The season of protest
KDKA: Lawmaker Wants to Increase Speed on Pa. Turnpike
NPR: Sick From Fracking? Doctors, Patients Seek Answers

North by Northwest
Erie Times-News: Shale drilling will play a role in Erie-area economy

Opinions
Post-Gazette Editorial: Hit the brakes: A bill to raise turnpike speed should be pulled over
Post-Gazette Editorial: Banking debacle: JPMorgan’s loss argues for tougher regulations
Post Gazette Op-ed: Obama’s wedded to wrong black leaders
Post-Gazette Op-ed: Is Obama’s evolution a charade?
Tribune Review Editorial: The JPMorgan mess: Revive Glass-Steagall
Inquirer Editorial: Plan for schools can be improved

Blogs
Commonwealth Foundation: New Healthcare Regs Would Cost PA Taxpayers $50 Million
Commonwealth Foundation: Broken Bottle Booze Bonanza Baffles Bourbon Barons
Lehigh Valley Independent: LERTA = Land Value Tax
Lehigh Valley Independent: A Guaranteed Minimum Income to Replace All Welfare Programs?
NEPArtisan: Who Hates The Poor? Republicans Do!
2 Political Junkies: What “Freedom” Means in Arizona
2 Political Junkies: Rep. Joe Pitts is so pro life he refuses to recognize Yasser Arafat’s death!
The Pennsylvania Progressive: News and Notes May 15, 2012
Keystone Politics: Diverse Coalition Calls for Corrections Reform
Keystone Politics: The Parts of Allegheny County that are Screwed Because Tom Corbett is Dithering on Transportation
Keystone Politics: A Guaranteed Minimum Income to Replace All Welfare Programs
Keystone Politics: Let’s Restore the Rest of the Keystone Fund
Keystone Politics: John Boehner Wants to Ruin the Country’s Credit Rating Again and Again
Keystone Politics: GOP Giveaway to Pharmacies Would Raise Health Insurance Costs
Keystone Politics: Report: All Fracking Wastewater Disposal Methods are Unsafe
John Hanger: Two Big Political Embarrassments– One for Obama and One for Romney
John Hanger: Gas Cuts Pollution and Boosts Competitiveness: Most Conservatives and Environmentalists are Mute about this Truth
John Hanger: Gas Rig Count Falls But 1 out of 6 Gas Drilling Rigs Operate in PA

President Obama has housing issues, according to a poll released by the progressive group Campaign for a Fair Settlement. 48 percent disapprove of his handling of the housing and mortgage crisis while 38 percent approve.

The survey was conducted for the group Campaign for a Fair Settlement by Public Policy Polling. The organization believes that a pending multi-state settlement forged by President Obama lets banks off the hook too easily.

Under President Obama’s plan, the U.S. Justice Department would pursue a limited investigation, pursuing a 5-state, $19 billion settlement with the five largest banks and other violators. The settlement accused the banks of improperly handling thousands of home mortgages.

Pennsylvania was one of five swing states polled. The others, Arizona, Florida, Nevada and North Carolina, were hit even harder by the housing crisis.

Asked about the statement “The economic crisis we’re in is at least partially the result of criminal actions by Wall Street executives,” 52 percent strongly agreed and 25 percent agreed somewhat.

Among self-identified Republicans and Democrats, the issue was divided along party lines, with 61 percent of Democrats approving of Obama’s handling of the housing and mortgage crisis, and 81 percent of Republicans disapproving.

Especially emphasized were numbers among independent voters. 48 percent of them disapprove of Obama’s plan, versus just 26 percent who approve. 76 percent of independent likely voters agree that criminal activity on Wall Street contributed to the mortgage crisis.

The group and its Pennsylvanian chapter have been making noise on this issue for months. The organization is a cooperative between nearly a dozen separate organizations including Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, ACTION United and Philadelphia Unemployment Project. It has called for a full-scale federal investigation of the federal mortgage crisis and a settlement amount that properly, “reflects the damage that has been done by Wall Street institutions.”

After JP Morgan-Chase posted $2 billion in losses earlier this week, the group reiterated their secondary demand of increased accountability on Wall Street.

Nish Suvarknakar, campaign manager for Campaign for a Fair Settlement, said the results of the poll indicate that voters still seek retribution from the Obama administration over the actions committed by banks during the housing crisis.

“Years after banks committed widespread fraud that led to both the housing crisis and a recession, homeowners have been left to clean up the mess while not a single bank executive has faced criminal charges,” Suvarknar said. “Majorities of independent voters in swing states think it’s time for Obama to stand up for homeowners and hold banks accountable.”

This is not a candidate’s campaign, but CFS does have an agenda. Therefore, as always, take internal polling with a grain of salt.

PPP surveyed 600 likely PA voters from April 30 to May 1 via interactive voice response.

Here is CFS’s full release:

Poll: Campaign for a Fair Settlement

Just how “Tea Party” are Reps. Pat Meehan and Mike Fitzpatrick? Not very, according to the Club for Growth. The conservative group released a scorecard of freshman Republicans, and found the SEPA congressmen in the bottom 5.

“The Club for Growth holds members of Congress accountable for their actions, not their rhetoric,” said group President Chris Chocola. “The liberal media likes to pretend that these Republicans have fought for fiscally conservative policies, but the facts don’t support their thesis.”

Meehan had the second-lowest rating, Fitzpatrick was fourth-lowest.

They lost points for voting in favor of the debt ceiling compromise, and against a measure to strike funding for the National Labor Relations Board. They earned points for supporting the Cut, Cap and Balance plan, and supporting free trade agreements with South Korea and Colombia.

And they were hardly alone: all five of PA’s freshman Republicans found themselves in the bottom 50 percent of the list. There are 87 freshman GOPers in Congress, and members from the Keystone state all fall into the bottom third.

The Club disappointedly notes that the average score for freshmen was 71 percent, a mere 2 percent higher than GOP incumbents.

Click on a name to see which votes counted for and against each member.

T-26th – Tom Marino (R-Lycoming): 60%
T-17th – Mike Kelly (R-Butler): 54%
T-11th – Lou Barletta (R-Luzerne): 47%
4th – Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks): 43%
T-2nd – Pat Meehan (R-Delaware): 42%

Meehan spokeswoman Maureen Keith listed the Congressman’s conservative acumen, and called him independent.

“Congressman Meehan said he would work to cut taxes, help small businesses create jobs, balance our budget, hold the federal government accountable, and repeal and replace the health care law,  and that’s exactly what he’s done,” she said. “He’ll continue to be an independent voice fighting for the people of Pennsylvania’s 7th District.”

The Tea Party label matches Meehan, according to his Democratic opponent George Badey.

“We didn’t make Meehan a Tea Partier,” said Campaign Manager Mike Dineen. “The Independence Tea Party PAC (sic) did with their endorsement. Scorecards or statements don’t change Pat Meehan’s two votes to end Medicare as we know it, while preserving billions in tax breaks for oil companies and people earning more than one million dollars a year, or his votes restricting access for women and children to vital healthcare services.”

Indeed, Meehan scored much higher – 70 percent – in a list of votes compiled by the Independence Hall Tea Party PAC. Fitzpatrick scored 73 percent.

Update: IHTP President Don Adams said Meehan and Fitzpatrick were plenty “Tea Party” for his group.

“Congressmen Pat Meehan and Mike Fitzpatrick have been extremely responsive to our concerns and have kept the lines of communication open to our organization and other Tea Party groups and we think, earned our endorsement in this cycle,” he said.”

“Perhaps, Club for Growth, and other so-called national ‘Tea Party’ organizations should check with local Tea Party groups before issuing scorecards which do not fairly weight the votes of Congressmen/women on major legislative initiatives such as the Ryan Budget.”

Being close to the Tea Party isn’t exactly an asset in moderate southeastern PA. Aside the wave year of 2010, when the movement meant organization and voter turnout for candidates, it’s unclear the long term benefits.

Fitzpatrick isn’t concerned about the list. Campaign spokeswoman Faith Bender said the his votes reflect his district.

“Congressman Fitzpatrick always votes his conscience and his district.  Voters are looking for elected officials who can get government spending in check without harming those who need our help the most.  Voters aren’t looking for ideologies, they want results,” she said.

His critics are quick to assign him the Tea Party moniker. CREDO, a liberal super PAC, chose Fitzpatrick and 9 other incumbents nationally to target as their “Tea Party Ten.”

And his Democratic opponent, Kathryn Boockvar, says Fitz is too conservative for the district.

He has, “consistently fought to put special interests ahead of seniors, women, and middle class families,” she said, “repeatedly voting to end Medicare as we know it and to make healthcare and college tuition less affordable, while at the same time preserving enormous tax breaks for oil companies and billionaires.”

“Congressman Fitzpatrick isn’t representing the priorities of families in Bucks and Montgomery counties — and that’s what this election will be about.”

The Club isn’t too sympathetic with the electability argument.

“We produced this report to hold the Republicans accountable for their actual voting records,” said spokesman Barney Keller. “If liberal Republicans like Mike Fitzpatrick and Pat Meehan want to vote for big government, that’s between them and their constituents. All we’re saying is that, based solely on their voting records, you can’t call them ‘tea party’ because they were elected in 2010.”

“Furthermore, it’s in the interest of all Americans that members of Congress start limiting government now, before we wind up like Greece.”

In late January, the Supreme Court ruled 4-3 to remand a proposed redistricting map back to the Legislative Reapportionment Commission, citing an excessive number of municipal divisions as their reason for sending it back to lawmakers.

Then, in April, the LRC passed a new preliminary map that again drew the ire of many – from Democrats who claimed the map unfairly disadvantaged them, to Latino Lines spokespersons who saw the new map as insufficient in reflecting the growth of Pa.’s Hispanic population, and even Republicans who thought it disadvantaged their candidates.

There were others who still took issue with municipality splits, as well.

The LRC has held two hearing sessions, and will soon turn in an updated version of the proposed map. It would impact the 2014 election cycle.

As we near the end of this odyssey, PoliticsPA would like to ask its readers:

Update: Pitts’ office chalked the letter up to administrative error and apologized. Full statement below.

Rep. Joe Pitts recently replied to a constituent’s letter with a rather interesting position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Yasser Arafat and Ariel Sharon need to come back to the negotiating table. There’s just one problem. Arafat has been dead since 2004 and Sharon in a coma since 2006.

The out-of-date letter was posted on the blog Mondoweiss by journalist Ian Rhodewalt. His father, a resident of the 16th district, wrote a letter to Pitts in 2011. His response came last month, and included this description of Pitts’ stance:

With the global war against terrorism, it is now incumbent on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Yasir Arafat to clamp down on Palestinian extremists that have perpetuated violence and to restart a peace process that has collapsed.

Oops.

The original blog post was published Sunday and the story was picked up Tuesday by the Times of Israel.

His Democratic opponent, veteran and businesswoman Aryanna Strader, jumped on the news as well.

“Being this completely out of touch with such a major foreign policy matter is inexcusable,” she wrote in an email to supporters. “If we are ever going to change Congress, we must change who we send there. And that is why I am asking you to please make a $16 contribution to our campaign today.”

Form letters are a part of life in Washington, as any staffer can tell you. To prepare a customized response to every letter or email received by a congressional office would be impossible without ballooning staff numbers (and payroll) – an ironic outcome to those constituent letters advocating reduced government spending.

Pitts is far from the first member of Congress to take lumps over a form letter.

In 2009, the office of Senator Arlen Specter issued a form letter which justified the Defense of Marriage Act and left the door open to a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage. Awkward, since the constituent writing him had advocated the exact opposite. And particularly untimely, since Specter had recently switched parties and sought to court the LGBT vote.

Though any form letter runs the risk of being on the tone deaf side, niche issues are particularly risky.

An acquaintance of this writer, for example, recently sent a letter to Rep. Bill Shuster in protest of HR 4089 on the grounds that it permitted U.S. hunters to import sport-hunted polar bears from Canada.

His response? To reiterate his support for humane treatment of pets like his Wheaton Terrier, Chloe.

The moral of the story: staffers should review all form letters at least once a year.

Update: Here’s the full statement from Pitts Communications Director Andrew Wimer:

“Congressman Pitts responds to tens of thousands of constituent inquiries a year.  Because it is impossible to draft a unique reply to each inquiry, language is often reused for similar responses.  In this case, a double mistake was made.  Language that should have been archived was included in a draft response.  The response was then pulled from the queue because of the error, and then mistakenly sent almost a year later.  Responding to tens of thousands of letters a year is a complicated process.  Mistakes are both few and rare, but do sometimes occur.  This one was particularly embarrassing.  We have apologized to the constituent and are reviewing our internal process to make sure this sort of thing can’t happen again.”