PA Dems = Party Protectors with Eye on the Prize
Suspicions pretty much now confirmed.

PA Democrats would have liked nothing better than for the conservative Republicans to oust as many as possible incumbent Republicans in the state for whatever reason during the Primary election and that's what happened May 16, 2006.

According to an early AP Report Pa. Voters Oust at Least 13 Lawmakers May 17, 7:58 AM ET:

Sixty-one incumbents in the 253-member Pennsylvania legislature faced primary challenges Tuesday, the most since 1980, including legislative leaders from both parties.

As the results came in, at least a quarter of those candidates were locked in close races. Most of the challengers were recruited by PACleanSweep, a group organized at the height of the pay raise furor.

Swept from office were the Senate's No. 1 Republican ? President Pro Tempore Robert C. Jubelirer ? and Majority Leader David J. Brightbill, who lost to Mike Folmer, a tire salesman...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060517/ap_on_el_ge/primaries_rdp

Hmmm. Meanwhile, Democrat Minority Senate and House leaders remained unscathed.

Approximately a dozen state Republican incumbents were defeated in the Primary where they faced direct challenges. (AP lists 10) Meanwhile, only 3 Democrats were "replaced" by a Democrat opponent.

Even the most egregious Representative Democrat Mike Veon, who held steady and voted against repeal of the July '05 pay raise, was protected by loyal Dems.

PA Dems are Party Protectors with their Eyes on the Prize.

Yep, the Dems are laughin all the way to the coffee houses where they are planning how they can get PA Clean Sweeep's founder Russ Diamond and his partner in the anti-incumbency movement, Tim Potts, Democrat, who organized PA Democracy Rising, to make conservative Republicans angry enough to vote against Republican candidate for Governor, Lynn Swann in November...

thus the state would retain incumbent Governor Ed Rendell...

Don't think like a conspirator? Watch and learn...


Daily KOS
Taking the PA House; where we stand
by ortcutt
Tue May 02, 2006 at 04:37:30 PM PDT

This is a somewhat disappointing map. If Democrats are going to take the House, we will have to take some more of these Suburban Philadelphia...

But this is the 'throw all the bums out' year (2+ / 0-)
Recommended by:ortcutt, LisaZ
with lingering ire over last year's pay raise. Since there are more Republican bums than Democratic, it should be to our advantage...

by Uncle Toby on Tue May 02, 2006 at 04:49:53 PM PDT

Yeah (0 / 0)
That's one of the things we need to work with. We need to make sure that their bums are thrown out and ours aren't.

PA Clean Sweep has a list of who the bums are.

http://www.pacleansweep.com/

by ortcutt on Tue May 02, 2006 at 04:53:44 PM PDT


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/5/2/193730/2610

Comcast News of note

http://www.comcast.net/news/politics/index.jsp?cat=POLITICS

May 15, 2006
Pennsylvania primary...by the numbers
Some facts and figures on Tuesday's primary election.

Sixty-one -- the number of incumbents facing primary challenges, including five legislative leaders, the most since 1980, when 68 had opposition.

One hundred and thirty-seven -- the number of incumbents with no opponents, three out of five.

Thirty -- the number of incumbents calling it quits voluntarily.

Twenty to 25 percent -- the typical turnout in a primary election. A higher turnout traditionally favors challengers. (Hint, hint.)

http://www.readingeagle.com/editor/archives/2006/05/pennsylvania_pr_1.html

State House races: Pistella, LaGrotta, Stevenson out; Veon wins Pgh. Post-Gazette
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
14TH DISTRICT
Veon renominated

Rep. Mike Veon, facing his toughest primary fight of the last decade, appeared to have beaten challenger Jay Paisley, winning the Democratic nomination.

Mr. Veon, the House minority whip, is seeking a 13th two-year term in Harrisburg. He was the only legislator to vote against the repeal of last year's pay raises, which outraged voters and grass-roots groups...

15TH DISTRICT
Rep. Biancucci wins

Incumbent Rep. Vince Biancucci, D-Aliquippa, defeated two challengers for his party's nomination: retired engineer Roger Strauss, 69, of Center, and Domenic Leone 49, a print shop owner from Hopewell...

20TH DISTRICT
Rep. Walko wins

Despite his unabashed vote for the legislative pay raise, Rep. Don Walko prevailed over three Democratic challengers who split the anti-incumbent vote...

50TH DISTRICT
DeWeese renominated

H. William DeWeese, state House Democratic leader, had little trouble dispatching his most serious primary challenger in years.

Mr. DeWeese, D-Waynesburg, easily defeated Robert Danko, the Fayette County treasurer who lives in Masontown. Mr. Danko has been county treasurer since 1990.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06137/690792-179.stm

Happy to belong to the Party of Principle

Donald Hoffman May 20, 2006
Primary election defeats pave the way for real reform ANOTHER VIEW

As it turned out though, this past Tuesday's Primary Election might have become one of the most inspiring elections in Pennsylvania history. The story was told in graphic clarity when I picked up The Morning Call Wednesday morning. Emblazoned across the front page, above the fold, was the headline ''PAY-BACK TIME.'' Under the headline, there was a Rogue's Gallery of five of the so-called architects and beneficiaries of the infamous legislative pay grab of 2005. And to my absolute glee, I saw in bold red letters, the word ''OUT'' stamped across the portraits of Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer, Republican Senate Majority Leader David Brightbill, and Republican Rep. Paul Semmel.

Unfortunately, the word ''SAFE'' was stamped across the mug shots of Democratic House Minority Whip Mike Veon and Democratic House member Keith McCall, who both survived primary challenges, along with Democratic House Minority Leader Bill DeWeese. But as a Republican, their survival served only to reassure my own convictions regarding what I see as an obvious integrity gap between my party and the party of ''Fast Eddie'' Rendell. For my sake, I'm happy to be a member and supporter of the party that cleans up its trash and takes its scoundrels out to the wood shed for a thumping, rather than give pathetic affirmation to gluttonous pay grabbers like Mike ''Zoot Suit'' Veon. (He was the sole member of the state Legislature who voted against repealing the 2005 pay hike.) I'd say, you can't ask for a more clear choice in which camp of the electorate to belong to.

http://www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-hoffman5-20may20,0,3256392.column?coll=all-newsopinionanotherview-hed

PA Clean Sweep Yahoo Newsgroupers

desirous of internal state Majority Republican leadership change to Democrats...

Re: Oust Perzel Strategy...elect Democrats and Libertarians

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pacleansweep/messages