Tea Party Numbers Released: 2 Million, 2 Thousand

Door-to-Door Visits Begin for 2010 Census

From the Republican Party of Pennsylvania:

HARRISBURG – In order to commemorate Senator Arlen Specter's decision to embrace the Party of President Barack Obama, Senator Harry Reid, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and their out-of-control big government agenda, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania is proud to announce the launch of its latest initiative, FireSpecter.com

"Last year, Senator Specter made the decision to switch from Republican to Democrat, now our Party is committed to switching him from Democrat to ex-Senator," Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason said. "Senator Specter exemplifies everything the public dislikes and distrusts with government and is the biggest political opportunist in our nation's history.

"Whether it's his support of the nearly one trillion dollar stimulus package or his flip-flop over the Obama-Pelosi government-run health care plan, FireSpecter.com is a place for everyone who's tired of Arlen Specter’s political games to come together and support our efforts to ensure that he will not be Pennsylvania’s Senator for much longer.

"It's certainly fitting that we're launching FireSpecter.com near the anniversary of his switch and at a time when Arlen Specter is expressing doubts over his decision to abandon Pennsylvania's voters for the Party of Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi. Specter may be having second doubts about his decision, but the Republican Party is not. We are very honored that we are being represented by a candidate who actually stands for smaller government, lower taxes and less spending."

"Today marks the first day of our FireSpecter.com campaign, a campaign that will last all the way to November 2nd, the day Pennsylvanians officially hand Senator Specter a long overdue pink slip!"

The National Board of the Republican Liberty Caucus voted unanimously to endorse four candidates running for office in Pennsylvania.

The candidates, referred to by the Caucus as "advocates for liberty" are Pat Toomey (running for U.S. Senate), Pat Sellers (seeking the 6th District Congressional seat), Doug Walters (running for 93rd state House District) and Sam Rohrer (seeking the GOP nomination for Pennsylvania governor).

(Doug Walters is one of four Republicans on the May 18 ballot for the York County House seat currently held by Republican state Rep. Ron Miller, who is seeking re-election.)

From a Republican Liberty Caucus press release:

Republican Liberty Caucus National Chairman Dave Nalle observed that “These candidates represent the best the Republican Party has to offer. They believe in the traditional GOP values of individual liberty and limited government and will bring desperately needed integrity back to our government. We urge voters to go to the polls in the primary and elect all of these candidates to send a clear message to Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama that we demand accountable government, protection of our rights and fiscal responsibility."

This is a year when Liberty Republicans are becoming a major force in elections all over the country. The goal of the Republican Liberty Caucus is to elect at least five Senators and at least 25 Congressmen who are truly dedicated to the principles of small government, free enterprise and individual liberty. With a core of newly elected, principled representatives in Washington we can swing the debate away from the big government status quo and towards putting the best interests of the people first.

In 1774 John Adams wrote that the revolution had been completed "in the minds of the people" before conflict ever broke out, and we believe that a similar revolution in attitude is taking place in the United States today. The people are no longer content to sit idly by and accept the dictates of out of control government. We are demanding better service and real accountability, and if we do not get it we will keep voting complacent and unresponsive office holders out until they get the message.

Founded in 1991, the Republican Liberty Caucus exists to promote individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise within the Republican Party. To find out more, visit www.rlc.org

From Investor's Business Daily:

While senators froth over Goldman Sachs and derivatives, a climate trading scheme being run out of the Chicago Climate Exchange would make Bernie Madoff blush. Its trail leads to the White House.

Read the full editorial at the link below:

The $10 Trillion Climate Fraud - Investors.com

See related editorial, "Another U.N. outrage: The Haiti debacle," at The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Web site.

PA Tax Amnesty Generates Tremendous Response in First Days

State Income Taxes Push Many Working-Poor Families Deeper Into Poverty

Further evidence the Obama Regime is out of touch with the American people.

From POLITICO:

Nearly two-thirds of Americans do not believe the $787 billion stimulus package the president passed last year has helped create jobs, according to a new Pew Research Center poll.

Sixty-two percent of those polled said the stimulus hasn’t contributed to job creation, while 33 percent said the package has.

Only a slight majority, 51 percent, of Democrats think the stimulus helped create jobs; 42 percent said it has not. Seventy-nine percent of self-identified Republicans said the stimulus didn’t aid job growth, while 18 percent thought it did.

The survey also showed that voters are mixed on whether the Troubled Asset Relief Program was effective in staving off a deeper financial crisis.

Forty-nine percent said TARP did not prevent a more severe crisis, compared to 42 percent who said it did.

Poll: Most Americans think the stimulus didn't help - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com

Sam Rohrer is probably the most popular political figure in Berks County right now so when he decides to endorse a fellow Republican for the 130th state House District, it could tip the race to David M. Maloney.

Two Republicans - Maloney and Tammy Gore - are seeking the GOP nomination on May 18 to run against two-term incumbent Democrat David Kessler, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.

From the Maloney for State Representative campaign:

Gubernatorial candidate Sam Rohrer has endorsed David M. Maloney's run for the state house. Maloney's campaign made the announcement Wednesday. Maloney is a candidate for the 130th State Legislative Seat in Berks County.

Sam Rohrer said "David Maloney is a man I will be able to count on to help me in the state house when I am governor. We will have a tremendous amount of work to do, difficult decisions to make on many important issues. I will be very glad to have David in my corner in Harrisburg."

Maloney said "Sam's endorsement means a great deal to me. I have come to know and respect Sam Rohrer over the years and I truly believe Sam is the right man to be our next governor." Maloney is a self employed carpenter and home remodeler. He is a former Oley Valley School Board member living in Pike Township, Berks County. "Sam's agenda for Pennsylvania is exactly what we need. Sam Rohrer's defense of the family, life, and freedom will be my model as a legislator."

Maloney and Rohrer agree that the keys to economic recovery in Pennsylvania are removing government roadblocks to job creation, reducing the cost of state government and the elimination of school property taxes.

When asked about Republican chances of success in November, Maloney said "Right now, we have momentum on our side here in Pennsylvania. We have strong candidates led by Sam Rohrer. For me personally, I have the energy and the volunteers and the organization behind me to win back the 130th seat, and at the same time I will do whatever I can to help Sam Rohrer become the next governor of Pennsylvania."

Former state Rep. Dennis Leh, who held the 130th House District seat for 20 years, is also backing Maloney and is serving as Maloney's campaign chairman.

For more information about Maloney, visit his campaign Web site, http://www.maloneyforpahouse.com/

Governor Rendell Announces Nominations, Appointments

Pennsylvania Teamsters Endorse Arlen Specter for Re-Election

Employee Benefits Brokers' Predictions Regarding Health Care Reform Revealed in Study by Benefits Selling

DCNR: iConserve PA Focusing on 'Trees and Forests' in 2010

Arlen Specter's Senate seat from Pennsylvania and a Congressional seat from the Keystone State are on the list.

Gary Bauer to Target 22 House and Three Senate Seats; 'The Assault On Free Enterprise and Traditional Values Must End'

Call for Congressional Inquiry of Censorship of Islamic Terminology in Gov't

Glad to see somebody is still reading newspapers.

USA TODAY Remains Number One in Total Daily Print Circulation

In the Weekly Republican Address, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison warns about Democrats' financial regulation bill not stopping future bailouts.

Sen. Hutchison says, "Republicans are working to ensure the bill would forbid any future bailouts of Wall Street banks.... The Democrats pushed a bill through the Senate Banking Committee that does not stop future bailouts. Republicans have been attacked for speaking out against it and asking for bipartisan negotiations before allowing the bill to be debated on the Senate floor. But to be clear, we will stand firm against a partisan bill that exposes ordinary taxpayers to future bailouts or favors big companies over community banks across America. The tactics the Democratic leadership used to pass the health care bill must not be repeated."

She adds, "The fact is a growing number of experts on both sides of the ideological spectrum are coming to see what Republicans have been saying all along: the Financial Regulation Bill contains serious flaws. We believe this bill can be fixed, with a sincere bipartisan solution."

Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Opens PA Tax Amnesty; New Program Waives All Penalties, Halves Interest on Back Taxes Paid by June 18

State Rep. Tom Quigley (R-Montgomery) will lead a hearing of the House Republican Policy Committee in its examination of special education policies in Pennsylvania's public schools.

The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 29, at the Spring-Ford Area School District’s Ninth Grade Center, located at 400 Lewis Road in Royersford.

From a press release issued by Quigley:

"Special education is a vital service our public schools provide, and we have to be sure we are providing those services effectively," said Quigley. "During these difficult economic times, we must also continue to ensure that we are allocating every public dollar to its maximum potential."

The committee will hear testimony during this public hearing from:

· Dr. Marsha R. Hurda, superintendent of the Spring-Ford Area School District.

· Pam Bateson, director of special education and student services of the Pottstown School District.

· Linda Adams, business director of the Pottstown School District.

· Jerry Oleksiak, treasurer of the Pennsylvania State Education Association.

· Andrew E. Faust, Esq. of Sweet, Stevens, Williams and Katz LLP, representing the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

For more information about the hearing, call Quigley's office at 610-326-9563 or visit PAGOPPolicy.com

Did you catch "America: The Story of Us" on the History Channel Sunday night? It was the two-hour premiere, covering the arrival of the first settlers to American shores through the War of Independence. The series will run for 12 hours.

I'm a history buff, especially American history and I learned things I never knew before about the early days of the nation.

The premiere episode was fantastic and I highly recommend catching it in rerun and watching the rest of the series.

For more on the program, check out the History Channel Web site.

State Sen. Anthony Williams, a Democrat from Philadelphia, missed his calling. He should have run for mayor of Philadelphia. His issues (gun violence, school choice) are targeted strictly toward Philly.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate puts gun violence, job creation at top of agenda

It's amazing how little coverage this study received by the corrupt mainstream media.

A George Mason University survey of 571 television meteorologists found that 1 in 4 (or 27%) agreed with the statement that "global warming is a scam." Another 21% say
they don't know yet if global warming is happening.

Only one third of TV weathercasters believe that there is a scientific consensus on climate change, the survey found.

These are people who earn their living studying weather patterns and climate.

Read the full 24-page survey here.

From a new Rasmussen Reports poll:

Forty-seven percent (47%) of likely voters in Pennsylvania now approve of the job Ed Rendell is doing as governor.

Slightly more than half (52%), however, disapprove of how the Democrat is doing his job, according to a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state. These figures include 16% who strongly approve and 31% who strongly disapprove.

The latest findings show little change from last month, but the number of voters who approve of Rendell's job performance as governor is down six points from early June 2009 when 53% felt that way. At that time, 46% disapproved of his performance.

Perhaps it's no surprise that 70% of GOP voters disapprove of his job performance, while 66% like the job the governor is doing. But 65% of voters not affiliated with either party disapprove, too.

Read more poll results at the link below:

47% in Pennsylvania Approve of Governor, 52% Disapprove

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Greg Giroux, writing at CQ Politics, compiles a Top 10 List of Best-Funded House Challengers, including the Democratic challengers to Rep. Jim Gerlach (PA-6th) and Rep. Charlie Dent (PA-15th).

Here's what Giroux has to say about the well-funded challengers:

Doug Pike (D-Pa.), $1.2 million. Pike, a former editorial writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, has put in nearly $1.1 million of his own money. He'll square off against Rep. Jim Gerlach in the fall, provided he first beats physician Manan Trivedi in a Democratic primary. Gerlach has a relatively low cash-on-hand total ($336,000) because he announced only in January that he would seek re-election after waging a months-long campaign for governor that stalled.

John Callahan (D-Pa.), $831,000. Callahan is the mayor of Bethlehem, one of the population centers of Pennsylvania's 15th district, where Rep. Charlie Dent ($825,000) is seeking a fourth term.

Check out the full list at CQ Politics

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions, has released a report on the nation's "most incompetent and unethical governors."

CREW's Worst Governors report provides in-depth analyses of "11 elected officials who have pushed their states' best interests aside in favor of their supporters, families, political parties and bank accounts," according to a CREW press release.

CREW also launched a Web site, www.WorstGovernors.org, which offers concise summaries of each governor's offenses and links to their full profiles and exhibits.

I just have one question: Why isn't Ed Rendell's name on the list of the 11 worst governors in the U.S.?

Here is CREW's list of the 11 worst governors in alphabetical order:

-- Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS);
-- Gov. Donald Carcieri (R-RI);
-- Gov. Jim Gibbons (R-NV);
-- Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA);
-- Gov. David Paterson (D-NY);
-- Gov. Sonny Perdue (R-GA);
-- Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX);
-- Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM);
-- Gov. Mike Rounds (R-SD);
-- Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC); and
-- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA)

More from CREW:

CREW's report also includes the Worst Governors Index, a Harper's Index-style compendium of statistics from the report.

Highlights include Gov. Perdue's $2,400 private plane ride to a NASCAR race 30 miles away, Gov. Gibbons' 867 state-billed text messages sent to his "alleged" mistress over six weeks in 2007, and Gov. Perry's minimum 17 former aides-turned-lobbyists.

CREW's executive director, Melanie Sloan, said today, "From Gov. Jindal's hundreds of campaign-contributing state appointees to Gov. Paterson's efforts to pressure a domestic violence victim to stay silent - CREW's Worst Governors report leaves you wondering if these really are the people best equipped to handle the complicated problems faced across the nation."

Sloan continued, "There has been a great deal of focus on the ethics of Congress over the past few years, but CREW's report shows that state governments are not immune to ethics problems. Too often -- whether in Washington, D.C. or in South Dakota -- our country's political leaders are more focused on what's best for the favored few, rather than on improving the lives of Americans."

Click here to visit WorstGovernors.org

Click here to read CREW's full 40-page Worst Governors report in PDF Format

Click here to read CREW's Worst Governors Index in PDF Format

For more information about CREW, visit www.citizensforethics.org

The two Republicans running for Pennsylvania governor, state Rep. Sam Rohrer and Attorney General Tom Corbett, have different interpretations on what the Constitution means. Check out these two videos and decide for yourself. Corbett is the lawyer, but Rohrer appears to have a much better understanding of the Constitution.

As if you needed another reason to send the professional politicians in Washington packing this November:

Congressional Pay Grows 15 Times Faster Than Social Security Checks

Physicians, Patients Launch Medicare Petition Drive to Congress

An interesting perspective on the Tea Party movement by CNBC's Larry Kudlow:

As I read this Contract, Tea Partyers are reminding all of us of the need for the Constitution to protect our freedoms. They're calling for a renewal of constitutional values, including — first and foremost — a return to constitutional limits on government.

The Tea Partyers who responded to this poll are demanding a rebirth of the consent of the governed. The government works for us, we don't work for it.

All this makes me think of President Reagan, who never quite succeeded in gaining a constitutional amendment for a balanced budget, or for limits on spending, or for a two-thirds congressional majority for any new tax hikes. But throughout his presidency, and for many years before, the Gipper argued for constitutional limits on government, especially government spending.

And now this message is being echoed perfectly in the tea-party Contract From America. In effect, it picks up where Reagan left off.

The Tea Partyers, whom I call free-market populists, desire a return to Reaganism. In particular, their demands for a balanced budget (third plank), for restoring fiscal responsibility (fifth plank), for ending massive government spending (sixth plank), and for stopping the pork (ninth plank) all underscore the populist revolt against runaway government spending, and therefore runaway government power.

Read the full column at the link below:

Tea Party Goal: Restore Limits Of Constitution - Investors.com

Primary Election Day in Pennsylvania isn't until May 18, but Rasmussen Reports says Attorney General Tom Corbett, a Republican, and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, a Democrat, will likely emerge as their respective party nominees.

From Rasmussen Reports:

State Attorney General Tom Corbett earns nearly 50% support again this month in Pennsylvania's race for governor, while only one of his Democratic opponents seems to be gaining any traction.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in the Keystone State finds Corbett with 45% to 49% of the vote depending on his opponent, but this marks no change from last month. In February, his best showing to date, the Republican picked up over 50% support in two of the three match-ups.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato is the one Democrat who appears to be gaining some ground. Corbett now gets 45% of the vote to Onorato's 36%. Eight percent (8%) like another candidate, and 11% are undecided. A month ago, Corbett led Onorato 46% to 29%, but he posted a two-to-one lead – 52% to 26% - over the Democrat in February.

Corbett holds a 49% to 29% lead over former Congressman Joe Hoeffel, who, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, views himself as the only true liberal among the Democratic candidates. Given this match-up, 11% prefer some other candidate, and 11% more are undecided. This race is virtually unchanged over the past two surveys.

The Republican picks up 48% support if State Auditor Jack Wagner is his Democratic opponent. Wagner earns 27% of the vote, a six-point drop from last month when he was Corbett's strongest foe. Eleven percent (11%) favor another candidate. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided. But in February, Corbett led Wagner 49% to 28%.

Read more about the poll at Rasmussen Reports.

From the group Public Notice, an independent, nonpartisan, non-profit organization dedicated to providing the facts and insights on the affects public policy has on American's financial well being:

* Over the last 10 years, federal government spending per household increased by 40%
* Over the last 10 years, federal government debt per household increased by almost 70%
* In 10 years, interest payments on the debt will more than quadruple
* In 10 years, interest payments on the debt plus autopilot programs (like Social Security and Medicare) will consume 90 cents of every federal dollar

Can anyone relate to $106 trillion? Who understands what that means to their personal financial future? Not many. Yet, if you breakdown this number so that people can see that our national debt equals the income of every American, nine times over, or that paying this unfunded promise would require selling every home in the U.S. five times, people begin to understand just how bad the problem really is.

Government spending is unsustainable! Washington must be held accountable.

For more on the group's effort click on the link below:

Is Washington Bankrupting America?

The Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats are pushing a plan to raise the federal tax on gasoline, which is already unaffordable for many Americans.

A new poll by American solutions finds 7 in 10 Americans oppose higher taxes on gasoline.

Vast Majority of Americans Oppose Kerry-Graham-Lieberman Gas Tax Bill

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Family Research Council Action PAC is planning to spend $500,000 to target the districts of 20 Democratic incumbents who voted for President Obama's abortion-funding health care bill.

Among the Democrats the AFC Action PAC wants to defeat as part of its "20 in '10" campaign are two Pennsylvania freshmen -- Rep. Chris Carney (PA's 10th Dist.) and Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (PA's 3rd Dist.) -- and veteran Rep. Paul Kanjorski (PA's 11th Dist.)

All three supported Obamacare despite widespread opposition to the bill from their constituents.

"There are good reasons why organizations like ours decided to go the extra mile and create a political action committee as another arrow in its quiver," said Connie Mackey, president of FRC Action PAC. "The thousands of families that we represent are more energized than ever to replace these so-called 'pro-life' Democrats who voted for a health care bill that for the first time in three decades uses taxpayer funds for abortion on demand.

For a complete list of the 20 Democrats the FRC Action PAC has targeted, click on the link below:

FRC Action PAC Announces Twenty Target Congressional Races for 2010

You can support the campaign to remove the 20 Democrats who voted to fund abortion with your tax dollars at the FRC Action PAC Web site.

What does it say when a struggling network turns down revenue because the message doesn't conform to its political bias?

MSNBC Rejects Revere America TV Ad

From a story by Debra Erdley on the underhanded tactics of Harrisburg politicians:

Pennsylvania increased benefits for state and school employees and lawmakers in 2001, added a cost-of-living raise for retirees in 2002, and then reduced contributions to the funds and spread costs out over a decade to soften the blow of market declines.

Pennsylvania State Education Association spokesman Wythe Keever said 1998 was the last year contributions covered the state's and school districts' shares of the full costs of benefits Pennsylvania's school employees earned that year. He blames projected steep cost increases on that, rather than the benefit boost or market decline.

"What we are saying and continue to say is, our members have done what they were supposed to do. They contributed on average 7.3 percent of their salaries to provide pension funding. The General Assembly needs to understand that the decade of underfunding has created a debt that's now due," Keever said.

Read the full story at the link below:

'Day of reckoning' expected for Pennsylvania public pension plans - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Advance America Declares That 'America Deserves a Raise'

In a sure sign the Obama Recession is far from over, eight more U.S. were forced to shut their doors by federal regulators in the past week, bringing the total number of bank failures for 2010 to 50.

During Barack Obama's first full year in office last year, 140 banks failed - the highest number of failures in 28 years. You'll recall that the savings and loan crisis was in full swing in 1992.

During George W. Bush's last two years in office, a total of just 28 banks failed.

The failures last year cost the FDIC's insurance fund more than $30 billion, according to The Associated Press.

For the record, 25 banks failed in 2008 and just three in 2007.

FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair told the wire service that the number of bank failures will peak in 2010 and be slightly more than in 2009.

From a weekend AP story on the growing number of bank failures:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Regulators on Friday shut down eight banks — three in Florida, two in California, and one each in Massachusetts, Michigan and Washington — putting the number of U.S. bank failures this year at 50.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took over the three Florida banks: Riverside National Bank in Fort Pierce, with $3.4 billion in assets; First Federal Bank of North Florida in Palatka, with $393.3 million in assets; and AmericanFirst Bank in Clermont, with assets of $90.5 million.

TD Bank Financial Group, a division of Canada's TD Bank, agreed to acquire the deposits and nearly all the assets of the three Florida banks.

The FDIC also seized Innovative Bank, based in Oakland, Calif., with about $269 million in assets; Tamalpais Bank of San Rafael, Calif., with about $629 million in assets; City Bank, based in Lynnwood, Wash., with about $1.1 billion in assets; Butler Bank in Lowell, Mass., with $268 million in assets; and Lakeside Community Bank in Sterling Heights, Mich., with $53 million in assets.

Los Angeles-based Center Bank agreed to assume the assets and deposits of Innovative Bank. San Francisco-based Union Bank is acquiring the assets and deposits of Tamalpais Bank. Whidbey Island Bank, based in Coupeville, Wash., is assuming the deposits of City Bank and $704.1 million of its assets. People's United Bank in Bridgeport, Conn., agreed to assume the assets and deposits of Butler Bank.
The FDIC couldn't find a buyer for Lakeside Community Bank. First Michigan Bank in Troy, Mich., will take over the failed bank's direct deposit operations for federal payments, such as Social Security and veterans' benefits.

The failure of Riverside National Bank is expected to cost the deposit insurance fund $491.8 million. For the other banks, the estimated costs: First Federal Bank of North Florida, $6 million; AmericanFirst Bank, $10.5 million; Innovative Bank, $37.8 million; Tamalpais Bank, $81.1 million; City Bank, $323.4 million; Butler Bank, $22.9 million; and Lakeside Community Bank, $11.2 million.

Depositors' money is insured up to $250,000 per account by the FDIC, which is backed by the government.

Taking a shot at the growing Tea Party movement, Barack Obama wants you to thank him for the 25 tax hikes he has signed into law so far.

Investor's Business Daily sees things differently:

The president can belittle people all he wants. That's his prerogative. But he ignores Tea Partyers at his own political peril. They will not go away or be mollified by the usual prevarications.

Democrats ridicule Tea Party followers as yahoos, racists and illiterates, a mob willing to be led. They are anything but. Indeed, they have shown their seriousness by putting out their own "Contract From America."

It's a common sense document, proposing 10 concrete steps to bring sanity back to our government and make it accountable once again. Sadly, the mainstream media won't cover it. But if you're interested, go to www.thecontract.org, and see if you don't agree.

Read the full editorial at the link below:

Thanks For What? - Investors.com

Rep. Eric Cantor: "The Democrats control every lever of power in Washington and they've never met a tax they didn't like or found a dollar they couldn't spend. Their economic plan? You pay, they spend, your children owe. You deserve better."

The Obama Administration today announced the launch of StopFraud.gov, billed as a "one-stop shop for the American people to learn how to protect themselves from fraud and to report it wherever - and however - it occurs."

I'd like to report Barack Obama for swindling the American people over the past 15 months.

Nobody knows the real Dan Onorato, the leading Democratic contender for Pennsylvania governor, like his hometown newspapers.

Onorato's 'record' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Rep. Duane Milne (R-Chester) today issued the following statement in response to the suspected arson attack at the Phoenixville Armory, which hosts the 1067th and B/1-111th Infantry Units of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard:

"I am appalled at the cowardly act that has caused severe damage to the Phoenixville Armory and I condemn this in no uncertain terms. The investigation is continuing but, so far, the results speak for themselves in the fact that there has been significant damage done to the structure.

"The only good news coming out of this is, thankfully, no one was injured, and all of the weaponry inside has been accounted for and secured. I am also thankful for the efforts of all of the first responders at the scene, and for the assistance of the Chester County Fire Marshal Unit.

"The person or persons who have committed this act will be found, and must be brought to justice. This is an attack on our Pennsylvania Army National Guard, and it must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

It's been a bad April so far for Gov. Ed Rendell.

Earlier this month, the Obama Administration rejected Rendell's plan to toll Interstate 80, sending state transportation funding into a tailspin.

When Rendell signed Act 44 into law in 2007, he was counting on revenue from I-80 tolls to fund a good portion of the state's transportation needs. Without the tolls, the state comes up at least $472 million short in its transportation budget, which means hundreds of needed road and bridge projects won't get done.

Funding for mass transit will also come up short without the toll revenues.

This is what happens when Rendell plays a shell game with state funding.

"For the past three years, the Commonwealth has put all its eggs in the tolling basket and disregarded other options for funding highways and transit," Congressman Glenn Thompson, R-PA-5, told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "Thanks to Act 44, the Turnpike Commission is up to its eyeballs in debt because of the borrowing done based on the premise that I-80 would be tolled."

Now comes word that another Rendell fiscal scheme is unraveling.

Rendell's 2009-10 budget, which was approved 101 days late by the Legislature, was "balanced" partly by raiding a special account used to defray physicians' cost of malpractice insurance.

Rendell "borrowed" $800 million from the so-called M-Care fund to "balance" his General Fund budget, which was passed primarily along party votes with Democrats rubber-stamping Rendell's phony numbers.

But a Commonwealth Court ruled 4-1 today that Rendell was wrong to take the money from the M-Care fund and has to put it back.

Rendell's budget is already $700 million in the red with three months left in the fiscal year. Senate Appropriations Chairman Jake Corman, a Republican, says the state will end up with at least a $1 billion deficit by June 30 if the current tax tax collection trends continue.

The 2008-09 General Fund budget ended up $3.25 billion in the red so Rendell will be leaving office having run up more than $4 billion deficit spending. Heckuva job, Ed.

How fast is Harrisburg spending your money? So fast, it will make your head spin.

From PleaseNoMoreTaxes.org:

Pennsylvania state government is spending $65,857,000,000 of YOUR money this fiscal year at a clip of

* $180,430,000 per day.
* $7,520,000 per hour.
* $2,088 per second.

Check out PleaseNoMoreTaxes.org, a site created by The Commonwealth Foundation, to find out where your money is going, sign a petition to end the madness (and see how you can get a free bumper sticker, too).

From POLICY BLOG:

Federal, state, and local taxes consume about 28% of the income earned by Pennsylvania residents, in the aggregate. This represents 103 days - meaning Pennsylvanians worked from January 1 until April 13 to earn enough money to pay their tax bill. Pennsylvania has the 11th latest Tax Freedom Day in the country.

If you think your taxes are high enough, request a bumper sticker with the rallying cry PLEASE NO MORE TAXES!

Another 5,000 Pennsylvania jobs were lost in March, bringing the state's unemployment rate to 9 percent, according to new figures released today by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.

Pennsylvania's job count was down 84,300, or 1.5 percent, since March 2009 as the Obama Recession enters its 15th month.

Pennsylvania's Employment Situation: March

Governor George Pataki Announces Formation of Revere America

Richard Viguerie: Tea Party Represents Revolt of the Middle Class, Unfettered New Force

PennDOT Announces Work Zone Awareness Week; Urges Motorists to be Cautious Year-Round

More and more Americans want a second opinion on Obamacare. And those government death panels haven't even started their work yet.

From Rasmussen Reports:

Three weeks after Congress passed its new national health care plan, support for repeal of the measure has risen four points to 58%. That includes 50% of U.S. voters who strongly favor repeal.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters nationwide finds 38% still oppose repeal, including 32% who strongly oppose it.

For the previous two weeks following passage of the controversial plan, 54% of voters have favored repeal and 42% have opposed it.

But only 38% of voters think it is even somewhat likely that the health care bill will be repealed. Fifty-one percent (51%) see repeal as unlikely. Those figures include 11% who say it’s very likely to be repealed and 18% who say repeal is not at all likely.

Still, 52% believe the health care plan will be bad for the country. Thirty-nine percent (39%) think it will be good for the country, and one percent (1%) more say it will have no impact. These numbers have changed little since the March 21 House vote to pass the health care bill.

Read more poll results at Rasmussen Reports.

For what it's worth, the state's largest labor union has announced its endorsements for Pennsylvania Lt. Governor, Pennsylvania Senate and Pennsylvania House in the May 18 Primary.

All but one of the 28 endorsements went to a Democrat, which shows how serious labor unions take endorsements. The endorsement of Republican incumbent state Rep. Karen D. Beyer in the 131st state House District makes you wonder if the union is trying to get rid of Beyer. Union endorsements usually go to candidates who support government spending and higher taxes. I'm not sure Beyer wants voters to know the AFL-CIO is behind her.

Read the full list of endorsements at the link below:

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Endorses Jonathan Saidel for Lieutenant Governor and State Legislative Candidates for May 18th Primary

Census Bureau Director To Pennsylvania: There Are Only Three Days Left to Mail Back Your Census Form

PJTV Covers Tax Day Tea Parties and Tea Party Crashers

World Net Daily Sues White House Correspondents' Association

He's done it again. Barack Obama bows to another foreign leader, this time, the Chinese dictator, Hu Jintao.

The story isn't getting the coverage it deserves from the corrupt mainstream media but the far left is so worried about the growing Tea Party movement that it is going public with plans to "infiltrate" Tea Party gatherings.

Obama disciples are being dispatched to Tea Party gatherings across the country to disrupt rallies and make Tea Party protesters look bad by shouting racial and anti-gay slurs or displaying signs with misspelled words to make Tea Party members look like "morons."

Jason Levin, founder of the Web site www.crashtheteaparty.org, told The Associated Press that the group has 65 campaign leaders in major cities across the country who are trying to recruit members to infiltrate tea party events for April 15.

Tea party groups are planning hundreds of demonstrations on Tax Day to protest runaway government spending, massive debt and higher taxes.

"Do I think every member of the tea party is a homophobe, racist or a moron? No, absolutely not," Levin told AP. "Do I think most of them are homophobes, racists or morons? Absolutely."

Speaking of morons, Levin apparently did not hear about the recent Gallup Poll that found that 51% of Tea Party members are independents or Democrats, most of them have college degrees and most of them earn good salaries. This dispels the liberal myth that Tea Party activists are uneducated far-right extremists.

A majority of Americans also agree with the Tea Party movement's call for lower taxes and lower spending, according to several recent polls. So, who's further away from mainstream America, Mr. Levin?

Read the radical left's manifesto at www.crashtheteaparty.org

Pennsylvania Lottery Announces Retirement of Super 7 Game

2011 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Finalists Named

POLICY BLOG has compiled a list of nearly 20 communities across Pennsylvania where Tea Party protests will be held on Tax Day, April 15, and the upcoming weekend.

Here's your chance to send a message to Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats that you pay enough taxes.

Also check out Pennsylvania Tea Party Patriots for the latest updates on Tea Party activities.

Kathleen Parker Admits Winning Pulitzer Prize For Bashing Conservatives | NewsBusters.org

Tony Phyrillas, The Mercury's award-winning political columnist and blogger, will be the featured speaker at the Fifth Annual Healthy Lifestyles Expo Friday, April 16, at Montgomery County Community College, 101 College Drive, Pottstown.

Phyrillas will be taking part in a Q-and-A from 11 a.m.-11.:45 a.m., followed immediately by a free lunch.

The Expo, co-sponsored by state Rep. Tom Quigley, Montgomery County Community College, the TriCounty Community Network and The Mercury, runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Other Expo highlights include caricatures by Alan MacBain, Pipper The Clown, musical performances by the Pottstown Middle School Woodwinds Ensemble and Pottstown High School Show Choir, as well as five $100 cash drawings.

All programs, health screenings, demonstrations and entertainment are free to the public. A special section in The Mercury will list all the events as well as the full calendar of events.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt's advice for American Society of News Editors - Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com

Taxed Too Much Already: Americans Across the Board Agree, Per Rasmussen | NewsBusters.org

POLICY BLOG has compiled a list of nearly 20 communities across Pennsylvania where Tea Party protests will be held on Tax Day, April 15, and the upcoming weekend.

Here's your chance to send a message to Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats that you pay enough taxes.

Also check out Pennsylvania Tea Party Patriots for the latest updates on Tea Party activities.

We are becoming a nation of people dependent on government, argues Tax Foundation President Scott A. Hodge in a thought-provoking column in Investor's Business Daily.

What's worse is that Barack Obaman is encouraging the dependency through his polices.

"President Obama's policies, from health care to taxes, are all intended to increase the number of takers in America while reducing the number of givers," Hodge writes. "Our analysis of Obama's FY 2011 budget plan shows that it would increase the amount of redistribution from the top 10% of families by nearly $100 billion per year — to a total of $854 billion — while expanding the amount of government benefits targeted to the middle and upper-middle classes."

From his column:

Are you a giver or a taker? No, that is not a bad pickup line from an Internet dating site — it's a question every American should be asking themselves these days. "Do I take more than I give?"

I'm sure most of us want to be considered givers, not takers. After all, we grew up with the old adage that "it is better to give than receive." But we all know people who are more takers than givers.

We've all seen someone who brings a small salad to the potluck but piles lots of your casserole on his plate. Or, there is always one person in the lunch group who orders the most expensive meal on the menu because she knows you are all splitting the check.

The same thing happens with government. A growing number of Americans are contributing little but taking a lot, and a shrinking number are giving a lot but taking little.

Recent IRS data for 2008 reports that a record 52 million Americans — or 36% of all filers — filed a tax return but had no income tax liability because of the generosity of the credits and deductions that have been enacted over the past 15 years.

Read the full column, "Once Self-Reliant, Now A Nation Of Takers," at the newspaper's Web site.

I'm sure everyone has read "Green Eggs and Ham" at some point in their life.

What would Dr. Seuss write about Obamacare?

Washington Times columnist Martin Bodek gives it his best shot. Here's how the column starts:

I am Bam

Bam I am

That Bam-I-am!

That Bam-I-am!

I do not like that Bam-I-am!

Do you like my health care plan?

I do not like it, Bam-I-am.

BODEK: Mean regs and scam - Washington Times

Auditor General Jack Wagner Says Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has $2.23 Billion in Debt Tied to Swaps

FRC Action Statement on Congressman Bart Stupak's Retirement

Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) will be the headline speaker at the Berks County GOP Spring 2010 Dinner.

The event is scheduled for Tuesday, April 13, at the Crowne Plaza Reading Hotel (formerly the Sheraton Reading), located at 1741 Papermill Road in Wyomissing.

"It will be great to be back in Berks County and visit with many friends who I worked with during my time in the Senate," Santorum said in a written statement. "With the recent government takeover of our health care system and the administration's lack of commitment to our nation's security, our country is in need of a course correction. I am looking forward to sharing my views on these critical issues at this gathering."

The dinner begins at 6:45 p.m. Santorum is scheduled to speak at 7:15 p.m.

For tickets, call Christine Gordon at 610-587-9917.

The annual dinner is the Berks County Republican Committee's major fundraiser and also helps introduce Republicans candidates to party supporters.

For more information about the Berks County GOP, visit the party's Web site at http://berks.mygopsite.net/

Deployed Military Members Encouraged to Request Absentee Ballot

FNC's Goldberg Hits Media Double Standard on Tea Party Protesters | NewsBusters.org

A new report by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) recaps what states should do to alleviate the fiscal pain of the current recession, and also what they should avoid.

Unfortunately, Pennsylvania ranks near the bottom among the 50 states, finishing 46th in Economic Performance Rank and 43rd in Economic
Outlook Rank.

Be sure to thank Gov. Ed Rendell for destroying the state's economy over the past eight years.

The third edition of Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index shows how many states (Pennsylvania included) responded to the economic crisis with higher taxes, new spending, and more debt.

"Many state legislators across America are taking the wrong actions to improve their economies," said Indiana state Sen. Jim Buck, chairman of ALEC's Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force. "As elected officials, we must be exceedingly vigilant to avoid tax increases, which would only prolong the current downturn for states."

Arthur B. Laffer, noted economist and co-author of the study, summarized the report's findings: "Tax and economic policies are essential to the competitiveness of our states. Most actions being taken in state capitals today -- and practically all actions from Washington, D.C. today -- are flat-out wrong." Rich States, Poor States presents state economic outlook rankings based on public policies that have a proven impact on growth, revealing which states have the best chance of experiencing economic recovery, and which need to re-examine their policies before they can expect to see improvement."

The 139-page report outlines steps states can take to bring about economic recovery. Somebody should make sure Rendell and every member of the Legislature read the report.

New Study Outlines the Road to Economic Recovery for States: Utah Still Leads, While New York Suffers

Didn't Gov. Ed Rendell solve the state's transportation funding crisis in 2007 when he signed Act 44 into law? No? That was just another Rendell scam?

The governor is now calling for a special session of the Legislature to solve the problem he pretended to have solved three years ago.

Governor Rendell Announces He Will Call Special Legislative Session to Address Transportation Funding

Eat your heart out Bon Jovi and John Cougar Mellencamp.

For more on the Russ Diamond campaign, visit www.russdiamond.org

A new Gallup Poll shatters the myth that the Tea Party movement is made up mostly of right-wing extremists. Sorry Mainstream Media. You've been caught with your pants down again.

If anything, the poll exposes how far left-wing extremists who populate the news media have gone to vilify the Tea Party movement.

Some highlights from the USA Today/Gallup Poll:

Tea Party supporters skew right politically; but demographically, they are generally representative of the public at large. That's the finding of a USA Today/Gallup poll conducted March 26-28, in which 28% of U.S. adults call themselves supporters of the Tea Party movement.

Tea Party members consist of 43 percent Independents and 8 percent Democrats. That's 51 percent, also known as a majority. The poll finds 49 percent of Team Party members are Republicans.

Another liberal media myth shot down: Tea Party members are uneducated. The Gallup poll finds that 65 percent of Tea Party members have some college education. The poll found 34 percent had some college background, 16 percent were college graduates and 15 percent had postgraduate experience.

From Gallup: "A separate question included in the March 26-28 poll showed that 37% of Americans view the Tea Party movement favorably and 40% unfavorably, with the remainder expressing no opinion."

Sounds like the Mainstream Media is in the minority in vilifying the Tea Party movement. They used the same tactics in 2008 to denigrate Sarah Palin. What is the media afraid of?

To review the full Gallup Poll results, click here.

WWII American Civilian POWs 65th Anniversary of Liberation

Judicial Watch Calls on House and Senate Ethics Committees to Investigate Rampant Abuse of Foreign Travel Expenses and Per Diems

Teen Birth Rates Drop in 2008 Following a Two-Year Increase

Gas prices are headed past $3 a gallon again but there's hardly a peep from the Mainstream Media or Congress about Obama's failed energy policies.

Why did the left-wing media make such a big stink when George W. Bush was in the White House but is ignoring the story under the Obama regime?

From the Philadelphia Business Journal:

The average gas price in Pennsylvania began the week at the same level as a week earlier, according to the AAA Mid-Atlantic automotive services organization.

The average price Sunday for a gallon of unleaded regular was $2.83. In the five-county southeastern Pennsylvania area, including Philadelphia, the average was $2.84, up a penny from the previous week. In South Jersey the average was $2.64, up from $2.61.

"Despite slight declines in gas prices, many analysts continue to believe prices will hit the $3 a gallon mark this spring and/or summer before retreating toward the end of the year," AAA said. "The shift to summer blends of gasoline and increased demand by motorists will likely cause prices to rise this April."

Read more: AAA expecting gas prices to rise this month - Philadelphia Business Journal:

AAA expecting gas prices to rise this month - Philadelphia Business Journal:

A few years back, a left-wing blogger referred to me as a "shameless self-promoter" because I posted something about a national award I won for my newspaper columns.

If that liberal blogger is still around, he's not going to like this post either.

The Mercury won three awards in its circulation category in the annual Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors contest.

This is from The Associated Press story listing the winners:

The Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors announced winners of the group's annual writing and photo contests.

Cash awards will be presented to the first-place winners at the annual PAPME awards dinner in Harrisburg on May 14.

The entries were judged by editors at AP member newspapers in Colorado and Utah.

Judges selected a "Best of Show" winner across all circulation divisions, and a photographer to receive the Paul Vathis Memorial Photography Portfolio Award, in honor of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning AP photographer from Pennsylvania. Winners for both prizes will be revealed at the award ceremony.

CIRCULATION 15,000-30,000

WRITING
Column
First: Tony Phyrillas, The Mercury, "Gov. Rendell is turning into a Republican"
Second: Nancy March, The Mercury, "Telling your stories is a privilege"

Public Service
First: Centre Daily Times Staff, Centre Daily Times, "Binge Drinking"
Second: Nancy March, Evan Brandt, The Mercury, "Borough on the brink"

You can read the full award-winning entry, "Gov. Rendell is turning into a Republican," at The Mercury's Web site.

A "conservative political activist" fed up with "corrupt politicians who run negative smear campaigns" launched a blog over the Easter weekend called The Real Tom Corbett, a site dedicated to "revealing the seldom-seen but verifiable facts" about Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett, who wants to be Pennsylvania's next governor.

The blogger remains anonymous, using the name Only The Truth to post his or her articles about Corbett.

It's unlikely the site has any direct ties to Corbett's political rival, Sam Rohrer - the Berks County state lawmaker also seeking the GOP nomination for governor - but it's also clear that the blogger is a Sam Rohrer supporter.

So far, the site contains two posts: "The big elephant in the room," which claims Corbett is misrepresenting Rohrer's 2005 vote on the legislative pay raise, and "The curious case of the Facebook fans," which claims the Corbett campaign is somehow manipulating the number of "fans" its candidate has collected on Facebook.

If only elections were decided on Facebook.

The blog also includes links to two other blogs that are often critical of Corbett, CasablancaPA and PennPatriot.

Check out The Real Tom Corbett for yourself here.

Pitching ace Roy Halladay was dominating on the mound and Ryan Howard hit his first homer of the season as the Philadelphia Phillies began their defense of the National League Pennant by crushing the Washington Nationals, 11-1, to win their 2010 opener Monday afternoon.

Now that's the way to start the season.

Oh yeah, some guy named Barack Obama threw out the first pitch.

Halladay struck out nine batters in seven innings of work, allowing one run, six hits and two walks in his National League debut.

Ryan Howard hit a two-run homer to right field in the fourth to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead.

Third-baseman Placido Polanco, making his return to the Phillies, had six RBIs, including a grand slam in the fourth inning that put the game away.

Game 1 of the 2010 World Series is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 27. Halladay is penciled in to start that game. See you then.

Keep up with the Phillies at the team's Web site.

2010 Census by the Numbers

Obama double-clutched on the mound (that's a balk) and then threw wildly left of the plate. Sums up his first year on office.

State Police: Eight Killed, 247 Injured in Easter Driving Period Crashes

The Obama lovers are going to have a hard time explaining this one. CBS is part of the state-run Obama media. Despite the passage of Obamacare, the 13-month obsession of this White House, job approval numbers for The Chosen One continue to slide.

From a new CBS News poll:

Last week, President Obama signed historic health care reform legislation into law -- but his legislative success doesn't seem to have helped his image with the American public.

The latest CBS News Poll, conducted between March 29 and April 1, found Americans unhappier than ever with Mr. Obama's handling of health care - and still worried about the state of the economy.

President Obama's overall job approval rating has fallen to an all-time low of 44 percent, down five points from late March, just before the health bill's passage in the House of Representatives. It's down 24 points since his all-time high last April.

Forty-one percent of those polled said they disapproved of the president's performance. When it comes to health care, the President's approval rating is even lower -- and is also a new all-time low. Only 34 percent approved, while 55 percent said they disapproved.

Read more poll results here.

Pennsylvania collected $3.9 billion in General Fund revenue in March, which was $243 million, or 5.9 percent, less than anticipated, according to Acting Secretary of Revenue C. Daniel Hassell.

Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $19.9 billion, which is $719.6 million, or 3.5 percent, below estimate, Hassell.

Pennsylvania Revenue Department Releases March Collections

Fourteen months into the Obama Recession, it's getting harder for Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats to blame George W. Bush for the economic mess they are largely responsible for.

From POLITICO:

Barack Obama is getting more blame for what voters see as a lagging economy than at any other time in his presidency, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll out Thursday.

Additionally, 50 percent said Obama does not deserve reelection, with 46 percent saying otherwise.

The poll shows that 26 percent of 1,033 adults polled nationwide said Obama deserves a “great deal” of blame for the nation’s economic problems, double the percentage that said the same last summer, notwithstanding the fact that numerous economic indicators show growth. Half said he deserves at least a “moderate” amount of blame, USA TODAY reported.

Obama though does not bear as much responsibility as former President George W. Bush. Some 42 percent said Bush deserves a “great deal” of blame for the economy.

Other portions of the poll show that Obama’s numbers have dipped across the board.

For the first time since the presidential campaign, less than 50 percent said that Obama does share their values.

Read the full story at the link below:

Poll: More economic blame for President Obama - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com