The Rittenhouse Review

A Philadelphia Journal of Politics, Finance, Ethics, and Culture


Saturday, October 09, 2004  

ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL
Several Important Pennsylvania Races

Preoccupied by the presidential campaign and the effort to unseat Pennsylvania's senior Republican U.S. senator, I have been too silent for too long on too many important races for too many federal and state offices around the Keytone State, particularly those in the Philadelphia area. I would like to reverse that stance today.

Thus, in the sidebar at right readers will notice I have established a new section, "Pennsylvania Endorsements." It is here that Rittenhouse informs, and will continue to inform, readers of its preference in certain critical contests facing Pennsylvania voters.

The list, which may be expended in the future, includes the following:

As you are already aware, The Rittenhouse Review enthusiastically and wholeheartedly favors Rep. Joe Hoeffel (D) over incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter (R).

Among incumbents in the House of Representatives, The Rittenhouse Review endorses Rep. Robert Brady (D-Pa.-1), and Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.-2).

As for open seats, or those in which a Democrat is challenging a Republican incumbent, in all races reviewed so far the Review happily -- but not mindlessly -- has endorsed an especially impressive group of Democrats, including: Joe Driscoll (15th District), Lois Murphy (Sixth District), Ginny Schrader (Eighth District), Paul Scoles (Seventh District), and Allyson Schwartz (13th District).

In statewide races, The Rittenhouse Review endorses Jim Eisenhower (D) for attorney general, and Bob Casey Jr. (D) for treasurer.

I ask any and all Pennsylvania readers to join with me in supporting these candidates and to do anything and everything they can, including making financial donations, to support their efforts to make Pennsylvania, and the U.S., a better place for all.

[Post-publication addendum (October 10): Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.), who happens to be my congressman, yesterday won an enthusiastic endorsement for reelection from the Philadelphia Inquirer in "Fattah is an Innovative Thinker." Pull quote: "Fattah also has proposed a radical plan to simplify the federal income tax system by replacing it with a 'transaction fee' that would be charged, with some exceptions, whenever money changes hands. Fattah projects that the fee could save the Internal Revenue Service up to $200 billion in costs to get taxpayers to comply with current tax laws. He believes the fee could greatly increase revenues to pay down the national debt, expand health coverage and make public school funding more equitable. The fact that this out-of-the-box idea is getting serious attention in Washington is further evidence of Fattah's creativity, which in the past has helped people escape crime-ridden environments, and even helped the city weather its early 1990s brush with bankruptcy. The Inquirer endorses Chaka Fattah for reelection. He has earned it."]

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