Mysteries of Pittsburgh Politics

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Sunday October 14, 2007 · 5:28 PM PDT

2007/10/14 · 17:28

The mayoral race in Pittsburgh is getting kind of interesting, with many Reform Democrats vowing to vote for the Republican Mark DeSantis (former aide to Senator John Heinz) over the rusty Democratic machine interim mayor Luke Ravenstahl, a 27 yr. old who came into office a little over a year ago after the death of Mayor Bob O'Connor.

An AP story titled "Pittsburgh has serious GOP mayoral candidate for a change" notes:

30 Democratic committe members have defected to the DeSantis camp.

So why would 30 Democratic committee members go against the machine? And why is the Burghosphere (e.g., here, here, here, and here) supporting DeSantis? (There are Democrats for DeSantis.)

And can he actually win?

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Wednesday May 09, 2007 · 3:55 PM PDT

2007/05/09 · 15:55

Michael Moore's "Sicko" will be released June 29. From Variety:

Pact reteams Bob and Harvey Weinstein with Lionsgate three years after the movie-mogul sibs picked the indie studio to help roll out "Fahrenheit 9/11."

"Lionsgate was very helpful the last time, and this time we're happy to have them involved again," Harvey Weinstein said. He added that he sees "Sicko" as a less controversial film than "Fahrenheit."

"I've seen this movie with Republicans and Democrats, and this is one time Michael has sort of unified everyone," he said. "The health care industry might not have a very good July Fourth."

I wonder which Republicans and Democrats he watched it with?

Apparently it will play at Cannes so we will know more soon:

This year's festival will take place from May 16-27. "SiCKO" will play out of competition, per Michael's request. It will be the first time the film will be seen by the public. "SiCKO" is scheduled to be in theaters this summer.

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Friday January 12, 2007 · 12:09 PM PST

2007/01/12 · 12:09

The Medicare Part-D "negotiation" bill (HR 4) that just passed in the House is shameful. Nearly every Democratic member of Congress ran on a promise to "fix the Medicare drug bill." They said such things in earnest tones at senior centers and school gyms and barns packed with everyday Americans. We believed them.

Now they’re in the squeaky halls of power in DC with Big Pharma lobbyists dangling bags of cash, and they think the American people are too stupid to recognize their flim-flam.

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Saturday March 25, 2006 · 6:32 AM PST

2006/03/25 · 06:32

When I heard yesterday that Bush was planning to make a quick trip to Pittsburgh to appear at a fund-raiser for Santorum, I had visions of outraged Pittsburghers lining the streets to give his motorcade something to reckon with.

I checked out the Post-Gazette and saw this brief story about his "opponents" protesting:

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Saturday February 11, 2006 · 6:04 AM PST

2006/02/11 · 06:04

On January 29th, Rob over at Raising Kaine noted that Judy Feder announced her run against Frank Wolf in the VA-10 race. Her campaign's placeholder website doesn't contain much info yet, but for all those health policy wonks in the dKos community, Judy Feder is the real deal.

And for those living in the area (DC, Northern VA, Western MD and West Virginia), please read up on her and get involved on the ground.

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Sunday January 22, 2006 · 7:39 AM PST

2006/01/22 · 07:39

Time has seen the photos, but their source wouldn't let them publish. This calls for a blogswarm -- make the "missing photos" the story until some tabloid ponies up the big bucks.

Who has access to these photos and why show them to Time?

The President's memory may soon be unhappily refreshed. TIME has seen five photographs of Abramoff and the President that suggest a level of contact between them that Bush's aides have downplayed. While TIME's source refused to provide the pictures for publication, they are likely to see the light of day eventually because celebrity tabloids are on the prowl for them. And that has been a fear of the Bush team's for the past several months: that a picture of the President with the admitted felon could become the iconic image of direct presidential involvement in a burgeoning corruption scandal--like the shots of President Bill Clinton at White House coffees for campaign contributors in the mid-1990s.

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Tuesday October 25, 2005 · 5:38 AM PDT

2005/10/25 · 05:38

I just came across this article from Sunday's Centre Daily Times about Bob Casey's visit to State College, PA.

On Iraq, Casey said Santorum should be asking Bush "tough questions" about body armor for soldiers, training of Iraqi forces and getting U.S. troops "out of harm's way."

But the point got less emphasis than his other remarks and, after the 20-minute speech, State College resident Wendy Holder didn't recall that he'd brought up Iraq.

"He didn't say anything about it," she said. "I think we ought to get out."

Another State College resident, Mike Sletson, approached Casey afterward to tell him that if he didn't call for an early withdrawal from Iraq, he risked losing to Santorum next year because a third-party anti-war candidate could cost Casey hundreds of thousands of votes.

"Some people think that pulling out is a good idea and a timeline is a good idea -- I don't agree with that," Casey said later. "We've got more work to do to make sure that we get it right."

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Saturday September 17, 2005 · 12:47 AM PDT

2005/09/17 · 00:47

I spent some time perusing the thousands of records listed under "New Orleans" at the Library of Congress American Memory site. There are many old photographs and other sorts of "printed emphemera."

Here is a sample of what I found, in no particular order:

Bush greeted at Penn State with protests (photos)

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Tuesday June 14, 2005 · 5:10 PM PDT

2005/06/14 · 17:10

Bush gave a speech today in Eisenhower Auditorium on Penn State's campus (to the Pennsylvania Future Farmers of America -- high school kids). The local progressive community distributed an "Ike was Right, Bush is Wrong" flyer to over a thousand townspeople before and after the speech, and well over a hundred sign holding regular folks turned out on a hot and humid afternoon to voice their opposition.

Click on the thumbnail to see all the determined Central Pennsylvanians!

Get your Ike flyer here

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Friday May 13, 2005 · 8:17 AM PDT

2005/05/13 · 08:17

Several locals are planning to stand on street corners distributing a two-sided flyer to visiting parents and grandparents over commencement weekend in Happy Valley.

One side of the flyer features some of the great Ike quotes posted here a few days ago, along with the photo below. On the other side is an excerpt from the Downing Street "minutes" and another photo of Ike as a General.

A few of the folks are former Republicans (long time ago), so at the bottom they've written "Former Republicans for Truth" The idea is to reach multiple generations of "Main Street Republicans" (do they still exist?) and give them something to talk about on their drive home after seeing Johnny or Jill graduate. I'm guessing it could be replicated elsewhere by those looking for an action item.

A .pdf of the flyer can be downloaded here

RSS

Mysteries of Pittsburgh Politics

Sicko Release Date June 29

Medicare Part D Fix: Shameful

Bush visits Pittsburgh, opponents organize

Calling all health policy wonks & residents of VA and DC

Photos of Bush & Abramoff

Casey at the Bat: No Joy in Mudville

new old images from New Orleans

Bush greeted at Penn State with protests (photos)

Get your Ike flyer here