Durbin: Dems Will Hold Senate

While making a few campaign stops in Eastern Pennsylvania, the number two Democrat in the US Senate predicted his party will maintain control of Congress’ upper chamber next year. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois says he’s confident his party will keep its Senate majority, but he concedes Democrats will likely lose several seats. With a much slimmer margin, Durbin says Republicans and Democrats will need to reach across the aisle, in order pass bills. “The issues are substantial. Far and away the biggest issue is creating jobs in America. I mean, we’ve got to turn this economy around and put people back to work. Not only good for their families, but good for our nation, when it comes to the deficit. But secondly, when you take a look at the issues that we face, we still have to deal with the issue of clean energy jobs for our future,” says Durbin. Durbin was in Pennsylvania to campaign for Congressman Joe Sestak and several southeastern congressional candidates. He says Republican Senate candidate Pat Toomey is wrong to call for scaled back government spending, “I hope that they’ll take a look at history. Back in the 1930s we went through the same experience. People said, hit the breaks. Let’s talk about the deficit. And the next thing you know, the unemployment rate went skyrocketing again, didn’t come down until World War II. I don’t want to see history repeating itself.”

Durbin made a few more predictions while in the state. He says he won’t be Majority Leader next year. That means he is predicting a win by embattled Democrat Harry Reid, who’s facing a tough campaign in Nevada. Durbin also predicts a November Senate vote on ending “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” He says, “I believe it’s time to put this policy aside. I believe the military leadership has had an opportunity to consider how to reach that goal. And I think the courts – as Admiral Sestak has said – the courts are moving in the right direction. But because of uncertainty about the next court decision, Congress needs to act.”

Toomey, Sestak Agree on Little

The two candidates vying for Pennsylvania's open Senate seat faced off at a debate at the Constitution Center in downtown Philadelphia Wednesday night. The two did not agree on much, but each said the other belongs to the extreme fringe of his political party. Both sides lobbed accusations of extremism. Democrat Joe Sestak even took a shot at who Republican Pat Toomey has in his corner. "Look I know he won the very coveted award of the endorsement by Sarah Palin. And I understand the anger of the Tea Party. What I'm most concerned about are those extreme candidates that are taking advantage of the extreme fringe of the Tea Party," says Sestak. Toomey fired back, painting Sestak as an extreme liberal. He says, "It's very clear, the person who is the extreme candidate who is out of touch with Pennsylvania is Joe Sestak. Look at this agenda. He voted for all the bailouts and then introduced his own bill to create a new bailout." Toomey and Sestak also traded barbs on abortion, healthcare, and foreign policy. On the question of abortion, Pat Toomey says he wants to ban the practice unless it's a case of rape, incest or health of the mother. He says his views are in step with the majority of Pennsylvanians. "Joe Sestak is the one who is extreme on this issue. He is in that fringe of members, very liberal, who believe in tax payer funded abortions on demand, and no restrictions at all, well outside the mainstream of Pennsylvania." Joe Sestak responded by saying Toomey is extreme. "Palin, Toomey, O'Donnell they would all like to overturn Roe versus Wade. I believe that those life decisions of a family should be made within the family." Sestak said he never voted in favor of taxpayer-funded abortions. With less than two weeks left before election day, Sestak has come from behind in the polls.

Sestak. Toomey Agree On "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Democratic Senate candidate Joe Sestak says he’s disappointed the Obama Administration is appealing a federal court order halting the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy.
Sestak, a retired three-star admiral, estimates he had to discharge about a dozen service members during his career, because of the policy barring gays from openly serving in the military.
He says he’s frustrated by the amount of time it’s taken to overturn the guidelines.

"We were able to pivot and get our troops over to Afghanistan on short notice. We’re able to -- we have lessons learned from the integration of women into combat. Why do we have to wait a year for something that has to do with our integrity? We’re asking people and the institution to live a lie."

The House has voted to end “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” once a Pentagon review is complete, but a Senate vote has been held up.
The military has announced it will follow the federal court order, even though the Obama Administration is appealing the decision, and has asked the judge to stay the ruling.
Repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” is the rare issue where Sestak and Republican Pat Toomey see eye-to-eye.
Toomey says he’d “welcome” a policy change, if military leaders gave their approval.

"That’s what this should be all about. Not various people’s preferred social policy. So if our military leadership says we can execute our mission as well or better in the absence of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” then I’m in favor of repealing it."

The Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have both said they’d support a change.

Toomey & Sestak Disagree Over Cap and Trade

Many environmental advocates are urging President Obama to renew his push for a cap-and-trade energy bill during tonight’s Oval Office address, which will be broadcast by 90.5 WDUQ at 8 o'clock.
But Republican Senate candidate Pat Toomey says that type of legislation would cripple Pennsylvania’s economy.
Speaking at a Dauphin County coffeehouse, Toomey warned a bill taxing energy consumption would cause utility rates to skyrocket, and would force small businesses to close up shop.

"The Democratic administration that we have today, their Public Utilities Commission has indicated from a study that they believe that if this cap-and-trade legislation were fully implemented, the bill that Joe Sestak voted for and said didn’t go far enough – it would cost Pennsylvania 66-thousand jobs over the next ten years."

A PUC spokeswoman says Toomey is referring to a letter three commissioners sent to Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation last year, in which they urged lawmakers to vote against the measure.
The bill passed the House last June, but has stalled in the Senate. Toomey’s opponent, Congressman Joe Sestak, voted for the measure.
He says he’s confident the energy overhaul would create more Pennsylvania jobs over time.

Toomey: "More Domestic Oil Drilling, Not Less"

Republican Senate candidate Pat Toomey says the Gulf Coast oil spill is a “huge disaster,” but argues the United States shouldn’t shy away from offshore drilling.
Toomey says a reduction in offshore and domestic drilling would cripple the US economy, and increase dependence on foreign energy.
Going forward, Toomey wants to see more, and not less, domestic oil exploration.

"You know, we choose not to drill in the ANWAR, for instance. In a very obscure, remote part of Alaska that’s sitting on a huge amount of oil, and we don’t touch it. That increases our dependence on foreign oil. And I think that’s a mistake."

In an interview with WDUQ, Toomey said President Obama might have gone too far in declaring a moratorium on offshore drilling in the wake of what’s being labeled the largest environmental disaster in American history.
His opponent, Democrat Joe Sestak, says Toomey is wrong to oppose the drilling moratorium.
Sestak says the Interior Department needs to reestablish standards and safety regulations before drilling resumes.

PA GOP Backs Corbett, Toomey

The State Republican Committee is officially endorsing Attorney General Tom Corbett’s campaign for governor. The party will also back Pat Toomey in May’s primary.
The Republican establishment opposed Pat Toomey when he challenged Arlen Specter in 2004, but six years later the former Congressman has the Pennsylvania GOP’s official endorsement.
Toomey says he’s confident he’ll defeat either Specter or Congressman Joe Sestak in November, and criticized the incumbent’s long record.

"I think it’s more the thirty years of being on both sides of every issue he can. Saying he’ll do one thing, then do another. Promising the Pennsylvania voters that he’d never leave the Republican Party, and then, as soon as he saw a poll that showed he couldn’t win a primary, fleeing immediately."

Toomey will face conservative activist Peg Luksik in the Republican primary.

In the gubernatorial race, Attorney General Tom Corbett overwhelmingly won the party’s official backing. Representative Sam Rohrer received just a dozen votes, out of the 348 cast. Corbett tried to reach out to grassroots conservatives during his acceptance speech.

"You say you don’t want any more taxes. I agree. I think we are already taxed much too much. You say government spends too much of your hard-earned money. I agree. I think we need to make government more accountable and stop spending what we cannot afford."

Bucks County Commissioner Jim Cawley won the party endorsement for lieutenant governor.

Toomey: Obama, Wrong on Economy, Right on Afghanistan

Republican Senate candidate Pat Toomey is criticizing President Barack Obama's economic policies, but says the president is making the right call by sending 30-thousand more troops to Afghanistan.
Pat Toomey lives in Allentown, and says he disagrees with the economic plans President Obama touted during a town hall meeting there.
Toomey says the government is making the recession worse with what he calls out of control spending, and he wants to see the federal budget capped.
Toomey doesn't think Obama's doing everything wrong, though-he supports the decision to increase the US military presence in Afghanistan.

"I do think that we can win in Afghanistan. I think it's vitally important that we not allow the Taliban to reestablish Afghanistan as a sanctuary for terrorist groups like al Qaeda. So I support the president's decision."


Democratic incumbent Arlen Specter opposes the increase. Toomey calls the stance "unfortunate," arguing Specter's making a political calculation to appeal to liberal voters.