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With two more major newspaper endorsements and a new Muhlenberg/Morning Call Poll giving him an 8 point edge over Tea Party Tom Smith (R), it's no wonder Senator Bob Casey Jr. (D) is all smiles:
http://thehill.com/...
Casey leads Smith by 45 to 37 percent in the poll.
Smith has been spending millions of his own money on advertising while Casey's campaign has been relatively quiet, and some polls have indicated the race has tightened.
But there has been wide disparity between different polling numbers — some, including the last poll from this group, had Smith within a few points of Casey, while others have had the first-term senator with a comfortable double-digit lead.
National Republicans say they believe Smith has a shot at winning in the state, but have been less bullish about his prospects than those of other Republicans facing uphill Senate races in states like Maine. Democrats remain convinced Casey will be fine, and haven't spent any money to help him at this point.
The poll of 444 likely voters, a small sample size, was conducted from Oct. 17-21 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. - The Hill, 10/22/12
Senator Casey has just been endorsed by the
Pittsburgh Post Gazette:
Although no one becomes a leader in the Senate in the first six years, Mr. Casey has been active on many fronts. He introduced a bill to curb lobbying excesses; supported a tax package to help middle-class families on the child tax credit, the child-care credit and the alternative minimum tax; spoke out against the military surge in Iraq and sought federal aid for Pennsylvania dairy farmers who were rocked by erratic prices.
Mr. Casey worked to raise the minimum wage; argued for a higher tax on oil company profits; advocated "fair trade," not "free trade," to preserve U.S. jobs; pushed to fund SCHIP, which provides health coverage to uninsured children; voted to ban waterboarding; fought for protections for the coal industry on climate change legislation and worked on compromise language regarding abortion to get the health care reform passed.
Sen. Casey co-sponsored a bill with Republican Sen. Scott Brown to tighten sanctions on Iran; voted to repeal the military's discriminatory "don't ask, don't tell" policy; pushed to extend the federal low-income heating program; introduced a bill to slap sanctions on China for currency manipulation, which hurts U.S. jobs; and sponsored legislation to put the "fracking" for gas under federal oversight and force drillers to reveal the chemicals they use.
Despite this full-court press on Pennsylvania's challenges and the nation's problems, opponent Tom Smith has the gall to call Mr. Casey "Senator Zero." The retired coal company owner had better relearn his math. The Casey record that Pennsylvanians know does not add up to nothing.
Mr. Smith, 64, of Armstrong County is trying to buy this election. Despite the simple, homespun persona projected in his TV ads, this seemingly plain-spoken, aw-shucks candidate has sunk $16.5 million of his own money into this year's Senate race. Along the way, he has refused to meet with newspaper editorial boards and take questions about his agenda. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10/21/12
And from
The Patriot-News:
Casey has been a solid member of the U.S. Senate who seeks out ways to work with, and has the respect of, those on both sides of the political aisle.
The Scranton native has taken national ribbing — and some jabs — for his famous low-key style.
A New York Times piece described the Democrat as a politician whose excitement is “most often registered by some extra eyebrow activity.”
It is something he laughs about. But his approach to Senate service is a welcome departure from the divisive, scorched-earth method of the incumbent he beat six years ago for the seat, Rick Santorum.
Casey has been involved with job-creating proposals, in particular, promoting medical research in the life sciences area, something that is growing in importance in the midstate.
He was heavily involved in the effort to extend the payroll tax cut, legislation he introduced on the issue unfortunately did not pass the Senate. Casey has called out the president to get tougher on China and is working on legislation to help veterans find jobs and start small businesses.
He also speaks passionately about efforts to end IEDs — improvised explosive devices or roadside bombs — that have killed or wounded so many of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He is a leader in the Senate on the issue and has spoken about anti-IED efforts around the nation. The senator finds himself for the second time running in a nationally watched and tightening race. - Patriot-News, 10/21/12
Casey has also vowed that if re-elected he will fight to preserve Social Security and Medicare:
Casey may have started campaigning late in the game but he is on his way to a second term. Lets help get him there so he can continue to look out for middle-class voters and Pennsylvania jobs:
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