Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Republican Pat Toomey has won a close to replace Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter by narrowly defeating Democrat Joe Sestak in Tuesday's election. The margin of victory is 2 percentage points. Toomey is a conservative former congressman and a former investment banker and businessman. Sestak is a U.S. Congressman and a former Navy vice admiral who defeated Specter in the Democratic primary. In a news release, US Senator BOb Casey said, “Any help that I or my office can provide will be available to Senator-elect Toomey to ensure that the needs of Pennsylvanians, especially those with constituency advocacy case work, are met during the transition. “I look forward to meeting with Senator-elect Toomey soon to further discuss how we can work together for the people of Pennsylvania. “As election results continue to be tallied in Pennsylvania and around the country, we move close to the end of a long campaign season. We must all come together to fix the problems facing Pennsylvania and ...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Second in a series Pennsylvania should take a pause in its Marcellus Shale drilling activity until it gets all its ducks in a row, according to Congressman Joe Sestak. Sestak believes more environmental safeguards have to be put into place, more Pennsylvanians should be trained to work on Marcellus Shale wells and the state should impose an excise tax on drilling companies. "We want it to be jobs that are created for Pennsylvanians. We want it be environmentally sound so we don’t have higher costs for our children and grandchildren to pay. And, we want to make sure an excise tax is placed upon these oil companies so Pennsylvanians reap the bounty, or part of the bounty, from their ownership of the Marcellus Shale," he told WESB and The HERO Friday afternoon. “Let’s do this smart,” Sestak said. “Far too often government lets a crisis happen before they act.” Sestak is a co-sponsor of the House version of the FRAC (Fracturing Responsibil...

Following a blowout at a Pennsylvania natural gas well, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Congressman Joe Sestak called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today to increase its oversight of Marcellus Shale development. The blowout at the natural gas well in Clearfield County last week, apparently caused by a failed blowout preventer, spewed polluted drilling water and natural gas 75 feet in the air and on the ground before being capped 16 hours later. The drilling liquid from the well’s hydraulic fracturing activities, whereby the liquids are shot underground at high pressure to break up shale and release its natural gas, flowed off the site and toward tributaries to Little Laurel Run. While the situation was eventually contained, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger said the accident could have resulted in a “catastrophic incident that endangered life and property.” The circumstances of the accident are similar to those that led to the BP oil...

The White House used former President Bill Clinton to offer an unpaid advisory position to Congressman Joe Sestak in hopes of persuading him to drop his Pennsylvania Senate primary challenge to Senator Arlen Specter, according to a report issued today by White House Counsel Robert Bauer. Bauer's two-page report said there was no improper conduct. The report says White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel used Clinton as a go-between with Sestak. Clinton agreed to raise the offer of a seat on a presidential advisory board or another executive board if Sestak dropped his bid, "which would avoid a divisive Senate primary," the report says. The report goes on to say “By virtue of his career in public service, including distinguished military service, Congressman Sestak was viewed to be highly qualified to hold a range of advisory positions in which he could, while holding his House seat, have additional responsibilities of considerable potential interest to him and value to the ...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Congressman Joe Sestak’s apparent victory over incumbent Arlen Specter in the Democrat primary for US Senate is being called historic – and Bradford Democrats can say they were part of that history. In the city, Sestak got 107 votes, barely edging out Specter, who picked up 103, according to unofficial numbers tabulated at WESB and The HERO. When Sestak spoke with WESB last week, he said Specter’s party-switching would be the incumbent’s downfall. “It kind of demonstrates – Are you really in this out of core beliefs and conviction or is it political calculation?” he asked. “It’s probably pretty tough for him waking up each morning, kind of remembering what he has to say rather than just being able to say it out of belief and conviction.” Late Tuesday night, Specter delivered a brief speech in Philadelphia. “It’s been a great privilege to serve the people of Pennsylvania and it’s been a great privilege to be in the US Senate, and I’ll be working ...

Unofficial results: Joe Sestak 53.8 percent Arlen Specter 46.2 percent Specter's speech: It’s been a great privilege to serve the people of Pennsylvania and it’s been a great privilege to be in US Senate and I’ll be working very, very hard for the people of the Commonwealth in the coming months. In McKean County, with all 42 precincts reporting, Congressman Joe Sestak beat Arlen Specter by a margin of 57 percent to 43 percent on the Democratic side. Republican Pat Toomey has been declared the winner on the Republican side. He got more than 71 percent of the vote in McKean County. For governor, Dan Onorato has been declared the Democrat winner, and got 42 percent of the vote in McKean County. Republican Tom Corbett has more 74 percent of the vote in McKean County so far. For lieutenant governor, it’s Democrat Scott Conklin with 60 percent of the vote and Republican Jean Craigue Pepper edging out Darryl Metcalfe by half a percentage point. Congressman Glenn Thompson is running unoppo...

U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak is within striking distance of U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary, trailing the long-time incumbent 47 - 39 percent among likely primary voters, compared to his 53 - 32 percent gap April 7, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. In the Democratic primary for Governor, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato has 36 percent to lead a pack of largely unknown candidates, none of whom tops 9 percent, the independent Quinnipiac University survey finds. Another 37 percent are undecided and 60 percent of likely primary voters who express a choice say they might change their mind. "The Senate race is closing and could be headed for a close finish, while the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination is moving in the opposite direction," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "With only two weeks until the May 18 primary, Onorato can feel somewhat confident, wh...

"He scans the page, which tells him that host Anne Holliday of WESB-AM in McKean County is on deck for an 8:30 a.m. interview. She wants to press Sestak on his view that 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed should be tried in civilian court." For the full story, go to the Philadelphia Inquirer .

Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter leads Democratic primary challenger, U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak 53 - 29 percent and has pushed ahead of Republican Pat Toomey 49 - 42 percent in a general election matchup, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today, up from a 44 - 44 percent tie December 18. In a battle of the unknowns, Toomey leads Sestak 39 - 36 percent with 24 percent undecided. President Barack Obama's job approval rating in Pennsylvania remains below 50 percent, at 49 - 46 percent, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Fewer than one in five Pennsylvanians think the federal government in Washington, or the state government in Harrisburg, does the right thing almost all or most of the time. "Sen. Arlen Specter seems to be having a good winter politically. He is back ahead of Republican Pat Toomey after having been essentially tied with him since last summer, and there remains no evidence that his primary challenger, Congressman J...

“My thoughts and prayers go out to the Murtha family at this very difficult time. His service to our nation in Congress reflected an unyielding commitment to his constituents, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and our nation. However, he holds my greatest respect for the courage he showed in serving as a United States Marine and subsequently becoming the first Vietnam combat veteran elected to Congress. In doing so, he gave a voice to millions of men and women who fought in an unpopular war and were not afforded the respect and care they earned and deserved. It was a privilege to work with him on a number of issues, and I am especially appreciative of the help he gave me as a mentor, whether it was on an approach within the halls of Congress, specific legislative items, or coming to my District to assist at key events. We should all be grateful for his commitment to public service for his District, Pennsylvania and this nation.” ~~ Congressman Joe Sestak

Video clips at Ustream Streaming online this morning: 8:30 -- Around the Home with Bob Harris 9:00 -- CNN News followed by local news and sports with Kevin Clark; and Lindsay's weather 9:15 -- Weekend Wrap -- Congressman Joe Sestak talks about the "public option" 9:30 -- AdLine

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Former Congressman and current US Senate candidate Pat Toomey is making a swing through McKean County today. "I want to learn as much as I can about the county – what's important here and what's important to the future of northern Pennsylvania and northwestern Pennsylvania," said the Republican from Zionsville. Toomey spent some time at Zippo Manufacturing Company in Bradford and the McKean County Courthouse in Smethport. Earlier this year, speculation was running rampant on whether Toomey would challenge Senator Arlen Specter for his Senate seat. Now that Specter has switched from the Republican to the Democratic party, Toomey's challenger in the primary will be Peg Luksik of Johnstown. Congressman Joe Sestak is challenging Specter. Toomey said he made the final decision to run because of the direction the government in Washington began to take. "They're doing things that are not good for Pennsylvania, not good fo...

Congressman Joe Sestak appeared at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia on Thursday to deliver a major foreign policy speech. The speech, which corresponded with the Afghan presidential election, focused on calling for a national strategy of re-engagement in the world, taking a comprehensive approach that utilizes robust diplomacy, strategic foreign aid, and military force only as a last resort. He also spoke about our approach to dealing with Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as the future transformation of our military. Following his speech, Sestak was my guest on the LiveLine. Listen here .

Senator Arlen Specter's visits to Kane, St. Marys, Warren and Emporium Tuesday weren't quite as heated as recent town hall meetings on the proposed federal health care reform bill. The main purpose of Specter's visits was to meet with local Democratic leaders. He switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic in April. Former Congressman Pat Toomey and Johnstown activist Peg Luksik are running in the Republican primary for the senate seat Specter has held since 1981. Congressman Joe Sestak will go head-to-head with Specter in the Democratic primary. Specter is meeting with Democrats in Brookville and Clarion today. Sestak will be my guest on tomorrow's LiveLine.