Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Legislation Would Also Address Safety of Devices on the Market WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John McCain (R-AZ) today introduced legislation to remove burdensome regulations that hurt medical device manufacturers. Casey and McCain’s bill would streamline the pathway for medical device manufacturers to innovate and bring the most advanced technologies to the market. “Pennsylvania companies eager to expand their business and bring new products to the market should not have to endure unnecessary and outdated bureaucratic processes,” said Senator Casey. “This bill would make it easier for manufacturers to bring their new medical devices to the market as well as increase medical device safety, which will protect consumers and help Pennsylvania manufacturers grow and innovate. I am pleased to work in a bipartisan way with Senator McCain on this bill to create jobs and help our nation’s manufactures innovate.” “The FDA’s current approval process for medical devices can ...

The US Senate voted today to preserve the federal program that supports smaller airports, including Bradford Regional. Senators rejected John McCain’s amendment by a vote of 61-38. “Eliminating the EAS program would have been devastating to the economies of rural communities in Pennsylvania,” said Senator Bob Casey. “I am proud to stand up for the regions of Pennsylvania that rely on the EAS program for sustained economic development and jobs. At a time when the Commonwealth is struggling to recover from a devastating recession, I will continue to fight everyday for economic growth and job creation strategies for Pennsylvania.” Earlier this month, Casey joined three Senate colleagues in sending a letter to McCain outlining their opposition to his amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Bill that would have eliminated the EAS program. Besides Bradford, airports in DuBois, Oil City, Altoona, Johnstown and Lancaster are supported by EAS and received a total of nearly $9 million last year.

Senator Bob Casey is fighting against an amendment to eliminate the Essential Air Service program, which subsidizes air service to small airports, including Bradford Regional. Casey and three other senators sent a letter to Senator John McCain, who introduced the amendment, and asked him to give up his attempt to kill the program. Last year, about $8.8 million in federal funding was provided to ensure air service in Bradford, DuBois, Oil City, Altoona, Johnstown and Lancaster. Casey says EAS helps lure businesses and boost tourism and eliminating it would cripple economies. For more, including the letter sent to McCain, go to Casey's website .

Sarah Palin lost the election, but she's a winner to a connoisseur of quotations. The Republican vice presidential candidate and her comedic doppelganger, Tina Fey, took the top two spots in this year's list of most memorable quotes compiled by Fred R. Shapiro. First place was "I can see Russia from my house!" spoken in satire of Palin's foreign policy credentials by Fey on "Saturday Night Live." Palin's actual quote was: "They're our next-door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska." For the complete story, go to The Associated Press .

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin took some heat Wednesday from two of Pennsylvania's top political leaders. Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell told business leaders at a postelection breakfast that John McCain would have had a better chance of winning Pennsylvania with a different running mate, and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, a GOP moderate, rejected the idea that the Republican party might belong to Palin. For the full story, go to pennlive.com .

The McCain campaign volunteer accused of making up a story about being assaulted in Pittsburgh by a man who disliked her McCain bumper sticker will enter a program for first-time offenders. Twenty-year-old Ashley Todd of College Station, Texas, will also be required to undergo mental health treatment. Todd has been jailed since Friday, when police say she admitted making up a story about being robbed near a Pittsburgh bank and then assaulted a man who scraped a backward letter "B" into her cheek. Todd couldn't explain why she invented the story.

In a letter welcoming presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama to New York for Wednesday's debate, Governor David Paterson challenged the men to work on rebuilding the partnership between the federal government and the states. Paterson's letter says "This partnership was once a source of America’s strength. In the immediate aftermath of the September 11th attacks, for example, the federal government worked with New York and other states to shore up security and get our economy back on track." Paterson says he is calling on McCain and Obama to work with the nation’s Governors to restore trust, to rebuild the partnership, and to tackle the urgent challenges facing the states. You can read Paterson's letter HERE .

Apparently these people have changed their minds about supporting John McCain and Sarah Palin, and moved their yard sign to the trash pile. For the record, they do not have an Obama sign in their yard.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The fall legislative campaign pits Republicans trying to draw votes from conservative Democrats in western Pennsylvania against Democrats hoping to capitalize on favorable voter registration trends in suburban Philadelphia. "The western Democrats in Pennsylvania are conservative in nature — Reagan Democrats," said Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson. "So I see them bringing John McCain home in those districts which ultimately will help us there." For the full story, go to pennlive.com .

CNN is reporting that Senator Barack Obama wants Friday's debate with Senator John McCain to go on as planned. Obama says this is exactly the time the American people need to hear from the person who will be the next president.

CNN is reporting that Senator John McCain will suspend campaigning to work on the economy. He's asking Senator Barack Obama do the same. McCain is also asking for Friday's debate between himself and Obama be postponed. The Obama campaign said Obama had called McCain around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday to propose that they issue a joint statement in support of a package to help fix the economy as soon as possible. McCain called back six hours later and agreed to the idea of the statement, the Obama campaign said. McCain's statement was issued to the media a few minutes later. Read more from The Associated Press .

Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge is scheduled to speak tonight at the Republican National Convention. According to excerpts from his speech provided to WESB and The HERO by the RNC Committee on arrangements, Ridge will speak about Senator John McCain as a friend and leader, and on his readiness to be president. He will say McCain is "Ready to lead. Ready to serve. Ready to deliver." He's scheduled to speak in the 8 to 9 o'clock hour following a video on vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Ridge will be followed by another video and Cindy McCain.

McCain Palin.com

NBC has confirmed that Senator John McCain has chosen Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate. DENVER (AP) — John McCain kept his vice presidential pick a closely guarded secret mere hours before the high-stakes announcement Friday and speculation moved to darkhorse candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as other, more prominent prospects dropped away. Two GOP strategists close to the McCain campaign said all indications pointed to Palin, a self-styled "hockey mom" and political reformer. The strategists spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized by the McCain camp to discuss the matter. There was no confirmation from McCain or his advisers. -- Sen. John McCain picks Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate on GOP ticket for White House, CNN learns.

wouldn't it be interesting if John McCain picked Tom Ridge and Barack Obama picked Ed Rendell? For other thoughts on this, go to CNN and CNN's Political Ticker Blog . The blog explains why Rendell probably isn't even a dark horse in the veepstakes anymore.

Sen. John McCain will arrive in Erie on Sunday evening and campaign in Erie on Monday -- his first appearance in the city during the presidential campaign. The McCain campaign says that the presumptive GOP presidential nominee will tour GE Transportation on Monday with former Gov. Tom Ridge and speak to workers of the plant that employs 5,500 people. Ridge is a co-chairman of McCain's campaign. The town-hall event at Erie County's largest employer will be closed to the public, and no public events are scheduled.

Sen. John McCain will make a campaign stop in Erie Monday. McCain will be joined by former Governor Tom Ridge. The stop in Erie will kick off a two-day campaign trip in Pennsylvania.