Hillary Rodham Clinton
struck a publicly defiant posture, while some of her advisers
acknowledged privately that they remained unsure abouther candidacy.
House Republicans threw up
repeated roadblocks to delay debate of the legislation, prompting an
angry argument between party leaders over procedural tactics.
Obama Wins
North Carolina Big; Clinton Squeaks by in Indiana
Senator
Barack Obama won a commanding victory in the North Carolina primary on
Tuesday and lost narrowly to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in
Indiana. The results will boost his momentum and renew calls for
Clinton to quit the race.
The results from the two
primaries assured that Mr. Obama would widen his lead in pledged
delegates over Senator Clinton. He also increased his lead in the
popular vote in winning North Carolina by more than 200,000 votes.
Read more...
House
Adopts Sturla Resolution Recognizing World
Asthma Day
Yesterday,
the
state House unanimously adopted a resolution (H.R.
726) introduced by state Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, that
recognizes May 6, 2008, as World Asthma Day in Pennsylvania. This
year’s theme is “You Can Control Your Asthma.” Read more...
A bill intended to amend
the state constitution to ban gay marriage and strip away rights for
domestic partnerships for both straight and same-sex couples failed in
the Senate caucuses last evening, May 6, 2008.
The Senate was advised the
bill would not see any action once it reached the state House, so its
sponsor, Sen. Mike Brubaker, agreed to table it.
Senate
sources said head counts done in closed-door caucus meetings made it
apparent the measure as proposed would likely not have the votes to
pass. The proposal sought to define marriage as a union between one
man and one woman and that no "functional equivalent of marriage"
would be recognized in the Commonwealth.
Read more...
Barry
Russell, spokesman for Rainbow Rose Community, a Lancaster based
civil-rights coalition, said during a telephone interview that he was
pleased by the Senate's refusal to bring the constitutional amendment
to the full Senate. Russell had led the Lancaster County bus trip
yesterday to lobby both Senators and Representatives to defeat the so
called, "Marriage Amendment".
Several Lancaster County
churches and faith-based groups, civil rights groups, and service
organizations strenuously opposed the discriminatory legislation and
had organized and participated in local rallies to defeat the measure.
Asthe
rally to defeat the "Marriage Amendment" was in progress yesterday at
noon, Senator Mike Brubaker's constitutional amendment was approved by
the Senate Appropriations Committee by a vote of 18 - 8. A full Senate
vote can occur as soon as today.
Yesterday, there were
approximately 400 people who opposed the proposed Marriage Amendment
in the Capitol rotunda. Senators Connie Williams, Jim Ferlo and Vince
Fumo spoke against the bill, as well as Representatives Babette
Josephs, Dan Frankel and Mike O'Brien. Senator Wayne Fontana and
Representatives Steve Nickol, David Steil, Kathy Manderino and Mike
Gerber were also in attendance.
Legislators, staffers and
citizens heard and saw the rally. In fact, legislators said that they
could hear the chants of "STOP THIS BILL" on the House floor.
Lancaster
Democrats Lose two Friends - Milton S. Goldstein
and Harold Sommers
Two lifetime friends of
Lancaster's Democratic Party passed away on Friday, May 2nd. Harold
Sommers and Milt Goldstein have been activists in the party for
decades.
Harold Sommers served as
Lancaster City Treasurer in the early 1990's and Lancaster County
Democratic Committee Chairman in the 80's.
Read more...
Milt Goldstein became the
president and owner of the former Empire Shoe Manufacturing Company in
Elizabethtown. Through his work in the shoe industry, in 1974,
Goldstein was appointed by the secretary of Commerce to the Industry
Sector Advisory Committee on Leather and Leather Products. The
committee advised the White House and testified before Congress on
various trade issues.
Mr. Goldstein was also a
leader in breaking down barriers in the workplace. He was among the
first employers in Elizabethtown to hire Hispanic employees. Goldstein
was instrumental in the hiring of the first African-American professor
at Elizabethtown College. For his efforts to fight racism and bigotry
he was awarded numerous honors by local and national organizations.
Read more...
Manheim
Township Democratic Club Annual Yard Sale...
The annual MTDC Yard Sale
will be held May 17th at the home of Todd Baxter,
1723 Lititz Pike. Because the Lancaster County Democratic Women's
Association has canceled their yard sale, the Manheim Twp. Dems are
offering the same table rentals to those folks that intended to display at
the Dem Women's event.
Space will be provided on
sidewalks from 1717 to 1723 Lititz Pike. Vendors and club members who wish
to store items for the yard sale, may drop them off at the barn behind
Todd's house prior to the event. Call Todd at 569-0856 or email at
datobaxter@aol.com.
The
Penn Manor Dems ask you to stop by and show your support for two of
the County's candidates, Bruce Slater and Jose Urdaneta on Sunday May
18th. The Open House will be held at the home of Judy and Bill Saylor,
310 N. George St. in Millersville, PA. Festivities will begin at 1:30
PM. Read more...
Bruce Slater (above right)
is the endorsed Democratic Congressional candidate running in the 16th
Congressional district.
View website...
Jose Urdaneta (above
left), Lancaster City councilman, is the endorsed Democratic candidate
running for the PA 13th Senate district. Jose has just been endorsed
by Democratic County Commissioner, Craig Lehman. Get Directions...
The
Chad Buffington collection of watercolors drew accolades from
visitors to the Underground for First Friday held on May 2nd.
Micky Smith entertained guests with folk songs and
sing-a-longs.
Watercolors flow with ease from the brush of Chad Buffington, a self-taught
artist adept in multiple media. His faithfully-rendered portraits have
made him a favorite with local institutions for commissioned work that
graces their walls. His portrait of Pennsylvania Academy of Music
Founders Frances Veri and Michael Jamanis will soon be on permanent
display in the new Pennsylvania Academy of Music Building in downtown
Lancaster.
Read more...
Harrisburg Rally to Stop the Marriage Amendment
The Value All
Families Coalition presents a Rally for ALL Families on May 5,
2008 at 1pm in the State Capital Rotunda.
Lobbying training
will be at 11am. For more information, contact Equality Advocates
Pennsylvania, 215-731-1447 x10 or visit www.equalitypa.org. For
information about the bus being leaving from Lancaster for the
Harrisburg event, contact Rainbow Rose Community at
email... The
bus will be leaving the A.C. Moore parking lot at 8:45, Monday.
Read
more...
$786 million in tax
relief coming to homeowners and southeast PA wage-tax earners this
summer, about $190 on average for homeowners and even more help for
the low-income senior homeowners who need it the most.
Homeowners can see
the estimated amount of tax relief they’ll receive in this initial
distribution on the DOE Web site at
www.pde.state.pa.us/proptax.
Only half of the
state’s planned slots gaming facilities are open. Soon there will be
seven more facilities to add revenue to the Property Tax Relief Fund.
The House also has approved a
change to the state’s constitution that would set up the
groundwork for our ultimate goal: the total elimination of school
property taxes in the Commonwealth.
The
House Democrats
continue to work with the PA Senate to help resolve the issues that
matter most to Pennsylvanians: health care, energy, property tax
relief, economic development and a successful education system for all
PA kids.
Republicans hold a
1.8 to 1 voter registration lead in Lancaster County. But on Tuesday,
primary election day, they polled only 42,121 votes for President for
a turnout of 24.4%, while 49, 836 Dem voted for President for a
turnout of 53.2%.
Barack
Obama and Hillary Clinton have motivated Democrats, Republicans and
Independent voters in every state that has held a primary to get out,
register and vote. In almost every state, the Democratic turnout has
out paced Republican turnout by 2 to 1 and 3 to 1.
In Lancaster County, the
Democrats have added almost 12,000 new voters to the Democratic roll.
Many are new voters, but a good portion were Independents and
Republicans who have switched parties. The Republican Party won't
easily win them back without major changes in policy. Changes which
will bring them in line with the values Democrats have always held;
family, community, and a shot at the American Dream.
Read more...
Herr, Donahower, Sturla, and Hunt Go to the
Convention
The Intelligencer Journal reported yesterday
that the top presidential delegate vote
getters will go to the Democratic National
Convention in Denver at the end of August.
That is incorrect.
Top Male
and Female Presidential Delegates Elected in the 16th Congressional
District
Clinton Delegates
Obama
Delegates
Lois Herr
Ben Donahower
Mike Sturla
Carol Hunt
The 16th Congressional
District, which includes all of Lancaster County, the western half of
Chester County and the southeastern corner of Berks County including a
portion of Reading city, is allocated four delegates to the national
convention. The number of delegates per Congressional district is
determined by population.
Because neither Clinton
nor Obama received more than 75% of the vote in the primary election
in this district, each will be allocated two delegates. Under
DNC rules, one of the delegates for each candidate must be female and
the other male. Therefore the female and male who received the most
votes for each candidate is selected to attend the convention.
Read more about the Democratic National Convention rules...
Bruce Slater, the Democratic Candidate for Congress in the 16th
district which covers all of Lancaster County and part of Berks and
Chester Counties, out-polled Joe Pitts, the Republican incumbent, by
9000 votes.
Slater was helped by high Democratic voter turnout and relatively low
Republican turnout. In some precincts, Democratic turnout was two and
three times higher than that of Republicans.
County
Slater
Pitts
Chester
13240
8781
Berks
4728
1476
Lancaster
40628
39183
Totals
58,596
49,440
However, Pitts has problems within his own party. Many Republicans
withheld their votes for the 5-term congressman.
Republicans are displeased with his votes against child health
insurance, his anti-environmental record, his support of the Bush War
in Iraq and his abandonment of traditional fiscal conservatism. Pitts
voted for the largest deficit creation budgets in history.
Slater
said in an interview last evening, "I thank all the Democratic voters
who voted for me today. But, we are facing a 1.8 to 1.0 Republican
voter registration edge in Lancaster County and we must get the word
out to our friends and neighbors who are Republican, many who share
our values and issues. Joe Pitts votes against us. He votes against
children, against retirees and against working families in our
district consistently. The only way to stop the bleeding of our money
from our pockets to his rich friends' hands, is to beat him in
November."
View Joe Pitts' voting
record and campaign contributors at Bruce Slater's website: www.slaterforcongress.com.
Urdaneta
Out-polls All Republicans in 13th Senate
Race...
Jose Urdaneta out-polled
all four of the Republican candidates for the 13th PA senate district
that includes the southern half of Lancaster County and a small
portion of western York County. Urdaneta, endorsed by the county
party, ran unopposed on the Democratic ballot and received
19,791 votes. The four
Republican candidates for the senate district received
18,929
votes.
Republicans hold a
substantial voter registration edge Lancaster County, but Jose's
district covers both the city and Manheim Township and the city is
blue and the township is turning blue.
Urdaneta will face Lloyd
Smucker in the general election in November.
Sturla Wins Unopposed
and Stephenson Out-polls his Republican
Rival
State
Representative, Mike Sturla, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary
for the 96th state house seat. He garnered over 7100 votes. Mike is
unopposed in the general election.
Newcomer Daniel Stephenson
(right) out-polled his Republican counterpart, David Hickernell, by
receiving 4563 votes compared to the Republican's 4361.
Stephenson and Hickernell will face off in the November general
election for the 98th state house seat.
McCord Victorious Over
LCDC Endorsed John Cordisco for Treasurer
Slot
Rob McCord won handedly in
the race for State Treasurer yesterday. McCord wins the Treasurer's
slot on the Democratic ticket in November by 300,000 votes. Cordisco,
although endorsed by the Lancaster County Democratic Committee, came
in third within the county behind McCord and Jennifer Mann.
Goal
EXCEEDED! Now
93,657 DEMS in
Lancaster County
From
the Chairman: "Our goal was
to increase our registrations by 10,000 from December 2007 thru
November 2008. We've already increased by almost 12,000 and we
have seven more months to go! Republicans in the county now have
a margin of less than two to one, where it was almost three to one
only twelve years ago. Democrats have broken thru the 30%
ceiling for the first time in history. Our new goal is to reach
100,000 registered Democrats by General Election Day.
Read more...
The Lancaster County
Elections Board reports a record 93,657
voters are now registered as Democrats. This is 11,901 more
Democrats. The Party has exceeded its goal by almost 2000
registered voters.
During the period between
last year's general election and the cut off for the 2008 primary
election, Democratic registration grew 3.3% while Republicans had a
net loss of 3,367 voters (-2.2%) and "independents and others" lost
2,386 registered voters (-1.1%).View statistics...