Today is primary day and 3.5 million Flori

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Pennsylvania: Wild card Russ Diamond + voter backlash + low margin for Santorum = independent opportunity

Tom Ferrick Jr. Rick vs. Bob Jr. too close to call
By Tom Ferrick Jr.
Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist
May 16, 2006
...These traits delight his conservative base, but hurt him with independents. In one recent poll, for instance, Santorum's approval rate among independent voters was as low as it was among Democrats.... more

Guv, Senate races take Pa. center stage
By CATHERINE LUCEY & BOB WARNER
luceyc@phillynews.com 215-854-4172
Phillyburbs.com
May 17, 2006
....One wild card in the governor's race is Russ Diamond, a Lebanon County businessman who helped organize the public outrage to last year's fight against the pay raise. Diamond needs 67,000 signatures to appear on the November ballot as an independent.

In the latest polls, his support was only 3 percent, but after his movement's success last year - denying retention to a state Supreme Court justice and forcing the Legislature to reverse its pay increase - he'll get more attention.... more



Voter backlash continues in Pa. over legislative pay raise
By MARTHA RAFFAELE
The Associated Press
Phillyburbs.com
May 17, 2006
PHILADELPHIA - In a demonstration of lasting public anger over a legislative pay raise, Pennsylvania voters ended the political careers of two veteran state Senate Republican leaders and at least 12 House members in a major shake-up of the General Assembly.

On top of an unusually large number of retirements, the decisions Tuesday by voters will result in more than one out of six seats in the 253-member Legislature turning over this fall.

The results marked the first time in more than 40 years that any Pennsylvania legislative leader was voted out of office. They also represented a dramatic reversal of recent election trends; only a handful of sitting lawmakers typically lose in any given election year.

"It just warms my heart ... to know that what started with a few angry activists turned into this movement that has literally changed the government of Pennsylvania," said Russ Diamond, founder of PACleanSweep, a group formed to oust legislative incumbents following last year's pay raise furor.... more

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