May 13: Another Day, Another Poll

Monday, Monday. Let’s make it a great week.

PA Weather


Ebensburg | Sunny, 74


Palmyra | Gradual Clearing, 75


New Milford | Mostly Sunny, 69

PA Sports


Phillies (28-13) | Miami 6-7 | Mon-Thu vs. NY Mets


Pirates (18-23) | Chicago Cubs 4-5 | Mon-Wed vs. Milwaukee


Union (3-5-3) | Orlando City 2-3 | Wed vs. New York City FC

What We’re Hearing. “No one knows what the future has in store, but if you walk your own path head up, eyes steady, heart open, you will accomplish much – if you believe in yourself and the power of your own unique path.” – Gov. Josh Shapiro at IUP Commencement

Daily Bruce. “I’ll see you in my dreams, When all our summers have come to an end. I’ll see you in my dreams, We’ll meet and live and laugh again.” – I’ll See You in My Dreams

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Top Story

1. Biden Is Struggling In PA — Even With His Base

“After months of return visits to Pennsylvania and millions of dollars poured into political advertisements, President Joe Biden hasn’t gained ground in the critical swing state.

Instead, he’s in a dead heat with former President Donald Trump.

Trump leads Biden 47% to 44% with registered voters in a two-way race, according to a new Philadelphia Inquirer/New York Times/Siena College poll. That’s within the survey’s margin of error, and when third-party candidates are included, the gap is similar — but Biden doesn’t even hit 40%.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Related

The Biden Campaign’s Plan to Win Pennsylvania on the Margins. “The president’s campaign is putting more resources earlier than ever before into counties he’ll almost certainly lose. Democrats say there’s a logic to it.” (NOTUS)

Biden Offers 17 Billion Reasons For Pennsylvanians To Support Him This Fall. “A high-ranking White House aide is traveling to Pittsburgh on Tuesday to highlight a massive infusion of federal dollars as President Joe Biden ramps up his pitch to voters that he deserves another four years in office.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Democratic Ad Campaign Tries To Chip Away At Trump Support Among Rural Swing Voters In 3 Key States. “A Democratic group is rolling out a new $140 million ad campaign that aims to chip away at Donald Trump’s support among one of his most loyal voting blocs: rural voters. The ads, from American Bridge 21st Century, will begin airing Monday in the northern battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.” (AP)

Longtime Dem Senator Rails Against Big Companies’ ‘Greedflation,’ But Donor Records Show Another Story. “Longtime Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey has made “greedflation” and rising prices at stores a key election platform in 2024, but donor records reviewed by Fox News Digital show he’s benefited from the big stores he rails against on the campaign trail.” (Fox News)

Fetterman’s Loud Support For Israel Creates Headaches For Casey In Pennsylvania Senate Race. “Republicans are using Sen. John Fetterman’s (D-PA) outspoken support for Israel to paint his Pennsylvania colleague, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), as weak on the war in Gaza as he runs for a fourth term in the Senate.” (Washington Examiner)

State

2. Shapiro Has Support Of More Than a Third Of Trump Voters. That Could Help Him In 2028

“Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro continues to be widely popular among Pennsylvanians — including more than a third of former President Donald Trump’s supporters — as President Joe Biden struggles in the state, according to a new poll from The Inquirer, the New York Times, and Siena College.

About 57% of Pennsylvanians strongly or somewhat approve of Shapiro’s leadership, according to the poll. When split down by party, 77% of Democrats, 42% of Republicans, and 39% of independent voters have positive opinions about the job Shapiro is doing in his first term as the battleground state’s governor.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Related

Challengers Ehasz and Stelson Keep Abortion Policy Front And Center In U.S. House Campaigns. “At first glance, Janelle Stelson and Ashley Ehasz would seem to have little in common: Stelson is a former anchor at television station WGAL; Ehasz is a U.S. Army veteran and Apache helicopter pilot. But both women are running as Democrats seeking to unseat incumbent Republican congressmen in Pennsylvania districts that have until recently been considered safe GOP seats.” (Penn Capital-Star)

• For Rep. Susan Wild, Supporting PA Families Includes Reproductive Rights And Much More. (The Keystone)

Why Political Parties Desperately Need To Make A Comeback. “Who loves political parties? Daniel Schlozman and Sam Rosenfeld do. In “The Hollow Parties,” the two academics defend the tradition of official party-building in America, tracing the rise and fall of different factions and crediting partisan organizing with social cohesion.” (Semafor)

Super Bowl Tickets, Luxury Resort Stay Among Perks PA Lawmakers Accepted In 2023. “Top Pennsylvania state legislators accepted nearly $30,000 in travel expenses in 2023, often from groups that have interests before the state, newly filed ethics reports show. That includes trips to political conferences and other events bankrolled by campaign groups, organizations pushing alternatives to public education, and more. ” (Spotlight PA)

Undisclosed Donors Pay For House Speaker Portraits in Pennsylvania’s Capitol. “Taxpayers are not on the hook to pay for the next portrait to be hung in the Capitol, that of Lancaster County Rep. Bryan Cutler, who served as speaker from 2020 to 2022. Those costs are expected to be covered by the aptly named Speakers Portrait Fund, a nonprofit that doesn’t publicly disclose its donors, leaving taxpayers unaware of who paid for the painting and what stakes they might have in shaping state policy.” (LNP)

Around The Commonwealth

3. ‘Mom’ Legislators See Numbers, Influence Grow But Barriers Remain

“When her daughter was born last year, Amanda Cappelletti (D-Delaware) became the first person to give birth while serving in the Pennsylvania Senate. The upper chamber didn’t even have a formal maternity leave policy, so she and her staff had to figure things out as she went along.

The number of women serving in state legislatures has more than quintupled since 1971, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University (CAWP). Nearly 33% of the 7,386 state legislative seats are occupied by 2,432 women, the center reported. Meanwhile, Vote Mama Foundation estimates 23% of lawmakers are moms.” (CNHI News)

The Key to a Winning Write-In Campaign? Spelling. “Deciding to run a write-in campaign in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is easy. Winning one is hard.” (PoliticsPA)

Child Sex Abuse Survivor Mark Rozzi Decries PA’s Failure To Act On Lawsuit Issue For Victims. “The therapist waved a stick-like object back and forth before state Rep. Mark Rozzi’s eyes, making him look left and right, as the therapist got his patient to recite painful memories of sexual abuse that happened 40 years earlier.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

US Appeals Court Says Pennsylvania Town’s Limits On Political Lawn Signs Are Unconstitutional. “A federal appeals court panel has found that a small Pennsylvania town’s ordinance designed to cut down on lawn signs is unconstitutional, saying that its resulting limitations on political lawn signs violates the free speech rights of residents.” (AP)

• Judges Call Camp Hill’s Rules On Political Lawn Signs Unconstitutional. (PennLive)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• America Has Never Recovered From The Shocks Of 2020. It’s Making Us Less Free. (Will Bunch)
• ‘Momnibus’ Bill Would Liberate Doulas, Improve PA Maternal Outcomes. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Our Universities Have Become Corporate Spas With High-Priced Execs. (Adriana E. Ramírez)
• We Wanted An Activist Supreme Court And Now We Don’t. (Keith C. Burris)
• Some Government Jobs Require More Professionalism Than Popularity. (Tribune-Review)
• Notices of Local Government Meetings Should Remain In Newspapers, For The Sake Of The Public Good. (LNP)

1 Thing

5. Punxsy Phil’s Babies Get Names

“A special announcement came out of Punxsutawney on Sunday — and it had nothing to do with the weather.

Reading from scroll, Dan McGinley, vice president of The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, announced via Facebook video that Punxsutawney Phil’s children have been named — a girl, Sunny; and a boy, Shadow.

“On this 12th day of May, in the town of Punsxy Phil, the new is not about the weather, spring air or winter’s chill,” McGinley read. “No, today the first family of groundhogs has grown.”” (Tribune-Review)

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