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Battleground: Pennsylvania – An Election Preview from Radio PA (Part 1)

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This is “Battleground: Pennsylvania,” a special 2-hour election preview from Radio PA that examines the candidates and races appearing on the statewide ballot on Tuesday, November 8th.

Hour #1 features interviews with Pennsylvania Attorney General candidates John Rafferty (REP) and Josh Shapiro (DEM), as well as Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Katie McGinty. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pat Toomey’s campaign rejected numerous requests to take part in the program.

In hour #2, we will be joined by political analyst and pollster Dr. Terry Madonna from F&M College in Lancaster for a top-to-bottom analysis of the statewide ballot. Also, we talk to founding board member Adelaide Kimball from Project Vote Smart to talk about the resources that organization makes available to voters in every state. Learn more about the candidates on your ballot at www.votesmart.org.

Click the audio player below to hear hour #1 of this special two-hour election preview from Radio PA:

This audio/video material is being presented by Radio PA and PAMatters.com for the private use of our web visitors. This copyrighted programming may not be broadcast, reproduced or otherwise exhibited without the written consent of Radio PA.

Battleground: Pennsylvania – An Election Preview from Radio PA (Part 2)

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This is “Battleground: Pennsylvania,” a special 2-hour election preview from Radio PA that examines the candidates and races appearing on the statewide ballot on Tuesday, November 8th.

Hour #1 featured interviews with Pennsylvania Attorney General candidates John Rafferty (REP) and Josh Shapiro (DEM), as well as Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Katie McGinty. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pat Toomey’s campaign rejected numerous requests to take part in the program.

In hour #2, we are joined by political analyst and pollster Dr. Terry Madonna from F&M College in Lancaster for a top-to-bottom analysis of the statewide ballot. Also, we talk to founding board member Adelaide Kimball from Project Vote Smart to talk about the resources that organization makes available to voters in every state. Learn more about the candidates on your ballot at www.votesmart.org.

Click the audio player below to hear hour #2 of this special two-hour election preview from Radio PA:

This audio/video material is being presented by Radio PA and PAMatters.com for the private use of our web visitors. This copyrighted programming may not be broadcast, reproduced or otherwise exhibited without the written consent of Radio PA.

Battleground: Pennsylvania – Katie McGinty

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This is the complete and unedited interview with Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Katie McGinty, taped Thursday, October 20th in the Radio PA studios in Harrisburg. Portions of this interview were aired in Radio PA’s election preview special “Battleground: Pennsylvania.”

Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pat Toomey was invited to take part in the program, but his campaign rejected numerous requests and invitations by Radio PA.

You can also listen to McGinty’s interview with Radio PA from last spring’s primary election. Toomey’s campaign also declined to be interviewed for our election preview special last spring.

Click the audio player below to hear the full McGinty interview from October 20th, 2016:

This audio/video material is being presented by Radio PA and PAMatters.com for the private use of our web visitors. This copyrighted programming may not be broadcast, reproduced or otherwise exhibited without the written consent of Radio PA.

Radio PA Roundtable – April 8-10, 2016

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On this week’s Radio PA Roundtable, the state House of Representatives is poised to vote on an abortion restriction bill; Governor Tom Wolf signs executive orders dealing with nondiscrimination; and U.S. Senator Pat Toomey pushes for more security for airliner cockpits.

Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast:

Radio PA Roundtable – November 6-8, 2015

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On this week’s Radio PA Roundtable, we examine the very real impact of Harrisburg’s budget impasse on schools; U.S. Senator Pat Toomey rails against federal spending and a provision of last week’s budget deal in Washington; and Radio PA’s Rachel McDevitt has a pre-Veteran’s Day report on the changing role of women in the military.

Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast:

Radio PA Roundtable – September 4-7, 2015

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On this week’s Radio PA Roundtable, U.S. Senator Bob Casey decides his vote on the Iran nuclear deal, putting both of Pennsylvania’s Senators now on the record. Also, the state budget impasse enters a 3rd month with no end in sight. The pressure is mounting on schools, nonprofits and others, but the key negotiators are offering no glimmers of hope a deal can be reached anytime soon.

Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast:

Radio PA Roundtable — September 20, 2013

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On this week’s Radio PA Roundtable, Governor Tom Corbett has unveiled his plan to utilize federal Medicaid expansion dollars (but not to expand Medicaid); U.S. Senator Pat Toomey wants to ditch biofuel requirements that put ethanol in our gasoline; and you’ll hear from Pennsylvania’s only living recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Radio PA Roundtable is a 30-minute program featuring in-depth reporting, commentary and analysis on the top news stories of the week.

Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast:

Governor Leader Dies at Age 95

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leader2He was the second youngest man to serve as Governor of Pennsylvania, taking office at age 37 in 1955.  Governor George Leader, born in York County in 1918, is being remembered across the state. He died after a brief illness at age 95.

After Leader left office, he remained active on boards and commissions and offered his expertise at all levels of state government.  He and his wife also launched a network of senior care facilities.

Governor Tom Corbett ordered state flags lowered to half staff. He said Leader defied political labels and conventional thinking in his tireless work for Pennsylvania and its people.

Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman Jim Burn says Leader was a pioneer in modernizing state government and rooting out political corruption.

Senator Pat Toomey says Leader never stopped serving his country or Pennsylvania.

Corrections Secretary John Wetzel says if a man is measured by the impact he has on others, then Governor Leader was a giant in this Commonwealth. He says Leader not only funded a prison ministry, he participated in that ministry and improved the lives of thousands of inmates.

Wetzel says Leader worked with Governor Corbett and the Department of Corrections’ administration to push corrections reform.

A spokeswoman says Leader was still going to work up until two weeks ago. She says he lived a very full and active life.

Hoover Funeral Homes and Crematory was handling arrangements.

 

Governor Still Faces Low Numbers, But Senator Toomey Gets Boost in New Poll

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Terry Madonna

Terry Madonna

Governor Tom Corbett is facing one fewer potential opponent next year with word that Republican Bruce Castor has decided not to run against him in the primary.  But   he’s still facing challenging approval ratings.

The latest Franklin and Marshall College Poll shows Governor Corbett’s job performance remains around 25% and more than half of those polled do not believe he deserves reelection.

Poll Director Terry Madonna says voters list the economy, jobs and schools among their priorities with privatizing liquor and lottery sales last on the list.  He says this creates a problem for the Governor, who has been talking about privatizing the management of the lottery and privatizing alcohol, he says  it does not resonate with voters as very relevant to them.

Madonna says the economy has also been a factor.  He says it’s often hard when you recommend cuts to popular state programs and the economy doesn’t seem to be moving forward very quickly. He says there’s an important correlation between governors who win reelection and the health of the economy.

Madonna says  Governor Corbett’s numbers lag behind the ratings of two previous governors, Tom Ridge and Ed Rendell,  at this time in their terms.

Madonna adds that the poll also shows some softening in support for liquor privatization. Although a plurality supports selling state stores, a third option is on the table- modernization. The poll shows 26% of voters support modernizing liquor sales.

Meanwhile, another Pennsylvania Republican saw his numbers go up in the poll.  U. S. Senator Pat Toomey  gained 9 points in his favorability ratings since February and now stands at 35%. More than 40% of those polled don’t have an opinion or are undecided.

Madonna says the gun background check debate in Congress did not hurt Toomey with the voters. The Senator was one of the architects of a compromise effort that failed to win final approval.

Madonna says 57% of the voters in Pennsylvania favor creating more laws to regulate gun ownership. 89% favor universal background checks.

Senator Pat Toomey

Senator Pat Toomey

Radio PA Roundtable 04.19.13

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On this week’s Radio PA Roundtable, Brad Christman and Matt Paul recap a shocking week in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing. Also, a new transportation funding plan surfaces in Harrisburg and the NRA takes over the Eastern Sports & Outdoors Show just as it leads the effort to defeat expanded background checks at gun shows.

Radio PA Roundtable is a 30-minute program featuring in-depth reporting on the top news stories of the week.

Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast:

[audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/witfaudio/radiopa/Roundtable04-19-13.mp3]