McCain looks to the
Northeast for support

Campaign Bits
By Tom Waring

Arizona Sen. John McCain’s Philadelphia campaign office is located in the Northeast for a reason. That’s where he’s expected to do best in the city.
The Democratic presidential candidates have swept every ward in the city in the last four elections, but that could change this year.
Polling shows that McCain, a Republican, is likely to beat Illinois Democratic Sen. Barack Obama in several Northeast wards.
Last week, the McCain campaign office officially opened at 3506 Cottman Ave. in Mayfair. Supporters expect the candidate to do well in the Northeast because he’s more moderate than past Republican candidates and Obama has some liberal views on social issues.
Vito Canuso, chairman of the Republican City Committee, notes that Obama was clobbered by New York Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Pennsylvania primary in middle-class areas such as the Northeast.
Democrats are dreaming of winning Philadelphia by up to 450,000 votes, which would make Obama tough to beat in Pennsylvania. Canuso thinks McCain can win the state’s 21 electoral votes if he keeps his losses in Philadelphia to under 300,000.
"If McCain can stay close, that’s all he needs to carry the state," he said.
Among those at the July 31 grand opening were Republican candidates Marina Kats (13th Congressional District) and Matt Taubenberger (170th Legislative District), along with Scott Sigman, a likely GOP candidate for district attorney next year.
The director of McCain’s Philadelphia effort is Joe DeFelice, a Mayfair lawyer.
Al Schmidt, executive director of the Republican City Committee, is confident of McCain’s chances in Philadelphia and nationwide. Schmidt notes close polls despite Obama’s massive spending to win the nomination and what he believes is a news media bias in favor of the Democratic candidate.
The campaign office is located in the 55th Ward. Chris Vogler, Republican leader of the ward, predicted that McCain would win in the 55th and the neighboring 64th Ward. He thinks voters appreciate the veteran senator’s experience and will reject Obama’s lack of a record in his less than four years in the Senate.
Republicans are counting on culturally conservative voters such as Winchester Park’s Rita Ungaro-Schiavone.
Ungaro-Schiavone, the founder and retired CEO of the Aid For Friends charity, likes McCain’s pro-life position and his support for offshore oil drilling. She is concerned about Obama’s relationships with controversial Revs. Jeremiah Wright and Michael Pfleger and points to a National Journal study showing him to be the most liberal member of the Senate. She also thinks Obama is changing his position on issues.
"He contradicts himself every time," she said.

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McCain is expected to call in to Marvin Barrish’s radio show on politics on Sunday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on WNJC (1360 AM).
Robert S. Nix, the Republican candidate in the 3rd Senatorial District, will be the guest.
Also on the show, Nancy Doerr, the 15th Police District Advisory Council’s vice president, will discuss a gun buyback program that will take place on Friday, Aug. 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Frankford Group Ministry, 4620 Griscom St. Guns can be turned in for a $100 food voucher.
On the Aug. 17 show, police officials will talk about an upcoming benefit for the family of slain Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski. A softball tournament will take place Saturday, Aug. 23, at Fitzpatrick Playground, at Academy and Torrey roads.
The call-in numbers are 1-856-227-1360 or 1-856-232-7077. The show can also be accessed by visiting wnjc1360.com and clicking "listen now."

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Friday was the deadline for independent and third-party candidates to file petitions to win a place on the Pennsylvania general election ballot.
Independent Ralph Nader and the Libertarian Party’s Bob Barr will join McCain and Obama on the presidential ballot, unless their petitions are successfully challenged.
In the 8th Congressional District, two candidates — independent Tom Lingenfelter and the Constitution Party’s Jay Russell — will join Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy and Republican Tom Manion on the ballot.
In the 13th Congressional District, the Constitution Party’s John McDermott will take on Democratic Rep. Allyson Schwartz and Republican Marina Kats.
The Libertarian Party will have the following candidates for statewide row offices: Gregory Teufel (attorney general), Betsy Summers (auditor general) and Berlie Etzel (treasurer).

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McDermott is applauding a recent unanimous Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision that declared unconstitutional an amendment adding sexual orientation to the state’s Ethnic Intimidation Act. McDermott criticized Schwartz for voting for the amendment in 2001 when she was a member of the state Senate. Schwartz had no comment.
The court ruled that the legislature erred in inserting the language into an unrelated bill about agricultural crops.
A group called Repent America sued after members were arrested in Philadelphia in 2004 for preaching, during a festival for gays, that homosexuality is a sin.
McDermott argues that such hate-crime laws are designed to intimidate evangelical Christians, traditionalist Catholics and others opposed to the gay lifestyle. He blames the Democratic Party for pushing the issue.
"I will be more than happy to hang an ‘Out of business; morally bankrupt’ sign on that party’s national headquarters," he said.

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Matt Taubenberger, the Republican candidate in the 170th Legislative District, plans to make the hiring of 1,300 new police officers one of his top priorities if elected.
Taubenberger supports the Commonwealth Officers Act, sponsored by state Rep. John Perzel. The state and municipalities would share the funding of 10,000 police officers across the state.
Taubenberger estimates that 400 of those officers would be assigned to districts in the Northeast and 576 in Montgomery County. The 170th district includes a portion of eastern Montgomery County.
"As a former probation officer, I know the importance of working with local law enforcement to fight crime and keep our neighborhoods safe," he said. "That is why I will work hand and hand with Rep. Perzel and other concerned elected officials to make public safety a top priority."
In addition, Taubenberger supports mandatory, concurrent five-year prison sentences for any repeat offender who commits a crime with a gun. He also supports the elimination of parole for any violent offender. And, he backs a proposal to require a majority vote of the parole board before an inmate is released.
Taubenberger faces Democrat Brendan Boyle for the seat of retiring Republican Rep. George Kenney. Taubenberger serves as director of constituent services for Kenney.

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Meanwhile, Boyle has won the endorsement of the AFL-CIO.
"Brendan understands the labor movement and he understands that the decisions made in the state legislature directly affect working families in Philadelphia," said Pat Eiding, president of the local AFL-CIO. "He’ll make a great addition to our Philadelphia delegation in Harrisburg."
The AFL-CIO, like some of the other unions that have endorsed Boyle, previously backed Kenney. Boyle lost bids to unseat Kenney in 2004 and ’06. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com