"Endorsements Pile Up" in 1st Senate

The endorsements are piling high, according to a new story in The Bulletin. The Anne Dicker campaign has announced receipt of an endorsement from Democracy for America, a political action committee chaired by Jim Dean, brother of Howard Dean. The Bulletin article says: "Brian Hickey, campaign manager for [John] Dougherty, said he's not concerned about the Dicker endorsement. 'We have a litany of endorsements' he said, naming the 130 labor organizations in the city including the Fraternal Order of Police." That must have been a long phone call!

The Daily News reports that city and state officials asked a federal judge yesterday to throw out a lawsuit brought by a political-action committee for Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The suit was filed to stop disclosure of the details of $2.4 million that the union "spent on politics" last year.
"A provision of state election law requires political-action committees to keep detailed records of any expenditures over $25 and make them available to anyone upon request," the story by Bob Warner says. "But...the union PAC filed a federal lawsuit in February contending that the disclosure requirement is unconstitutionally broad, a violation of its First Amendment right to free speech. Local 98's business manager, John Dougherty, is a candidate for state senate.

The Assoiciated Press, here by way of the Morning Call, reports today on the latest news about proposed changes to Pennsylvania's casino laws.

Just in: Jonathan Ramos, a Philadelphia police officer and candidate for State Rep. in the 180th district, announced that he has a new Web site. And here it is: http://www.ramosforpa180.com/. Ramos has the FOP's endorsement too.