Senator Arlen Specter faces off this weekend against his Democratic privary rival, Congressman Joe Sestak, in the campaign's only real debate. WITF will broadcast the debate Sunday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. Specter marked his first year as a Democrat this week and told Colby Itkowitz of the Allentown Morning Call he sometimes has second thoughts about jumping the political fence after 30 years as a Republican. Sestak and Specter are running dueling negative ads at the moment, although it's important to note that Specter was the first to throw mud.
In U.S. House races, the 12th Congressional District Special Election to fill the seat of the late Cong. Jack Murtha has drawn national attention, including an endorsement from Sarah Palin. It's the first national race since Congress enacted the health-care overhaul law. The 17th District features a primary race between incumbent Democrat Tim Holden and Harrisburg attorney Sheila Dow-Ford. The 12th District GOP primary pits Congressman Todd Platts against Mike Smeltzer, executive director of the Manufacturers' Association of South Central PA. Earlier this month, Platts became one of four nominees vying to become U.S. Comptroller General.
Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and Philadelphia State Senator Tony Williams battle it out over the airwaves, the only two democratic gubernatorial candidates who can afford statewide TV ads. Auditor General Jack Wagner launches his first broadcast ad in the Johnstown market. No word yet on whether Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel will join the air war.
On the Republican side, State Representative Sam Rohrer pounds away at Attorney General Tom Corbett over the radio but the polls don't show much traction yet for Rohrer. Corbett leads comfortably in the polls and the money race, and has broadcast TV ads.
Gov. Ed Rendell kicks off a 54-day state tax-amnesty program he hopes will bring in $190 million to help cut the budget gap this year. Some early snafus with the phone lines, bills, and website have hampered efforts. Scofflaws who comply and pay their back taxes will face no penalties and just half the interest they otherwise would have owed. Rendell warns tax delinquents that when amnesty is over, they will face an additional 5% penalty for failing to come forward.
Smart Talk producer Heather Muha also will take a sneak peek at the Hershey Area Playhouse's production of "Wit," the Pulitzer-Prize winning play that chronicles one woman's fatal battle with ovarian cancer. You can see “Wit” tonight and tomorrow evening at 7:30 or Sunday afternoon at 2 at the Hershey Area Playhouse on the campus of Country Meadows, 830 Cherry Drive, Hershey. A reception and “talk back” will follow the performance on Saturday, giving audiences the opportunity to ask questions and hear from cancer specialists.
Please join us Friday night at 8:30 for Smart Talk on WITF-TV.
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