Mel Ice – 10/9/08

This page was last updated on October 9, 2008.

Charges were tied to politics; Mel Ice; Beaver County Times; October 9, 2008.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“The ‘go ahead and let the dirty tricks begin’ for the Republican Party in Harrisburg began on Sept. 22 when Attorney General Tom Corbett, a Republican who is up for re-election, announced he would not bring a new round of charges in the Bonusgate probe until after the Nov. 4 election, if at all, even though Corbett has come under heavy pressure from many around the state to announce charges against members of his own party before the election to balance things out. (Did anyone really think Corbett would go after his own party in an election year?)”

[RWC] Mr. Ice clearly assumes Republicans are involved in Bonusgate because Democrats are. Back in 2006 when Democrats were talking about “the culture of corruption,” I don’t recall a letter from Mr. Ice talking about corrupt Democrats.

“Within five days of Corbett’s announcement, I have received three mailings from the Republican Party of Pennsylvania in support of Elder Vogel in his Senate race against Democrat Jason Petrella.

“The fliers attack Petrella by trying, through innuendo and hearsay, to link him to the Bonusgate probe and the ‘Harrisburg political insiders.’ How ridiculous when you stop to consider that in the spring primary Petrella ran against the Harrisburg-endorsed candidate, Sean Ramaley.”

[RWC] The PA Democratic Party Executive Committee selected Mr. Petrella to replace Mr. Ramaley on the ballot. Are we to believe the PA Democratic Party Executive Committee isn’t made up of “Harrisburg political insiders?”

“Vogel’s campaign slogan is ‘I’ll clean up Harrisburg — Honestly.’ Sounds like he should start by telling the truth in his own campaign ads.”

[RWC] As far as the content/truth of the Vogel fliers, I can’t comment. I tend not to read political fliers and threw the Vogel and Petrella fliers in my circular file as soon as I got them.