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Feb. 25, 2005 As some of you know, Dr. Chuck Pennacchio, the only declared Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate against Sen. Rick Santorum, held a blogger-only conference call yesterday. Dr. Pennacchio was kind enough to take questions from all of the bloggers after introducing himself and giving some information about his background, and the entire discussion was very candid. For a candidate with little name recognition and a hard primary season ahead of him, Dr. Pennacchio seemed, if anything, up to the challenge. The first thing you notice upon hearing Dr. Pennacchio is that this man is not a trained politician. Sometimes he stumbles over his words, backtracks, and seems genuinely to be fighting to come up with an answer. However, to a Democratic Party that has seen career politicians fall like stones in the aftermath of 2004, Dr. Pennacchio may be just what Pennsylvania needs to take out Rick Santorum and his arch-conservative agenda. I was fortunate enough to get two questions in on the subject of how Dr. Pennacchio will hold the moderate Democratic vote while actively engaging the left with some of his economic populist ideals and staunch pro-choice position. On Iraq, Dr. Pennacchio seemed to zero in on allowing Iraqis the freedom they were promised: “What we need to realize is that Iraq was an unjustified war. It was a distraction. After living so long with authoritarianism, their idea of freedom is meaningless if there is no order.” As he spoke, Pennacchio seemed to get more and more comfortable with the assortment of 11 bloggers that had been asked to join in the call. “The United States needs to realize we cannot impose our American style of freedom and Democracy on this very proud society,” he said. “They have their own ideas.” Pennacchio also seemed confident about his abilities to hold the center during a campaign where, if he succeeds in the primaries, he will certainly be labeled as ‘liberal’ by the Republican machine. “The center is focused on economic issues,” Pennacchio stated, “They’re concerned about national security. They want to know that their kids will have a great opportunity with education. Those are issues that we will play that will resonate with the middle.” Though he also made sure to say that ideology was not a major factor in his campaign, “I do not think of myself as an ideologue, I’m very much a pragmatist.” He also had little concern about the labels that Rick Santorum’s campaign would throw at him: “If he wants to call me a liberal, he’s going to label me a liberal. But it won’t stick, because my experience really speaks for itself: I’m a unifier. I move towards solutions. I give people an opportunity to be part of the process.” However, Pennacchio’s campaign is not yet out of the gate, and he openly acknowledged the obstacle posed by prospective candidate and true career politician Bob Casey, Jr. and shrugged off speculation that there may be a moderate- liberal split in Pennsylvania Democratic politics. “Casey is an establishment candidate,” Pennacchio said. “He’s a lean-to Democrat; he agrees with what the Republicans are doing, he just wouldn’t do it as much. The principles we embrace are the ones that have been the basis of the modern Democratic Party.” “We expect Washington to support [Casey]…and fund him…[but] when we win on primary day, the state party will swing in behind us.” Perhaps the abortion issue is where Dr. Pennacchio has his clearest moment, and when asked about his pro-choice position clashing with Casey’s pro-life position, Pennacchio didn’t waste a moment. “I think [being pro choice] will help me in the primary…The thing about the primary is that the pro-choice community here in Pennsylvania is very passionate, and is overwhelmingly Democratic.” “I’m going to take a very strong pro-choice position, but I’m going to accentuate the position that I personally consider myself to be pro-life in a literal sense. I support prenatal care, I support post-natal care, I support jobs and opportunities. We need to give women a real choice.” At the same time, however, Pennacchio aims to take the power out of the Republican Party’s hands on the issue, “The so called pro lifers have been able to define the question in such narrow terms, and what we’re going to do is push open that door everywhere possible. I want safe, legal and rare. No one wants to see another abortion.” Some have whispered the name of late Sen. Paul Wellstone in the presence of Dr. Pennacchio, an avid DailyKos reader. Others have been pushed into the Casey camp due to Pennacchio’s low name recognition and relative inexperience in elected politics. To everyone, though, Dr. Pennacchio has just one thing to say, “We will shake up Pennsylvania politics, and the state will never be the same again.” ------------ About the author: Max Burns is a 17-year-old Democrat with moderate, centrist ideals. He blames John Kerry's 2004 loss on John Kerry, and is authoring a pamphlet on how to refine the Democratic Party for Victory in 2008 and beyond. For more information, check out The New Democrat. Read the fantasy-fiction novel "Alcardia". Email: DeMBurns@gmail.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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