SHARON
So-called 'Truth Tour' rolls into the valley
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Rendell supporters dispute Casey claims
By Tom Fontaine
Herald Staff Writer
Backers of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed Rendell rolled into Sharon Tuesday in Rendell's $20,000-a-month campaign tour bus, getting out on Dock Street to offer testimonials on Rendell and blister the campaign of his opponent Bob Casey Jr.
The Sharon stop was part of the "Take Back the Truth Tour," a Rendell campaign effort to "focus on the issues of importance to Pennsylvania and stop (Casey's) negative personal attacks," a Rendell campaign news release said.
The tour canvassed western Pennsylvania Tuesday.
Rendell was in Philadelphia Tuesday, where he spoke at the Young President's Organization and appeared at a news conference with Philadelphia Mayor John Street and members of the black clergy.
Casey told a core constituency of labor union members in Harrisburg that he would expand state health insurance for unemployed workers and prescription drug programs for seniors and "renew" a commitment to public education.
According to a KDKA-TV poll released Tuesday, Rendell has a 10-percentage-point lead over Casey.
Aside from Rendell campaign staff, six supporters made the Sharon stop, and were greeted by twice as many local supporters.
The bus riders said Rendell, the former mayor of Philadelphia, transformed a city that was on the verge of fiscal collapse by taking risks and making tough decisions.
The traveling supporters and what they had to say:
Jim Eisenhower, a Phila-delphia native and former federal prosecutor who lost the state Attorney General's race last year to Mike Fisher -- the unopposed Republican candidate for governor: "It's just ludicrous that our opponent's (Casey's) campaign is predicated on the idea that Ed Rendell was a bad mayor. You can't win with a message that at the core is untrue." He said Rendell, a former Philadelphia district attorney, has a "real grip on crime" and crime rates dropped while he was mayor. "If you live there you know it. I used to expect my car to get broken into before he became mayor ... I believe a governor has to know how to deal with crime."
Jonathan Saidel, Philadelphia city controller: "He's the best mayor Philadelphia has ever had. On the life of my four children, if it weren't for Ed Rendell there would be no Philadelphia ... (Casey's) a nice kid, but he's not prepared to lead the state."
Pat Caughlan, a hotel and restaurant union leader from Philadelphia: "He's the only candidate who has experience creating jobs."
Brendan Caughlan, Pat's 20-year-old son: "There were no JV (junior varsity) sports in the city before Mr. Rendell became mayor. He brought them back because he felt that was unfair ... He did a lot of things to raise the morale of young people and to get them interested in investing themselves in the area and becoming involved."
Brad Young, a Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce member and lifelong Republican who reregistered as a Democrat after Barbara Hafer dropped out of the GOP gubernatorial race: "His economic development proposals are very compelling." Young, an advocate for homosexual rights, said Rendell's support for gays and lesbians as well as women's and abortion rights are also compelling. Reportedly, tens of thousands of Republicans have reregistered to vote in the Democratic primary.
Casey Capitolo, a New Castle native who was a youth social worker in Philadelphia before Rendell became mayor in 1992: "It was a perpetual war. I was scared for the future. I know what he walked into, and it wasn't pretty." She touted his push to implement full-day kindergarten."
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Published Wednesday, May 8, 2002