From: tjw@vms.cis.pitt.edu (TJ Wood)
Newsgroups: alt.feminism,soc.men,soc.women
Subject: Arlen VS Lynn -- The Pennsylvania Senate Race
Summary: Anita Hill Rides Again?  Well, not recently, anyway...
Date: 11 Oct 92 03:07:35 GMT
Reply-To: tjw+@pitt.edu
Followup-To: alt.feminism
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

The "scab"* newspaper, here in Pittsburgh, is reporting that Arlen Specter
and Lynn Yeakle are once again neck-&-neck in their race for a US Senate
seat here in Pennsylvania.  The difference in their "approval ratings" are
once again within the margin of error of the survey.

Lynn has begun her television commercials and this appears to have made the
difference.  Arlen, who has substantially more money than Lynn, has been
running advertisments for some time now.

Arlen's Ads. have been targeting the fact that Lynn did not pay over $17,000
of wage tax due the city of Phildelphia, until the day she decided to run
for office.  Lynn's Ads. now reveal that Lynn discovered the ommission
herself and paid the taxes voluntarily.  (I was under the impression that
she had been "caught").

Arlen has run a second series of "attack" Ads. where he quotes Phildelphia
newspapers who attack Yeakle for attacking Arlen for attacking her.  (It's
really something to see).  Basically, he calls Lynn's Ads. "ad hominem"
attacks, while his are based upon "facts".  In both of Arlen's "attack"
Ads., the announcer asks: "Doesn't that concern you?".

Lynn is also running a set of Ads. that "attack" Arlen for the economy.
It points out that in the 12 years since Arlen has been in the Senate
thousands of manufacturing jobs have been lost.  The annoucer says:
"These are the numbers that the people of Pennsylvania really care about".

Arlen has an advertisment where he is endorsed by Thereasa Heinz, widow of
John Heinz, who was the enormously popular Republican Senator of Pennsylvania.
She explains that Arlen's treatment of Anita Hill did not please her, but
that there are other issues to be considered.  She explains how much
seniority Alan has and how Pennsylvania will suffer if he is replaced by
yet another Senator without senority.

(When John Heinz was killed in a small aircraft crash, the former Govenor
and then Attorney General Dick Thornburg went up against Harris Wofford, an
unknown from Phildelphia.  Dick lost because Harris beat him with the Health
Care issue -- or maybe the people of Pennsylvania didn't like what Dick did
as Attorney General)!

Arlen has also garnished the endorsement of the widow of the popular
Democrat Mayor of Pittsburgh, Richard Caligury, but she has not made a
commercial for him.

One of Arlen's radio advertisments points out that Arlen is "pro-women" and
lists a number of bills that he sponsored or voted for that benefit women
and children.  (The list went by very quickly, but I could swear that it
said he voted for a bill that allows women to sue for damage that they
have suffered from pornography.  Maybe I misunderstood).  This Ad. makes
it clear that Arlen is prochoice.  The announcer is a woman.  The only
time you hear Arlen's voice is at the end, where he tells you that "This
Ad. has been paid for by the Arlen Specter for Senate committee".

(I believe that it is required that on Radio, the candidates voice must
appear somewhere in the advertisment.  On TV, I believe that the candidates
picture must appear.  I've been watching for this in the Bush attack Ads.
and sure enough, there's a teeny-tiny picture of our President at the
very end of the Ad!)

Arlen and Lynn went before a committe who gave them topics and rated them
on the issues.  (I believe that this is fairly commonplace in Minnesota,
but this is quite new for Pennsylvania).  Arlen got a better approval rating
than did Lynn on most issues.  However, the committee did not endorse
either candidate and recently had to ask Arlen to stop using the committee's
logo in his Ads., as it appeared that Arlen was saying that he had been
endorsed.

So there you have it.  Politics as usual.  I predict that this race is going
to come down to the wire.  I'll post more as events warrant.

Terry


* Both of Pittsburgh's newspapers are shut down at the moment due to a
labor dispute.  Some call it a strike, but I believe it has been ruled
a lock-out.  In any case, because both of Pittsburgh's newspapers use the
same printing and distrubition system and the Pittsburgh Press is trying
to eliminate 90% (?) of the workers in the system, we are without a
newspaper.  While USA TODAY and local newspapers are filling the gap,
the publishers of the Pittsburgh Press are printing and mailing a very
small newspaper directly to former subscribers.

-- 
        INTERNET: tjw+@pitt.edu         BITNET: TJW@PITTVMS
"Laugh while you can, Monkey Boy!"                        - Lord "John" Warfin
"There can be only one!"                                  - The Highlander
"There should have been only one. I want my money back!"  - Terry