It looks like Pennsylvania’s great Governor, Ed Rendell (D-PA) will soar to victory against ex- Pittsburgh Steeler Lynn Swann (R).

In a new Rasmussen Reports poll, Rendell leads Swann by 20%.

We all know that Democratic Senate nominee Bob Casey is trying to ride the Governor’s long coattails into office and is therefore running the worst campaign in the history of Pennsylvania. This 20% spread is encouraging, not only for Rendell, but also for Casey.

Finally, something good from the Casey campaign.

Check out his latest ad. I have no idea how large the media buy is; I’m in Philly now and I haven’t seen the ad on TV. In fact, I don’t think Casey has been on air in the Philly market since he announced his candidacy.

Dear Mr. Casey-

Matt

Check out Santorum’s new ad against Casey below. It’s clever and I fear that Casey isn’t going to fire back with any real chutzpah.

BOB CASEY VS. RADICAL RICK SANTORUM

Sunday September 3, 2006

Find out what time Meet The Press airs in your neck of the woods.

Go BOB!

Lieutenant Commander in the United States Naval Reserve, Middle Eastern intelligence and counterterrorism expert, and Penn State professor Chris Carney (D) is running against batsh*t crazy GOP incumbent Don Sherwood in the Pennsylvania 10th District. You may remember Sherwood from when DC police responded to him choking his 29-year-old mistress. Yeah, that guy.

Carney is first on the air in the 10th with this simple and positive ad emphasizing his military service:

Like Atrios said, this is a race where your dollars can help make a real difference. Contribute to Chris Carney.

“Stop Smiling, Start Fighting”

If I could look Bob Casey in the eye right now, I’d simply say:

“Come on dude, don’t screw this up.”

If you’ve been following my commentary on this race then you know how frustrated I’ve been with Casey’s candidacy. Instead of flying out of the gates and calling Radical Rick Santorum what he is– an out of touch, fanatical wing nut who does not represent the people of Pennsylvania– Casey has opted instead for a more cordial approach.

I am sure there’s polling data that shows how Pennsylvania voters want to talk about “issues” and not play dirty politics. However, I’m sure there are people within the Casey camp who want a more hard-lined stance on Radical Rick’s extremist positions and statements. However, they are not being heard and this campaign, instead, is running itself into the ground.

Please please please Mr. Casey- you must win this race. For the sake of this country, you must win. Your current approach is not working. If you want to unseat Radical Rick, you must puff out your chest and begin running the kind of campaign that can topple a seasoned politician who doesn’t deserve another term in the Senate.

The polls are tightening with the latest Quinnipiac Poll showing Santorum making gains in the race against Casey. The race now stands at 48- 42 in favor of Casey.

From Quinnipiac:

“Casey still has the advantage as long as Santorum’s job approval is mixed and his favorability rating remains in negative territory. But three in 10 likely voters say they don’t know enough about Casey to form an opinion, and the key to the election may well be how those voters will swing once they get to know him. Santorum gets no help from President Bush, whose approval rating remains near record lows,” Richards added.

Pennsylvania registered voters give Santorum a split 42 – 44 percent approval rating, compared to a negative 38 – 45 percent score June 21, the incumbent’s lowest approval rating ever. He gets a negative 34 – 40 percent favorability rating among likely voters, with 17 percent mixed and 9 percent who haven’t heard enough to form an opinion.

This is not just a lefty rant. This is politics. This race is slipping away from us and it’s time to start fighting back. No more poll tested mumble jumble, Mr. Casey. Get out there, fight, and tell the voters in Pennsylvania that Radical Rick doesn’t deserve to represent them in the United States Senate.