Bob Casey Jr.: "Send Lawyers, Lobbyists & Money!"

In the most recent debate among the three Pennsylvania Democrats vying to challenge Rick Santorum, only one refused to take a pledge to reject lobbyist donations -- Bob Casey, Jr.

His opponents, Chuck Pennacchio and Sandals agreed that, especially these days (can anyone say Jack Abramoff?), politicians taking money from lobbyists is, if not the root, at least a major, major contributor to the lousy way in which the public's business is being done in Washington.

Turns out that Junior had a really, REALLY good reason not to take the pledge.

Guess who is the only non-member of Congress in the top 20 recipients of Lobbyist largesse in the whole galaxy for the 2006 election cycle?

Yep, according to the good folk at the Center for Responsible Politics, Pennsylvania's own favorite son of a favorite son, is on the current list of the top 20 recipients of Lobbyist donations. He is the ONLY -- the one and ONLY -- member of that list who is NOT a sitting member of Congress.

Let me say that again, Bob Casey Jr. is soooooo popular with the Lobbyists, that they have give more money to him than they have to over 500 current, sitting, legislating, and voting members of your United States Congress. THAT is just incredible.

It's no wonder that Bob Casey Jr. stands alone among the Pennsylvania Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate in accepting money from Lobbyists.

Gee, could it get any worse?

Well, yes it can.

LAWYERS love Junior, too. They love him soooooo much that, when you look at the entire Lobbyist/Lawyer segment of the money pushers, Junior stands head and shoulders above everyone else in the world not named Hilary or Bill Nelson.

That's right, Bob Casey Jr. rakes in more money from Lawyers & Lobbyists than Ted Kennedy, Joe Biden, and even RICK SANTORUM. He is Number 3 on the list of the TOP recipients of lawyer/lobbyist money, according to the data collected from the candidates' own FEC filings.

How in the world do Pennsylvania Democrats supporting Casey Jr. expect this guy to capitalize on the whole ethics/money-in-politics issues on which Santorum is so vulnerable, when their guy is outdoing nearly everyone else in the world in stuffing his pockets with the greenbacks of the lawyer/lobbyist industry?

How in the world can they expect Bob Casey Jr. to represent them -- he'll constantly be looking over his shoulder to be sure not to offend the sources of his campaign fund.

What are they thinking?