(Before posting, I checked the site going back to Aug. 2, the date of this article, and I didn't see it.)
Bob Guzzardi wants Philadelphia's John Perzel out as Speaker of the Pennsylvania House. He's planning on spending at least $100,000 of his own money to help to achieve that goal this fall.
Guzzardi said he is targeting six races in southeast Pennsylvania this fall that he hopes can help tip the balance of power away from the current leadership. In four of the races he is supporting Democratic challengers over Republican incumbents. In every case he is supporting new faces over old incumbents.
Guzzardi likes Democrat Brendan Boyle over Republican incumbent George Kenney in Philadelphia's 170th District. He's behind Democrat Bryan Lentz as Lentz goes up against Republican incumbent Tom Gannon in Delaware County's 161st District. Democrat Rick Taylor is his candidate in a race against Republican incumbent Gene McGill in the 151st District of Montgomery County. Guzzardi is also supporting Democrat Chris King against Republican Matt Wright in a race in Langhorne's 142nd District.
I think the two Dems he's targeting (Reps. Leach and Manderino) should survive -- they're in sync with their districts, especially in their Republican challengers are conservative enough for Guzzardi to like them. But this just adds to the rough year that SE PA Republican candidates are likely to have. I sure wouldn't want to be on the same ticket as Santorum in SE PA, running against someone who's on Rendell's ticket.
Hat tip to the PA House Dem Campaign Committee newsletter for this article.
just for the clueless
I'm guessing from your headline that I should recognize this name, but I don't. Care to fill me/us in on who this guy is (and/or what he was up to "the first time")?
acm
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
— Margaret Mead
Guzzardi, for all his other f
Guzzardi, for all his other faults (and they are many), is strongly against Perzel and the corrupt, wasteful Republican regime in Harrisburg. He's supporting some SE PA Democrats in order to take out some of Perzel's key allies in the state house.
Who's Bob Guzzardi? Well, since you asked..
Guzzardi is a wealthy real estate owner who mostly funds right-wing candidates. (His website has the http://www.bobguzzardi.com/political.php">list of candidates he supported in 2004.) He's given tons of money to Santorum. He spent tens of thousands of dollars in this year's primary in the successful unseating of the top two Republicans in the state Senate.