Ed Rendell began a coordinated statewide counterattack against his rival for the Democratic nomination for governor to offset Robert Casey Jr.'s television ad campaign, which Rendell supporters labeled "nasty and vicious."
Calling it the "Take Back the Truth Tour," Rendell supporters across Pennsylvania held news conferences Thursday calling on Casey to stop airing television ads attacking Rendell's record on education and questioning the former Democratic National Committee chairman's support of police, firefighters and teachers in the city of Philadelphia where he served two terms as mayor.
Rendell will follow up the news conferences with a statewide bus tour next week. Business and labor leaders who support Rendell will make stops in New Kensington, Greensburg, Monessen, Washington and McKeesport to defend Rendell's record.
Rendell supporters held news conferences yesterday in Greensburg, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Reading, Scranton, Washington and York to criticize Casey, who trails Rendell, according to recent statewide polls.
"Casey has been distorting Ed's record so badly we're going to try to make one final attempt to straighten it out," said Chuck Ardo, a campaign spokesman.
At the Rialto Cafe in Greensburg, Rendell's Westmoreland County campaign coordinator said Casey's ads "blow my mind."
Jim Antoniono said "words don't really describe how bad the ads are." He said Casey has "destroyed his political future because of the viciousness of the campaign."
Rendell is angry at Casey because the ads depict teachers and police officers charging that Rendell lied when he claimed he improved Philadelphia's educational system and made the city safer by reducing crime. Casey has charged Rendell cut police department funding by nearly $13 million and slashed disability payments for police officers injured in the line of duty. Casey also charged that Rendell reduced individual salaries of rookie police officers by $6,000.
Casey also has challenged Rendell's claims that he improved student test scores, instituted full-day kindergarten and brought in more volunteers to help teachers in the classroom. Casey's ads depict three city teachers mocking Rendell's claims, saying Rendell would be laughed out of town if he made those statements in Philadelphia.
Ardo counters that Rendell always supported Philadelphia police.
"Ed Rendell is a former district attorney. It's absolutely outrageous for anyone to paint Ed Rendell as anything but loyal to police."
Thomas O'Drain, president of Local 22 of the Philadelphia Firefighters Union, disagreed, saying Rendell "chose to balance the budget on the backs of Philadelphia police officers and firefighters."
"He cut our salaries, our medical premiums, our holidays — including Veteran's Day — our holiday pay, and he crippled the coverage provided to injured officers and firefighters," O'Drain said.
Rich Costello, president of the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police, said Casey's ads are accurate.
"I'm not at all surprised that Ed Rendell wants it suppressed," Costello said. "He spent eight years hiding from the truth."
Other Democrats are concerned that the tone of Casey's ads will hurt the party's chances of winning the governor's office competing against Republican Mike Fisher, the state's attorney general.
Rhonda Laughlin, a member of the Greater Latrobe School Board, said she lived in Philadelphia when Rendell was mayor and supports him for the nomination because of the job he did there.
"There was a whole different atmosphere in the city when Ed Rendell was mayor," she said.
Controller Jeff Pavetti, who defected to Rendell after initially endorsing Casey, accused Casey of "machine-gun politics."
"I was disappointed in the most recent series of ads," Pavetti said. "There is no room in the campaign for what I call the politics of personal destruction."
Recorder of Deeds Tom Murphy said Casey's ads will create a "bloodbath" within the Democratic party that will give Republicans an easy shot at winning in November.
Antoniono said he surveyed members of the Westmoreland County Democratic Committee and estimates 75 percent of the members now support Rendell. Three months ago, he said, Casey would easily have carried Westmoreland County. Now, he says Rendell will win here.
"I see no activity here for Casey anymore," he added.
Westmoreland County Democratic Committee Chairman Ken Burkley, a Casey supporter, said Casey's support in the county still is very strong.
"Rendell is not going to win Westmoreland County," he said. "If he does, he'll whop Bob Casey in the primary."
Karen Walsh, media coordinator for the Casey campaign, said Rendell is airing ads in Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley calling Casey a "liar."
"Ed Rendell doesn't want scrutiny of his record in Philadelphia where he's running millions of dollars in TV ads attacking Bob Casey. He's trying to avoid explaining what he did to Philadelphia police officers and firefighters."
