Endorsement: Tom Wolf for Governor

With Pennsylvania continuing to be unable to function on a basic level — schools continue to be underfunded, our infrastructure continues to crumble from years of neglect and increasingly even State Police coverage is threatened for local communities — there was an opportunity for a bold, new vision to really address the commonwealth’s problems by a gubernatorial candidate this year. Unfortunately,...

For GOP, the call is coming from inside the house

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Those of you old enough to remember 1980s slasher movies (or those of who have seen countless Internet memes) might be able to relate to both local and national Republicans when I note it appears that “the call is coming from inside the house.” Yes, Bob Woodward’s Fear and the now-famous Op/Ed in The New York Times display a litany of Republicans willing, even...

The Stupid Kabuki of the statewide political races

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times My daughter is an aspiring musician/singer and as such, she often considers possible future band names — it’s a bit of a running joke between us these days. Which is, of course, why I nominate Stupid Kabuki as both a possible addition to her list and a perfect description of Pennsylvania’s two statewide races this fall. To be clear, Republican Scott Wagner trails...

What are you going to do about it, kid?

By Nathaniel Smith, Columnist, The Times After each school shooting, our national government essentially says to the survivors and their families:  “Just get used to it, it’s the new normal around here.” Or, as the Republican candidate for governor recently said to Chester County native Rose Strauss, “You’re a little young and naive” —no doubt thinking to himself: “Take that,...

Осенью этого года у местных республиканцев может быть только российская проблема

Translation: This fall, local Republicans may have a Russian problem By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times So, comrades, how was your week? If you happen to be a Republican, and hold public office locally, the guess here is: not too great. Between the missteps, lies, new infidelity claims (and tapes, lordy) and policy decisions of El Presidente For Life Donald J. Trump (seems about right for a would-be...

For GOP candidates the question is: To Trump or not to Trump?

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times With summer bearing down on us (finally!), it seemed like a good idea to take one quick snap shot of the local political scene before moving into our summer hiatus (and yes, we already skipped an edition of Politics as Unusual (PAU), sensing something of a politics overload for you, the reader). As this could well be the final edition of PAU until — gasp — August,...

Wagner, Barletta win statewide; Andrew, Roe, Williams win local nods

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Voters across Chester County — and Pennsylvania — made their choices Tuesday in the primary elections that settle both statewide and local legislative races in a typically low turnout election, but one that saw local Democrats turn out at a higher rate than their Republican counterparts, a break from recent primary election in the county. While Gov. Tom Wolf ran...

Comey’s bombshells, redistricting gutted and the GOP’s internal fighting

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Gosh, another boring two weeks where nothing happened in politics. Well, except for former FBI Director James Comey apparently referring to President Donald Trump as a “Mob Boss,” Speaker of the U.S. House Paul Ryan announcing that he won’t be running for reelection to the House, the head of the Republican Congressional Campaign ripping into a local Republican...