McCord Loved by Inky, Bashed by Rendell
What a weekend for State Treasurer Rob McCord, eh? On the one hand, he was endorsed by the Inquirer in his bid to become the Democratic nominee for governor:
While few major policy differences separate the four rivals for the Democratic nomination, McCord’s emphasis on robust education funding and natural-gas taxation shows an understanding of what’s important and achievable in Pennsylvania. He may not get the 10 percent drilling tax he has advocated, but his history shows he has the skills to get something out of what will likely remain a Republican legislature.
More than five years as Pennsylvania’s treasurer has given McCord highly relevant experience as an elected statewide official and government executive. He leads a department of nearly 400 employees with a budget of $36 million following significant reductions during his tenure. Moreover, the department’s role in managing more than $120 billion in public funds through the recession means the treasurer has deep knowledge of state finances, which should be one of the most urgent concerns of the next governor.
On the other hand, the winds still seem to be blowing the way of Dem frontrunner Tom Wolf. Exhibit A: Ed Rendell acting as a Wolf surrogate and criticizing a McCord ad.
Rob McCord’s campaign is running an ad attacking front-runner Tom Wolf with racially charged accusations. Rendell says this is exactly what’s wrong with politics today.
“This ad has no place,” he says. “Look, people hate politics. They hate politics for a lot of good reasons, but ads like this are one of the reasons they do.”
The advertisement attacks Wolf for his ties with an alleged racist, and Rendell says ads like that are a black eye for politics and keep voters at home on election day.
So a mixed weekend. Who would you want on your side most? The Inquirer or Ed Rendell?
