Pennsylvania Attorney General Race Marquee Matchup On Primary Day
By Ian Bush
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The race for Pennsylvania Attorney General in today's primary is a foregone conclusion on the Republican side; David Freed (the Cumberland County, PA DA) is running unopposed. But it's a hot contest for the Democrats. The two candidates on the ballot have raised nearly $5 million dollars between them in what's become a nasty war of words.
Between them, Patrick Murphy and Kathleen Kane have raised nearly five million dollars -- a good chunk of which has gone to sling mud on TV.
In a Murphy ad, the voice warns, "she supported Republican after Republican."
While Kane's ads say, "Murphy gave bonuses to his political pals."
Kane stresses to KYW Newsradio her experience in the courtroom: "I specialized in the prosecution of child sexual assault, elder abuse -- both financial and physical -- as well as public corruption."
While Patrick Murphy asks voters to remember his service as a congressman, and in the Iraq war.
"I have dedicated my life in protecting American families -- whether it was my time as a prosecutor in the Army or here at home, working my way through the Philadelphia DA's office."
Kane, who worked in the Lackawanna County DA's office, says it's not a politician but instead a law enforcer who's needed in this job.
"We saw what happened with the Penn State case. That was either due to politics or inexperience in dealing with child sexual assault cases."
Both are pushing for a big turnout today from their strongholds: Kane in the Scranton area, and Murphy in Philadelphia and the suburbs.
"The response has been overwhelming," says Murphy. "People want someone who's going to stand up and fight the big fight as Attorney General -- someone who's not going to sit on their hands and look the other way."
