What to Know
- Barletta's campaign maintains that Casey has a lackluster record of legislative success.
- Casey contends that dozens of bills he wrote have become law, often amended into larger bills that didn't bear his name.
- Casey is seeking a third six-year term in the Nov. 6 election. Barletta has badly lagged Casey in fundraising and polls.
Lou Barletta is trying to wake up Pennsylvania's sleepy U.S. Senate race.
Barletta, a four-term Republican congressman, began airing his first TV attack ad of the general election campaign Friday, accusing two-term Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of being ineffective and asleep on the job. It alludes to "Sleepy Bob," the nickname President Trump has given to Casey in recent months.
The ad comes the same day former President Obama is holding a rally in Philadelphia to drum up interest for candidates, including Casey and Gov. Tom Wolf, among the concentrated Democratic voter bloc of southeastern Pennsylvania.
Barletta's campaign maintains that Casey has a lackluster record of legislative success, citing congressional records that four Casey bills have become law. It also cites an academic methodology of Casey's legislative success from 2007 to 2010.
Casey's ratings have dramatically improved since then, and his campaign contends that dozens of bills he wrote have become law, often amended into larger bills that didn't bear his name.
Casey is seeking a third six-year term in the Nov. 6 election. Barletta has badly lagged Casey in fundraising and polls.
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President Trump appeared earlier in September at a Wilks-Barre rally for Barletta, but skeptics over his chances of unseating Casey include leaders of his own party.
