web1_TTL11XX18police9.cmyk_.jpg

Our View: Hazleton’s problems are everyone’s problems

web1_Kane-10-24-2016-cmyk.jpg

Ex-attorney general Kane loses appeal, may soon head to jail

<p>Dear Mr. President,</p><p>Just a heads up, but I think &#8220;Sleeping Bob&#8221; smells blood in the water.</p><p>Readers who attended President Donald Trump&#8217;s August campaign rally at Mohegan Sun Arena <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/713784/on-politics-thursday-wasnt-about-lou-not-really" target="_blank">will remember his new nickname for Sen. Bob </a><a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/713784/on-politics-thursday-wasnt-about-lou-not-really" target="_blank">Casey</a>.</p><p>They will remember that <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/713808/a-special-night-trump-speech-delights-crowd-as-president-rallies-for-barletta" target="_blank">Trump came to promote U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta as the Hazleton Republican geared up for a November attempt to bump the Scranton Democrat from his Senate </a><a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/713808/a-special-night-trump-speech-delights-crowd-as-president-rallies-for-barletta" target="_blank">seat</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/724047/ap-casey-holds-off-barletta-to-win-third-term" target="_blank">Barletta fell </a><a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/724047/ap-casey-holds-off-barletta-to-win-third-term" target="_blank">short</a>, and now Casey may have his eyes on the president&#8217;s chair come 2020.</p><p>Last week, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/725551/fresh-off-senate-win-casey-not-ruling-out-run-for-presidency" target="_blank">our Bill O&#8217;Boyle ran a story about how Casey said he is &#8220;not ruling anything out&#8221; for the next presidential </a><a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/725551/fresh-off-senate-win-casey-not-ruling-out-run-for-presidency" target="_blank">election</a>, &#8220;but my top priority is currently my third term in the United States Senate and working for the people of Pennsylvania.&#8221;</p><p>Maybe it would be presumptuous of me to say &#8220;he&#8217;s running.&#8221;</p><p>Or it would have before Casey campaign manager M.E. Smith sent out a media release on Monday citing lots of stats &#8212; including how Casey was reelected by a 13-point margin, &#8220;decisively defeating the president&#8217;s top Senate recruit.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Of the 10 Senate Democrats running for reelection in states carried by Donald Trump in 2016, Senator Casey won by the largest margin,&#8221; Smith added.</p><p>&#8220;When viewed in the context of Senator Casey&#8217;s previous reelection and Secretary Hillary Clinton&#8217;s statewide performance two years ago, Casey&#8217;s 2018 victory offers valuable insight into the changing dynamics of the Pennsylvania electorate that will be instructive for Keystone State Democrats in 2020,&#8221; the email continued.</p><p>If Casey is not running, that&#8217;s not the message I&#8217;m feeling after reading that email.</p><p>Then again, maybe it is just a rallying cry for other Pennsylvania Democrats.</p><p>&#8220;With the (Philadelphia) suburbs continuing to trend Democratic, Trump will need to dramatically overperform his 2016 numbers in rural Pennsylvania to remain competitive,&#8221; Smith added.</p><p>Has a sleeping giant &#8212; in the form of angry Democrats &#8212; awakened? That remains to be seen. It sounds like &#8220;Sleeping Bob&#8221; sure has, though.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL022018Casey1CMYK-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Casey </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL022018Casey1CMYK-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Casey </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Roger DuPuis</p><p>rdupuis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Could ‘Sleeping Bob’ be ready to challenge Trump?