Bob Casey, Jr.

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Robert Patrick Casey, Jr.

Robert Patrick Casey, Jr. (born April 13, 1960), also known as Bob Casey, Jr. or simply Bob Casey, is an American politician who belongs to the Democratic Party. He is the son of a former Governor of Pennsylvania, and he currently serves as State Treasurer of Pennsylvania, an office which he assumed January 2005. He is the Democratic nominee in Pennsylvania's 2006 U.S. Senate race, against incumbent Republican Rick Santorum. Like his father he is more conservative than most members of his party. For example, Casey supports a pro-life position on abortion and opposes most gun control legislation.

Contents

1 Background and family
2 Entrance into U.S. Senate race
3 Political views
4 External links

Background and family

Casey, one of seven children, was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania to an Irish Catholic family. He is the son of Robert P. Casey, the 41st governor of Pennsylvania.

In 1982, he graduated from the College of the Holy Cross, and received a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from The Catholic University of America in 1988. Between college and law school, Casey served as a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, and spent a year teaching 5th grade and coaching basketball at the Gesu School in inner city Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He and his wife Terese were married in 1985, and they have four daughters: Elyse, Caroline, Julia, and Marena.

Casey practiced law in Scranton from 1991 until he ran for and was elected Pennsylvania State Auditor General in 1996. He served in this capacity for two terms, from 1997 to 2005. In 2002 he attempted to follow in his father's footsteps by running for Governor. Casey faced former Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell in the Democratic primary election. Casey performed well in the rural areas of the state, and won a majority of Pennsylvania's counties. However, he lost to Rendell by 12 points, after Rendell was victorious in the state's major population centers. Rendell went on to win the general election.

In 2004, Casey ran for the position of State Treasurer. In the heaviest voter turnout in Pennsylvania history, and running against a little-known opponent, he won that race with more votes than any other candidate for statewide office in Pennsylvania history. [link]

Entrance into U.S. Senate race

Main Article: Pennsylvania United States Senate election, 2006

In 2005, Casey received calls from U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, as well as U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV). Both men asked him to run for U.S. Senate in 2006. On March 5, 2005, Casey announced he would seek the Democratic nomination for the Senate race. Casey's run for the Senate is his fifth state wide campaign in nine years.

After he announced that he would run, Casey was almost immediately endorsed by Democratic Governor Ed Rendell. He would later be endorsed by two Democrats who had been mentioned as possible nominees: former Congressman Joe Hoeffel, who in 2004 had been the Democratic candidate for the state's other Senate seat, losing to Arlen Specter; and former State Treasurer Barbara Hafer, whom many in the pro-choice movement attempted to convince to run against Casey in the Democratic primary. Several months after Casey began his campaign, he was joined at a fundraiser by DNC Chair Howard Dean.

In the Democratic primary, Casey faced college professor Chuck Pennacchio and pension lawyer Alan Sandals. Both argued that Casey's views on abortion and other social issues were too conservative for most Pennsylvania Democrats. However, Casey easily defeated both challengers in the May 16th primary, receiving 85% of the vote.

Most polls conducted throughout 2005 and early 2006 showed Casey with an average of 10 to 15 points over Santorum, although in the spring of 2006 a few polls put his lead under 10 points; however, more recent surveys have shown results similar to the previous averages, and a May 31 Rasmussen poll had Casey ahead by 23. [link] Both the Casey and Santorum campaigns have previously said they expect the race to tighten before November. [link]

Political views

Casey, like his father, is a devout Roman Catholic and personally opposes abortion and federal expansion of stem cell research. However, he has drawn fire from some Catholics over his support of capital punishment, which his father opposed.

In addition, Casey parts ways with the national Democratic Party over a few other social issues which may reflect the opinions of Pennsylvanians. Unlike most Democratic officials, for example, he opposes gun control. He has publicly stated his support for overturning Roe v. Wade and for the confirmation of John Roberts [link] and Samuel Alito [link] for seats on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Casey also said that he would have voted to authorize force against Iraq "given the evidence available at the time". He has said that we need to "finish the job", and does not support a timeline and exit strategy.

In a candidates’ questionnaire sponsored by Pacatholic.org, Casey expressed his opposition to adoptions by homosexual couples. Casey also stated that he feels that "... employers should be permitted to extend domestic partnership benefits to same-sex couples in committed, long-term relationships". However, Casey opposes making such benefits mandatory. [link]

On another questionnaire, when asked to state a position on legalizing same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania, Casey responded "Oppose." [link] [link] However, he also opposes the Federal Marriage Amendment. [link]

Casey is also more supportive of birth control than his father was as governor. Indeed, in the Archdiocese survey, Casey expressed support for "requiring employers or health insurance plans to cover contraceptives in their prescription drug plans". He also stated his support for "a provision in the state’s budget to fund contraceptive services." [link] Casey's views on this extend to the federal funding of contraception, which he also supports. However, Casey also opposes laws that would "force pharmacists to fill a prescription contrary to their moral beliefs."

On economic and education issues, according to the candidates' questionnaire, Casey opposes school vouchers. [link]

According to the issues section of his site, Casey opposes drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Instead he supports increased federal investment in hybrid and alternative fuel technology to help wean the United States off of foreign oil. He is also listed as supporting increased funding for Brownfield cleanup, as well as a reinstatement of the polluter-pays principle for the Superfund program. [link]

External links

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State Treasurers of the United States
AK: Bill Corbus AL: Kay Ivey AR: Gus Wingfield AZ: David Petersen CA: Phil Angelides CO: Mike Coffman CT: Denise L. Nappier DE: Jack Markell FL: Tom Gallagher GA: Daniel Ebersole	HI: Georgina K. Kawamura IA: Michael Fitzgerald ID: Ron Crane IL: Judy Baar Topinka IN: Tim Berry KS: Lynn Jenkins KY: Jonathan Miller LA: John N. Kennedy MA: Timothy P. Cahill MD: Nancy K. Kopp	ME: David Lemoine MI: Julie Croll MN: Peggy Ingison MO: Sarah Steelman MS: Tate Reeves MT: Dan Bucks NC: Richard H. Moore ND: Kelly Schmidt NE: Ron Ross NH: Michael A. Ablowich	NJ: Bradley Abelow NM: Douglas M. Brown NV: Brian Krolicki NY: Alan Hevesi OH: Jennette Bradley OK: Scott Meachem OR: Randall Edwards PA: Bob Casey, Jr. RI: Paul Tavares SC: Grady Patterson	SD: Vern Larson TN: Dale Sims TX: position abolished by voters UT: Edward Alter VA: Braxton Powell VT: Jeb Spaulding WA: Michael J. Murphy WI: Jack Voight WV: John Perdue WY: Cynthia Lummins

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