From The Scranton Times-Tribune:

I am a pro-life Democrat. I believe that life begins at conception and ends when we draw our last breath and that we must protect life at every point in that process.

My actions as a U.S. senator have been consistent with this philosophy. I have voted against federal funding of stem cell research that would destroy living embryos.

I have voted to codify the federal regulation that provides unborn children with health coverage under the Children's Health Insurance Program.

I have voted to prohibit funding to organizations that support coercive abortions.

I have voted to prohibit circumvention of parental involvement in abortion decisions.

I have consistently supported the Hyde Amendment and the Helms Amendment regarding federal funding of abortions or abortion-related services.

And I have worked closely with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other faith groups to introduce S. 270, the Pregnant Women Support Act -- last year and again last month. This legislation would reduce the number of abortions by providing health care, education, counseling, nutrition, pre-natal care, and information for pregnant women.

Many pro-life activists talk about one strategy only -- the appointment of a justice who may tip the Supreme Court against Roe v.Wade. I understand this approach. I, too, believe that Roe was wrongly decided. I strongly oppose the Freedom of Choice Act which would codify the Roe decision. While this bill has not been introduced, I will oppose it if it is introduced.

Pat Toomey is sounding more and more like a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

The former congressman drew resounding cheers Saturday when he told the state's largest gathering of conservatives that he is "very, very likely" to announce that he will challenge incumbent Arlen Specter in the 2010 Republican primary.

Toomey came close to beating Specter in the 2004 primary.

In his speech to the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference, he sharply criticized Specter for voting for the federal economic stimulus package and other big spending bills supported by Democrats.

He said Pennsylvania's senator should stand up for the GOP ideals of lower taxes and smaller government.

Toomey is all but certain to face opposition in the primary from others, including fellow conservative activist Peg Luksik of Johnstown.

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter said Tuesday he will vote to prevent legislation that would make it easier for unions to organize from coming to a Senate vote.

Specter, a Philadelphia Republican, said his vote against the so-called card check legislation could be decisive.

Specter, who is expected to face a tough primary challenge next year, said the deciding factor was "the elimination of the secret ballot, which is the cornerstone of how contests are decided in a democratic society." The bill would allow employees to organize when a majority of workers sign cards.

Specter said he would vote against cloture, a motion to end debate. That would allow a threatened filibuster to continue against the bill. He left open the possibility of changing his mind.

Despite pleas that its canal boating operation is hardly worthy of a terrorist screening, Easton's Hugh Moore Park has been told its mule guides must get special fingerprint-coded identification cards before the April 15 deadline.

The federal government's directive essentially ends the organization's bid to avoid paying about $400 for four Transportation Worker Identification Credentials.

Under a new rule, all Coast Guard-certified boat operators must get the high-tech government IDs. But U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, R-15th District, says he's continuing to press for an exemption.

Sarah Hays, Hugh Moore's operations director, had argued that the fee would be a drain on the nonprofit's bottom line and that guides on a Lehigh Canal boat that carries school groups and families shouldn't be subject to the same rules as longshoremen and truck drivers in the nation's ports.

The credentials, valid for five years, would cost about $100 for each of the canal boat ride's four Coast Guard-certified operators and add to the $300-per-person fee the museum pays every five years to renew the operators' Coast Guard licenses.

Three prominent elected officials want President Barack Obama to channel the public anger over the AIG bonuses into action that supports public works projects.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have joined New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a coalition that promotes rebuilding roads, bridges and other projects.

Rendell says the controversy over the bonuses paid to executives at the insurance giant American International Group Inc. has taken attention away from Obama's efforts to get the country moving again.

The three appeared Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

A defense lobbyist and his family made $1.5 million in political contributions from 2000 through 2008 as the lobbyist's now-embattled firm helped clients win billions of dollars in federal contracts. A sizable chunk of those campaign dollars went to the House members who control Pentagon spending.

Paul Magliocchetti, founder of the PMA Group, and nine of his relatives -- two children, his daughter-in-law, his current wife, his ex-wife and his ex-wife's parents, sister and brother-in-law -- poured contributions into the coffers of candidates, political action committees and national and state party committees, according to a CQ review of public documents.

During this time, PMA grew from a start-up to the 11th-richest lobbying outfit in the country.

The top beneficiaries were a select group of Democratic members of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, other allies of the top Pentagon appropriator in the House, Rep. John P. Murtha , D-Pa., and the company's own political action committee, which in turn made contributions to many of the same lawmakers.

Pat Toomey, who six weeks ago said he had turned his attention toward a possible run for governor, now says he is considering a repeat bid for U.S. Senate.

The about-face by the former Lehigh Valley congressman comes as three other Republicans continue to pursue the governor's mansion in 2010 and with conservatives itching to put up a credible challenge to Republican Sen. Arlen Specter.

Specter's support for the economic stimulus bill last month has left the party hierarchy on the fence over whether it will back the five-term lawmaker again next year.

''Unfortunately, the recent extraordinary response of the federal government -- more corporate bailouts, unprecedented spending and debt, higher taxes -- is likely to make things worse,'' Toomey said in a statement Monday

Twenty-nine years into his U.S. Senate career, Arlen Specter cast what he calls his most difficult vote ever -- a "yes" on the $787 billion economic stimulus bill that made him the only Republican facing re-election in 2010 to support it.

Now, with GOP anger still simmering, Specter is under pressure to buck the party again and support "card check" legislation to make it easier for workers to form unions.

It is only the latest tight spot for the 79-year-old Specter, a political moderate and maverick who is used to being on the political rack, stretched between the wishes of an increasingly conservative party in an increasingly liberal state.

He is in meetings every day about the card check bill, he said, hearing more about it than any other issue and not revealing to anybody which way he is leaning.

"I've been in this line of work long enough that people ... know my arm's not twistable," Specter said in an interview Thursday.

It is that streak of independence that the fifth-term Specter flaunts and Republicans fear.