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HAZLETON — If Donald Trump follows through on his campaign pledge to propose legislation that will reduce corporate taxes, incumbent U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey said he “will support it.”
Actually, Toomey, speaking to a small gathering of Republicans on Saturday morning at The Pines restaurant in Hazleton said, “I will fight for lower taxes and reduced government spending across the board … so people can keep more of their money and we can renew this economy.”
He clarified that, like Trump, he sees tax cuts as a means of restoring the national economy, especially “the middle class economy … which is limping along because of the failed policies of the Obama administration.”
It was the only mention of Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, Toomey made at the event.
Democratic challenger Katie McGinty and her campaign had been pounding away at Toomey in recent weeks for failing to either support or disavow Trump after his remarks about his treatment of women.
Instead, in his comments to the press, Toomey focused on denouncing McGinty’s positions on taxes, illegal immigration, energy — in particular the coal industry — and McGinty’s reluctance to reveal the contents of email communications during her term as chief of staff for Gov. Tom Wolf.
Toomey contended that McGinty is in violation of state ethics laws by “stonewalling for 15 months on the matter of her emails.” He accused that there is a whole range of topics that McGinty has declined to discuss in public. Moreover, Toomey accused McGinty of using her email, and state office as well, to conduct election campaign activities.
Steve Kelly, a member of the senator’s staff, made reference to a public statement issued by the Toomey team in which it is alleged that McGinty has even failed to respond to a Commonwealth Court order — under the open records law — which stipulated that McGinty make these contested emails available for public perusal within a 30-day period.
Kelly added that the gathering at Hazleton — more than two dozen people including the media — was intentionally small because Toomey wished to make only brief remarks and to also participate in a pre-meeting television interview on the senatorial campaign which is scheduled to air before election day.
Kelly said that while a group of campaign workers was also scheduled to attend to help reinforce Toomey’s appearance, a change was implemented because of these workers being involved in pro-Toomey telephone banks.
In attendance, however, was Tarah Toohil, incumbent GOP candidate for the state House; Ron Ferrance, Luzerne County GOP chairman; and Jerry Speziale, Hazleton’s chief of police.
Speziale reiterated law enforcement’s support of Toomey.
While Toomey acknowledged that he faces traditionally strong opposition in the Democrat strongholds of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, he contended that he is confident of securing voter support all across the state. “I did well back in 2010 and I believe I’ll do even better this time,” he said.
Toomey was part of a transition election that gave Republicans a majority in the U.S. Senate in 2010.
Toohil is also confident of a GOP victory on Nov. 8. She said she has talked to a large number of Democrats who are switching their allegiance in order to cast ballots for Trump. Furthermore, she pointed to registration figures in Luzerne County that reflect a trend toward Republicanism.