Attendees at a fundraiser for Sen. Robert Casey (D-Pa.) Thursday evening were told to “give till it feels good.”
The fundraising event took place in a packed reception hall of The Racquet Club and featured prominent liberal pundits James Carville and Paul Begala, as well as Pennsylvania’s senior elected officials in attendance. Casey was absent at the event as he was away on business in Washington.
Paul Begala, ex co-host of CNN’s Crossfire, opened the evening by introducing himself as “a friend of the Casey family for the last 25 years.” He went on to give the attendees a rundown of the Republican presidential candidates. “I thought Donald Trump was going to run as the Republican candidate. Turns out he was running as a joke.”
When talking about Herman Cain, Begala said he “fully supports his ‘hands-on’ campaign,” which elicited laughter from the reception hall. Begala praised Casey’s efforts in Washington saying, “He’s a remarkable leader. I’ve seen him work in the Senate, and let me tell you, it ain’t easy.” He emphasized the importance of Pennsylvania in the upcoming 2012 presidential election — adding that it’s a swing state and a “purple state.”
Carville, lead strategist of former President Bill Clinton’s campaign, took over the podium and announced his support for Casey. “It’s terrific to be back in Philadelphia and an honor to stand in for Bob.”
Carville criticized the Republican party for its unequal dealings with the Democratic party. “Every time they come to us, it’s either less wages for us or more pollution for them. Well, this low-wage, high-pollution solution isn’t working out for us,” Carville said. He also vehemently opposed the Republican party’s support of cutting Medicare. “We don’t need to cut Medicare. We need to cut healthcare costs. You have to diagnose the problem correctly and solve it,” Carville said.
“I was very excited to see Carville,” said Threse Mangini, a retired resident of Philadelphia. “That’s mostly why I attended this event. He’s such a great political mind.”
Mike Keramidas, a College freshman, said he attended the event because he is a long-time supporter of Casey. “I supported the senator in his campaign against Rick Santorum in 2006. I grew up in central Pennsylvania, so I am very interested in Pennsylvanian politics.”
Sam Esterman, also a freshman in the College and a member of Penn Democrats, said, “I came to the event because I am very interested in campaigning and hope to one day work for a politician. I wanted to see what a fundraiser would actually be like.”
The fundraiser required all attendees to donate a minimum of $100, though the event was free for students. Both Carville and Begala stayed to talk to donors and students present.
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