Corbett gets set for run
HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Corbett scheduled at least 29 campaign meetings during the first four months of this year, a sign the 2014 re-election campaign is on his mind as he balances an array of official duties with a high-pressure legislative agenda.
The governor’s office released 114 pages of his official calendar to The Associated Press on Tuesday, records that were requested about six weeks ago, the day after the AP won a favorable court ruling in a legal battle with the administration over a request for his schedule and e-mails made soon after his 2011 inauguration.
The schedules indicate the Republican governor participated in campaign-related meetings at restaurants, law firms, private clubs and homes throughout the state, as well as in Washington, D.C., and Chicago. His campaign manager, Mike Barley, said the state’s size means “getting a campaign up and running isn’t something you do overnight. We are working on that.”
“Clearly there’s an election next year,” Barley said. “Of course it’s something that the governor is concentrating on.”
The governor also released 12 e-mails either to or from him that cover the four-month period. Both the schedules and e-mails were redacted, with the administration citing as justification various exceptions to the mandated disclosure under the state Right-to-Know Law.
Beyond events specifically labeled as campaign-related, the schedules offer a window into Corbett’s daily activities.
Many of the meetings simply list times and the last names of participants, often members of his staff.
They also reflect meetings or calls with Republican governors Bob McDonnell of Virginia and Rick Snyder of Michigan, as well as Democratic President Barack Obama’s education secretary, Arne Duncan.
Not all of Corbett’s scheduled appointments were policy functions, either. From January through April, Corbett attended the Farm Show, St. Patrick’s Day events and the Mummers Parade, and was scheduled for a meet-and-greet with actor Hugh Jackman at an Academy of Music concert in Philadelphia.
