The Scranton Campaign Racist Attack On Lynn Swann

Transcript of exchange that led to firing of top Scranton aide: "Transcript of exchange that led to firing of top Scranton aide
Friday, January 27, 2006

By The Associated Press

Excerpt of the discussion Wednesday on the Pennsylvania Cable Network call-in show in which James Seif, chairman of Bill Scranton's gubernatorial campaign, made a racially charged remark that got him fired from the campaign.

The comment came after a caller, "Peter from Lancaster," criticized Scranton for defying the Republican State Committee and calling for an open primary instead of one in which a candidate will carry the GOP's official endorsement.

Representing candidate Lynn Swann was Ray Zaborney, executive director of Swann's campaign.

CALLER: Does Mr. Scranton have any principles that don't eventually give way to his own political expediency?

SEIF: I gotta hand it to you, Ray -- you got all your callers on tonight. All these calls from Lancaster are a pretty good indication.

ZABORNEY: Our campaign isn't the one that sent out an e-mail saying to call in, so.

SEIF: Bill Scranton has -- and I've known him for 30 years now -- as much integrity as any person I've ever known. And that means intellectual integrity as well. His decision on the primary was made after a great deal of thought, a great deal of anger that one of the candidates had been captured by Senate leadership, by the party, by others, and directed into pretending he had the victory sewn up and pretending that he was the outsider. In fact, the rich white guy in this campaign is Lynn Swann. He's the one that hangs around the, uh.

ZABORNEY: That's one of the most ridiculous and insulting things that I think I've heard in politics. You're two-for-two tonight -- two of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard in politics. Lynn Swann is the outsider, and Bill Scranton's the guy who's been in Harrisburg before, who's been around the trouble before. He's the guy whose administration supported two pay raises. He's the guy whose administration supported a bigger PIT (personal income tax) increase than (Democratic Gov.) Ed Rendell. He's the insider. Lynn Swann's the outsider."