Voting for Trump? Pennsylvania Republican senator will not say(Reuters) - Republican candidates in tight races across the country have tied themselves in knots trying to decide whether to disavow or support their party’s presidential nominee, Donald Trump, especially since multiple sexual assault allegations against him have surfaced. But U.S. Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, who is in a virtual tie with his Democratic challenger in a race that could tip control of the Senate, has chosen a third option: say nothing. Toomey appears to be the only vulnerable Republican senator to have avoided answering the question of whether he will vote for Trump, even as he has denounced the billionaire real estate developer’s lewd comments about women and allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior. His Democratic challenger, Katie McGinty, has spent days hammering Toomey for his reticence, coining the term “Fraidy-Pat” and tying his candidacy to that of Trump’s at every turn. But Pennsylvania political analysts say Toomey may have taken the safest path given his need to stitch together a coalition of working-class, white voters who support Trump and moderate, college-educated suburbanites who find his rhetoric distasteful. Polling averages show Trump losing the state to Hillary Clinton by a margin of 6 to 7 percentage points, while McGinty held a lead of less than 1 point in the Senate race, in polls before the Senate candidates debated on Monday. Pennsylvania has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W. Bush in 1988. Toomey won his seat in 2010 by just 2 percentage points. “I think for him he’s making the right choice, because I think he has to have it both ways,” said G. Terry Madonna, the director of the Franklin & Marshall College Poll in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “He’s between a rock and a hard place, and he’s chosen to stay in the middle.” The question of whether to back their party’s presidential nominee - a non-issue in virtually any other election year - has bedeviled Republicans facing competitive races across the country, with control of the Senate hanging in the balance. Some, like Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, have rescinded their support, angering Trump’s core supporters. Others, like Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, have stuck with Trump and risked losing moderate voters. A handful of Republicans, including Ayotte before she recently changed her mind, have tried to straddle the issue by withholding a formal endorsement while saying they still planned to vote for Trump. The Pennsylvania campaign, one of half a dozen close contests with the Senate up for grabs, has been the most expensive Senate race in the country, with more than $100 million from the parties and outside groups pouring into the state as of August. McGinty, who served as an environmental adviser in former President Bill Clinton’s administration, has spent months trying to link Toomey to Trump. She has redoubled her efforts over the last 10 days, as multiple women have come forward to accuse Trump of sexually assaulting them following the release of a video recording from 2005 in which he bragged in lewd terms about such behavior.  On Thursday, for the second time since the tape became public, McGinty held a conference call for reporters to assail Toomey for what she described as his tacit support for Trump. “Senator Pat Toomey now has the distinction of being the only Senate candidate in the entire United States of America to refuse to come clean about whether or not he supports Donald Trump,” she said. “So, there’s only one way to interpret that: Pat Toomey is still standing by Donald Trump.” Toomey has criticized Trump’s “outrageous comments” but has declined to say whether he will vote for him, a position he reiterated on Monday at the first of two debates with McGinty. He did, however, say he “probably” will announce a decision before the Nov. 8 elections, after previously suggesting he might not. In a statement, a Toomey spokesman turned the criticism around, calling McGinty a “rubber stamp” for the Democratic establishment in Washington. “Pat Toomey has proven he will stand up to his own party for Pennsylvania families, like on gun safety, fighting corporate welfare, or ending the Wall Street bailouts once and for all,” the spokesman, Ted Kwong, said in an email. “Katie McGinty can’t name a single disagreement with her party, whether it’s the reckless Iran deal or thousands in new middle-class tax hikes.” Charlie Gerow, a veteran Republican political consultant in Pennsylvania who is not involved in the race, said Toomey’s middle-of-the-road strategy was necessary given the deficit Trump is facing in the state. Toomey, Gerow said, cannot afford to alienate Trump backers in places like southwestern Pennsylvania, even as he tries to appeal to voters in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley suburbs. “I think it is the best strategy among several unpalatable options,” Gerow said. “I don’t think there was any better way to approach that dilemma.” politicsNews
voting trump pennsylvania republican senator say reuters republican candidates tight races across country tied knots trying decide whether disallow support party presidential nominee donald trump especially since multiple sexual assault allegations surfaced but senator pat boomer pennsylvania virtual tie democratic challenger race could tip control senate chosen third option say nothing boomer appears vulnerable republican senator avoided answering question whether vote trump even denounced billionaire real estate developer lead comments women allegations inappropriate sexual behavior his democratic challenger katie mcginty spent days hamstring boomer residence coining term tying candidacy trump every turn but pennsylvania political analysts say boomer may taken safest path given need stitch together coalition white voters support trump moderate suburbanites find rhetoric distasteful polling averages show trump losing state hillary clinton margin percentage points mcginty held lead less point senate race polls senate candidates debated monday pennsylvania voted republican presidential candidate since george bush boomer seat percentage points i think making right choice i think ways said terry madonna director franklin marshall college poll lancaster pennsylvania he rock hard place chosen stay the question whether back party presidential nominee virtually election year bedeviled republicans facing competitive races across country control senate hanging balance some like senator kelly notte new hampshire rescinded support entering trump core supporters others like senator richard burn north carolina stuck trump risked losing moderate voters a handful republicans including notte recently changed mind tried straddles issue withholding formal endorsement saying still planned vote trump the pennsylvania campaign one half dozen close contests senate grabs expensive senate race country million parties outside groups pouring state august mcginty served environmental adviser former president bill clinton administration spent months trying link boomer trump she doubled efforts last days multiple women come forward accuse trump sexually assaulting following release video recording dragged lead terms behavior on thursday second time since tape became public mcginty held conference call reporters assault boomer described tacit support trump senator pat boomer distinction senate candidate entire united states america refuse come clean whether supports donald trump said so one way interpret pat boomer still standing donald boomer criticized trump outrageous comments declined say whether vote position reiterated monday first two debates mcginty he however say probably announce decision elections previously suggesting might in statement boomer spokesman turned criticism around calling mcginty rubber stamp democratic establishment washington pat boomer proven stand party pennsylvania families like gun safety fighting corporate welfare ending wall street bailout spokesman ted kong said email katie mcginty name single disagreement party whether reckless iran deal thousands new tax charlie grow veteran republican political consultant pennsylvania involved race said boomer strategy necessary given deficit trump facing state boomer grow said afford alienate trump backers places like southwestern pennsylvania even tries appeal voters philadelphia leigh valley suburbs i think best strategy among several unpalatable options grow said i think better way approach politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Voting for Trump? Pennsylvania Republican senator will not say(Reuters) - Republican candidates in tight races across the country have tied themselves in knots trying to decide whether to disavow or support their party’s presidential nominee, Donald Trump, especially since multiple sexual assault allegations against him have surfaced. But U.S. Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, who is in a virtual tie with his Democratic challenger in a race that could tip control of the Senate, has chosen a third option: say nothing. Toomey appears to be the only vulnerable Republican senator to have avoided answering the question of whether he will vote for Trump, even as he has denounced the billionaire real estate developer’s lewd comments about women and allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior. His Democratic challenger, Katie McGinty, has spent days hammering Toomey for his reticence, coining the term “Fraidy-Pat” and tying his candidacy to that of Trump’s at every turn. But Pennsylvania political analysts say Toomey may have taken the safest path given his need to stitch together a coalition of working-class, white voters who support Trump and moderate, college-educated suburbanites who find his rhetoric distasteful. Polling averages show Trump losing the state to Hillary Clinton by a margin of 6 to 7 percentage points, while McGinty held a lead of less than 1 point in the Senate race, in polls before the Senate candidates debated on Monday. Pennsylvania has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W. Bush in 1988. Toomey won his seat in 2010 by just 2 percentage points. “I think for him he’s making the right choice, because I think he has to have it both ways,” said G. Terry Madonna, the director of the Franklin & Marshall College Poll in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “He’s between a rock and a hard place, and he’s chosen to stay in the middle.” The question of whether to back their party’s presidential nominee - a non-issue in virtually any other election year - has bedeviled Republicans facing competitive races across the country, with control of the Senate hanging in the balance. Some, like Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, have rescinded their support, angering Trump’s core supporters. Others, like Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, have stuck with Trump and risked losing moderate voters. A handful of Republicans, including Ayotte before she recently changed her mind, have tried to straddle the issue by withholding a formal endorsement while saying they still planned to vote for Trump. The Pennsylvania campaign, one of half a dozen close contests with the Senate up for grabs, has been the most expensive Senate race in the country, with more than $100 million from the parties and outside groups pouring into the state as of August. McGinty, who served as an environmental adviser in former President Bill Clinton’s administration, has spent months trying to link Toomey to Trump. She has redoubled her efforts over the last 10 days, as multiple women have come forward to accuse Trump of sexually assaulting them following the release of a video recording from 2005 in which he bragged in lewd terms about such behavior.  On Thursday, for the second time since the tape became public, McGinty held a conference call for reporters to assail Toomey for what she described as his tacit support for Trump. “Senator Pat Toomey now has the distinction of being the only Senate candidate in the entire United States of America to refuse to come clean about whether or not he supports Donald Trump,” she said. “So, there’s only one way to interpret that: Pat Toomey is still standing by Donald Trump.” Toomey has criticized Trump’s “outrageous comments” but has declined to say whether he will vote for him, a position he reiterated on Monday at the first of two debates with McGinty. He did, however, say he “probably” will announce a decision before the Nov. 8 elections, after previously suggesting he might not. In a statement, a Toomey spokesman turned the criticism around, calling McGinty a “rubber stamp” for the Democratic establishment in Washington. “Pat Toomey has proven he will stand up to his own party for Pennsylvania families, like on gun safety, fighting corporate welfare, or ending the Wall Street bailouts once and for all,” the spokesman, Ted Kwong, said in an email. “Katie McGinty can’t name a single disagreement with her party, whether it’s the reckless Iran deal or thousands in new middle-class tax hikes.” Charlie Gerow, a veteran Republican political consultant in Pennsylvania who is not involved in the race, said Toomey’s middle-of-the-road strategy was necessary given the deficit Trump is facing in the state. Toomey, Gerow said, cannot afford to alienate Trump backers in places like southwestern Pennsylvania, even as he tries to appeal to voters in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley suburbs. “I think it is the best strategy among several unpalatable options,” Gerow said. “I don’t think there was any better way to approach that dilemma.” politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: voting trump pennsylvania republican senator say reuters republican candidates tight races across country tied knots trying decide whether disallow support party presidential nominee donald trump especially since multiple sexual assault allegations surfaced but senator pat boomer pennsylvania virtual tie democratic challenger race could tip control senate chosen third option say nothing boomer appears vulnerable republican senator avoided answering question whether vote trump even denounced billionaire real estate developer lead comments women allegations inappropriate sexual behavior his democratic challenger katie mcginty spent days hamstring boomer residence coining term tying candidacy trump every turn but pennsylvania political analysts say boomer may taken safest path given need stitch together coalition white voters support trump moderate suburbanites find rhetoric distasteful polling averages show trump losing state hillary clinton margin percentage points mcginty held lead less point senate race polls senate candidates debated monday pennsylvania voted republican presidential candidate since george bush boomer seat percentage points i think making right choice i think ways said terry madonna director franklin marshall college poll lancaster pennsylvania he rock hard place chosen stay the question whether back party presidential nominee virtually election year bedeviled republicans facing competitive races across country control senate hanging balance some like senator kelly notte new hampshire rescinded support entering trump core supporters others like senator richard burn north carolina stuck trump risked losing moderate voters a handful republicans including notte recently changed mind tried straddles issue withholding formal endorsement saying still planned vote trump the pennsylvania campaign one half dozen close contests senate grabs expensive senate race country million parties outside groups pouring state august mcginty served environmental adviser former president bill clinton administration spent months trying link boomer trump she doubled efforts last days multiple women come forward accuse trump sexually assaulting following release video recording dragged lead terms behavior on thursday second time since tape became public mcginty held conference call reporters assault boomer described tacit support trump senator pat boomer distinction senate candidate entire united states america refuse come clean whether supports donald trump said so one way interpret pat boomer still standing donald boomer criticized trump outrageous comments declined say whether vote position reiterated monday first two debates mcginty he however say probably announce decision elections previously suggesting might in statement boomer spokesman turned criticism around calling mcginty rubber stamp democratic establishment washington pat boomer proven stand party pennsylvania families like gun safety fighting corporate welfare ending wall street bailout spokesman ted kong said email katie mcginty name single disagreement party whether reckless iran deal thousands new tax charlie grow veteran republican political consultant pennsylvania involved race said boomer strategy necessary given deficit trump facing state boomer grow said afford alienate trump backers places like southwestern pennsylvania even tries appeal voters philadelphia leigh valley suburbs i think best strategy among several unpalatable options grow said i think better way approach politicsnews