Bird’s-Eye View

Just a thought or two about the election of Rep. Bill DeWeese as the House Majority party’s Whip.

Taking the Whip position means DeWeese will intimately be involved in negotiations and rallying Democrats on legislative votes, and if you think the new Majority Leader Todd Eachus won’t be listening to DeWeese’s counsel, think again. DeWeese for 18 years has either served as caucus chairman or House Speaker, and you just don’t cast off two decades of leadership experience if you’re the new leader.

That isn’t to say Eachus will fail to be his own man, to be his own kind of leader. But if Eachus falters for any reason, guess who’s next in line to take the crown - the Whip in the caucus, who happens to be DeWeese. Despite the cloud of Bonusgate over the House Dems, DeWeese’s star will continue to shine through and his influence will mark everything. Would you expect anything less from DeWeese? His name is not synonmous with “rank-and-file.” And it’s a sign, given DeWeese’s support of Eachus to be majority leader, the caucus is not ready to break with the past. My guess is this core leadership team with DeWeese’s hands still very much on the wheel has another session to get the health care agenda done as well as other top priorities, or more drastic changes will be called upon.

 U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. overcame what he described as hard feelings for fellow Senator Joe Lieberman, the Democrat turned independent lawmaker who backed Republican John McCain for president, and voted to allow Lieberman to retain his committee chairmanship, according to the Washington Post:

For Obama’s closest allies, Lieberman’s sin was not his support for McCain, but his speaking so emphatically against Obama, especially on foreign policy. “I was as frustrated and angry as anyone else,” said Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (Pa.), a centrist who voted for Lieberman to retain his homeland security post.

The post the Post is referring to is Lieberman’s chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; by virtue of the name, you can image how influential that committee and by extension its leader can be in Washington.

Lieberman spoke during the GOP’s national convention in Minnesota, just 8 years after he was the Democratic nominee for vice president. Lieberman received considerable criticism from Democrats for claiming during his speech Obama never crossed the aisle and worked with Republicans (which isn’t exactly true). Notice after minute seven when Lieberman cites all the times in which McCain has worked bipartisanly (campaign finance reform and breaking a deal with Dems to end the gridlock over judicial appointments) how the partisan GOP crowd offers a lukewarm response, probably because much of the list were items conservatives felt McCain had betrayed the party on.

Here’s the vid of Lieberman’s performance:

You may also remember how Lieberman appeared with McCain on the field during a Manheim Central football practice. While McCain gave a stirring, poignant speech connecting his experience as a POW during the Vietnam War with the small-in-comparison battles on the football pitch, Lieberman spent his time trying to convince the teens that their parents should vote for McCain because the nation would be in better shape when the players grew up.

 Not exactly a FDR-style fireside chat during these tough economic times, but Gov. Ed Rendell put the entire state government on notice: More spending cuts are coming.

From the Associated Press:

“We are going to do everything we can to get through this with as little harm as possible, but I also want to remind people that the cuts are coming, and I don’t want to hear any whining,” Rendell said.

Rendell met Tuesday with his senior staff and developed a list of additional government spending cuts for Cabinet secretaries to consider beyond $311 million in potential reductions he identified last month.

Rendell also said he would try to avoid any broad-based tax increases, but he wouldn’t rule it out. Not hard to see why. The state’s facing a $1 billion to $2 billion shortfall when the fiscal year ends in June because the economy has ripped into tax revenue.

State Rep. Mike Sturla is now a part of the Democratic leadership in the state House, which means the 9-term lawmaker will have a prominent role in shaping Democratic policy for the next two years.

Sturla was elected Tuesday during a secret-ballot, closed-door session to serve as the Democratic policy committee chairman, making Sturla the eight highest ranking Democrat in the House. As chairman, Sturla will be touring the state during the upcoming two-year session that starts in January, holding hearings to garner public input on Pennsylvania’s most pressing issues.

Sturla is the first lawmaker from Lancaster County to serve in leadership since former Rep. John Barley served as the Republican caucus’ Appropriations Committee chairman. Barley resigned in 2002.

Sturla was first elected in 1991 and will start his 10th term in January. He did serve as policy committee vice chairman from 1997 until 2006, and most recently oversaw the House Professional Licensure Committee as majority chairman starting in 2007.

Just received word current Minority Republican Leader Sam Smith beat back a challenge by colleague and former House Speaker John Perzel to retain his leadership post. I’m not surprised especially given the allegations that Perzel may have hired an outside consultant to do opposition research against members of his own caucus; Perzel has denied this. Smith has served three terms as the GOP caucus leader.

Awaiting word on the rest of the Republican leadership team and what shakes out of the Democratic caucus. Keep checking back for more updates.

Update: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Rep. Todd Eachus of Luzerne County is the new Democratic majority leader, taking 2/3 of the vote. Rep. Keith McCall received unanimous support for House Speaker.

Now former Majority Leader Bill DeWeese is fighting to stay in leadership, battling with three other Democrats for the caucus’ No. 2 position, Whip, the paper reported.

Update (5:07 p.m.): He survives, again! DeWeese has apparently been elected Majority Whip by the Democratic caucus, maintaining a high-profile position with the caucus, according to www.politickerpa.com. How does he survive time and again? Although DeWeese survives, it’s hard to imagine him not constantly at the microphone blasting away during floor debates.

Update: (6:50 p.m.): A big winner today is Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, who was selected as the policy committee chairman for the Majority Democratic Caucus. More later.

In the wake of Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll’s death yesterday, Republican Sen. Joe Scarnati of Jefferson County ascends to her position. But he does not give up his spot as the top ranking Senator in the chamber, president pro tempore.

The situation means now that in the unlikely event Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell leaves office before the end of his term, the Republican Scarnati would become governor. The situation likely means Rendell finishes out his term.

For a look at who Scarnati is, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has this story:

Unlike many politicians at the Capitol, Mr. Scarnati, 46, doesn’t project a big ego in public.

“He’s low-key,” said his chief of staff, Todd Nyquist. “We’ve known each other a long time, but after he was elected, I once called him ’senator.’ He didn’t like that.”

GOP senators have clout because they control the Senate by a 29-20 margin. Sen. Jane Orie, R-McCandless, the third-highest member of the GOP leadership, said Mr. Scarnati is “down to earth. He’ll say what is on his mind and not back down just to be politically correct. He hasn’t forgotten his small-town roots, and he cares about the needs of working people.”

Longtime friend and Brockway businessman Peter Varischetti said, “I’ve known Joe all my life. … He’s always had a yearning to be involved in politics. He was one of the youngest councilmen in Brockway. He was in his 20s.”

While it may seem odd to have someone serving in the executive and legislative branches at the same time, it isn’t unprecedented (see Jubelirer, Bob, and Schweiker, Mark).

From Gov. Ed Rendell’s office:

(Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll) died Wednesday at approximately 6 p.m. at National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C., where she was recovering from treatment for neuroendocrine cancer. She was surrounded by her family.

Under the Pennsylvania Constitution, Knoll will be replaced as Lieutenant Governor by the Senate President Pro Tempore, Joseph B. Scarnati III (R-Jefferson).

As lieutenant governor, Knoll played a vital role in addressing a variety of issues of critical importance to the people of Pennsylvania. She was particularly proud of her accomplishment of creating of TAP 529 Pennsylvania Tuition Account Program, which has since been renamed ‘nowU.’ She was also instrumental in issues including emergency management, domestic preparedness, economic development and local government. She served as the president of the Senate and chairwoman of the Board of Pardons, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council, and the Local Government Advisory Committee.

Knoll was sworn in on Jan. 21, 2003, as Pennsylvania’s 30th lieutenant governor; the first woman elected to the post.

A native of Allegheny County, Knoll, 78, devoted her life to public service, first as a school teacher and business woman and later advancing issues such as finance, transportation, housing, education, environmental work, human rights, small business development, and urban and rural revitalization efforts.

She contributed to her community through her longstanding service to the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women, Federal Home Loan Bank Board of Pittsburgh, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, Angel’s Place, the NAACP, Elder Care, Inc., Pennsylvania Nature Conservancy and the Pittsburgh Golden Triangle.

Knoll spearheaded a number of initiatives to promote safety and prosperity for Pennsylvanians of all ages.

She was a strong supporter of Project ChildSafe, which reminded gun owners to properly store firearms in the home to prevent a loaded firearm from falling into the hands of a child. Project ChildSafe distributed millions of free safety kits including cable-style gun locking devices and safety education materials at major public events.

Knoll was a strong advocate for Dress for Success South Central PA which helps disadvantaged women enter the workforce in the south central Pennsylvania region.

She was an active member of the NLGA (National Lieutenant Governors Association), working on substantive policy issues and international missions - work that is an accurate reflection of the growing role of the office of lieutenant governor. Knoll worked with other members on items ranging from education reform and international trade to health care and federalism issues. She spearheaded Pennsylvania’s participation as one of 10 states involved in NLGA’s education campaign regarding cervical cancer, beginning in August of 2006 — “Ending Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime.”

She also helped foster collaboration among academia, industry, government agencies and technical support organizations promote the Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow, or SMART, regional alliance with Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware. SMART promotes the Mid-Atlantic region’s technical enterprise and intellectual vitality for the economic benefit of the region.

Knoll served eight distinguished years as State Treasurer. During her tenure, she implemented and maintained the highest standards of accountability and integrity. She also kept Pennsylvania ahead of the technology curve by building a high-tech investment center that saved Pennsylvania hundred of millions of dollars through increased efficiency and returned nearly $2 billion in interest.

Honored by organizations throughout the nation for her leadership, she accumulated a long list of firsts, among them: First woman appointed to the AFL-CIO Housing and Building Board of Trustees, Chairwoman of the Pension Committee of the National Association of State Treasurers, and various small business loan programs for women and minorities.

As Lieutenant Governor she received additional accolades in the past five years from the Greater Washington County Food Bank, Honorary Board Member, Friend of PA Harness Racing Commission, PA Prison Society Humanitarian of The Year Award, promoting a strategic alliance with DE, MD, NJ, and PA, YWCA Greater Pittsburgh Women of the Year Award, Chapel of the Four Chaplains Gold Medal Award, Circle of Excellence First Women Elected to The Office of The Lieutenant Governor, Philadelphia AIDS Consortium, State Library Rare Book Room Outstanding Support.

Knoll’s late husband, Charles, was a U.S. Postmaster. Their four children, Charles, Mina, Albert, and Kim Eric, are all adult professionals in their own right.

Knoll was the daughter of Nicholas and Teresa Baker. She was educated at Saint Mary’s High School in McKees Rocks, Duquesne University, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Seriously … we may want to forget the drama inside the House Democrats over Majority Leader Bill DeWeese and focus instead on the soap opera that the House Republicans are turning into. You may remember last night I published a post about former House Speaker John Perzel allegedly hiring a political hit man to do opposition research on members of his own caucus like Minority Leader Sam Smith. If Perzel wants back the House Republican’s leadership mantle, he’ll have to go through Smith. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today via Tracie Mauriello followed up on other published reports:

Other Republicans Mr. (Joseph) Carduff says he was told to research included Republican Leader Sam Smith of Punxsutawney; Mike Turzai of Bradford Woods, who is planning to run for minority whip, the second-ranking job in the caucus; and Dennis O’Brien of Philadelphia, who defeated Mr. Perzel for speaker two years ago.

The other Republicans on the list were those who publicly criticized Mr. Perzel, voted against him in the 2006 speaker election or blocked him from other leadership positions that year.

“This is the kind of politics that the people of Pennsylvania are sick of,” Mr. Smith said in a short statement issued last night.

What’s particularly intriguing is Smith’s response. While Perzel denies it, Smith treats it as fact. And these two used to be allies. That must be one cold minority caucus room this week.

So “like sands through the hourglass, so too are the days of our GOP lives … “

Now this I think is a good idea:

Several dozen school teachers attended a daylong seminar Wednesday at the state Capitol that was designed to increase their knowledge of the state and federal court systems. It was part of an effort by the courts to counter cynicism that many fear has corroded public confidence in the judicial branch.

The program included basic instruction in court issues, a mock Supreme Court argument and a discussion by several judges on how they decide criminal and civil cases.

The judiciary obviously is concerned about the notion that it somehow “legislates” from the bench, a frequent criticism from conservative groups upset when rulings on things like gun laws or gay marriage goes against their point-of-view. As I’ve written before, please show me in the state and national constitutions which explicitedly says gay and lesbian couples can’t marry, and I’ll raise you the 14th amendment. And the judiciary may have figured a safe, more effective route to tackle the perception of “legislating” from the bench: Educate younger generations rather than get into a public spat with groups and individuals who feel they override their authority.

The judiciary isn’t as “sexy” to learn about as the presidency or the legislative branch, I’ll grant you, but it’s vital to understanding the checks-and-balances in place. I remember the judiciary being glossed over during history class as war, economic hardship, settling the frontier, war, battles, presidents, war were emphasized more, even though the Supreme Court had major roles in shaping our society, our culture, our politics. Adding emphasis in the curriculum wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Tom Wolf, Gov. Ed Rendell’s secretary of revenue, resigned today. While that may be a yawner at first impression, see this from the Associated Press:

Wolf, however, would not elaborate on his plans during a Capitol news conference with Gov. Ed Rendell. He sidestepped a question about whether he was running for governor.

“I’ve made a decision, and the reason I’m leaving now is because I want to pursue another option in public service, but I’m not going to announce it today,” Wolf said.

What’s curious is the timing of Wolf’s departure. The Rendell administration is beginning to put together its budget proposal, which will be officially unveiled in February. Wolf says he wants to pursue a yet-to-be-named public service job, but what greater public service job could he have than helping the governor and Legislature put together a $30 billion budget in the midst of an economic whirlpool? By at least one projection, the state is facing a $3 billion shortfall, and revenue has steadily fallen. As of the end of October, state revenue is $565 million behind what’s needed because of a drop in equity from state investments and a $30 million drop in sales tax receipts, which means Pennsylvanians aren’t buying as much stuff as the state needs them to.

If you’re thinking of vying for a move into the governor’s mansion, you’d probably want to avoid sticky, volatile budget negotiations like the kind potentially building between Rendell and the Senate GOP. So leaving now may be a good thing for Wolf. It just looks, given the budget circumstances, kinda sorta like you’re running away from the problems you’re going to need to solve as governor.

Wolf also doesn’t have the name recognition other rumored contenders have like state Attorney General Tom Corbett and recently retired U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan, both Republicans. On the Democratic side a few county executives from opposite ends of the state are on the potential contenders list as well as Senate Minority Leader Bob Mellow.

Honestly, on the Democratic side, is there anyone out there that generates a whole lot of excitement as a potential successor to the Rendell era?