–> Sen. Arlen Specter blogs – yes, blogs – about his vote to hold Josh Bolton and Karl Rove in contempt,writing: “It was a vote that I made with reluctance, but I did so because I think it is necessary for the Congress to demonstrate our determination on congressional oversight that it involves some very important, substantive programs. As I’ve said on many occasions in the past, I’m prepared to meet all of the administration’s demands except one. I’m prepared to give up the oath; I’m prepared to give up separate sessions by the House and Senate; I’m prepared to give up a public session; I’m even prepared to give up a transcript, much as I dislike doing that. But it is just impossible to make a concession not to proceed further. We cannot abrogate or relinquish our constitutional responsibilities. I voted for the contempt citations knowing that it is highly likely to be a meaningless act because it takes a long period of time to enforce the process and to have a judicial determination. But I think, in this context, we have no alternative but to proceed to do that.”
–> Too much green for the Greens: The Green Party of Pennsylvania’s Steering Committee voted Sunday to demand an investigation of the Democratic and Republican Party’s activities since 2004. In a letter to State Attorney General Tom Corbett, the party called for an immediate probe into the bonuses paid to legislative staffers for their work on behalf of candidates and for legal charges to be filed, if warranted. They also asked that the investigation cover 2006 activities, which did not initially seem to be the subject of concern. The vote followed Sunday’s blockbuster from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazett, which got its hands on a bunch of e-mails between top aides in the Democratic caucus that “make clear that taxpayer-funded bonuses were given to legislative employees for their work on election campaigns.”
In addition to electoral work on behalf of Democratic candidates, bonuses were also paid for work done to remove Independent candidate Ralph Nader from the 2004 Pennsylvania ballot. This is by far one of the worst abuses of taxpayer money,” said Marakay Rogers, left, a Green Party Steering Committee member and 2006 gubernatorial candidate. “To take money from the public coffers for the express purpose of rewarding anti-democratic behavior is despicable as well as illegal,” she added. Rogers said she withdrew her name from the ballot after being challenged by the Democratic Party for fear that she would be personally liable for exorbitant attorney fees. “It is highly likely that this same payment scheme was used in 2006 when they threw me and my fellow candidates off the ballot, but we will probably never know,” said Rogers.
–> Tick tock: The chairman of the county GOP has announced that candidates seeking the party’s endorsement in 2008 elections must submit formal letters of intent no later than Jan. 4. That would be 17 days from now. David M. Dumeyer said the deadline is enough that it will give the 17 area committees across the county sufficient time to consider all of the candidates and conduct straw polls in advance of the endorsement convention. The first day candidates can file nomination petitions is Jan. 22.
Letters of intent must state the person’s interest to seek endorsement for a specific office on the ballot in 2008. The offices up for election next year are the 16th Congressional District seat; State Senate’s 13th district seat; and state representative in the 37th, 41st, 43rd, 96th, 97th, 98th, 99th, and 100th districts. Also on the ballot are elected Republican State Committee positions — one from Lancaster City, seven female and seven male outside the city — and two delegates, as well as two alternates, to the Republican National Convention. Letters must be mailed to the Republican Committee of Lancaster County, 902 Columbia Avenue, Lancaster, PA., 17603.
–> More bad news about public pensions: The Pew Charitable Trusts finds that states have promised at least $2.73 trillion in pension, health care and other retirement benefits for public employees over the next three decades. Promises with a Price, the first 50-state analysis of its kind, finds that states have saved enough to cover about 85 percent of their long-term pension costs, but only 3 percent of the funds needed for promised retiree health care and other non-pension benefits. All told, states already have set aside about $2 trillion to meet their long-term obligations. But they still need to come up with about $731 billion— a conservative figure that does not include all costs for teachers and local government employees.
–> McCain gets a boost from Lieberman: HCD Research’s survey of 350 self-reported Republicans and independents shown a video of Joe Lieberman’s endorsement of Sen. John McCain suggests a bump in support for the Arizona Senator. McCain’s support nearly doubled among Republicans who viewed a video of the statement. The percent of Republicans considering themselves “undecided” increased 5%, and support for Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani decreased 3-4%. When Independents were asked to report their preference among the Republican candidates, support for McCain increased from 14% to 23%. Giuliani’s support decreased 7% suggesting a movement to McCain.
–> Around the blogosphere in 60 seconds: Newspapers from around the state have plenty to say about unfinished open-records business | Above Average Jane says the fun’s just getting started in MontCo | Comments from Left Field on dirty politics
–> In other news: Turnpike agency hires lobbyists | Pa. leads nation in sentencing minors to life | Strip-searches … for only minor charges | Bumsted: Rendell aides yearn for a return to Perzel days
