Republican state Reps. Scott Boyd and Bryan Cutler were among a group of GOP lawmakers who drafted a letter to the president encouraging him to examine their 14-bill health care-reform package.
“We recognize that you may not approve of every suggestion offered, but we are open to suggestions that may help us find an agreement […]

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If you can’t get enough of Chris Matthews’ freewheeling, in-your-face style of punditry on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” here’s a chance to get your fix in person. Matthews will be at Franklin & Marshall College next Wednesday night to talk about health care reform, the state of the economy and President Barack Obama’s poll ratings.
The event, […]

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John Baer of the Philly Daily News is today’s must-read.

We ought to start sending sheep to the Legislature. I know you think we already do, but I mean for real. Hear me out. We save a ton of money even if we phase them in. Most sheep don’t drive so we save on taxpayer-financed car […]

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Brad Bumsted of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has Rendell on the record:
“This budget is not balanced for this year, and it’s a billion dollars short for next year,” Rendell said in Pittsburgh. He said he plans to tell the legislative leaders who announced the agreement that he would “absolutely” veto the measure.
“If they override it, they […]

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Gov. Ed Rendell’s office is putting the finishing touches on a statement opposing the so-called budget agreement reached by three of the four legislative caucuses, a spokesman said. But his chief of staff, Steve Crawford, told The Post-Gazette Rendell cannot support the plan.
The spending proposal by Senate Republican and Democratic leaders and House Democrat leaders […]

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You decide. From Capitolwire.com Bureau Chief Peter L. DeCoursey:
HARRISBURG (Sept. 10) – A $27.945 billion proposed budget is expected to be announced Friday morning at a joint press conference of leaders of the House Democrats, Senate Republicans and Senate Democrats.
House Democrats were ardently lobbying Rendell to agree to the deal Thursday night, administration officials said, […]

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Is it for real this time?
State lawmakers are nearing a handshake agreement on the budget, according to various media outlets. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports tonight that “aides confirmed that the administration and legislative leaders have agreed on an overall spending figure of roughly $28 billion - less than Rendell had sought but more than Senate […]

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The Tweeting senator says, “Rep. Wilson apologized immediately afterward but I don’t think that’s adequate.”

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U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts’ office released the following statement this morning on President Barack Obama’s call for passage of sweeping health-care legislation Wednesday night:
“I don’t really know whether this speech is going to change things for the President. He continues to support a deeply unpopular government-run public option and, while he paid lip service to […]

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Press release from the county:
Scrips

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