PAWaterCooler.com

Not the time to rest, Mr Corbett, but still good news.

New polling from Pennsylvania has moved the state’s gubernatorial race from Leans Republican to Solid Republican in the Rasmussen Reports Gubernatorial Scorecard.

Voters will elect governors in 37 states this November. Nineteen of those governorships are now held by Democrats, while Republicans sit in the governor’s chair in 18 of the states.

The Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Gubernatorial Scorecard shows Democrats solidly ahead in six states, with two more leaning their way. Republicans are running strongly in 15 states, and six more are leaning GOP.

Hawaii and Connecticut are the only states with a Republican governor that are considered likely to elect a Democrat in November. But five states now headed by Democrats – Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming – are seen as likely GOP pickups.

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In a February, 2008 media report, Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) Vice Chairman Jeff Nash, also an elected Camden County Freeholder, ominously warned that “…the deck of the Walt Whitman (Bridge) HAD a 50-year life span….We’re at 50 years, two months.”

Two and a half years later, the decking project of the Walt Whitman has not yet begun.  Why?  Lack of money, we are told, which is in part why the Port Authority just went further into debt by borrowing $320 million.

Of course, as with all things DRPA, that’s not the whole story.

The money was there.  They just chose to ignore the bridges, instead channeling huge bucks to perks and political patronage deals.

The DRPA has squandered nearly $400 million in so-called “economic development” projects that have nothing to do with the bridges, and now finds itself more than $1.5 billion in debt.

Due to intense media scrutiny, a series of reforms have been suggested by Ed Rendell, who, as Pennsylvania Governor, appoints the DRPA Chairman.  After his election in 2002, Rendell appointed himself Chairman, and last year made his former Chief of Staff and longtime political fundraiser and confidante John Estey —a partner at Ballard Spahr, the Governor’s former firm — the Chairman.

The reforms, while noteworthy, do not resolve the immense conflicts of interest which have gone unchecked for years and still permeate the entire Authority.

Like the fox being given oversight to “guard” the henhouse, Rendell and the DRPA audaciously expect the forgotten tollpayers — on whose back the DRPA has trodden — to believe that the reforms will be effectively implemented by the very people who are knee deep in all the conflicts.

For an example, let’s look at a conflict involving Vice Chairman Nash….

Read the rest at Philly Mag:

http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2010/08/03/more-questions-and-conflicts-at-drpa/

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Well, isn’t that interesting.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell predicted on Tuesday that if the president escalates America’s military involvement in Afghanistan he could very well face a primary challenger in 2012.

In an overlooked “Morning Joe” segment on Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Democrat offered his distinct brand of eccentric, conversation-driving political foresight. He couched his statement about the possibility of a primary challenge by stressing that if Obama sticks to his current plans for Afghanistan — a reduced military presence beginning in July of 2011 — there would not be political insurrection within the party.

Hillary 2012?

The outgoing Governor is looking for work after all. It’s hard to get off of the public dole he’s been living on for decades. He was an early and active Hillary supporter.

Tip to Allahpundit who adds:

Never happen. There’s no draft and no real risk of catastrophic battlefield defeat, so there’s nothing to galvanize widespread support for an insurgent peacenik Democrat. If Obama stays the course, we’re likely to just keep muddling through, and while no one’s thrilled with that idea, it ain’t enough for a Hillary 2012 campaign when progressives are already wetting themselves about losing the White House to the GOP. The racial politics would be poisonous too, of course. George Bush got reelected in 2004 while muddling through in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and yet Democrats are going to bounce the first black president after a single term for doing the same — when he’s already committed to some sort of token drawdown next summer? Not a chance.

If there were a primary challenge, it wouldn’t be on the war… but on competence. Something Hillary could credibly do. Of course the war would be a part of that, but not the main part.

Rendell must’ve heard something and dropped it by accident.

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Colin McNickle of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review explains why Tom Corbett should not heed the Philadelphia Inquirer’s recommendation that he resign for doing his job:

What tees off The Inquirer is that Corbett is doing his job and, in the process, taking stands on issues it opposes.

Think health-care “reform.” Corbett joined a lawsuit filed by attorneys general of several states alleging a federal provision mandating that individuals buy health insurance or be fined is a gross violation of the Commerce Clause.

And it is. The federal government, indeed, can regulate commerce. But it can’t force commerce.

McNickle goes on to say that the Inquirer thinks that pretty much anything Corbett does is nothing but a cynical attempt to gain conservative support for November. Liberal projection at its finest; since they will do anything to get elected and retain power, they assume the same is true of the other side.

The thought never crosses their minds that maybe, just maybe, Tom Corbett and millions of other reasonable people might actually think that ObamaCare is an unconstitutional disaster waiting to happen. No, we’re just trying to protect “the rich”, or we’re “racist”, or we’re “stupid”, or in the case of politicians like Corbett, they’re just trying to gain the support of us stupid racists who vote against our own self-interest in order to protect the rich.

This morning on Fox News Sunday, high-ranking Democrat and madman Howard Dean told Chris Wallace that racists at Fox News got Shirley Sherrod fired. When Wallace pointed out that Sherrod was fired by the White House before she was ever mentioned on Fox News, Dean said that it didn’t matter. Liberalism in a nutshell: Reality doesn’t matter.

Update

Looks like the dishonest filth have succeeded in getting the meme out that Fox News is responsible for Shirley Sherrod’s firing. Today’s Post-Gazette is full of letters from good little Democrat operatives condemning Fox News for being racist and causing Sherrod to lose her job. As I said, reality doesn’t matter with these people.

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The Democrats and the media (what’s the difference?) are all in an uproar over the Shirley Sherrod fiasco, in which the White House fired a woman based on a clip of a video of Sherrod speaking with the NAACP. The clip didn’t show the complete context of her speech, so that means that somehow, her being fired by the White House was all Fox News’ fault. Nevermind that it wasn’t even Fox News who originally aired the video clip, Sean Hannity didn’t show it until after she was fired, and Glenn Beck defended her, saying that she should never have been fired. FOX NEWS IS RACIST, ANYWAY!

But I digress. If the Shirley Sherrod craziness should teach us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t just look at a small clip to get the complete picture, and that we need to give people a chance to explain their remarks before we do anything rash, like firing them.

Take the case of Tom Corbett for instance:

Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Corbett says a portion of Pennsylvania’s 591,000 workers without jobs are choosing to stay unemployed. During a door-to-door tour of Elizabethtown, Lancaster County, businesses today, Corbett said “the jobs are there,” but that many people are purposely remaining unemployed in order to collect benefits.

He says he’s heard this from business owners across Pennsylvania. “One of the individuals said, ‘I can’t get workers. People don’t want to come back to work while they still have unemployment,’” he said. “They’re literally telling him, ‘I’ll come back to work when unemployment runs out.’ That’s becoming a problem.’” Corbett added, “The jobs are there. But if we keep extending unemployment, people are going to sit there and — I’ve literally had construction companies tell me, I can’t get people to come back to work until — they say, ‘I’ll come back to work when unemployment runs out.’”

Democrats are taking this quote – surprise! – OUT OF CONTEXT in order to bludgeon Corbett. Allegheny County Chief Embarrassment Executive Dan Onorato even set up a website called “Clueless Tom“, complete with a shamelessly truncated version of the Corbett quote:

In a radio interview, Republican gubernatorial nominee
Tom Corbett insulted hundreds of thousands of unemployed Pennsylvania workers, by saying the following:

“People don’t want to come back to work while they still have unemployment. They’re literally telling – I’ll come back to work when the unemployment runs out. That’s becoming a problem. The jobs are there, but if we keep extending unemployment the people are just gonna sit there and…I’ve literally had construction companies tell me, I can’t get people to come back to work, until – we’ll come back when unemployment runs out.”

Notice how the quote was edited to cut out the part about how this is what employers are telling Corbett, that it is employers who are saying that they can’t hire people since they’re getting more or comparable money in unemployment benefits?

The Democrat/Media complex has been piling on Corbett for this quote, and usually they leave out that vital part. Take a look at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s artful re-writing of the quote:

After meeting with some business owners, Mr. Corbett told a Harrisburg public radio station on July 9 that “the jobs are there,” but he said some people are intentionally staying unemployed to collect benefits. “People don’t want to come back to work while they still have unemployment” benefits, he said. “They’re literally telling [employers] ‘I’ll come back to work when the employment runs out.’ That’s becoming a problem … If we keep extending unemployment the people are going to sit there.”

Considering that the Democrats have come out so strongly against these kind of sound-byte attacks which ignore context, I expect them to sprint to Corbett’s defense immediately and correct the record! Don’t you? I wouldn’t hold my breath.

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(h/t Micek)

Please, oh please, let the Democrats try to introduce a “jobs” bill.

Gov Ed was on Hardball recently discussing the Democrats’ chances in the fall elections.  There’s a lot of typical garbage in this clip, but I want to focus on two things: (1) The battle plan, and (2) Ed’s suggestion of a jobs bill.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The battle plan is to hit Republicans with…

(A) Republican opposition to Obama’s agreement with BP. (GOP is in bed with big oil.)

(B) Republicans opposed FinReg. (GOP in bed with Wall Street.), and

(C) Republicans opposed extending unemployment benefits (again). (GOP out of touch/uncaring.)

And the coup de grâce, Ed’s suggestion of a jobs bill, that if the Republicans don’t want to vote for, the Donks can “hang it around their necks”.

Ed may or may not be right (from an optics/political perspective) about the first three items.  (He is most assuredly wrong about the substance.)  So that’s an FYI to campaign staff as to what’s coming their way.  I’m not entirely sure what Ed means by the BP agreement though I can’t think of a single thing the White House did right with respect to the Gulf incident.  FinReg can be spun as (1) a job killer that harms credit availability, (2) a permanent bailout bill, and that (3) it didn’t fix any problems (past, present, or future) that have anything to do with preventing a financial crisis.  The unemployment thing was probably a political loser, I hate to say.

But oh, please, let the Democrats introduce a “jobs bill”.  The prospect gives me a thrill up my leg, so to speak.

Ed’s right that voters will care more about jobs than about the deficit.  But the GOP is very much winning the war as to whether government stimulus works.  If the “jobs” bill is anything other than a Lindsey-style payroll tax holiday, Republicans will be more than happy to shoot it down as just more-of-the-same pork spending that didn’t work before and probably made things worse.

It’s not enough that voters care more about jobs than the deficit — they have to think that what the “jobs bill” will actually accomplish something.  With all the more that government has to show for its previous stimuli, that’s gonna be a tough sell.

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 Governor Christie:

Political courage.

That is the description you have earned as Governor.  And for good reason.

You have successfully confronted the most powerful special interests in the state, sending a message that there are no sacred cows. In doing so, to the pleasant surprise of millions, the entrenched “business as usual” crowd is finally on the run.

In that regard, I want to discuss what is perhaps the most patronage-laden and inefficient entity in the state — the Delaware River Port Authority.

As you are aware, the contract of Authority Chief Executive John Matheussen expired July 17. While he is still functioning month-to-month as the CEO, his future rests with you.

There has been much coverage devoted to the largesse of the DRPA, specifically the $400 million in “economic development” funds that were spent on everything under the sun — except the bridges — leading to massive debt and rising tolls.

In addition to the misuse of the people’s money, there are a number of other factors to consider when deciding whether Mr. Matheussen’s contract should be renewed by the Board and approved by you.

Following are several examples of John Matheussen’s failed leadership:

1) Permitted Immense Conflicts Of Interest

Without question, Matheussen’s greatest failing is his toleration of the unfettered conflicts of interest that permeate the DRPA Board.

Upon assuming office in 2002, Governor Rendell appointed himself Chairman of the DRPA. One of the major beneficiaries has been his former firm, Ballard Spahr. In the three years preceding Rendell’s election, Ballard received $25,000 in legal fees from the Port Authority, including only $480 in 2001. From 2002 until the 2009, Ballard has received over $2.7 million.

Ballard, its attorneys and associated entities have contributed $1.5 million to Rendell’s campaigns.

Two of the governor’s former top aides, John Estey, his former chief of staff and Adrian King, his former deputy chief of staff, are currently partners at Ballard, and both hold or have held influential positions related to DRPA.

Estey has chaired virtually every Board meeting since 2002, and Mr. King served as the Authority’s Outside Counsel. Mr. Estey and Mr. King are brothers-in-law, and together have contributed over $35,000 to Mr. Rendell’s political coffers.

Former Pennsylvania Treasurer Robin Wiessmann, who had been a Rendell appointee, sits on the DRPA Board. Her husband, Ken Jarin, also a partner at Ballard, served as DRPA Outside Counsel and occasionally chaired board meetings

Incomprehensibly, Matheussen never raised an eyebrow when Estey, King, Jarin, and Wiessmann voted to “accept and receive” Ballard’s legal bills to DRPA, since that action amounted to money going into their law firm’s pocket, and, ultimately their own.

As you know better than most, Governor, the toughest challenge of being a leader is to buck the crowd and do the right thing, no matter how difficult.  But instead of illustrating that trait, John Matheussen was an instrumental part of the go-along, get along crowd — to the detriment of all but the insiders

2) The Campaign Finance Report Conflict Of DRPA Executive John Rogale ….

(Read More at Philadelphia Magazine: Comments welcome)

http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2010/07/21/its-time-to-clean-house-at-the-drpa/

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Dear Governor Rendell,

May I humbly suggest that we can save about $4 million in our budget and still properly honor Jack Murtha and Arlen Specter by naming our wine vending machines after them.

Because to truly appreciate the legacy of either one of these guys, one would have to be inebriated.

Very Truly Yours,

Lisa Mossie

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Lovely

The new $28 billion state budget was part of a deal that would boost state borrowing by as much as $600 million to pay for construction projects such as new public buildings to be named after U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter and late U.S. Rep. John Murtha.

About half of the projects it will finance are being hand-picked by Gov. Ed Rendell. Legislators expect to assemble a second list in the coming months that also must be authorized by legislation before they can receive money.

Rendell is earmarking $10 million for the Arlen Specter Library at Philadelphia University and another $10 million for the John P. Murtha Center for Public Policy at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.

Clearly Jack Murtha doesn’t have his name on enough buildings.

In case you forgot, the budget relies on $850 million (heretofore unallocated) from the federal government as well.

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Bill Murray must be furious.

Two decades after the release of his classic “Groundhog Day” —- in which a series of events is repeated over and over — Governor Rendell and the Pennsylvania legislature have trumped him.

The passage of yet another horrendous budget has made our politicians the new poster children for “Groundhog Day.”

While, ironically, the movie and budget debacle are set in the same state, there is one key difference.

The movie is a make-believe two-hour comedy.  But the budget is a tragedy that will play out for decades to come.  And it’s one from which we can’t awaken, relieved that it was all a bad dream.

*****

Give Rendell and the legislature credit where it’s due.  If nothing else, they’re consistent.

Collectively, they haven’t executed a budget on time in ANY of the eight Rendell years.

And each budget is a replay of the year prior: bloated spending, job-crushing tax increases, more bureaucracy, and the preservation of pols’ pet projects.

The consequence of this deliberate malfeasance is no longer opinion, but simple fact:

Our state is at or near the bottom of job creation, employment prospects, and college students remaining in the state after graduation.  We have the most hostile legal system in the country, levy some of the highest taxes, and produce a vastly inferior educational product.

Our bridges and infrastructure are, literally, falling apart, and, year after year, we earn the dubious distinction of having the worst roads in the nation.

And, certainly not least, the legislature’s excessive coddling of the unions and their sacred-cow state pension system has made the state insolvent, with bankruptcy in the next two to three years a very real possibility.

Quite a legacy.

We are imploding, and will soon reach fiscal Armageddon. 

(As an aside, it was quite strange to repeatedly hear the Governor refer to our situation as “Armageddon,” a term he seems to have borrowed from Yours Truly, despite that fact that 1) he won’t consent to an interview with Freindly Fire, and 2) he, more than anyone, is responsible for the financial calamity in which we find ourselves.)

Why?

Because our elected officials “have theirs.”  It’s that simple.

The Governor will parachute into a seven-figure job when he’s done in January, and legislators enjoy one of the most lavish pension and perk systems in the country. Which, of course, they voted to give themselves, courtesy of we the (forgotten) taxpayers.

Oh, and one more thing.

In order to facilitate this legendary budget prowess, they break the law on an annual basis….

Read more at Philadelphia Magazine’s Philly Post:

http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2010/07/06/armageddon-in-pennsylvania/

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Bill Murray must be furious.

Two decades after the release of his classic “Groundhog Day” —- in which a series of events is repeated over and over — Governor Rendell and the Pennsylvania legislature have trumped him.

The passage of yet another horrendous budget has made our politicians the new poster children for “Groundhog Day.”

While, ironically, the movie and budget debacle are set in the same state, there is one key difference.

The movie is a make-believe two-hour comedy.  But the budget is a tragedy that will play out for decades to come.  And it’s one from which we can’t awaken, relieved that it was all a bad dream.

*****

Give Rendell and the legislature credit where it’s due.  If nothing else, they’re consistent.

Collectively, they haven’t executed a budget on time in ANY of the eight Rendell years.

And each budget is a replay of the year prior: bloated spending, job-crushing tax increases, more bureaucracy, and the preservation of pols’ pet projects.

The consequence of this deliberate malfeasance is no longer opinion, but simple fact:

Our state is at or near the bottom of job creation, employment prospects, and college students remaining in the state after graduation.  We have the most hostile legal system in the country, levy some of the highest taxes, and produce a vastly inferior educational product.

Our bridges and infrastructure are, literally, falling apart, and, year after year, we earn the dubious distinction of having the worst roads in the nation.

And, certainly not least, the legislature’s excessive coddling of the unions and their sacred-cow state pension system has made the state insolvent, with bankruptcy in the next two to three years a very real possibility.

Quite a legacy.

We are imploding, and will soon reach fiscal Armageddon. 

(As an aside, it was quite strange to repeatedly hear the Governor refer to our situation as “Armageddon,” a term he seems to have borrowed from Yours Truly, despite that fact that 1) he won’t consent to an interview with Freindly Fire, and 2) he, more than anyone, is responsible for the financial calamity in which we find ourselves.)

Why?

Because our elected officials “have theirs.”  It’s that simple.

The Governor will parachute into a seven-figure job when he’s done in January, and legislators enjoy one of the most lavish pension and perk systems in the country. Which, of course, they voted to give themselves, courtesy of we the (forgotten) taxpayers.

Oh, and one more thing.

In order to facilitate this legendary budget prowess, they break the law on an annual basis….

Read more at Philadelphia Magazine’s Philly Post:

http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2010/07/06/armageddon-in-pennsylvania/

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Remember the speculation that Governor Rendell was the infamous “Governor X“.

It may have returned.

Gov. Ed Rendell has been married since 1971 and after years of rumors that he has been unfaithful, he is publicly denying an extramarital affair with a former beauty queen, who now works for him.

Gov. Rendell is denying the rumors in the latest issue of Philadelphia Magazine. The Associated Press obtained an advanced article and the governor and the former beauty queen said in interviews that they are not romantically involved.

Kirstin Snow, 40, said she’s surprised that it took months for the whispers to escalate to their current state.

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Eight years of leadership gets you this…

Gov. Ed Rendell says layoffs of teachers and state and local government employees will result if Pennsylvania doesn’t get $850 million in budget help from the federal government.

Rendell said Wednesday layoffs will begin in July if Congress doesn’t approve additional subsidies helping states weather the recession and a severe downturn in tax collections.

Rendell didn’t give a specific number of state employees who would lose their jobs, but says government employees at all levels would be laid off.

Naturally, it’s teachers that are definitely on the chopping block… why didn’t he throw in fire fighters or police officers to make it that much more dramatic?

I swear we’ve gone through this before.

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Now that several Sarah Palin-endorsed candidates, many of them women, have won their primaries, the MSM is suddenly mum about Palin’s undeniable influence in these elections.

Nikki Haley was a longshot in the primary for Republican candidate for Governor of SC until a Palin endorsement; on election day she came within a point or two or winning the primary outright and avoiding a runoff. She is practically guaranteed to run away with a win in the runoff in two weeks.

Sharron Angle was an unknown in the primary for Republican candidate for US Senator from NV, but endorsements from the Tea Party and Palin catapulted her to a win.

Carly Fiorina was struggling in the primary for Republican candidate for US Senator from CA, but once again, a Palin endorsement did wonders.

When Palin’s candidates lose, the MSM is all over it. When Palin’s candidates win, it’s a coincidence, or it shows how Palin is evil and manipulative (somehow). Note that the fact that Obama-endorsed candidates almost always lose doesn’t seem to be very important to the MSM.

The Democrats and the MSM have managed to destroy Palin’s own ability to get elected – as much as I like her, I don’t think it’s possible for her to win a national election due to the Gulf-of-Mexico-oil-spill-sized bucket of slime that has been dumped on her by Obama’s cronies and other pro-abortion activists. But it does appear that she can be an effective kingmaker through endorsing conservative candidates in primary elections. Conservatives like Palin, and it would seem that enough of them are willing to take her endorsements seriously. Enough of them, that is, to sway a primary election, and thus give those Palin-supported candidates a real chance to be elected.

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NY Times

Gov. Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania, for instance, penciled $850 million in federal Medicaid assistance into the revenue side of his state’s ledger, reducing its projected shortfall to $1.2 billion. The only way to compensate for the loss, he said in an interview, would be to lay off at least 20,000 government workers, including teachers and police officers, at a time when the state is starting to add jobs.

“It would actually kill everything the stimulus has done,” said Mr. Rendell, a Democrat. “It would be enormously destructive.”

Let’s get after it then, can it be worse?

(tip to Pennsylvania Ave)

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Awesome.

Gov. Rendell is paying veteran Philadelphia public relations consultant Kevin Feeley $30,000 for a massive research project to illustrate how the administration’s policies have helped ordinary people.

Dubbed by some in the administration “the legacy project,” its purpose is to put a face on Rendell’s education, economic-development, and environmental programs, Feeley said. The administration, facing another looming budget fight, can use the information to argue that cutting key programs comes with a human price tag.

Republicans on Friday quickly denounced the project as a waste of taxpayer money, but the administration countered that it was worth the cost to help save programs that benefit real people.

“Basically, it’s a collection of information that helps make the case that what we’re doing works,” Feeley said of the project. “At a time when budgets are under stress at the state level – at all levels – it’s important for people to know that when you start the cutting game, you have to be careful of what you cut.”

Nothing quite like spending money to do campaign research for Dan Onorato.

Besides, shouldn’t Rendell know how he’s helped us? Or does he spend his time in Harrisburg throwing darts at a board of ideas?

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For the most ethical and transparent administration in the history of the Republic, the one who promised a change from business as usual, they sure are stepping in it.

“I know about this. Number one, Rahm Emanuel and I had discussions about this,” Rendell said on the Fox News show. “We very much wanted to persuade Congressman Sestak to stay in the House and run for his seat, ’cause he would have won his seat easily and now that’s a seat that’s up for grabs. So I know that the administration did not want to offer him a job that would have meant he would have to leave Congress.”

Rendell, who amid the hullaboo over the Sestak job offer had earlier urged the White House to come clean on what transpired, brushed off former President Clinton’s role in convincing Sestak to drop out.

“This happens all the time,” Rendell said, ticking off a list of state houses where such deals are cut including Harrisburg.

In 2006 Rendell himself persuaded lieutenant governor candidate Joe Hoeffel to opt out of the race against incumbent Catherine Baker Knoll. Shortly after Hoeffel accepts a job as a deputy secretary in the Rendell administration.

Oh yeah… and it happened in Colorado too.

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I’m a fan of Tom Corbett, but I must say that I am not a fan of this continued assault on the English language and arbitrary redefinition of the word “hope” which was begun by Barack Obama. You might say that turnabout is fair play, but it leaves a bad taste nonetheless.

Knock it off, guys.

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Of course, nothing to see here… move along…

Maybe Rendell’s is worse. Because the Hoeffel quid-pro-quo job a) cleared the field for Rendell’s Lt Gov b) was a straight up paid job.

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Times-Herald

Montgomery County Commissioner Chairman James R. Matthews said he would campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett and has offered to serve in his administration if the state attorney general wins in November.

If the Pennsylvania attorney general wins and Matthews can’t secure a cabinet post in the administration, he plans to run for re-election as commissioner, the chairman said following Thursday’s meeting. Though adamant he would not change parties to become a Democratic candidate, he didn’t rule out running as an Independent.

“I’d love to join the general (Corbett) and serve his office in any capacity,” he said. “I think I’d do a great as (Secretary of) General Services, certainly to (Secretary of) Banking.”

This is all part of his twenty-four / seven campaign mode story. Floating outlandish ideas to project an image of involvement… see also the Lt Gov campaign of 2010.

No one wants him.

Certainly not Republicans, and soon to be Joe Hoeffel. Whose vaunted “bi-partisan” administration landed him in fourth place statewide in a Democrat primary… and not quite half the Democrat vote in Montco.

“It has been presumed that I would run as a Democrat if the so-called censure continues, but that is not the case,” Matthews said. “I cannot and would not run as a Democrat. Does that preclude running as an Independent? No, it doesn’t preclude running as an Independent, you have Gov. (Charlie) Crist in Florida, who’s a Democrat, running as an Independent.”

Funny that he compares himself to Charlie Crist. Crist was a Republican, Jim. Something you claim(ed) to be too.

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