PAWaterCooler.com

The GOP fires back at the Pa Dems.

Rep. Sam Smith (R-Jefferson County), the state House Republican Leader made the following statement regarding a note sent to Democrat House members today from Rep. Tom Caltagirone (D-Berks County) stating his intention to vote for Rep. John Perzel (R-Phila.) for Speaker of the House.

 

“Rep. Caltagirone is looking for reform in how the legislature does business. House Republicans are prepared to make reforms, not just “look” at reforms. Rep. Caltagirone’s support will give us the opportunity to lead Pennsylvania in the direction our constituents are looking for.

 

“The message from the past election cycle is clear, we understand that message and we are thankful that Rep. Caltagirone is willing to give us a chance to do just that – enact true reforms.

Yes, my eyes rolled too.

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Yes!!!

Eagles NFC East Champs!

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MontcoGOP.com, a messageboard unaffiliated with the MCRC has a bunch of reactions to the Castor/Weber ticket.

Good team. Easy to sell to the voters throughout Montco. Strong law enforcement background.

Here’s a comment on the Castor’s successor to the position of DA…

Bruce has trained Risa Ferman to be the next DA just as Mike Marino did for him. She is absolutely great for the party and the perfect choice. Bruce is not leaving the safety of the county to chance. Plus, she will be the first female DA in the county’s history, again thanks to her hard work and the training given her by Bruce. Everyone knows Bruce wanted to remain DA and has made this move for the good of the party. He obviously concluded that bringing the party together is more important than selfishly remaining DA when there is a great person to step into his shoes.

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Despite my love / hate for the Eagles, my loathing for the Cowboys knows no bounds.

That pre-halftime touchdown pass to put the Lions up over the Cowboys (20-14) was sweet.

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I hate these things; they put yourself on the record and in a year predictions you forgot about are bandied about to show what an idiot you are.

With that in mind here we go!

In Sports:

• Bill Cowher will not be the Steelers head coach the coach will be Ken Wisenhunt, the current Offensive coordinator. The Steelers will make a return to the playoffs.
• The Pittsburgh Penguins will get a new arena; municipal elections are a coming.
• Notre Dame will march into happy valley and kick Penn State’s….tail!
• And my most ambitious prediction; the Pirates will still suck.

In PA Politics:

• No matter who wins the speakership of the PA House(I’m not touching that one) it will not matter, the speaker wil be wounded and without a strong leg to stand on. The center of power in the legislature will shift over to the Senate. Whether Scarnati and Pileggi, who hasn’t impressed me thus far, can run with the ball is yet to be seen.
• Judicial elections will go for the GOP because of its superior turnout program. Some members of the party who like the status quo will try to interpret this as a confirmation of the status quo instead of the fact that it will be a low turnout election which highlights the vaunted 72 hour program.
• Luke Bernstein, new ED for the state GOP party, will go a long way to heal the rift that has been exposed since the payraise. 
• Rendell will get most of what he wants in the budget. Without strong opposition in the house and a rookie team in the Senate he will have the stronger hand in negotiations.
• PA Conservatives will realize that they need another issue besides the payraise. Whether they act on this realization will largely determine the effectiveness of the movement in the next few election cycles.

National Politics:

• Hillary Clinton will do everything in her power to do one of two things: separate herself from Nancy Pelosi if she trips up or use Pelosi’s successes to highlight that a woman can lead. Whether she likes it or not her fate is largely tied to Pelosi’s first few months. If America can get used to a strong woman as a leader her fortunes rise.
• Barack Hussein Obama will fizzle. Whether he fizzles soon enough for another viable candidate, besides Edwards, to enter is not known. Right now his presence in the race is sucking up the air and making viable candidates think twice about their fundraising capability in a race with two superstars.
•  Giuliani will defy conventional wisdom and not run for president. Giuliani’s support will swing to Romney making him the frontrunner to McCain.
• Justice Stevens will step down from the US Supreme Court. The President will nominate a sitting senator to continue the pro-life trend of the court and get him through the Senate. That Senator will be either John Cornyn, a close ally of the president, judiciary committee member, and Texas Senator, or the ‘Susan Lucci’ of Supreme Court Nominations Orrin Hatch of Utah.  
• Bobby Casey will be a lackluster Senator, big surprise.

People to Watch:

• Joe Scarnati- He could surprise people. He is much more socially and fiscally conservative than Jubs was.  
• Jeff Piccola- One of my favorite guys in the Senate. If he runs for a judicial post it will be a loss for the Senate and a gain for the judicial system
• Chris Lilik- This guy is the man! (and full disclosure a good friend) The sky is the limit for him and whatever he does is going to have an impact on the Commonwealth.
• Michele Brooks- Who? She was recently elected to the State House in the 17th district representing parts of Crawford, Mercer and. She is young, smart, and ambitious. Before her election she was Mercer County Commisioner. Why should you care? The answer is 2010. With Senator Bob Robbins(R-50), the Republican Caucus Secretary, likely not to run for re-election in 2010 this seat will become open. Brooks would be one of the only candidates for the job with exposure in Mercer and Crawford and Lawrence Counties. She is good enough and smart enough to make a major difference in both the House where she currently will serve and possibly the Senate where she could serve. It’s never too early to think about the 2010 primaries!

Well there you have it. This is what I think we have to look forward to in 2007. Presidential politcs, a new balance of power in DC and Harrisburg, and uncertainty in the Pittsburgh sports scene. Its not going to be a boring year in PA so enjoy the last day of 2006 because 2007 will kick off with some fireworks with the Speaker election and it will only get louder from there.

Happy New Year!

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I understand that Montgomery County DA Bruce Castor’s running mate for Montgomery County commissioner will be former State Representative Melissa Murphy Weber.

From her CV:

Ms. Weber served as an Assistant District Attorney in Montgomery County from 1996 to 2002, having tried dozens of jury trials before the Court of Common Pleas and District Justices in Montgomery County . She was promoted to Captain of the Domestic Violence Unit in 1999 where, in addition to being lead counsel on several jury trials, she lectured to various victim and law enforcement groups in Montgomery County and throughout Pennsylvania . In 2001, she was appointed to lead Montgomery County ’s Weed and Seed Program, aimed at revitalizing the Borough of Norristown. She was simultaneously appointed as Captain of the Combined Law Enforcement Agency Network (CLEAN) Team.

Given Commissioner Tom Ellis’ “problem”, I imagine that being the Captain of the Domestic Violence Unit was merely coincidental.

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1 – The big Democrat victories Republican losses from November will not put an end to the affliction of madness which has struck the Democrat Party and dominated it since the 2000 Presidential Election.  Far-leftism will continue to become more and more mainstream.

2 – Senator Bob Casey will stab all of the social conservatives who voted for him in the back by voting in favor of abortion, federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, homosexual ‘marriage’, and the continued dismantling of the free exercise clause of the First Amendment to the US Constitution.  Neither the MSM nor Democrats in general will care.  They’ll just be happy to be rid of that evil boogeyman Rick Santorum who was just such a bad guy, according to conventional wisdom.

3 - President George W. Bush will continue to push for a free and democratic Iraq, while the left continues to sabotage the war effort as they have done since (before) Day 1, and the right continues to grow tired of this effort to help the Iraqi people when so many of them seem to prefer death and tyranny to life and freedom.

4 – If a member of the US Supreme Court retires or dies, the Democrat controlled Senate will not allow any nominee who is to the right of Sandra Day O’Connor.  In other words, they will allow a fiscal conservative, as long as that fiscal conservative supports abortion-on-demand, homosexual marriage, etc.  President Bush should respond by nominating Harriet Miers, but he will not, because that would be too funny.

5 - The Democrats and President Bush will team up to give Amnesty to 11+ million illegal aliens.

6 – The MSM will continue to tell the lie that Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are moderates and statesmen, while attacking all conservative Republican candidates as racist, intolerant, anti-woman, anti-poor, regressive knuckledraggers.

7 - The Penguins will not leave Pittsburgh, unless Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato wants to see thousands of angry yinzers rioting in the streets.

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The Reading Eagle’s John Forrester writes about Governor Rendell’s plan to insure the state.

Rendell was tight-lipped about how the plan would work, but he indicated it would be like the CHIP insurance program that guarantees health coverage for every child in the state.

 

He also revealed that it won’t be anything like the universal health insurance program in Massachusetts, which gives otherwise uninsured adults coverage and is paid for by a fund created by all employers and taxpayers.

 

Rendell also said some of the program would be funded by cost-saving measures, such as promoting generic drugs and giving nurse-practitioners powers that only doctors have now.

 

Other than those savings, which cannot amount to enough to pay for coverage of the 10 percent of the state’s adult population estimated to be uninsured, he gave no indication who would be picking up the tab for it.

 

The governor said everyone in the health care business will feel the pain and that he expects lobbyists for those industries to work hard to defeat this plan.

 

Well, if the lobbyists want to get an early start on their opposition, they don’t have to wait for the Rendell plan to be unveiled. All they have to do is point to the failures of the insurance programs the state has now.

John lists the CHIP program and the Department of Public Welfare’s Medical Assistance Program.

Instead of looking at the program in terms of the fiscal impact on the state (bad), and the track record of existing public health care programs in the state and nationwide (also bad), I’d like to analyze the program in terms of “should the government even be doing this for us?”

I think the answer is a resounding “No.” Under what authority?

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The Elmira/Corning (NY) Star-Gazette has a nice piece on the effects of minimum wage hikes in both New York and Pennsylvania.

Employers in Pennsylvania are about to experience what their New York counterparts have gone through for the past two years and will endure for one final year — grappling with paying workers a higher minimum wage.

 

Pennsylvania’s increase will be done in two increments that span one year. The first increase, from $5.15 an hour to $6.25 happens Jan. 1. The second installment, from $6.25 to $7.15, happens on July 1.

 

But in New York, employers had three years to adjust to the legislation that boosted the state’s minimum wage by the same $2. The Empire State raised its $5.15 minimum wage to $6 in 2005 and $6.75 in 2006, and it increases to $7.15 on Jan. 1.

 

Although the states’ two time frames differ, the issue is sparking the same debate on either side of the border — will entry-level jobs be lost and will small businesses, already strapped for cash, be forced to close because they can’t afford to pay their workers the higher wage mandated by the state.

Read the article here.

What is striking in the whole debate is how unrealistic the whole ritualistic exercise has become. Opponents overstate the dangers of inflation and job loss and the threat to small businesses; proponents ignore the fact that minimum-wage jobs are often entry-level training or temporary positions and invoke the image of a family trying to make do on a single earner’s salary. A realistic assessment is provided by the Keystone Research Center in Harrisburg:

It’s been almost 10 years since the federal government raised the nation’s minimum wage to its present level of $5.15 an hour. The long period of inactivity at the federal level has caused some states to take action. That independent action has created a patchwork quilt of wage schedules and has provided data for researchers to study the impact of a higher minimum wage.

 

“It’s those kinds of studies that have shown that modest minimum-wage increases don’t lead to job loss…”

As the article notes, most small businesses are already paying their employees more than minimum wage and the major cost of the hike will fall on part-time employees and trainees.

So, the minimum wage hike is politically popular, it has little impact on statewide employment, it benefits people at the low end of the wage scale, and its impact is borne by people who are marginal participants in the labor markets. For someone like Rendell or Pataki, it’s a no-brainer.

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It gets cloudier and cloudier.

Chris @ GrassrootsPa links to a Capitolwire report.

Equally worrisome for Democrats is that Reps. Joe Petrarca and Tom Tangretti, both D-Westmoreland, have, like Caltagirone, told allies they will not vote for DeWeese for Speaker. While House Democratic chief of staff Mike Manzo laughed off questions about those two, he had done the exact same to questions about Caltagirone weeks before. House Democrats also remained worried about Rep. Rosita Youngblood, D-Philadelphia, who, like Caltagirone, has long feuded with DeWeese.

As mentioned earlier, it’s not hunky-dory for Republicans either.

On the Republican side, Rep.-elects Rosemarie Swanger, R-Lebanon and Scott Perry, R-York, have indicated they are unwilling to vote for Perzel for Speaker. All four, including the Democrats Petrarca and Tangretti, could not be reached for comment by Capitolwire as of presstime. And Rep. Curt Schroder, R-Chester, has said he is keeping all of his options open, as some press him to run for Speaker, to bleed conservative House GOP “reform” votes from Perzel.

Caltagirone looked like the bad guy, but now with two more Dems promising not to vote for DeWeese, it’s DeWeese that is the problem… and with four Republicans not voting for Perzel, who knows how it’s going to end up.

Not voting for their guy doesn’t guarantee a vote for the other guy however. It might end up being DeWeese 100 – Perzel 98.

Do you need a majority of the votes to become Speaker?

Update: Yes.

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Did you know that State Rep Mark Cohen (D-Philadelphia) was a Daily Kos diarist?

A lot of Democrats, including myself, have tried to talk to Caltagirone. But he is hiding out at one or more undisclosed locations, steadily refusing to talk to anyone. One hopes that the penetrating intelligence which he has sometimes displayed in the past will return, and he will announce that this is all one big misunderstanding and the letter released to the press backing Perzel was just a draft he toyed with but never decided to send and that he has changed his mind, but that does not appear very likely as I write this.

 

Fortunately for the Democrats, there is also division in Republican ranks.
Although the Republicans won 101 seats, about eight of those 101 have made clear they do not intend to vote for last session’s Speaker John Perzel. They don’t want to vote for DeWeese either; they are threatening to abstain so DeWeese will win by something like 101 to 94.

 

They are fed up with Perzel’s constant dealmaking, which they see as leading to ever-increasing governmental spending. They view Perzel’s ability to attract conservative Democrats like Caltagirone as a symptom of a major problem of lack of true conservative ideology (i.e. fiscal restraint), which makes him attractive to Democrats.

 

The big spending projects that both Perzel and Caltagirone love are anathema to them. Their key issue is not opposition to choice and gay rights–issues that generally unite Perzel and Caltagirone–but opposition to governmental spending. They believe governmental spending in Pennsylvania will never get under control when the Republicans sometimes outbid the Democrats in what they are willing to spend on pet projects.

Mr Cohen thinks DeWeese still wins. Read it all.

Incredibly, the post includes a poll, presumably included by Mark Cohen.

Should a legislator be legally allowed to vote for a presiding officer of the opposition party?

Nevermind that this question was even asked.

Sanely, at this time, Yes is leading about 70% to 18%.

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Bob Novak

The fate of government-financed stem cell research, a top priority of the Democrat-controlled Congress, may depend on two Democrats elected two months ago: second-termer Ben Nelson of Nebraska and freshman Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.

 

The bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Mike Castle of Delaware, is expected to pass both chambers of Congress by comfortable margins. The question is whether opponents will get the 34 senators needed to sustain a veto by President Bush. Nelson and Casey are both likely to be needed to reach that number.

 

Nelson was the only Democrat to vote against the bill last July, and Casey during his recent campaign went on record against the Castle bill. They will be under heavy Democrat pressure to override Bush.

The expectation of a wide margin of victory means Casey gets a pass to vote his conscience.

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PA Dem email missive.

An URGENT Message from Chairman T.J. Rooney
BREAKING NEWS — URGENT ACTION REQUIRED

 

Earlier today Democratic Representative Tom Caltigirone of Berks County announced his intention to support Republican John Perzel for the position of Speaker of the House.

 

Make no mistake this is an act of political treason!

 

On November 7th. The voters of Pennsylvania sent a clear message – they want change in Harrisburg. Caltigirone wants to single-handily thwart the will of the voters.

 

On Tuesday the House will begin the new session and elect a Speaker. Democrats have nominated Representative Bill DeWeese. Democrats hold a ONE vote majority in the State House. We can’t let one power-hungry politician feather his own nest by selling out the party he has called home for over 30 years that he has spent in Harrisburg.

 

Here’s what I’m asking you to do:

 

1. Call Caltigirone at (610) 371-9940 and demand he re-think his despicable decision.

 

2. E-mail Caltigirone at tcaltagi@pahouse.net and demand he vote to elect Democrat Bill DeWeese Speaker of the House.

 

3. Attend a rally in front of Caltigirone’s office on Tuesday at 3pm. His office is located at 645 Penn Street in Reading.

 

Caltigirone must be stopped. This blatant sell-out must not occur. Too many Democrats, for too many years, have worked too hard to let this one devious, power-hungry politician abuse the voters of Pennsylvania!!!

 

Please do your part!!!

Writes Bob G, “Maybe Rep Caltagirone is jumping ship because even State Democratic Committee doesn’t even know his name.”

Perhaps it was so urgent, they couldn’t spell check it.

Another press release calls him treacherous!

“Tom Caltagirone’s actions are not only reprehensible in their selfish motivations, but are a slap in the face to his constituents and all Democrats throughout Pennsylvania, not just Berks County. Make no mistake – this is an act of political treason.

 

“Caltagirone sold out to an ineffective and scandal-ridden Republican Party that was handed enormous losses as a result of unprecedented arrogance and 12 years of unchecked power. On Nov. 7th, the voters of Pennsylvania sent a clear message. Voters wanted change in Harrisburg and Pennsylvanians cast 200,000 more votes for Democrats than Republicans on Election Day. Caltagirone wants to single-handedly thwart the will of the voters.

 

“He jumped on the back of a bandwagon filled with rotten apples that leaves a putrid stench from Reading to Harrisburg. He only has two choices now: he can either stay in the Democratic fold and cast his vote for Bill DeWeese as Speaker or resign his seat, change parties and run as a Republican in a special election.

I’m not sure how calling a guy treacherous and a traitor will get him back on your side, but that’s apparently the course of action. (neither will protesting at his home, btw)

… and the two choices? C’mon. Be serious. What happened to “stay Democrat and vote for Perzel?” What about “Hit the mens room during the vote.” If membership in a political party hinged on casting your ballot in a particular way, we’d have 252 political parties in Harrisburg.

The Dems lost Caltagirone. Two points for the Speaker for sniffing out a Democrat to waiver.

Now the Dems are hoping for six Republicans to save their bacon.

Hehehe.

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The circus that is the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives has an uncertain future, thanks in large part to the large number of amateur members the chamber contains. The PA House can certainly be equated with a circus, and it isn’t a stretch – there are plenty of rings, not just three, making this circus the world’s biggest. You have members of this chamber who openly disregard a constitution it swears to uphold. You have members being bought off with campaign contributions or with nice cushy jobs after leaving the circus, and you have a circus master who P.T. Barnum would be jealous of.

One D has decided to cross over to support King John in his bid to hang on to his own personal life support, that is known as the Speaker of the House. There are rumors that up to 6 R’s will either vote present or vote for another R as a means of protest. If these R’s actually go through with it, I think they ought to receive a medal of honor for doing the entire state a favor. This action will come with a price of course, but it will be the right thing to do.

The time has come for all rank-and-file Republicans to take a stand. Will they be enablers and thus victims? Or will they take their elected duty seriously and start leading? Based on past experience, I won’t hold my breath. Victims do not belong in elected positions – only men and women of courage belong in the halls of government.

It was Patrick Henry who so eloquently stated:

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

In these times of uncertainty, we need men and women patriots like Patrick Henry.

I’ll leave with one last thought – while I have been openly critical of the House, it’s membership and it’s leaders, I want this much to be certain. I thank God for the system of government we have – where amatuers are elected to represent us. There is great risk in allowing amateurs to run the show, but there is also great opportunity. It is in opportunity that courage is allowed to thrive. It is in opportunity that great men and woman are born. It is in opportunity that liberty is allowed to flourish.

I believe that before us, on Jan. 2nd, lies a great opportunity. Opportunity is only potential though. It only becomes powerful when one person responds to it with openness to the calling of opportunity. When one man or woman who has been asking for opportunity, and it is given to them, gives themselves permission to receive the opportunity.

The question before all Pennsylvanians now is this – How many of our elected officials will give themselves permission to receive the opportunity for leadership?

Cross-posted at Courage of Conviction.

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The Harrisburg Buzz says…

At least six reform-minded Republicans, including three freshmen, are poised to vote “present” or vote for another Republican other than Perzel, whichever maneuver Perzel’s parliamentarian allows. This for all intents and purposes marks the end of Perzel’s elected career.

So who are they?

Murt, Rock, Binswanger, I’ve heard. Metcalfe?

Curt Schroder can apparently save the day by calling for a leadership election, but the Fly says that won’t happen.

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The Inquirer has more, saying it’s a) the first time a minority party has the speakership, b) Perzel’s had found a flipper in 1994 c) it’s been rumoured for weeks.

Asked today if he feared a Republican crossing the aisle and giving DeWeese the edge again, Perzel told a reporter. “You know me… I’m prepared for all eventualities.”

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Lynne Abraham, Philly’s DA:

“He’s the only mayor in Philadelphia history who hasn’t called the district attorney and said, ‘Lynne, we have a crime problem. Let’s you, and the police department and us sit down and come up with a plan.’ Not our mayor,” Abraham said as she shook her head side-to-side.

The Mayor’s spokesman:

Joe Grace, the mayor’s spokesman, mentioned some of the city’s initiatives: “our violence prevention programs, youth violence reduction partnership and the adolescent violence reduction partnership, the summits that I just mentioned, Operation Safer Streets.

 

“The district’s attorney’s office is a key partner,” Grace said.

Of course it doesn’t help that the Mayor is cutting the DA’s budget.

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The Reading Eagle confirms last night’s rumours.

Reading Democratic Rep. Thomas R. Caltagirone intends to back Republican John Perzel’s bid for Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives when the 2007-08 legislative session starts Tuesday a move that could give the GOP control of the chamber’s leadership.

 

The Reading Eagle obtained a copy of a letter late Friday that Caltagirone is sending to Democratic lawmakers explaining his intent to cross party lines and help keep the speaker’s gavel in Perzel’s hands for the next two years.

 

“I have always found Rep. Perzel to be a man of his word, and serious about the issues of public policy,” Caltagirone wrote. “I believe the people of Pennsylvania will be best served if he is elected as speaker on Jan. 2, and he will have my support.”

 

Caltagirone will remain a Democrat even though he’s backing Perzel for the speaker’s post, the letter states.

No wonder Perzel didn’t want to move out of his office the other day.

He had it wrapped up.

Caltagirone’s vote would mathematically give the GOP enough votes to keep Perzel in the speaker’s post, which the Philadelphia Republican has held since 2003.

 

Such a vote also would allow other Republicans to hold onto their leadership posts and control the flow of legislation in the House.

 

Caltagirone, who has had a prickly relationship with DeWeese, wrote in his letter that Perzel has been more receptive to reforming House rules to give rank-and-file members more say and making the chamber more transparent than DeWeese.

Frankly, a quote like this is shocking.

Al Bowman, a Perzel spokesman, said he believes Caltagirone’s decision demonstrates Democrats’ frustration with DeWeese’s reluctance to embrace reforms.

“I don’t think that it’s a very well-kept secret that Tom has had a lot of differences with Mr. DeWeese,” Bowman said. “I know that Tom wants to see some reforms in the House. Everybody’s known that for quite some time.”

Speaker Perzel is going to drive reform in the Legislature? Isn’t he one of the main reasons we clamor for it?

Click read more, for the letter.
(more…)

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Everyday I pray for Fast Eddie’s health, but If CBK was to assume the throne, can we have her removed for being crazy? But would we want Jubs Jr. (Scarneti) as governor?

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I’ve heard on the highest authority that Montgomery County DA Bruce Castor is reconsidering his decision to run for Montgomery County commissioner.

His entry would make it a four way race for two seats.

Incumbents Jim Matthews and Tom Ellis are definates, current State Rep Kate Harper is a definately maybe.

Update: … and a running mate for Castor as well.

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