Pro Temp Piccola???

Harrisburg's most hard-luck politician, Jeff Piccola, may yet touch the brass ring. Last winter, Piccola came within one vote of being Senate President Pro Temp. The victor, Joe Scarnati, may lose as many as three of his previous votes, leaving Piccola with a legitimate chance of bouncing him. Gib Armstrong has at least one, and possibly two, challengers more popular than him. Anyone thinking that two challengers splits the vote and ensures Gib another term need only to remember Bob Jubelirer. A warm body gives pay-and-pension jacker Terry Punt, a shell of his former self due to serious health problems, a run for his money. Punt's expected challenger is much more than a mere warm body. Finally, Bob Regola will have a very difficult fight on his hands next November, with a perjury conviction ending his career much sooner than that. The icing on the cake for Piccola might be if Scarnati himself had a challenger, which would - as in the 2006 primary - suck all valuable money away from Punt, Armstrong and Regola and into Scarnati's race.

PA Democrats Dread 2008

A hard reality is starting to collect into the minds of Harrisburg Democrats regarding the 2008 election.

Although Republican Representative Jim Marshall's tenure will likely come to an end in 2008, the House is likely to return into Republican hands. Democrats overachieved in 2006, running the table against payjacking Republicans in southeastern swing districts and even pulling upsets in the "T." Republicans have already begun intense recruiting, while Democrats are reported to be resting on their laurels. After Bill DeWeese is jailed because of bonusgate, the Democrats will be completely demoralized. The only real action in 08 against Republican incumbents may come in the primary election.

The PA Senate grows ever closer to being yet again out of reach for Democrats, as no strong candidates have been recruited for potentially vulnerable Republicans, including pay and pension jackers Dominick Pileggi in Delaware County, James Rhoades in Schuylkill County, and Donald White in Indiana County. The Democrats are also fearful about losing freshman Andrew Dinniman in Chester. The lone pickup possiblity for the Democrats may be the seat held by Bob Regola.

Compounding problems for the Democrats is that for the first time since 1988, frontrunning GOP candidates for president are favored to carry the state over the Democratic frontrunners.

Corbett's Dilemma; Perzel's Resurrection

Attorney General Tom Corbett, who no longer conceals ambition about being governor, now faces a dilemma over who to prosecute in bonus-gate. Speaker Emeritus Perzel is showing signs that GOP leaders have successfully prevailed upon Corbett to prosecute only House Democrats, in particular Bill DeWeese. Perzel has been wining and dining freshmen in his caucus like a man on mission, telling them in fact that he plans to be Speaker again, insinuating all the while that with DeWeese's fall at the hands of Corbett, he will be back in the saddle. If Corbett had chosen to prosecute Republicans as well, party leaders would have squashed his governor candidacy before it even started. By only nailing Democrats, however, Corbett opens himself up to potentially fatal criticism by the press and the voters as a partisan AG. Ironically, by aiding Perzel, Corbett is also helping a top rival for the governor's mansion. Damned if you do, damned if you don't......developing....

Conservatives: Big Brother (Jake Corman) is watching you....but does Corman know who is watching him?

Not wanting to suffer the fate of their predecessors, GOP Senate leadership has decided to monitor the conservative groups that were influential in tossing out Jubelirer and Brightbill.
To this end, they have assigned Senator Jake "the Snake" Corman to "reach out" and "keep an eye" on them.

Senator Corman earned the nick name "The Snake" by many of his Senate collegues for being two faced and often engaging in back stabbing tactics. Recall after the 2005 pay raise was passed (which he voted for and defended), Corman blasted groups that dared to criticize Brightbill and Jubelirer. However, he was quick to throw the defeated leaders under the bus no sooner than after they conceeded on May 16th. He was now Mr. Conservative and was fighting the leadership all along.

Corman's job is to placate the conservative groups and offer them lip service about their concerns. He has been feverishly trying to meet with as many conservative groups and leaders over the past 8 months in order to pacify the rebellion amoung the conservative ranks.

What Senator Corman doesn't realize is that he is one of the top primary targets for conservatives activists in 2010. Word has gotten out that Bob Guzzardi is already ready searching for a primary challenger against the guy who is trying (but failing) to sell conservatives on his phony conversion.

Corman is extremely vunerable for his horrible record on the pay raise, reform, spending and signing onto Socialist Stew Greenleaf's pro-nanny state anti-smoking agenda. However, his biggest liability will come from the news that PHEAA, which Senator Corman is a board member of, recklessly spent taxpayers money on manicures, cigars and other perks for legislators while they were on taxpayer funded junkets. As a PHEAA board member, Senator Corman did nothing to watch out for taxpayers and turned a blind eye while his friends continued to rob the taxpayers for their own pleasure.

And you wonder why this guy is in the crosshairs off Bob Guzzardi and the conservatives.

Corbett Protecting Asher's Friends?

Attorney General Tom Corbett is facing immense pressure from the public to investigate "Bonusgate", "Auditgate" and other abuses in taxpayer dollars. This should be a slam dunk for him but why is Tom Corbett not out in front of this and scooping up the easy media attention and public kudos?

Simple, National GOP Committeeman Bob Asher is the one person who Corbett owes his election as AG to.

Asher was key in securing the GOP State Committee endorsement for Corbett and raising tons of cash for his narrow 1.9% victory in November of 2004. However, Asher, a convicted felon, has a shady past and is tied to many of the legislators (See Brightbill, Jubelirer, Perzel, Sam Smith, etc.) who dished out lavish bonuses to staffers and Corbett is afraid that pursuing "Bonusgate" and "Auditgate" for fear of uncovering piles of corruption amoung Asher's pals.

Since Corbett wants to be Governor in 2010 (And Asher wants Corbett to be Governor in 2010) Corbett is trying to do a public balancing act of making it look like he is going after corruption at the same time not really investigating "too hard" so he doesn't hurt his political pals.

After all, if more corruption comes out pointing toward Asher and his friends, Corbett would have a hard time raising cash for his campaign for Gov in 2010.
In fact, he might have a hard time getting reelected in 2008....stay tuned.

Appropriations Chairman Perzel?

Sources indicate that Perzel crony Mario Civero, like a loyal lapdog, is going to step down as Appropriations Chairman so that Perzel can assume the second most powerful position within the minority caucus. This is Perzel's last best hope (false hope, most likely), for hanging onto a shred of viability for his run for governor in 2010. Even getting elected to this post isn't a given for Perzel, who has buzzards encircling him now that his colleagues see that he is a mere mortal, and that his fangs have been ripped out by Dennis O'Brien.

Mad House

By all accounts Bill DeWeese is poised to be Speaker of the House in spite of Tom Caltigirone's best impression of Fredo Corleone. 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. Only Rep. Curt Schroder may call for another leadership election to allow Perzel the opportunity to supplant Sam Smith as minority leader and keep his career and dignity somewhat in tact. Such a move would make no sense for Schroder.