Bill DeWeese

"Bonusgate" has become Capitol muckraker Gene Stilp's muse.

The "citizen activist" has written a song about embattled House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D-Greene County) titled "Pop Goes DeWeese-l." Set to the tune of "Pop Goes the Weasel," the song lists a litany of reasons why Stilp thinks the longtime incumbent will lose his election this fall.

One stanza assails Deweese for his well-known use of obscure words: "A buffoon with words from Webster's/Arrogance with ego/Always taking personal revenge/That's what popped DeWeese-l."

Stilp is asking for singers to submit their own recordings of the song, and he said the winner will be featured in a music video featuring a giant "Bill in the Box" in September.

Is the call for House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D-Greene County) to step down starting to snowball?

State Rep. Jesse White (D-Washington County) issued a statement Wednesday afternoon asking Bill DeWeese to resign from his leadership position.

"After reviewing the presentments set forth by the attorney general, it has become clear to me that in order to honor the promise I made to my constituents to truly reform the culture of Harrisburg, a change of leadership is required," the freshman lawmaker said. 

He's the fourth lawmaker to do so in three days, following state reps. Josh Shapiro (D-Montgomery County), Dave Levdansky (D-Allegheny County) and Eugene DePasquale (D-York County).

State Rep. Eugene DePasqualeState Rep. Eugene DePasquale (D-York County) has become the latest Democratic lawmaker to call for Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D-Greene County) to step down, according to the Morning Call's state political blog Capitol Ideas. 

"For the agenda we have this fall, we cannot be distracted by anything," DePasquale said. "We have an energy plan to finalize and a health care plan that we need to focus on."

He's the third lawmaker in as many days this week to call for DeWeese to step down, following state Rep. Josh Shapiro (D-Montgomery County) Monday and state Rep. David Levdansky (D-Allegheny County) Tuesday. 

Although DeWeese was not accused of any wrongdoing, 12 members of the House Democratic Caucus in July were charged with hundreds of felonies stemming from the attorney general's "Bonusgate" investigation. DeWeese's future has been the subject of rampant speculation since. 

The number of legislators to ask DeWeese to step down now stands at 8, including state Rep. Rick Taylor (D-Montgomery County).

Score one for Bill DeWeese -- the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus on Tuesday afternoon threw its support behind the embattled House majority leader, saying calls for him to step down are "premature and a rush to judgment."

DeWeese has not been charged with any crime and has remained conducted himself well throughout the investigation, said state Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland (D-Delaware County), PLCB chairman.

"There have been too many examples in our history of innocent people convicted in the media and the court of public opinion," Kirkland said in a statement. "The attorney general's investigation, and any subsequent court proceedings, should be played out."

On Monday, state Rep. Josh Shapiro (D-Montgomery County) became the most high-profile Democrat yet to call for DeWeese's resignation.

With embattled Majority Leader Bill DeWeese losing support among House Democrats seemingly by the day, one prominent and powerful Caucus member is sticking with him.

State Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia), chairman of the House Appropriation Committee, said Monday that he was still standing with DeWeese, and that he even expected the longtime lawmaker to be re-elected as a leader for the next legislative session.

"This stuff shall pass and we'll move on as an institution," Evans told Daily News political columnist John Baer.

"This stuff" is the massive "Bonusgate" indictments that have imperiled the House Democratic Caucus and threatened its ability to expand its razor-thin majority in the chamber this fall.

Evans' comments came shortly after state Rep. Josh Shapiro (D-Abington) became the most high-profile lawmaker yet to call for DeWeese's resignation.

In supporting DeWeese, Evans cited important policy gains in education, community development and energy.

UPDATE, 1:15 p.m.: Comments of Clay Richards, assistant director of Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, and Bill DeWeese added. 

Deputy House Speaker Josh Shapiro (D-Montgomery County) called for House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D-Greene County) to step down Monday.

According to a new Quinnipiac University poll, he has the public's overwhelming support.

The poll, released Tuesday, shows 51 percent of voters think DeWeese should resign from his leadership post after the "Bonusgate" charges were announced in early July. Just 11 percent  think he should stay, the poll reported.

There is a reason John Baer made the most powerful journalist/columnist list.  Baer has a must read column on yesterday’s Bill DeWeese/Josh Shapiro spat. 

In a recent Quinnipiac University poll 53% of the voters asked said House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese should step down because of Bonusgate. Maybe I am a cynic, but I would have loved to have seen the next question be “should House Republican Leader Sam Smith step down because of Bonusgate?” I am fairly confident that the results would have been at least close. Am I suggesting Smith is somehow involved in Bonusgate? Not at all, there is no evidence at this time he would be involved in any way. But, that doesn’t mean the general public doesn’t want any head they can get because of the latest scandal.

The United States Congress has a record low approval rating of only about 9% right now, yet it is safe to say over 90% of those running for re-election with get their seat back because the general consensus among voters has always been I don’t like Congress, but I like my Congressman. It will be interesting to see if the Pennsylvania voters react the same about their state legislature this year.

Also, don't you kind of have to be skeptical of any poll in Pa. where 16% don’t know enough about Arlen Specter to form an opinion of him.  Last I checked there were not that many new people coming into the state over the last year or two.