Governor

Gov. Ed Rendell: Getty Images PhotoNobody ever said Gov. Ed Rendell took things sitting down.

The governor has formed a grassroots group for Democrats who, while disappointed by U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-N.Y.) defeat, plan to support U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Called Hillary-Obama-United-Not-Divided, or HOUND, it was created in response to a group called PUMA, short for Party unity, my ass. That group seeks to dissuade former Clinton supporters from voting for Obama.

The governor, who was one of Clinton's most high-profile supporters, wrote the group's credo, which appears on the state Democrats' Web site. Rendell wrote that former Clinton supporters should vote for Obama not because of party loyalty, but because his policies are nearly identical to hers.

A week ago Ed Rendell had the heat turned up in all government office buildings to save money.  Then yesterday Senator Vince Fumo passes out on the state floor.  Could there be a connection?  Reporters and lobbyists alike say it feels like it has been warmer inside the Capitol.  Fumo says he has just been exhausted from budget work. 

The Pennsylvania budget is supposed to be approved and signed into law by mid-night on June 30th.  Over the last 7 years the legislature has chose to treat this more as a suggestion than a requirement.  With split government the legislature can use the budget process to make Governor Ed Rendell look bad by delaying the budget process.  That’s politics. 

So what is the likely outcome this year?  It is unlikely the process will go on until July 17th like it did last year.  Most inside observers believe the most likely date of a budget signing is July 3rd or 4th.  The legislators will want to be home by July 4th which offers many good campaigning opportunities.  In an election year that becomes a priority.  Another theory from one lobbyist is completion before July 7th because they will want the process done before the Bob Regola trial starts.  Either way, with split government don’t expect this process to change any time soon.

As talk heats up about vice-presidential candidates and names are floated, Ed Rendell may make the best case for why he should not be chosen. 

In 2000, after John McCain’s strong primary challenge to George Bush, some pundits talked about McCain as Bush’s running mate.

Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge was an early supporter of John McCain.  Then when the going became bad and it looked like the straight talk express was being decommissioned Ridge stuck with McCain.  The two have become very friendly and Ridge is thought to be McCain’s top choice for vice-president.  The problem is Ridge is pro-choice and McCain is smart enough to realize that pick will not bring enough of the conservatives who are leery of McCain back into the fold. 

It took a Justice Department inquiry for former Gov. Tom Ridge to register as a lobbyist, almost two years after he began lobbying for the government of Albania, Roll Call reports (subscription only).

Ridge, whose name has been floated as a possible running mate for presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain, told the newspaper he initially didn't think it necessary to registe after being awarded the almost half-million-dollar lobbying contract.

"It was brought to my attention after the contract expired and my lawyer said under the circumstances I probably should have filed," said Ridge, who is also the McCain campaign's national co-chair.

Realizing their projected deal is lacking the necessary votes right now to pass the legislature, Governor Ed Rendell and Citi Infrastructure Investors managers have agreed to extend the bid for 30 days to give Rendell time to change minds.

Governor Ed Rendell, in a deal with Senate Republicans, nominated 2 Democrats and 2 Republicans for open judicial seats.

As an AP report mentions, those nominated included Jane Cutler Greenspan, a 20-year Philadelphia common pleas court judge, for the Supreme Court seat vacated by Ralph Cappy earlier this year.

Also getting the nomination were Johnny J. Butler, a former Labor and Industry secretary under Ridge's Republican administration, John M. Cleland, the president judge of McKean County, and Robert A. Freedberg, the president judge of Northampton County.

The pollsters at Quinnipiac University this morning provided the presidential candidates some free advice as they try to settle on running mates: Gov. Ed Rendell is right that he wouldn't be a great running mate, former Gov. Tom Ridge wouldn't be much help and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) would likely do more harm than good.

Those are the conclusions drawn from the poll of swing states, including Pennsylvania, released this morning, The poll found U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) leading U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) by 12 points in Pennsylvania, and by narrower margins in Florida and Ohio.

But Obama might take a word of caution from the pollsters about choosing Clinton as his running mate, something many of her supporters have pushed. Independents were largely turned off by the idea in the poll, and even 31 percent of Democrats surveyed said it was a bad idea.

"If Sen. Obama is seriously thinking about picking Sen. Clinton as his running mate, these numbers might cause him to reconsider," assistant polling director Peter Brown said. "The people who really matter come November--independent voters--turn thumbs down on the idea. And many say they are less likely to vote for him if he puts her on the ticket."

Harrisburg continues to be embroiled in a dispute over redistricting reform after Gov. Ed Rendell recently urged lawmakers to reconsider recently tabled legislation that would fix how Pennsylvania's congressional districts are drawn.

Adding to the long-running drama, Rendell, a Democrat, wrote to the chairs of the House and Senate's State Government committees last week, imploring them to address the chronic problem of gerrymandering -- carving up districts to the advantage of incumbents and majority parties -- before the 2010 census. State Rep. Babette JosephsPennsylvania is the second-most gerrymandered state in the country, according to the League of Women Voters.

"The Commonwealth's existing redistricting process undermines democracy by institutionalizing a powerful system of incumbent protection," Rendell wrote in a letter to state Sens. Anthony H. Williams (D-Philadelphia) and Jeffrey Piccola (R-Dauphin), and Reps. Babette Josephs (D-Philadelphia) and Mathew E. Baker (R-Bradford). "For every vote to truly count, we must have competitive elections where voters have the opportunity to choose between viable candidates. I am convinced that the only way to ensure meaningful elections is to take politics out of the process of drawing legislative boundaries.

"This issue is neither arcane nor academic; how we draw legislative boundaries impacts the daily lives of Pennsylvanians because competitive elections in rationally drawn districts are the only way that voters can make their voices heard on the issues that matter to them," he added.