Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - The PA House elects a new speaker

[richlevy]

For anyone not from our fair state, the PA house made history last week when a Democratic majority elected a Republican speaker to replace a Republican speaker. In one of the most vicious back room scuffles in US political history, the current speaker, an alleged corrupt fat cat name John Perzel suborned a disgruntled Democrat, Thomas R. Caltagirone, to vote for him to keep his seat. In the final hours, Democrats and Republican negotiated to pick someone else, even if it was a Republican.

In the end DeWeese, the Democratic heir apparent, was unable to take the seat but was able to watch his arch rival Perzel go down in flames.

Mr. Caltagirone later declared that he was still a Democrat but chose to sit with the Republicans, possibly out of fear that someone would beat the shit out of him on the House floor. Since Democrats still hold the majority and he failed to bring home the bacon for Perzel, it will be interesting to watch the remainder of his political career.

BTW, the Democrats retook the PA House as a result of a Chester County election and hand recount with a difference of 28 votes.

Democrat Barbara McIlvaine Smith, 11,616; Republican Shannon Royer, 11,588. That’s a difference of 28 votes.