Scarnati begins to assume Lt. Gov duties…
Like Jubelirer, Scarnati will have a foot in 2 different govt branches…
Death alters state’s balance of power…
Scarnati begins to assume Lt. Gov duties…
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19 Comments
I wonder how well that will sork out for Mr. Toll I-80…wait…don’t toll I-80…wait…yes, toll I-80…wait…no, don’t toll I-80.
His job takes a toll…..
Okay, Joe. This is your big chance. Prove to us that you want to be a reformer, that you want to do what’s right for the people of the commonwealth: assume the role of Lt. Governor and release your Senate seat.
Follow the Constitution, use the role of Lt. Governor to protect the people from Ed Rendell, and you will have assured yourself a place in the annals of PA history.
First, Rest in Peace Mrs. Knoll. Second, I have absolutely no belief that Scarnati will step up. 1) he was going to be THE biggest pay raise recipient and he voted for it — 55% was going to be HIS raise and Jubilirer put the guy in as his replacement, 2) on five different reform bills on which Piccola held hearings as State Government Chair (and Piccola voted FOR every one of them), Scarnati as ProTemp is ex-officio on every committee. He showed up AND voted AGAINST EVERY SINGLE BILL. The Taxpayer Protection Act was never allowed a vote on the floor. The business community asked for two small things — loss-carry-forward time extensions and a single sales factor so they aren’t taxed on inventory and sales. What did Scarnati do? NOTHING — ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Jobs and young people who WERE leaving in droves are now flying out of the state like they’re on a rocket ship. This guy is NOT a leader. ‘Best thing that could happen would be for him to resign from his Senate seat (which he will not do)and have a two-year career. A conservative could easily be elected to his seat. He’s a six-year Senator with ZIP to his credit. There’s no choice but to give him a chance, because he is in. Hopeful? Not at all. Make a case for him if you can, but his record does not commend him.
Bottom line –
Someone, a respected member of the community, needs to have the balls to stand up in 4 years and run against him in the primary. My belief is everyone is too afraid of the Nyquist boys to do it…….This was the year to do it after I-80, pay raiser, etc, and no one did.
So is he going to abandon his post as Pro Tempore or is he going to keep both seats, a la Jubes?
Brutus might want to calm down a bit.
1. The constitutional question of Scarnati remaining in the Senate while serving as acting Lt Governor, which really was not a subtle one, was settled definitively in 2001-02.
2. The Lt Governor has NO powers to speak of, and cannot even break a tie on legislation in the Senate. A Lt Governor cannot protect Pennsylvanians from an errant horsefly, much less a liberal governor.
Other than that, I think he is right on target.
Rich and Cassius, you have described Judas Joe correctly. As a Junior Senator, he did not have the courage or character to vote no on the pay raise, instead selling his soul for personal gain. Someone is looking for this character though! Restaurant owner to Lt. Gov. in eight years. Did he ever graduate from college? The last time I looked his website said “Attended”. If so, what degree did he finally attain?
Bobby,
No need to worry…Scarnati/Nyquist are light weights. Peterson still has all the power in the Northern Tier – despite the fact that he is retiring. Look no further than the Kathy Rapp (Peterson)/Kerry Gern (Scarnati) – Glenn Thompson (Peterson)/Derek Walker (Scarnati) – Matt Gabler (Peterson)/Dan Surra (Scarnati), races…. oh, and the I-80 battle.
Peterson smoked the Scarnati crew in these four battles and countless others…
If Joey and his cronies want to use Jubilirer as their precedent, so be it…it will come back to bite him. If Scarnati was smart, he would give up his Senate seat, use the next year to build a state-wide coalition, get his name ID up, and run for Governor in two years. Then again, Joey & Company aren’t particularly known as political strategists…as the above record shows.
Just a thought…
I wouldn’t take as ’settled’ anything that this kangaroo court decides. They have demonstrated both and inability to read and comprehend the plain language in the Constitution.
The loss in the Derek Walker race was due to behind the scenes corruption by John Boobie grabbin Peterson and Matt drunk drivin and hiding Shaner. Walker is getting ready to expose these two, so don’t call Peterson the winner in that battle yet.
GOPSU – we’ve been hearing that since April….I’ll believe it when I see it.
What the hell does that mean? Is Walker going to primary Thompson in two years and tear the party apart up there? Walker got dicked over by a prosecuter who was hoping his guy, a dem, would win the seat, that what happened, all the whining a crying about it won’t change that, and plotting to destroy the only solidly republican area left in the state won’t solve anything either.
The only way he steps down is if he is setting his sights on the Governors office, as sleeper said below, he could really position himself strongly for it to if he came our as a huge opponent to Rendell and battled him tooth and nail over the budget and uses the Lt.Gov spot to really blast the House D’s for not passing reform measures.
good policy is good politics, but doing nothing offends no lobbyists and keeps the money flowing…
I’ve already heard rumors of that….though you would think it would be hard to do considering he PLEAD guilty to the charges.
One thing to be charged and say it was done has a political smear campaign…..it’s another to plead guilty after the primary.
Back to the questions — no Scarnati does not have a college degree. It’s a two-year degree. Thanks, Boro Boy for the ups on reading this guy. He’s no more able to run for Governor than he is to sprout wings and fly. The guy got the job because Jubes wanted to stick it to Piccola and Joe was his boy. A leader? What exactly did he achieve as Pro Temp other than conclusively prove that he stands for nothing at all. He’s not exactly a good man from what I hear, either. No, this dude is Jubilirer-light. Rendell ran all over him the last two years and he’ll keep doing it. He’s far from the best talent in that caucus. How long will he be able to ride in the job Jubilirer willed to him? Man, it needs to be a short run.
“…plotting to destroy the only solidly republican area left in the state…” These folks are rabid, racist, redneck RINOs, not real republicans. If Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid ran as a republican they would vote them in.
No, Truman, I won’t settle down a bit; just because the court rules something is constitutional doesn’t make it so. Remember, these were the same hacks who upheld the pay raise and slots bills even though the violated the rules prima facia!
The intent of the language of the Constitution is clear: the Pro Tempore moves up to the Lt. Gov. seat and the senate seat becomes vacate.
Deal with it.