Wake-Up Call: Tuesday, August 5, 2008

With the PolitickerPA.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Pennsylvania's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

With the PolitickerPA.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Pennslyvania's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

DeWeese fires back: Shapiro scared of his own 'Bonusgate' involvement

House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D-Greene County) shot back at state Rep. Josh Shapiro (D-Montgomery County) hours after he called for DeWeese to step down, saying the Montgomery County lawmaker is simply scared about negative publicity after being mentioned in the "Bonusgate" presentment. (PolitickerPA.com, Alex Roarty)

Link: http://www.politickerpa.com/alexroarty/1083/deweese-fires-back-shapiro-s...

Poll says voters disapprove of Rendell's budget, turnpike, I-80 plans

A slim majority of Pennsylvanians like the job Ed Rendell is doing as governor, but most disapprove of his handling of the budget, and of his plan to give a Spanish company control of the turnpike and put tolls on Interstate 80, a poll shows. (Post Gazette, Staff)

Link: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08218/901953-100.stm?cmpid=elections.xml

Nutter suspends 7 DHS workers

Vowing that the starvation death of 14-year-old Danieal Kelly would not be in vain, Mayor Nutter yesterday suspended seven more workers at the Department of Human Services and said "no child will again face the same fate." (Inquirer, John Sullivan)

Link: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080805_Nutter_suspends_7_DHS_work...

Ronnie Polaneczky: What does it take to get fired at DHS?

MAYBE, WHEN IT comes to firing employees, the Department of Human Services had a "three-dead-kids-you're-out" policy.

Why else has social worker Dana Poindexter continued to draw a paycheck from DHS, despite the department's knowledge that his inaction was a glaring factor in two cases where children died? (Philly Daily News, Ronnie Polaneczky)

Link: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20080805_Ronnie_Polaneczky__What_d...

U.S.: 165 names on Fumo witness list

Federal prosecutors yesterday filed a list of 165 potential witnesses against state Sen. Vince Fumo, including the names of politically connected Philadelphians, Fumo staffers, friends and members of his inner circle. (Philly Daily News, Michael Hinkelman)

Link: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20080805_U_S___165_names_on_Fumo_w...

In Pa., McCain chastises Congress on energy

During a brief appearance Monday in Montgomery County, U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Congress should return from its summer recess to deal with the country's energy crisis, The Inquirer reports.

"Congress should come back in session, and I'm willing to come off the campaign trail," he said. (PolitickerPA.com, Dan Hirschorn)

Link: http://www.politickerpa.com/danh/1084/pa-mccain-chastises-congress-energ...

John Baer: Shapiro's call the 'tipping point' in legislative reform?

A "TIPPING POINT" is that moment in any venture, trend or course of action when change becomes irreversible.

State House Democratic Leader Bill DeWeese, already embattled by a spreading legislative scandal, might have arrived at his. Yesterday, a fellow Democrat, the deputy speaker and a leading voice for legislative reforms, Montgomery County Rep. Josh Shapiro, called for DeWeese's head. (Philly Daily News, John Baer)

Link: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20080805_John_Baer__Shapiro_s_call...

Grant received to help clean watershed

HANOVER TWP. – U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski on Monday announced receipt of a $178,524 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to install an “oxygenator” -- an aerobic wetlands treatment system that will reduce iron concentrations in the watershed caused by past coal mining practices. (Times Leader, Bill O'Boyle)

Link: http://www.timesleader.com/news/Grant_received_to_help_clean_watershed_0...

Barletta campaign rips poll tactics

HAZLETON – The Lou Barletta campaign is upset about a poll it says cast the Hazleton mayor in a negative light, but U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski’s spokesman denied any involvement with the survey. (Times Leader, Bill O'Boyle)

Link: http://www.timesleader.com/news/Barletta__campaign__rips_poll_tactics_08...

Casey reviews two proposals at roundtable discussion

Pay now or pay later.

That was the message Sen. Bob Casey delivered Monday in a roundtable discussion he hosted at St. Vincent College near Latrobe with about 25 representatives of the Early Childhood Education Leadership Coalition. (Tribune Review, Mary Pickels)

Link: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_581151.html

Onorato signs off on ballot question

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato has signed into law legislation putting the fate of the drink tax in voters' hands.

A question on the November ballot will ask voters whether to eliminate the 10 percent drink tax in favor of higher property taxes. Onorato signed the County Council legislation Friday afternoon, said county spokesman Kevin Evanto. (Tribune Review, Justin Vellucci)

Link: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_581041.html

Bonusgate: Possible cover-up probed?

HARRISBURG -- "The cover-up is worse than the crime" long ago became the hackneyed cliche of choice regarding allegations that someone accused of wrongdoing also tried to cover their tracks.

The monumental public corruption scandal that currently has the state Capitol in its throes - the alleged diversion of millions in public funds for political campaigns and other illegal purposes - is plenty serious on its own.

But there are indications that the attorney general's investigators may pursue charges that some people destroyed, or at least tried to destroy, incriminating records. (Evening Sun, AP)

Link: http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_10092627?source=rss

Taylor joins calls for DeWeese's resignation

State Rep. Rick Taylor (D-Ambler) this afternoon joined a growing chorus calling for Majorlity Leader Bill DeWeese's resignation, saying the embattled lawmaker had "become a lighting rod for controversy." (PolitickerPA.com, Dan Hirschorn)

Link: http://www.politickerpa.com/danh/1081/taylor-joins-calls-deweeses-resign...

With the PolitickerPA.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Pennsylvania's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.