Wake-Up Call: Friday, August 8, 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.

Report: More than 20 House Republican staffers interviewed by Corbett

Attorney General Tom Corbett has interviewed more than 20 House Republicans the past few weeks as part of his ongoing "Bonusgate" investigation, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. (PolitickerPA.com, Alex Roarty)

Link: http://www.politickerpa.com/alexroarty/1140/report-more-20-house-republi...

Obama opens 29 campaign offices in state

Sen. John McCain may have been spending more time campaigning in Pennsylvania since the April 22 primary, but as of last night, Sen. Barack Obama can claim more offices. (Post Gazette, Mackenzie Carpenter)

Link: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08221/902768-454.stm?cmpid=elections.xml

Chief begins work on Pa.'s new open records office

HARRISBURG - Inside a temporary cubicle in a state office building, Terry Mutchler is for the moment less concerned with prying open long-sealed government documents than she is with opening for business. (Inquirer, Matthew Spolar)

Link: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080808_Chief_begins_work_on_Pa__s...

John McCain to visit York

Presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain is coming to York next week, according to an e-mail his campaign sent out Wednesday.

Frank A. Orban III, co-chairman of McCain's Lancaster County campaign, said the appearance will take place Tuesday at the Toyota Arena at the York Expo Center. He believes the doors will open at 9:45 a.m. (Evening Sun, Staff)

Link: http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_10126216?source=rss 

Nanticoke council approves written agreements with two employees

NANTICOKE – City council unanimously approved employment agreements for two employees during the Wednesday night meeting.

The agreements between the city and Holly Quinn, fiscal manager, and Joe Kordek, building inspector/code enforcement officer, detail the employees’ salaries, work descriptions and benefits. (Times Leader, Sherry Long)

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

New program to help residents finish college degrees

Community College of Philadelphia and Mayor Nutter yesterday announced a plan to pick up the tab for tuition, fees, and some of the cost of textbooks for Philadelphia residents who have completed 30 or more credit hours toward an associate degree and who have been out of school for at least two years. (Inquirer, Susan Snyder)

Link: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080808_New_program_to_help_reside...

Stu Bykofsky: Why did Nutter use the tough talk?

WHAT WAS more unusual - Mayor Nutter's angry use of off-color remarks or 6ABC's decision to air them on the 11 p.m. newscast?

Because 6ABC is the most conservative, image-conscious station in town, I was mildly surprised when it aired Nutter's emotional condemnation of the craven hear-no-evil, see-no-evil, speak-no-evil slugs who infest the Department of Human Services. (Philly Daily News, Stu Bykofsky)

Link: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20080808_Stu_Bykofsky__Why_did_Nut...

Boehner to fundraise for Hackett

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) is headed to northeast Pennsylvania this weekend to fundraise for Republican U.S. House candidate Chris Hackett.

The event is set to take place Saturday in the Wilkes-Barre suburb of Dallas. A Hackett spokesman declined to specify how much the event was expected to raise. (PolitickerPA.com, Alex Isenstadt)

Link: http://www.politickerpa.com/alexisenstadt/1141/boehner-fundraise-hackett

Municipal judge faces misconduct charges from stay-away order

Municipal Judge James DeLeon is facing misconduct charges for allegedly issuing an improper "stay away order" to assist an acquaintance.

The charges leveled by the state Judicial Conduct Board yesterday could lead to a reprimand, suspension or dismissal from the bench. (Philly Daily News, Dave Davies)

Link: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20080808_Municipal_judge_faces_mis...

$2 million more, no closure for Pan Am families

For Glenn and Carole Johnson, there will be no closure.

The Hempfield couple say the emotional wounds they suffered on Dec. 21, 1988, will remain open forever.

On that day, their daughter, Beth Ann, a student at Seton Hill College in Greensburg, died along with 242 other passengers aboard Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, the result of a Libyan-sponsored bombing attack. (Tribune Review, Richard Gazarik)

Link: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_581801.html

Regola seeks to expunge record in gun case

An attempt to erase all traces of the criminal case against Sen. Robert Regola hit a snag Thursday when court documents were filed seeking to halt that move.

The family of 14-year-old Louis Farrell, who died from a gunshot wound to the head from the senator's handgun, wants to intervene in the case. (Tribune Review, Rich Cholodofsky)

Link: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_581776.html

Fayette postpones purging 25,000 voters

A Fayette County voter purge that was to begin earlier this week has been postponed, the director of the election bureau said Thursday.

"We're going to do it after the (fall) election," Laurie Lint said. "The time constraints were too close. I didn't want to start and not complete it." (Tribune Review, Mary Pickels)

Link: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_581779.html

Allegheny County group forms to retain drink tax

A group calling itself Citizens Against Raising Taxes on Property has formed to campaign to keep Allegheny County's 10 percent drink tax.

A referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot will ask voters whether they want to replace the drink tax with higher property taxes. (Tribune Review, Staff)

Link: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_581766.html

Platts, Avillo debate issues at Gettysburg forum

U.S. Rep. Todd Platts, R-Spring Garden, and his Democratic opponent, Phil Avillo, tackled issues ranging from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to global warming as part of a Wednesday night forum held by the Gettysburg Area Democracy for America.

It wasn't a sparring match between the two opponents, merely a chance for both to explain their platforms and answer some questions from audience members. (Evening Sun, Katharine Harmon)

Link: http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_10126652?source=rss

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.