Dominic Pileggi

Gov. Ed Rendell demanded Monday that Senate Republicans return for a controversial lame-duck session to address his health care legislation, arguing better health care remains an important political issue for lawmakers who want to please their constituents.

But Senate Republicans are balking at the request and challenge his assertion that political momentum is behind his proposal to expand health care access to nearly 200,000 Pennsylvanians.

The latest health care showdown, the first since Election Day, could determine whether last weeks' results have any effect on what has been one of the governor's top legislative priorities.

The governor pushed his plan at a press conference with embattled House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D-Greene County) in Philadelphia and later joined state Senators Jay Costa (D-Allegheny County) and Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia) on a conference call with a reporters.

GOP state Senate candidates Lance Rogers and Dominic Pileggi were endorsed by The Inquirer today, joining a growing number of Republicans to win the backing of the traditionally left-leaning editorial page.

Pileggi is the Chester City Republican incumbent running against Democratic challenger John Linder in the 9th Senatorial District. Rogers is challenging state Rep. Daylin Leach (D-Upper Merion) for the 17th District seat being vacated by retiring state Sen. Connie Williams (D-Montgomery).

The in the editorial, The Inquirer said Rogers "could bring a fresh approach to the Senate on issues such as gun control and expanded health-care coverage, on which he pledges not to walk lock-step with the GOP."

The paper said "it would be better for constituents in the 9th to keep Pileggi's leadership and influence."

Update: Mayor Nutter will be attending a fundraiser for the Brandywine Democrats, not Linder. This story was based on incorrect information from the Linder campaign.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter will attend a fundraiser this weekend for Democratic state Senate candidate John Linder, the Linder campaign said Monday.

Linder is running against state Sen. Dominic Pileggi (R-Chester City) in the 9th Senatorial District.

The fundraiser is scheduled for Sunday evening at Pace One Restaurant in Thorton.

MINNETONKA, Minn. -- In a brief interview with PolitickerPA.com, state Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Warren County) said Gov. Ed Rendell's administration is "winding down."

"As evidence, look at the cabinet secretaries that are leaving," Scarnati said, referring to the departure of Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty and Office of the Budget Secretary Mike Masch.

He added the staff dispersion isn't a slight against Rendell personally, just a reality of any elected official whose time in office is almost up. Rendell has two years left on his second term.

MINNETONKA, Minn. -- Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll vowed in late August to continue presiding over the state Senate despite her sudden announcement about her battle with a form of cancer.

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware County) told PolitickerPA.com he's OK with her decision.

"She has shown good stamina in attending sessions from start to finish," he said. "I'm sure if she is fully able to and cleared by doctors, she will continue to do so."

He added, "I'm sure she will keep us advised about the status of her health."

MINNETONKA, Minn. -- State Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware County) said Monday that if history is a guide, Gov. Ed Rendell's power will soon begin to wane as Pennsylvania's Democratic chief executive enters the last two years of his final term.

He told PolitickerPA.com the signs are already there.

"We have seen some of his staffers leaving," Pileggi said, "and we have seen him focus on the presidential races."

Rendell still has one major policy initiative left languishing in the legislature -- his plan to provide health insurance to every Pennsylvanian.

MINNETONKA, Minn. -- State Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware County) thinks several factors outside of local control have eroded once solid Republican majorities in Philadelphia's suburban counties.

And he told PolitickerPA.com Monday night the changing election cycle might help reverse the trend.

The two primary factors driving increased Democratic registration, Pileggi said, are the widespread unpopularity of President Bush and adulation for Gov. Ed Rendell (D), who the majority leader said still polls as high as 70 percent in some areas.

Both of their terms are coming to an end -- Bush in early 2009, and Rendell in early 2011.

Among the most noted changes in this year's election cycle has been the sudden and dramatic upswing in the number of registered Democrats in Pennsylvania. Various groups have offered their own explanations for the increase, attributing the shift to everything from dissatisfaction with Republicans in Washington to enthusiasm for the roster of Democratic primary candidates to Rush Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos" call for Republicans to change affiliation in order to prolong the primary fight between Democratic U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Nearly every county in Pennsylvania experienced some increase in its voter rolls this year - most counting in the thousands. The largest gains have by far come for the Democratic Party, particularly in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs, as well as in and around the city of Pittsburgh.

Where the Republican Party logged losses, their decreases were insufficient to completely account for the far larger returns the Democrats observed.

HARRISBURG -- The wee hours of early Monday morning yielded the first on-time budget agreement during Gov. Ed Rendell's six-year administration when he and legislative leaders announced a handshake deal they deemed fair and necessary during difficult economic times.

The budget proposal calls for a 3.8 percent spending increase -- 0.4 percentage points fewer than what Rendell called for in his original budget proposal. He said he cut a little more than $500 million from his proposal, reductions he said were unfortunately necessary while a struggling economy shrinks tax revenue.

The legislative leaders who spoke, Republicans and Democrats alike, echoed Rendell's remarks. Everyone had to accept displeasing parts of the budget to make sure an agreement was reached before state workers were furloughed, they said.

HARRISBURG -- Budget negotiations among Democratic and Republican leaders have gone from productive, to disappointing, to non-existent in fewer than three days after they did not meet Saturday.

But the negotiators don't seem worried.

Although they reiterated their displeasure with the other side's budget, each also said Saturday's absence of talks doesn't shake their optimism that a "handshake" agreement can be reached by Monday's June 30 deadline.