But I fear that the passage of time and the emergence of crises to come will replace current voter revulsion toward our "leaders."
Still, there could be repercussions. All are guilty of ignominy and 101 days of negligence.
GOV ED: Storm-tossed. Called for no broad-based taxes then called for hiking the personal-income tax, then recalled that call. Called for taxing energy companies extracting natural gas, then recalled that call.
Mostly, though, he's guilty of presiding over a seventh straight late budget, of disengagement during critical points and of alienating lawmakers, calling them lazy and suggesting that their leaders be gassed.
(Not that he's wrong. But insults and death threats generally aren't the best negotiating tools.)
Yet he's home free: got $300 million more for education; can't run again and says that his public life ends when he leaves office in January 2011, except for involvement with Building America's Future, an infrastructure effort with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
There is, however, Rendell residue. The next few election cycles will be slippery for any southeast Democrat (listening, Joe Hoeffel, Tom Knox?), given Ed's reputation as a tax-and-spend Philophile.
REPUBLICAN SENATE: Steady as she goes. Often seemed as if the party of "no" and Senate President Joe Scarnati fell short of statesmanship by publicly labeling the Guv's positions "snake oil." But Scarnati and GOP Leader Dominic Pileggi held the line for no broad-based taxes, something they insisted on from the start.
The Senate will remain in GOP control because it represented its constituents and helped force more government cuts and fewer taxes than Rendell and Democrats wanted.
