Pennsylvania politicians' annual big bash - in New York

NEW YORK - Call it the anti-Occupy movement.

That, in many ways, is Pennsylvania Society, the annual gala for Pennsylvania politicians who travel to New York City for some government-like forums but mostly for schmoozing, networking, fund-raising, backslapping, wining, dining, and deal-making.

Here, Pennsylvania's political elite congregate annually in the marbled halls of the Waldorf-Astoria and venture out for a weekend of dinners, receptions, and cocktail parties (many invitation-only) hosted by law firms, lobbyists, and others with a financial stake in government and politics.

It is Harrisburg's version of prom night, where the burning question often revolves not around policy or best practices but what to wear, where to eat, what gossip is hot, and who was seen with whom.

The official centerpiece of this four-day event - though not always the highlight - is Saturday night's Pennsylvania Society dinner, where the men wear black tie and the women don ball gowns. This year, a Philadelphian is being honored with the society's gold medal: former astronaut Guion S. Bluford, an Overbrook High School alum who became the first African American to travel in space.

The scene is not for the politically weary.

This is where you come to see and be seen. If you are thinking of running for office, you come here. If you are running for office, you come here. If you are in office, you come here. And if you want something from all of the above, you come here.

Tim Potts, of the Harrisburg advocacy group Democracy Rising PA, calls the gathering the "epitome of aristocracy."

"I can't think of a single thing that this contributes to the well-being of the citizens of Pennsylvania," said Potts, a former legislative aide and frequent critic of Capitol conduct. "In fact, it's not even held in Pennsylvania."

Those who attend yearly, or even once in a while, call such criticism tired, predictable, unimaginative.

State Rep. Mike Vereb (R., Montgomery) said Manhattan offers neutral territory - a place where Democrats and Republicans can put party stripes aside and have a conversation about politics or policy without the distractions of the Capitol.

"The atmosphere is one of less stress," Vereb said Friday night at a reception in the Waldorf thrown by Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R., Delaware). "There are no protests in the Rotunda. No one is calling you to caucus. . . . You can actually talk to someone for more than five minutes."