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Edited on Wed May-03-06 06:55 AM by Divernan
www.post-gazette.com/pg/06123/687013-179.stm
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Flaherty sworn in as state representative
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Newly elected state Rep. Shawn Flaherty, a Democrat from Pittsburgh's northern suburbs, was sworn into office yesterday. Mr. Flaherty, 46, son of the late Pittsburgh Mayor and Allegheny County Commissioner Pete Flaherty, won a special election to replace Rep. Jeff Habay, R-Shaler, who resigned.
Mr. Flaherty's election brings the current party breakdown in the 203-member House to 94 Democrats and 109 Republicans.
"Maybe we're on a roll," quipped House Democratic leader H. William DeWeese, noting that Democrats have won the last three special House elections.
(End of quote)
I attended this swearing in & was seated right in the well of the House Chamber, below the Speaker's podium, so had an excellent view of all the representatives, including the Republican majority. I've known & worked with most of these people for over ten years, and I am delighted to report that to a man, they looked absolutely WRETCHED - I was going to say like their dog had just died, but given the nature of their "public service", it would be more descriptive to say they looked like the stock market had just crashed AND their Cayman bank had just been blown away by a hurricane.
Since they still have a 15 vote majority, it was not about this particular election, but what this election signifies for the Novemeber election. They may still put on their plastic smiles when the cameras are rolling, but when their guard is down, they look like people in Dante's fifth circle of hell. As the Dem speaker gleefully pointed out to them in his welcoming speech to Rep. Flaherty, THE DEMOCRATS HAVE WON THE LAST THREE SPECIAL HOUSE ELECTIONS ! ! ! !
As I left the chamber and was right smack in front of them all, it was all I could do to maintain decorum and NOT put my thumb on my nose, waggle my fingers at them and say, "Nyah,nyah, na-na-nyah!"
On edit: Oh, yeah, further scuttlebut from my staff buddies. An as yet unreleased poll commissioned by the Dems shows that 57% of PA voters would not vote for Santorum "under any circumstances". Other news: the usual group of suspects, i.e., big GOP donors to PA federal races, are shortchanging gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann, big time. Whereas in past years, they have donated perhaps $25,000, they have only given Swann $1,000 - i.e., the minimum possible. My interpretation of this is that they expect Santorum to go down and he'll drag Lynn with him. The old negative coat tail effect. One other tidbit - Swann's campaign staff have laid down the law to him that he MUST start giving autographs when requested. Turns out Swann always had a policy of refusing to EVER give an autograph. You could tell hime it was for a dying relative, whatever - he would NOT sign. So now you can imagine this arrogant piece of PR puff is campaigning around the state and even going to fund raising events and still refusing to sign?!?!
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